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We've taken a quick look at the Kinclaven War Memorial, which simply lists names, units and years of death. By looking for information in the records of the Scottish National War Memorial, and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, we've been able to sketch out a little more info about the war dead of Kinclaven.
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It's International Rabbit Day, so it seems a good moment to remind you not to mess with the bunnies of Kinclaven. They were so notorious that their viciousness was reported on the other side of the world, in Milton, New Zealand, in 1886: The other day, as two English ewes were grazing in a young grass field in the parish of Kinclaven and Strathmore, a grey rabbit made its appearance from a burrow in the field, and attaced one of the ewes in the fashion of a cat, and then ran back for a yard, and being followed by the ewe, it turned again and made another furious attack, springing on to the face of the ewe and striking out smartly with its feet. The ewe left the mouth of the burrow, and the rabbit then returned to the burrow. It was thought by the onlookers who watched the occurrence that the rabbit had its young in the hole, and was defending the mouth of the burrow, but it was afterwards found that the rabbit tenanted the hole by itself. 
Upcoming family history talks and events in Scotland, 26 September - 2 October 2016
Note that there may be a small charge for some of these events, and some may be for members only. We will be publishing lists of upcoming talks and events regularly - if you are organising a talk or event relating to Scottish genealogy or history, please let us know and we will be happy to add your events to our list. Monday, September 26 2016, 7.30 pm Kinclaven and its People Fergus Smith and Penny Lewis Venue: Kinclaven Church West Stormont Historical Society Fergus and Penny will describe some of the findings of their one-place study on Kinclaven and its people, including their attempt to construct a "family forest" of the people of Kinclaven. There will be an opportunity after the talk to ask about your Kinclaven ancestry or the history of your house. Monday, September 26 2016, 1:00, 2:00, & 3:00pm The Treasure Trail
Venue: Meet at the Visitor Centre, Palacerigg Country Park, Cumbernauld. North Lanarkshire Council Regeneration and Environmental Services This is a 1 mile family treasure hunt. Follow the secret trail, answer the questions and then get directed to the next clue. Will your search lead you to gold or silver? You will need your brains, your eyes and your legs. Venue: Meet at the Visitor Centre, Palacerigg Country Park, Cumbernauld. Special requirements: Booking is not required. Ticket price Free Website: http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=32425 Monday, September 26 2016, 10:00am-1:00pm A ramble in the footsteps of Romans and Navvies
Venue: Meet at Auchinstarry Quarry Car Park near Kilsyth North Lanarkshire Council Regeneration and Environmental Services This is a 5 mile walk around the Kelvin Valley. This walk will look at the heritage, geography and wildlife of the Kilsyth area. The Antonine Wall, Forth and Clyde Canal and John Muir Way all pass close by, in fact people have been coming and going through this valley for thousands of years and they’ve left their mark. But the area is still home to plenty of wildlife and offers some great scenery. Venue: Meet at Auchinstarry Quarry Car Park near Kilsyth. Special requirements: Booking is essential. The route is mostly off road with some unsurfaced paths so good outdoor footwear is recommended. A snack and drink are also recommended. Ticket price Free Website: http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=32425 Monday, September 26 2016, 11.15am-12:00pm, 12.15-1:00pm, 2:00-2.45pm, 3:00-3.45pm Jacobite Secrets
Venue: Edinburgh Castle It wasn't just men who supported the Jacobite uprisings. Come along and meet a secret Jacobite lady and hear her tales of the 1715 and 1745 Risings, and the arrival of Bonnie Prince Charlie in Edinburgh. The Jacobite cause divided families, including hers. Come along and hear her story. Ticket price This performance is included in the Edinburgh Castle admission price. Booking: events@hes.scot, 0131 668 8885 Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/whats-on/event/?eventId=de84d65c-4d09-4c15-a4d9-a5fe00a929c1 Monday, September 26 2016, 12:00-4.30pm Biggar Gasworks Steam Days
