Annan, Dumfriesshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #812

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

History
ANNAN, a royal burgh, and a parish, in the county of Dumfries, 16 miles (E. S. E.) from Dumfries, and 79 (s.) from Edinburgh containing part of Brydekirk quoad sacra. This place, which is of remote antiquity. The town is pleasantly situated on the eastern bank of the river Annan, about a couple of miles from its influx into Solway Frith. The church, erected in 1790, is a handsome structure, with a spire, and contains 1190 sittings. A second church, situated on the south of the town, a very handsome building, affording accommodation to 950 persons, was erected in 1842; and there are also places of worship for Episcopalians, Independents, Roman Catholics, members of the Free Church, United Associate Synod, and Relief Church.

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 edina.($) Click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish reports for your parish of interest. Also available at the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog Family History Library. ]

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 Scotland Census Records.

for a list of the Family History Library microfilm numbers for the census records of Annan as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on scotlandspeople.($) 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 Scotland 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 are only four entries for December 1714–February 1727. After the entries for November 1763 there is a page of irregular entries, for two families, for 1751–1773. A few entries for 1771–1782 are recorded in 1783. After 1819 there is a draft of the portion for June 1712–December 1714. Marriages: There are no marriage entries for December 1764–August 1797 except one for 1780. A number of incomplete entries occur between 1804 and 1810. 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 1743–1929 Note: Available at the Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh, record CH2/13.

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.

Annan Associate Secession Church
History— A number of persons, belonging to the Established Church, applied for and obtained supply of sermon from the Associate Burgher Presbytery of Selkirk, 1799. The supply of sermon was renewed again in 1803. In the meantime, a place of worship had been erected by the Independents, and a minister ordained over a congregation. In 1807 a number of members belonging to the Secession congregation of Ecclefechan petitioned the Presbytery to be disjoined from Ecclefechan and joined to Annan, which was allowed. The independent interest having failed, the Seceders purchased the place of worship belonging to it, which they occupied until 1836, when they erected the one now occupied by the amalgamated Secession and Relief Congregations (see below). 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                                          1807–1900 Congregational Committee Minutes    1808–1818 Managers’ Minute                             1827–1886 Communion Rolls                              1820–1871 Note: Available at the Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh, record CH3/472.

Annan Relief Church
History— In 1833, the Dumfries Relief Presbytery agreed to place Annan under the Home Mission Committee as a preaching station. Sermon was accordingly supplied there in the course of the following month and continued until the summer of the succeeding year when the supporters of the cause took possession of a place of worship which they had erected for themselves. (See also below.) 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 1837–1845 Note: Available at the Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh, record CH3/473.

The United Associate Secession and Relief Churches of Annan
History— The Secession and Relief congregations in Annan being both vacant at the union of their respective Synods in 1847, the Presbytery to which they now belonged appointed a committee to promote their amalgamation, in which they succeeded, and on the 21st of March 1848, they were declared one, with the general consent of both parties composing them. The place of worship previously belonging to the Secession branch of the congregation was preferred as the common place of meeting, and the one formerly belonging to the Relief congregation was sold. 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— See the records listed separately under the two congregations above.

Annan Free Church
History— Those who had been associated with building Greenknowe quoad sacra church in Annan "came out" in 1843. They left the building which had been erected by their own efforts and the use of the Original Secession Church was secured for services. Members came also from the parishes of Dornock and Cummertrees, and from the quoad sacra parish of Brydekirk. Those from Brydekirk were afterwards divided between Annan and Ecclefechan. A new church was built in 1847. Membership: 1848, 211; 1900, 340. 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— Session Minutes 1849–1871 Note: Available at the Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh, record CH3/327.

Annan Congregational Church
History—

The church in Annan is one of the oldest Congregational churches in Scotland. It was formed before 1800. A church building was erected in Scott Street, which was sold in 1806 to the Burgher Church for payment of debts, and ultimately became a Roman Catholic chapel in 1839. After the sale of the chapel the church was dissolved but was revived again in 1837. It was dissolved soon after, due to mismanagement of a case of discipline, but was revived once again in 1843. It was formed by thirty persons disjoined from the churches of Dumfries and Carlisle. A church building was acquired in 1847. Source: A History of Scottish Congregationalism, by Harry Escott, pub. 1960. FS Library book 941 K2es. More details are given in the source.

Records— The extent of records is unknown. For information write to: The United Reformed Church, Scottish Synod Office PO Box 189 240 Cathedral Street Glasgow G1 2BX Scotland

Annan Episcopalian Church
History— Unavailable

Records— Baptisms             1845–1854 Marriages              1843–1854 Burials                  1845–1854 Note: Available from the incumbent. Write to: The Vicarage 4 Kingfisher Lane Gretna DG16 5JS Scotland

Annan Roman Catholic Church
History— The church in Annan was founded in 1839 and dedicated to St. Columba in 1844. Earlier the congregation was served from Dumfries. Source: Catholic Missions and Registers 1700–1880, Scotland, by Michael Gandy, pub. 1993, FS Library book 942 K24gm vol. 6

Records— No pre–1855 records. See Dumfries.

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
Annan was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Dumfries until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Dumfries. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at scotlandspeople.($) 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 catalogfor the 'Place' of Dumfries and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Dumfries. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Dumfries. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place' of Dumfries and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.