Largo, Fife, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #443

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

= History =

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 Largo. Also available at the Family History Library.

= 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 records of Largo 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 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 the Scottish Church Records Index on computer at the Family History Library and family history centers. The records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: Births are intermixed with marriages until December 1688. There are no entries December 1644–January 1647, July 1656–September 1670 and August 1689–January 1691. After 1766 irregular and interpolated entries are of frequent occurrence. Mother's names are not recorded until January 1723. Marriages: There are no marriage entries until December 1645–January 1647, August 1656–December 1670, December 1688–March 1693 and December 1756–December 1757. Deaths: Records are burials. It being impossible to separate the portion 1820–1854 from the earlier part of the record, the whole has been retained by the Registrar–General. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. FHL 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 Accounts 1670–1689 Minutes 1691–1751, 1769–1792 Money Book 1692–1834 Burial Register 1796–1837 Note: Available at St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH2/960.

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.

Largo Free Church
History— The minister of the parish and a large portion of his congregation came out in 1843. They worshiped in a wooden structure until the church was opened in May 1844. It was renovated in 1862. It was again greatly altered and partly rebuilt in 1879. From 1884 mission work was conducted in the district of New Gilston. 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 ministers.

Records— No known pre-1855 records.

Largo Relief Presbyterian Church
History— When the parish church of Largo became vacant in 1770, some of the parishioners objected to the newly chosen minister. A number of them withdrew from the Established Church and applied for and obtained supply of sermon from the Relief Presbytery of Edinburgh. A church was eventually built and a second one was built in 1871. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film #477618. More details may be given in the source including ministers.

Records— Various Minutes 1772–1935 Accounts 1772–1802 Note: Available at St. Andrews University Library, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, record CH3/844.

Largo Baptist Church
History— The history of the Baptists in Largo goes back to 1790. In that year a church was formed with 20 members. In 1867 a number of members left the Church on the question of open or close Communion, and along with a few other Baptists, met in the old Durham School in the Temple until a place of worship could be built. The older and more conservative Church still meets on Sunday mornings. The newer church was received into the Baptist Union in 1881. In 1890 a number of members living in Leven, three miles distant from Largo, began a meeting there with the consent of the Church. In 1892 the Leven Church was formed. Source: History of the Baptists in Scotland, by Rev. Geo. Yuille, pub. 1926. FHL book 941 K2hi. Source includes the names of ministers.

Records— The extent of pre-1855 records is unknown. Contact the: Baptist Union of Scotland 12 Aytoun Road Glasgow G41 5RT 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 =

Largo was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of St. Andrews until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Fife at Cupar. 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' of Fife and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Fife.

The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Fife. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place' of Fife and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

[Return to the Fife parish list.]