Strathmiglo, Fife, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #457

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

History
STRATHMIGLO, an ancient burgh of barony and a parish, in the district of Cupar, county of Fife, 2 miles (W. by S.) from Auchtermuchty; containing the hamlets of Westercash and Edenhead. This place derives its name from the river Miglo, which, flowing through the parish, divides it into two nearly equal portions, and afterwards assumes the name of the Eden. The old church, which was collegiate, belonged to the abbey of Dunkeld; the present church, situated at the east end of the village, is a plain edifice erected about the year 1785, and contains 750 sittings. There are also places of worship for members of the Free Church, Reformed Presbyterians, and the United Associate Synod.

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 Strathmiglo. 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 census records of Strathmiglo 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 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 FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: Prior to 1747 and again 1756–1800 each entry consists of a date and name, surname of father and baptismal name of the child. Mother's names are added after 1800. Marriages: There are no entries June 1753–February 1817, but there are entries of contract money 1702–1743 and 1748–1819 mixed with Mortcloth Dues, etc. Deaths: Only Mortcloth Dues prior to 1817 and burials after January 1817. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. FamilySearch Library 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:

Minutes and Accounts 1719–1747 Collections 1794–1806 Disbursements 1794–1807 Poor Fund Accounts 1817–1818 Accounts 1846–1889 Scroll Accounts 1854–1886 Roll of Male Heads of Families being Communicants 14 September 1835 Note: Available at St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH2/609.

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.

Edenhead United Associate Church
History— The minister of the parish gave every indication to his congregation that he would join the Secession when it occurred, but those in favor of it waited in vain for him to do so. In April 1738, one of the elders and several of the parishioners appeared before the Associate Presbytery meeting in Abernethy and declared their secession from the Established Church. They, along with seceders from the neighboring parish of Arngask, were formed into an Association under the sanction of the Presbytery. Later the same year, another elder and several more parishioners of Strathmiglo seceded and joined with them. There were further secessions from the parish church in 1740 and 1741. Sermon was now supplied at intervals. When the Breach took place in 1747, part of the seceders in Strathmiglo adhered to the General Associate Anti-burgher Synod and connected themselves with the congregations of Milnathort and Abernethy, and part adhered to the Associate Burgher Synod and helped to form the first Secession, later the East United Presbyterian, congregation of Auchtermuchty. At the union of the two great branches of the secession in 1820, a Secession congregation was finally established in Strathmiglo at Edenhead. When the congregation was organized in 1825, it was found to be made up of persons who had been members of the Secession congregations of Abernethy, Auchermuchty, Milnathort, and Balgedie, and of the parish churches of Arngask and Strathmiglo. A church was built in 1835 with seating for 300. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film #.

Records— Congregational Meeting Minutes 1826–1883 Seat Rent Book 1854–1870 Note: Available at St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH3/1564.

Strathmiglo North Free, formerly Reformed Presbyterian
History— In 1821, an ardent Covenanter settled at Auchtermuchty, less than two miles distant from Strathmiglo. He gained over several in the community, and in 1823 a licentiate was commissioned to preach to them. They were formed as a Reformed Presbyterian Congregation the following year. A church was erected in 1828 and a new church, with seating for 400, was opened in 1852. The congregation united with the Free Church in 1876 and was placed in the Presbytery of Cupar. A union was affected in 1899 between this congregation and that of Strathmiglo South. Many members who were opposed to the union left the church. Membership: 1847, 130; 1877, 131; 1900 158. Sources: The Reformed Presbyterian Church in Scotland, by W.J. Couper, pub. 1925. Family Hhistory Library book, and 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 sources.

Records— Managers and Congregational Minutes 1824–1879 Note: Available at St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH3/832.

Strathmiglo South Free Church
History— A congregation of the adherents of the Free Church was formed here soon after the Disruption and a church was erected in 1843. When the first minister died in 1889 a fruitless effort was made to unite the two Free Church congregations in Strathmiglo. Finally in 1899 the two congregations were united to form Strathmiglo Free Church. There was then a large secession to the Established Church. Membership: 1848, 236; 1893, 97 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 1844–1891 Note: Available at St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH/541.

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
Strathmiglo was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Dunkeld 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 FamilySearch 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.