Callander, Perthshire, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland

Perthshire

Callander

Parish #336

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

Callander, Perthshire, Scotland
Type	Quoad Omnia Parish
Parish Number	336
Civil Jurisdictions
Historic County	Perthshire
Council Area	Stirling
Registration District	Callander
Records begin
Parish registers: 1710
Kirk Sessions: 1581
Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
Presbytery	Dunblane
Synod	Perth & Stirling
Judicial Jurisdictions
Sheriff Court	Dunblane and Perth
Commissary Court	Dunkeld and Dunblane

History

CALLANDER, a parish, in the county of Perth; containing the village of Kilmahog, 6 miles (N. N. E.) from Port of Monteith. This place derives its name, of Gaelic origin, from an ancient ferry across the river Teath, the principal road to which lay within its limits. The village is on the great road from Stirling to the Western Highlands. The church, a neat edifice, with a tower and spire, was erected in 1773, and is adapted for a congregation of 800 persons. A place of worship has been erected in connexion with the Free Church.

For more information about Callander'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 Perthshire & Kinross-shire (FS Catalog book 941 B4sa 3rd ser. v. 27).

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 Callander, as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

Year	FS Library Film Number	Surname Indexes
1841	1042691	none
1851	1042261	941.3 X22c v. 6-10
1861	0103892	none
1871	0104072	none
1881	0203503	6086646 (6 fiche)
1891	0208731	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	Years Covered	FS Library Film Number
Births:	1710-1854	1040071
Marriages:	1710-1854	1040071
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: Irregular birth entries occur after 1793 and more frequently after 1801.
Marriages: Marriage records were carefully kept. The entries embrace both the proclamations and the marriages with great regularity.
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 (discipline) 1841–1877
Accounts 1820–1821, 1843–1877
Note: Available at the Stirling Council Archives, Stirling, Scotland, record CH2/1245.

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.

Callander Free Church

History—
The minister of Callander, who was understood to sympathize with the Evangelical party, resigned his charge immediately after the Disruption. A considerable majority of the congregation "came out" and, formed the Callander Free Church. They worshiped for a time in the Independent Chapel. The church was built in 1843–1844. A school was opened in 1843. Until 1857 Callander was an English-Gaelic charge.
Membership: 1848, 382; 1900, 374.
Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572. More details are given in the source.

Records—
Minutes 1845–1936
Note: Available at the Stirling Council Archives, Stirling, Scotland, record CH3/1169.
The Statistical Account of Scotland for Callander for 1837 states that there were 2 Episcopalians, 4 Seceders, 16 Independents, and 6 Roman Catholics in the parish, but no chapels. They would attend services in neighboring parishes.

Cemetery Records

• Tom na Chessaig: Transcriptions & photos of the Old Callander Burial Ground
• Lillte Leny: Transcriptions and plan of Callander Little Leny burial ground (Buchanans & linked families)

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.

Military

Callender War Memorial in Ancaster Square: Provides names of men of this parish who died in WWI and WWII.

Probate Records

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

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

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

References

Return to Perthshire Parishes.