The parish of Bervie was disjoined from Kinneff in 1618.
The Common Seal of the
Royal Burgh of Inverbervie
The coat of arms of the Royal Burgh of Inverbervie.
Please also visit the page of general information applicable to all of Angus & Kincardineshire.
Abbreviations
| NLS | National Library of Scotland |
|---|---|
| NRS | National Records of Scotland, formerly called the National Archives of Scotland [NAS] and, before that, the Scottish Record Office [SRO] HM General Register House, Edinburgh EH1 3YY (Tel: +44-131-535-1314) |
| OPR | Old Parish Registers of Births/baptisms, Banns/marriages & Deaths/burials (pre-1855) |
The arms of Rait of Hallgreen
- See also, for history of the parish:
- The Statistical accounts of Bervie
- General histories listed on the page for Books about Angus & Kincardineshire
Local Reports of the Commissioners, 1835: Inverbervie - "... is a very small town, and never was a place of any consequence"
Statistical accounts of Bervie
- Old Statistical Account of the 1790s - vol. 13, p. 1
- New Statistical Account of the 1840s - vol. 11, p. 1
Maps of Bervie and Inverbervie
- The Reform Act plan of Inverbervie of 1832.
- 25-inch-to-a-mile Ordnance Survey plan of Inverbervie of 1868.
- 1:25000 Ordnance Survey map - published 1957
- 1:10560 (Six inch) Ordnance Survey map - surveyed 1864, published 1868
For the full range of maps of Bervie and Inverbervie, see National Library's Maps.
Geograph.org: Inverbervie - recent photographs of Inverbervie. National Grid ref. NO8372.
Geograph.org: Gourdon - recent photographs of Gourdon. National Grid ref. NO8270.
ScotlandsPlaces: Bervie (and Inverbervie)
The ruined former kirk is located at National Grid ref. NO831726.
adm.: admitted, ass.: assistant, bapt.: baptised, contr.: contract, dem.: demitted, dep.: deposed, ind.: inducted, lic.: licensed, mar.: married, min.: minister, ord.: ordained, pres.: presented, rel.: related, res.: resigned, suc.: successor, test.: testament, tr.: translated
| James Symson | 1563, 1567 | reader |
| David Rattray | 1589-bef. 1593 | tr. from Slains 1589; tr. to Philorth bef. 1593 |
| James Rait | 1591-1613? | tr. from Auldearn 1591; tr. to Caterline by Jul 1613; also had Kinneff in his charge until his death |
| Andrew Moncur | 1622-1625? | M.A. Kings Aberdeen 1613; adm. bef. 12 May 1622; still min. 1625 |
| James Strachan younger | ?-1649? | M.A. St Andrews 1622; dep. Oct 1649 ? |
| William Wright | 1651-1669 | adm. 12 Feb 1651; d. 27 Aug 1669 |
| William Chalmers | 1670-1674 | adm. aft. 4 May 1670; tr. to Glamis 1674 |
| Peter Rait | 1674-1695 | b. in Angus; M.A. Kings Aberdeen 1663; adm. 2 Sep 1674; dep. 1695; d. Oct 1698 aged 56; mar. Anna Innes who survived him; issue: Robert, Mary (mar. James Carnegie, surgeon, Brechin) |
| James Arbuthnott | 1698-1713 | bro. of Robert Arbuthnott, bailie of Montrose; ord. 30 Aug 1698; dep. 22 Oct 1713 for disrespect of sabbath; d. Apr 1732 Montrose |
| William Arnott | 1714-1741 | M.A. St Andrews 1705; ord. 19 May 1714 Benholm (Bervie kirk being then barricaded); d. 20 Sep 1741; mar. Isobel Scott who d. 26 May 1763 |
| Thomas Dow | 1742-1787 | ord. 23 Jun 1742; d. 17 Sep 1787; mar. 1751 Ann, dau. of Wm Campbell, min. of Kirkinner; no issue |
| Robert Croll | 1780-1820 | son of Robt C., Garvock; M.A. Marischal 1767; schoolmaster 1777; ord. (ass. & suc.) 8 Jun 1780; d. 3 Jun 1820; mar. (1) ---; (2) 1789 Margaret Thomson; (3) 1809 Christian Farquharson |
