Obair Neachtain
Abernethy is a parish chiefly in Perthshire, and partly in Fife, bounded on the north by the Earn River, which separates it from the parishes of Dunbarnie and Rhynd, and by the estuary of the Tay, on the east and south by Fife, and on the west by the parishes of Dron and Dunbarnie. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Aberargie or Aberdargie, Abernethy, Ayton, Glenfoot
Carpow, Culfargie
The parish of Abernethy was situated partly in the county of Fife and partly in the county of Perth. The division of the parish between these two counties was correctly shown on the Ordnance Survey maps, with this exception, that the lands of Easter Colzie, in the south-east corner of the parish, should have been shown as part of the county of Fife. The whole of the parish, except the lands of Easter Colzie, Nochnarrie, and Pitlour, were transferred to the county of Perth. 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 Abernethy was dedicated to St Bride. It belonged to the Abbey of Arbroath. In 1460 George, Earl of Angus, granted to this church a collegiate endowment. From early Pictish times Abernethy was the seat of a great Celtic Abbey. In 1273 the abbey was converted into an Augustinian Priory, and was made a Cell of Inchaffray, retaining, however, its ancient dedication to St Bride. There is in this parish a Well of St Breandan.
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 |
| 1690-1854 | Abernethy | 326 | OPR |
| 1855-1968 | Abernethy | 326 | RD |
| 2009 | Perth and Kinross, Perth | 390 | RD |
| 2026 | Perth and Kinross Council; Abernethy and District 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, Clark, Davidson, Greenhill, Haggart, Henderson, Kemp, Miller, Robertson, Scott
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 William Duncan, Minister.
"By an accurate list taken in the months of October and November 1792, the population was 1415. Of these there were 684 males, and 731 females. There were 628 members of the Established Church, 774 Antiburgher Seceders, 4 Burgher Seceders, 1 Relief Seceder, 4 Episcopalians, and 4 Independents. There are in the parish 82 males weavers and 3 females ones."
(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 11, p. 435
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 10, p. 838
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
