Lochgoilhead and Kilmorich, Argyllshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #527

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

History
LOCHGOILHEAD and KILMORICH, a parish, in the district of Cowal, county of Argyll, 10½ miles (S. E. by E.) from Inverary. This place, of which the original name, Kil-nam-Brathairankill, signifying in the Gaelic language "the Church of the Brotherhood," was probably taken from some religious establishment here of which there are no authentic records, derives its present appellation of Lochgoilhead from the position of its church at the head of Loch Goil. The parish included anciently not only Kilmorich, which is still united to it, but also the greater portion of the parish of Kilmaglass. The church at Lochgoilhead is an ancient structure, situated at the head of Loch Goil, in good repair, and containing 305 sittings; the church of Kilmorich, on the shore of Loch Fine, is a modern structure, having been erected in 1816, and contains 258 sittings.

This is one of three parishes created from the old parish of Lochgoil-head. There are three castles in the parish. Mr. Callendar of Ardkinglass was the major landowner. The population in 1801 was 1145. The population in 1841 was 1100. There are two churches in the parish. The minister preaches two Sabbaths at Lochgoil-head and the third Sabbath at Cairndow. This account was written in 1844.

Source:New Statistical Account of Scotland (FS Library 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 Lochgoilhead and Kilmorich. 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.

Established Church—Old Parochial Registers
Note: Births and marriages 1750–1820 are in duplicate for both.

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: No entries exist September 1727–November 1729. The pages are blank except four irregular entries 1733–1738, March 1733–June 1736 with one page of irregular entries 1732–1743 after July 1738. The regular record is blank May 1739–July 1750 with irregular entries on six pages dated 1729–1795. After May 11th, 1794 there is a separate list of births for Kilmorich, October 1785–December 1793 and after December 1809, a list March 1794–December 1809. There are no entries August 1802–March 1804. Ten irregular entries of one family 1796–1817 occur after June 1818. Mothers' names are rarely recorded until 1751. There is a separate record for Kilmorich from 1750. Marriages: There is a record of marriages up to December 1701. A separate record of proclamations commences May 1693 and the fact of marriage is added to the entries May 1701–December 1728. The record is blank December 1717–May 1724. There are only proclamations of bookings, with one or two exceptions 1729–1736, after which the fact of marriage is again added. No entries appear February 1739–June 1750. After January 1795 a separate list was kept for Kilmorich, December 1786–November 1793. No entries for 1798 or for 1811. A separate record occurs for Kilmorich from 1750. There is only one entry March 1753–March 1757 and February 1769–March 1774; 1784. 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 1750–1791, 1821–1846 Note: Available at the Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh, record CH2/1169.

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.

No known pre-1855 records exist.

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
Lochgoilhead and Kilmorich 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