Kilconquhar is a parish in the south-east of Fife. It is bounded by the Firth of Forth, and by the parishes of Elie, Newburn, Largo, Ceres, Cameron, Carnbee, and St Monans. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Barnyards, Bowhill, Colinsburgh, Earlsferry, Kilconquhar, Largoward, Liberty, Williamsburgh
Colinsburgh
Charleton, Falfield, Lathallan House
The parish of Elie had a detached part situated to the north-west of the main portion of the parish, and lying naturally in to the parish of Kilconquhar. This detached part was transferred to the parish of Kilconquhar, and in return all the coast district of Kilconquhar south of the railway line and of the Cocklemill Burn was transferred to the parish of Elie. 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 Kilconquhar belonged to the Bendictine Nunnery of North Berwick. In 1900 the church was reseated and the east end transformed into a chancel.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Largoward. The parish of Largoward was disjoined from Kilconquhar on 18 January 1860.
(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Kilconquhar (QO)
Largoward (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 |
| 1637-1854 | Kilconquhar | 436 | OPR |
| 1855-1967 | Kilconquhar | 436 | RD |
| 2009 | Fife, Methil | 415 | RD |
| 2026 | Fife Council; Colinsburgh and Kilconquhar 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, Brown, Bruce, Mackie, Methven, Robertson, Scott, Smith, Thomson, Webster
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 Small.
"The number of the inhabitants at present is about 2013. There are 4 villages or small towns. Colinsburgh contains about 357 inhabitants, Earlsferry about 350, Kilconquhar about 258, Barnyards about 198; the country part of the parish, about 850. There are 11 merchants, 20 farmers, 10 innkeepers and brewers, 8 smiths, 89 weavers, 23 tailors, 18 masons, 21 sailors, 3 butchers, 12 gardeners, 46 shoemakers, 8 bakers including apprentices, 4 flax-dressers, 2 coopers, 5 millers, 2 tanners, 1 currier, and 6 saddlers, who are employed occasionally in shoe-making.
The farmers are intelligent sensible men in general, who, by means of their knowledge and industry, live comfortably, and several of them genteelly, notwithstanding the high rents. The manufacturers and tradesmen are generally industrious and regular. The people of this parish are much improved in point of sobriety; they are seldom seen in clubs in public houses, and instances of drunkenness are very rare."
(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. 287
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 9, Section I, p. 315
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
