Unst, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland

Shetland

Unst

Parish #11

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

Unst, Shetland, Scotland
Type	Quoad Omnia Parish
Parish Number	11
Civil Jurisdictions
Historic County	Shetland
Council Area	Shetland Islands
Registration District	Unst
Records begin
Parish registers: 1776
Kirk Sessions: 1720
Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
Presbytery	Burravoe
Synod	Shetland
Judicial Jurisdictions
Sheriff Court	Lerwick
Commissary Court	Orkney & Shetland

History

UNST, a parish and island, in the county of Orkney and Shetland, 43 miles (N. by E.) from Lerwick; containing the island of Uya. The island of Unst, of which this parish mainly consists, is the most northern part of the Shetland Isles, and of the British dominions in Europe. The church, which is situated nearly in the centre of the island, was built in 1827, near the site of the old church of Balliasta. It is a handsome and substantial edifice containing 1224 sittings. There are places of worship for members of the Free Church, a small one built for Independents, and another for Wesleyans.

For more information about Nesting, Lunnasting, and Whalsay & Skerries'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 Shetland 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 Unst as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

Years	FS Library Film Number	Surname Indexes
1841	1042618	none
1851	1041488	none
1861	0103913	none
1871	0104102	none
1881	0203395	6086700 (2 fiche)
1891	0208609	none

1804    477622 Item 13

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:	1776-1854	0919495
Marriages:	1797-1854	0919495
Deaths:	1833-1854	0919495

 

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: There are twelve pages of irregular entries 1778–1832 at the end of the record for 1801.
Marriages: There are no entries February 1802–October 1811.
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 1720–1739, 1797–1800, 1824–1892 - with gaps
Young Communicants 1823–1832
Note: Available at the Shetland Archives, Lerwick, Scotland, record CH2/385.

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.

Unst Hillside Free Church

History—
Dr. James Ingram, and John Ingram, his son and colleague, ministers of Unst, "came out" in 1843. That year the sheriff, on petition by the principal heritor in the island, granted interdict against Dr. Ingram in using the parish church for meetings. As a result, the parish church was left nearly empty. On a site gifted by Dr. Ingram a church was built and for about five months, until the building was ready, the congregation worshiped in a tent. Services were conducted on alternate Sabbaths during the winter at Uyeasound, in the Society School, and at Haroldwich, in the Independent Chapel. Immediately after the Disruption a church was built at Uyeasound.
Membership: 1848, 890; 1900, 377.
Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572. More details may be given in the source.

Records—
There are no known pre-1855 records.

Unst Norwick Congregational Church

History—   A church was formed here in 1824. One source states that it ceased to meet in 1863 while the other indicates 1884. Membership in 1841 was 15.
Sources: A History of Scottish Congregationalism, by Harry Escott, pub. 1960; FS Library Book 941 K2es and The Scottish Congregational Ministry, by Rev. William D. McNaughton, pub. 1993. FS Library Book 941 K2mwd. More details are given in the sources including ministers.

Records—
The extent of records is unknown. For information write to:
The United Reformed Church, Scottish Synod Office
PO Box 189
240 Cathedral Street
Glasgow G1 2BX
Scotland

Unst Norwick, Methodist Society

History—
A congregation was formed and a chapel built shortly before 1841, though they had no regular pastor. Membership at that time was 25.

Records—
The extent of records is unknown. For information write to:
Methodist Archives and Research Centre
John Rylands University Library of Manchester
150 Deansgate
Manchester M3 3EH
England

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

Unst was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Orkney & Shetland until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Lerwick. 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 Shetland and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Orkney & Shetland.
The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Shetland. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Shetland and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

References

Return to Shetland parish list.

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