Ceres is a parish in the interior of Fife. It is bounded by the parishes of Cupar, Kemback, St Andrews, Cameron, Kilconquhar, Largo, Scoonie, Kettle, and Cults. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Baldinnie, Bridgend, Ceres, Chance Inn, Coaltown of Callange, Craigrothie, Croftdyke, North Callange, Pitscottie, South Callange
Baltilly, Craighall
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The rectory of Ceres belonged to the collegiate church of St Mark on the Kirk Heuch at St Andrews. (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 |
| 1620-1854 | Ceres | 415 | OPR |
| 1855-1967 | Ceres | 415 | RD |
| 2009 | Fife, Cupar | 417 | RD |
| 2026 | Fife Council; Ceres and District 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, Laing, Mitchell, Robertson, Scott, Stewart, Thomson, Wallace, 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 Robert Arnot, D. D., Minister of the Parish.
"The present number of souls is 2320, of whom 1028 are males and 1292 are females. There are 740 persons residing in the village. The army, navy, and different pursuits in life, carry away many young men; and this, as it prevents the increase of population, is likewise the reason, why the number of females is so much greater than that of the males.
There are in the parish 7 flax-dressers, 8 smiths, 11 wrights, 2 wheel-wrights, 1 mill-wright, 1 cooper, 1 turner, 15 masons, 7 shoemakers, 8 tailors, 3 brewers who also keep inns, 6 bakers, and 8 grocers or shopkeepers. There are 6 alehouses, 6 corn mills, 4 barley mills, and 5 lint mills.
Within these 30 years a great change has taken place in dress; the plaid is now almost wholly laid aside by the women, and the use of the cloak and bonnet has become general. Among the men, the Scotch bonnet has given place to the hat; the servant men are generally clothed with English cloth, and many of them have watches in their pockets."
(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 5, p. 379
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 9, Section I, p. 517
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
