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Cupar

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Description of the parish in 1856

"Cupar is bounded by the parishes of Dairsie, Kemback, Ceres, Cults, Monimail, Moonzie and Kilmany. It is 5 miles long and 5 miles wide at its widest point. The river Eden flows through the parish, about 2/3rds of the parish being on the north bank. There are 3 spinning mills, a foundry, a fulling mill, 2 tan works, 3 breweries, a rope work, a brick work and several corn, barley and flour mills. A principal employment is the weaving of coarse linens which employs upwards of 600 looms. There are stations on the Dundee fork of the Edinburgh & Northern Railway at Cupar and Springfield. The burgh of Cupar contains many new houses and presents the appearance of a thriving modern town." edited from  Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland published 1856.

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The parish includes Cupar and Springfield.

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Archives & Libraries

Cupar Library has a good collection of genealogy and local history materials.

The ScotlandsPlaces website lets users search across national databases by geographical location. It includes, amongst other material,

  • catalogue entries for maps and plans held by the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh; some maps and plans can be viewed
  • photos and details of historical buildings and archaeological sites recorded by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Edinburgh
  • 17th and 18th century tax rolls
  • Ordnance Survey [place] Name Books
  • an opportunity to transcribe thousands of historic documents
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Bibliography

A very good description is to be found in the relevant chapter in History of the County of Fife: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time by John M Leighton, published 1840, online at Google Books.

An excellent book is Cupar - The History of a Small Scottish Town by Paula Martin, 2006. ISBN 1 84158 410 X

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

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Cemeteries

There are 3 cemeteries in Cupar parish:

1. Cupar Old Parish Churchyard, Kirk Wynd, Cupar (grid ref. NO 372142, GPS: 56.317455 -3.014511):

  • Monumental inscriptions are in Mitchell & Mitchell - see below.
  • Stone 166 is missing from the reprinted Mitchell & Mitchell. It is a manuscript addition to some earlier copies: stone 166 - Robt Birrell, sadler, w Margt Henderson d .... (77); (convenor) Robt B 11.6.1829 74, his wife Jean Moncrief 22.11.1843 80.
  • Some stones are recorded in Graveyard Monuments in East, North and Central Fife, John di Folco, published in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1969-70, vol. 102, pages 205-236, which deals largely with stones dated pre-1707. It can be downloaded from ARCHway.
  • Transcripts of many of the older stones were made by Robert Monteith in An Theater of Mortality, 1713. They are included in Publication 37, Monumental Notes by Erskine Beveridge and Robert Monteith, published by the Fife Family History Society. Montieth's book is available at the Internet Archive texts.
  • Transcripts of the Covenanter stones are included in Publication 38, Monumental Notes part 2, published by the Fife Family History Society.
  • A CD with photographs of the stones and transcriptions is available from Scottish Monumental Inscriptions or from The Parish Chest.

2. Cupar Extension - St James's Cemetery, Ashlar Lane, Cupar (grid ref. NO 373142, GPS: 56.317068 -3.014613):

  • This was opened as an extension to the parish churchyard in about 1842.
  • Monumental inscriptions are in Mitchell & Mitchell - see below.
  • A St James burying ground rent book, 1904-1927, is in the Cupar Burgh Records (B13) at the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library.
  • A CD with photographs of the stones and transcriptions is available from Scottish Monumental Inscriptions or from The Parish Chest.

3. Cupar Cemetery, Ceres Road, Cupar (grid ref. NO 378135, GPS: 56.311599 -3.007307):

  • The cemetery was opened in 1867.
  • Pre-1855 monumental inscriptions are in Mitchell & Mitchell - see below.
  • The current lair registers (dating from 1868) are administered by Fife Council, Bereavement Services East, County Buildings, St Catherine Street, Cupar, KY15 4TA. Tel. 01334 659336. Fax 01334 412896.
  • There is a listing of grave locations in Fife of holders of the Victoria Cross.
  • A CD with photographs of the stones and transcriptions is available from Scottish Monumental Inscriptions or from The Parish Chest.

