Resolis, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland

Scotland

Ross and Cromarty

Resolis

Parish #79

Guide to Resolis (formerly Kirkmichael & Cullicudden) ancestry, family history, and genealogy: parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Resolis, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland
Type	Quoad Omnia Parish
Parish Number	79
Civil Jurisdictions
Historic County	Cromartyshire and Ross-shire
Council Area	Highland
Registration District	Resolis
Records begin
Parish registers: 1731
Kirk Sessions: 1771
Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
Presbytery	Chanonry
Synod	Ross
Judicial Jurisdictions
Sheriff Court	Cromarty, Dingwall, Stornoway, and Tain
Commissary Court	Ross

History

KIRKMICHAEL and CULLICUDDEN, a parish, in the county of Ross and Cromarty, 7 miles (N. N. W.) from Fortrose; containing the village of Jemimaville, and the hamlets of Balblair and Gordon-Mills. This place, in some public documents called RESOLIS, a term implying "a sunny inclined plain," derives its name of Kirkmichael from the dedication of its church to St. Michael. It includes the extinct parishes of St. Martin and Cullicudden, which, after their union, were both annexed, under the denomination of Cullicudden, to the parish of Kirkmichael towards the close of the 17th century. The church, erected in 1764, and enlarged and greatly improved in 1839, is a neat plain structure in the early English style of architecture, containing 700 sittings.

The eastern division of this united parish is Kirk Michael. Its Gaelic name is “Kill a’ Mhichail,” of the Cell of St. Michael, but this name is usually given only to the church and burying ground. The district which the ancient parish of Kirmichael comprehended is called “Sgire’ a’ Mhichail,” or the parish of St Michael. Cullicudden forms the western district of the united parish. Its Celtic name is Coull a Chuddinn or Chuddegin, signifying the Cuddie Creek. The united parish of Kirkmichael and Cullcudden, though still so called in old deeds and in the records of presbytery, is better known by its more modern name of Resolis.

The united parish lies partly in the county of Ross, and partly in the county of Cromarty, within the district called an Oilean Dubh, or the Black Isle, on the south side of the Cromarty Firth.

There are no records, either printed or in manuscript, of the history of this parish. Even the scanty, and often not very agreeable information to be derived from the church session records, is wanting; these repositories of past irregularities having been committed to the flames, soon after the induction of the late incumbent.

The only historical event worthy of notice is the plague of 1694, so fatal in the south of Scotland, and which found its way, it is said, the same year to this parish. It raged with unrelenting fury; whole villages were depopulated, and the living were so much wearied with burying the dead that they ceased at last to perform that office at all.

Mr. James Fraser of Brae, the only son of Sir James Fraser of Brae, one of the heritors, and third son of Hugh, seventh Lord Lovat, was born in this parish. This eminent man, from the earliest years almost to the close of his well-spent life, was the object of human malice and persecution, in no ordinary measure. Rev. Hector M’Phail is from this parish and he was the beloved minister of the parish from 1748-1774.

Colin M’Kenzie Esq. of Newhall, is patron of the parish, and proprietor of about half of it. The proprietor of Poyntzfield, is George Gunn Munro, Esq. Other properties in the parish are those of Brealangwell, belonging to Duncan Davidson, Esq. of Tulloch; Drimcudden, is in the hands of the Trustees of the late Donald M’Kenzie, Esq. of Newhall; Kinbeachie, the property of Thomas Urquhart, Esq.; East Culbo, the property of Dr. M’Kenzie; Woodhead, a small farm, the property of Lady M’Kenzie of Avoch; West Culbo property of Sir James W. M’Kenzie of Scatwell, Bart.; and Gordon’s Mill, the property of John M’Leod Esq.

The parish is divided into districts, and an elder appointed to officiate in each district, all of whom give in regular reports to the session. The register of births and marriages has been regularly kept from the year 1748. A register previous to that period evidently did exist, but only a few leaves of it remaining, its contents were carefully transcribed into the present register. The session records have been duly kept only since the induction of the present incumbent in 1822. Previously, and for the space of forty-seven years, there was neither a regularly constituted session, nor any records whatever, as the books containing the minutes of session before that period have been burned. There are no Dissenting of Seceding families in the parish.

This account was written September 1836.

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

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

Years	FS Library Film Number	Surname Indexes
1841	1042628	6037266 (6 fiche)
1851	1042059	6206400 (4 fiche)
1861	0103907	none
1871	0104093	none
1881	0203412	6086658 (4 fiche)
1891	0208628	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 Numbers
Birth:	1731-1854	0990657
Marriage:	1748-1854	0990657
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: First five pages contain irregular entries 1731–1803. Regular record then begins in 1748, but up to 1756 it is only a copy of the original.
Marriages: Only 6 entries July 1769–February 1805. Only 5 marriage entries 1806–1811, after which there are no marriage entries until 1821.
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 1822–1914
Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1191.

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.

Resolis Free Church

History—
The minister of Resolis, and most of his people "came out" in 1843. The church and manse were built in the east end of the parish. In 1865 a new church was erected on a more convenient site. The minister and many of the congregation remained outside the Union in 1900.
Membership:1848, 54; 1900, 61.
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.

Baptisms 1843-1868 The register is held in the Highland Council Archives, Inverness, Scotland (Reference CH3/1296/1)

A publication of the Resolis Free Church Baptisms 1843-1868 has been published and can be purchased through the Highland Family History Society.

The FamilySearch Library has a copy of this publication of the resolis Free Church Baptisms 1843-1868

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

Resolis 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.
 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.