Rerrick, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland Genealogy

(Parish #879)

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

History
RERWICK, a parish, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, 6½ miles (S. E. by E.) from Kirkcudbright containing the villages of Auchincairn and Dundrennan. This place, in various records called Dundrennan and Monkland, is conjectured to have received its present name, which is of uncertain origin, from the position of Auchincairn at the head of a creek in the Solway Frith. The parish is bounded on the south and south-east by the Frith. The church is an ancient structure, successively enlarged in the years 1743, 1790, and 1828, and containing 565 sittings. In the village of Auchincairn are places of worship for Baptists and members of the Free Church.

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 edina.($) 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 Scotland Census Records.

for a list of the FS Library microfilm numbers for the census records of Rerrick as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on scotlandspeople.($) 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 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 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: Two pages at the beginning of the volume contain entries of children baptized by Mr. William Jameson, October 1756–1770 and irregular entries for 1753–1776. In the regular record there are only twenty two entries prior to 1749. No record was kept September 1783–February 1795, in consequence of the tax of three pence on registrations. There are, however, eleven irregular entries for 1785–1807. After January 1798, the record consists almost exclusively of families entered simultaneously, the dates ranging 1775–1806. At 1806 the record again becomes regular. Marriages: Prior to December 1775, there are only 16 entries recorded including only three prior to 1754. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. FS Library 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:

Minutes 1751–1792, 1903–1940 Cash Book 1812–1885 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/311.

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 Lists.

Auchencairn Free Church
History— This congregation was formed in 1843. The church was built in 1844; renovated in 1877. Owing to the closing of the iron, copper and barytes mines, and other causes, the population considerably declined. The village became to some extent a summer resort. Membership: 1848, 270; 1900, 194. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film. More details may be given in the source including lists of ministers.

Records— Various Minutes 1844–1883 Baptismal Register 1843–1900 Marriages 1844–1871 Communion Roll 1843–1863 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1199.

Cemetery Records
Courtesy of the Kirkcudbrightshire Community, contact individual is Jim Bell:


 * Rerrick Kirkyard Monumental Inscriptions
 * Dundrennan Abbey Monumental Inscriptions
 * Auchencairn Cemetery Monumental Inscriptions

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
Rerrick was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Kirkcudbright until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Kirkcudbright. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at scotlandspeople.($) 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 Kirkcudbright and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Kirkcudbright. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Kirkcudbright. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Kirkcudbright and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.