4. Wemyss mausoleum, in the grounds of Hill of Tarvit House (formerly Wemyss Hall):

The pre-1855 monumental inscriptions are listed in Fifeshire Monumental Inscriptions (pre-1855) vol. 3 The north east parishes by John Fowler Mitchell & Sheila Mitchell, published by the Scottish Genealogy Society. ISBN 0901061999

War graves can be seen at the Scottish Wargraves Project and war memorials can be seen at the Scottish War Memorials Project.

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Census

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

Parish / district reference number for 1851 - 1901 censuses: 420

The 1851 return can be searched on the FreeCEN website.

The 1851 census has been indexed by the Tay Valley Family History Society.

Some census records on microfilm may be consulted in  LDS Family Search Centres around the world.

LDS Library Film Numbers:

 18511861187118811891
Cupar1042254103826103988203519208751
(Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Further information on the main Fife page.

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Churches

Presbyterian / Unitarian
Cupar, Church of Scotland
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Church History

The Old Statistical Account (written in the 1790s) gives this information about Dissenters:

  • The Established Church in Cupar is collegiate [served by 2 ministers].
  • Episcopal Church - there has always been a meeting house in Cupar and a pastor residing in the town until a few months ago. They are now a very small number, assembling for public worship only occasionally when the Episcopal minister from Pittenweem presides.
  • The Relief sect - have a meeting house, built in 1769; numbers difficult to ascertain as they are in a state of constant fluctuation.
  • Burghers and Antiburghers - a few who belong to the congregations who meet at Ceres and Rathillet.
  • About 7 or 8 persons assemble on the Lord's Day in a private house in the town, but their principles and mode of worship are not known.

The New Statistical Account (written in 1836) gives this information:

  • The exact number of Dissenters and Seceders in the parish has been impracticable to ascertain.
  • 1 Episcopalian chapel; 2 chapels belonging to the Relief connection, 1 chapel for the Associate Synod, 1 chapel for the Old Light Burghers or Original Seceders, 1 chapel for the Baptists, 1 chapel for the Glassites.

A census of Religious Worship and Education was taken in 1851 at the same time as the census of population. A table of statistics about the churches in Fife at this time is available here. The statistics for the separate burghs were also given. Those for Cupar are as follows:

Cupar (Parliamentary Burgh): Population of Parish 7127, Population of Burgh 5686:

Religious DenominationNumber of Places of WorshipNumber of SittingsNumber of Attendants at Public Worship on Sunday March 30 1851 (including Sunday Scholars)
FreeAppropriatedTotalMorningAfternoonEvening
Established Church3359186133001300145070 [sic]
United Presbyterian Church318482110070082668 [sic]
Free Church1 10501050850950 
Episcopal Church120120140108  
Baptists1700 700250370 
Isolated Congregations1310 31083122 
Total1014073513660032913718750 [sic]
The number of sittings was not returned for 1 of the United Presbyterian Churches.
Returns are altogether wanting for 2 other churches: Established Church 1, United Presbyterian Church 1.

Source: Census of Great Britain, 1851, Religious worship and education. Scotland. Report and tables. British Parliamentary Papers 1854 LIX (1764).

The 1865 Ecclesiastical Directory lists the parish church, a second charge of the Established Church in Cupar and one in Springfield, the Roman Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church (St. James), the Baptist Church, 2 United Presbyterian Churches (Boston and Burnside) and the Free Church.

Information and pictures of the churches at the Scottish Churches website. Details of church history:

  • Cupar Old and St Michael of Tarvit Church

The parish church of Cupar was dedicated to St Christopher and belonged, prior to the reformation, to the Priory of St Andrews. In 1415 a new parish church was erected by the Prior of St Andrews, which was partially pulled down in 1785 to make way for the present day building. A second charge was established for the parish of Cupar in 1625 and in 1938 the two charges were united together. Following this union the session became known as Cupar Old and St Michael of Tarvit and the church of the former second charge was later sold in 1951. The kirk session sat within the Presbytery of Cupar until the restructuring of the Presbyteries in 1976, when it became part of the Presbytery of St Andrews.

