Craig, Angus, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #280

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

History
CRAIG, a parish, in the county of Forfar, ½ a mile (S. by W.) from Montrose; containing the villages of Ferryden, Usan, and Rossie. This place was formerly called Inchbrayock, the "island of trout," by which name an island of thirty-four Scotch acres within the parish is still known. Craig was at that time only the designation of one of the chief estates, and it is supposed that, when the place of worship was transferred from the island to the property of Craig on the continental part of the district, the name of Craig, which is naturally derived from the rocky nature of the shore, was extended to the whole of the parish. The church, which is an elegant structure, with a square tower, eighty feet high, was built in 1799. It contains 800 sittings. A place of worship has been erected in connexion with the Free Church.

This parish was formed from two ancient parishes: Inchbrayock and St. Skeoch.

Inchbrayock/Inchbrioc/Insula Sanct Bricchi, was made a mensal church of the Archbishop of St. Andrews by Pope Sixtus IV in Feb. 1473, but this, in spite of a supplication of 1484 and a fresh appropriation in 1487, was apparently unsuccessful. Both parsonage and vicarage were however annexed to the College of St. Mary, at St. Andrews, by 1552, this being confirmed in 1553/4 and so continuing, while the cure became a vicarage pensionary. [source "Scotland's mediaeval parishes" ? - probably: Ian B. Cowan: "The parishes of Mediaeval Scotland" Scottish Record Society, 93, SRS, Edinburgh,1967"].

Dependent of the church of St.Brioc were two chapels, said, according to Jervise, to have been dedicated to St. Mary and St. Fergus. [source: Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. XXXVIII, 1903/4; pp.452-453. ]

The [first or Old][2nd or New] &amp; [Third] Statistical Accounts of Scotland (written 1791, 1835, and 1968) 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—
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: The birth records are blank March 1662–August 1664, February 1700–March 1714, and August 1717–August 1723. Mothers’ names are not recorded until May 1769 and there are no witnesses' names 1664–1700. Marriages: Marriages are blank November 1661–February 1694, January 1700–May 1714, and May 1773–April 1785. There are no entries December 1790–June 1792 or October 1809–December 1811. From 1723–1740 there is a record of contracts as well as of marriages. Deaths: There are only two death entries December 1771–July 1785. 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: 

Craig
Records— FHL Book Number Census of the Parishioners 1788 941.31/C2 K2j Other: Minutes 1653–1694, 1713–1925 Communicants 1718–1730, 1834–1869 Accounts 1752–1859 Marriages 1756–1757, 1855–1862 List of Parishioners 1788 Poor’s Fund Minutes 1764–1826 Heritors and Kirk Session Minutes 1827–1933 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/616.

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.

Craig Free Church
History— The minister of the parish and many of the congregation "came out" in 1843, and by the month of August the building of a church was in progress. Difficulties arose as to title for the site and in April 1844 it became necessary to remove it to another position. A manse was also provided. The church was renovated in the 1890's. Membership: 1848, 308; 1900, 573. 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—

Note: Also available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/62.

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
The term "probate" is not used in Scotland's inheritance records. Craig was under the jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of St.Andrews until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Dundee. Inheritance records for 1513-1901 are indexed online at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. You must register on the website but use of the index to such 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 St.Andrews. The library also has some post-1823 inheritance 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.