Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #202 (formerly Dumbennan and Kinnoir)

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

History
HUNTLY, a burgh of barony and a parish, in the district of Strathbogie, county of Aberdeen, 39 miles (N. W.) from Aberdeen, and 145 (N. by E.) from Edinburgh. This place, including the united parishes of Dumbennan and Kinoir, anciently formed part of the ample possessions of the powerful family of the Cumyns, of whose baronial seat, Strathbogie Castle, there are still considerable remains. The parishes of Dumbennan and Kinoir were united in 1727, and, in honour of the eldest son of the Duke of Gordon, called Huntly. The old church, situated in the centre of the town, is a spacious plain structure, erected in 1805, and containing 1800 sittings. The new church, erected in 1841, is also in the town, and contains 1100 sittings. There are places of worship for members of the Free Church, the United Secession, and Independents; also an episcopalian, and a Roman Catholic chapel, the latter a handsome structure in the later English style.

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 FS Library microfilm numbers for the, also 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 FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: Dumbennan: A separate record of births March 1683–December 1698. Kinnoir: A separate record of births September 1684–February 1724. The latter is blank September 1695–March 1697, March 1702–November 1704, November 1706–January 1713, and November 1715–January 1717. Mothers’ names not recorded 1713–1724. Records are blank 1724–1755, when a record headed Huntly commences. Records are irregular and defective 1755–1769 and irregular entries are frequent up to 1783. Marriages: For the united parishes of Dumbennan and Kinnoir November 1684–October1697, except two pages of transcribed entries 1734, and two entries 1738 and 1748. There is no record for Huntly October 1697–November 1777. Deaths: Not regularly recorded. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book.

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:

None seem to exist except what is found in the Old Parish Registers.

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.

Huntly United Presbyterian Church
History— This congregation originated with the preaching of an itinerant minister at Craigdam. They became part of the united congregations of Keith and Grange, both in Banffshire, and Cabrach and Huntly in 1771. They applied for and obtained supply of sermon from the General Associate Anti-burgher Presbytery of Elgin in 1772. The congregations separated in 1775. Their first church was built in 1775 and the second in 1809. When the minister allied himself with the “Tabernacle Men” (the Haldane brothers who held independent beliefs), some members of his congregation removed from him and continued as the Secession congregation. The congregation still existed in 1873. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film. More details are given in the source.

Records— No known records.

Huntly Free Church
History—  The congregation was in existence before the Disruption. The Evangelicals “came out” of the Establishment, and built a church in 1840, which they called Strathbogie New Church. In 1843 they became the Free Church congregation of Huntly. In 1845 a section of the congregation petitioned for a separate supply of ordinances. This was granted for a time. Finally the breach was healed through the retirement of the minister and the settlement of a successor. In 1871, a mission church was erected at Kinnoir. The congregation profited by the revival in1859. Membership: 1848, 530; 1900, 533. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film. More details are given in the source.

Records— Various Minutes 1840–1901 Accounts 1840–1848 Cash Book 1846–1849 Baptisms 1840–1845 Marriages 1841 [1 page] Communion Roll 1842–1846, 1850–1855 Other post-1855 records Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/620.

Huntly Congregational Church
History— This church originated with the Anti-burgher minister who in 1800 was deposed from his ministry for supporting James Haldane’s Independent teachings. Some of his congregation followed him into the new denomination. A church was opened for worship in 1802. Another was built about fifty years later. The Huntly church was known for its support of missionary work. The church closed in 1963. Source: A History of Scottish Congregationalism, by Harry Escott, pub. 1960. FS Library Book, pages 254–7. Source includes further details on each congregation plus lists of ministers. See also.

Records— The extent of Records is unknown. For information, write to: United Reformed Church Synod of Scotland 340 Cathedral Street Glasgow G1 2BQ Scotland

Huntly Episcopalian Church
History— This church was founded in 1850. Prior to then, members worshiped at Forgue. No other history is available.

Records— The extent of Records is unknown. For information, write to: The Rectory Seafield Ave. Keith, Aberdeenshire AB55 3BS Scotland

The priest in charge at Keith also has stewardship over Huntly.

Roman Catholic Church
History— The church was dedicated to St. Margaret in 1742. It was located at Robieston to 1746. Source: Catholic Missions and Registers, 1700–1880, by Michael Gandy, pub. 1993. FS Library Book Ref vol. 6.

Records— Births 1842–1847 Marriages 1743–1844 Deaths 1742–1795, 1827–1837 Note: Now available online for a fee at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, record RH21/25.

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
Huntly 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 FamilySearch 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.