Angus & Kincardineshire

Records and other sources for genealogists and family historians

Introduction to Angus & Kincardineshire

This page introduces the available records, registers and other sources of historical information of interest to genealogists and family historians for the pre-1974 counties of Angus (earlier called Forfarshire) and Kincardineshire (or the Mearns). These include: records of the various parish churches; statutory registers of births, marriages and deaths; monumental inscriptions; burgh records; maps and plans; registers of deeds and land transactions; and of course books, especially of the 19th century, written about the counties of Angus and Kincardine and their parishes.

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In the present-day structure of local government, Angus Council covers the old county of Angus, and Aberdeenshire Council covers the old county of Kincardineshire. It is not intended to provide any significant content for the City of Dundee, which is covered by Dundee City Council.

This page and the pages for the individual parishes of Angus and Kincardineshire went online in January 2011. There are individual pages for every parish, except Dundee:

See also List of towns & villages, with links to the relevant parish.

As parts of the parishes of Alyth and Coupar Angus lay within Angus, and the parish of Fowlis Easter was transferred from Perthshire to Angus, there are also pages for these parishes.

Obtaining photos of monuments in kirkyards will be a high priority, and monumental inscriptions will be added individually as they become available. These inscriptions will be linked to images of the monuments in due course.

Apart from information about general sources for family history for Angus and Kincardineshire on this page, the material is arranged by parish. As is clear from various remarks in the 1851 census, parish boundaries were still somewhat uncertain as late as the middle of the 19th century, and there were various detached pieces of parishes. So the civil parishes, whose boundaries are shown on older 20th century Ordnance Survey maps published before 1980, are the basis for the arrangement used here.

As this site is intended as a finding aid, I have not attempted to provide detailed sources for individual items of information provided on the site. But see a Summary of the sources used.

Finally, the National Archives of Scotland, until quite recently known as the Scottish Record Office, are now calling themselves the National Records of Scotland, following their amalgamation with the General Register Office for Scotland. However, the web-sites have not yet been changed, though there is a new home page providing access to both at National Records of Scotland. One can only speculate on the date of the next change of name ...

General sources of information for Angus & Kincardineshire

See also Wikipedia: Angus; Wikipedia: List of Places in Angus; and Wikipedia: Kincardineshire.

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Archives

For Birth, Marriage and Death records of the established Church of Scotland before 1855, see Pre-1855 BMD.

For all Birth, Marriage and Death records after 1854, see Post-1854 BMD.

For Burial & Cemetery records, see Burials.

For Census records, see Census.

If you plan to visit an archive in person, check beforehand to make sure that the material of interest to you is housed on site or can be brought for your visit.

Angus (Forfarshire)

Inconveniently located at Restenneth, a mile east of Forfar.

Kincardineshire

Other

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Births, Baptisms, Banns, Marriages, Deaths & Burials, before 1855

Pre-1855 records are very far from complete. This is especially true of death & burial records, which are entirely wanting for many parishes.

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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.

The actual records of births can be seen at that site from 1855 up to 100 years ago; of marriages, from 1855 up to 75 years ago; for deaths, from 1855 up to 50 years ago. More recent records can be ordered.

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Burial registers / Cemetery records

These details relate only to those burial grounds that are now under the control of local councils. There are various small private grounds that may now be totally neglected and, in many cases, hard to access.

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Catholic Registers of Births, Marriages, Deaths

Indexes and actual records for Catholic Registers (Births & Baptisms 1703-1992; Banns & Marriages 1736-1934; Deaths & Burials 1742-1955) are available online, following registration and the purchase of credits, at the official web-site, ScotlandsPeople.

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Books

These have been moved to a new page on books.

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Churches (the buildings)

For many photographs of church exteriors and interiors, architectural details and some history see:

There are further photographs at Churches in Angus and Churches in Aberdeenshire (which now includes Kincardineshire).

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Church of Scotland records - administrative records for Synod, Presbyteries & Church Sessions

Mostly held in the National Records of Scotland.

See the Search page at National Records of Scotland.

The Fifth Report by the Commissioners of Religious Instruction, Scotland (Edinburgh, 1838) provides details for the 1830s of all the churches - not only of the Church of Scotland - in the Angus parishes of Brechin, Craig, Dunnichen, Forfar, Kirriemuir, Logie Pert, Montrose, Tannadice, and the Kincardineshire parishes of Banchory-Devenick, Fetteresso, Laurencekirk and Marykirk.

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Records of Seceding Presbyterian Churches - administrative records for Synod, Presbyteries & Church Sessions
Relief, United Secession, United Presbyterian, Free Church & United Free Churches

Mostly held in the National Records of Scotland.

