Ruthven, Angus, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland

Angus

Ruthven

Parish #318

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

Ruthven, Angus, Scotland
Type	Quoad Omnia Parish
Parish Number	318
Civil Jurisdictions
Historic County	Angus
Council Area	Angus
Registration District	Ruthven
Records begin
Parish registers: 1744
Kirk Sessions: None extant
Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
Presbytery	Meigle
Synod	Angus & Mearns
Judicial Jurisdictions
Sheriff Court	Arbroath, Dundee, and Forfar
Commissary Court	Dunkeld, Moray, and Edinburgh

History

RUTHVEN, a parish, in the county of Forfar, 3 miles (N.) from Meigle; containing the hamlets of Balbirnie, Barberswells, Bridgend, and Whins. This place was for many generations the seat of the Crichton family. The church, an ancient structure, is, according to some accounts, supposed to have been erected by an earl of Crawfurd as a chapel for his tenants of the barony of Inverquiech, and subsequently obtained by the proprietors of Ruthven, and appropriated as a parish church for their barony.

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

Year	FS Library Film Number	Surname Indexes
1841	1042682	6203961
1851	1042257
1861	0103794
1871	0103950
1881	0203499	6086580 (12 fiche)
1891	0208727

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:	1744-1854	0993504 item 2
Marriages:	1744-1854	0993504 item 2
Deaths:	1744-1798	0993504 item 2

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: Births are recorded among marriages and other matters 1744–1781. They are blank October 1781–May 1788, except for one entry for 1786. Beginning with 1799, births are on alternate pages with marriages; also the mothers' names are recorded.
Marriages: Marriages are recorded among births and other matters 1744–1781. They are blank October 1781–May 1788. Beginning with 1799, marriages are on alternate pages with births.
Deaths: Entries of Mortcloth Dues, and of Lair Money, are mixed with births and marriages prior to 1788.
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:

None available.

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 Records

Ruthven 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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