Maryculter is a parish on the north border of Kincardineshire. It is bounded by Aberdeenshire, and by Banchory Devenick, Fetteresso, and Durris. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Kirkton of Maryculter, Maryculter, Millbank, Parkhead, Stranog, Westside
Blairs, Kingcausie
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of this parish was dedicated to St Mary. It belonged to the Commandery of the Knights of St John of Jerusalem (Knights Hospitaller) at Torphichen. Near the church was a Well of St Mary.
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 |
| 1696-1854 | Maryculter | 264 | OPR |
| 1855-1967 | Maryculter | 264 | RD |
| 2009 | Aberdeenshire, Banchory | 340 | RD |
| 2026 | Aberdeenshire Council; Culter 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, Davidson, Forbes, Mathieson, Silver, Smith, Sutherland, Thomson, Watt
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 John Glennie.
"The number of souls in 1790, 630, of whom 280 are males, and 350 females. There are 4 tailors, 10 weavers, 3 wrights, 4 sailors, 4 shoemakers, 4 gardeners, 25 Roman Catholics, 8 Episcopalians, and 2 Seceders. There are 145 inhabited houses. This parish was more populous 70 or 80 years ago than it is at present. This decline of population is owing to the failure of peat and turf for fuel, and the removal of several persons from hence to Aberdeen, with the view of getting constant employment.
The people are generally sober and industrious; and must be economical, as they cannot afford luxuries. Some are 6 feet 2 inches in height; and a man who died lately, was 6 feet 7 inches high. A widow woman died last year aged 102, and a man lately at the advanced age of 104."
(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 6, p. 80
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 11, Section II, p. 189
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