See the Search page at National Records of Scotland.

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Census records

Indexes and actual census records for every Scottish decennial census from 1841 to 1921 are available online, following registration and the purchase of credits, at the official web-site, ScotlandsPeople.

Angus Archives holds the Census for Angus on microfilm, 1841-1891.

Each library in Angus holds the Census on microfilm for its immediate area.

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Coats of arms

Coats of arms - mottoes

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Commissioners of Supply

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Court records

These have been moved to a new page on court records.

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Currency, weights and measures

For old Scots units of measurement, see Scottish weights and measures and Scottish coinage

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Dictionaries of the Scots Language

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Episcopal Church records

Various records of the Episcopal Church are among the Brechin Diocesan Library Manuscripts at University of Dundee Archives, ref. BrMS.

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Field names

I would be most interested to hear from anyone who can tell me the names of individual fields anywhere in Angus or Kincardineshire, no matter how few.

It would be very helpful if you could identify each field by its number, as given on the relevant 25-inch Ordnance Survey map; failing that, an accurate description of the location of the field.

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Guildry

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Heritors' records

The heritors of a parish were the landowners who were charged with maintaining the parish church and its property, until the Church of Scotland (Property and Endowments) Act of 1925. Their records extend to 1930. See the pages for the individual parishes of Angus and Kincardineshire for the available records, most of which are late 19th and 20th century.

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Land area of Angus parishes

A table of the areas of the parishes of Angus is in Warden's Angus or Forfarshire, vol. 5, pp. 251-3.

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Land owners

See also:

Services of heirs (Retours)

Burke's Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, vol. 1 - 1879 edition

Burke's Landed Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, vol. 2 - 1879 edition

Burke's Colonial Gentry has many details of families that held land in Scotland before their emigration, e.g. Pearson of Balmadies, etc.:

Burke's Colonial Gentry, vol. 1 - 1891 edition

Burke's Colonial Gentry, vol. 2 - 1891 edition

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Libraries

Angus (Forfarshire)

Kincardineshire

Other

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Listed buildings

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Maps & plans

Angus (Forfarshire)

Ordnance Survey maps

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Google maps: Angus

Many maps, and also older photographs and aerial views, are available at ScotlandsPlaces: Angus. Use the search box on those pages to find a specific place.

John Thomson's "1832" map of Angus (published in 1825) marks parish boundaries. Note that quite a lot of place-names have been mis-spelt by the printer, e.g. "Dunboon" in error for "Duntroon", "Bighty" for "Gighty".

Mr Robert Edward's map of Angus of 1678 forms the frontispiece to vol. 1 of Warden's Angus or Forfarshire and is online here.

A map of Angus, based on the contents of the maps by Pont and Gordon, ca. 1640, but with accurate geography, is at the beginning of vol. 2 of Registrum Episcopatus Brechinensis at also at the end of vol. 2 of Liber S. Thome de Aberbrothoc.

For details of the changes in Angus parish boundaries in 1889 see Boundaries of Counties and Parishes in Scotland: Angus. The affected parishes were: Alyth; Arbroath; Auchterhouse; Coupar Angus; Edzell; Fowlis Easter; Kettins; Kinnettles; Liff, Benvie & Invergowrie; Monifieth; Panbride; St Vigeans; Tealing.

Kincardineshire

Ordnance Survey maps

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Google maps: Kincardineshire

Many maps, and also older photographs and aerial views, are available at ScotlandsPlaces: Kincardineshire. Use the search box on those pages to find a specific place.

John Thomson's "1832" map of Kincardineshire (published in 1822) marks parish boundaries.

William Garden's map, surveyed in 1774, showing parish and estate boundaries with the names of the proprietors, and also a table with areas and population of the parishes.

For an outline parish map of Kincardineshire, see below.

For details of the changes in Kincardineshire parish boundaries in 1889 see Boundaries of Counties and Parishes in Scotland: Kincardineshire. The affected parishes were: Banchory Devenick; Banchory Ternan; Fettercairn.

Other maps

Various other maps of Angus & Kincardineshire, at many different scales can be viewed online at the National Library's Maps pages. Copies of these maps and of old Ordnance Survey maps can be bought online from the National Library.
They include Timothy Pont's map of the 1590s, through to the very detailed coloured edition of Ordnance Survey plans at 25 inches to the mile, and many more recent maps.

Alternatively, many of these maps can be accessed more easily by searching for a specific place-name at ScotlandsPlaces.

The National Records of Scotland hold numerous plans, including plans of estates [ref. NRS RHP...].

