Kettins is a parish, comprising a main body on the south-west border of Forfarshire, and a detached district, 6 miles south-west of the nearest part of the main body. The main body is bounded on the north-east by Newtyle, on the east by Lundie, on a small part of the north-west by Coupar Angus, and on all other sides by Perthshire. The detached district is surrounded by Collace, Kinnaird, Kilspindie, and St Martins. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Campmuir, Ford of Pitcur, Kettins, Ley of Haliburton or Hallyburton, Peatie, Pitcur, Washington
Baldowrie, Pitcur
(1) Whereas part of the parish of Kettins and of the county of Forfar, extending to 335 acres or thereby, situated at or near Bandirran, and adjoining the parishes of Collace and St Martins, and the after-mentioned detached part of the parish of Caputh in the county of Perth is detached from the main portion of the said parish of Kettins and of the county of Forfar:
And whereas a part of the parish of Caputh, extending to 237 acres or thereby, situated at or near South Bandirran and adjoining the parishes of Kilspindie and Kinnaird and the aforesaid detached part of the parish of Kettins (being the part marked on the Ordnance Survey maps Caputh detached No. 3), is detached from the main portion of the parish of Caputh:
I. The aforesaid detached part of the parish of Kettins and of the county of Forfar shall cease to be part of the said parish and of the said county, and shall form part of the parish of Collace and of the county of Perth.
II. The aforesaid detached part of the parish of Caputh shall cease to be part of that parish, and shall form part of the parish of Collace. See affected properties and landholders. (1892: Boundary of counties and parishes in Scotland as settled by the Boundary Commissioners under the Local Government Act, 1889, by Hay Shennan)
(2) The district at West Kinnochtry, whether considered as a detached part of Scone or as a part of the parish of Kettins situated in the county of Perth (the rest of the parish being in the county of Forfar), was annexed to Cargill. See affected properties and landholders. (1892: Boundary of counties and parishes in Scotland as settled by the Boundary Commissioners under the Local Government Act, 1889, by Hay Shennan)
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of Kettins was dedicated to St Bride, and near it was St Bride's Well. The church belonged to the ministry of the Red Friars at Peebles. In early times there was in the Cross Kirk a Celtic monastery at Kettins.
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 |
| 1618-1854 | Kettins | 294 | OPR |
| 1855-1892 | Kettins | 294 | RD |
| 1893-1968 | Kettins | 294a | RD |
| 1893-1968 | Kilry | 294b | RD |
| 1969-1971 | Kilry | 294 | RD |
| 1972-1978 | Kilry | 363 | RD |
| 2009 | Angus, Kirriemuir | 361 | RD |
| 2026 | (Kettins) Perth and Kinross Council, Kettins Community Council | ||
| 2026 | (Kilry) Angus Council, Kirriemuir Landward West 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
Allan, Anderson, Brown, Ferguson, Henderson, Milne, Reid, Robertson, Smith, 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 Mr John Ritchie, Student in Divinity at Markinch.
"In 1793, the total number of inhabitants was 1100. There were 218 families in the parish, of whom one family was Roman Catholic. There were 62 weavers, 41 farmers, 3 drovers, 7 shoemakers, 3 teachers, 2 brewers, 6 smith, 13 wrights, 3 sieve-makers, 27 day-labourers, 2 masons, 1 cooper, 3 flax-dressers, 2 gardeners, 3 bleachers, and 5 public houses."
(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 17, p. 13
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 11, Section I, p. 641
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
