Coylton is a parish in the district of Kyle, Ayrshire. It is bounded by Dalmellington, Dalrymple, Ayr, St Quivox, Tarbolton, Stair, and Ochiltree. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Bankfoot, Barrackhall, Burnside, Coylton, Craighall, Gadgirth or Gadgirthholm, Joppa, Knockshoggleholm, Rankinston, Sundrum, Woodside
Gadgirth, Sundrum
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The vicarage of Coylton belonged to the Chapel Royal of Stirling, and yielded it two prebends. Coylton was for some time united to the parish of Riccarton, but was severed from it in 1647. About the year 1700, those parts of the lands of Gadgirth lying north and east of the Water of Coyle were disjoined from the parish of Ochiltree, and added to Coylton. In this parish there were three chapels, St Bride's, near Sundrum, the Chapel of Carnel, which had its Chapel Well, and the Chapel of Raithhill, where also there was a Holy Well. Coylton Church was rebuilt in 1776, and again in 1836.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
(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 |
| 1723-1854 | Coylton | 583 | OPR |
| 1855-1892 | Coylton | 583 | RD |
| 1893-1969 | Coylton | 583-1 | RD |
| 1893-1969 | Rankinston | 583-2 | RD |
| 2009 | South Ayrshire, Ayr | 680 | RD |
| 2026 | (Coylton) South Ayrshire Council; Coylton Community Council | ||
| 2026 | (Rankinston) East Ayrshire Council; Drongan, Rankinston and Stair 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
Brown, Campbell, Dick, Graham, Hay, Paterson, Smith, Wallace, Wilson, Young
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 Mr David Shaw.
"The number of inhabitants at present is 667. All the inhabitants of this parish belong to the Established Church."
(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 1, p. 101
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 5, Section I, p. 649
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
