Udny, Aberdeenshire, Scotland Genealogy

Udny #249

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

History
UDNY, a parish, in the district of Ellon, county of Aberdeen, 4 miles (E. by S.) from Old Meldrum. This place derived its name from the ancient family of Udny, who have held possession of the barony for more than 800 years. The church, erected in 1821, is a neat and substantial structure with a low spire, and contains 750 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 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 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, 1841-1901, 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: This record appears to have been commenced in 1756. The second leaf contains irregular entries 1744–1759, and pp. 15, 16, contain entries 1738–1758. Several incomplete entries occur at 1767–1768, and blank spaces are of frequent occurrence in the record prior to 1770. Mothers’ name occasionally recorded from 1744, but not regularly until March 1771. Marriages: No entries September 1781–February 1783, and, except nine entries referring to clandestine marriages, the record is blank May 1790–February 1816. Deaths: Transcribed entries of Mortcloth Dues prior to 1783. Burials November 1783–92. Record is blank August 1792–March 1799, after which, except one for 1821, only entries of funeral expenses, etc. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book Monumental Inscriptions: Family History 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 1746–1755, 1764–1780, 1780–1833, with accounts, 1846–1863 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/360.

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.

Udny Free Church
History—  The congregation here was organized by the Presbytery of Ellon on July 14, 1843. A church was built, and opened in November following. The manse was erected in 1844. A new church was erected on a more satisfactory site in 1864. Membership: 1848, 300; 1900, 206. 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—  There are no known pre-1855 Records.

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
Udny 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.