Rathen is a parish on the coast of Buchan, Aberdeenshire. It is bounded by the German Ocean (North Sea), and by the parishes of Lonmay, Strichen, Tyrie, and Fraserburgh. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Cairnbulg, Charleston, Inverallochy, Rathen
Cairnbulg, Memsie
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The old church of Rathen was dedicated to St Ethernan. It belonged to the Abbey of Arbroath. There was a Well of St Ethernan near it. A new church was built in 1870.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Inverallochy. The parish of Inverallochy was disjoined from Rathen on 16 March 1864.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Rathen (QO)
Inverallochy (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 |
| 1704-1854 | Rathen | 235 | OPR |
| 1855-1877 | Rathen | 235 | RD |
| 1878-1967 | Rathen | 235-1 | RD |
| 1878-1967 | Inverallochy | 235-2 | RD |
| 2009 | Aberdeenshire, Fraserburgh | 311 | RD |
| 2026 | (Rathen) Aberdeenshire Council; Rathen, Memsie & Cortes Community Council | ||
| 2026 | (Inverallochy) Aberdeenshire Council; Invercairn 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
Birnie, Buchan, Duthie, May, Milne, Ritchie, Stephen, Strachan, Tait, Whyte
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 William Cumine.
"The present number of all ages and religious profession are 1730. There are 401 families, 861 males, and 869 females. 401 reside in the two fishing villages.
The people of this parish are in general sober and industrious, and live comfortably, at least as are well disposed and attentive. By a better mode of farming, and greater diligence than formerly prevailed here, they have in general increased their little stocks: Yet unhappily, too many by a more expensive mode of living and dress, lately introduced, have hurt themselves very much. Even servants, both male and female, though their wages are almost the double of what they were some time ago, expend so much on dress, that they are in general 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 6, p. 15
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 12, p. 293
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