| John Glegg | 1821-1876 | b. 1773, son John G., farmer, Fetteresso; M.A. Marischal 1814; ord. 22 Mar 1821; d. 20 Sep 1876; mar. 1821 Ann, 3rd dau. of James Scott, min. of Benholm; mar. (2) 1834 Helen, 3rd dau. of David Reith of Loirstown; issue: Ann Farquhar (mar. Robert Moir Spence, min. of Arbuthnott) |
| John Brown | 1863-1915 | b. 1836 Cupar FIF, son of James B.; ass. here; ord. (ass. & suc.) 24 Jul 1863; D.D. St Andrews 1914; res. 7 Oct 1915; d. 10 May 1919 Forfar; mar. 1870 Margaret Hepburn, dau. of Andrew Russell, Cupar; issue: Agnes Russell; Cath. Lethangie; James; Margaret Hepburn Russell; Euphemia Mary |
| David Silver Johnston | 1916-1923 | b. 1889 Skene, son of David J.; M.A. 1911 B.D. 1915 Aberdeen; ass. Old Machar; ord. 1 Mar 1916; tr. to Newhaven Edinburgh 1923; tr. to Botriphnie 25 Mar 1931; d. 7 Oct 1946; mar. 1918 Gladys May, dau. of Wm Cowie, min. of Maud; had issue |
| Graham Nicoll Warner | 1924-1926 | b. 1896 Dundee, son of Robt W.; M.A. St Andrews 1921; ass. St Mark's Dundee; ord. 27 Feb 1924; D.D. St Andrews 1969; tr. to 2nd charge Elgin 16 Dec 1926; tr. to St James Clydebank 25 Jun 1931; tr. to St John's Lochwinnoch 2 May 1935; mar. 1924 Sheila Lyall Guthrie, dau. of Samuel Macauley, min. of Tealing; had issue |
| Neil McGill | 1927-1944 | tr. from Duntocher to Tomintoul 21 Apr 1926; tr. from Tomintoul 27 Apr 1927; d. 3 Oct 1944 |
Ministers of the Free Church (later, United Free Church), Bervie
| James Grindlay Small | ?-1851-1888 | b. 6 Feb 1817 Edinburgh, son of George Small, piano maker; d. 11 Feb 1888 Renfrew; mar. 1865 Jane Margaret Anderson; issue: Geo. G.; Agnes G.; Eliz. C.; James J.; Adam H. |
Monuments in Bervie Kirkyard bearing pre-1855 information (ca. 70 stones) are listed in Alison Mitchell (ed.), "Pre-1855 Monumental Inscriptions in Kincardineshire" (Edinburgh: Scottish Genealogy Soc., 1999), which can be bought from the Scottish Genealogy Society. (It's listed as "Kincardineshire MI - The Mearns" in their online shop.)
Andrew Jervise recorded some monuments at Bervie in his "Epitaphs & Inscriptions", vol. 1, pp. 23-7.
Births, Marriages & Deaths, 1855 to present
Indexes and actual records for Statutory Registers of Births, Marriages & Deaths, beginning 1 Jan 1855, are available online, following registration and the purchase of credits, at the official web-site, ScotlandsPeople.
Burial records for Inverbervie and for Gourdon are held by the Registrar in Stonehaven. See Kincardine and Mearns Burial Grounds.
Births, Marriages & Deaths, before 1855
Indexes and actual records for all extant Old Parish Registers (OPRs) (pre-1855) of the Established Church of Scotland are available online, following registration and the purchase of credits, at the official web-site, ScotlandsPeople.
-
- 1641 - 1646
- 1663 - 1664
- 1671 - 1695
- 1698 - 1854
-
- 1641 - 1642
- 1645 - 1665
- 1671 - 1695
- 1713 - 1717
- 1720 - 1854
-
- 1689 - 1699
Church Session Records of Bervie Parish Church
| Nature of record | Dates | NRS ref. CH2/34/... |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 1742-1789 | 1 |
| do | 1789-1834 | 2 |
| do | 1834-1938 | 3 |
| Proclamations | 1883-1902 | 4 |
| Baptisms | 1883-1941 | 5 |
| Accounts | 1747-1763 | 6 |
| do | 1766-1818 | 7 |
| do | 1818-1855 | 8 |
| do | 1647-1655 | 9 |
