Features: Scottish Parishes » Historic Shires » Aberdeenshire » Turriff

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Alternate Names and Spelling
• Location
• Parish Timeline
• Records
• Residents
• Notes

ALTERNATE NAMES AND SPELLING:

Turreff

LOCATION

Location Description:

Turriff is a parish on the north-west border of Aberdeenshire. It is bounded on the west and northwest by Banffshire, and on other sides by the parishes of King Edward, Monquhitter, Fyvie, and Auchterless. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).

Shire, District, and Region Timeline:

• Shire: Aberdeenshire (Before 1707)
• County: Aberdeen (After 1707)
• District: Turriff (Before 1930)
• Landward District: Turriff (1930-1975)
• Region: Grampian (1975-1996)
• District: Banff and Buchan (1975-1996)

Burghs:

• Name: Turriff
• Burgh of Barony (1512)
• Small Burgh (1929)
• Burgh system abolished (1975-1996)

Cities, Towns, Villages, and Hamlets:

Turiff

Estates:

Dalgety or Delgaty

PARISH TIMELINE

PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:

• Diocese: Aberdeen
• Deanery: Boyne

POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:

• Synod: Aberdeen
• Presbytery: Turriff

PAROCHIAL OVERVIEW:

The church of Turriff was dedicated to St Coan. It belonged to the Abbey of Arbroath. Turriff was a prebend of Aberdeen. Two fairs were held at Turriff, the Lammas Fair, and that of St Coan.

CHURCH OF SCOTLAND CLERGY:

Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.

(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)

RECORDS

Parochial Registers:

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.

• (1) B 1696-1783; M 1724-83; (2) B and M 1784-1819
• (2) B and M 1820-54; D 1847-54

(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)

Population:

Statistics from informal and official censuses

• 1755: 1,897
• 1821: 2,406
• 1831: 2,807
• 1841: 3,146
• 1861: 3,693
• 1881: 4,367
• 1901: 4,139
• 1911: 4,128

RESIDENTS

Common Surnames:

Allan, Anderson, Cruickshank, Duncan, Milne, Morrison, Pirie, Simpson, Smith, Wilson

Land-owners, teachers, and other professionals:

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.

• John ADAM, Esq., of Scobbach
• Alexander BREMNER, Esq., of Nethermill
• George CHALMERS, Esq., of Dorlnithers
• James DONALD, Esq., of Maryfield
• (General) Sir Alexander DUFF, of Delgaty
• James DUFF, Earl of Fife
• Anthony Adrian KEITH-FALCONER, Earl of Kintore, of Gask
• (Rev) James MILNE, of Cliffbog
• (Rev) William R. PIRIE, of Brunthall
• Alexander RAE, Esq., of Ardmiddle
• Alexander STUART, Esq., of Laithers
• William URQUHART, Esq., of Craigston
• (Rev) John WEBSTER, of Woodhead

Other land-owners:

• DUFF, of Hatton
• SPOTTISWOOD, of Muiresk

Other residents:

By Alexander Simpson, Schoolmaster of King Edward, Now one of the Ministers of Old Aberdeen.
"The parish, at present, contains 2029 souls, of whom there are 320 Episcopalians and 25 Roman Catholics. There are 187 families in the town of Turriff, 701 souls in the town. There are 264 families in the country part of the parish, 1328 total souls in the country part.

There are, in the parish, 2 dyers, 36 shoemakers, 28 square-wrights and coopers, 34 weavers, 18 tailor, 16 shopkeepers, 15 masons, 2 plasterers, 15 sellers of ale and whisky, 7 butchers, 6 carriers, 2 slaters, 3 lint-millers, 7 flax-dressers, 10 gardeners, 3 bakers, 9 blacksmiths, 1 barber, and 1 saddler. Apprentices are included in the above lists of tradesmen and artificers."
(This section contains excerpts, at times restructured or paraphrased, from an article appearing in Statistical Account of Scotland, Sir John Sinclair, 1791-1799)

NOTES:

Primary Sources:
Statistical Account of Scotland (1791-1799), Volume 17, p. 394br /> New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 12, p. 981

See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.