Edinkillie, Moray, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #134

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

= History =

The ancient Gaelic name of this parish was Aodincolillie, which signifies the face of the wood. This parish contained two-thirds of the royal forest of Darnaway, and whole royal forest of Drummie, which contained large quantities of oak, fir, and hazel.

This parish is bounded on the north by the parish of Dyke, and a narrow portion of Rafford, which separates it from Forres; on the north-east and east by Rafford and Dallas; on the south by Knockando and Cromdale; and on the west by Ardclach, Auldearn, and Dyke. This parish is sometimes called Brae-Moray.

The nearest market-town is Forres, at the distance of eight miles and three-quarters from the parish church. Nairn is fourteen miles, and Grantown thirteen miles from the same place.

The principle land-owner is the Earl of Moray. The other heritors are, Charles Lennox Cumming Bruce, Esq. of Roseisle and Kinnaird, M.P. for the county; Mrs. Cumming of Logie; Sir William G. G. Cumming of Altyre and Gordonstone, Bart.; and William Mackilligin, Esq., who purchased the property of Relugas from Sir Thomas Dick Lauder of Grange and Fountainhall, Bart., in 1836. Only two of the heritors at present reside in the parish, viz. Mr. Cumming Bruce and Mr. Mackilligin.

The population of the parish in 1801 was 1128, in 1821 the count was 1233 and by the 1841 census the population was 1234.

There is considerable salmon-fishing within the parish, at Sluie, upon the Findhorn, the property of the Earl of Moray. The produce that is raised in the parish consists of oats, barley, wheat, peas, potatoes, turnips, rye-grass hay, grass in pastures.

The church is situated on the right bank of the Divie, is two miles nearly due north, and is as central and convenient as might be for the general population and a distance of nine and a-half miles from one extremity of the parish. It is seated to contain 500 persons, which is sufficient for the population, especially as those residing in the Darnaway, or Conicaval district, from their great distance, are unable regularly to attend their parish church. The number of communicants in the parish is about 140, sixty of whom are male heads of families; and from twenty to thirty from other parishes, join them in partaking of the ordinance of the supper, at its annual dispensation in the parish. The number of families in the parish belonging to the Established church is 269; number of Seceding or Dissenting families 17; Episcopalian 1. With the exception of only two of the families in the parish belonging to Seceding or Dissenting congregations, there is none of their houses within less than seven and a-half miles from the parish church. Their places of worship are Forres, and Boghole in the parish of Auldearn.

The Parochial Registers consist of six volumes: 1. Contains acts of church discipline, from 3 January 1649 to 3 January 1676, and registers of baptisms and marriages from 1702 to 1733; 2. Church discipline and collections for the poor from 1702 to 1720; 3. Church discipline and collections for the poor from 1720 to 1764; 4. Register of baptisms from 1733 to 1810, and matrimonial contracts from 1741 to 1826, there being an interval in the latter from 1765 to 1783; 5. Church discipline and collections, and distributions to the poor from 1764 to 1841; 6. Register of births and baptisms from 1810, and matrimonial contracts from 1827 to 1841. There have been some periods that seem to have been very irregularly kept, until about thirty years ago.

This account was written February 1842.

Source: The New Statistical Account of Scotland for Edinkillie, FHL book 941 B4sa, 2nd series, vol. 13.

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 you are interested in. 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 the Scottish Church Records Index available on computers at the Family History Library and family history centeres. The records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: Entries are very irregular in point of date for about 1773–1780. Mothers' names are seldom recorded before 1780. After the record for August 1809, there are several pages of irregular entries dated 1775–1818. Marriages: There are no entries for July 1733–November 1741 and August 1765–February 1783; only two for August 1797–January 1800, and no entries for 1801. Deaths: There are only 27 entries, all burials. 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 1649–1676, 1702–1764, 1809–1881 Accounts 1764–1910 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/432.

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.

Edinkillie Free Church
History—  The minister of this parish remained with the Established Church in 1843, but services were provided for those who joined the Free Church. The new congregation was forced to build a new church at an inconvenient place two miles distant from the main population. Nevertheless, the church opened and a minister was settled in 1844. They built a new church in 1877, but distance and evictions prevented the church from flourishing. Membership: 1848, 70; 1900, 79. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843 1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. FHL Film #918572. More details are given in the source.

Records— Session Minutes 1877–1925 Deacons’ Court Minutes 1877–1918 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/361.

= 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 =

Edinkillie was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Moray until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Elgin. 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 Moray and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Moray.

The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Moray. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Moray and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Return to Moray parish list.