Features: Scottish Parishes » Historic Shires » Fife » Creich

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Location
• Parish Timeline
• Records
• Residents
• Notes

LOCATION

Location Description:

Creich is a parish in the north of Fife. It reaches within ¾ of a mile of the Firth of Tay, and is bounded by the parishes of Flisk, Balmerino, Kilmany, Moonzie, Monimail, Dunbog, and Abdie. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).

Shire, District, and Region Timeline:

• Shire: Fife (Before 1707)
• County: Fife (After 1707)
• District: Cupar (Before 1930)
• Landward District: Cupar (1930-1975)
• Region: Fife (1975-1996)
• District: North East Fife (1975)

Cities, Towns, Villages, and Hamlets:

Balmeadowside, Brunton, Carphin, Craigsimmie, Creich, Easter Kinsleith, Luthrie, Parbroath, Wester Kinsleith

Estates:

Carphin

PARISH TIMELINE

PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:

• Diocese: St Andrews
• Deanery: Fife

POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:

• Synod: Fife
• Presbytery: Cupar

PAROCHIAL OVERVIEW:

The old church of Creich was dedicated to St Serf. It belonged to the Abbey of Lindores. (1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)

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. 1695-1819; M. 1694-1819; D. 1783-1819
• (2) B. M. and D. 1820-54

(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: 375
• 1811: 394
• 1821: 403
• 1831: 419
• 1841: 430
• 1851: 386
• 1861: 377
• 1881: 387
• 1901: 297
• 1911: 309

RESIDENTS

Common Surnames:

Aitken, Cook, Duncan, Hay, Ireland, Keith, Kidd, Lumsden, Melville, Nicoll

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.

• David GILLESPIE, Esq., of Kirkton and Creich
• Charles HILL, Esq., of Luthrie
• George William HOPE, of Rankeillour and Arbroath
• John MILLER, Esq., of Easter Kinsleith
• James NAIRNE of Clermont, Esq., of Skilmvervie and Brunton
• Charles B. RAITT, Esq., of Carphin
• George TOD, Esq., of Easter Luthrie
• Andrew WALLACE, of Balmeadowside

Other residents:

By Michael Greenlaw, D. D..
"The population of this parish is 306 inhabitants, of whom 134 are males, and 172 are females. There is one Seceder family here, and a few other individuals that are Seceders. Many of our young people leave us, to go the the neighbouring towns of Dundee and Perth, to learn handicraft trades."
(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 4, p. 227
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 9, Section I, p. 631

See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.