New Kilpatrick, Dunbartonshire, Scotland Genealogy

New or East Kilpatrick and Milngavie (#500)

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

To learn more about how to use these records to search for your ancestors, go to the Scotland: Research Strategies.

= History =

New Kilpatrick is a northwestern suburb of Glasgow.

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 New Kilpatrick. Also available at the Family History Library.

= 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 Scotland Census Records.

Click here for a list of the Family History Library microfilm numbers for the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=636540&disp=Census+returns+for+New+Kilpatrick+%28par++ census records of New Kilpatrick. ]

Below is information for any known surname indexes:

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: Birth records are blank October 1691–September 1693, October 1694–January 1696, December 1698–February 1700 and April 1704–June 1713; excluding two imperfect entries. They are also blank January 1714–January 1715, November 1719–November 1720, November 1724–May 1727. Leaves prior to 1722, and 1746–1753 are much injured by dampness and want of care. There is one entry for 1825, on the page before August 1805. Irregular entries 1785–1799 are found after 1809. Marriages: Marriage records are blank October 1705–June 1713, excluding five entries October to December 1710. The leaf at 1713 is much wasted, and entries are imperfect. Records are blank August 1721–May 1727and after 1803 the fact of marriage is not added to the entries of Proclamation. 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.

Here is a list of surviving Kirk session records for this parish:

Minutes 1693–1706, 1708–1709, 1713–1721, 1765–1783 Mortcloth Accounts 1758–1769 Poors' Fund Accounts 1774–1797 Notes relating to Kilpatrick are taken from records of the presbytery of Dunbarton, 1581, 1639–1649 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/889.

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.

According to the New Statistical Account for New Kilpatrick for 1839, the population of the parish was 3090. Of that number, 1104 belonged to the Seceders or Dissenters, 31 Episcopalian, and 112 Catholic. The only nonconformist place of worship in the parish was the Relief Church, so the others attended services in neighboring parishes including Old Kilpatrick.

Milngavie Relief Church
Located in the Stirlingshire portion of the parish

History— In 1787, the church and parish of New Kilpatrick became vacant, and a new minister, presented by the patron, was very much objected to by the parishioners. A previous similar occurrence had resulted in a considerable number of parishioners seceding from the Established Church and joining the Associate Secession Congregation of Craigs in Old Kilpatrick. This time, a petition was presented to the Relief Presbytery of Glasgow for forming a congregation, which was granted. Unsuccessful attempts to build a church, including in the village of Milngavie, and irregular supply of sermon, resulted in the cause faltering. Some of the families attended services in Glasgow while others connected themselves with the Associate Secession Congregation of Craigs. The building of a new cotton factory in Milngavie, and an accompanying increase in population, led to a revival of the cause. Supply of sermon was again applied for and obtained, and the church was completed in 1799. This congregation became United Presbyterian in 1847, United Free Church of Scotland in 1900, and finally returned to the Church of Scotland in 1929. 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 including a list of ministers.

Records— Manager's Minutes 1809–1845 Treasurer's Accounts 1796–1853 Sunday School Minutes 1814–1850 Sunday School Accounts 1815–1837 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/401.

Kelvindock and Knightswood Branch, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
History—   Unavailable.

Records—                                    FHL Film Number  Record of members 1848–1856         0104154 item 2

= 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 =

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

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

[Return to the Dunbartonshire parish list.]