Peterugie
Peterhead is a parish on the east coast of Buchan, Aberdeenshire. It is bounded by the German Ocean (North Sea), and by the parishes of St Fergus, Longside, and Cruden. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Boddam, Buchanhaven, Burnhaven, Cairntrodie, Keith-Inch, Konheads, Newburgh, Peterhead
Berryhill, Ellishill
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The old church of Peterugie was dedicated to St Peter. The church belonged to the Abbey of Deer. There is a mission chapel within the bounds at Tortorston.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Blackhill. The parish of Blackhill was disjoined from Peterhead, Longside, and Cruden on 13 January 1879.
Boddam. A chapel was built here in 1865. The parish of Boddam was disjoined from Peterhead and Cruden on 14 March 1881.
East Peterhead. A church opened as an extension church in 1834, was retained by the Free Church in 1843. The East Parish of Peterhead was disjoined from Peterhead on 19 March 1877.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Peterhead (QO)
Blackhill (QS)
Boddam (QS)
East Peterhead (QS)
(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
Parish registers turned over to the Registrar-General, as a result of the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Scotland) Act of 1854. The letters B. D. and M. indicate Births (or Baptisms), Deaths (or Burials), and Marriages (or Proclamations of Banns) respectively. Numbers indicate separate volumes or books. Note: These records are by no means complete or without damage; consult the Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland (1872) to learn more about the condition of the records.
| OPR and RD Numbers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date Range | Name | Number | Type |
| 1664-1854 | Peterhead | 232 | OPR |
| 1855-1860 | Peterhead Burgh | 232-1 | RD |
| 1855-1860 | Peterhead Landward | 232-2 | RD |
| 1861-1876 | Peterhead | 232 | RD |
| 1877-1930 | Peterhead | 232-1 | RD |
| 1877-1930 | Boddam | 232-2 | RD |
| 1931-1971 | Peterhead | 232 | RD |
| 1972-2008 | Peterhead | 313 | RD |
| 2009 | Aberdeenshire, Peterhead | 313 | RD |
| 2026 | Aberdeenshire Council; Peterhead Community Council | ||
(2009: Parishes and Registration Districts of Scotland - Old and New, National Records of Scotland)
Local community councils (2026) are provided as a potential source of additional information for settlements within the original boundaries of the parish. (Source)
Statistics from informal and official censuses
Bruce, Buchan, Davidson, Milne, Reid, Robertson, Smith, Stephen, Strachan, Taylor
Note: Names appearing in research materials, other than censuses. Simple names (First name, surname only) have been omitted unless they appear associated with large properties. All women's names, and men's names with occupations, military ranks, or peerage titles are included.
By the Reverend Dr George Moir, Minister.
"In considering the number of people in this parish, I include the town as well as the country. The population of each is as follows:
In the town of Peterhead in 1790, the population was 1097 males, 1453 females, 2550 total in the town. The number of houses was about 500. The population in the country part of the parish in 1794 was 518 males, 623 females, 1141 total in the country. In the sea-town of Boddom, always considered as part of the country, there were 106 females, 86 males, total 192. Families in the country 259; of which, in the sea-town of Boddom there were 49. From the rapid progress of manufactures in the town of Peterhead since 1790, I suppose there is at present in the whole parish about 4100.
The language spoken in this parish is the broad Buchan dialect of the English, with many Scotticisms, and stands much in need of reformation, which it is to be hoped will soon happen, from the frequent resort of polite people to the town in summer.
The people in the country part of the parish are in general very diligent, temperate, peaceable, and inoffensive in their manners. I know of no crime from which any person has been capitally convicted. They are very punctual in their attendance at church, and observance of divine ordinances; and their outward decency in times of public worship is very exemplary.
The number of tradesmen in the parish, the greatest part of whom are in the town: 40 weavers, 57 shoemakers, 14 coopers, 36 tailors, 48 masons, 110 house-carpenters, ship and boat-carpenters, and wheel-wrights, 3 turners, 14 bakers, 16 blacksmiths, 8 nailers, 1 tinsmith, 3 watchmakers, 20 hecklers, 5 dyers, 5 slaters 7 barbers, 5 plasterers, 8 fleshers, 6 wool combers, 1 house-painter, 1 saddler, and 5 gardeners. There never was a bookseller, bookbinder, or stationer in this town, that deserves to be mentioned; there is one going to settle very soon, and to carry on all these different branches; I sincerely wish he may meet with encouragement.
The style of living (in the town) is much changed of late; but the inhabitants, for the most part, are economical, and live within their income. Luxuries of life are now more frequent than formerly, both in dress and entertainments; but, on the whole, there is less of dissipation, extravagance, and drunkenness, than in any town of the same size and opulence with which I am acquainted."
(This section contains excerpts, at times restructured or paraphrased, from an article appearing in Statistical Account of Scotland, Sir John Sinclair, 1791-1799)
Primary Sources:
Statistical Account of Scotland (1791-1799), Volume 16, p. 541
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 12, p. 344
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