  • Cupar Free Church / St John's United Free Church / St John's Church of Scotland

The session of Cupar St John's began at the Disruption of 1843 when the minister and a significant number of the congregation of Cupar Parish Church adhered to the Free Church. A church was erected for the new charge in 1844, which was later replaced in 1878. Following the union of the United Presbyterian Church and the Free Church of Scotland in 1900, Cupar Free Church was termed Cupar St John's United Free Church. Following the 1929 union of the United Free Church and the Church of Scotland, Cupar St John's U.F. became Cupar St John's Church of Scotland . The Kirk Session, which remains active today, sits within the Presbytery of St Andrews.

  • Boston United Presbyterian Church

The congregation of Cupar Boston U.P. church, which sits within the Presbytery of Cupar, can be traced back to 1770 when an area of land was purchased at Westport in the burgh for the purpose of erecting a Relief Church (hence the original name of Cupar Westport). Laurence Bonnar, who became the first minister of the newly established congregation, was ordained at a date no later than 1772. A new church, built on the site of the old one, was opened in 1849, and was now called Boston Church, within the United Presbyterian Church. Following the union of the United Presbyterian Church and the Free Church of Scotland in 1900, Cupar Boston U.P. Church became Cupar Boston United Free Church but the congregation was dissolved in 1918.

  • Cupar [associate, antiburgher, United Presbyterian, United Free], Bonnygate Church of Scotland

Prior to 1793 the Antiburgher families of Cupar, having no local place of worship, formed part of the Ceres congregation. In that year however the death of the Rev. Thomas Bennet, minister of Ceres Antiburgher Church, prompted a number of Antiburghers resident in Cupar to apply to the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy for provision of a separate charge. A temporary place of worship was consequently opened at Cupar in 1794 and in 1796 a church at Burnside was taken possession of, in which the congregation remained until 1866 when the church of Bonnygate was opened, by which time the church was within the United Presbyterian Church. Following the union of the United Presbyterian Church and the Free Church of Scotland in 1900, Cupar U.P. became Cupar Bonnygate United Free Church and following the 1929 union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church, the congregation was termed Cupar Bonnygate Church of Scotland. In 1972 the congregation, which sat within the Presbytery of Cupar, was dissolved.

  • Original Associate Burgher Church

The Cupar Original Associate Burgher Synod congregation branched from that of Kennoway in 1816. It was, however, only in 1819 that the first minister, Ebenezer Anderson, was ordained. In 1839, the congregation and the minister united with the Church of Scotland. After the Disruption, some members of the congregation turned to the Original Secession Church, and sought from the Presbytery of Perth and Dunfermline a supply of preachers, but at the end of 1844 it was decided that the congregation could no longer be sustained and it was therefore dissolved.

  • Provost Wynd Relief Church
  • Springfield Church

The parish church of Springfield was opened for worship on the 27th July 1862 and the parish itself was disjoined from that of Cupar on the 19th July 1865. In 1975 Springfield formed a link with Monimail however in 1983 this arrangement was terminated in favour of a link with Ceres. The two linked charges of Springfield and Ceres later went on to unite in 1989, under the name of Ceres and Springfield. The kirk session sat within the Presbytery of Cupar until the restructuring of the Presbyteries in 1976, when it became part of the Presbytery of St Andrews.

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Church Records

Data provided by the  Scottish Archive Network (SCAN)

The Parish Church (Established Church, Church of Scotland):

The original Old Parish Registers (of baptisms / births, proclamations / marriages, and deaths / burials) of the Church of Scotland, which cover the years up to 1854, are held in the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh, and they can all be consulted there at the National Records of Scotland. The baptisms / births, proclamations / marriages and deaths / burials indexes can be searched at the ScotlandsPeople website. Copies of the register entries may be purchased.

