Currie, Midlothian, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland

Midlothian

Currie

Parish #682

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

Currie, Midlothian, Scotland
Type	Quoad Omnia Parish
Parish Number	682
Civil Jurisdictions
Historic County	Midlothian
Council Area	City of Edinburgh
Registration District	Currie
Records begin
Parish registers: 1638
Kirk Sessions: 1679
Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
Presbytery	Edinburgh
Synod	Lothian & Tweeddale
Judicial Jurisdictions
Sheriff Court	Edinburgh and Leith
Commissary Court	Edinburgh

History

CURRIE, a parish, in the county of Edinburgh, 6 miles (S. W.) from Edinburgh; containing the villages of Balerno and Hermiston. This place, called anciently Kil-Leith, from a religious establishment on the Water of Leith, is supposed to have derived its more general appellation from the remains of the Roman station Coria, which some antiquaries have identified with the immediate vicinity. The church, a neat structure erected about the year 1790, is situated on an eminence on the south bank of the river; and its spire, rising above the foliage around, forms a pleasing feature in the scenery of the village. There is a place of worship for members of the United Secession Church.

For more information about Currie'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 Edinburgh (FS Catalog book 941 B4sa 3rd ser. v. 15).

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 Currie, 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.

	Years Covered	FS Library Film Number
Births:	1639-1729	1066677 item 5
	1729-1854	1066678
Marriages:	1649-1663, 1681-1722	1066678
	1738-1748, 1765-1854	1066678
Deaths:	1662-1687, 1701-1854	1066678

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 March 1641–April 1643, May 1645–February 1646, November 1647–January 1649, June 1649–February 1657, November 1660–November 1662, March 1665–December 1666, and September 1672–November 1675. Entries out of the order of time are frequent after 1797.
Marriages: There are no entries December 1650–January 1653, August 1660–November 1661, December 1663–July 1681, August 1689–February 1715, November 1722–May 1738, June 1740–May 1741, July 1748–April 1765 and except two, April 1794–January 1796. Except December 1783–July 1796 the record after February 1715 appears to be one of proclamations of banns. There are transcribed entries of irregular marriages, 1716–1794, after record for 1819.
Deaths: Deaths and burials for period August 1662–November 1687, burials from November 1783–April 1794 and again after February 1811. Mortcloth Dues for periods December 1701–April 1704, December 1707–October 1708, a few entries for 1715 and 1722 and 1741–1815.
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 1679–1687, 1691–1700, 1712, 1714–1881
Heritors Minutes 1757–1818, 1828–1849
Cash and Account Books 1691–1711, 1713–1718, 1739–1761, 1782–1892
Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/83.

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.

Balerno Secession Church

History—
In 1739, the minister presented to the vacant parish of Currie had rendered himself very obnoxious to all sympathizers with the Seceding cause. Those sympathizing individuals traveled to Edinburgh for services as there were too few of them to form a congregation in Currie. They subsequently helped to form the congregations of East Calder and Slateford. Finally in 1826 there were enough of them that they were disjoined from the other congregations at their own request and formed into a separate congregation with its seat in Balerno. A church was built in 1829.
Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #477618. More details may be given in the source including ministers.

Records—
Baptisms 1832–1836
Various Minutes 1826–1970
Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/345.

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

Currie was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Edinburg until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Edinburg. 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 Edinburg

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

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

References

Return to Midlothian Parishes.

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