Kinglassie, Fife, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #440

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

History
KINGLASSIE, a parish, in the district of Kirkcaldy, county of Fife; 7 miles (N. W.) from Kirkcaldy. The name of this place is supposed to have been derived from a Gaelic term signifying marshy or grey land, from the ancient appearance of the surface; and near the village there is still some portion of land which retains that character. The church, an ancient edifice, was, with the exception of the eastern gable and part of the side walls, rebuilt in 1773, and adapted for a congregation of 346 persons.

TheNew 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 Kinglassie. 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 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 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—
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: Births are intermixed with marriages until June 1647. There are no entries December 1630–July 1632 and June 1731–June 1734. Irregular entries for 1796–1810 are recorded in family groups on several pages after 1796. Many blank spaces occur on the pages of the record. Mother's names are seldom recorded until 1780. Marriages: Contracts of marriage 1715–1731 are recorded on alternate pages with the births. There are no entries of marriages May 1731–November 1748, from which date to July 1784, there are occasional entries of sums paid by persons when contracted for marriage mixed in with the entries of Mortcloth Dues for same period. Records of marriages begin August 1780. After May 1782, except January 1787–February 1790 and 1797 the record is one of contracts only until January 1834. The record is incomplete 1788–1796 inclusive. There are no entries January 1798–August 1820. There is also a record of proclamations and marriages from February 1822. There are separate records of contracts of marriage, 1629–1647. Deaths: Except for a few entries among contracts of marriage from 1630, there is no record prior to 1671; then Mortcloth Dues until 1694. There are no entries 1694–November 1709. Burials are recorded November 1709–January 1714 and there are no entries until February 1721 after which Mortcloth Dues are intermixed with other matters. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. Family History Library British 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 1648–1953 Collections and Disbursements 1710–1720 Cash Books 1763–1873 Account Books 1758–1792; 1831–1883 Burial Ground Book 1831 Burials 1855–1869 Communion Rolls 1848–1908 School Attendance Books 1847–1859 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/406.

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.

Kinglassie Free Church
History— In July 1843 occasional supply was provided here. A church was erected in 1844. Occupying a central position in a large district, good progress was made and the charge was sanctioned in 1845. Membership: 1848, 130; 1900, 212. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914.. More details may be given in the source.

Records— Minutes 1846–1927 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/

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
Kinglassie was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of St. Andrews until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Fife at Cupar. 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' of Fife and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Fife.

The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Fife. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place' of Fife and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.