Bethelnie, Meldrum
Old Meldrum is a parish in the Garioch district of Aberdeenshire. It is bounded by Fyvie, Tarves, Bourtie, and Daviot. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Meldrum
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of Bethelnie was dedicated to St Neachtan. It belonged to the Abbey of Arbroath. In 1684 the church was transferred from Bethelnie to Meldrum. A fair of St Neachtan was held in the parish at Cowie. Within the bounds there were Wells of Our Lady and St Neachtan.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Barthol Chapel. At the place now called Barthol Chapel there was of old a chapel of St Bartholomew belonging to the Abbey of Arbroath. Mary, Countess of Aberdeen, built a church here, which opened 16 August 1875, as a memorial of her son, George, 6th Earl of Aberdeen, he having been lost at sea in 1870. His brother and successor, John, the 7th Earl, afterward first Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, gifted a manse to the Mission, and also contributed largely towards its endowment, with the result that the Parish of Barthol Chapel was disjoined from Tarves, Fyvie, Methlick, and Meldrum, on 17 January 1876.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Old Meldrum (QO)
Barthol Chapel (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 |
| 1713-1854 | Old Meldrum | 229 | OPR |
| 1855-1936 | Old Meldrum | 229 | RD |
| 1937-1967 | Meldrum | 229 | RD |
| 1968-1971 | Oldmeldrum | 229 | RD |
| 1972-2005 | Oldmeldrum | 320 | RD |
| 2009 | Aberdeenshire, Oldmeldrum | 320 | RD |
| 2026 | Aberdeenshire Council; Meldrum, Bourtie & Daviot 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
Alexander, Christie, Duncan, Forbes, Mackie, Milne, Rennie, Smith, Webster, 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 Thomas Tait.
"In 1792-3, the town contained 783, the country 707, in all 1490, of whom 728 are males, 762 females. They are in general of the Established religion, a few Seceders, Episcopalians, and Quakers, excepted.
There is a good weekly market in Old Meldum where the farmer, at any season of the year, can dispose of whatever part of the produce of his farm he can spare, and in return bring home what may be wanted for the subsistence of his family. The people in general are active and industrious, and some of them of no little enterprise. They are very liberal to the poor."
(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 13, p. 153
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 12, p. 474
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
