Crail, Fife, Scotland Genealogy

Crail #417

History
The name of this parish may be a compound of caer, a town, and ayle or ala, a wing or corner, which is quite descriptive of place, the town being situated in the eatern corner of the county commonly known by the name of the East Nook o' Fife. The Isle of May has been connected with Crail since the Reformation at least, but it has also been claimed by West Anstruther.

The parish is mostly agricultural. The chief crops are potatoes, turnips, beans, wheat, barley, oats, and hay. Little livestock is raised. Coal and limestone are wrought in the western part of the parish. Freestone is abundant, as is Ironstone which is frequently exported from the harbour at Crail. There is a brick and tile work on the estate of Kirkmay and fire-clay bricks and chimney cans are manufactored and exported. There are the ruins of several formerly great houses or baronial abodes in the parish, and much ancient history is connected to them. In ancient times the Danes raided the area and the remains of a dyke built by the Danes are still to be seen at the spot where the Danes are said to have killed King Constantine II.

The population of the parish in 1759 was 2173, in 1791 was1710, and in 1841 was 1906 (including Kingsmuir). The population of the burgh in 1841 was 1227. In 1884 there were 52 births, 13 marriages, and 42 deaths.

The town of Crail is a royal burgh of great antiquity, the charter having been granted by Robert the Bruce in 1310. Before and up to the beginning of the last century, Crail was a great station for the herring fishery, but the fishing gradually declined until the last few years when they began to appear again. However, Crail has not resumed its place as a fishing station. The harbour is mall and difficult to access, but is used for importing coal and exporting produce. Within the last few years a new trade of shell-fish has been opened with London, and salmon are beginning to be taken again. There is a post office. There are 14 persons licensed to sell spirits, and there are two medical practitioners. The present church is so old that many believe it to be the one King David I worshipped in when he lived in Crail. John Knox preached against Catholicism at Crail church in 1559 and so excited the populace that they went out and destroyed the Catholic church at Crail and in neighboring parishes.

In Crail there is a meeting-house for the Associate Synod, and the Free Church is building a place of worship. In 1689 the parish minister was deposed for non-conformity and he had an Episcopal chapel erected in the west end of town where he officiated until his death in 1707. A grammar school was established in 1542 which, in 1821, was erected into a parochial school. The number attending is 93. There are three other school in the parish, two in the burgh and one at Kingsmuir.

The above extract is taken from the account written in May 1845.

Source:

Condition of Original Registers—
Index: For an index to these records, see the Scottish Church Records Index available on computers at the Family History Library and family history centers. The records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: Births for 1685–1693 are entered in parallel columns on the same pages with marriages and deaths. Marriages: Contracts and marriages, 1655–1685 inclusive, are separately recorded. After 1693, they are recorded in parallel columns with deaths. There is a separate record of contracts of marriages, 1685–1779. Deaths: There are no death or burials entries November 1693–January 1750. After January 1753, the entries occur on occasional pages of the record containing contracts for the same period. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. FHL British Book 941 K23b.

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
Minutes 1604–1643, 1648–1684, 1790–1937 Accounts 1782–1833, 1840–1920 Church Door Collections 1841–1888 Copies of 19th Century Baptisms and Marriages Note: Available at the St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH2/1543.

Crail United Presbyterian Church
History— Due to a disagreement over the settlement of a new parish minister at Kingsbarns in 1739, a number of people withdrew from the Established Church and acceded to the Associate Presbytery. They attended ordinances at Ceres until the Breach in 1747, when most of them adhered to the Associate Burgher Synod and helped to form the congregation of St. Andrews. In 1794 they and members of the Relief Church united and applied with success to the Associate Burgher Presbytery of Perth to form a congregation at Crail. It was organized in 1796. The church was built in 1795 and a new one in 1858. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film #477618. More details are given in the source, including ministers.

Records— Baptisms 1821–1838, 1840, 1847–1849, 1852 Roll of Members 1809, 1848, 1850–1851 Various Minutes 1796–1907 Note: Available at the St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH3/1562.

Crail Free Church
History— Immediately after the Disruption in 1843 the congregation here was organized, and supply of sermon provided. At first worship was conducted in a small hall in Rosewynd, afterwards used for school and prayer meetings. The charge was sanctioned in 1845, and the new church was opened. Membership: 1848, 180; 1900, 147 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— Session Minutes 1844–1907 Deacon’s Court Minutes 1852–1907 Note: Available at the St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH3/1563.