Venue: Biggar Gaswork Museum For upwards of 130 years – from 1839 to 1973 – Biggar Gasworks made coal-gas for the town and surrounding district. It was one of the first small-town gasworks to open in Scotland, and among the last to close. It is the only preserved gasworks left in Scotland. Not long afterwards, it passed into State care, to be preserved as a lasting reminder of an industry that provided so much benefit to all the country’s citizens. During the 'Steam Days' the boiler will be operating and driving various items of steam driven machines associated with gas production and distribution. Ticket price Booking: events@hes.scot, 0131 668 8885 Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/whats-on/event/?eventId=9d089e53-9386-4959-a5bc-a602009d2e3b Monday, September 26 2016, 12:00-4:00pm Conservation in Action
Venue: Alloa Tower, Alloa Park, Alloa FK10 1PP Come and see Conservation in Action as we clean three 18th century paintings throughout August and September. Take a peek behind-the-scenes to see how paintings are cleaned at the historic tower. We'll conserve three paintings by Alloa-born 18th Century painter David Allan. Monday, September 26 2016, 12:30-3:30pm The Seven Lochs Trail
Venue: Meet at the Visitor Centre, Drumpellier Country Park, Townhead Road, Coatbridge North Lanarkshire Council Regeneration and Environmental Services This is a one-way 5½ mile walk with a free mini bus taking us to the start. The Seven Lochs Wetland Park is a green network bringing together eight square miles of lochs, parks and woodlands to the north of Glasgow and Coatbridge. Our walk will start at Frankfield Loch and return via Bishop Loch to finish at the Lochend Loch Visitor Centre in Drumpellier Country Park. Venue: Meet at the Visitor Centre, Drumpellier Country Park, Townhead Road, Coatbridge. Special requirements: Booking is essential as places on the mini-bus are limited. Some of the route is uneven so good outdoor footwear is recommended. A snack and drink are also recommended. Ticket price Free Website: http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=32425 Monday, September 26 2016, 6 pm - 8 pm Get started with your family history
Venue: 52 Overhaugh St, Galashiels, TD1 1DP Borders Family History Society Come with an idea of what you want to discover and bring your earliest family birth, marriage, death certificate or more certificates, if possible. Monday, September 26 2016, 7.30 pm Struthers Castle and Estate Robert I G Scott Venue: Age Concern Building, Provost Wynd, Cupar Tuesday, September 27 2016, 10 am - 4 pm Are your roots in the Borders ? Discover your family history or build your family tree
Venue: 52 Overhaugh St, Galashiels, TD1 1DP Borders Family History Society Build your family tree. Knock down a 'brick wall'. Explore your family history primarily in the Border counties (Berwickshire, Peeblesshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire) of Scotland, though we'll still try to help you if your roots are elsewhere. Tuesday, September 27 2016, 10:15am-3:45pm Life in the Border 1914-1919 Exhibition
Venue: Borders Family History Society, 52 Overhaugh, St, Galashiels. TD1 1DP Borders Family History Society A fascinating exhibition about life in the Scottish Borders during World War I and afterwards. The exhibition is a joint venture between BFHS and Saving and Sharing Scottish Borders Stories of WWI Project Ticket price Free Website: http://www.bordersfhs.org.uk/ Tuesday, September 27 2016, 6:00-7:00pm Collecting Glasgow
Venue: Mitchell Library North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DN Glasgow Life In this talk about The Mitchell's Glasgow Collection, Librarian Susan Taylor shares some of its highlights and discusses both its history and possible future developments. Ticket price Free Website: http://events.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/collecting-glasgow Tuesday, September 27 2016, 7.30 pm AGM
Venue: West Kilbride Community Centre, Corse Street, West Kilbride, KA23 9AX Wednesday, September 28 2016, 10:00am Standing Stones of Stenness and Barnhouse Village Walk
Venue: Standing Stones of Stenness Join the Ranger Service for a guided tour of our oldest stone circle and explore the fascinating links with the nearby Neolithic village of Barnhouse. Ticket price Free Booking: No booking required. For more information call 01856 841 732 or email orkneyrangers@hes.scot Website: www.historicenvironment.scot/events Wednesday, September 28 2016, 11.15am-12:00pm, 12.15-1:00pm, 2:00-2.45pm, 3:00-3.45pm Bolts and Bodkins
Venue: Edinburgh Castle Join castle archer Rusty Bodkins for an explanation of how the Scots used the medieval longbow and crossbow. Learn about different types of arrowheads and how arrow wounds were treated. Get dressed for battle and join the garrison! Ticket price This performance is included in the Edinburgh Castle admission price. Booking: events@hes.scot, 0131 668 8885 Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/whats-on/event/?eventId=f4e0b6b1-2455-4cda-b4fe-a4ed00db88d3 Wednesday, September 28 2016, 11:15am; 12:00pm; 12:45pm; 1:30pm; 2:30pm; 3:15pm; and 4:00pm Scotland’s National Hero