Parish reference number: 420

The Old Parish Registers (OPRs) span the following dates (although there are gaps within these ranges):

Cupar OPR Births / baptisms Proclamations / marriages Deaths / burials / mortcloths
420/1 1654-1715 1654-1716 1654-1716
420/2 1717-1777 1719-1777 1719-1777
420/3 1778-1819 1778-1819 1778-1819
420/4 1820-1854    
420/5   1820-1854 1820-1854
Register of Neglected Entries 1801-1850    
(Data supplied by the National Records of Scotland)
 

The Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland, published 1872, provides this information about the content of the OPRs, including the gaps within them:

From 1654 - 1817, B. M. and D. occur in the same Register book:- B. on left hand pages; M. and D. on right hand pages.
B.  defective 1696 - 1701, and blank (exc. three entries) Feb. 1716 - Nov. 1718. Mothers' names seldom recorded in entries of B. 1688 - July 1769.
M.  blank Jan. 1697 - Nov. 1703, and Dec. 1715 - June 1719; defective 1738 - 1740.
D.  (Burials.) Blank March 1697 - Dec. 1702.
Separate Records of B. M. and D. after Jan. 1817.

Copies of the registers on microfilm may be consulted in some local libraries and at LDS Family Search Centres around the world. The indexes to baptisms / births and proclamations / marriages can also be searched on the LDS Family Search website or on the IGI on microfiche in local libraries.

LDS Library Film Numbers:

1040100 Items 4 - 5 Baptisms 1654-1739; Marriages 1654-1738; Burials 1654-1739.
1040101 Baptisms, Marriages, Burials, 1739-1854; Neglected entries (Baptisms), 1801-1850.
(Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Deaths / burials are listed on Fife Family History Society's  Pre-1855 Fife Deaths CD.

Further information on the main Fife page.

Kirk Session records are held at the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library, with digital copies at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Heritors' Records (HR31) are at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

At the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library, with digital copies of the earlier volumes at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • CH2/1140
    Cupar St Michael's Kirk Session
    Management comittee minutes, 1925-1951; Treasurer's cash book, 1926-1940; Cash book, 1920-1952; Seat letting book, 1887-1938 and 1942; Manager's minutes, 1835-1855; Shareholder's minutes, 1855-1887; Teind roll and deed of constitution, 1941; Trustees and manager's minutes, 1887-1925.
  • CH2/753
    Cupar Kirk Session
    Minutes, 1838-1975; School Board minutes, 1892-1900; Birth and baptismal register, 1855-1924; Proclamations, 1908-1958; Communion roll, 1893-1917, 1930-1956; Cash book, 1844-1878 and 1927-1936; Congregational roll, 1892; Proclamation of banns, 1927-1936; Diary of George Hogarth, 1848-1890.
  • CH2/478
    Springfield Kirk Session
    Minutes, 1865-1934; Baptismal register, 1865-1904; Proclamation register, 1875-1932; Communion roll, 1873-1897 and 1901-1930.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • HR/31
    Cupar parish heritors' records
    Minutes, 1797-1928; Minutes of Committee for the Relief of the Distressed, 1816-1818; Accounts, 1802-1877; Vouchers ,1902-1903; Papers relating to buildings, 1828-1904; Miscellaneous papers and correspondence, 1812-1869; Plan of manse, 1839.

Other Churches:

Records for other churches are mostly held at the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library.

The LDS have filmed some records which may be consulted at LDS Family History Centres.

At the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library:

  • CH3/1077
    Cupar, St John's United Free church, Church of Scotland
    Minutes, 1908-1948.
  • CH3/66
    Cupar: Boston United Presbyterian Church (formerly First Relief Church, later United Free)
    Session minutes, 1813-1918; Manager's minutes, 1828-1880 and 1898-1918.

    The LDS have filmed the following records which may be consulted at LDS Family History Centres.
    LDS Library Film Numbers:

    1484197 Items 1-3 Boston United Free Church Relief session minutes, 1813-1871 (includes some christenings and marriages); Managers' minutes, 1828-1866. Original documents: CH3/66/1-2,6 St Andrews University Library
    (Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
  • CH3/798
    Cupar [associate, antiburgher, United Presbyterian, United Free], Bonnygate Church of Scotland
    Communion roll, 1970-1972; Certificates of Robert Robertson; Draft basis of the dissolution of congregation, 1972.
  • CH3/1191
    Cupar Associate Congregation [Original Associate Burgher Church]
    Associate congregation minutes, 1816-1835; Names of members, 1816-1834.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • Cupar Free Church
    MR30/1
    These are not included on the OPR microfilms but have been filmed as part of the Minor Records series:
      Baptisms
    Cupar Free Church 1843-1854

    Fife Family History Society have published an index in their Journal, New Series No. 35, Winter 2015.

