Kilmaurs is a parish in the district of Cunningham, Ayrshire. It is bounded by Stewarton, Fenwick, Kilmarnock, Dundonald, and Dreghorn. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Crosshouse, Gatehead, Kilmaurs, Kirkton, Knockantiber, Milton
Craig
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of Kilmaurs belonged to the Abbey of Kelso. It was dedicated to St Mora or Maura of Little Cumbrae. In 1403, Sir William Cunningham of Kilmaurs endowed the church with a collegiate foundation. Of two chapels in the parish, one was dedicated to St Mora. The other was at Busby.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Crosshouse. The parish was disjoined from Kilmaurs and Dreghorn, 13 March 1882.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Kilmaurs (QO)
Crosshouse (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 |
| 1688-1854 | Kilmaurs | 598 | OPR |
| 1855-1960 | Kilmaurs | 598 | RD |
| 2009 | East Ayrshire | 666 | RD |
| 2026 | East Ayrshire Council; Kilmaurs 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, Findlay, Fulton, Gilmour, Mitchell, Smith, Stewart, Templeton, Walker, Wilson
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 Alexander Millar.
"At present the inhabitants amount to 1147; they may be classed as residing in the country part of the parish, and in the town of Kilmaurs. Of men, women and children in the country, excepting farmers, the number is 384, of these 174 are males, 210 are females, all which fall under the following denominations: 27 day-labourers, 3 millers, 15 weavers, 8 masons, 4 wrights, 3 smiths, 1 tanner, 1 gentleman's gardener, 3 colliers, 2 waulk-millers, 35 men servants, 35 female servants. No man who can work is at any loss to provide comfortably for himself and family.
The inhabitants of Kilmaurs town are in number 514, of which 226 are males and 288 females. There are 3 cotton-spinners, 21 shoemakers with 8 apprentices and 2 journeymen, 4 tailors, 9 masons, 6 wrights with 7 apprentices, 9 weavers with 4 apprentices and 3 journeymen, 2 smiths with 1 apprentice, 11 colliers, 1 cooper, 4 tinkers, 1 stocking weaver, 1 fiddler, 16 day-labourers, 11 flax-dressers, 1 clock and watchmaker, and 1 woman servant.
The people are in general industrious, and where their interest is concerned, they have address sufficient for obtaining or preserving it. Suspicion among themselves in transacting business, and design covered by an affected simplicity towards superiors are perhaps sometimes discernible. Like every other community, ours consists of a mixture of characters. Justice requires it to be told, that much civility, kindness, integrity, and candour, are practised by many."
(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 9, p. 350
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 5, Section I, p. 769
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