Venue: The National Wallace Monument Who was William Wallace? Listen as a costumed actor gives you an insight into the life of Scotland’s National Hero – who he was, where he came from, and how he fought to free the people of Scotland from oppression. Ticket price Admission Prices: Adults: £9.99, Children £6.25 Website: http://www.nationalwallacemonument.com/ht_event/scotlands-national-hero/ Wednesday, September 28 2016, 6.30 pm - 8 pm Smugglers, Spies and Stolen Plum Pies: or, The Darker Side of Alloa's Trade in the 18th Century
Venue: Alloa Inner Forth Landscape Initiative This evening will see a performance of a brand new, bespoke play about the smuggling and trading shenanigans around Alloa in the 18th century. Meet Walter Grosset, the unpopular Customs Collector; the Earl of Mar (or 'Bobbing John'); and a 'flash-mob' of Jacobites. This play is based on original historical research by IFLI volunteer, Ian Middleton, and will be written and performed by The Walking Theatre Company, ably assisted by pupils from Alloa Academy. Wednesday, September 28 2016, 7 pm for 7.30 pm The Admiralty Research Station at Hawkcraig Point, Aberdour in WWI Diana Maxwell Venue: Museum of Communication, 131 High Street, Burntisland KY3 9AA Joint Lecture with Lothians Radio Society. £4 members, £5 non-members Wednesday, September 28 2016, 7.30 pm Bringing Coal to Auld Reekie: The Innocent Railway James Waugh Venue: Gullane Village Hall Gullane and Dirleton History Society James Waugh explores the history of this naïve sounding railway line Wednesday, September 28 2016, 7.30 pm Opening Night - Slide Show & Exhibition
Venue: Volunteer Hall, Galashiels Thursday, September 29 2016 Sir Walter's Muckle Banket Sandy Neil Venue: Abbotsford, Melrose TD6 9BQ Join us for a fascinating talk by Borders journalist and writer Sandy Neil on 19th century culinary delights and Walter Scott’s passion for the food of Scots. Thursday, September 29 2016, 1:00pm Ring of Brodgar Walk
Venue: Ring of Brodgar Explore the area around the Ring of Brodgar during our guided walk with a ranger and find out the special significance of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney. Ticket price Free Booking: No booking required. For more information call 01856 841 732 or email orkneyrangers@hes.scot Website: www.historicenvironment.scot/events Thursday, September 29 2016, 10 am - 4 pm Are your roots in the Borders ? Discover your family history or build your family tree
Venue: 52 Overhaugh St, Galashiels, TD1 1DP Borders Family History Society Build your family tree. Knock down a 'brick wall'. Explore your family history primarily in the Border counties (Berwickshire, Peeblesshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire) of Scotland, though we'll still try to help you if your roots are elsewhere. Thursday, September 29 2016, 10:15am-3:45pm Life in the Border 1914-1919 Exhibition
Venue: Borders Family History Society, 52 Overhaugh, St, Galashiels. TD1 1DP Borders Family History Society A fascinating exhibition about life in the Scottish Borders during World War I and afterwards. The exhibition is a joint venture between BFHS and Saving and Sharing Scottish Borders Stories of WWI Project Ticket price Free Website: http://www.bordersfhs.org.uk/ Thursday, September 29 2016, 10:30am-1:00pm Museum of Banff Open Days
Venue: Banff Library AB45 1AE Banff Preservation and Heritage Society Banff Museum was founded in 1828 as the museum of the Banff Institution and is the oldest museum in Scotland north of Perth. The Banff Institution was dissolved in 1875 and the collections passed to Banff Town Council. The present museum and library building were built in 1902. Banff Preservation and Heritage Society currently run the Museum in partnership with Aberdeenshire Museums Service. The Museum is on Banff High Street, in the same building as Banff Library. The postocde is AB45 1AE. The exhibits show a vast range of interesting artefacts from the Celtic period up to the modern day. They reflect life in Banffshire and show some stunning examples of our historical past in Banff and Macduff. Ticket price Free Website: http://www.bphsmob.org.uk/ Thursday, September 29 2016, 11.15am-12:00pm, 12.15-1:00pm, 2:00-2.45pm, 3:00-3.45pm Bolts and Bodkins