    They are also available from the LDS Library, Film Numbers:

    1068235 Item 10 Cupar Free Church Blotter registers: Baptisms, 1843-1854; Communicants, 1837-1853. Original documents: MR30/1 National Records of Scotland
    (Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

The Cupar page of the LDS Family Search Research Wiki has more information about church history and records.

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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 districts covering this parish:

Registration districtnumberstart dateend date
Cupar burgh420/118551856
Cupar landward420/218551956
Cupar42018571971
Cupar41719722002
Fife4172003 

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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Court Records

Burgh Court Books (from 1699) are held by the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library.

On the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society website there is an index to Cupar Burgh Register of Deeds (1716-1862).

Cupar Sheriff Court records are held at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh (SC20). They include Register of Extract Decrees (from 1658); Court Processes (from 1699); Sequestrations (from 1838); Small Debt Court (from 1825); Register of Deeds (from 1658); Registers of Protests (from 1800); Commissary Court records (from 1824); Criminal Court records (from 1821); Record of Services of Heirs (from 1652).

Content headings for Fife Sheriff Court at Cupar are on the Court Records page.

An Index to the Cupar Sheriff Court Aliment Decrees 1830-1854 and an Index to the Sheriff Court of Fife Deeds 1715-1809 are available on the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society's website. The Society has also published printed indexes of Cupar Sheriff Court Register of Inventories (1824-1892) (published as Wills 1824-1892 Registered with the Sheriff Court of Fife at Cupar), and Cupar Sheriff Court Register of Deeds (1809-1900)

At the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library:

  • B/13
    Cupar burgh records
    Court and council books, 1549-1554, 1626-1653, 1657-1687; Court book (diet), 1699-1740; Court book (acts), 1760-1815; Registers of decreets, 1716-1773, 1830-1859; Register of cautions in lawburrows, 1765-1817; Dean of Guild Court: Act book, 1904-1975.
    Guildry records: court book, 1599-1701.
    An index to the Cupar Burgh Register of Deeds (1716-1862) is available on the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society's website.

At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Kirkcaldy:

  • B/Cu
    Cupar Burgh records
    Dean of Guild court register of minor warrants, 1925-1961.
  • QS
    Quarter Sessions for the County of Fife
    Registers of summary trials held at Cupar and Newburgh, 1834-1841, 1846-1850, 1858-1866, and 1875-1885
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Description & Travel

Cupar town centreOrdnance Survey Grid ReferenceGPSPost codeLat. 56°19'3"N
NO 37514556.318757
-3.012036
KY15 5ASLon. 3°0'43"W

Surrounding parishes: Monimail, Cults, Ceres, Kemback, Dairsie, Kilmany, Moonzie.

You can see pictures of Cupar which are provided by:

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Directories

The parish entry in Pigot's National Commercial Directory for the whole of Scotland, 1837, is online at Google Books.

Westwood's Parochial Directory for the Counties of Fife and Kinross for 1862 and 1866 are online at Google Books. On the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society website there is a transcription of the 1862 edition.

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Gazetteers

Several old gazetteers are available. They all contain descriptions of the parish and many are also worth searching for entries of places within the parish.

  • David Webster's Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, published 1819, online at Google Books.
  • Fullarton's Topographical, Statistical and Historical Gazetteer of Scotland, published 1842, online at Google Books.
  • Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, published 1846, online at British History Online.
  • Barbieri's Descriptive and Historical Gazetteer of the Counties of Fife, Kinross and Clackmannan, published 1857, is at Google Books.
  • Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4) and John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887), are on A Vision of Britain (click on "Historical places and writing").
  • Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland(1892-6) on Electric Scotland
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Historical Geography

A Vision of Britain provides historical descriptions, population & housing statistics, historic boundaries and maps.

