Straiton, Ayrshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #617

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

= History =

Straiton Village and Dalmellington are the nearest towns. It has probably derived its name from the Gaelic strath, a valley. The village stands upon the Girvan, a pleasant and fertile valley. Marquis of Ailsa; Sir D. Hunter Blair, Bart; and the Honourable Colonel Macadam Cathcart are the major land owners. The land was primarily used for, cattle, sheep, oats, wheat, barley, beans, potatoes, turnips, hay, horses, and woolen and cotton mills. The population in 1791 was 934, and in 1836 was 1417. The registers began in the year 1644. From 1770 until 1825 they are imperfect. During the last twelve years they have been kept with great care. There are 289 families, of whom 280 were of the Established Church and 9 of other denominations.

This account was written in 1837.

source: New Statistical Account of Scotland (FHL book 941 B4sa, series 2 vol. 5)

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 Straiton. Also available at the Family History Library.

= 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 census records of Straiton 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 the Scottish Church Records Index on computer at the Family History Library and family history centers. Some records may be indexed in the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true International Genealogical Index. ] Births: Prior to 1653, entries are on alternate columns, the other columns contain entries of marriages. There are no entries April 1679–April 1682, June 1683–January 1690, June 1720–August 1722, and December 1776–October 1783. Entries from August 1722 to 1729 are on alternate columns with the births for 1653–1661. Entries March 1729–August 1730 are on alternate columns of pages 29, 31, 34, and 43 of the register. There is an imperfect page at 1735. The corners of a considerable number of pages are incomplete. Marriages: Entries for 1644–1665 are on alternate columns with birth entries prior to 1653. Entries prior to 1665 are on alternate columns of the register of births for 1644–1652. There are no entries January–November 1665, January 1679–April 1690, and August 1719–October 1783. Deaths: There are no entries for March 1792–September 1816. 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 1732–1749, 1754–1928 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/533.

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.

Patna United Presbyterian Church
History— Patna is a village on the banks of the Doon, in the parish of Straiton. The village of Patna owes its existence to the late Mr. Fullerton of Skeldon, who planned and encouraged its erection, naming it after a place in which he had resided when in India. It is seven miles from the church of the parish, for which reason he set apart a piece of ground on which to build a place of worship. Meanwhile, the United Associate Presbytery of Kilmarnock had undertaken the supply of Patna and Dalmellington. They were organized into a congregation in 1837. They built a place of worship on the site originally set apart in 1838. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film #477618. More details may be given in the source, including a list of ministers.

Records— Baptismal Register 1850–1931 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/939.

= 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 =

Straiton was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Glasgo until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Ayr. 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 Ayr and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Glasgow. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Ary Look in the library catalog for the 'Place' of Ayr and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Return to the Ayrshire Parish List