OpenStreetMap: Scotland

Google Maps: Scotland

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Military

See War memorials and war graves and also Militia, below

Militia

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Ministers

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Monumental inscriptions

Monuments in Angus bearing pre-1855 information are listed in the following set of four volumes published by the Scottish Genealogy Society, Edinburgh:

  1. Alison Mitchell (ed.), Pre-1855 Monumental Inscriptions in Angus, Vol. 1: Strathmore (Edinburgh: Scottish Genealogy Soc., 1993) - Contents: Aberlemno, Airlie, Brechin, Careston, Clova, Cortachy, Dun, Dunnichen, Eassie, Edzell, Farnell, Fern, Forfar, Glamis, Glenisla, Guthrie, Inverarity, Kettins, Kingoldrum, Kinnell, Kinnettles, Kirkden, Kirriemuir, Lethnot, Lintrathen, Lochlee, Logie Pert, Menmuir, Navar, Nevay, Newtyle, Oathlaw, Rescobie, Ruthven, Stracathro, Tannadice

  2. Alison Mitchell (ed.), Pre-1855 Monumental Inscriptions in Angus, Vol. 2: Seacoast (Edinburgh: Scottish Genealogy Soc., 1996) - Contents: Arbirlot, Arbroath, Carmyllie, Craig, Inverkeilor, Lunan, Maryton, Montrose, Panbride, St Vigeans

  3. Alison Mitchell (ed.), Pre-1855 Monumental Inscriptions in Angus, Vol. 3: Environs of Dundee (Edinburgh: Scottish Genealogy Soc., 1996) - Contents: Auchterhouse, Barry, Benvie, Fowlis Easter, Invergowrie, Liff, Lundie, Monifieth, Monikie, Murroes, Strathmartine, Tealing

  4. Alison Mitchell (ed.), Pre-1855 Monumental Inscriptions in Angus, Vol. 4: Dundee & Broughty Ferry (Edinburgh: Scottish Genealogy Soc., 1996) - Contents: Kirkyards in Dundee and Broughty Ferry

Monuments in Kincardineshire (except for the parish of Nigg) bearing pre-1855 information are listed in the following volume published by the Scottish Genealogy Society, Edinburgh:

All the above books can be bought from the Scottish Genealogy Society's online shop.

The Aberdeen and NE Scotland FHS has published several booklets with full texts of all monuments in individual kirkyards of Kincardineshire. They have an online search facility for names of people on the monuments they have recorded. Their list of publications is here.

Andrew Jervise's two-volume Epitaphs & Inscriptions ... provides the text of numerous inscriptions in Angus and Kincardineshire (and further north), together with a very substantial amount of historical background on the different parishes.

Flora Davidson's Seventeenth Century Tombstones ... describes in detail the surviving 17th century monuments, recording their coats of arms, iconography and inscriptions (which are in hebrew, greek, latin and scots) and illustrating several of them.

See also the pages for the individual parishes on this web site: Angus parishes; Kincardineshire parishes.

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Museums & art galleries

Angus (Forfarshire)

Dundee

Kincardineshire

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Newspapers

British Newspaper Archive

Snippets are free and may suffice though the characters may be badly garbled. Subscription necessary to view scans of original pages.

Two points worth noting:

Web-sites of current newspapers:

(See Pages for the individual parishes for available library copies of old newspapers)

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Notaries' Protocol Books

Minutes for some protocol books:

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Peerage, Nobility

James Balfour Paul (ed.) - The Scots Peerage (8 vols + index vol. 9; Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1904-14)
Available online: Index (vol. 9); and vol. 1; vol. 2; vol. 3; vol. 4; vol. 5; vol. 6; vol. 7; vol. 8

The websites thePeerage.com and Cracroft's Peerage are also informative.

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Photographs of places

Aerial photos of Angus

Aerial photos of Kincardineshire

For recent photographs, see Geograph.org or the links on pages of this site for the individual parishes: Angus and Kincardineshire

Many older photographs, including aerial views, and maps are available at ScotlandsPlaces: Angus and ScotlandsPlaces: Kincardineshire. Use the search box on those pages to find a specific place.

Paintings and photographs of people and places

Angus Archives: Photographic collection

David Waterson: Paintings - search page for works by this Brechin artist, many of which are for places and people of Angus

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Parliament to 1707

Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707

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The Poor

Poorhouses

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Population of individual parishes

A table of the population of the parishes of Angus for the years 1755 (estimated), 1801, 1811, 1851 and 1881 is in Warden's Angus or Forfarshire, vol. 5, pp. 258-9.

The population of the parishes of Angus and Kincardineshire in 1821, together with statistical information on ages, is at:

Changes in 1889 that rationalised the boundaries of civil parishes, eliminating enclaves and detached portions of parishes, make comparison of population data for different years awkward. The growth of Aberdeen, Dundee and other towns also gave rise to later changes to the boundaries of civil parishes.

