Anstruther Easter is a parish on the south coast of Fife. It is bounded on the south by the Firth of Forth; on the west by Anstruther Wester, from which it is separated by the Dreel Burn, on the north by the landward part of the parish of Kilrenny, and on the east by the fishing town of Cellardyke. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Anstruther Easter, Cellardyke
Grangemuir
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
A church was built here in 1634. In 1641 the parish of Anstruther Easter was disjoined from Kilrenny. A fair of St Carran was held in this parish. (1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
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 |
| 1641-1854 | Anstruther Easter | 402 | OPR |
| 1855-1930 | Anstruther Easter | 402 | RD |
| 1931-1967 | Anstruther Easter and Kilrenny | 402 | RD |
| 2009 | Fife, East Neuk | 414 | RD |
| 2026 | Fife Council; Royal Burgh of Kilrenny, Anstruther and Cellardyke 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
Anderson, Brown, Grubb, Lindsay, Mitchell, Parker, Robertson, Smith, Thomson, Wallace
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 a Friend to Statistical Inquiries.
"In 1744, the population was 1000; in 1764, it was 900; at present, it is supposed rather above 1000. Ship-building has been carried on for some years to a considerable extent. There is a thread-manufacture."
(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 16, p. 243
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 9, Section I, p. 295
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
