Whitburn, West Lothian, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #673

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

= History =

Available online at http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Browse the scanned pages via the parish reports.

= Census Records =

A census record is a count and description of the population, taken by the government, arranged by locality and by household. Read more about Scotland Census Records.

= 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 the Scottish Church Records Index on computer at the Family History Library and family history centes. Some records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: Irregular entries are frequent after 1784. The record of one family for 1750–1777 is recorded in August 1790. Marriages: They are often proclamation dues. There is only one entry 1797, for December 1794–January 1803 and none for August 1810–May 1818. Deaths: The burials are Mortcloth Dues. After January 1791 the entries are intermixed with the proclamation dues, etc. There are no entries for December 1794–January 1803 and September 1810–May 1818. 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.

Minutes 1732–1789, 1830–1892 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/370–1256.

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.

Whitburn, Longridge Associate Congregation, later Free Church
History— After an unacceptable minister was settled in the parish of Whitburn in 1772, the seceders in the area petitioned the Associate Presbytery of Edinburgh to be disjoined from the different congregations and formed into a separate congregation. The request was finally granted in 1775. A place of worship was built in Longridge in 1777. This congregation joined the Free Church in 1852. Sources:Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FHL Film #0477618. Also Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols., pub. 1914. FHL Film #0918572. More details are given in the sources.

Records— The extent of 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 =

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Return to the West Lothian Parish list.