Newton-upon-Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #614

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

=  History =

The name of the parish is evidently derived from its situation on the banks of the Ayr river. Ayr is the nearest town. The parish is of very small extent, being only a mile and a half in length and a mile in width. The freemen are proprietors of all the land in the parish with the exception of ten acres. William Forbes, Esq. of Callendar, has the right of superiority over main street. The land was primarily used for, coal, potatoes, turnips, hay and grains of all kinds. The population in 1791 was 1689. The population in 1831 was 4020. The registers have been kept regularly since 1779.

The religious attendance of the parishioners was:

Established Church---2960 holding -708 sittings Relief 282 -116 United Secessions -188 --85 Original Seceders --102 --51 Reformed Presbyterians47 --15 Methodists --86 --24 Episcopalians --51 -13 Independents ---20 -11 Moravian --9 1

This account was written in 1837.

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

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 Newton-upon-Ayr. Also available at the.

= 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.

Here is a list of the Family History Library microfilm numbers for the as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

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 =

The Established Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Read more about Scotland 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 the Scottish Church Records Index on computer at the Family History Library and family history centers. Some records maybe indexed in FamilySearch Records. 

Note:This parish disjoined in 1779 from that of Monkton &amp; Prestwick. It is bounded on the east by St. Quivox and is sometimes listed with it.

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:

Minutes 1780–1916 Accounts 1780–1812, 1837–1847, 1856–1885 Register of Deaths 1811–1844, 1853 Note:Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/827.

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 Lists.

Newton–Upon-Ayr Free Church
History— James Stevenson, minister of the parish, and a large part of his congregation, "came out" in 1843. They met for worship in a Congregational Church until December of that year, when their own church was opened. About 1845 they purchased the Charity School buildings, and in 1847 built a school. The manse was erected in 1850. A new church was erected on the old site in 1862. A mission was carried on in Wallacetown until 1854, when it was sanctioned as a territorial charge. Membership: 1848, 602; 1900, 589. Source:Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1943–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914 Film #918572 More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— Minutes 1843–1916 Communion Roll 1844–1853 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/795.

= Civil Registration Records =

Government or civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths (also called statutory records) began on January 1, 1855 in Scotland. Each parish has a registrar's office and large cities have several. The records are created by the registrars and copies are sent to the General Register Office in Edinburgh. Annual indexes are then created for the records for the whole country. See the article on Scotland Civil Registration  for more information and to access the records.

= Probate Records =

Newton-up-Ayr was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Glasgow until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Ayr. 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 &amp; 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 Ayr and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Glasgow. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Ayr. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Ayr and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

See also Ayr Parish

See also St Quivox Parish

Return to the Ayrshire Parish List