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Registers of deeds

The Books of [the Lords of] Council & Session, more familiarly known as the Register of Deeds, held in the National Records of Scotland [NRS ref. RD...] is a huge and only partly indexed collection of legal documents that were - and are - deemed worthy of preservation: bonds, contracts, factories, etc. They are not records of land ownership, which are the Registers of sasines.

There are published annual indexes, 1661-1696, a few of which can be found at the Internet Archive, e.g. Index to Register of Deeds, 1663. These published indexes are accessible by personal visit to the NRS, and are also held by local archives, libraries and family history societies. The NRS also holds unpublished indexes since 1770 and some earlier 18th century indexes.

There are also registers of deeds amongst the records of the royal burghs of Arbroath, Brechin, Dundee, Forfar and Montrose.

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Registers of sasines

These registers record change of ownership of land and other heritable property.

For records of tenants of farms, see Tenants & tenancies.

The Registers of Sasines are not available online (nor are any Indexes to them, with one small exception). Only some of the records have been indexed.

There are three groups of registers: Particular Registers, for every individual county such as Angus or Kincardineshire; a General Register for the whole country; Burgh Registers for each of the Royal Burghs, such as Arbroath, Forfar and Montrose.

There are the following Particular Registers of Sasines for the counties (excluding property within the royal burghs):

RegisterDatesNRS ref.
Particular Register for Angus6 Sep 1620 - 17 Jan 1621RS33/1
Particular Register for Angus26 Mar 1631 - 29 Sep 1632RS33/8
Particular Register for Angus18 Sep 1637 - 22 Mar 1658RS34/...
Particular Register for Angusfrom 14 Nov 1660RS35/...
Secretary's Register for Kincardineshire2 Jan 1600 - 6 Dec 1608RS6/...
Particular Register for Kincardineshire2 Sep 1617 - 22 Oct 1657RS7/...
Particular Register for Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshirefrom 1 Jan 1661RS8/...

Indexes to the Particular Registers of Sasines

There are indexes, published by HMSO, of people who were parties to land transactions in Angus, 1620-1700, and in Kincardineshire, 1600-1657. These indexes are accessible by personal visit to the NRS, and are also held by local archives, libraries and family history societies

There are unpublished indexes for Angus from 1701. From 1661, there are unpublished indexes for Aberdeenshire & Kincardineshire. These indexes are accessible by personal visit to the NRS.

General Register of Sasines

There was also a General Register of Sasines, Reversions, etc. for transactions anywhere in Scotland, especially transactions that involved land in more than one county [NRS RS1/... for the years 1617-1652; RS2/... for 1652-1660; RS3/... for 1660-1868]. There is a published index for 1700-1720, available at Index to General Register of Sasines.

Burgh Registers of Sasines

There are also burgh registers of sasines for the royal burghs of Arbroath [NRS, in the B4 series], Brechin [NRS B8], Dundee [in Dundee City Archives, ref. DCA B19], Forfar [NRS B26], Inverbervie [NRS B33] and Montrose [NRS B51/3]. There are partial indexes for those of Forfar and Inverbervie. None of the indexes or registers has been published.

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Roads

There is an excellent collection of material, with maps and photographs, at Old Roads of Scotland. See, in particular:

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School records

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Scots Law

Green's Encyclopædia is a useful guide:
John Chisholm (ed.) - Green's Encyclopædia of the Law of Scotland (Edinburgh: William Green, 1896-1900)

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Services of heirs

The documents known as Retours record all those who inherited land that was held directly "of" the Crown, and also some people who inherited land that was held of subject-superiors (who in turn held of the Crown). Indexes & summaries of these records from 1544 to 1859 have been published on 2 CDs by the Scottish Genealogy Society and can be bought from the Scottish Genealogy Society's online shop:

  1. "Retours of Services of Heirs: Inquisitionum ad Capellam Domini Regis Retornatarum Abbreviatio, vols I-III, 1544-1699"
  2. "Decennial Indexes to the Services of Heirs in Scotland, vols I-IV, 1700-1859"

The first of these discs, in addition to general services of heir, for which the lands are not named, also has separate listings of special services for named lands, a total of 618 for Angus, between 1545 and 1700, and 192 for Kincardineshire, between 1580 and 1700. The disc also lists tutories, i.e. appointments of tutors for orphans and curators for the mentally incapable.

The format of the information on these two discs, which cover records for the whole of Scotland, is quite different. All the information is in the form of scanned images from printed books, and therefore there is no search facility on either disc, though there are indexes of surnames and places for the first disc. Most of the information on the first disc is in Latin, and it takes some practice to use the disc with confidence. See this slightly out-of-date guide to using the discs. Decennial indexes for the period beginning 1860 are only available by visiting the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh.

