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Kennoway

Map showing the location of the parish

"Kennoway parish is bounded by Kettle, Scoonie, Wemyss and Markinch. It contains the villages of Kennoway, Baintown, Bonnybank and Star. It is about 3.5 miles east - west and 2 miles north - south. There are 2 corn and barley mills, and a sawmill. Coal is worked, though only of middling quality. The chief occupations are connected with agriculture and the linen industry, but the number of hand loom weavers is declining considerably. There are 3 churches: the parish church, a Free Church and a UP Church (the oldest building). There is a parish school and also a female industrial school in Kennoway, and a subscription school in Star." edited from Westwood's Directory for the counties of Fife & Kinross published 1862.

Towns & Villages

Kennoway
Star


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

Bibliography

Old Kennoway, Star & Windygates (Stenlake Publishing) contains many photographs and full descriptions.

Cemeteries

There are 2 cemeteries in Kennoway parish:

1. Kennoway Old Churchyard, The Causeway (grid ref. NO 350023): 2. Kennoway Cemetery, Langside Avenue (grid ref. NO 348030):
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Census

Parish / district reference number for 1841 - 1901 censuses: 434

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, there was also a Free Church in Kennoway and a Burgher Church (later United Presbyterian) - Kennoway Arnot.
The 1865 Ecclesiastical Directory lists the parish church, the United Presbyterian 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):

Kennoway OPR Births / baptisms Proclamations / marriages Deaths / burials / mortcloths
434/1 1638-1654 1638-1654  
434/2 1691-1770 1691-1770  
434/3 1771-1819 1771-1819 1730-1819
434/4 1820-1854 1820-1854 1820-1854
Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland

The United Presbyterian Church in Kennoway (Arnot) has some pre-1855 registers:

Kennoway (Arnot) Baptisms  
CH3/1369 1848-1854  

A transcript of these United Presbyterian entries has been published by the Fife Family History Society Baptismal Registers No. 1. They are also available on the Records pages of their website.

Kirk Session and similar records for both the parish church (CH2/206) and the Arnot (Burgher, United Presbyterian) (CH3/1369) are held at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh. Some Kirk Session material is to be found in the OPR records (434/1). The location of records of the Kennoway Free Church is not known. Details of church records here.

The Presbytrie Book of Kirkcaldie, the record of the proceedings of the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy (which includes references to this parish - as Kennoquhie), from 15 April 1630 - 14 September 1653, is available online.

Heritors' Records (HR293) 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
Kennoway 434 1855 1971
Kennoway 419 1972 2002
Fife 419 2003  

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

Description & Travel

Kennoway town centre Ordnance Survey Grid Reference GPS Post code Lat. 56°12'40"N
NO 350026 56.211525
-3.049515
KY8 5LZ Lon. 3°2'56"W

Surrounding parishes: Scoonie, Kettle, Markinch.

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.

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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).

Obituaries

Andrew Campbell has produced Fife Deaths from Newspapers 1822-1854 - a compilation of deaths recorded in local newspapers. Copies of this index are held by the Fife libraries and the Family History Societies.

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 re-published it in their Publications Series, 28.

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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 1240
1801 1466
1851 2257
1901 1505
1951 3629

See also A Vision of Britain for population statistics.

Probate Records

Prior to 1824, wills, testaments & inventories of residents of Kennoway may be found in either the St Andrews Commissariot (CC20) or the Edinburgh Commissariot (CC8) records. From 1824 to 1960, commissary business was conducted by the Sheriff Court of Fife at Cupar (SC20). From 1960, it has been conducted at Kirkcaldy (SC23) Sheriff Court.

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 30 December 2006