Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon, Argyllshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #542

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

History
KILFINICHEN and KILVICEUEN, a parish, in the district of Mull, county of Argyll; containing Iona and the village of Bonessan. This place takes its name from the churches of the two ancient parishes whereof it consists, the one in the district of Airdmeanach, and the other in that of Ross, by which latter appellation the whole parish is frequently designated. There are two churches, one at Bonessan, in the district of Ross, and the other at Kilfinichen, in Airdmeanach, both built in 1804, and repaired in 1828, the former containing 350 sittings, and the latter 300. A church has been erected in the island of Iona.

The numerous parishes into which the island of Mull was divided were, during the the Reformation, united into one. Donessan is the nearest town. There are over 120 miles of sea coast in this parish. The major land owners were: The Duke of Argyle; Dugald Maclachlan Esq. of Killimore; Colonel Robert Macdonald of Inniskenneh; Murdoch Maclaine Esq. of Lochbury; and Archibald J. Campbell, Esq. of Kilpatrick. The land was primarily used for, potatoes, oats, barley, turnip, rye grass, black cattle, and sheep. The population in 1791 was 3002. The population in 1841 was 4102. There were no parish register records of any kind kept before 1780. There are 2 church buildings in the parish. All of the residents belong to the Established Church with the exception of forty who are Baptists or Independents. This account was written in 1843.

source:New Statistical Account of Scotland (FHL book 941 B4sa, series 2 vol. 7)

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 Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon. 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 1911 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, 1841-1911, 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 church records.

Established Church—Old Parochial Registers
There are no entries for Kilfinichen

Condition of Original Records—
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 and Marriages: These records are intermixed throughout. They appear to have been carefully kept and were kept under the single parish name of Kilfinichen. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British book 941 K23b. Note: From the Statistical Account of Scotland, for Kilfinichen and Kilviceon for 1842: “There was no register of any kind kept in the parish until the year 1780, when the then incumbent commenced one, but that only extended to marriages and baptisms. There being no less than thirteen burial places in the parish, and at a great distance from each other, and from the incumbents’ residence, deaths were not recorded.” Apparently the earliest registers have been lost.

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 1842–1916 Note: Available at the Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh, record CH2/687.

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.

Ross and Brolas Free Church
History— The southern part of the Island of Mull was, from the Disruption, in charge of the minister of Iona. A church was built at Torosay in 1845. An unsuccessful application was made in 1849 to have Kilfinichan, Brolas and Torosay sanctioned as a united charge. In 1890 Ross was disjoined from Iona, and united with Brolas as one charge. Membership: 189, 157 (including adherents); 1900, 39. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572. More details may be given in the source including ministers.

Records— Extent of pre-1855 records is unknown.

Iona Free Church
History— The minister of the united charge of Iona and Ross of Mull left the Established Church at the Disruption. He suffered hardship from lack of a proper dwelling until 1847. In the years succeeding the Disruption the population of Iona was seriously diminished. In 1890, in consideration of the difficulty of working the two districts together on opposite sides of the Sound, the historical associations of Iona, and its importance as a resort for summer visitors, Iona was sanctioned as a separate charge. Ross and Brolas then became a new charge for the southern district of the Island of Mull. The church was built in 1845 and the manse in 1894. Membership: 1848, 40; 1900, 16. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572. More details may be given in the source including ministers.

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

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.