Bower is a parish in Caithness-shire. It is bounded by the parishes of Olrig, Dunnet, Canisbay, Wick, Watten, Halkirk, and Thurso. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Bower, Lyth, Stemster
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
Bower was a prebend of the Cathedral of Dornoch, held by the Archdeacon of Caithness. There were chapels in the parish at Scarmclet and Lyth. (1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
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 |
| 1740-1854 | Bower | 34 | OPR |
| 1855-1967 | Bower | 34 | RD |
| 2009 | Highland; Thurso, Strathy and Mey | 161 | RD |
| 2026 | Highland Council; Caithness West 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
Bain, Bremner, Campbell, Manson, Miller, Mowat, Sinclair, Sutherland, Swanson, Waters
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 William Smith.
"The inhabitants of the country in general, especially of the lower ranks, live on a very spare and scanty diet, and perhaps much less comfortably than formerly, the profits of their labour being principally expended in purchasing fineries, of which they are excessively fond. By the number and vigilance of revenue officers, and by the high duties lately imposed, the manufacturing of malt, and brewing of beer, is much discouraged and prevented; and, as to spirituous liquors, the encouragement given by the legislature to the erecting of a number of small distilleries, seems to be very unfavourable both to the health and morals of the lieges, especially on account of the consumption in public meetings, or at markets and country fairs, which are very frequent in Caithness."
(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 7, p. 521
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 15, Section II, p. 114
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
