Mains and Strathmartine, Angus, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland

Angus

Mains and Strathmartine

Parish #307

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

Mains and Strathmartine, Angus, Scotland
Type	Quoad Omnia Parish
Parish Number	307
Civil Jurisdictions
Historic County	Angus
Council Area	Dundee and Angus
Registration District	Mains and Strathmartin
Records begin
Parish registers: 1635
Kirk Sessions: 1711
Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions
Presbytery	Dundee
Synod	Angus & Mearns
Judicial Jurisdictions
Sheriff Court	Arbroath, Dundee, and Forfar
Commissary Court	St Andrews and Edinburgh

History

MAINS and STRATHMARTINE, a parish, in the county of Forfar; containing the villages of Baldovan and Kirkton, 2 miles (N. N. W.) from Dundee. The original name of the old parish of Mains was Strathdighty, descriptive of it as a valley watered by the river Dighty; and the name of the other parish, which is a continuation of the same valley, is said to have been derived from a stone erected on the north side of it, in commemoration of some valorous exploit performed by a hero of the name of Martine in the ancient days of chivalry. The church, erected in 1800, is conveniently situated, and is adapted for a congregation of 900 persons.

For more information about Mains & Strathmartine'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 Mains and Strathmartine, as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

Year	FS Library Film Number	Surname Indexes
1841	1042680	6203961
1851	1042255	none
1861	Mains 307/1 103792,Strathmartine 307/2 103793	none
1871	Mains 307/1 Strathmartine 307/2 103948	none
1881	Mains 307/1 Strathmartine 307/2 203495	6086580 (12 fiche)
1891	Mains 307/1 Strathmartine 307/2 208723	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:	Mains - 1635-1740	0993488
	Mains - 1740-1854	0993489
	Strathmartine - 1744-1854	0993489
Marriages:	Mains - 1635-1740	0993488
	Mains - 1740-1805	0993489
	Mains - 1826-1854	0993489
	Strathmartine - 1744-1854	0993489
Deaths:	Mains - 1746-1759	0993489
	Mains - 1826-1854	0993489
	Strathmartine - 1783-1789	0993489
	Strathmartine - 1820-1854	0993489

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: Mains births are intermixed with marriages and other matters up to 1648. They are blank November 1637–September 1640, May 1707–December 1710, August 1717–February 1719, and April 1730–April 1732. Mothers' names are not recorded before 1657, or between 1710 and 1729.
Strathmartine birth record prior to September 1784 is a copy which is continued to January 1806. Original records exist from 1784. There is one family, 1832–1849, recorded on a page after January 1806.
Marriages: Mains marriages are intermixed with births and other matters up to 1648. They are blank November 1637–September 1640, June 1701–October 1722, November 1728–May 1731, and December 1805–1826.
Strathmartine marriages were regularly kept.
Burials: Mains burials are blank July 1759–1826.
Strathmartines burials after September 1789 have only three entries, dated 1811, 1831, and 1847.
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 and Accounts 1711–1800, 1826–1915
Note: On microfilm at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/256; the originals are at the Dundee City archives.

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.

Mains and Strathmartine Free Church

History—
The congregation here was formed at the Disruption in 1843, and evening service provided. Steps were taken for the building of a church forthwith. The charge was sanctioned in 1844.
Membership: 1848, 160; 1900, 183.
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—
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

Mains and Strathmartine was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of St.Andrews 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 St.Andrews.

The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Angus. Look in the library catalog
for the 'Place' 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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