Foveran, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland Aberdeenshire  Foveran

Parish #195

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

= History =

FOVERAN, a parish, in the district of Ellon, county of Aberdeen, 12 miles (N. by W.) from Aberdeen; containing the village of Newburgh and the barony of Kuockhall. This place was formerly remarkable for its castle, called Foveran, as is supposed, from a sweet and powerful spring, which still flows with its ancient vigour; but every vestige of the fortress is gone. The church is a plain substantial edifice, built in 1794, and accommodating 700 persons; the interior contains two handsome marble monuments to the Foveran family, and another, of very superior character, designed by Bacon, to the Udny family.

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 your parish of interest. 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 the separate 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 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: Birth records are blank July 1665–July 1671, and November 1684–April 1685. There are some duplicates August 1708–January 1721, eight irregular entries, 1701–19, recorded after January 1721 and only one entry 1748–October 1754. Mothers’ names not recorded in the entries until 1756. Marriages: There are only six entries March 1746–July l756. Prior to November 1766, there are proclamations and marriages, after that date marriages only are recorded. The records are defective about 1775–1787. Deaths: Burials are blank, except for three entries in 1671, June 1665–February 1676 and they are blank 1682–1760. There is a separate record for the chapel yard of Newburgh 1658–1677and they are blank except for one entry for 1671, and 1666–July 1676. See also Kirk Session records below. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book. Monumental Inscriptions: Indexed transcriptions are available at the Family History Library. 1623–1959 in Book V22m (also film  item 6) 1753–1966 in Book

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:  Burial Register 1753–1855 - with index Minutes 1668–1873 Cash Book 1839–1856 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/164.

Roll of Male Heads of Families
1836, 1837, 1838, 1839 and 1840 lists of male heads of families in this parish can be found here.

Monumental Inscriptions
The Kirkyard of Foveran in Aberdeen has been indexed by the North-East Scotland Family History Society.

Online listing is available through the: Aberdeen and North-East Scotland Family History Society

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City has three listings for Monumnetal Inscriptions.


 * MI's Foveran Churchyard 1613-1959
 * Foveran Churchyard 1753-1966
 * The Kirkyard of Foveran

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.

Foveran Free Church
History—  From 1844, evening services were held in a granary in the village of Newburgh, by preachers from Aberdeen and elsewhere. A congregation was formed and a probationer appointed. The church was erected in 1847–1848. The charge was sanctioned in 1852. The church was three miles from Newburgh. In 1887 a hall was erected in that village, and evening service regularly conducted there. Membership: 1849, 134; 1900, 161. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #. More details are given in the source.

Records— Deacon’s Court Minutes 1852–1908 Cash Book 1848–1883 Subscriptions for New Church 1847–1849 Note: Available at the New Register House, Edinburgh, records CH3/475. See also CH2/164.

Newburgh Methodist Church
History— The chapel was built about 1795. A new chapel was built in 1818 and was sold in 1827. It was bought back in 1831 and was finally closed a few years later. Source: Methodism in Scotland, by Wesley F. Swift, pub. 1947. Family History Library Book

Records— The extent of records is unknown. For information write to: Methodist Archives and Research Centre John Rylands University Library of Manchester 150 Deansgate Manchester M3 3EH, England

= 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 Recordsfamilysearch.org/#form=catalog =

Foveran was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Aberdeen until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Aberdeen. 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 Aberdeen and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Aberdeen. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Aberdeen. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Aberdeen and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

= References =

Return to Aberdeenshire parish list.