Keir, Dumfriesshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #833

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

= History =

The New Statistical Account of Scotland (pub. 1834-45) offers uniquely rich and detailed parish reports for the whole of Scotland, covering a vast range of topics including history, agriculture, education, trades, religion and social customs. The reports, written by the parish ministers, are available online at http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish reports for [parish]. Also available at the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlehitlist&columns=*%2C0%2C0&title=the+new+statistical+account+of+scotland&pretitle=the+new+statistical+account+of+scotland Family History Library. ]

= Census Records =

A census is a count and description of the population, taken by the government, arranged by locality and by household. Read more about Scotland Census Records.

Click here for a list of the Family History Library microfilm numbers for the [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C180%2C0&titleno=636687&disp=Census+returns+for+Keir+%28parish+833%29++ census records of Keir. ]

Below is information for any known surname indexes:

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 on computer at the Family History Library and familly history centers. Some records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: There are no birth entries December 1728–June 1730. Mother's names are not recorded until 1791. Marriages: Marriage records are incomplete 1770–1773 and there are no entries December 1790–June 1827 except one for 1800. Deaths: There are no death entries October 1791–April 1827 except one for 1800. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book 941 K23b.

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
Minutes, with lists of poor 1834–1854 Note: Available at the Scottish National Archives, Edinburgh, record CH2/1206.

Nonconformist Church Records
No known nonconformist groups, though in 1836 there were 6 families who belonged to the Relief church, 8 to the Secession, 8 to the Reformed, and 3 to the Roman Catholic.

Return to the Dumfries-shire parish list.