Cumbray
Cumbrae is an insular parish in Buteshire. It comprises the islands of Big Cumbrae and Little Cumbrae. These lie between the island of Bute and the coast of Ayrshire. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Kirkton, Millport, Newton
The parish of Ardrossan was situated partly in the county of Ayr and partly in the county of Bute, the Buteshire portion being the island of Little Cumbrae. No change has been made on the county boundary, but the Buteshire part of the parish of Ardrossan has been transferred to the Buteshire parish of Cumbrae. See affected properties and landholders. (1892: Boundary of counties and parishes in Scotland as settled by the Boundary Commissioners under the Local Government Act, 1889, by Hay Shennan)
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
This parish was disjoined from Largs at an early time. Its church at Kirktoun of Cumbrae belonged to the Abbey of Paisley. In 1837 the parish church was transferred to a new site less than a mile from the Kirktoun. Previously there were two chapels in the parish, St Columba's on Meikle Cumbrae, and on Little Cumbrae, Seibeal Bheidh, dedicated to St Bey. A fair used to be held on Meikle Cumbrae in honour of St Brioch.
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 |
| 1730-1854 | Cumbraes | 552 | OPR |
| 1855-1971 | Cumbrae | 552 | RD |
| 1972-2004 | Cumbrae | 551 | RD |
| 2005-2006 | Cumbrae, North Ayrshire | 551 | RD |
| 2009 | North Ayrshire, Cumbrae | 551 | RD |
| 2026 | North Ayrshire Council; Cumbrae 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
Allan, Anderson, Baillie, Cameron, Cunningham, Hill, Hunter, Kerr, Robertson, 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 Mr Henry Graham, Minister of the Parish.
"The population of this island is nearly doubled within these 40 years. On the 1st of January 1793, there were in the parish 509 souls; of these 247 were males and 262 females. There were 108 families, 4 weavers, 5 tailors, 3 joiners, and 16 masons and quarriers.
The farmers and their servants constitute but a small part of the community, the seafaring people being the most numerous. The village of Milnport, contains about 60 houses, which have been mostly built within these 25 years, and are still increasing.
The people are sober, regular and industrious, in a remarkable degree. It is not known, that any person born in this parish has ever stood trial before a criminal court. Considering their opportunity of improvement, they may be deemed intelligent; and it is but justice to the seafaring part of the community to say, that, for their line of life, their general conduct is peculiarly proper and praise-worthy."
(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 11, p. 391
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 5, Section II, p. 69
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
