St. Andrews and St. Leonards, Fife, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #453

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

= History =

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 St. Andrews and St. Leonards. 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 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 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 the Scottish Church Records Index on computer at the Family History Library and family history centers. The records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: St. Andrews, with the exception that it is incomplete, December 1737–April 1740 the record is carefully kept; the portion prior to 1680 being beautifully written. After the record for June 1712 there are two pages of entries of children baptized by an Episcopal Minister, 171; 41, and at the beginning of vol. 2 there are two pages of irregular entries of children baptized by seceders 1738–1757. After the records for 1819 there are 17 slips of paper containing the dates of births of children born 1803–1844. St. Leonards has no entries August 1695–June 1696 and only one entry for May 1799–May 1800. Marriages: St. Andrews marriage record is one of contracts and marriages prior to 1770 mixed with other matters. There are no entries 1685–1694 and a separate record after 1770. Irregular marriages are occasionally recorded. St. Leonards has no marriage entries January 1677–April 1678 and March 1690–November 1691 and one entry for November 1692–August 1694 and one April 1695–August 1696. There are no entries for 1717, March 1739–June 1740; 1769 or September 1797–November 1800 and 1821. Deaths: St. Andrews deaths prior to February 1735 record not only the date of death and burials, but also the hour of both. After February 1735 the date of death only is registered. St. Leonards has no notations. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxam, pub. 1970. FHL British Book 941 K23b

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The 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:

Record Extracts, 1638 and 1725 Kirk Session Minutes 1559–1600, 1715–1902 Rental Book 1771–1840 Note: Available at St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH2/316.

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.

St. Andrews Associate Burgher Church, later United Presbyterian Hope Park
History— A praying society had long existed in St. Andrews prior to the Secession. Eventually they withdrew from the Established Church and in 1737 petitioned the Associate Presbytery to be taken under its inspection, which was done. Supply of sermon was infrequent. Sometimes the Seceders traveled to Abernethy for worship, though it was 22 miles. Eventually a congregation was formed at Ceres. The Breach in 1747 divided that congregation and a great number of those living in the St. Andrews area adhered to the Associate Burgher Synod and formed a congregation separate from that of Ceres. They eventually bought an old house in the center of town and had it fitted up as a place of worship. A church was built in 1826, with seating for 440. A new and larger church was opened in 1865. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film #477618. More details may be given in the source.

Records— Baptismal Register 1829–1934 Membership and Admissions 1842–1848 Seat Rents and Let Book 1792–1808, 1827 Various Minutes 1747–1972 Accounts 1783–1963 Collection book 1809–1821 Other post-1855 records Note: Available at St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH3/1584.

Strathkinnes Relief, extinct; Original Associate Free Church
History— A number of the inhabitants of this place and neighborhood, finding it inconvenient to travel to the parish church, a distance of 4 miles, applied for and obtained supply of sermon form the Relief Presbytery of Dysart in 1799. A church was built the same year. After the minister left in 1816, this congregation became extinct and the church passed into the hands of a Wesleyan Methodist congregation, who occupied it about five years. It was then purchased by a congregation in connection with the Original Associate Burgher Synod. In 1839, this congregation joined the Established church, along with the majority of the Synod, then withdrew at the Disruption in 1843 and became a Free Church. A new church was built in 1867. Membership: 1848, 190; 1900, 95. Sources: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film #477618. Also, 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 sources, including ministers.

Records— Session Minutes 1827–1831, 1857–1911 Note: Available at St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH3/291.

St. Andrews Martyrs Free Church
History— A congregation was organized here immediately after the Disruption. A church, manse, and mission hall were all erected shortly after. Membership: 1848, 565; 1900, 485. 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— Baptismal Register 1843–1885 Kirk Session Minutes 1843–1892 Other post-1855 records Note: Available at St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH3/1585.

St. Andrews Episcopal Church
History— There are no known records available.

Records—                     FHL Film Number       FHL Book Number  Baptisms 1722–1787       0844777 item 1           941 B4sr vol. 49 Marriages 1752–1786       0844777 item 1           941 B4sr vol. 49

For any other records, contact the minister at: St. Andrew's Rector Queen's Terrace St. Andrew's KY16 9Qf 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 =

St. Andrews and St. Leonards 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 [Court name]. 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 Fife and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat 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.

= Other =

David Dobson, prominent Scottish genealogist and historian, has published a list titled The People of St. Andrews 1700-1799 (pub. 2010). The information in the list is drawn mostly from lessor-used sources in the collections of the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh and the Special Collections Department of the University of St. Andrews including burgh records, deeds, testaments, and Cathedral gravestone inscriptions. This 42-page list includes the names of about 670 individuals and may help you document the lives of your ancestors from the St. Andrews area. (FHL book 941.33/S2)

[Return to the Fife parish list.]