Forres, Moray, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #137

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

= History =

Also available online at http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Browse the scanned pages under ‘For non-subscribers,’ then search for the parish report.

= 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 census records of Forres 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: There are no entries for December 1678–March 1682. Several families previously omitted are recorded between 1799 and 1803. Marriages: There are no entries for June 1698–March 1702, August 1723–March 1724, and February 1728–January 1732. Deaths: No records exist prior to 1825. 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 1708–1929 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/162.

Also: Minutes 1650–1676, 1693, 1702–1727, 1732–1799, 1802–1807, 1812–1992 Accounts 1732–1845 Poor Fund Accounts 1740–1756 Collections 1733–1735 Names of Communicants Receiving Tokens 1761 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1448.

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.

Forres Free Church
History—  The minister of Forres and many of his people joined the Free Church at the Disruption. The congregation met in the Independent chapel at first until they built their own church on Cumming Street in 1844. Membership: 1848, 259; 1900, 359. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843 1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. FHL Film #918572. More details are given in the source.

Records—  Deacons’ Court Minutes 1843 1931 Other post-1855 records are available. Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1448.

Forres United Presbyterian Church
History—  In 1740, many of the people followed their minister, Rev. John Squire, when he left the Established Church, and they formed the Secession congregations of Urquhart and Auldern, now Elgin and Moyness. Then in 1742, the Forres people left this congregation to become a separate congregation. They built several churches: the first in 1772, another in 1813, and the third in 1871. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FHL Film #477618.

Records—  Minutes 1774–1794, 1824–1893 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/653.

Forres Congregational Church
History— Preaching was furnished regularly at Forres in 1802 although a church was not organized until 1804. They met in a chapel on South Back Street. In 1844 the minister and congregation agreed with Evangelical Union principles, but the church never formally joined the Union. They built a new chapel on Tolbooth Street in 1867. In 1939, the church closed its doors. Source: A history of Scottish Congregationalism, by Harry Escott, pub. 1960. FHL book 941 K2es.

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

Forres Episcopal Church
History—  The church was consecrated in 1841 and dedicated to St. John the Evangelist.

Records—  Christenings 1841–1854 Marriages 1843–1854 Burials 1842–1854

For access to these and later records, write to the minister at: St. John's Rectory Victoria Road Forres IV36 3BN Scotland

= 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 =

Forres was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Moray until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Elgin. 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' of Moray and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Moray.

The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Moray. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place' of Moray and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Return to Moray parish list.