Kirkpatrick-Irongray
Kirkpatrick-Irongray is a parish on the north-east border of Kirkcudbrightshire. It is bounded on the north and the north-east by Dumfriesshire, and on other sides by the parishes of Terregles, Lochrutton, Urr, and Kirkpatrick-Durham. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Cluden, Shawhead
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
Irongray is the name of the place at which the church, dedicated to St Patrick, stands. The name is Gaelic: Ard nan gréach = "the height of the moors or uplands." In Pont's map of Galloway it is spelled Arngra, which is still the common pronunciation.
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 |
| 1757-1854 | Irongray | 867 | OPR |
| 1855-1971 | Irongray | 867 | RD |
| 1972-1980 | Irongray | 867 | RD |
| 2009 | Dumfries and Galloway, Dumfries | 834 | RD |
| 2026 | Dumfries and Galloway Council; Irongray 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
Brown, Coupland, Fergusson, Hunter, Johnstone, Kirkpatrick, Moffat, Smith, Thomson, Wright
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 James Finnan.
"At the time of Dr Webster's report (1755), the population was 895. Upon an enumeration in 1778, there were found 585 examinable persons. All the alteration, in a general view of the parish since that time, may amount to 610. Of Dissenters there are 9 Cameronians and 10 Seceders.
No inhabitant of the parish has been imprisoned for crimes during the incumbency of the present minister, which has continued more than 16 years. The people, as to individuals, rather than numbers, are greatly changed in that period, on account of old tenants going out, and new ones coming in. They are sober and industrious."
(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 4, p. 525
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 4, Section II, p. 265
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
