Kirkliston, West Lothian, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #667

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Scotland as they pertain to the parish of Kirkliston.

= History =

Available online at http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Browse the scanned pages via the parish reports.

= Census Records =

A census record is a count and description of the population, taken by the government, arranged by locality and by household. Read more about Scotland Census Records.

= 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—
Indexed: For an index to these records, see the Scottish Church Records Index on computer at the Family History Library and family history centers. Some records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: There are no entries for December 1687–February 1692. Entries are frequently out of the chronological order after 1794. Marriages: There are no entries for December 1687–February 1692 and May 1749–October 1750. The fact of marriage is not always stated in the entries. 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 Kirk 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.

Minutes 1659–1660, 1663–1687, 1692–1723, 1818–1902 Scroll Minutes 1707–1719 Deaconry Book 1730–1752 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/229.

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.

Kirliston Free Church
History— This congregation was formed in 1843. The minister of the parish did not adhere to the Free Church. Membership: 1848, 280; 1900, 211. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. FHL Film #0918572. More details are given in the source.

Records— Minutes 1843–1924 Baptismal Register 1843–1943 Marriages 1844–1852 Communion Roll 1844–1855 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1008.

Kirkliston Congregational Church
History— A church was formed in 1803 but was short lived. Membership once numbered 60, but a controversy in 1808 caused many to withdraw, and by 1815 the church had closed.

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

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Return to the West Lothian Parish list.