Scone, Perthshire, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland Perthshire  Scone

Parish #392

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

= History =

SCONE, a parish, in the county of Perth, 2 miles (N.) from Perth. This place is supposed to have derived its name, signifying in the British language "an ascent," from the situation of its ancient castle on an acclivity rising gradually from the shore of the river Tay to a considerable height. It appears to have been at a very early period the residence of the kings of Scotland, and the place of their coronation. The parish is bounded on the west and south-west by the river Tay. The church, erected in 1784 in the village of Old Scone, was taken down, and rebuilt with the same materials in the present village in 1804: and an aisle was added to it in 1834; it is a neat structure, containing 638 sittings. There is a place of worship for members of the United Secession.

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 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.

Condition of Original Registers—
Indexed: For an index to these records, see the Scottish Church Records Index available on computers at the Family History Library and family history centers. The records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: No birth entries June 1622–August 1625 and April 1643–September 1722; only two or three entries October 1740–November 1742. There are irregular recordings for 1755–1761. Mothers' names are not recorded until 1781. Marriages: Marriages are recorded in occasional columns of the register of baptisms until 1643. No entries June 1622–December 1625 or August 1643–December 1725, from which date a separate record begins. No entries October 1740–November 1742 and two entries 1755–1758, September 1750–May 1762. No entries April 1805–June 1812, but one entry for 1809 and one for 1812 recorded in 1815. Entries of proclamations and reference to marriages intermixed with other matters in vols. 2 and 3 dated 1622–1812, which partly supply the defects of the principal register. No such entries, however, 1647–1673 or 1689–1717. Deaths: The burials are Mortcloth Dues, mixed with other matters, for 1630–1812. No entries November 1675–September 1717. There is a record of burials for October 1783–November 1784. 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 1716–1740, 1762–1772, 1832–1757 Cash Book 1762–1778, 1818–1900 Parochial Board Letterbook 1845–1870 Visits to Poor 1845–1855 Communion Rolls 1848–1899 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/803.

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.

Scone United Presbyterian Church
History— The church and parish became vacant in 1746. The patron failed to present a minister to the charge in due time and the right fell to the Presbytery which allowed the people the power of choice from a list of candidates. None were agreed upon. They applied and obtained supply of sermon from the Associate Burgher Presbytery of Perth in 1747and in 1748 they built a church. Another was built in 1789. The Earl of Mansfield desired his palace further apart from the village and gave the proprietors of Scone a new village and a sum of money to enable to build it. The church building was taken down and re-erected in the new village. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film #477618. More details are given in the source.

Records— Minutes 1791–1900 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1184.

Scone Free Church
History— At the Disruption a congregation of the Free Church was formed here. They worshiped in Pictstonhill barn, then in a cottage. The church and school were built in 1844. Stones were obtained from a distant quarry. James Stewart of Pictstonhill gave the sand and loaned his men and horses to do the carting. Among the lads who assisted in this work was his son, then a boy in his teens, who afterwards became the honored Dr. James Stewart of Lovedale. Many others helped. The manse was built in 1848. A new church was erected in 1887. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols, pub. 1914. Film #918572. More details are given in the source.

Records— Baptisms 1843–1876 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1333.

= 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 =

Scone 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 Dunblane. 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 Scone 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 Perthshire. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Perthshire and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

= References =

Return to Perthshire parish list.