| Baptisms & marriages | 1665-1668 | 9 |
| Minutes & accounts | 1655-1671 | 10 |
| Minutes | 1671-1678 | 11 |
| Baptisms & marriages | 1671-1695 | 11 |
| Collections & disbursements | 1671-1681 | 11 |
| Minutes | 1702-1713 | 12 |
| do | 1720-1725 | 13 |
| do | 1726-1740 | 14 |
| do | 1740-1742 | 15 |
| Scroll minutes | 1757-1763 | 16 |
| Proclamations | 1641-1642, 1645-1665 | 17 |
| Baptisms | 1641-1646, 1663-1664 | 17 |
| Baptisms & proclamations | 1720-1735 | 18 |
| Proclamations | 1736-1743 | 19 |
| Accounts | 1683-1692, 1704-1711 | 20 |
| Minutes | 1698-1720, with gaps | 20 |
| Burials | 1698-1699 | 20 |
| Baptisms | 1699-1700, 1713-1717 | 20 |
Church Session Records of Bervie Free Church
later, United Free; Bervie East Ch. of S.; united with Bervie in 1944
| Nature of record | Dates | NRS ref. CH3/42/... |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 1843-1915 | 1 |
| Communion Roll | 1846-1867 | 1 |
| Minutes | 1915-1944 | 2 |
| Baptisms | 1918-1921 | 2 |
| Nature of record | Dates | NRS ref. HR106/... |
|---|---|---|
| Minute book | 1876-1928 | 1 |
| Minutes | 1876-1916 | 2 |
| Vouchers | 1850-1852, 1877-1878 | 3 |
| Cash book | 1902-1928 | 4 |
| Accounts | 1915-1917, 1927-1928 | 5 |
| Papers re ecclesiastical buildings, etc. (manse, church steading, glebe) | 1851-1876, 1914-21 | 6 |
| Correspondence | 1877-1926 | 7 |
Records of Rait of Hallgreen, 1507-1723 - NRS ref. RH15/37
There are no surviving records of the Parochial Board or Parish Council.
The following records are some of those held by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives: Education & school records:
| Nature of record | Dates | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Bervie School: Log Book | 1874 - 1908 | ED/GR6S/K8/1/1 |
| do | 1908 - 1942 | ED/GR6S/K8/1/2 |
| do | 1942 - 1985 | ED/GR6S/K8/1/3 |
| Gourdon School: Log Books | 1955 - 1972 | ED/GR6S/K22/1 |
| John Gordon's Female School: Log Books | 1904 - 1919 | ED/KC5/113/1 |
Records of the official censuses of the parish in 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911 and 1921 are held in Register House, Edinburgh and are open to the public on payment of a fee.
Indexes to all the original census records, and the records themselves, can be accessed online at modest charge at ScotlandsPeople.
Microfilm copies are also widely available in libraries. The 1881 census is available on CD-ROM.
The early censuses of 1801-31 do not name individuals.
| Year | male | female | total | ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1755 | 1755 Dr Alexander Webster | |||
| 1790 | Old Statistical Account | |||
| 1801 | ||||
| 1811 | ||||
| 1821 | 486 | 606 | 1092 | |
| 1831 | 1135* | |||
| 1841 | ||||
| 1851 | ||||
| 1871 | 852 | 991 | 1843 | |
| 1881 | 964 | 1143 | 2107 | |
| 1891 | 1097 | 1290 | 2387 | |
| 1901 | 1126 | 1397 | 2523 | |
| 1911 | 1074 | 1317 | 2391 | |
| 1921 | 993 | 1160 | 2153 |
* of whom, 757 were in the burgh of Inverbervie; 238 in the village of Gourdon; 140 in the rest of the parish
Bervie was in the Commissariot of St Andrews.
Indexes to all extant pre-1926 testamentary records (wills & inventories of moveable property) can be searched free of charge at ScotlandsPeople. Digital (and paper) copies of the documents can be purchased at that site. See further the introduction to Angus & Kincardineshire at Testaments.
