Innerkip, Renfrewshire, Scotland Genealogy

Innerkip (#567)

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

History
INNERKIP, a parish, in the Lower ward of the county of Renfrew; including the village of Gourock, 6 miles (S. W. by W.) from Greenock. This parish, of which the name, originally Inverkip, is derived from its situation at the mouth of the river Kip. The parish church is a neat modern structure, containing sufficient accommodation for the population.

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 Innerkip. 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 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 leaves of the record prior to 1790 have suffered much from dampness and want of care; many entries being partially, some entirely, destroyed. Records are blank September 1768–October 1783, excluding two pages of irregular entries 1765–1783. Entries out of order of time occasionally occur throughout the record after 1723. Marriages: There is one entry for 1754; they are blank October 1767–December 1783, and October 1798–October 1815. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book.

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: 

Gourock
Minutes 1834–1843 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/182.

Inverkip
Minutes 1814–1816, 1818, 1820–1846, 1850–1956 Roll of Communicants 1852–1860 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1201.

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.

Gourock United Presbyterian Church
History— A congregation was organized here in 1848, consisting of 52 members who had been disjoined from the congregations of Union Street and George Square, Greenock. They built a place of worship the same year. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. . More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Extent of the records is unknown.

Gourock Free Church
History— Donald MacLeod, minister of Gourock ““quoad sacra”” church, “came out” in 1843. Church and school were erected immediately after the Disruption at the corner of John Street and Royal Street. A new church and hall were erected in 1856. In 1877 the old church was sold, and the tower of the new church completed. The place grew, and became more residential owing to the extension of the Caledonian Railway to Gourock. Membership: 1848, 225; 1900, 471. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. . More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Minutes 1843–1875 Deacons’ Court Minutes 1844–1855 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1028.

Inverkip Free Church
History— This congregation was formed of those who “came out” from the parish church at the Disruption. In July 1843 a probationer was appointed to Inverkip, and a moderator of session. The Assembly’s Committee at once sanctioned the charge. Great evangelical enthusiasm made the formation of the congregation easy. Difficulty was experienced in securing sites for church and manse. The former was erected in 1845, the latter in 1849. Membership: 1848, 104; 1900, 77. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. . More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records—                                                                        Family History Library Film Number  Session Minutes                        1843–1880        Deacons’ Court Minutes              1843–1855

Inverkip Congregational Church
History— Preaching in the village of Inverkip was engaged in by students from Glasgow during the summer of 1800. A non-ordained minister preached there by invitation beginning in November. The following summer Inverkip Tabernacle was built and a church formed. In April 1802 the minister was ordained. In April 1806, thirty-three members transferred to the newly-formed church at Greenock. The remaining congregation was never very large or flourishing and after some years ceased to meet. Source: A History of Scottish Congregationalism, by Harry Escott, pub. 1960. Famjly History Library.

Records— Extent of the records is unknown. For information write to: The United Reformed Church, Scottish Synod Office PO Box 189 240 Cathedral Street Glasgow G1 2BX 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
Innerkip was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Glasgow until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Paisley. 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 Renfrew and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Glasgow. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Renfrew. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Renfrew and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.