Kilmartin, Argyllshire, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland Argyllshire  Kilmartin

Parish #521

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

= History =

KILMARTIN, a parish, in the district and county of Argyll, 7½ miles (N. N. W.) from Lochgilphead. This place, which is supposed, like many others, to have derived its name from the founder of its ancient church, formed part of the possessions of the Campbell family. The church, erected in 1835, is a handsome structure in the early English style of architecture, with a square embattled tower, and contains 520 sittings.

This parish got its name as the the burial place of St. Martin. Oban, and Lochgilphead are the nearest towns. The Bard of Hope, Gertrude of Wyoming, V. is a well known person of this parish. The major land owners were: Neil Malcolm, Esq. of Poltallach; Colin Bell Maclochlan, Esq of Craiginterave; Captain Donal Campbel, R.N. of Barbreck; and The Rev. Dugald Campbell of  Auchanellan. The land was primarily used for, cattle, sheep, horses, oats, bear, potatoes, turnips, and hay. The population in 1795 was 1537. The population in 1841 was 1213. The register of baptisms and marriages was kept imperfectly from 1747-1774. There is no record from then to 1819. From 1819 to 1844 it was regularly kept. Most of the people in the parish are Prespbyteran. There are 2 Baptist families, and 6 Separtist families. This account was written in 1844.

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 Kilmartin. 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 and 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.  Here are the pre-1855 records that exist for this parish.

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 be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: The pages are blank, except for a few entries on an imperfect page, 1767–1778, January 1767–January 1773, after which a number of pages are imperfect and entries are partially destroyed. Except for two entries 1799 and 1806, the record is blank December 1793–January 1819. Marriages: There are no entries April 1767–January 1774 and January 1793–March 1819. Deaths: The records are of deaths and burials. 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 1691–1706, 1724–1941 Note: Available at the Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh, record CH2/793.

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.

There are no churches with known pre-1855 records.

= 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 =

Kilmartin 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.

= References =

Return to the Argyllshire Parish List