Kirkcoan, Kirkowen
Kirkcowan is a parish in Wigtownshire. It is bounded on the north by Ayrshire, and on other sides by the parishes of Penninghame, Kirkinner, Mochrum, Old Luce, and New Luce. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Balminnoch, Barlae, Barquhill, Kirkcowan, Polbae, Shennanton
Craiglaw
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of this parish was dedicated to St Coan. Prior to the Reformation it belonged to the Chapel Royal of Stirling. Near the present building are the ruins of an older parish church.
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 |
| 1788-1854 | Kirkcowan | 888 | OPR |
| 1855-1966 | Kirkcowan | 888 | RD |
| 2009 | Dumfries and Galloway, Newton Stewart | 872 | RD |
| 2026 | Dumfries and Galloway Council; Kirkcowan 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
Adair, Brown, Gordon, Milroy, Muir, Smith, Stewart, Templeton, Thomson, 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 John Dickson, Minister.
"The population of this parish has evidently decreased within these 40 years. According to my predecessor's account, about that time it amounted to 800 souls. At present it is somewhat below 700. The population of a village at the church has considerably increased during the period above mentioned; of course, the decrease of population has happened solely among the possessors of land. This is easily accounted for from the enlargement of farms. The same farm which formerly contained several tenants, is now, in most places, occupied by only one."
(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 20, p. 186
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 4, Section III, p. 199
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