Testaments of Bervie people from the Register of Testaments of the Commissariot of St Andrews, 1549-1823
| Alexander Aberdein | deputy commissary of ordnance, in the service of the East India Co.; d. at Bervie | 1 & 5 Aug 1811 |
| Robert Anderson | merchant, Bervie | 31 May 1813 |
| David Arbuthnot | in Barnihill of Innerbervie, par. of Kinneff | 21 Jun 1649 |
| Thomas Butchart | tidesman in Gourdon | 16 Dec 1813 |
| Mary Carlile | relict of Mr Walter Gray, minister at Haugh-head, par. of Bervie | 4 Jul 1750 |
| Elizabeth Christy | spouse of James Pirrie, merchant, Bervie | 27 Oct 1801 |
| Thomas Chrystie or Christie | provost of Innerbervie | 6 Nov 1779 |
| Mrs Jean Coutts | residing in Bervie, widow of Charles Walker, Aberdeen | 13 Mar 1817 |
| William Coutts | tenant in Peattie | 1 Dec 1818 |
| Rev. Mr Robert Croll | minister of the gospel at Bervie, spouse of Mrs Christian Farquharson | 23 Oct 1820 |
| Miss Isabella Farquharson | dau. of decd. Alexander Farquharson of Balfour, esq., residing in Bervie | 4 Jun & 1 Sep 1817 |
| John Fettes | in Barnhill, par. of Bervie | 24 Jan 1683 |
| Margaret Fraser | relict of Alexander Kemlo, at Miln of Arbuthnot, thereafter in Bervie | 19 Sep 1788 |
| James Gowans | shipmaster in Gourdon, par. of Bervie | 21 Jul 1800 |
| George Greig | merchant in Bervie | 28 Mar 1823 |
| George Hudson | merchant, etc., Inverbervie | 4 Dec 1809 |
| Andrew Hutcheon | residenter, Bervie | 12 Nov 1801 |
| James Imray | coastmaster at Gourdon | 27 Sep 1823 |
| John Largie | shipmaster in Gurdon, par. of Bervie | 17 Sep 1793 |
| Alexander Milne | litster or dyer in Bervie | 7 May 1754 |
| Alexander Milne | in Lodging of Bervie | 12 Feb 1777 |
| Mary Mowat | lawful daughter to the deceased Alexander Mowat, in Ridcloak, par. of Bervie | 5 Nov 1695 |
| James Napier | at the Cross of Innerbervy | 19 Oct 1681 |
| Mr Robert Napier of Falsyde | par. of Innerbervie | [16 Apr], 19 Sep and 3 Oct 1711, and 23 May 1718 |
| William Napier | late bailie in Bervie | 3 Jun 1724 |
| John Ogilvie | Bervie | 28 Nov 1805 |
| James Pickieman | in Peatie, par. of Bervie | 26 Jul 1686 |
| James Pirrie | merchant, Bervie | 27 Oct 1801 |
| William Reatt of Halgreen [Rait of Hallgreen] | 25 Dec 1708, 20 Dec 1709 | |
| Issobell Soutar | in Cotton of Halgreen, par. of Kinneff, spouse of John Garvey | 20 Jun 1605 |
| Hugh Thomson | weaver in Bervie | 26 Sep 1750 |
Testaments registered at St Andrews that have been lost, for which only entries in the minute books are extant.
| Ann Arbuthnot | relict of Captain Charles Straiton, par. of Bervie | 17 Jul 1728 |
| James Burns | wright in Bervie | 29 Mar 1738 |
| Robert Cook | cordiner in Bervie | 24 May 1728 |
| Robert Gordon of Kinghorn | par. of Bervie | 28 May 1725 |
| John Wilson | merchant in Bervie | 9 Apr 1766 |
Testaments of Bervie people from the Register of Testaments of the Commissariot of Brechin, 1576-1800
'T' before the date indicates that the copy in the register is lost, but the original testament is extant.
| Mr James Arbuthnot | residenter in Montrose, and sometime minister at Bervie | 11 Oct 1732 |
| Marjorie Bowes | spouse to George Carmukis, in Bervie | 22 Apr 1657 |
| Agnes Cook | and Andrew Smith, in Brownsyde of Bervie | 2 Oct 1657 |
| James Coutts of Halgreen | late provost of Montrose | 24 May 1750 |
| Isobel Gavin | and William Molleson, in Bervie, her husband | 22 Sep 1657 |
| William Jaffray | in Gourdine, par. of Bervie | 9 Oct 1657 |
| Margaret Napier | lawful daughter of the deceased William Napier, bailie of Bervie | T. 30 Jan 1781 |
| James Stevenson | wobster in Bervie | 24 Sep 1657 |
Testaments of Bervie people from the Register of Testaments of the Commissariot of Edinburgh, 1514-1600
| Jonet Bisset | sometime spouse to Alexander Crawmond, in Bervie | 14 Mar 1581-2 |
| Elspeth Drum | relict of Richard Smyth, in Bervie, par. of Kynnef in the Mearns | 3 Jun 1584 |
| Margaret Garden | sometime spouse to William Rait of Halgrene, par. of Kynneff, sher. of Kincardine | 31 Jul 1599 |
| Isobel Lepar | sometime spouse to Robert Young, in Bervie, par. of Benholme, sher. of Kincardine | 27 Jan 1595-6 |
