Dundee, Angus, Scotland Genealogy

Parish#282

History
St Mary's Church was founded in 1198. The building was wrecked by the English army in 1547 but was gradually restored. It became the parish church of Dundee in 1560. by 1788 the original building was divided into five churches, all serving the parish of Dundee. In 1822 St. David's Church was added. In 1841 the East, North, and South churches in the central building were destroyed by fire, leaving only St. Clement's known as the Steeple Church. By 1847 two of the churches, St. Mary's and St. Paul's had been restored to their places and an additional building was purchased for the third displaced church, St. John's or the Cross Church. St. Paul's and St. David's were later united. The four remaining churches had a joint Kirk Session.

St. Andrew's Church was opened in 1774; a Gaelic chapel was opened in Long Wynd in 1791 and also in 1791 the Chapelshade Church was opened. Between 1800 and 1842 nine more churches were started: St. David's, St. Peter's*, Hilltown*, St. Paul's*, Dunhope*, Wallacetown*, Lochee, St. Aidan's Broughty Ferry, and Willison*, making a total of seventeen churches. Those marked with an asterisk all seceded and joined the Free Church at the Disruption in 1843. Seven other churches lost large sections of their membership to the Free Church.

Source: New Statistical Account of Scotland, FHL book 941 B4sa, series 2 Vol 11. Also available online at http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Browse the scanned pages under ‘For non-subscribers,’ then search for the parish report.

Dundee Kirk
Records— Minutes 1682–1934 Treasurers Accounts 1640–1757, 1832–1835, 1840–1844, 1852–1949 Accounts of Emoluments of Session Clerk’s Office 1770–1856 Poor Widow’s Fund Cash Book 1745–1951 Anderson Mortification Accounts 1831–1940 Counter-Foils of Proclamations of Banns 1823–1831 Note: Available at the Dundee City Archive and Record Centre, Dundee, Scotland, record CH2/1218; also on microfilm at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Chapelshade Church, Chapel of Ease
Records—                                            FHL Film Number Manager’s Minutes 1790–1863                 1482983 items 1-4 Constitution and Minutes of the      Visiting Association 1852–1854          1482983 items 1-4

St. David's Kirk
Records— Minutes 1834–1849, 1876–1911 Note:  Available at the Dundee City Archive and Record Centre, Dundee, Scotland. Also on microfilm at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh; record CH2/926.

Wallacetown Kirk
Records— Accounts 1839–1861 Note: Available at the Dundee City Archive and Record Centre, record CH2/958.

Lochee Kirk
Records— Various Minutes 1829–1905 Note: Available at the Dundee City Archive and Record Centre, record CH2/1268.

St. Andrew's Kirk
Records—                                                            FHL Book Number Baptismal Records November 1871–March 1887        Q941.31/D1 K2a Other: Committee Minutes 1771–1776, 1797–1915 Burials 1795–1808 Cash Book 1772–1908 Legal Papers 1715–1873 Note:  Available at the Dundee City Archive and Record Centre, Dundee, Scotland, record CH2/1272.

Nonconformist Church Records
General Statement: The New Statistical Account of Scotland, dated December 1833 FHL book 941 B4sa, ser. 2, vol. 11 pt. 1, states that there were at that time three United Secession churches, one Associate Original Burgher church, one Associate Original Seceder church, one Relief chapel, one Congregational church, a meeting of Scotch Independents, a Methodist chapel, a Scotch Baptist meeting, two other Baptist parties, a large congregation of Glasites, two Epicopalian chapels, and a Roman Catholic chapel. The Free Presbyterian congregations would have been founded after the Disruption in 1843.

For more information on Dundee nonconformist churches and their records, click here.

Return to Angus parish list.