For Angus, see this summary of the Special services of heir in Angus, 1545-1700

For Kincardineshire, see this summary of the Special services of heir in Kincardineshire, 1580-1700

The Services of Heirs for 1544-1700 are available - and searchable unlike the above CDs - at Google Books. Note that Angus is listed under `Forfar' in these books. Start by looking at the indexes in Volume III:

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Societies

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Statistical accounts of Scotland

These are valuable sources of information about every aspect of the parishes of Scotland: topography, geology, climate, botany, zoology, civil history, famous inhabitants, parish records, population numbers, occupations of the inhabitants, land owners and much else. Inevitably, the quality of the Old and New Accounts is very variable, being dependent on the knowledge and the enthusiasm of the parish ministers who wrote them.

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Tailzies (Entails)

The Register of Tailzies [NRS ref. RT/1] records property that was entailed and passed, on the death of the proprietor, to a predetermined succession of owners. A list of tailzies registered for lands in Angus and Kincardineshire, from the 1685 Act of Parliament down to 4 Feb 1784, is at Landowners.

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Tax Records

Clock & Watch Tax Records

For the period 5 Jul 1797 to 5 Apr 1798 only. Records for both Angus & Kincardineshire are in NRS, ref. E326/12/2.

Images of the actual records are available:

Farm Horse Tax Records

Of interest to those whose ancestors were tenant farmers, but for only one year

Images of the actual records are available:

Hearth Tax Records

Poll Tax Records of the 1690s

There are none for Angus or Kincardineshire.

Window Tax Records

Only paid by the well-to-do

PlacesDatesNRS ref.
Angus (Dundee, Dunkeld and Montrose districts)1748, 1753-1770E326/1/50
Angus1759-1768E326/1/51
do1768-1782E326/1/52
do1782-1798E326/1/53
Kincardineshire1753-1770E326/1/56
do1770-1798E326/1/57
Arbroath1753-1798E326/1/133
Inverbervie1757-1798E326/1/136
Brechin1753-1798E326/1/137
Forfar1753-1798E326/1/169
Montrose1753-1798E326/1/197

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Teinds

Papers Relating to Teinds and Teind Administration, 1547-1823 - NRS ref. TE5/...

For the background to these, see:

  1. Register of the Privy Council, 1625-1627, p. 188
  2. Reports on the State of Certain Parishes in Scotland made to His Majesty's Commissioners for Plantation of Kirks &c. in Pursuance of their Ordinance dated April xii M.DC.XXVII (Edinburgh: Maitland Club, 1835) - here (but note that there are NO surviving parish reports for Angus or Kincardineshire)

The material includes:

  1. rentals - including: localities; valuations; divisions of stipend
  2. depositions of witnesses
  3. parish returns

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Tenancies & tenants

Records of tenancy of farms are best sought among the papers of the relevant landowner; such records may be available in the National Records of Scotland [usually in NRS ref. GD...] or in the National Register of Archives for Scotland. There is no guarantee that a record of a tenancy will be extant. Leases granted to tenants are known as tacks, and 19 years was the usual duration of a tack.

Names of tenants are sometimes given on plans of estates. See comments at Maps & plans.

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Testaments (wills & inventories)

There is no such concept as "probate" in Scotland.

Pre-1868 testaments relate exclusively to moveable property, as land and other forms of heritable property could not be bequeathed before then. Most early testaments are simply inventories of the goods of the deceased; it is unusual for there also to be a will. A testament testamentar is a testament that includes a will; a testament dative is one for which the executors have been appointed by a court, rather than nominated by the deceased; even if the deceased leaves a will, if the executors have not been nominated in the will, the testament is dative.

All original testamentary records for inhabitants of Angus & The Mearns can be seen, without charge, by visiting, in person, the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh. A small charge is made for paper copies.

Indexes to all extant pre-1926 testamentary records (wills & inventories of moveable property) for inhabitants of Angus & The Mearns can be searched free of charge at ScotlandsPeople. Digital copies of the documents can be purchased at that site, or, if required, paper copies can be purchased. More recent testaments are only available by personal visit or by writing to the NRS.

Wills of Soldiers, 1914-1948, are also available at ScotlandsPeople.

