Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland Genealogy

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

History
INVERNESS, a royal burgh, sea-port town, and parish, in the county of Inverness, of which it is the chief town, 156 miles (N. N. W.) from Edinburgh; containing the villages of Balloch, Clachnaharry, Culcaboch, Hilton, Resawrie, and Smithtown of Culloden. This place, which derives its name from its situation near the mouth of the river Ness, is the largest and most flourishing town in the Highlands, of which it may be considered as the capital. Of the two old churches, the one called the High church, in which divine service is performed only in the English language, was built in 1772; it is a plain edifice containing 1260 sittings, and has an ancient square tower, said to have been erected by Oliver Cromwell. The other, called the Gaelic church, because the service is performed in that language, was built in 1794, and is also a plain structure, containing 1220 sittings. The late quoad sacra parish of North Church was separated from the parish of Inverness by act of the General Assembly: the church, erected in 1837 is a neat structure containing 1033 sittings. The late quoad sacra parish of East Inverness church was built in 1798, and altered and repaired in 1822. There is a preaching station in the ancient parish of Bona, where divine service is performed by the assistant of one of the ministers of the parish. The episcopal chapel, erected in 1801, is a neat building; and there are places of worship for the United Secession, Independents, and Wesleyans; and a Roman Catholic chapel. There are also places of worship for members of the Free Church.

The Parish name is Celtic in origin and is supposed to refer to the “Fall of Foyers”, which discharges it’s streams into Loch Ness. The Burgh of Inverness came into existence after the Roman period, and was the seat of the Pictish monarchy and became of some importance in the sixth century. Inverness Burgh became a location where many nobles and sovereigns established large strongholds to hold sway over extensive districts in the region.

The market-town of Inverness is the only one in the parish. There are three other towns within 70 KM, however, they are relatively small. Elgin is about 50 KM east, northeast of Inverness, while Newtonmore is about 50 KM south of Inverness. Ullapool is about 70 KM northeast of Inverness.

The city Inverness is situated at the outlet of Loch Ness and is a port city to the North Sea. Also Inverness is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland.

Macbeth the Celt, The Lord of Ross and Moray built castles in Inverness. There were about seven or eight principal heritors in the parish, none of which are named in this volume. Oliver Cromwell (1752-57) erected a citadel and fort on the north side of the town of Inverness.

The land under cultivation was between 8,000 and 9,000 acres, mostly in the vale of the river Ness. The highlands are covered with heath and woods of Scotch fir, with groves of larch, ash elm, beech and oak.

Cattle are common in the parish both for dairy and meat production, five year crop rotation is observed in the area. Fish (salmon) and fowl are plentiful in the region.

The population of the town and parish in the year of 1791 was 7,930 and in 1831 the population was 14,324.

Civil registers (Kirk-Session) extend back to August 1602 with a lapse between 1655 and 1673. There are no references to church records under the Churches and Ecclesiastical Affairs segment of this parish. There are references as to when the churches were built and notes as to their seating capacity.

There are two parish churches, both located in the town of Inverness (one in which English alone is preached) and the Gaelic Church in which Gaelic alone is preached. Other congregations in Inverness include Episcopalians, Seceders, Independents, Baptists, Methodists, and Roman Catholics.

This account was written April 1835.

Source: New Statistical Account of Scotland for Inverness, Family History Library book, series 2, vol. 14.

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 you are interested in. Also available at the F.

Church Records
TThe Established Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Read more about church records. Here are the pre-1855 records that exist for this parish.