Venue: Edinburgh Castle Join castle archer Rusty Bodkins for an explanation of how the Scots used the medieval longbow and crossbow. Learn about different types of arrowheads and how arrow wounds were treated. Get dressed for battle and join the garrison! Ticket price This performance is included in the Edinburgh Castle admission price. Booking: events@hes.scot, 0131 668 8885 Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/whats-on/event/?eventId=f4e0b6b1-2455-4cda-b4fe-a4ed00db88d3 Thursday, September 29 2016, 12 pm - 2 pm Gowan Hill, Stirling's Forgotten Jewel Dr Murray Cook Venue: Meet at Beheading stone Stirling Council Join Dr Murray Cook, Stirling Council’s Archaeologist in a tour of the hill: from prehistoric War Crimes to Executions and Jacobites to the Homes Guard. Duration 2 hours, wear appropriate clothes. Booking essential, contact Murray Cook cookm@stirling.gov.uk Thursday, September 29 2016, 2 pm - 4 pm Find Your Ain Folk Drop in Service
Venue: Community Room, Largs Library, Allanpark Street, Largs North Ayrshire Family History Society Thursday, September 29 2016, 2.30pm-4.00pm Listed Buildings in Haddington Emma Doyle Venue: John Gray Centre Friends of the John Gray Centre Learn about listed buildings in Haddington and the rules behind listing them from specialist in the field Emma Doyle. Bring your questions to make the most of this unique opportunity to discover the architectural heritage of hour town. Followed by AGM Thursday, September 29 2016, 3.30 pm - 5 pm Introduction to Ancestry
Venue: Barrhead Foundry East Renfrewshire's Heritage Collection Ancestry Library Edition is a must for anyone doing their family history and you can get access to this fabulous resource in your local East Renfrewshire library, without spending a penny. This informal session will help you master the basics and you'll soon be searching with ease through millions of world-wide records. Thursday, September 29 2016, 5.15 pm for 5.30 pm Sir George Mackenzie and the Stuarts Dr Clare Jackson (University of Cambridge) Venue: TC Smout Lecture, Arts Lecture Theatre, St Andrews Institute of Scottish Historical Research Thursday, September 29 2016, 6.30 pm - 8 pm Collecting Scottish Silver George Dalgleish Venue: Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura, The Observatory, Rotchell Road, Dumfries, DG2 7SW Dumfries and Galloway Museums and Galleries A talk by George Dalgleish, recently retired Keeper of Scottish History and Archaeology at National Museums Scotland Silver has played an important part in Scottish history from the time of the Romans onwards. It played a key role in establishing and communicating power and prestige. In more modern times it was seen as a display of wealth and good taste. This talk will look at silver made by Scottish craftsmen from the 16th century onwards and will be illustrated with examples from the Dumfries Museum collection. Thursday, September 29 2016, 7.30 pm The archaeology of the forest with particular reference to Aigas Forest Dr Roland Spencer-Jones, NOSAS Venue: Seaforth Lodge, Station Square, Fortrose, IV10 8SZ Admission to all lectures will be £5 (Members/Students £2.50). Thursday, September 29 2016, 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Martin Luther King - Interviews with his Assistants Robert Hamilton Venue: Glen Halls, Neilston Barrhead & Neilston Historical Association Friday, September 30 2016, 10 am - 4 pm Are your roots in the Borders ? Discover your family history or build your family tree
Venue: 52 Overhaugh St, Galashiels, TD1 1DP Borders Family History Society Build your family tree. Knock down a 'brick wall'. Explore your family history primarily in the Border counties (Berwickshire, Peeblesshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire) of Scotland, though we'll still try to help you if your roots are elsewhere. Friday, September 30 2016, 10:15am-3:45pm Life in the Border 1914-1919 Exhibition
Venue: Borders Family History Society, 52 Overhaugh, St, Galashiels. TD1 1DP Borders Family History Society A fascinating exhibition about life in the Scottish Borders during World War I and afterwards. The exhibition is a joint venture between BFHS and Saving and Sharing Scottish Borders Stories of WWI Project Ticket price Free Website: http://www.bordersfhs.org.uk/ Friday, September 30 2016, 10:30am-1:00pm Museum of Banff Open Days
Venue: Banff Library AB45 1AE Banff Preservation and Heritage Society Banff Museum was founded in 1828 as the museum of the Banff Institution and is the oldest museum in Scotland north of Perth. The Banff Institution was dissolved in 1875 and the collections passed to Banff Town Council. The present museum and library building were built in 1902. Banff Preservation and Heritage Society currently run the Museum in partnership with Aberdeenshire Museums Service. The Museum is on Banff High Street, in the same building as Banff Library. The postocde is AB45 1AE. The exhibits show a vast range of interesting artefacts from the Celtic period up to the modern day. They reflect life in Banffshire and show some stunning examples of our historical past in Banff and Macduff. Ticket price Free Website: http://www.bphsmob.org.uk/ Friday, September 30 2016, 11 am - 4 pm Kirnie Law - Prehistory and Industrial Past Talk Erica Niven Venue: Innerleithen Parish Church car park, Innerleithen EH44 6JF Join Scottish Borders Council Ranger, Erica Niven on a walk through prehistory and the industrial past. Walk past the Iron Age fort on Pirn Hill, visit incredible engineering at the reservoir on Kirnie Law, view the medieval and post-medieval archaeology above Walkerburn, and travel back to Innerleithen along the lazy Tweed. Bring packed lunch for this. 12km, 7.5 miles walk. Friday, September 30 2016, 11:00am-12:30pm Brodick Castle Secrets Tour
