Leuchars is a parish on the north-east border of Fife. It is bounded by the German Ocean (North Sea), by the River Eden, and by the parishes of St Andrews, Kemback, Dairsie, Logie, Forgan, and Ferry-Port-on-Craig. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Balmullo, Bloomfield, Earlshall, Fordel, Guardbridge, Leuchars, Milton
Earlshall, Pitcullo
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
Leuchars Church was given to the Priory of St Andrews by Nes, Earl of Mar, and was dedicated to St Athernash by Bishop de Bernham in 1244. This building was restored for public worship in July 1914. In the parish were a chapel of St Benet and a Well of Our Lady. A fair of St Benet was held at Leuchars. (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 |
| 1665-1854 | Leuchars | 445 | OPR |
| 1855-1971 | Leuchars | 445 | RD |
| 1972-1975 | Leuchars | 412 | RD |
| 2009 | Fife, St Andrews | 413 | RD |
| 2026 | Fife Council; Leuchars 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, Berry, Brown, Henderson, Robertson, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Thomson, Young
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 Thomas Kettle.
"By the last accurate survey of the parish, the number of souls was 1620. There are of souls in the parish, below 10 years, 322. There are in the parish 22 Antiburgher, and 13 Burgher Seceders; 1 Berean, and 1 member of the Episcopal church; 37 Dissenters in all.
There are 13 wrights, 9 masons, 9 smiths, 8 shoemakers, 6 tailors, 3 wheel-wrights, 2 of these are coopers, 1 surgeon, 1 brewer, 1 baker, and 1 bee-hive and basket maker. In the village of Leuchars are 7 alehouses, and there are 2 others in the district. There are 90 looms in the parish, 34 of these in the village of Leuchars. The weavers are employed in what is called household work of various kinds, but chiefly in brown linens, single and double sailcloth, which they weave for the Dundee merchants. There is one of the weavers famous for working all kinds of damask, and other table linens.
The people are in general sober and industrious; regular attendants upon Divine worship on the Lord's day; and grateful to a kind providence for the blessings they enjoy. They are remarkably steady in their attachments, in their loyalty to Our Gracious Sovereign and happy Constitution: 14 from this district entered to serve His Majesty when a late call for sailors was made through the counties."
(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 18, p. 585
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 9, Section I, p. 217
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