The parishes of Angus & The Mearns, before the Reformation in 1560, mostly belonged to either the diocese of Brechin or the diocese of St Andrews. The pre-reformation Commissary Courts of the individual dioceses continued in existence after the Reformation and continued to administer the registration of testaments until 1823. Thus, before 1823, most testaments were registered in the court books of either the Commissariot of Brechin [National Records of Scotland, NRS CC3] or the Commissariot of St Andrews [NRS CC20]. Some early testaments were registered in the books of the Commissariot of Edinburgh [NRS CC8], irrespective of the residence of the deceased. After 1823, Angus testaments were registered in the Sheriff Court Books of Forfar [NRS SC47], those of Kincardineshire in the Sheriff Court Books of Stonehaven [NRS SC5].

The following indexes to testaments registered by the Commissary Courts down to 1800 are among those available online. Note that the indexes at ScotlandsPeople are probably more complete and possibly more accurate than the old indexes listed below. In particular, where testaments are listed in these old indexes as having been lost (except for entries in minute books), this refers to loss of the registered copies of the testaments; the original documents (warrants), that were copied into the registers, MAY still exist.

Various formats can be accessed from links on each of the following pages:

For further background on testaments, see here.

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Valuation rolls

Valuation rolls of properties in the County of Angus, for the years 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1920, 1925, 1930, 1935 & 1940 only, can be seen at ScotlandsPeople.

For background on these rolls, see SP: Valuation rolls or NRS: Valuation Rolls.

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War graves & war memorials

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Other links

Other pages of this site relating to Angus or Kincardineshire

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Summary of sources used for this site

Almost all the information on this site, apart from the monumental inscriptions, can be found easily elsewhere online, if you know where to look. Some is online, but barely legible or in a format that prevents its discovery.

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Links to the relevant parish page for various towns & villages

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Angus (formerly Forfarshire) (ANS)

Click on any link below to see details of the available records for that parish. The years under the headings B, M, D, Ch are the earliest extant Old Parish Registers for births, marriages and deaths, and church session records, respectively; fuller details of the dates covered by the B, M & D records are at Kincardineshire & Angus OPRs. The file size is given (in kilobytes). If a page includes transcriptions of a significant number of monumental inscriptions, this is shown under the heading MIs.

See John Thomson's "1832" map of Angus, which shows parish boundaries as they were in 1825, including the various detached parts or enclaves, before the boundaries were simplified in the 1890s.

