Parton, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parton (#878)

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

History
PARTON, a parish, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, 7 miles (N. W.) from Castle-Douglas containing the village of Parton, and that of Corsock. This parish, which is situated nearly in the centre of the stewartry, takes its name from a Gaelic term signifying "the Hill Top." On the east is the river Urr; on the north-west, the river Ken; and on the southwest, the river Dee. The church, situated on the bank of the Dee, is a neat structure erected in 1834. A chapel has been erected on the bank of the Urr.

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 edina.($) Click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish reports for Parton. 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 Scotland Census Records.

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

The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on scotlandspeople.($) 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 indexes through the library.

Church Records
The Established Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Read more about Scotland 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 FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland..

Births: There are no entries February 1717–January 1745 except two, 1744 and November 1782–May 1783. Mothers' names are seldom recorded until 1812. Marriages: There are no entries January 1717–November 1744 or for 1764 and June 1783–1833, after which there are seven entries. Deaths: There are no entries March 1760–January 1762 and for 1773. Record ends May 1783. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. FS Library book.

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 1692–1706, 1744–1791, 1800–1850 Accounts 1744–1791, 1800–1830, 1832–1852, 1856–1951 Poors' Fund 1714 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1473.

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 Lists.

No known nonconformist groups.

Cemetery Records'
Courtesy of the Kirkcudbrightshire Community, contact individual is Jim Bell:


 * Parton Kirkyard Monumental Inscriptions

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
Parton was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Kirkcudbright until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Kirkcudbright. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at scotlandspeople.($) 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 FamilySearch Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Kirkcudbright and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Kirkcudbright. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Kirkcudbrigh. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Kirkcudbright and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

See also Corsock–Bridge.