Muthill, Perthshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #386

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

History
MUTHILL, a parish, in the county of Perth; containing the village of South Bridgend, and part of the late quoad sacra parish of Ardoch, 3 miles (S.) from Crieff. This place appears to be of considerable antiquity; and its name, derived from two Gaelic words signifying "a station for the dispensation of justice," would confer upon it a degree of importance in the ancient feudal times. The church, erected in 1828 is a handsome and spacious edifice in the later English style, adapted for a congregation of 1600 persons. In the district of Ardoch is a chapel of ease, built in 1780. There is also a place of worship for members of the United Secession within a mile and a half of the village; and in Muthill are a Free church and an Episcopalian chapel.

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.

Established Church—Old Parochial Registers
Years Covered FS Library Film Number Births: 1704–1821 - family register with index 1040132 1760–1854 - baptisms 1040132 Marriages: 1676–1691 - proclamations 1040132 1760–1809, 1820–1854 1040132 Deaths: 1827–1828 - burials 1040132

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. The records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: The greater portion of the record is extremely irregular with respect to dates. The flyleaf bears that it is a register of births, etc., as the same could be recovered from people’s memories of their jottings from August 3, 1704 to November 1, 1760. The original registers of that time had been burnt in the session-clerk's house with several things of his own. There are very few entries before 1720. Families generally recorded in groups and the date of the parents' marriage is also often mentioned. At the end of the record for 1819 there is an index to the first ninety pages, being the most irregular portion of it. A regularly kept register of births November 1760–1819 is contained in vol. 2, but most of the entries seem to be different from those recorded in vol. 1. On pages 37, 42, 44, 45, 58, etc., are lists of children baptized at Ardoch Chapel and on pages 62, 69, and 76 lists of Strathallan Children. Marriages: Marriages prior to 1691 are separate entries for proclamations and for Marriages. The record is blank November 1691–1717 and the entries 1717–1761 are extremely irregular and incomplete, being generally prefixed to the irregular registrations of the baptisms of the children of the marriages. Entries for 1761–1763 inclusive are recorded among the births for the same period. Separate record from March 1764, after which the entries are in a tabulated form. No entries July 1809–May 1820. 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 1704–1783, 1820–1869 Poor Fund Minutes and Accounts 1787–1832 Accounts 1704–1787, 1879–1917 Burials 1827–1828 Communion Rolls 1834–1913 Proclamation Registers 1855–1862 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/754.

Roll of Male Heads of Families
1834, 1835 and 1836 lists of male heads of families in this parish can be found here.

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.

Muthill Free Church
History— Those who adhered to the Free Church in Muthill were formed into a congregation immediately after the Disruption. Church and manse were soon erected. A new church was built in 1896 the old church was used as the village public hall. For example, masons worked at their trade in summer and worked at the looms in winter. The population decreased with the decline of weaving. Membership: 1848, 418; 1900, 201. 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— Minutes 1843–1894 Baptisms 1843–1874 Marriages 1845–1850, 1854–1858 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/694.

Muthill, St. James Episcopalian Church
History— Strathearn is in the region in the parish of Muthil, and Episcopalians come from around the region to attend services in Muthill. At the time of the Scottish Revolution in 1689, the Episcopal minister in this area opposed the ordination of a Presbyterian minister to replace him. A riot ensued and the Presbyterians had to meet out of doors. But eventually, in March 1705, the Episcopalians gave up the keys to the church. By 1837 there were 44 individuals within the parish who were Episcopalian.

Records— FHL Call Number Baptisms, 1697–1847 0994040 item 8 X 941.32/M1 V26m Note: The X means the record has been extracted. Other: Baptisms 1848–1898 Marriages 1832–1898 Burials 1857–1858, 1872–1899 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH12/7. The Statistical Account of Scotland for Muthill for 1837 states that there were also 9 Dissenters within the parish at that time, but they would have attended services elsewhere.

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
Muthill was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Dunblane 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 Perthshire and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Dunblane. 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.