Ceres Parish Records
- Ceres Church
The rectory of Ceres formerly belonged to the collegiate church of St
Mary and the kirk session records ministry from 1560, in the person of
Patrick Coustun. The present day parish church was erected in 1806 on
the site of its predecessor. The former Ceres and Strathkinness United
Free Church was united with this charge in 1929 on the union of the
United Free Church of Scotland and the Church of Scotland. In 1983
Ceres established a link with Springfield and the two charges later
united in 1989, under the name of Ceres and Springfield. The kirk
session formerly sat within the Presbytery of Cupar and presently falls
under the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of St Andrews.
- Ceres Associate Congregation / Ceres West Church / Ceres St
Andrews Road United Presbyterian Church
Ceres Associate Congregation (an Antiburgher congregation) was first
established in 1740 and the first minister of the congregation, William
Campbell, was ordained in September 1742. It is thought that services
must have initially taken place in the open air as no place of worship
had yet been erected in 1742, however a stone within the old church is
recorded to have borne the date 1744. At some point the congregation's
name became Ceres West, probably after the start of the Relief Church
congregation at Ceres in 1798, which was Ceres East. There was a
significant reduction in the size of the congregation from the late
18th century because of the existence of Ceres East, and because there
was an Antiburgher congregation at nearby Cupar. The congregation
obtained a new church in St Andrew's Road in 1877. By the 1870s there
were moves to unite the two Ceres congregations (both now United
Presbyterian Church charges), and this took place in 1885. At the union
in 1900 of the United Presbyterians and the Free Church of Scotland,
the charge became the Ceres St Andrew's Road, United Free Church, and
in 1913 a union was established with Ceres South, under the name of
Ceres U.F. Further union followed soon after in 1917 with Strathkinness
to form the charge of Ceres and Strathkinness U.F.
- Ceres Relief Congregation / Ceres East Church (United
Presbyterian)
The Relief Church congregation began at Ceres in 1798 as Ceres East. By
the 1870s there were moves to unite the two Ceres congregations (both
now United Presbyterian Church charges), and this took place in 1885.
- Ceres Free Church / Ceres South United Free Church / Ceres
and Strathkinness United Free Church
The congregation of Ceres Free Church was formed at the Disruption of
1843. In the beginning public worship was held in a temporary wooden
building, but a church to house the congregation was erected soon after
the establishment of the charge. Following the union of the United
Presbyterian Church and the Free Church of Scotland in 1900, Ceres Free
Church became Ceres South, United Free Church and in 1913 a union was
established with Ceres St Andrew's Road, under the name of Ceres U.F.
Further union followed soon after in 1917 with Strathkinness to form
the charge of Ceres and Strathkinness U.F. After the union of the
United Free Church and the Church of Scotland in 1929, the designation
became Ceres Church of Scotland.
At the Special
Collections Dept. of St
Andrews University Library:
- CH2/65
Ceres Kirk Session
Minutes, 1644-1697, 1700-1717, 1740-1849, 1889-1902 and 1912-1921; Cash
book, 1700-1710, 1740-1757, 1783-1801 and 1819-1851; Poor's fund
accounts, 1835-1844; Baptismal register, 1856-1861 and 1910;
Proclamation register, 1856-1953; Communion roll, 1870-1881, 1885-1896,
1906-1912 and 1920-1922; Congregation roll, 1878; Poor's committee
minutes, 1843-1846; Parochial board minutes, 1844-1857 and 1885-1904.
- CH3/54
Ceres Associate Congregation / Ceres West Church / Ceres St Andrews
Road United Presbyterian Church
Session minutes, 1738-1748 and 1781-1885; Accounts, 1738-1771;
Manager's minutes, 1885-1913; Account book, 1771-1798, 1783-1833 and
1899-1913; Baptismal register, 1738-1806, 1808, 1836-1837 and
1858-1891; Communion roll, 1858-1913.
A transcript of the Associate Congregation
baptisms 1738-1806, 1808, 1836-1837, has been published by the Fife Family History Society
Baptismal Registers No. 2, It is also
available on
CD and on the Records
pages of their website.
The LDS
have filmed the following records which may be consulted at LDS
Family History Centres.
| 304670 Item 6 |
Ceres Associate Congregation |
Baptisms, 1738-1806, 1808, 1836-1837 |
CH3/54 St
Andrews University Library |
| 1482999 |
Ceres Associate Congregation |
Session minutes, 1738-1748 (includes account,
1738-1771), 1781-1863. Baptisms, 1738-1806, 1808, 1836-1837, 1858-1891. |
| Data
provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints |
- CH3/55
Ceres Free Church / Ceres South United Free Church / Ceres and
Strathkinness United Free Church
Session minutes, 1844-1903 and 1913-1929; Communion roll, 1852-1867 and
1871-1903; Deacon's court minutes, 1846-1909; Congregational board
minutes, 1913-1929; Account book, 1847-1876, 1880-1913 and 1918-1929;
Member's contributions, 1918-1929; Baptismal register, 1877-1894.
The LDS
have filmed the following records which may be consulted at LDS
Family History Centres.
| 1484199 Items 2-6 |
Ceres Free Church |
Session minutes, 1844-1903 Communion roll,
1852-1903
Deacons' court minutes, 1846-1909 Deacons' court account book, 1847-1876 |
CH3/55/1-2, 4, 6,
11-12 St
Andrews University Library |
| 1485042 Item 1 |
Ceres Free Church |
Baptismal register, 1877-1894 |
| Data
provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints |
Included in the Old Parochial Registers on microfilm and at
the ScotlandsPeople
Centre, Edinburgh but not online:
- 415/1
Ceres Kirk Session
Collections c.1626-44
At the National
Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh:
- HR/386
Ceres parish heritors' records
Minutes, 1828-1930; Poor Fund accounts,1828-1839, 1843-1845; Cash book,
1845-1930; Ledger, 1911-1927; Assessments 1828-1887; Papers relating to
division of church, 1810, 1829; Correspondence, 1868-1905; List of
lairs, c 1891; Valuations, 1829,1852, undated; Plans of church, 1883.
At the Fife
Council Archive Centre, Markinch:
- FCC/6/15
Ceres Parochial Board / Parish Council
Minute books, 1846-1930.
At the Special
Collections Dept. of St
Andrews University Library:
- CH2/65
Ceres Parochial Board
Parochial board minutes, 1844-1857 and 1885-1904.
At the Fife
Council Archive Centre, Markinch:
- Ceres School
Log books, 1863-1870, 1873-1991; Admissions Registers, 1929-2004;
School Board Minutes 1873-1919.
- Papers of John Trotter of Ceres, Schoolmaster
Diaries and notebooks, 1851-1870; his schoolmaster's certificate and
testimonials, 1844-1870; list of pupils at Ceres School, c.1867 and
programme for a reunion for former pupils in 1938.
- Craigrothie School
Log books, 1909-1964.
Entries less than 50 years old may contain sensitive personal
information and are not on open access. If you are a former pupil you
are entitled to see your own entry. Please contact the Archivist for
further details.
Data provided by the Scottish Archive Network
(SCAN)
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Page maintained by William McM. Owen : last
updated 3 February, 2012