| James Lindsay elder | in Inverbervie in the Mearns | 1 Feb 1582-3 |
| Alexander Rait | burgess of Inverbervie | 21 Dec 1593 |
| John Rait elder | in Innerbervie | 20 Jun 1588 |
| Andro Souter, alias Anderson | in Innerbervie in the Mearns | 21 May 1585 |
Testaments of Bervie people from the Register of Testaments of the Commissariot of Edinburgh, 1601-1700
| Isobel Petrie | lawful daughter to umquhile Robert Petrie, in Bervie | 11 Dec 1666 |
Testaments of Bervie people from the Register of Testaments of the Commissariot of Edinburgh, 1701-1823
| James Rait | tacksman of Halgreen, residenter in Edinburgh | 26 Nov 1730 |
Jacobite rebels - 1745 rebellion
From: A List of Persons concerned in the Rebellion (Edinburgh, Scottish History Soc., vol. 8, 1890)
| Names | Designations | Abode | Acts of rebellion & circumstances | Where at present |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Forbes | - | Bervie | ||
| Alexander Robert | - | do | ||
| Alexander Walker | residing in | do |
For the royal burgh of Inverbervie, 1757-1798 - NRS ref. E326/1/136
Records in National Records of Scotland:
| Nature of record | Dates | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| Register of sasines | 8 Aug 1751 - 11 Feb 1927 | NRS B33/1/1 to 5 |
| Minute book of register of sasines | 27 Mar 1811 - 11 Feb 1927 | NRS B33/2/1 |
Provosts of Inverbervie, to 1974
| Name | In office | Born | Died | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| --- Napier | ?-1694-? | |||
| Alexander Arbuthnot alias Maitland of Pitrichie | ?-1702-1704-? | Jun 1721 | Article | |
| James Robertson of Crabsland | ? | ca. 1678 | 13 Dec 1758 | merchant; Article |
| Thomas Christie | ? | bef. 6 Nov 1779 | ||
| Robert Barclay Allardice | ? | 1731 | 1797 | Article |
| --- Scott of Halgreen | ?-1799-? | |||
| George Hudson | ?-? | Gibraltar | 21 Jun 1808 | manufacturer |
| James Farquhar of Johnston [in Laurencekirk] | ?-1822-? | 1764 | 1833 | Article |
| James Farquhar of Hallgreen | ?-1846-1847-? | |||
| David Duncan | ?-1872-? | |||
| William Jarvis | ?-1875-? | |||
| William Milne | ?-1882-1886-? | 14 May 1838 Fetteresso | 8 Nov 1916 Bervie | blacksmith; senior baillie in 1881 |
| A. Legg | ?-1889-1890 | |||
| Alfred Gibb | 1890-1905 | 24 Nov 1854 Bervie | 6 Oct 1905 | manufacturer (spinner) |
| David Cargill Boath | ?-1914-1916-? | 13 Feb 1853 Forfar | 23 Apr 1927 | baker |
| -- Mitchell | ?-1924-1928 | 24 Feb 1928 | schoolmaster | |
| William Lyon | 1928-1929 | |||
| John Burness | 1929-1930 | |||
| Norman Couper | ?-1931-1933 | |||
| Rev. Neill McGill | 1933-1944 | 3 Oct 1944 | minister here 1927-44 | |
| John Burness | 1944-1947 | same man as 1929-30 | ||
| William Beattie | ?-1948-1952-? | |||
| Christina Strachan | ?-1957-? | teacher | ||
| R. A. Peter | ?-1966-? |
Bailies (Magistrates) of Inverbervie, to 1974
| In office | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1689 | Robert Napier | ||
| 1845-7 | William Watson | Robert Glegg | Alexander Carr |
Town treasurers of Inverbervie, to 1974
| Name | In office | Born | Died | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Valentine | 1845-1847 | |||
| -- Burness | ?-1929-? | |||
| A. G. Forbes | ?-1937-? | |||
| -- Burness | ?-1944-? |
Deans of Guild of Inverbervie, to 1974
| Name | In office | Born | Died | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Brown | 1845-1847 |
Town Clerks of Inverbervie, to 1974
| Name | In office | Born | Died | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Low | ?-1807-1830-? | |||
| A. Smart | ?-1836-? | town clerk depute in 1834 | ||
| James Burnes | ?-1837-1847-? | lived in Montrose | ||
| Arthur Wellesley Kinnear | ?-1855-? | 5 Sep 1808 Dunnottar | 1874 Fetteresso | bank agent & solicitor in Stonehaven |
| Arthur Wellesley Kinnear, junior | 1869-1886-? | 9 Oct 1845 Fetteresso | 6 Apr 1909 Stonehaven | solicitor in Stonehaven |
| John Falconer | ?-1935 | solicitor in Stonehaven | ||
| Peter Bisset | 1935-1955-? | solicitor in Stonehaven |
Maggie Law Maritime Museum, Gourdon
- ScotlandsPlaces: Bervie (and Inverbervie) - an extensive collection of photographs, maps and records
- Inverbervie on Wikipedia