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Land & Property

Sasines:

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • B/13
    Cupar burgh records, 1568-1943, including: Protocol books, 1568-1666; Register of sasines, 1685-1943; Register of sasines minutes, 1822-1943; Presentment books, 1899-1943; Indexes to register of sasines, 1886-1943.

Valuation rolls::

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • VR20
    Valuation Rolls: Cupar Burgh
    1885-1930; the Roll from 1930 is included in the Valuation Roll for the County of Fife
  • VR/101
    Valuation Rolls: County of Fife
    1855-1975, contains the landward (i.e. not burgh) part of the parish.

Details of historic buildings and archaeological sites in this parish held by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Edinburgh, are catalogued at ScotlandsPlaces. In the results, click RCAHMS. Unfortunately, not all entries have digital images.

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Maps

Historic maps:

Present-day maps:

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NO368145 (Lat/Lon: 56.318619, -3.023556), Cupar which are provided by:

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Medical Records

Hospital records (mostly of an administrative nature) are held by the Fife Council Archive Centre. The following hospitals are included: Adamson Hospital, Cupar 1865-1979; Stratheden Hospital, Cupar 1867-1970s. Only Stratheden Hospital has extensive patient records. Patient records are closed for 100 years.

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Military History

War graves can be seen at the Scottish Wargraves Project and war memorials can be seen at the Scottish War Memorials Project.

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Names, Geographical

The Ordnance Survey Object 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 enquiries).

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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, 27.

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Occupations

A list of Cupar shoemakers, 1783 - 1846, extracted from the Shoemaker Trade Book of Cupar, held by Fife Council Archive Centre, has been published by the Fife Family History Society in Publication 13 - Trade Incorporation Records and is also on the Records pages of their website.

The parish is included in Andrew Campbell's compilation of Fife Shopkeepers and Traders 1820-1870 taken from newspapers and directories. It is available in most Fife reference libraries, in the libraries of the family history societies, and at the Manuscript Department of the Special Collections Department of St Andrews University Library. It is also available as Fife Traders and Shopkeepers on CD from Fife Family History Society.

There is a series of articles about many Fife family businesses in Fife Family History Society's Journal, New Series 9.

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Poor Houses, Poor Law

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. See Public Records below.

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Population

YearPopulation
17552192
18014463
18517427
19016768
19518085

There is a page with census statistics from 1755 to 1961 here.

See also A Vision of Britain and Histpop for population statistics.

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Probate Records

Probate records are 'Confirmations' in Scotland.

Prior to 1824, wills, testaments & inventories of residents of Cupar 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, Cupar Sheriff Court and Cupar Burgh Register of Deeds.

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Public Records

Parochial Boards and their successors, Parish Councils, administered many local functions including poor relief.

At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Kirkcaldy:

  • FCC/6/21
    Cupar Parochial Board / Parish Council
    Minute books, 1845-1929.
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Schools

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

At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Kirkcaldy:

  • Madras Academy Infant School
    Log books, 1884-1912.
  • Kirkgate School
    Admissions Registers, 1923-1932; Log Books, 1912-1933.
  • Castlehill Primary School
    Admission Registers, 1897-1957; Evacuees Admissions Registers, 1939-1945; Log Books, 1895-1992.
  • Castlehill Infants School
    Admissions Registers, 1932-1937; Log Books, 1978-1981.
  • Cupar Burgh School
    School Board Minutes, 1873-1892, 1900-1919; Management Committee Minutes, 1946-1964
  • Bell Baxter School
    Management Committee Minutes, 1944-1964.
  • Cupar Parish School Board
    Management Committee Minutes, 1873-1890.
  • Springfield School
    School Board Minutes, 1873-1919; Log Books, 1897-1968.

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.

