Fearn, Angus, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland

Angus

Fearn

Parish #287

Guide to Fearn history, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Fearn, Angus, Scotland
Type	Quoad Omnia Parish
Parish Number	287
Civil Jurisdictions
Historic County	Angus
Council Area	Angus
Registration District	Fearn (Angus)
Records begin
Parish registers: 1739
Kirk Sessions: 1771
Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
Presbytery	Brechin
Synod	Angus & Mearns
Judicial Jurisdictions
Sheriff Court	Arbroath, Dundee, and Forfar
Commissary Court	Dunkeld, Brechin, and Edinburgh

History

FEARN, a parish, in the county of Forfar, 8 miles (W.) from Brechin. The word Fearn, signifying in the Gaelic language "an alder tree," appears to have been used in the present instance on account of the numbers of that tree growing in the parish or neighbourhood. The church, built in 1806, stands on the summit of a natural mound, in the middle of a dene, and is conveniently situated for the population.

For more information about Fearn's geography, economy, history, education, and people, see the parish reports in The First and Second Statistical Accounts of Scotland, or the Third Statistical Account for Angus 941 B4sa 3rd.

Census Records

Scottish Censuses were taken every 10 years beginning in 1801. Beginning with the 1841 Census, each individual in the nation was enumerated at the location they slept on a particular day. For more information, including which day each census was taken, read about Scottish Census Records.

Here is a list of the FS Library microfilm numbers for the census records of Fearn as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

Year	FS Library Film Number	Surname Indexes
1841	1042676	6203961
1851	1042224	941.31 X22a1851 v. 1-6
1861	0103790	none
1871	0103946	none
1881	0203491	6086580 (12 fiche)
1891	0208719	none

Indexes and images for the 1901, 1911, and 1921 censuses of Scotland are found on ScotlandsPeople ($). Registration is required and there is a small access fee per image. All available censuses, 1841-1921, are indexed on this website.

Church Records

The Established Church in Scotland is the Church of Scotland, a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity. Church of Scotland records generally cover the period of time prior to 1855, when Civil Registration began. Unlike in England, Scottish law never mandated that vital events be registered with the established church. For more information, read about Scottish Church Records.

Established Church—Old Parochial Registers

Record Type	Record Type	FS Library Film Number
Births:	1762-1854	0993428 item 2
Marriages:	1803-1806	0993428 item 2
	1846-1854	0993428 item 2
Deaths:	No entries	none

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 FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland.
Births: There is one entry for 1739 in the record for 1766. There is no entry for 1775 and the records are extremely irregular for 1788–1803. There are only four entries December 1815–February. 1819. Mothers' names very seldom recorded before 1781.
Marriages: Marriage records are blank December 1806–1846.
Deaths: There are two death entries for 1793 recorded on the page after the marriages of 1806.
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 businessmen of the parish, chosen to serve on the session. It 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 1771–1781
Poors’ Accounts 1781–1800, 1801–1809, 1812–1845
Minutes 1784–1797, 1802–1822 - with gaps
Mortcloth Dues 1790–1809
Minutes and Roll of Communicants 31 July 1837
Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/995

Nonconformist Church Records

A nonconformist church is any church that is not the established church (the Church of Scotland). For more information, read about Scottish Nonconformity.

No known nonconformist groups.

Civil Registration Records

Government or civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths is called Statutory Registers in Scotland. The system began 1 January 1855, and each parish had a registrar's office, with large cities having several. Over time, districts merged and split due to changing populations and technological advancements. The system has largely stayed the same over time, with records being created by local registrars and copies sent to the General Register Office in Edinburgh. Initially annual indexes were published, but now these indexes are available online as soon as an event is registered. Many of these records are only available on ScotlandsPeople ($), however the years 1855-1875, 1881, and 1891 are available through FamilySearch(*). For more information, read about Scottish Statutory Registers.

Probate Registration Records

Fearn was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Dunkeld until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Dundee. 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 & 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 FamilySearch 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 Dunkeld.

The library also has some post-1823 probate 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.

References

Return to Angus Parishes.

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