Kilpatrick, West Kilpatrick, Wester Kilpatrick
Old, or West, Kilpatrick is a parish in southeast Dunbartonshire. It is bounded on the northeast by Killearn in Stirlingshire; on the east by New Kilpatrick and Renfrew parishes; on the southwest by the River Clyde, which divides it from Renfrewshire, and on the west and northwest by Dunbarton parish. (1892-6: Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, by Francis H. Groome)
Bowling, Bowling Bay, Dalmuir, Dalmuir Shore, Dumbuck, Dunglass, Duntocher, Faifley, Frisky, Hardgate, Little Mill, Milton, Miltonfield, Old Kilpatrick, Yoker
Auchentorlie
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The vicarage of Kilpatrick belonged to the Abbey of Paisley. Its church was dedicated to St Patrick, whose shrine there was much frequented by pilgrims. The church had an altar of St Ninian. In the channel of the Clyde opposite the church, there appears at low water a rock called St Patrick's Stone. Kilpatrick Church was rebuilt in 1812.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Boquhanran. A church was built here in 1908. The parish of Boquhanran was disjoined from Old Kilpatrick and Clydebank on 12 December 1913.
Dalmuir. A church was built here in 1903. The parish of Dalmuir was disjoined from Old Kilpatrick on 12 November 1909.
Duntocher. The General Assembly granted a constitution for a chapel and district here on 30 May 1836. The chapel was not opened for worship till 25 Sept of that year. The parish of Duntocher was disjoined from Old Kilpatrick on 11 December 1882.
Kilbowie. A church was built here in 1894. The parish of Kilbowie was disjoined from Old Kilpatrick on 6 June 1913.
St James, Clydebank. A church was built here in 1875. St James's Parish was disjoined from Old Kilpatrick and Renfrew, 6 March 1876.
Scotstoun. The parish of Scotstoun was disjoined from the parish of Yoker in 1915.
Yoker. A church was built here in 1898. The parish of Yoker was disjoined from Renfrew and Clydebank, 8 June 1906. There is a mission chapel in the parish at Blawarthill.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Old Kilpatrick (QO)
Boquhanran (QS)
Dalmuir (QS)
Duntocher (QS)
Kilbowie (QS)
St James, Clydebank (QS)
Scotstoun (QS)
Yoker (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 | Old Kilpatrick | 501 | OPR |
| 1855-1971 | Old Kilpatrick | 501 | RD |
| 1972-2005 | Old Kilpatrick | 506 | RD |
| 2006-2006 | Old Kilpatrick, West Dunbartonshire | 506 | RD |
| 2007-2011 | West Dunbartonshire, Clydebank | 506 | RD |
| 2026 | West Dunbartonshire Council; Old Kilpatrick Community Council Clydebank East Community Council Duntocher and Hardgate Community Council Faifley Community Council Linnvale and Drumry Community Council Milton and Bowling 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, Cunningham, Docherty, Gallacher, Scott, Smith, Stewart, Thomson, 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 John Davidson, Minister of the Parish.
"From an accurate account taken in summer 1792, the number of souls are 2452 in whole, of whom 961 are males above 8 years of age, and 933 are females above 8 years of age.
This parish, from its local advantages, (having a great many falls of water, issuing from the high grounds,) from its good roads, and its vicinity to Glasgow, is full of different manufactories, all of which are in a thriving situation, and employ at high wages a very great number of people. Total residenters employed in the manufactories is 1043, of whom, 315 are employed at two printfields, 50 at a bleachfield, 84 at a paper manufactory, 273 at a smith and iron manufactory, and 321 at a woollen manufactory.
The people of this parish may be said to answer the general character of the Scotch, for they are sober, honest, and industrious. At the wool mill and printfields, great numbers of young persons are constantly employed, many of them below 8 years of age. And, as there are schoolmasters in the vicinity of all these works, the youth, when not engaged at their employments, go to school. In this way their business and education are united, while their morals are not endangered by idleness.
All the young people of the parish dress well. The men wear hats and coats of English cloth. The young women put on silk and calico gowns, and black caps and cloaks. They meet together occasionally, and make merry. Their chief amusement is dancing, and upon these occasions there is a pleasing cheerfulness and innocence among them."
(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 5, p. 229
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 8, Section I, p. 15
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