No.Parish namePronunciation †Area ‡
(acres)		Info updatedFile sizeMIsBMDCh
269Aberlemno[ˌæbərˈlɛmno]891431.08.202259yes1706170717061731
270Airlie['erle]892305.02.2024381682168217111757
328Alyth['elɪθ]23296
(3324)*		02.09.2022441623162316241669
271Arbirlot (i.e. aber + Eliot)[ar'bɪrlɔt]674728.09.2022491632165216331709
2721: Arbroath (i.e. aber + Brothock)
2: Arbroath testaments
3. The Souters of the Wardmylne of Arbroath
4. Wanderings 29 - Arbroath Abbey		[ar'broθ]94317.11.2022
31.12.2012
02.08.2021
07.12.2024		122
23
52
16		1653165318251732
273Auchterhouse['ɔxtərhʌus]570815.09.2024291642164517031656
274Barry (anciently Fothmuref)['bære]532805.09.2022581704170417101704
2751: Brechin
2: Brechin testaments		['brixɪn]1431311.02.2024
22.04.2014		113
77		16121700--
276Carmyllie[kar'məile]755308.09.202279some1684168417231684
277Careston['kærɛstɔn]203506.09.202248yes + some photos1714177317731716
278Cortachy & Clova['kɔrtaxe], ['klova]4232207.09.202264yes + photos1662166217511659
279Coupar Angus[ˌkupar'æŋgəs]4699
(184)*		09.09.2022411683168217471682
280Craig (formerly Inchbraoch or Inchbrayock, and Dunninald)[kreg], [inʃ'breɔx, inʃ'breɔk], [dʌnɪn'ɔld]437103.02.202479yes1657166017261653
281Dun[dʌn]430603.02.202498yes1642164616471831
282Dundee[dʌn'di]4349164516451772
283Dunnichen[dʌ'nɪxən]491712.09.202257yes16831683-1763
284Eassie & Nevay['ise], ['nive] ['nɛve]?505304.09.20244017171728-1721
285Edzell['ɛdzəl]20068
(18959)*		13.06.20244716841641-1706
286Farnell['farnəl] [far'nɛl]?570314.09.2022100yes1699171617521716
287Fern (or Fearn)[fɛrn]879214.09.20223117391803-(1739),
1788
288Forfar['fɔrfar]835317.01.2023891633165918261836
356Fowlis Easter (See Lundie & Fowlis)['fʌulɪs]170117011701
289Glamis[glæmz]1434704.09.2024481699169916851719
290Glenisla[glɛn'əila]4124216.09.2022391719171917481704
291Guthrie['gʌθre]382317.09.202294yes + photos1664166317161663
292Inverarity & Meathie[ˌɪnvər'ærɪte], ['miθe] ['mɛθe]?958316.02.2024371710171017161714
2931: Inverkeilor (or Inverkeillor)
2: Inverkeilor monumental inscriptions
3: Heirs of line of Alexander lord Spynie
4: The early history of Boysack
5: Inverkeilor Churches: documents
6: Fithies of Boysack and their Kin
7: Inverkeilor farms & farmers 		[ˌɪnvər'kilər] 1024010.02.2024
15.09.2024
21.03.2014
17.03.2014
14.10.2012
21.02.2020
03.02.2024		113
162
43
26
32
34
37		yes + some photos1717177517931739
294Kettins['kɛtɪnz]779619.09.2022341650161816851682
295Kingoldrum[kɪn'goldrʌm]961919.09.2022301700174317471756
296Kinnell[kɪn'ɛl]657719.09.2022113yes1657165716571657
297Kinnettles[kɪn'ɛtəlz]286021.09.2022311696170917181710
2981: Kirkden (formerly Idvie or Idvies)
2: Friockheim village		[kɪrk'dɛn], ['ɪdve(z)]
['frikəm]		499921.09.2022
15.09.2022		52
119		yes
yes + photos		1650165017491735
299Kirriemuir[ˌkɪre'mjur] or just ['kɪre]3560022.09.2022691716182117881716
300Lethnot & Navar['lɛθnɔt], ['nevar] ['nævar]?2629022.09.202259yes + photos1728175117501746
301Liff, Benvie & Invergowrie[lɪf], ['bɛnve], [,ɪnvər'gʌure]7074
(7070)*		23.09.202253Benvie: some1650163317261667
302Lintrathen[lɪn'treθən], [lɪn'træθən]?2262423.09.2022261717171717171664
303Lochlee[lɔx'li]5838224.09.2022301728173117831775
304Logie Pert['loge pɛrt]573902.09.202367Logie-Montrose: yes1717171717171717
305Lunan (or Inverlunan)['lunan], [,ɪnvər'lunan]191003.07.202365yes + photos1654165417361654
306Lundie & Fowlis['lʌnde], ['fʌulɪs]7012
(4188)*		15.09.2024451667166916851685
307Mains & Strathmartine[menz], [stræθ'martɪn]630101.08.2023421635163517461711
308Maryton (formerly Old Montrose)['meretɔn]356228.09.202279yes1716173917431726
309Menmuir['mɛnmjur]1010030.09.20224517011702-1622
310Monifieth[mɔne'fiθ], [mʌne'fiθ]595210.03.2021681562156216591678
311Monikie[mɔ'niki]892130.09.202253161316131612(1683),
1783
3121: Montrose
2: Montrose testaments		[mɔn'troz]413410.02.2024
27.05.2018		113
92		some1615163316341633
313Murroes (i.e. Muirhouse)['mʌroz]529801.10.2022291698169917051790
314Newtyle['njutəil]519215.09.2024351715171617731648
315Oathlaw (formerly Finavon, Finhaven)['oθlɔ], [fɪn'evən]527402.10.2022341717171717301716
316Panbride[pæn'brəid]519908.10.2022461693177117711860
317Rescobie[rɛs'kobe]655908.10.202265yes + photos1688178317841677
318Ruthven['rʌðvən], but probably ['rɪvən]204915.09.202423174417441744-
319St Vigeans[sɪnt'vɪdʒənz]1273103.02.2024112yes + photos1669166918301665
320Stracathro[stra'kæθro]523921.12.202047yes17091709-1709
321Tannadice['tænadəis]2132819.03.2014341693171717221720
322Tealing['tilɪŋ]722704.09.2024341599159916001650

* for Alyth; Coupar Angus; Liff, Benvie & Invergowrie; and Lundie & Fowlis the total area is followed, in brackets, by the area of the Angus part of the parish, the rest being in Perthshire in each case. For Edzell, the total area is followed, in brackets, by the area of the Angus part of the parish, the rest being in Kincardineshire
† a rough approximation to a standard Edinburgh pronunciation, rather than a local one. All vowels are SHORT. Improvements welcome.
‡ areas as of 1881

The above table omits a small detached part of the parish of Caputh; until 1889, 567 acres of Caputh lay in Angus and the remaining 18922 acres lay in Perthshire. The detached portion became part of the parish of Auchterhouse in 1889.

Until 1889:

After 1889, Alyth and Coupar Angus were entirely confined to Perthshire, while Liff, Benvie & Invergowrie and Lundie & Fowlis were confined to Angus.

