Barry & Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #274

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Scotland as they pertain to the parish of Barry &amp; Carnoustie. To learn more about how to use these records to search for your ancestors, go to the Scotland: Research Strategies.

History
BARRIE, a parish, in the county of Forfar, including the late quoad sacra district of CARNOUSTIE, 9 miles (E. N. E.) from Dundee. This parish is situated at the southern extremity of the county, on the shore of the German Ocean, and at the mouth of the Frith of Tay. The church, situated in the centre of the parish, is a plain structure, altered and enlarged in the year 1818. A place of worship has been erected in connexion with the Free Church.

The New Statistical Account of Scotland (pub. 1834-45) offers uniquely rich and detailed parish reports for the whole of Scotland, covering a vast range of topics including history, agriculture, education, trades, religion and social customs. The reports, written by the parish ministers, are available online at http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish reports for your parish of interest. Also available at the

Census Records
A census is a count and description of the population, taken by the government, arranged by locality and by household. Read more about census records.

Here is a list of the Family History Library microfilm numbers for the as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. To use it, you must register and pay a small access fee. All available censuses, 1841-1901, are indexed on this website. It may be easier for you to pay to use the website rather than access the separate indexes through the library.

Church Records
The Established Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Read more about church records

Here are the pre-1855 records that exist for this parish.

Condition of Original Registers—
Indexed: For an index to these records, see Scotland’s People website, a pay-for-view website. The Scottish Church Records Index is also still available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: There is a duplicate of portions from 1728–1743, 1750–1754 and 1763–1777; also a scroll of entries 1787–1794 and 1810–1815. Marriages: Pages are blank from November 1738–May 1740 and July 1775–July 1777. There is only one entry for December 1780–January 1782 and one for March 1783–May 1785. Pages are blank from August 1799–October 1801. There is a duplicate of portions from 1749–1754 and 1763–1777. There is also a scroll of entries 1787–1794 and 1810–1815. The record is blank from January 1815–1824. Deaths: Mortcloth Dues prior to July 1746, after which date burials are recorded. There is a duplicate of portion from 1763–1778, and a scroll of entries 1787–1794 and 1810–1815. Record is blank April 1815–1824 Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book 941 K23b.

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The session was made up of the minister and the land owners and business men of the parish, chosen to serve on the session. The Kirk session dealt with moral issues, minor criminal cases, matters of the poor and education, matters of discipline, and the general concerns of the parish. Kirk session records may also mention births, marriages, and deaths.

Here is a list of the surviving Kirk session records for this parish: 

Minutes 1702–1786, 1825–1953 Accounts 1749–1783 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/29

Nonconformist Church Records
A nonconformist church is any church that is not the Established church. Read more about nonconformity in Scotland in the article on the Scotland Church Records Union List.

Carnoustie United Presbyterian Church, formerly Anti-burgher
History─ This congregation was formed by members belonging to General Associate congregations, who finding it inconvenient to continue their attendance in Dundee, Dumbarrow, and Arbroath applied for and obtained supply of sermon from the General Associate Anti-burgher Presbytery of Forfar in 1789. Their first place of worship was at Barrymuir in1810. They erected a place of worship in Carnoustie. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film #477618. More details may be given in the source.

Records— No known pre-1855 records.

Barry Free Church
History— The minister of the parish and many of his congregation "came out" in 1843 and a church and manse were erected. A new church was built in 1888. Membership: 1848 215; 1900 151. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572. More details may be given in the source.

Records─ Deacons Court Minutes 1844–1941 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/470

Carnoustie, St. Stephen's Free Church
History─ The minister of this “quoad sacra” charge and the congregation also without exception "came out" at the disruption. The Church and manse were erected in 1850. A school and library were also established. Membership: 1848, 389; 1900, 443. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572. More details may be given in the source.

Records— FHL Film Number Baptisms 1843–1861 0559522 Other: Session Minutes 1843–1917 Deacons Court Minutes 1849–1876 Parish School Minutes 1841–1879 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/363

Carnoustie Second Charge Free Church and other affiliations
History— This congregation, formerly Original Secession, founded in 1809, joined the Free Church with its minister in 1852. After his death, the congregation connected itself with the Reformed Presbyterian Synod. When a later minister resigned in 1873, the members, who then numbered only 27, resolved to unite with the Original Secession Church. This congregation existed at least until 1919. Membership: 1859, 77; 1872, 57. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572 also, The Reformed Presbyterian Church in Scotland, by W.J. Couper, pub. 1925. FHL book 941 K2c. More details may be given in the sources.

Records— No known pre-1855 records.

Civil Registration Records
Government or civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths (also called statutory records) began on January 1, 1855 in Scotland. Each parish has a registrar's office and large cities have several. The records are created by the registrars and copies are sent to the General Register Office in Edinburgh. Annual indexes are then created for the records for the whole country. See the article on Scotland Civil Registration for more information and to access the records.

Probate Records
Barry &amp; Carnoustie was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of St.Andrew until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Dundee. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. You must register on the website but use of the index to probate records, called 'Wills &amp; Testaments,' is free. You may then purchase a copy of the document or, if the document is before 1823, it will be on microfilm at the Family History Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Angus and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of St.Andrew. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Angus. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Angus and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.