Lonmay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #219

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

History
LONMAY, a parish, in the district of Deer, county of Aberdeen, 6 miles (S. E. by S.) from Fraserburgh; containing the village of St. Combs. The name of this place is supposed to have been derived from a word in the Celtic language descriptive of the nature of the ground, especially of that part of Lonmay where the church stands. Originally the church stood by the sea-side, near the village of St. Combs; in 1607 it was removed to the spot which is now occupied as a burial-ground, where it remained till the present edifice was erected. There is an additional parochial church at Kinninmonth. There is also an episcopal chapel which contains 342 sittings.

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—
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 Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: Early portion has suffered much from dampness. There are irregular entries throughout and mothers’ names not recorded. Marriages: There are no entries for 1759 and 1776. Records are blank February 1773–August 1776, August 1777–July 1788 and August 1780–April 1783, except one entry. There is only one entry February 1812–February 1813. Deaths: Mortcloth Dues are recorded 1716–1721, and burials for 1792, two leaves. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book 941 K23b. Monumental Inscriptions: FHL Book 941.25/L2 V3s.

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
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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: 

Discipline Minutes 1709–1756, 1831–1866 Minutes and Accounts 1757–1766, 1784–1809 Heriters’ Minutes 1803, 1820–1861 Ledger 1809–1865 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/251.

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.

Lonmay Episcopal Church
History— This congregation was established soon after the Revolution. The chapel was erected by the congregation in 1797. Membership at that time was 311. In 1843 it was about 500 with about 300 coming from neighboring parishes. Source: History of the Scottish Episcopal Church, by John P. Lawson, pub. 1843. No copy is available in the FHL.

Records— FHL Film Number Christenings 1727–1768, 1802–1854 0823635 item 2 X 941.25/L2 V26m vol.1 1855–1929 0908173 item 5 X 941.25/L2 V26m vol. 2 Marriages 1727–1732, 1826–1854 0823635 item 2 X 941.25/L2 V26m vol.1 1855–1929 0909183 item 5 X 941.25/L2 V26m vol 2 Burials 1826–1854 0823635 item 2 X 941.25/L2 V26m vol.1 1855–1929 098173 item 5 X 941.25/L2 V26m vol 2

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