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Auchtermuchty

Map showing the location of the parish

"Auchtermuchty signifying in Gaelic 'the cottage of the King', is a parish and a royal burgh - the latter 22 miles from Dundee, 19 from St Andrews, 14 from Perth, 5 from Newburgh, and 3 from Collessie, a station on the Edinburgh, Perth & Dundee Railway. It is situated on the road from Kinross to Cupar Fife, 10 miles from the former and 9 from the latter town. Auchtermuchty is irregularly built - many of the houses are thatched and low, but the greater proportion are of a superior appearance. There is a good substantial mansion house in the town, which was once the residence of the Thane of Fife. A stream of water called Loverspool runs through the town, dividing it into nearly two equal parts. This place was constituted a royal burgh by James IV, which charter was confirmed by James VI, and it still enjoys all the privileges arising therefrom, except that of parliamentary representation. It is governed by 3 baillies, 15 councillors, a treasurer, and town clerk, and has a sheriff's small debt court, which is held quarterly. O. T. Bruce Esq. of Grange and Falkland is patron of the parish, and has become of late years a large proprietor in it. There is a castle on one of his estates which was built by the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scotland. A considerable trade is carried on here in manufacturing linen & cotton goods for Dunfermline, Dundee and Kirkcaldy houses, and this forms the principal business of the place. There are branches respectively of the Union Bank of Scotland, and the Western Bank of Scotland, and a bank for savings. The places of worship comprise a church of the establishment, a free church, 3 united presbyterian chapels, and one for baptists. The parish church is an old structure, lately enlarged, and situated near the centre of the town. Schools are connected with the parish church and the free church, and there is one for infants. Fairs April 5th, July 13th and August 21st." from Slater's Directory, published 1852.

Towns and Villages

Auchtermuchty
Dunshalt


Please read the main Fife pages if you have not already done so.

Cemeteries

There are 2 cemeteries in Auchtermuchty parish:

1. Auchtermuchty Old Churchyard, High Street, Auchtermuchty (grid ref. NO 239117):

2. Auchtermuchty Cemetery, Station Road, Auchtermuchty (grid ref. NO 242114):

Census

The original 1841 census returns were lost in transit to Edinburgh.

Parish / district reference number for 1851 - 1901 censuses: 406

The 1851 census has been indexed by the Tay Valley Family History Society.

Further information on the main Fife page.

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Church Records

The original Old Parish Records (of baptisms / births, proclamations / marriages, and burials) of the Church of Scotland, which cover the years up to 1854, are held in the General Register Office for Scotland in Edinburgh, and copies on microfilm may be consulted in local libraries and at LDS Family History Centres around the world. The baptisms / births and proclamations / marriages (but not deaths) can also be searched at Scotland's People - the online database of Scottish Birth, Marriage, Death & Census records at the General Register Office. The index can also be searched on the LDS FamilySearch website.

Deaths are listed on Fife Family History Society's  Pre-1855 Fife Deaths CD.

The old parish records span the following dates (although there may be gaps within these ranges):

Auchtermuchty OPR Births / baptisms Proclamations / marriages Deaths / burials / mortcloths
406/1 1649-1819 1649-1794 1649-1667
406/2   1795-1819 1744-1819
406/3 1820-1854 1820-1854 1820-1851
Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland

The 1865 Ecclesiastical Directory lists the parish church, 3 United Presbyterian churches (East, West & North), and the Free Church.

An index to the Associate Congregation baptismal register (1748-1806) has been published by Mark Bonthrone, 1994 (London, The Tron Press), and also appears in the Fife Family History Society Baptismal Registers No. 1. These baptisms are also included in the IGI which can be searched online at the LDS Family Search site.

A transcript of the Free Church baptisms and marriages from 1843 to 1845 has been published by the Fife Family History Society Baptismal Registers No. 1. It is also available on the Records pages of their website.

Kirk Session and similar records for the following churches are held by the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library:

Auchtermuchty Old CH2/24
Associate Congregation CH3/436
East CH3/601
South (St Stephen's) (United Presbyterian) CH3/602
North (Antiburgher, United Presbyterian) CH3/603
Martyrs (Free) CH3/604
West Relief (United Presbyterian) nil

Some Kirk Session material is to be found in the OPR records (406/2 and 406/3).

Heritors' Records (HR724) are at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh.

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Civil Registration

Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths began in Scotland on 1st January 1855. Full information on the main Fife page.

Registration district number start date end date
Auchtermuchty burgh 406/1 1855 1855
Auchtermuchty landward 406/2 1855 1855
Auchtermuchty 406 1856 1971
Auchtermuchty 418 1972 2002
Fife 418 2003  

Registration districts did not necessarily coincide exactly with parishes. In the 20th century especially, there were frequent changes in registration districts.

Court Records

Burgh Court Books (dating from 1757 to 1915) are to be found among the Burgh archives at St Andrews University Library.

On the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society website there is an index to Auchtermuchty Burgh Register of Deeds (1757-1874).

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Description & Travel

Auchtermuchty town centre Ordnance Survey Grid Reference GPS Post code Lat. 56°17'31"N
NO 238117 56.291599
-3.232662
KY14 7AP Lon. 3°13'59"W

There is an informative Auchtermuchty website with some old photographs.

Directories

On the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society website there is a transcription of Westwood's 1861 Parochial Directory of Fife.

Historical Geography

A Vision of Britain provides historical descriptions, population & housing statistics, historic boundaries and maps.

Maps

Historic maps: Present-day maps:
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Names, Geographical

The Ordnance Survey [Place] Name Books 1850-1854 are held at the Fife Council Archive Centre. There is an index to the entries for this parish on the Fife Council website (select  A in the A-Z list, then  Archives).

Obituaries

Fife Deaths Abroad 1855-1900 - a compilation of overseas deaths recorded in Fife newspapers - has been produced by Andrew Campbell of Fife Family History Society. The Society have recently re-published it in their Publications Series, 26.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

The relief of paupers after 1845 was carried out by the Parochial Board and later by the Parish Council. Their records are at the Fife Council Archive Centre.

Population

Year Population
1755 1308
1801 2060
1851 3704
1901 1884
1951 1831

See also A Vision of Britain for population statistics.

Probate Records

Prior to 1824, wills, testaments & inventories of residents of Auchtermuchty may be found in either the St Andrews Commissariot (CC20) or the Edinburgh Commissariot (CC8) records. From 1824, commissary business has been conducted by the Sheriff Court of Fife at Cupar (SC20).

Indexes and finding aids are given on the main Fife page.

Local sources worth searching for deeds include St Andrews Commissary Court, Cupar Sheriff Court and Auchtermuchty Burgh Register of Deeds.

Schools

School Board Records and / or school logbooks are held at the Fife Council Archive Centre.

Town Records

The archives of the former Burgh of Auchtermuchty are held at the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library. They include the Court Books and Council Minutes (from 1549), Registers of Decreets (from 1716),  Burgess Lists (1754-1771, 1824-1900), Register of Cautions (1785-1817), Guildry records (from 1599), Charter Book (1784-1803), etc.

On the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society website there is an index to Auchtermuchty Burgh Register of Deeds (1757-1874).

There are also some records at the Fife Council Archive Centre.

The Burgh Register of Sasines is held at the National Archives of Scotland (B5).

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William McM. Owen    last updated 03 December 2006