Dunning, Perthshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #350

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

History
DUNNING, a parish, in the county of Perth; including the village of Newtown of Pitcairns, 9 miles (W. S. W.) from Perth. This parish, supposed to take its name from the Gaelic term dun, signifying a hill or fort, contains the remains of three military stations called Ardargie, Rossie Law, and Ternavie, which are thought to have belonged to a line of forts constructed by Agricola along the northern base of the Ochil hills, where the parish lies. The church, which was rebuilt in 1810, is conveniently situated in the village, and contains 1000 sittings. The members of the Free Church have a place of worship; and there are two meeting-houses belonging to the United Associate Synod, one to Original Seceders, and one to the Relief persuasion.

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 FS 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—
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 FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: After the record for August 1783 are three pages of birth entries for 1822. Mothers' names very frequently recorded after 1718, but not regularly until about 1759. Marriages: Marriages are intermixed with other matters, except for periods 1709–1714 and 1783–1784. The record is very incomplete after August 1784, the entries containing only the name of the bridegroom and the fee paid for the proclamation of Banns. There are very few entries for 1790–1808. Deaths: Mortcloth dues are mixed with the entries of Marriages. The records are very incomplete after 1783 and there are almost no entries for 1793–1808. 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 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 1783–1797, 1820–1822, 1835–1908 Poors’ Money 1715–1765, 1800–1807, 1836–1845 Communion Rolls 1848–1916 Cash Book 1849–1910 Certificates 1841–1847 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/109.

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.

Dalreoch United Presbyterian Church, extinct
History— A praying society in Dunning and another in Dalreoch acceded to the Associate Presbytery in 1738. These societies were joined into an Association with others in the parishes of Forteviot and Forgan. The people of Aberdalgie withdrew from the Established Church and connected themselves with the Associate Presbytery. When the congregation of Kinkell originated in 1740, sermon was discontinued at Dunning. In 1791 the General Associate Seceders in the parishes of Dunning, Dupplin, Aberdalgie, etc. were disjoined from the congregations with which they were then connected and formed into a separate congregation with its seat at Dalreoch. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film #477618. More details are given in the source.

Records— Extent of pre-1855 records is unknown.

Dunning Secession, United Presbyterian Church
History— In 1738 a petition for supply of sermon was presented to the Associate Presbytery by an Association for prayer and religious conference in the parish of Dunning. No further notice of Secession movements can be found until 1768. In October 1768 a supply of sermon was granted. A church was built the same year. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D. pub. 1873. Film #477618. More details are given in the source.

Records— Baptismal Register 1853–1907 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/766.

Relief Church United Presbyterian, extinct
History— The congregation originated with a number of persons belonging to the Established Church, residing in and about Dunning, who seceded and applied for and obtained supply of sermon in 1803. Church built in 1804. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D. pub. 1873. Film #477618. More details are given in the source.

Records— Extent of pre-1855 records is unknown. No records deposited at the National Archives of Scotland.

Dunning Free Church
History— The congregation was formed at the Disruption. The congregation worshiped in a tent until a church, was opened in February 1844. A school was erected and maintained until 1872 when it was made over to the School Board. Membership: 1848, 200; 1900, 189. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D. 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572. More details are given in the source.

Records— Extent of pre-1855 records is unknown. No records deposited at the National Archives of Scotland.

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