Kirkcudbright, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland Genealogy

Kircudbright #871

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Scotland as they pertain to the parish of Kircudbright. 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 Kirkcudbright. 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 Scotland Census Records.

Here is a list of the Family History Library microfilm numbers for the census records of Kirkcudbright 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 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 centers. Some records may be indexed in the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true International Genealogical Index. ] Births: The record after October 1783 is tabulated. Marriages: There is a double record October 1783–April 1791. Information after the latter date is limited to names and dates. There are no entries March 1804–1820 and 1823–April 1826. Deaths: Burials; there are no entries November 1792–1826; 1834–1838 and 1846–1852, except one for 1850. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970.Family History Library 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 1692–1704 Baptisms 1706–1708 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/520.

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.

Kirkcudbright Free Church
History— Dr. John Macmillan, minister of the parish, and many of his congregation, "came out" in 1843. Largely through the liberality of friends in New York, church and manse were built in 1845–1846. A new church was built on the same site, with the foundation being laid in 1872, and opening for worship 26 March 1874. The church hall was added at the rear in 1886. A merger with the United Presbyterian Church occurred in 1900 and the two congregations worshipped in St. Mary's Church from 1914. In 1929 St. Mary's Church became known as St. Mary's Parish Church of Scotland. The church was later declared redundent and converted to housing, with the church hall later being demolished and replaced with new housing. St. Mary's Church, currently (2009) is used for housing and is on the corner of St. Mary Street and Gladstone Place. Membership: 1848, 430; 1900, 470. 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 lists of ministers.

Kirkcudbright: An Alphabetical Guide to its History by David R. Collin. 2003 by The Stewartry Museum, Kirkcudbright.

Records— Minutes 1844–1921 Deacons' Court Minutes 1845–1901 Baptismal Register 1843–1876 Communion Roll 1846–1847 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/588.

Auchencairn Free Church
History— This congregation was formed by adherents of the Free Church 1843. During the summer, services were held in the open air, and then in an old saw mill, until the church was built and opened in November 1844; renovated in 1877. Membership: 1848, 270; 1900, 194. 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 lists of ministers.

Records— Extent of pre–1855 records is unknown. There are no records deposited at the National Archives of Scotland.

Kirkcudbright Associate, later United Presbyterian Church
History— This congregation originated in the dissatisfaction felt by a number of the parishioners with the doctrine taught in the parish church. They applied for and obtained supply of sermon from the Associate Presbytery of Annan in 1818. The congregation was formed 16 April 1820 and a church built at the corner of the High Street opposite the Tolbooth, in 2009 the building is an antique store. In 1865 the Associate Church became known as the United Presbyterian Church, purchasing a manse and garden at 42 High Street. The original site did not allow for expansion so a site was acquired in St. Cuthbert Street and opened for worship 14 July 1880. The United Presbyterian Church merged with the Free Church in 1900 and in 1914 the two congregations merged under the name of the United Free Church. The church later became Kirvudbright's cinema and was demolished in 1971 to build a supermarket. 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 lists of ministers.

Kirkcudbright: An Alphabetical Guide to its History by David R. Collin. 2003 by The Stewartry Museum, Kirkcudbright.

Records— Minutes 1820–1865, 1869–1914 Young Communicants 1821–1843 Congregational and Managers Minutes 1847–1914 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/589.

Kirkcudbright Roman Catholic Church
History— This church was founded in 1839. The Statistical Account of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright 1844, states that there were within the parish 200 Roman Catholics.There is conflicting information here for Collin states that the Catholic communitiy first gained their own place of worship in 1845 with the purchase of Nos. 43,45 and 47 St. Cuthbert Street where they converted the top floors into a small chapel, completing the work in 1846. The congregation eventually outgrew this facility building St. Andrew and St. Cuthbert Church and opening for worship on 26 December 1886. The church was extended in 1886 and modernized in 1971.

Location - The Church is access from High Streetby the narrow street next to the Police Station and library.

Source: Kirkcudbright: An Alphabetical Guide to its History by David R. Collin. 2003 by The Stewartry Museum, Kirkcudbright.

Records— Baptisms 1852–1868 Marriages 1852–1868

For information write to: St. Andrew and St. Cuthbert’s Catholic Church High Street Kirkcudbright DG6 4JW Scotland

For earlier records, see Dalbeattie.

Episcopal Church
History - In 1878 the Episcopal Church was refounded in Kirkcudbright. The congregation built The Iron Church, affectionately known as 'The Wee Tin Kirk', which occupied the site on the west side of St. Mary's Street now occupied by the Fire Station. Some time between 1919 and 1923 the Castle School was converted to meet the needs of the congregation. The small GreyFriars Episcopal Church is at the junction of Castle Street and Saint Cuthbert Street.

Source: Kirkcudbright: An Alphabetical Guide to its History by David R. Collin. 2003 by The Stewartry Museum, Kirkcudbright.

= 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 =

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

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Return to the Kirkcudbrightshire parish list.