Abbotshall, Fife, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #399

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

History
ABBOTSHALL, a parish, in the district of Kirkcaldy, county of Fife; containing Linktown and Newtown, and the village of Chapel. This place derived its name from its having been the residence of the abbots of Dunfermline. The present church, which occupies the site of the ancient edifice, was built in 1788, and is adapted for a congregation of 825 persons. An additional church, in connexion with the Establishment, has just been erected for the accommodation of the surplus population of this and the adjoining parish of Kinghorn; and there are places of worship for members of the Free Church and United Associate Synod.

This parish was separated from the parish of Kirkcaldy in 1650. The name of Abbotshall is derived from the circumstance of one of the abbots of Dunfermline having built a house here. The parish is mostly rural with 2631 of its 3166 acres under tillage and another 535 acres in wood. Little livestock is raised. There are a few mills in the parish. The population of the parish in 1755 was 1348, in 1791 was 2136, and in 1831 was 4206. The principal town or village is Linktown. A church was built in 1674 and the present church in 1788 (a new church is in the course of erection to supply this parish and the neighbouring parish of Kinghorn). Besides the Established Church, there is one dissenting or Seceding chapel now in connection with the United Associate Synod. There were Cameronians in the parish and there are some Baptists, Independents, and Episcopalians. A very few individuals attend a Relief meeting at Dysart and is it believed there are two or three individuals of the Roman Catholic persuasion, natives of the sister isle [Ireland]. There are six schools in the parish (one parochial) attended by an average of 500 children. There is no library in the parish but there is one in Kirkcaldy.

The above is an extract of the account written in April 1836.

Source:   The New Statistical Account of Scotland for Fife''. ''Family Hstory Library book, 2nd series, vol. 9, pt. 1; film Item 2; fiche (set of 13).

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 Abbotshall. Also available at the

Abbotshall was incorporated into the burgh of Kirkcaldy in 1876 but remained a distinct area for a time.

Census Records
A census record 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 parish as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

Note: The 1881 and 1891 censuses of Abbotshall are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under the parish and burgh of Kirkcaldy.

The 1901 and 1911 census of Scotland is indexed on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. To use it, you must register on the website 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 to 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: There is one entry for October 1662–February. 1884. The record is tabulated, 1692–1705. There are irregular entries 1763 and eleven pages at the end of the record for 1806 which contain such entries dated 1784–1808. There are frequent irregular entries after 1807. Marriages: From 1710–1744 marriage entries occur among births for the same time period. Separate record of marriage begins again June 1741. There are no entries June 1762–January 1764. After the record for1806 there are four pages containing clandestine marriages, 1784–1807. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. Family History Library British Book.

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The Kirk 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, 1793-1812 --  FS Library book, no. 21

Abbotshall Kirk Session Minutes 1793-1812 at The Family History Library and also published by the Fife Family Hiitsory Society Publication No 21 in 2002

Various Minutes 1650–1660; 1764–1951 Accounts 1710–1731, 1758–1765, 1769–1845 Book of Correspondence 1847–1856 Churchyard Accounts 1838–1953 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/225. Catalog entries below:

CH2/225 Kirkcaldy, Abbotshall Kirk Session  1650-1961   CH2/225/1  Minutes  1650-1660  CH2/225/2  Minutes  1764-1789  CH2/225/3  Minutes  1793-1845   CH2/225/4  Minutes  1845-1905  CH2/225/5  Minutes  1906-1939   CH2/225/6  Accounts  1710-1731  CH2/225/7  Accounts  1758-1765  CH2/225/8  Accounts  1769-1790  CH2/225/9  Accounts  1790-1817 CH2/225/10  Accounts  1800-1802    CH2/225/11  Accounts  1818-1839  CH2/225/12  Accounts  1839-1845  CH2/225/13  Accounts  1923-1935   CH2/225/14  Accounts  1938-1946   CH2/225/15  Minutes of Bible Society  1823-1831  CH2/225/16  Book of Correspondence  1847-1856   CH2/225/17  Minute Book of Weavers' Loft  1711-1812  CH2/225/18  Baptisms  1887-1919 CH2/225/19  Proclamations  1855-1871 CH2/225/20  Proclamations  1871-1946  CH2/225/21  Proclamations  1946-1961   CH2/225/22  Seat Rent Accounts  1912-1932   CH2/225/23  Seat Rent Accounts East Gallery  1911-1921   CH2/225/26  Communion Roll  1943-1949   CH2/225/27  Communion Roll  1950-c 1955   CH2/225/28  Minute book of Churchyard Committee  1926-1951   CH2/225/29  Register of ground purchased in churchyard  1850-1900  CH2/225/30  Churchyard accounts  1938-1953   CH2/225/31  Churchyard burial certificate book  1924-1925 CH2/225/32  Churchyard burial certificate book  1926-1947   CH2/225/33  Churchyard burial certificate book  1952-1953   CH2/225/34  Minute book of: Women's Guild  1924-1930   CH2/225/35  Minute book of: Women's Guild  1930-1946   CH2/225/36  Minute book of: Women's Guild  1946-1951   CH2/225/37  Minute book of: List of members  1925-1926   CH2/225/38  Minute book of: List of members  1947-1948   CH2/225/39  Minute book of: List of members  1951-1954   CH2/225/24-25  Communion Roll  c 1931

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.

Abbotshall United Presbyterian Church
History— This congregation originated when the minister of the parish was deposed in 1737 on consequence of espousing dissenter principles. This church was also known as Linktown. See also the history of the Bethelfield Associate Burgher Church at Kirkcaldy parish. Source: The (New) Statistical Account of Fife, Scotland for 1835, FS Library book, Series 2, vol. 9 pt. 1.

Records— The extent of pre-1855 records is unknown.

CH3/846 Kirkcaldy, Bethelfield (burgher) united associate congregation, later United Presbyterian, United Free and Church of Scotland 1797-1960 from the National Archives of Scotland Catalog

Abbotshall Free Church
History— The minister of the parish, together with a substantial congregation, came out in 1843, and formed this congregation.

Membership: 1848, 330; 1900, 385. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D. pub. 1914. Film. More details may be given in the source, including ministers.

Records— Minutes 1843–1901 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1142.

CH3/1142 Kirkcaldy, Abbotshall, Free Church, United Free  1843-1954   CH3/1142/6  Kirkcaldy Abbotshall United Free/Abbotsrood Kirk Session: Minutes  1902-1954   CH3/1142/7  Kirkcaldy Abbotshall United Free/Abbotsrood Kirk Session: Deacons' court minutes  1914-1935   CH3/1142/8  Kirkcaldy Abbotshall United Free/Abbotsrood Kirk Session: Seat letting book  1914-1949

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
Abbotshall 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 Fife at Cupar. Probate records for 1513-1925 are indexed with images 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' of Fife and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariot of St. Andrews.

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.