Bellie is a parish partly in Morayshire and partly in Banffshire. The parish is bounded on the north by the Moray Firth, on the west by the River Spey, and on other sides by the parishes of Rathven, Keith, and Boharm. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Auchinhalrig, Bogmoor, Braes of Enzie, Enzie, Fochabers, Nether Dallachy, Port Gordon, Spey Bay, Upper Dallachy
Whereas each of the parishes of Bellie, Boharm, Inveravon, Keith, and Rothes is situated partly in the county of Banff and partly in the county of Elgin: The whole of the parish of Bellie shall be included in and form part of the county of Elgin. 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:
The church of Bellie was dedicated to St Peter. It belonged to the Priory of Urquhart. There were in the parish Wells of St John and St Leonard. Fairs were held at Bellie on the five feasts of St Mary, that is on Candlemas (2nd of February), on Lady Day in Lentron (25th of March), on Marymas (15th of August), on Lady Day in Harvest (the 8th of September), and on Latter Lady Day (the 8th of December). There was a chapel in this parish at the Bog of Gight. (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 |
| 1709-1854 | Bellie | 126 | OPR |
| 1855-1967 | Bellie | 126 | RD |
| 2009 | Moray, Elgin | 280 | RD |
| 2026 | Moray Council; Lennox 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
Anderson, Davidson, Duncan, Geddes, Gordon, Gray, Innes, Robertson, Smith, Thomson
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 James Gordon.
"The parish of Bellie now contains 1919 souls, viz., country part 984, and the village 935. Of these, there are 859 males, and 1060 females. This disproportion has not been occasioned by emigration, for of that we have had very few instances, but from the military genius exerting itself on particular emergencies. We have of married couples 272, and of young people about 10 years old, and under, 437; viz. 205 boys and 232 girls. There are in the parish 458 dwellings; 250 in Fochabers, and 208 in the country.
The body of the people, it is but justice to say, are of respectable character. We have, alas! exceptions: And what community is without some, whose conduct in life is matter of very serious regret. The custom that prevails more and more, not in this corner alone, among the lower classes, of substituting dram-drinking for a draught of good beer, has a most pernicious tendency, with regard to health and morals. The people here are, in general, of a sober, rational, religious disposition, regular in their attendance on public ordinances, and careful of the social duties."
(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 14, p. 263
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 13, Section II, p. 115
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