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Kincardineshire (The Mearns) (KCD)

Aberdeenshire Angus North Sea Nigg Banchory Devenick Maryculter Durris Banchory Ternan Fetteresso Dunnottar Caterline Kinneff Bervie Benholm St Cyrus Marykirk Newdosk (Fettercairn) Fettercairn Garvock Strachan Fordoun Glenbervie Laurencekirk Arbuthnott parish map of Kincardineshire

Outline map of the parishes of Kincardineshire

Click on any parish in this map or on any link in the table below the map to see details of the available records for that parish.

For a detailed map of Kincardineshire showing parishes and estate boundaries with the names of the proprietors, and also areas and population of the parishes, see William Garden's Map, surveyed in 1774.

Parish map of Kincardineshire

In the table below, the years under the headings B, M, D, Ch are the earliest extant Old Parish Registers for births, marriages and deaths, and church session records, respectively; fuller details of the dates covered by the B, M & D records are at Kincardineshire & Angus OPRs. The file size is given (in kilobytes). If a page includes transcriptions of a significant number of monumental inscriptions, this is shown under the heading MIs.

No.Parish namePronunciation †Area ‡
(acres)		Info updatedFile sizeMIsBMDCh
250Arbuthnott (or Arbuthnot)[ar'bʌθnɔt]958502.09.2022391631163116911639
251Banchory Devenick (Nether Banchory)['bæŋkɔre], ['dɛvɛnɪk] stress?10040
(7739)*		13.03.20153017131716-1708
252Banchory Ternan (Over Banchory)['bæŋkɔre], ['tɛrnæn]20079
(19021)*		01.12.2016311670167018491699
253Benholm['bɛn(h)om] ?489117.03.2015361684172017181711
254Bervie (or Inverbervie)['bɛrve], [ˌɪnvər'bɛrve]233213.02.2024371641164116891647
255Dunnottar[dʌ'nɔtar]778330.10.2017511672175517531713
256Durris['dʌrɪs]1529413.03.2015281716176117831717
257Fettercairn[ˌfɛtər'kern]1372813.03.2015461720166917211676
258Fetteresso[ˌfɛtər'ɛso]2724517.03.2015471620162018201640
259Fordoun['fɔrdun]2686927.05.2017431693169317911747
260Garvock['garvɔk]796612.06.2021301698171917321717
261Glenbervie[glɛn'bɛrve]1504127.05.20174817211747-1725
262Kinneff & Catterline (or Caterline)[kɪn'ɛf], ['kætərləin] ?713017.03.2015411616161716411641
263Laurencekirk (formerly Conveth)['lɔrənskɪrk], ['kɔnvɛθ]561213.02.2024461702170217031702
264Maryculter[ˌmere'kutər]778113.03.2015301696178317831719
265Marykirk (formerly Aberluthnot)['merekɪrk], [ˌæbər'lʌθnɔt]984117.03.2015461699169917041699
266Nigg[nɪg]443229.06.2012241675171918031757
267St Cyrus (formerly Ecclesgreig)[sɪnt'səirəs], [ɛklz'grɛg]824931.08.2022481696169617831781
268Strachan['stræxən; 'stra:n]4167213.03.2015351704175918311783

* for Banchory Devenick and Banchory Ternan, the total area is followed, in brackets, by the area of the Kincardineshire part of the parish, the rest being in Aberdeenshire in both cases
† a rough approximation to a standard Edinburgh pronunciation, rather than a local one. All vowels are SHORT. Improvements welcome.
‡ areas as of 1881

The above table omits the parish of Drumoak; until 1889, 5202 acres of Drumoak lay in Aberdeenshire and 2026 acres in Kincardineshire. Drumoak was confined to Aberdeenshire from 1889.

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Former parishes

Former parishSee under
Aldbar (or Auldbar)Aberlemno
BallumbieMurroes
Burghill (or Butherkill, Buttergill)Brechin
DalbogEdzell
Dunlappie (or Donlappie, Dunloppie)Stracathro
DunninaldCraig
DysartLunan
EcclesjohnDun
Ethie (pronounced ['iθe] & ['ɛθe])Inverkeilor
Kilmoir (or Kilmuir)Brechin
KinghornieKinneff
Kinnaird (or Cookston, Cuikston)Farnell
Kirkbuddo (or Carbuddo)Guthrie & Inverarity & Meathie
Logie-DundeeLiff; now Lochee in Dundee
Logie-MontroseLogie Pert
Meathie-LourInverarity & Meathie
Newdosk KCDBoth Edzell and Fettercairn
PertLogie Pert
RestennethForfar

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This page updated 7 Dec 2024 & all links on this page checked 7 Sep 2022