Venue: Brodick Castle, Garden & Country Park Come along to the castle and join the Secrets Tour. We will tell you a few things that the 'ordinary visitor' does not get to know, and let you see things that you would not usually see. A more in depth look at various castle tales, places and objects. Ticket price £8 Booking: For further information please call 01770 302202 Website: http://www.nts.org.uk/Events/Brodick-Castle-Garden-and-Country-Park/Brodick-Castle-Secrets-Tour/ Friday, September 30 2016, 12:00-4:00pm Conservation in Action
Venue: Alloa Tower, Alloa Park, Alloa FK10 1PP Come and see Conservation in Action as we clean three 18th century paintings throughout August and September. Take a peek behind-the-scenes to see how paintings are cleaned at the historic tower. We'll conserve three paintings by Alloa-born 18th Century painter David Allan. Friday, September 30 2016, 2 pm - 4 pm Close Encounters - Discover Dunbar: Summer Foot Tours
Venue: Sparkly Frog boutique, 92 High St, Dunbar The Dunbar Trades Association in conjunction with Local Historian Roy Pugh bring you FREE history tours of Dunbar, every friday afternoon throughout summer. This is a unique opportunity to find out more about the history of the town and ask any questions you have always wondered about. Friday, September 30 2016, 7 pm Mesolithic Deeside Caroline Wickham-Jones Venue: Horsemill, Crathes Castle Aberdeenshire Council Archaeology Service Free Saturday, October 1 2016, 1 pm Discovering Mesolithic Crathes Heather Sabnis Venue: Horsemill, Crathes Castle Aberdeenshire Council Archaeology Service Free Saturday, October 1 2016, 11 am Scotland's Earliest Ceremonial Monument? Crathes 10,000 years ago Shannon Fraser Venue: Horsemill, Crathes Castle Aberdeenshire Council Archaeology Service Free Saturday, October 1 2016, 11.00 am Mediaeval Dundee Walking Tour Iain Flett (Dundee City Archives) Venue: Meet outside Henry’s Coffee House, 4 City Square Saturday, October 1 2016, 3 pm Discovering Mesolithic Crathes Heather Sabnis Venue: Horsemill, Crathes Castle Aberdeenshire Council Archaeology Service Free Saturday, October 1 2016, 9.30 am Tour of the buildings of Peter Womersley Simon Green Venue: AHSS, Rutland Square Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland Join Simon Green to explore some of the buildings designed by modernist architect Peter Womersley in the Scottish Borders, including those designed for textile designer Bernat Klein near Selkirk; Womersley's own home, The Rig, at Gattonside and work at Dingleton, Melrose Saturday, October 1 2016, 9.30 am - 5.45 pm ‘A’m Grippit Dis Laand’: A Conference in Honour of Dr Doreen Waugh
Venue: University of Edinburgh, 50 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD Scottish Society for Northern Studies £20 standard, £10 full-time students. Full programme can be found at http://ssns.org.uk/resources/Documents/WaughProgramme.pdf Saturday, October 1 2016, All Day Mesolithic Deeside
Venue: Horsemill, Crathes Castle, Banchory, AB31 5QJ Cameron Archaeology Ltd 11am Shannon Fraser – talk - Crathes Castle Mesolithic pit alignment. 1pm and 3pm Heather Sabnis – talk - Discovering Mesolithic Crathes. ALL DAY – bring along flints and other stones for identification - flint sessions – handle flints from the Mesolithic Deeside sites and talk to archaeologists - events for children. Outdoor events by Brian Wilkinson 10am-4pm. FREE including free parking at Crathes Castle car parks Communion is a sacrament recognised by most Christian denominations in remembrance of the Last Supper. In Scotland it was generally held twice a year. Parishioners were expected to attend, and repeated failure to do so could result in parishioners being removed from parish membership. In preparation for the sacrament, the Kirk Session would distribute communion tokens to would-be communicants. Without these tokens, parishioners were unable to take part in communion. Sometimes records were kept of the distribution of these tokens, but more commonly records were kept of attendance at communion itself. These records are generally referred to as Communion Rolls. Within the Church of Scotland, when people moved and sought to join the parish