Dailly, Ayrshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #585

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Scotland as they pertain to the parish of Dailly. To learn more about how to use these records to search for your ancestors, go to the Scotland: Research Strategies.

= History =

The name given to this parish has probably arisen from its consisting principally of dale or valley stretching along the banks of the river Girvan. Girvan, Maybole, and Dailly are the closet major towns to the parish of Dailly. On the 5th day of July 1836, a day which will long be remembered for the length and violence of the thunder storm which raged over all the lowlands of Scotland, the lightning struck upon the hill in two different places leaving zig-zag fissures extending seven or eight yards. The population in 1801 was 2116, and in 1831 was 2074. The parish registers occupy seven volumes. The first volume begins in 1691 and is in some places is much decayed. During the early parts of the 1700s the records were not regularly kept but have been from 1751. The Established Church has 400 families, the Roman Catholic has 20 families, and the Disenters have 12. This history was orginially written in 1837.

source: New Statistical Account of Scotland(FHL book 941 B4sa, series 2 vol.5)

Available online at http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Browse the scanned pages via the parish reports.

= Census Records =

The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. To use it, you must register and pay a small access fee. All available censuses, 1841-1901, are indexed on this website. It may be easier for you to pay to use the website rather than access indexes through the library.

= Church Records  =

Condition of Original Registers—
Index: For an index to these records, see the Scottish Church Records Index available on computer at the Family History Library, and any of the more than 4500 family history centers world-wide. To find a center near you, click here. Some records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: The first four pages, much wasted and many entries imperfect, particularly the dates. Pages are blank December 1705–July 1711. There are two pages of omitted entries 1771–1774 after October 1775. There is a duplicate of portion January 1770–September 1787. Mothers' names were not recorded until 1794. Marriages: The first four pages are very much wasted and nearly all of the entries are imperfect. They are blank 1700–April 1703 and December 1705–July 1711. Deaths: The record prior to 1792 is entitled burials, but the dates of death only are recorded throughout. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970 British book 941 K23b.

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
Minutes 1691–1703, 1711–1930 Poors' Accounts 1740–1759, 1781–1783, 1792–1798, 1823–1940 Heads of Families 1834–1840 Dailly Sacred Music Society 1828–1832 Communion Rolls 1772–1777 Note:Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/392.

Dailly Free Church
History— Dr. William Chalmers, minister of the parish, and a large part of his congregation, "came out" at the Disruption. At first they worshiped in the open air. The church was built in 1844; the manse in 1845–1846. A school was maintained up to 1876. Membership: 1848, 260; 1900, 166. Source:Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film #918572.

Records— Minutes 1844–1937 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/321.

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