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Laurencekirk

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"LAURENCEKIRK, a parish in the How district of county Kincardine, Scotland. It measures 4 miles in length, and is 3 broad. The land is chiefly arable, with about 300 acres of wood, pastoral, or waste. The rivulet Leuthar and numerous brooks intersect the parish. The surface is flat in the centre, but hilly both towards the northern and southern boundaries. Weaving is carried on by the inhabitants. The parish is intersected by the Aberdeen railway, and by the road from Forfar to Aberdeen. The parish is in the presbytery of Fordoun, and synod of Angus and Mearns, in the patronage of St. Mary's College, St. Andrew's. The minister's stipend is £241. The parish church is a modern and commodious structure. It was erected in 1828 in place of one built in 1626, and which was dedicated to St. Lawrence. The ancient name of the parish, however, was Conveth. The other places of worship are, Episcopalian and Independent chapels, and a Free church. There are parochial and other schools, and one or two libraries. Dr. Beattie (1735-1803), the poet and philosopher, and his nephew, James Beattie, professor of natural history in Aberdeen University, were natives of this place. The parish school was kept by Thomas Ruddiman, the grammarian. The town of Laurencekirk is a railway station on the Aberdeen line, and is 10 miles N. of Montrose, and 7 W. of Bervie. It consists of a main street nearly a mile in length, with another parallel to it, and two or three short ones branching from the principal streets. It is well lighted with gas. The town is greatly indebted for the consequence it enjoys at the present day to Lord Gardenstone, a judge of the Court of Session, who, about 1762, purchased the estate of Johnstone, and built several houses. In 1779 he procured for this place the privileges of a burgh of barony, with the right of holding a weekly market. It is governed by a bailie and four councillors, who are chosen every three years, and regulate the police, &c. The manufacture of fancy work-boxes, wooden snuff-boxes, and also of linen, form the chief employments of the inhabitants. In the town are branches of the Aberdeen and County bank, the North of Scotland bank, and the Montrose savings-bank; also a farmers' club, and a horticultural society. A sheriff's small-debt court is held here on the first Mondays in February, June, and October. Market day is Monday. Fairs are held on the third Wednesday in January (old style), the last Tuesday in April, 26th May, Thursday after third Tuesday of July (old style), Thursday after second Tuesday of August (old style), Monday before the last Wednesday of September, first Thursday in November, and 22nd November."

Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

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Cemeteries

Monumental Inscriptions for the parish have been recorded in Pre-1855 Gravestone Inscriptions in Kincardineshire, edited by Alison Mitchell, Scottish Genealogy Society, 1986, ISBN 0 901061 29 8.

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Church Records

Old Parish Records for the parish of Laurencekirk [263] are located in New Register House, Edinburgh.

These have also been microfilmed by the LDS:

  BirthsQtyMarriagesQty
263Larencekirk6902902269029031
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Civil Registration

All records of Civil Registration are held at New Register House, Edinburgh. Microfilm copies of births, deaths and marriages for the years 1855 - 1875, 1881 and 1891 have been filmed by the LDS and can be ordered to any family history centre worldwide. Please check film numbers before ordering.

YearBirthDeathMarriageYearBirthDeathMarriage
18550103353010348701035951867035095203490440348996
18560256463025641202565181868035272803632490363203
18570280426028026202801431869034031503841320384479
18580280489028031802801791870035280103853330363142
18590280552028037102802201871022446902245950224541
18600280616029281002927691872030007303003080300214
18610224092022440702241651873030014703003660300261
18620292925029286602948701874032902203402530347929
18630294804029474502949141875038439604129050363302
1864321194032365903236131881023263602341910233477
1865321263033011503301741891025509902563490256084
1866033260303508920333286    
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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Laurencekirk which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NO725728 (Lat/Lon: 56.84541, -2.453202), Laurencekirk which are provided by: