Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland Clackmannanshire  Tillicoultry

Parish #468

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

= History =

TILLICOULTRY, a parish, in the county of Clackmannan; containing the villages of Coalsnaughton and Devonside, 4 miles (N. E. by N.) from Alloa. The name of this place is by some writers supposed to be of Gaelic etymology, and descriptive of the situation of Tillicoultry on a rising ground in the rear of the county; others deem it a corruption from the Latin, denoting that the place was a settlement of the ancient Culdees. The church, a handsome structure erected in 1829, and situated in the centre of the parish, contains 650 sittings. There are also places of worship for members of the Free Church, United Secession, and Unitarians.

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 reports for Tillicoultry. 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.

Established Church—Old Parochial Registers
Years Covered                             Family History Library Film Number  Births:        1640–1665, 1675–1819                   items 4–5                  1820–1855                                     items 1–3                  1829–1845 - neglected entries        items 1–3 Marriages: 1640–1663, 1752–1820                   items 4–5                  1820–1854                                     items 1–3 Deaths:      1639–1663                                    items 4–5                  1753–1841                                    items 1–3

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. Some records may be indexed in FamilySearch Records. Births: The births are blank October 1663–May 1675, and February 1690–April 1692. There is a duplicate for the record for April 1692–December 1698. No entries for July 1705–June 1706. The records are blank October 1712–June 1716, and November 1738–February 1742. There is a tabulated copy of the record for October 1786–August 1794. See also the Kirk Session records below. Marriages: The marriages are blank October 1663–November 1752, December 1761–July 1763, October 1784–February 1786, and August 1787–November 1799. The fact of marriage is usually stated up to December 1811, but only proclamations are recorded after that date. Deaths: Deaths are recorded until December 1663; and then they are blank until October 1753, after which burials are recorded. The records are blank January 1761–July 1763, October 1790–October 1794, and November 1797–February 1801. There are only three entries for February–April 1810 and October 1809–February 1812. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, By V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970 British Book

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:

Baptisms 1623–1624 Mortality Register Burials 1749–1753 Proclamation Dues 1847–1855 Minutes 1640–1677, 1692–1702, 1742–1903 Debursements 1754–1761 Collections 1640–1649 Cash Book 1753–1875 Accounts Poor Fund 1835–1845 Note: Available at the Stirling Council Archives, Stirling, Scotland, record CH2/726.

Nonconformist 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.

In 1841, there were Episcopalians and Unitarians living in Tillicoultry, but their numbers are unknown and there were no meeting houses for them within the parish. (Source: The New Statistical Account of Scotland.)

Tillicoultry Associate Secession Church
History— In March 1739, several persons in the parish acceded to the Associate Presbytery. At the formation of the first Secession congregation in Alloa, these persons were included in it; but on the 11th April 1797, the Seceders in Tillicoultry, Alva, and Clackmannan were, on petition, disjoined from Alloa, and were formed into a separate congregation the following year with their seat in Tillicoultry. The first church was built in 1797 the second in 1840. This congregation later became United Presbyterian, and united with the Free Church congregation in 1912. Membership: 1789, 161. This is from the Statistical Account of c.1795. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. . More details are given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Baptismal Register 1844–1854 Note: Available at the Stirling Council Archives, Stirling, Scotland, record CH3/915.

Tillicoultry Free Church
History— The minister of the parish 'came out' in 1843, with a portion of his congregation. They worshiped first in a hall and then in the Secession church, until in June 1844, the Free Church was opened. They united with the United Presbyterian congregation in 1912. Membership: 1848, 189; 1900, 323. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. . More details are given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Deacons Court Minutes 1843–1851, 1858–1873, 1901–1911 Communion Roll 1850–1852, 1896–1929 Note: Available at the Stirling Council Archives, Stirling, Scotland, record CH3/914.

Tillicoultry Congregational Church
History— A preaching station was formed in 1850. In September 1851 it became an Evangelical Church, meeting in a building on Ann Street, and later joined the Union in 1862. A second church was formed on High Street in 1872 by members of the United Presbyterian Church who had adopted Congregational principles. In 1911 the two churches amalgamated and the Ann Street Church building was sold. High Street became the place of worship of the united congregations, under the designation of the Tillicoultry Evangelical Union Congregational Church. Source: A History of Scottish Congregationalism, by Harry Escott; Glasgow Congregational Union of Scotland, 1960; Family History Library British Book. This source contains a list of ministers.

Records— The extent of records is unknown. For more information write to: The United Reformed Church, Scottish Synod Office PO Box 189 240 Cathedral Street Glasgow G1 2BX Scotland

= 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 =

Tillicoultry was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Dunblane until 1823. From then it was under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff’s Court of Alloa. 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 Catalog/frameset_fhlc.asp library catalog for the 'Place' of Clackmannan and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Dunbland.

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

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

= References =

[Return to the Clackmannanshire parish list.]