Condition of Original Registers—
Index: For an index to these records, see Scotland’s People website, a pay-for-view website. The Scottish Church Records Index is also still available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may also be indexed in other FamilySearch collections for Scotland. Births: There are no entries January 1616–August 1642, December 1655–July 1675, and February 1685–December 1687. The lower portion of pages 41 and 42 are torn off. Except for a few entries on two pages for 1704–1706, there are no entries December 1695–April 1707. The record has been well and regularly kept from 1717–1819. After 1796, space at the end of each month, headed "supplement" has been inserted for neglected entries. Marriages: There are no entries December 1650–February 1654, April 1655–January 1708 and only one entry May 1716–October 1717. Deaths: There are no entries May 1690–October 1707. One page of irregular entries 1724–1760 is on a flyleaf of the register beginning October 1707. The first six pages of the record, which now begins October 1707, have been lost. There are only two entries for July 1819–March 1820. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book 941 K23b.

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The session was made up of the minister and the land owners and business men of the parish, chosen to serve on the session. The Kirk session dealt with moral issues, minor criminal cases, matters of the poor and education, matters of discipline, and the general concerns of the parish. Kirk session records may also mention births, marriages, and deaths.

Here is a list of the surviving Kirk session records for this parish: 

Inverness and Bona Kirk Session Old High Kirk
Minutes and Accounts 1688–1940 Note of Mortifications 1661–1683 Hospital Treasurer's Accounts 1663–1829 Hospital Pensioners' Accounts 1779–1810 Collections 1715–1733, 1835–1875 Discipline Fines 1718–1719 (mostly undated) 1725–1734 Disbursements of Surplus Collections 1807–1883 Source: Inverness Kirk Session Records 1661–1800 by A. Mitchell, British Book 941.21/I2 K2M; Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/720.

Inverness West Kirk Session
Minutes 1840–1844 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/905.

Nonconformist Church Records
A nonconformist church is any church that is not the Established church. Read more about nonconformity in Scotland in the article on the Scotland Church Records Union List.

Inverness East Free Church
History— The minister and office-bearers of the East Quoad Sacra Church, with the entire congregation, members and adherents, "came out" in 1843. They retained the property. The church was altered in 1852, and rebuilt in 1897. The manse, which had become old and unsuitable, was sold, and a house was rented for the minister. For long the East Church was the centre and rallying-point for evangelistic work in the Highlands. Membership: 1859, 170; 1900, 335. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843-1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 Vols. Pub. 1914. Film

Records— Family History Library Film Number Church Records 1843–1858  item 2 Church Records Baptisms 1843-1858 also in book form British 941.21/I2 K2f

Inverness High Free Church
History— At the Disruption a number of adherents of the Free Church formed themselves into a congregation, known for a time as the English, and afterwards as the High Congregation. Services were held at first in the Wesleyan Methodist Church, and later in Bell's School and grounds. The church was built on the east side of the Ness, and opened in December 1843. A new church was erected in 1852. The manse was built in 1863. Mr. Gavin Tait, a young man in 1843, ordained an elder in 1854, was still alive in 1900, having been session clerk for nearly fifty years. Membership: 1848, 180; 1900, 761. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 Vols. Pub. 1914. Film

Records— The extent of records is unknown.

Inverness North Free Church
History— The minister of the North Quoad Sacra church, with his congregation, adhered to the Free Church in 1843, and retained possession of their buildings. Some years later a new church was built. This became the principal Gaelic congregation in the town. Membership: 1854, 143; 1900, 401. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. Film

Records— Extent of records is unknown.

Queen Street United Presbyterian Church
History— Mr. Munro, afterwards minister of this congregation, was sent by the United Associate Synod to the North Highlands, as a Gaelic missionary, in 1829. While there, he preached sometimes in Inverness. Certain person’s resident in the town and neighborhood, hearing him upon some of these occasions, became desirous of having regular supply of sermon from the denomination to which he belonged, with Mr. Munro for their preacher. The Presbytery agreed, and Mr. Munro preached there on an average once a month, with him to be occupied elsewhere the other three. The congregation thus formed. In 1836, the rent of their place of worship was increased and it became necessary to erect a church for themselves or break up the congregation. A place of worship was accordingly erected that year. A new church was erected in 1865. The congregation adhered to the Free Church in 1873. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film.

