Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland Aberdeenshire  Aboyne

Parish #170

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

= History =

ABOYNE and GLENTANNER, a parish, in the district of Kincardine O'Neil; county of Aberdeen, 5 miles (W. by S.) from Kincardine O'Neil; containing the burgh of barony of Charlestown. The Gaelic words, A, signifying a "ford," and boinne or buinne, a "thin rippling water," have originated the appellation of the first of these places, on account of its proximity to a ford on the Dee; and the name Glentanner is said to be compounded of the Gaelic terms Glean-tan-ar, meaning "the glen of scanty arable land." The date of union is uncertain; but, previously to 1763, there was a church in each place. A central church was built for the united parish, in 1763: the present edifice, containing 628 sittings, is very handsome, and was erected in 1842.

Aboyne also includes the defunct parish of Glentanar. The parish is 30 miles south-west of the city of Aberdeen. The River Dee runs through divides the parish with the Glentanor region on the south of the river and Aboyne on the north. The Glentanar area is hilly. In 1797 the chief proprietor, heritor and patron was the Earl of Aboyne.

The population in 1797 was 1050.

Source: The Statistical Account of Scotland, edited by Sir John Sinclair, FHL book 941 B4sa, vol. 14.

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. Click here, then click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish reports for Aboyne. 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.

Click to go to the Family History Library Catalog entry for the census records of Aboyne.

The Family History Library also has an for the whole of Aberdeenshire.

The 1901 and 1911 census of Scotland is indexed on ScotlandsPeople. To use it, you must register and pay a small access fee. All available censuses, 1841-1911, are indexed on this website. It may be easier for you to pay to use the website rather than access the census or index through the Family History 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—
Index: 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 are only three regular entries prior to July 1754. Four irregular entries for 1744–1749 are recorded after June 1757. There are only three entries for March 1763–February 1765. The record is irregular and defective for 1794–1801. Marriages: There are no entries for December 1756–July 1759. There are only three entries, 1765–1766, November 1762–July 1771. Deaths: The record is of Mortcloth Dues, etc. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book.

Monumental Inscriptions
The Kirkyard of Aboyne in Aberdeen has been indexed by the North-East Scotland Family History Society.

Family History Library

Online listing is available through the: Aberdeen and North-East Scotland Family History Society

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The session was made up of he 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 and Accounts 1754–1929 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1367.

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.

Aboyne Free Church
History— This church was formed at the Disruption. From 1859, the congregation met in a new church building in the village of Charleston. Membership: 1848, 113; 1900, 128. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film. More details are given in the source.

Records— The extent of records is unknown.

= 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 =

Aboyne was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Aberdeen until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Aberdeen. 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 Family History Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Aberdeen and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Aberdeen. Ancestry.co.uk also has many probate records for Scotland and Scottish people indexed from 1861-1941 The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Aberdeen. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Aberdeen and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.&lt;

= References =

Return to Aberdeenshire parish list.