Muthill, Perthshire, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland

Perthshire

Muthill

Parish #386a

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

Muthill, Perthshire, Scotland
Type	Quoad Omnia Parish
Parish Number	386a
Civil Jurisdictions
Historic County	Perthshire
Council Area	Perth & Kinross
Registration District	Muthill
Records begin
Parish registers: 1674
Kirk Sessions: 1656
Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
Presbytery	Auchterarder
Synod	Perth & Stirling
Judicial Jurisdictions
Sheriff Court	Dunblane and Perth
Commissary Court	Dunblane and Edinburgh

History

MUTHILL, a parish, in the county of Perth; containing the village of South Bridgend, and part of the late quoad sacra parish of Ardoch, 3 miles (S.) from Crieff. This place appears to be of considerable antiquity; and its name, derived from two Gaelic words signifying "a station for the dispensation of justice," would confer upon it a degree of importance in the ancient feudal times. The church, erected in 1828 is a handsome and spacious edifice in the later English style, adapted for a congregation of 1600 persons. In the district of Ardoch is a chapel of ease, built in 1780. There is also a place of worship for members of the United Secession within a mile and a half of the village; and in Muthill are a Free church and an Episcopalian chapel.

For more information about Muthill'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 Muthill, as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

Year	FS Library Film Number	Surname Indexes
1841	1042696	none
1851	1042248	941.32 X22p 1851 no. 386a
1861	0103894	none
1871	0104077	none
1881	0203510	6086646 (6 fiche)
1891	0208739	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:	1704-1821 - family register with index	1040132
	1760-1854 - baptisms	1040132
Marriages:	1676-1691 - proclamations	1040132
	1760-1809	1040132
	1820-1854	1040132
Deaths:	1827-1821 - burials	1040132

Years Covered FS Library Film Number
Births: 1704–1821 - family register with index 1040132
1760–1854 - baptisms 1040132
Marriages: 1676–1691 - proclamations 1040132
1760–1809, 1820–1854 1040132
Deaths: 1827–1828 - burials 1040132

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. The records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index.
Births: The greater portion of the record is extremely irregular with respect to dates. The flyleaf bears that it is a register of births, etc., as the same could be recovered from people’s memories of their jottings from August 3, 1704 to November 1, 1760. The original registers of that time had been burnt in the session-clerk's house with several things of his own. There are very few entries before 1720. Families generally recorded in groups and the date of the parents' marriage is also often mentioned. At the end of the record for 1819 there is an index to the first ninety pages, being the most irregular portion of it. A regularly kept register of births November 1760–1819 is contained in vol. 2, but most of the entries seem to be different from those recorded in vol. 1. On pages 37, 42, 44, 45, 58, etc., are lists of children baptized at Ardoch Chapel and on pages 62, 69, and 76 lists of Strathallan Children.
Marriages: Marriages prior to 1691 are separate entries for proclamations and for Marriages. The record is blank November 1691–1717 and the entries 1717–1761 are extremely irregular and incomplete, being generally prefixed to the irregular registrations of the baptisms of the children of the marriages. Entries for 1761–1763 inclusive are recorded among the births for the same period. Separate record from March 1764, after which the entries are in a tabulated form. No entries July 1809–May 1820.
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 1704–1783, 1820–1869
Poor Fund Minutes and Accounts 1787–1832
Accounts 1704–1787, 1879–1917
Burials 1827–1828
Communion Rolls 1834–1913
Proclamation Registers 1855–1862
Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/754.

Roll of Male Heads of Families

1834, 1835 and 1836 lists of male heads of families in this parish can be found here.

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.

Muthill Free Church

History—
Those who adhered to the Free Church in Muthill were formed into a congregation immediately after the Disruption. Church and manse were soon erected. A new church was built in 1896 the old church was used as the village public hall. For example, masons worked at their trade in summer and worked at the looms in winter. The population decreased with the decline of weaving.
Membership: 1848, 418; 1900, 201.
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 1843–1894
Baptisms 1843–1874
Marriages 1845–1850, 1854–1858
Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/694.

Muthill, St. James Episcopalian Church

History—
Strathearn is in the region in the parish of Muthil, and Episcopalians come from around the region to attend services in Muthill. At the time of the Scottish Revolution in 1689, the Episcopal minister in this area opposed the ordination of a Presbyterian minister to replace him. A riot ensued and the Presbyterians had to meet out of doors. But eventually, in March 1705, the Episcopalians gave up the keys to the church. By 1837 there were 44 individuals within the parish who were Episcopalian.

Records—
FHL Call Number
Baptisms, 1697–1847 0994040 item 8 X
941.32/M1 V26m
Note: The X means the record has been extracted.
Other:
Baptisms 1848–1898
Marriages 1832–1898
Burials 1857–1858, 1872–1899
Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH12/7.
The Statistical Account of Scotland for Muthill for 1837 states that there were also 9 Dissenters within the parish at that time, but they would have attended services elsewhere.

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

Muthill 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-names' of Perthshire and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

References

Return to Perthshire Parishes.