Balfron is a parish in Stirlingshire. It is bounded by the parishes of Drymen, Kippen, Gargunnock, Fintry, and Killearn. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Balfron, Camoquhill
Balgair
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of Balfron belonged to the Abbey of Inchaffray. Balfron church was rebuilt in 1832.
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 |
| 1687-1854 | Balfron | 472 | OPR |
| 1855-1950 | Balfron | 472 | RD |
| 1951-1969 | Balfron and Kippen | 472 | RD |
| 1970-1970 | Balfron | 472 | RD |
| 1971-1971 | Strathendrick | 472 | RD |
| 1972-2003 | Strathendrick | 472 | RD |
| 2004-2007 | Balfron | 472 | RD |
| 2009 | Stirling, Balfron | 472 | RD |
| 2026 | Stirling Council; Balfron 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, Buchanan, Cameron, Edmond, Morrison, Mulgrew, Neilson, Simpson, Stewart Taylor
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 Mr James Jeffrey, Minister.
"In December 1792, there were in the parish 1381 souls. Of this number the village contained 981, and of these 930 were new settlers. Of the above number 805 were of the Established Church, 459 Antiburgher Seceders, 64 Papists, 18 of the Relief Persuasion, 17 Cameronians, 9 Burgher Seceders, and 9 of the Church of England. There were besides about 200 people, including all ages, imported to the village at Whitsunday 1793, when the printing and bleaching commenced; so that, at that period, there were in the village about 1181, and in the parish 1581 souls.
In December 1792 a cotton mill gave employment to 390 people; of these, 120 were men, 90 women, and 180 children, from 6 to 16 years of age."
(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 17, p. 530
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 8, Section II, p. 288
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
