Carrington, Midlothian, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland

Midlothian

Carrington

Parish #675

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

Carrington, Midlothian, Scotland
Type	Quoad Omnia Parish
Parish Number	675
Civil Jurisdictions
Historic County	Midlothian
Council Area	Midlothian
Registration District	Carrington
Records begin
Parish registers: 1653
Kirk Sessions: 1653
Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
Presbytery	Dalkeith
Synod	Lothian & Tweeddale
Judicial Jurisdictions
Sheriff Court	Edinburgh and Leith
Commissary Court	Edinburgh

History

CARRINGTON, or Primrose, a parish, in the county of Edinburgh; containing the villages of Thornton and Whitefaugh, 6 miles (S. by W.) from Dalkeith. This place, at an early period, was the property of William, Lord Ramsay, who was created Earl of Dalhousie and Lord Carrington in 1633. The church, a neat structure, was erected in 1711.

For more information about Carrington'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 Midlothian (FS Catalog book 941 B4sa 3rd ser. v. 22).

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 Carrington, as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available.

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

	Years covered	FHL Fillm Number
Births:	1653-1820	1066641 item 4
	1820-1854	1066642 items 1-2
Marriages:	1653-1858 - proclamations	1066642 items 1-2
Deaths:	1698-1815, 1826-1854	1066642 item 1-2

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 FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland.
Births: There are no entries for November 1671–May 1676. After 1730 is a fragment of a page containing only one entry. Two pages after September 1801 contain a supplement to the years 1801–1808.
Marriages: There are no entries for August 1671–April 1676, June 1687–June 1690, August 1730–June 1732, except one, January 1782–October 1790, October 1798–July 1804, 1813 or 1818. The record is mainly proclamations after 1747.
Deaths: The record is deaths and burials. There are no entries for June 1731–February 1744, September 1783–November 1791. The record ends February 1799 except one entry for 1815.
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 1653–1683, 1691–1757, 1763–1788, 1807–1808, 1818, 1827–1927
Cash and Account Books 1698–1780, 1837–1928
Poor Accounts 1807–1841
Churchyard Society 1822–1842
Communion Roll 1830
Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/62.

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.

See Temple parish.

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 Records

Carrington was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Edinburgh until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Edinburgh. 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 Midlothian and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Edinburgh.

The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Midlothian. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Midlothian and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

References

Return to Midlothian Parishes.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)

Due to contractual agreements, some images and/or databases on FamilySearch.org may only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.