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Carnbee

Map showing the location of the 
parish

"Carnbee parish contains the villages of Arncroach, Carnbee and Newton of Balcormie. It is bounded by Cameron, Denino, Crail, Kilrenny, Anstruther wester, Pittenweem, St Monans and Kilconquhar. The parish is about 4 miles square. The northern part of the parish is moorland in character while the southern half is rich and fertile. The parish has excellent depsoits of limestone, freestone and coal, the latter being worked at Newton of Balcormie and Cassingray. The parish church is in Carnbee while there is a Free Church in Arncroach. With the exception of a few tradesmen, the inhabitants are chiefly employed in rural labours or at the collieries. " edited from Westwood's Directory for the counties of Fife & Kinross published 1862.

Towns and Villages

Arncroach
Carnbee


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

Cemeteries

Carnbee Churchyard (grid ref. NO 531065):
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Census

Lists of heads of households taken for the 1821 and 1831 censuses appear amongst the Old Parish Registers (413/4). They have been transcribed and published by the Fife Family History Society in their Publication 20.

Parish / district reference number for 1841 - 1901 censuses: 413

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

Further information on the main Fife page.

Church History

In addition to the parish church at Carnbee, there was also a Free Church in Arncroach.
The 1865 Ecclesiastical Directory lists the parish church and the Free Church.

Details of church history here.

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):

Carnbee OPR Births / baptisms Proclamations / marriages Deaths / burials / mortcloths
413/1 1646-1664 1646-1699 1677-1699
413/2 1662-1819 1726-1819 1782-1819
413/3   1705-1725 1706-1760
413/4 1820-1854 1820-1848 1820-1854
Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland

Kirk Session and similar records for both the parish church (CH2/1032) and the Free Church (CH3/1030) are held at the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library. Some Kirk Session material is to be found in the OPR records (413/1 and 413/3). Details of church records here.

Heritors' Records (HR82) are at the  National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh. Details of records here.

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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
Carnbee 431 1855 1967
East Neuk 426 1968 1971
East Neuk 414 1972 2002
Fife 414 2003  

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

Description & Travel

Carnbee church Ordnance Survey Grid Reference GPS Post code Lat. 56°14'56"N
NO 531065 56.248693
-2.758435
KY10 2RU Lon. 2°45'32"W
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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:

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).

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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. Details of records here.

Population

Year Population
1755 1293
1801 1083
1851 1129
1901 910
1951 641

See also A Vision of Britain for population statistics.

Probate Records

Prior to 1824, wills, testaments & inventories of residents of Carnbee 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 and Cupar Sheriff Court.

Schools

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

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William McM. Owen    last updated 17 December 2006