Dun, Angus, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #281

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

History
DUN, a parish, in the county of Forfar, 4 miles (N. W. by W.) from Montrose. This place by some antiquaries is supposed to have derived its name from the family of Dun, who were its ancient proprietors, and by others, with apparently greater probability, from its elevation above the level of the river South Esk, which forms its boundary on the south. The chapel formerly attached to the old mansion-house of the family of Dun having fallen into a dilapidated state, a church was erected in lieu in 1834.

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 your parish of interest. 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 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 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.

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 Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: Birth records are blank, except for nine entries 1697–1698, April 1690–February 1701. After April 1727 there occurs a duplicate portion from 1701. Except for January 1675–May 1690, mothers' names are not recorded until November 1723. After 1819 there occur four pages containing entries 1755–1824. Marriages: Marriages are blank April 1690–April 1697, January 1698–February 1701, December 1703–February 1705, and November 1706–November 1776; but a separate register contains entries of contracts, 1702–1755. Records are blank also for November 1793–July 1796 and November 1807–December 1809. Deaths: Deaths are recorded until November 1675. There is only one entry May 1647–May 1650. Records are blank November 1675–November 1701, when a register of burials commences. Records are blank November 1706–January 1777, there are Mortcloth Dues 1702–1748, July 1793–March 1797, and May 1798–May 1812. There is only one entry November 1814–February 1817. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book 941 K23b.

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 1831–1915 Treasurers Accounts 1831–1837 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1022.

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.

There are no known nonconformist groups.

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
Dun 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 Dundee. 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-names' of Angus and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of St.Andrews. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Angus. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Angus and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.