in their new place of residence, they generally had to produce a certificate (sometimes referred to as a testificate) from their home parish, confirming that they were communicants. To qualify for such certification, they had to have attended communion at least once in the previous three years. At their simplest, communion rolls are just lists of parishioners who attended communion. The earliest surviving rolls are merely lists of names. The oldest we have found is from St Madoes in Perthshire and covers the period 1596 to 1611. We have not found many surviving Church of Scotland communion rolls before the nineteenth century (5 in the 17th century, 7 more before 1750 and only 25 before 1800). They really start to become more common – and more useful – around the middle of the nineteenth century. We have identified around 3000 nineteenth-century communion rolls from the Church of Scotland. By the mid-1800s they were sufficiently widespread that two separate church stationers were producing printed forms to simplify the job of clerks in recording communicants.  Printed Communion Roll [Kinclaven Parish, Church of Scotland, Communion Roll 1880-1894, held privately] By this time, communion rolls were also becoming more detailed. In addition to recording names, they regularly include occupations and addresses, and crucially information on admission to communion and disjunction.
There were several ways for an individual to be admitted to communion. They could be admitted as Young Communicants (sometimes referred to as Catechumens). This involved someone, usually the Minister or sometimes an Elder, testing their knowledge of scripture and religious doctrine, often after a series of lessons. The term Young Communicant may in some cases be somewhat misleading – in most cases, Young Communicants would be around 18 to 21, but we have found a few instances of individuals significantly older being admitted for the first time. Indeed some clerks recorded this form of admission as “First Time” or “By Examination”. The other main form of admission is by certificate. On moving to a new parish, church members would present certificates from their previous parish indicating that they were in communion with the church and not subject to scandal for misbehaviour. Some communion rolls only record the fact that an individual was certified, but others record the date and – more usefully – the parish that issued the certificate. This can help identify where an individual came from. Disjunction information can also be very useful. Sometimes clerks would simply record that an individual “Left” or was “Certified”. In some cases, the fact that an individual died was also recorded – in many cases the date or year of death is given. Disjunction information becomes much more useful when the clerk records the place the parishioner moved to. Usually it’s just a parish, but sometimes a full address is given, and other times the clerk will record that the individual emigrated. This can be very useful as sometimes it can be the only confirmation of the identity of a Scottish emigrant to for instance the United States. The completeness of information varies from parish to parish – and over time within the same parish. Even so, communion rolls can prove very useful in tracking individuals. An example is James Wilson, a farm servant. He was recorded with his wife Catherine Methven at Lochton in Abernyte, Perthshire. The communion roll notes that he had been admitted by certificate from Kilspindie in 1881. They were then certificated to Kinnaird in 1882, where they were found living at Kinnaird in the communion roll. They were then again certificated to Longforgan in 1883. The Longforgan communion roll describes James as a ploughman at The Mains and shows that the family were certificated onwards to Perth in 1885. If you look at census records for this couple, they were at Nether Durdie in Kilspindie in 1881 with 9 children. The second youngest, Jemima, aged 2, was born at Longforgan and the youngest, David, just a month old, was born at Kilspindie. By 1891, James was a farmer at Old Gallows Road in Perth (where he’d moved in 1885). Any attempt to track this couple relying solely on census and birth records would have missed their short stay in Kinnaird. Without the communion roll, this sojourn would have likely been unidentifiable. We are working on a project to extract and publish information from Communion Rolls. We have so far transcribed around 50 rolls from Perthshire. You can see an example of the sort of information contained in the communion roll for Kinclaven 1880-1894. (Note that this particular communion roll is held privately, and is not recorded in any archive catalogue.) You can also browse the communion rolls that we have transcribed so far here.
