Kinglassie is a parish in the Kirkcaldy district of Fife. It is bounded by Kinross-shire, and by the parishes of Leslie, Markinch, Dysart, Auchterderran, and Ballingry. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Caskieberran, Kinglassie, Macedonia, Newcastle, Pitteuchar
Inchdairnie
(1) Whereas a part of the parish of Ballingry in the county of Fife, containing 649 acres or thereby, situated at or near Wester Balbedie and adjoining the parish of Kinglassie in the county of Fife and the parish of Portmoak in the county of Kinross (being the part marked on the Ordnance Survey maps Ballingry detached No. 1), is detached from the main portion of the parish of Ballingry; and another part of the parish of Ballingry, containing 60 acres or thereby, situated at or near Spittal and surrounded by the parish of Auchterderran (being the part marked on the Ordnance Survey maps Ballingry detached No. 2) is also detached from the main portion of the parish of Ballingry:
I. So much of the aforesaid detached part of the parish of Ballingry marked on the Ordnance Survey maps Ballingry detached No. 1 as is situated to the north of the centre of the new channel of the River Leven (known as The Cut) shall cease to be part of the parish of Ballingry and of the county of Fife, and shall form part of the parish of Portmoak and of the county of Kinross, and the remainder of the said detached part shall cease to be part of the parish of Ballingry, and shall form part of the parish of Kinglassie.
II. The aforesaid detached part of the parish of Ballingry marked on the Ordnance Survey maps Ballingry detached No. 2 shall cease to be part of that parish, and shall form part of the parish of Auchterderran.
See details. (1892: Boundary of counties and parishes in Scotland as settled by the Boundary Commissioners under the Local Government Act, 1889, by Hay Shennan)
(2) Whereas part of the parish of Portmoak and of the county of Kinross, containing 124 acres or thereby, situated at or near the Ryelaw and adjoining the parishes of Kinglassie and Leslie in the county of Fife, is, as shown on the Ordnance Survey maps, detached from the main portion of the said parish of Portmoak and of the county of Kinross:
I. The aforesaid detached part of the parish of Portmoak and of the county of Kinross, and also those portions of the parish of Portmoak and of the county of Kinross lying to the south of and adjoining a line drawn along the centre of the new channel of the River Leven (known as The Cut), in an easterly direction from the point at which the said river enters the county of Fife until it meets the boundary of the parish of Leslie shall cease to be part of the said parish and of the said county, and shall form part of the parish of Kinglassie and of the county of Fife.
II. So much of the parish of Kinglassie and of the county of Fife as lies to the north of the line described in the preceding section shall cease to be part of that parish and of that county, and shall form part of the parish of Portmoak and of the county of Kinross.
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 Kinglassie was dedicated to St Glastian. It belonged to the Abbey of Dunfermline. St Glastian's Well was near the church.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Thornton. A chapel was built here in 1837, and had a constitution from General Assembly, 28 May 1838. The parish was disjoined from Markinch, Dysart, and Kinglassie on 18 February 1878.
(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Kinglassie (QO)
Thornton (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 |
| 1627-1854 | Kinglassie | 440 | OPR |
| 1855-1967 | Kinglassie | 440 | RD |
| 2009 | Fife, Glenrothes | 420 | RD |
| 2026 | Fife Council; Kinglassie 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
Black, Brown, Clark, Henderson, Page, Paterson, Smart, Smith, Thomson, Watson
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 Reid.
"At the time of Dr Webster's report (1755), the numbers were 998. Population has not varied much these 20 years. The number of souls at this day does not exceed about 1200. Though the inhabitants of the village have increased from 150 to 250, the other parts of the parish have suffered a proportionable decrease, from a number of the small farms being thrown into one. There are 34 farms in this parish, besides cottagers and feuars. The trades are weavers, employed by the manufacturers in the coast towns, with masons, &c. There is only one village in this parish.
Civilization of manners has made a little progress among farmers and the better sort of inhabitants. The lower class seem, in a great measure, to retain the rough manners and barbarous customs of their ancestors, while each vie with the other in expensive dress, often above their station, or what they can seldom afford; which may be occasioned by their high wages, and reduced price of home manufactures, as well as a tast for that species of luxury."
(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 4, p. 501
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 9, Section I, p. 194
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
