Inverkip is a parish at the western extremity of Renfrewshire. It is bounded by Ayrshire, the Firth of Clyde, and the parishes of Greenock and Kilmacolm. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Ashton, Gourock, Inverkip
Kelly House, Langhouse
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The vicarage of Inverkip belonged to the Abbey of Paisley. At Christswell, in the parish, there was a chapel with a holy well.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Gourock. A chapel was built here in 1776. It was rebuilt and opened on 27 May 1832. On 31 May 1834 it was given a chapel constitution. The parish was disjoined from Inverkip and Greenock West, 8 July 1857. Additions to the church were made in 1877.
Skelmorlie. The General Assembly granted a constitution to Kelly Bridge Chapel here in 1856. The parish was disjoined from Inverkip and Largs, 18 July 1860. There was at Skelmorlie a well of St Fillan.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Inverkip (QO)
Gourock (QS)
Skelmorlie (QS)
(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 |
| 1694-1854 | Inverkip | 567 | OPR |
| 1855-1968 | Inverkip | 567-1 | RD |
| 1855-1968 | Gourock | 567-2 | RD |
| 2009 | (Inverkip) Inverclyde, Inverclyde Council | 640 | RD |
| 2009 | (Gourock) Inverclyde, Inverclyde Council | 640 | RD |
| 2026 | (Inverkip) Inverclyde Council; Inverkip and Wemyss Bay Community Council | ||
| 2026 | (Gourock) Inverclyde Council; Gourock 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, Cameron, Campbell, Ritchie, Scott, Shearer, Simpson, Stewart, Thomson, Wilson
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 Brown.
"From an account taken in 1792, the population appears to be of families 344; of souls 1280. Of these, almost in each of the villages, Daff and Gourock, is one third; the other third in the country part. Males and females are nearly equal.
Among these, there are in the parish, of 49 rope spinners, 33 weavers, 9 shoemakers, 7 wrights, 5 tailors, 4 masons, 48 employed in herring fishing, and 14 in white-fishing. The inhabitants in general are in easy circumstances, 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 9, p. 94
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 7, Section I, p. 525
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