Education statistics for Fife schools in 1891-2 list the following board schools in the parish:

School BoardSchoolAccommodation for scholarsAverage attendance
Cupar (Burgh)Castlehill576392
Kirkgate414271
Cupar (Landward)Brighton6729
SpringfieldSpringfield282156
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Statistics

"Statistical accounts" giving fascinating insights into the local topography and history, social and economic conditions, and even the daily lives of people, were written by the parish ministers in the 1790s and the 1840s. For more information see the main Fife pages

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Taxation

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

  • E326
    Assessed Taxes Schedules 1748-1802
    Cupar Royal Burgh

The hearth tax, clock & watch tax, male servants tax, female servants tax, and farm horse tax are all on ScotlandsPlaces.

See also the Early Taxation Records page.

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Town Records

Towns were usually referred to as Burghs in Scotland.

  • B/13
    Cupar Burgh Records
    Cupar burgh records, 1568-1943, including: Protocol books, 1568-1666; Register of sasines, 1685-1943; Register of sasines minutes, 1822-1943; Presentment books, 1899-1943; Indexes to register of sasines, 1886-1943.

At the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library:

  • B/13
    Cupar burgh records
    Registers of deeds, protests etc, 1614-1624, 1660-1681, 1716-1724, 1760-1862; Registers of protests, 1809-1852; Court and council books, 1549-1554, 1626-1653, 1657-1687; Court book (diet), 1699-1740; Court book (acts), 1760-1815; Registers of decreets, 1716-1773, 1830-1859; Register of cautions in lawburrows, 1765-1817; Burgess lists/admissions, 1699-1771, 1795-1814; Council minutes, 1685-1975; Police commissioners minutes, 1859-1900; Dean of Guild Court: Act book, 1904-1975.
    Accounts: Common Good, 1789-1807, treasurer's, 1820-1834, police commissioners, 1871-1880, town council, 1834-1898; Rental book, 1872-1898, 1937-1941; Weekly tenants Rent Roll, 1942-1946; 1946-1949. Valuation rolls, 1903-1930, 1953-1975 (incomplete run); Abstracts of accounts, 1901, 1904-1909, 1911-1923, 1925-1950, 1957-1963, 1967-1974.
    Minute Book of Commissioners for erecting a new jail, 1809-1815; Registers of Mortgages (Water Act), 1875-1930; Register of Houses (Rent & Mortgage Restrictions Amendment Act, 1933), 1933-1938; Register of Bonds (Public Health Act), 1898-1969; Charter Book, 1784-1803; List of burgesses, 1824-1900; Licensing register and minutes, 1828-1902; St James burying ground rent book, 1904-1927; Minute Book of Duffus Park board of management, 1946-1971; Minute Book of joint committee with Fife County Council for Cupar Cemetery, 1835-1971; Fuel & Lighting Order 1939, Letter Book, 1939-1942; Town Council Letter Books, 1934-1939, 1949-1956; Sanitary Inspector's Letter Book, 1927-1938.; Collector's Cash Book, 1945-1951; Housing Cash Book, 1951-1952; List of buildings of special architectural or historic interest, 1967, 1972.
    Burgh charters and associated legal documents, 1364-1830; Transcripts of burgh charters (1363-1595), 1812; Title deeds concerning lands in Cupar, 18th-20th cents.
    Incorporated Trades accounts / minutes, 1650-1843; Weavers' trade documents, 1668-1794; Guildry records: court book, 1599-1701, sederunt books, 1718-1903, act book, 1814-1824, cash book, 1809-1838, legal papers, 1822-1823, burgess / guild brothers admissions, 1756-1789.
  • An index to the Cupar Burgh Register of Deeds (1716-1862) is available on the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society's website.

At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Kirkcaldy:

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    Cupar Burgh records
    Town council minutes, 1901-1949; general correspondence, 1898-1965; account books, 1894-1949; licensing registers, 1878-1974; Cupar Guildry correspondence and other papers, 1820-1921; Dean of Guild court register of minor warrants, 1925-1961; minute book of the Eight Trades of Cupar, 1755-1818; Shoemaker Trade of Cupar minute book, 1783-1846; records of Cupar Sick Poor Nursing Association, 1894-1957; Cupar Library committee minutes, 1844-1870; Cupar Conservative Association minute book, 1902-1912.