Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland Genealogy

New Statistical Account of Scotland (FHL book 941 B4sa, series 2)

Vol. # ___5__ County: _____Ayr______________ Parish: ______Beith _______________ This account was written in 1839.

The name of the parish is Celtic signifying birch. There is reason to believe that the whole of the district was once covered with woods.

Beith and

Gateside are the nearest towns.

Beith was the occasional residence of St. Inan, a confessor of some celebrity, whose principal place of abode was Irvine. He flourished about 839.

The Lordship of Giffen; J.S. Patrick of Trearne and Hazlehead; William Mure of Caldwell; William Patrick of Roughwood and Woodside, and Lady Montgomery were the major land owners. The land was primarily used for cattle, sheep, dairy, cheese, potatoes, beans, peas, and rye-grass. there is a lot of manufacturing.

The population in

1792 was 2872. The population in 1831 was 5113.

The earliest volumes of the registers commences in 1659 and are

imperfect. There has been some improvement as of late.

People belonging to the Established Church --3457                               The Relief-969                                United Secession--388                                Reformed Presbytery---75                                Roman Catholics-43                                Old Light Seceders--20                                Independents4                                Methodists---9                                Baptists---6                                Episcopalians---6                                To no Church 302