Penninghame is a parish in the extreme northeast of Wigtownshire. It is bounded by Ayrshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, the head of Wigtown Bay, and by the parishes of Wigtown, Kirkinner, and Kirkcowan. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Causewayend, Clachaneasy, Knowe, Newton Stewart, Penninghame
Mertonhall
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
Before the Reformation the church of Penninghame belonged to the Archdeacon of Galloway. It was dedicated to St Ninian. In 1777 the church was removed to Newton-Stewart. The church at Newton-Stewart was rebuilt about 1850. There were three chapels in the parish: those of Keir and Kirk Christ; and St Ninian's at the Cruives of Cree. St Ninian's was built in 1508 by John Kennedy of Blairquhan.
Disjoined Quoad Sacra Parishes:
Bargrennan. A chapel-of-ease was opened at Bargrennan, 17 March 1839. The parish was disjoined from Monigaff, Penninghame, and Colmonell, 16 July 1862.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
Penninghame (QO)
Bargrennan (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 |
| 1695-1854 | Penninghame | 895 | OPR |
| 1855-1966 | Penninghame | 895 | RD |
| 1967-1971 | Newton Stewart | 895 | RD |
| 1972-2004 | Newton Stewart | 872 | RD |
| 2005-2009 | Dumfries and Galloway, Newton Stewart | 872 | RD |
| 2026 | Dumfries and Galloway Council; Cree Valley 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
Bell, Campbell, Erskine, Hannah, Robertson, Scott, Stewart, Thomson, White, 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 Dr William Boyd.
"The number of souls in the country part of the parish are at least 900: Those in Newton Stewart will fully amount to 1100, making in all 2000."
(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 3, p. 339
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 4, Section III, p. 167
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
