Troqueer, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland Genealogy

Troqueer (#882)

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

History
TROQUEER, a parish, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, ¾ of a mile (S.) from Dumfries including the burgh of Maxwelltown. This place is supposed to have derived its name from its forming one of the three ancient seminaries in the district, the other two being Lincluden and Newabbey. The parish is bounded on the east by the river Nith. The church is an ancient and handsome structure in good repair, and contains 840 sittings. A chapel of ease was erected some few years since in the burgh of Maxwelltown, containing 1600 sittings.

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 Family History Library microfilm numbers for the census records of Troqueer 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: Births are intermixed with marriages until March 1693. There are no entries May 1697–May 1698, January 1718–June 1734, and October 1737–December 1742 except one entry. There is a duplicate of the portion October 1698–January 1704. There are no entries July 1787–July 1788. Mothers' names are not recorded before 1718. Marriages: There are no entries March 1693–June 1698, July 1700–April 1718, April 1723–April 1747, February 1748–August 1754, December 1764–August 1766, or July 1783–July 1788. After August 1793, the record appears to be chiefly one of proclamation fees and fees paid for irregular marriages. Deaths: Record of burials. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. Family History Library.

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: 

Troqueer
Various Minutes 1698–1929 - with gaps Accounts 1705–1711, 1714–1718, 1742–1760, 1780–1805, 1817–1842 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1244.

Collections Cash Book 1795–1815 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1036.

Maxwelltown Chapel of Ease
Lists of Communicants 1839–1844 Pew Rents 1832–1848 Collections 1829–1841 Treasurers' Accounts 1830–1859 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1564.

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.

Maxwelltown Free Church
History— The members of the quoad sacra church at Maxwelltown, led by their minister, James Begg, had taken an active part locally in the movement which issued in the Disruption. Supply was at once provided, and a church was built at Laurieknowe by December 1843. The manse was erected in 1846. A new church was built in 1866. The congregation drew many members from Dumfries, and the country district around. A large and increasing population of factory workers, and a slowly growing residential class in the western district, contributed to the success of the congregation. Membership: 1848, 470; 1900, 585. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572. More details may be given in the source including lists of ministers. Records— Extent of pre–1855 records is unknown.

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
Troqueer was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Dunfries 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 Dunfries. 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.