Sconie
Scoonie is a parish on the south coast of Fife. It is bounded by the Firth of Forth, and by the parishes of Markinch, Wemyss, Kennoway, Kettle, Cults, and Largo. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Leven, Leven Mills, Little Scoonie, Mountflowery, Scoonie
Aithernie, Durie, Kilmux, Montrave
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of Scoonie was dedicated to St Modwenna. It belonged to the Priory of St Andrews. In 1775 the church was removed from Scoonie to Leven. (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 |
| 1667-1854 | Scoonie | 456 | OPR |
| 1855-1967 | Scoonie | 456 | RD |
| 2009 | Fife, Methil | 415 | RD |
| 2026 | Fife Council; Leven 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
Adamson, Anderson, Brown, Ednie, Robertson, Simpson, Smith, Thomson, Wilkie, 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 David Swan.
"The number of inhabitants in this parish at present; (anno 1791,) is 1675. Of the whole inhabitants, there are not above 150 separatists from the established church, of whom nearly the one half are Burgher Seceders, 35 Antiburghers, 34 of the Relief Society, 2 Independents, and 3 Episcopalians.
The only village in the parish is Leven; it contains 335 families, and 1165 inhabitants. The chief manufacture in the parish is that of brown linen. A considerable quantity is whitened, and sold. There are about 140 looms in the parish, mostly employed in that manufacture. In the near neighbourhood of Leven, there is an extensive bleachfield, which may employ about 16 or 18 hands. There is also a considerable ropery established at Leven, and a good number of shoemakers are constantly employed in making shoes for public sale.
The people in this parish are, in general, sober, industrious, and thriving. If any behave in an irregular and disorderly manner, they are avoided by their neighbours, it being reckoned discreditable to be seen in their company. They are social in their tempers, liberal in their sentiments, respectful to their superiors, and hospitable to strangers; regular in attending upon the public institutions of religion, and remarkable for external decency in the house of God. Few people are more compassionate to the indigent, or contribute more liberally to their support, not only by their public collections, but by private donations. There have been, as in all societies, some idle worthless persons among them; but in the memory of man, there has not been one convicted of a capital crime."
(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. 106
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 9, Section I, p. 264
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