Whilst we have a researcher onsite in the Scotland's People Centre in Edinburgh most days it would have been a costly exercise to find 'our' Margaret McKAY in amongst all of these online! Common names in Kinclaven, Perthshire include DUNCAN and GELLATLY.
The Kinclaven Statutory Registers and 1911 census are the first of the genealogy records that we have in full in our database but we also have been busy digitising and collecting many other records from Kinclaven parish which we shall publish shortly. If you are making a day visit or planning a stay at one of the excellent hotels, B&Bs or self catering establishments to carry out ancestral research in the area contact us with your enquiry. One of our next goals will be to use the records to draw up a parish family tree! When we establish the best way to do this Old Scottish will be able to repeat the process for other parishes. If you have a parish you would like us to examine let us know. Follow us on facebook or twitter to stay up to date with our latest resources (opens new window).  Happy National Poetry Day! Perceptions of life in the Perthshire Parish of Kinclaven around 1725. A poem which was penned to Mrs Fisher the wife of Rev. James Fisher by her cousin Margaret Erskine, Dunfermline. It was published by Dr. John Brown in his narrative on the life of Rev Fisher. Coffee or Kail? Not sure if we'd cope here with that - though we love making Kail crisps and Kail is of course the new Broccoli!
Mrs Fisher was the wife of the Rev. James Fisher who was the minister at Kinclaven Church from 1725 and seceeded as one of 'The four Brethren' from the Church of Scotland. He established The Kirk O' Muir and took most of the Kinclaven Church congregation with him. The poem addressed to Mrs Fisher was written by her cousin Mary Erskine and appended by Dr. John Brown in his biography of Fisher "Memorials of the Rev. James Fisher ... in a narrative of his life ... and a selection from his writings'' In: Young (1849) Memorials of Alexander Moncrieff, M.A., and James Fisher, fathers of the United Presbyterian Church. Get cosy with your ancestors this Christmas when you request a family research package in October or November. Find out more ...   We started uploading the introductory information for our new one-place study for Kinclaven today. This category in our blog will hopefully keep everyone updated on the genealogy, family history and local history resources that we are adding. Subscribe to our blog feed to remain updated on the Kinclaven project.
You will find all the introductory information and links to the resources here on our website.We have no ancestral connection with the parish but it is a place, dear to our hearts: where we have lived,worked and been involved with the community and church congregation over the last few decades. Encouraged by the newly launched Society for One Place Studies we decided to bring what we have discovered about Kinclaven to you and share our resources. We hope that by spending time discovering and publishing all the local valuable resources we can find for one parish in Scotland Old Scottish will contribute information helpful to many researchers across the globe. The above image is of a panel from a stained glass memorial window on the East Wall of Kinclaven Parish Church. The window is dedicated toHope ROBERTSON, farmer at Innernyte, Kincalven and Catherine MACLEISH his wife, it depicts the farming year and 'the sower'. The first seeds of the Kinclaven One-Place study are sown and we hope that you will enjoy watching them grow and benefit from the 'crop' of resources to come. |
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