Records— Minutes 1837–1873 Baptisms, Marriages and Admissions to Membership are inserted among the minutes. Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/180.

First United Presbyterian Church - extinct
History— This congregation originated in Nigg, about the year 1788. The congregation became extinct in 1810. After 1817, it became Union Street (see below). Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film.

Records— The extent of records is unknown.

Union Street United Presbyterian Church
History— Twenty persons formerly connected with the First Congregation, Inverness formed a second, by applying for and obtaining supply of sermon from the General Associate Anti-burgher Presbytery of Elgin in 1817. The Church was built in 1821; a new church was built on Union Street in 1864. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev.William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. Film. Source contains a list of ministers.

Records— Minutes 1848–1906 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/787.

Inverness Congregational Church
History— A church was formed in 1818. A chapel was erected on Fraser Street in 1826. By the middle of the century the church had become almost extinct. It was reformed in 1871 but ceased to meet about 1877. There were other congregational churches formed in Inverness but they switched to Baptist in 1807. Source: A History of Scottish Congregationalism, by Harry Escott, pub. 1960. Family Hstory Library book. Source contains lists of ministers.

Records— The extent of records is unknown. For information write to: The United Reformed Church, Scottish Synod Office PO Box 189 240 Cathedral Street Glasgow G1 2BX Scotland

Inverness Baptist Church
History— As early as 1804 there were persons of independent persuasion meeting for fellowship in the district of Strathspey, but without ministers. When the dispute on the Baptist question arose in 1807, most of the members adopted Baptist views and formed a church in Grantown, Morayshire. Independents from Strathspey and Badenoch also formed a church at Rothiemurchus, which became Baptist in 1807. A Baptist church was formed in Inverness about 1820. After the death of its minister in 1836, the members worshiped with the Independents. Following a great religious revival in 1859, a new Baptist congregation was formed, which lasted about ten years. Another was formed in 1898. Source: History of the Baptists in Scotland, by Rev. George Yuille, pub. 1926, Family History Library book also The Baptists in Scotland by D.W. Bebbington, Pub. 1988, Family History Library Book

Records— The extent of records is unknown. For information write to: Baptist Union of Scotland 12 Aytoun Road Glasgow G41 5RT Scotland

Inverness Methodist Society
History— John Wesley visited and preached in the highlands area of Scotland including in Inverness. A chapel was established there in 1798. The church today is on Huntly Street. It is the only active Methodist society in the region.

Records— The extent of the records is unknown. For information call the church at: 011-44-1463-231170 or write to: Methodist Archives and Research Centre John Rylands University Library of Manchester 150 Deansgate Manchester M3 3EH England

Inverness Episcopal Church
History— No history is available.

Records— The extent of records is unknown. For more information write to the church at: St. Andrew's Cathedral 15 Ardross Street Inverness IV3 5NS Scotland

Inverness Catholic Church
History— A congregation was formed in 1832. A church was built and consecrated to St. Mary in 1837. Inverness was served from Aigas 1810–1827, which has no records. From 1827 it was served from Eskadale. See Kilkarlity parish for earlier records. In the 1840s, Inverness served all the small country congregations. Records— Baptisms 1832–1903 Marriages 1836–1916 Burials 1852–1855 Note: Available online for a fee, at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk,Edinburgh, record MP/26.

Inverness Branch, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Records— Family Hstory Library Film Number Record of Members, 1847–1850  item 5

Maps

 * National Library of Scotland map collection

Probate Records
Inverness was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Inverness until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Inverness. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. You must register on the website but use of the index to probate records, called 'Wills and Testaments,' is free. You may then purchase a copy of the document or, if the document is before 1823, it will be on microfilm at the Family History Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Inverness-shire and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Inverness. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Inverness-shire. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Inverness-shire and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.' Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Websites

 * Inverness Resources and help pages on RootsChat Inverness Resources and help pages. (Free).