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Pittenweem

Map showing the location of the parish

" Pittenweem parish, consisting of the Royal Burgh, lies on the Firth of Forth and is bounded by St Monans and Anstruther Wester. It is only 1.5 miles long by 0.5 miles broad. An abundance of excellent coal exists in the parish - it was once worked, but now only requires capital and enterprise to re-commence this valuable activity. The Royal Burgh consists of several streets, with many of the houses looking substantial and neat. The harbour has a south-westerly entrance and has been much improved of late. A number of sloops and schooners belong to the harbour and the shore dues amount to upwards of £200 per annum. Much business is done in the export of potatoes and grain. The principal imports are coal, wood and salt - the latter for fish curing purposes. Pittenweem is an extensive fish curing station. The number of crans brought into the harbour in 1860 being 14730, the value of which amounted to £13000. The majority of the Population are employed in connection with the sea, such as sailors, fishermen, fish curers, coopers, etc. There is, in addition to the parish church, an Episcopalian Church, a UP Church and a Free Church preaching station." edited from Westwood's Directory for the counties of Fife & Kinross published 1862.

Towns and Villages

Pittenweem


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

Bibliography

Old Pittenweem (Stenlake Publishing) contains many photographs and full descriptions.

Cemeteries

There are 2 cemeteries in Pittenweem parish:

1. Pittenweem Churchyard, Kirkgate, Pittenweem (grid ref. NO 549026):

2. Pittenweem Cemetery, David Street, Pittenweem (grid ref. NO 546028):

Census

Parish / district reference number for 1841 - 1901 censuses: 452

The 1841 return can be searched on the FreeCEN website.

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 (for St Adrian's Church of Scotland) span the following dates (although there may be gaps within these ranges):

Pittenweem OPR Births / baptisms Proclamations / marriages Deaths / burials / mortcloths
452/1 1611-1745 1692-1745 1685-1690
452/2 1750-1819 1750-1819 1782-1819
452/3   1612-1652  
452/4 1820-1854 1820-1854 1820-1854
CH2/833 (at SRO)   Accounts for marriages  1650-1662  
Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland

The 1865 Ecclesiastical Directory lists the parish church, the Episcopal Church (St John's) and a United Presbyterian Church.

The Episcopal Church in Pittenweem (St John's) has registers which are still kept by the church. Those for the period before 1855 are:

Pittenweem (St John) Births / Baptisms Marriages Burials
  1800-1854 1799-1852 (few in number) 1812-1854 (very few)

A transcript of these entries has been published by the Fife Family History Society Baptismal Registers No. 5. It is also available on the Records  pages or their website.

There was another church (variously the Relief, United Presbyterian, United Free, then St Fillan's Church of Scotland).

Kirk Session and similar records for both the parish church (CH2/833) and the United Presbyterian Church (CH3/802) are held at the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library. Some Kirk Session material is also to be found in the OPR records (452/3).

Heritors' Records (HR68) 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
Pittenweem 452 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.

Court Records

On the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society website there is an index to Pittenweem Burgh Register of Deeds (1721-1881).

Description & Travel

Pittenweem town centre Ordnance Survey Grid Reference GPS Post code Lat. 56°12'47"N
NO 548025 56.212923
-2.730319
KY10 2LA Lon. 2°43'47"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

On 15th May 1891, small areas with indistinct boundaries were exchanged between Anstruther Wester and Pittenweem parishes.

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, 30.

Occupations

Mariners of St Andrews and the East Neuk of Fife by David Dobson can be obtained from the Fife Family History Society or the Tay Valley Family History Society.

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 939
1801 1072
1851 1473
1901 1911
1951 1594

See also A Vision of Britain for population statistics.

Probate Records

Prior to 1824, wills, testaments & inventories of residents of Pittenweem 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 Pittenweem Sheriff Court.

Schools

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

Town Records

Some archives of the former Burgh of Pittenweem are held at the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library. They include the Burgh Court Book (1630-1669) and Council Minutes (1629-1975).  Other records are at Cupar Library, including parochial assessments, rental books and lists of voters.

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

On the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society website there is an index to Pittenweem Burgh Register of Deeds (1721-1881).

The Pittenweem Burgh Registers of Sasines (1669-1960) are held at the National Archives of Scotland (B60).

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William McM. Owen    last updated 03 December 2006