Kirkgunzeon, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland Genealogy

Kirkgunzeon #872

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

History
KIRKGUNZEON, a parish, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, 9 miles (S. W.) from Dumfries containing the village of Gateside. This place is supposed to have derived its name, anciently Kirkwynon, from the dedication of its church to St. Wynnin. The church, situated in the centre of the parish, was erected in 1790, and is a plain neat structure containing 224 sittings.

"The name of the parish has heen spelled differently at different times. On the kirk bell, which was cast in 1674, it is named Kirkwinong. It is probable that the church was dedicated to St Winning. There is a spring near to the church which still bears the name of Winning's well.... Zoology.—The cattle reared are of the Galloway kind. The farmers pay a good deal ; of attention to this stock, as they find from experience that it makes a better return than any other. On the coarse and high-lying lands, a number of Highland bullocks are wintered, as they are considered to be more hardy and more easily fed. They are generally bought at Falkirk in the end of harvest, and yield a pretty fair profit for a season's keep. There are few sheep now kept in the parish. There are only two farms where a shepherd is kept to look after the flock. The hills on the south and east of the parish abound with grouse and black game.... Ecclesiastical State.— The church is situated in the centre of the parish, and is most conveniently placed. There are only four farms, which are distant four miles from the church. The church was built in 1790, and is in good repair. The sittings in the church are 224 in number. About 20 of these sittings are given free of expense to the villagers by Mr Maxwell. All the other sittings are also free...." excerpts from the New Statisical Account, 1845

Condition of Original Registers

 * Births: There are no entries January 1726–February 1764, except three for 1760–1762, five entries 1764–1772 on page after January 1726. Mothers' names are not recorded in regular entries until 1764.
 * Marriages: The record in custody of the Registrar General (three pages) is a copy, the original being in the hands of the local registrar. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. Family History Library 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 1705–1770, 1801–1900 – gap 1741–1744 Marriages 1703–1714 Baptism 1726 Accounts 1790–1832, 1856–1873 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/474.

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.

There are no known nonconformist groups. Any dissenters would have attended church in neighboring parishes such as Urr.

Probate Records
Kirkgunzeon was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Dumfries until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Kirkcudbright. 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 Kirkgunzeon and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Kirkgunzeon. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Kirkcudbright. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Kirkcudbright and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.