Kilmorie, Kilmorie in Arran
Kilmory is a parish comprehending the island of Pladda and the south end and west side of the island of Arran, in Buteshire. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Kilmory, Lag
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of Kilmorie belonged to the Abbey of Kilwinning. It was dedicated to St Mary. There were in the parish three chapels, that of St Malise at Shisken, St Michaels' at Ballemichael, and St Patrick's at Kilpatrick. In 1600 Kilmorie was placed in the Presbytery of Irvine, but in 1638 it was assigned to the Presbytery of Kintyre. There is no within the bounds a mission chapel at Shisken.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Whiting Bay. A church was built for this part of Arran in 1873. On 19 March 1908 the parish of Whiting Bay was disjoined from Kilbride and Kilmorie. On the Holy Island, overlooking the shore opposite Lamlash, within the parish, are the cave and chapel of St Malise. There, for a time, the saint is said to have dwelt. In later times the place was occupied as a hermitage in his honour.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Kilmory (QO)
Whiting Bay (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 |
| 1701-1854 | Kilmory, Shiskine, and Lochranza | 554 | OPR |
| 1855-1893 | Kilmory | 554 | RD |
| 1894-1967 | Kilmory | 544-1 | RD |
| 1894-1967 | Shiskine | 544-2 | RD |
| 2009 | North Ayrshire, Isle of Arran | 553 | RD |
| 2026 | North Ayrshire Council; Arran 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, Cook, Crawford, Currie, Hamilton, Kerr, Miller, Murchie, Robertson, Stewart
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 Hamilton.
"At present, the population in the whole of Kilmory is 3259, but these are not all supported by the produce and internal industry of the parish. Many of the young people go to service to the neighbouring countries, especially Ayrshire; many of the young men are employed in the fisheries, some in the Revenue cutters, and Excise yachts; and in time of war many are employed in the Royal navy, and a great number in all the different branches of British trade. There have been in the course of the year 1791, 71 baptisms, and 21 marriages.
The mother tongue is the Gaelic, which is universally spoken; yet persons advanced in years understand the English language tolerably; they acquire it by intercourse with other countries, and are greatly assisted by having the organs of speech formed in their youth, it being the first language they are taught to read."
(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 9, p. 165
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 5, Section II, p. 40
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
