Kilmuir-Easter, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland

Parish # 69 

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

= History =

KILMUIR EASTER, a parish, in the county of Ross and Cromarty, 6 miles (S. S. W.) from Tain; containing the villages of Barbaraville, Milntown, and Portlich. This place, which is situated on the shore of the Frith of Cromarty, derives its name from the dedication of its ancient church to St. Mary, and the adjunct by which it is distinguished, from its relative position with reference to the parish of Kilmuir, in the district of Wester Ross. The church, erected in 1798, is a substantial structure, containing 900 sittings; at the east end is a round tower, used as a belfry, on which is the date 1616. The members of the Free Church have a place of worship.

 The original name of this parish signifies the grave, or the chapel of Mary.

The parish lies partly in the county of Ross, and partly in the county of Cromarty. It is about 10 miles in its greatest length, and 4 miles broad. It is bounded on the west, by the parish of Rosskeen; on the east, by Loggie Easter; on the north, by Edderton and Kincardine; and on the south, by the sands of Nigg, and the Firth of Cromarty.

The Rev. John Porteous, was minister of the parish of Kilmuir Easter for a long period extending between 1732 and 1775. His grandfather is said to have come to Inverness in Cromwell’s army, and after the restoration he settled Kilmuir. There are six land-owners of the parish, Mr. Hay Mackenzie of Cromarty possesses the highest valuation, and is patron of the parish. There are three proprietors who generally reside in the parish; Mr. Hay Mackenzie of Cromarty, Sir Charles Ross of Balnagown, and Captain Robertson of Kindace.

There is a village in the parish, Milntown, in which there are four markets held annually. There is a post-office at Milntown, and a great country road runs through this village.

Agriculture is well understood, and practiced upon the most approved and scientific principles. The usual five-shift course is adopted; green crop, barley or wheat, two years grass and oats, or beans, or pease. The Cheviot and black-faced and Leicester sheep are common in the parish, and the polled Aberdeen black-cattle have been introduced on several farms.

The present church was built in 1798, and contains 900 sittings. It is situated in the south-east end of the parish, and is a distance of about five miles from some of the inhabitants. There are from twenty to thirty free-sittings in it. There is no chapel of ease or Dissenting chapel in the parish, except for one or two individuals, all are members of the established Church. The register of births commences in 1738, and there are no sessional records earlier than 1771.

This account was written December 1838.

Source: New Statistical Account of Scotland for Kilmuir-Easter, FHL book 941 B4sa, series 2, vol. 14. 

 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 you are interested in. 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—
Index: 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: There are only 18 entries prior to 1755 and no entries for 1758. There are only a few birth records for June 1759–1765. There is one family, 1768–1783, recorded after February 1771. There are only two entries of births between February 1771 and April 1773. Marriages:There are only 11 entries December 1807–July 1817. 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: 

Heritors' Minutes 1829 Heritors' and Session Minutes 1843–1975 Certificates Burial Places 1823–1849 Accounts 1842–1850 Accounts and Financial Minutes 1771, 1775–1840 Note: All of the above available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/429.

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.

Kilmuir–Easter Free Church
History— The minister of the parish, and his congregation "came out" in 1843. A church and manse were erected. The church having become dangerous, a new one was built and opened in 1876. Membership:1859, 600; 1900, 71. 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 pre-1855 records.

= 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 =

Killmuir-Easter was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Ross until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Ross &amp; Cromarty. 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 Ross &amp; Cromarty and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Ross.

The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Ross &amp; Cromarty Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Ross &amp; Cromarty and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

= References =

Return to Ross &amp; Cromarty parish list.