Menmuir, Angus, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #309

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

History
MENMUIR, a parish, in the county of Forfar, 4½ miles (N. W. by W.) from Brechin; containing the hamlet of Tigerton. This place, which is of remote antiquity, derives its name signifying in the Celtic language "the great moss," from the marshy nature of the lands, which appear to have been originally one extensive tract of bog. The old church built in 1767 was taken down, and a handsome and substantial structure erected in 1842, containing ample accommodation for the parishioners. The members of the Free Church have a place of worship.

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 census, 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.

Established Church—Old Parochial Registers
Years Covered FS Library Film Number Births: 1701–1854 0993490 Item 2 Marriages: 1704–1782, 1848–171 0993490 Item 2 Deaths: No entries

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: Birth records are blank January 1708–October 1711, and September 1733–December 1758 except for a few irregular entries 1741–1751. Mothers' names are not recorded. Marriages: There is no record until February 1766 except for a few entries mixed up with other matters about 1704–1705. From January 1767–December 1777 there is a record of marriages as well as of proclamations. There is no record after December 1782 except for two entries in 1848 and 1851. 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 and Collections 1622–1701, 1709–1733, 1762–1902 Cash 1845–1943 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/164

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.

Menmuir Free Church
History— This congregation was formed of those who came out of Menmuir Parish Church at the Disruption, together with those from several surrounding parishes where no Free Church was accessible. At first they worshiped in the open air beside the public road. A church was erected in 1843–1844, and a manse a little later. The charge was sanctioned in 1845. A second storey was added to the manse in 1862. Notwithstanding rural depopulation and other changes the membership remained fairly steady. Membership: 1848, 145; 1900, 130. 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.

Records— FS Library Film Number Session Minutes 1844–1923 1886228 items 2–3 Deacons Court Minutes 1849–1906 1886228 items 2–3 Cash Book 1844–1895 1886229 item 1 Other: Seat Rent book 1852–1907 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/230.

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
Menmuir was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Dunkeld until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Dundee. 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 Angus and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Dunkeld. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Angus. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Angus and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.