Kincardine, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland

Scotland

Ross and Cromarty

Kincardine

Parish #71

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

Kincardine, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Type	Quoad Omnia Parish
Parish Number	71
Civil Jurisdictions
Historic County	Cromartyshire and Ross-shire
Council Area	Highland
Registration District	Kincardine
Records begin
Parish registers: 1804
Kirk Sessions: 1804
Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
Presbytery	Tain
Synod	Ross
Judicial Jurisdictions
Sheriff Court	Cromarty, Dingwall, Stornoway, and Tain
Commissary Court	Ross

History

KINCARDINE, a parish, in the county of Ross and Cromarty, 14 miles (W. N. W.) from Tain; containing part of the parish which formed the late quoad sacra parish of Croich. This place perhaps derives its name, of Celtic origin, signifying "the termination of the heights," from its situation at the extremity of some ranges of lofty hills. The church is a neat substantial structure, erected in 1799, and containing 650 sittings. In the steeple is a fine-toned bell which was found in a French ship of war of 74 guns, captured in 1775 by Admiral Sir John Lockhart Ross, of Balnagown. A church was erected by parliamentary grant, in 1827, at Croich, a remote pastoral district; and another portion of this extensive parish is under the care of a missionary connected with the Established Church, whose charge also extends over a part of the parish of Criech, in the county of Sutherland. The members of the Free Church have also a place of worship.

The name of this parish is of Celtic origin, being derived from Cinn-na’n-Airdean, signifying the extremities of the heights: several lofty ranges of hills coming to a termination here. The parish of Kincardine is partly in the county of Ross, and partly in the county of Cromarty.

There is no market-town in the parish; the nearest in Tain, which is thirteen miles from the church of Kincardine.

The first era to which reference can be made in the history of this parish, is the fourteenth century, in which the battle of Tuiteam-Tarbhach took place. This was also known as the Battle of Tuttim-Tawach in which a Scottish clan battle fought between the Clan MacLeod of Lewis against the Clan MacKay in the year of 1406.

The clan Ross, as far back as tradition goes, were the proprietors and inhabitants of this district. They still retain three-fourths of the property in the parish, and are by much the most prevalent name in it. The landed proprietors of this parish, who are all non-resident, are: Sir Charles W. A. Ross, Bart. of Balnagown; Hugh A.J. Munro, Esq. of Novar; John Hay Mackenzie, Esq. of Cromartie; George Ross, Esq. of Pitcalnie, the chief of the Rosses; William Robertson, Esq. of Kindeace; His Grace the Duke of Sutherland; Robert Ross, Esq. of Invercarron; and Sir Hugh Munro, Bart. of Foulis.

The earliest census of the population of this parish, so far as is now known was 1755 and the population at that time was 1743 people. In 1790, there were about 1600 persons, and by 1831 there were 1887 people living in the parish.

Sheep-farming was introduced in the parish by Sir John Lockhart Ross of Balnagown, and now there are large numbers grazing the land.

The parish church is situated within a mile of the eastern extremity of the parish; its situation is of inconvenience for the bulk of the population, its distance from the western extremity being no less than thirty-four miles. It was built in 1799, and affords accommodation for 600 persons; but it is too small for the congregation that usually attend. The sittings in the church have been divided by the heritors according to their valued rents, and the tenants on their estates have free access to them. There are no seat-rents.

The register of baptisms and marriages commences about forty-three years ago, the date of the earliest entry being August 21, 1797, since which period it has been regularly kept. It consists of two volumes; the dates of births have not been kept in the first, but commence with the second volume, in May 1804. The minutes of the Kirk-session of Kincardine commence on the 21st of May 1804, previous to this date, no records of the session exist. There is no register of deaths of burials.

This account was written August 1840.

Source: New Statistical Account of Scotland for Kincardine, FS Library book 941 B4sa, series 2, vol. 14.

For more information about Kincardine'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 Ross & Cromarty 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 Kincardine as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

Years	FS Library Film Number	Surname Indexes
1841	1042627	6037266 (6 fiches)
1851	1042010	941.16/K2 X22r
1861	0103906	none
1871	0104092	none
1881	0203410	6086658 (4 fiches)
1891	0208626	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.

Here are the pre-1855 records that exist for this parish.

Established Church—Old Parochial Registers

Record Type	Years Covered	FS Library Film Numbers
Birth:	1804-1854	0990654 item 1
Marriage:	1804-1854	0990654 item 1
Death:	No entries	none

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: Births and marriages are intermixed, otherwise they were regularly kept.
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 1804–1819, 1825, 1830, 1851
Minutes and Accounts 1845–1855
Heritors Minute’s 1844–1854
Other post-1855 records
Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1356.

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.

Kincardine Free Church

History—
The minister of the parish, and his congregation adhered to the Free Church at the Disruption. They worshiped in a shed erected near the parish church. About 1849 a church was built at Gledfield and a manse was erected at Lower Gledfield.
Membership: 1859, 420; 2900, 42.
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, including ministers.

Records—
The extent of records is unknown.

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

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

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

Read more about Scotland Probate Records .

References

Return to Ross & Cromarty parish list.