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Ceres

Map showing the location of the parish

"Ceres parish, containing the villages of Ceres, Pitscottie, Craigrothie, Chance Inn and Baldinnie, is bounded by St Andrews, Cameron, Kemback, Largo, Scoonie, Kettle and Cults. It measures about 7 miles by 4 miles. Fully one half of the land is highly cultivated. There is plenty of limestone, which is extensively worked, and coal is found at Ladeddie. The village of Ceres is 2.5 miles south of Cupar on the road to Largo. The hand-loom weaving of linen has long been carried on here and in Craigrothie, but is now in decline. One bleachfield remains, and there are spinning mills at Tarvit Mill and Pitscottie.In the rural areas, the inhabitants are employed in agriculture, and in mining limestone and coal. Ceres village has a parish church, a Free Church and 2 United Presbyterian Churches (East & West). The latter was the earliest seceeding congregation in the centre of Fife, a number of its members living 10 to 15 miles distant." edited from Westwood's Directory for the counties of Fife & Kinross published 1862.

Towns and Villages

Ceres
Chance Inn
Craigrothie
Pitscottie (part); the rest is in Kemback parish


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

Cemeteries

There are 2 cemeteries in Ceres parish:

1. Ceres Old Churchyard, Main Street, Ceres (grid ref. NO 399116):

2. Ceres Cemetery, St Andrews Road, Ceres (grid ref. NO 400115):

Census

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

Parish / district reference number for 1851 - 1901 censuses: 415

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 History

The 1865 Ecclesiastical Directory lists the parish church, 2 United Presbyterian churches (East and West) 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):

Ceres OPR Births / baptisms Proclamations / marriages Deaths / burials / mortcloths
415/1 1620-1700 1620-1700 1620-1655
415/2 1700-1763 1700-1763 1707-1763
415/3 1763-1819 1763-1819 1763-1819
415/4 1820-1854 1820-1854 1820-1854
Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland

The Associate Session Church (Ceres West) has the following baptism records, held at the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library:

Ceres Associate Congregation Baptisms
CH3/54 1738-1806; 1808; 1836-1837

A transcript of these baptisms has been published by the Fife Family History Society Baptismal Registers No. 2, and is also available on the Records pages of their website.

Kirk Session and similar records for the parish church (CH2/65), the Associate Congregation (CH3/54) and the Free Church (CH3/55) are held at the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library. Some Kirk Session material is to be found in the OPR records (415/1). Details of church records here.

Heritors' Records (HR386) 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
Ceres 415 1855 1967
Cupar 420 1968 1971
Cupar 417 1972 2002
Fife 417 2003  

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

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Description & Travel

Ceres town centre Ordnance Survey Grid Reference GPS Post code Lat. 56°17'36"N
NO 399116 56.293017
-2.972580
KY15 5ND Lon. 2°58'18"W

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 and the Special Collections Dept. of St. Andrews University Library. Details of records here.

Population

Year Population
1755 2540
1801 2352
1851 2833
1901 1545
1951 1376

See also A Vision of Britain for population statistics.

Probate Records

Prior to 1824, wills, testaments & inventories of residents of Ceres 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 03 December 2006