Preach into the past

Published on Wednesday 14 June 2006 00:39

Q AN ancestor of mine was a church minister in Scotland. Can I find out more about him from the records of the Church of Scotland? P Walker (by e-mail)

A The Church of Scotland is the largest Protestant church in Scotland and the national church. It traces its roots back to the beginnings of Christianity in Scotland, but its identity was principally shaped by the Scottish Reformation of 1560. By the end of the 16th century it had developed into a Presbyterian church, with a system of courts rather than bishops. Each congregation is led by a Kirk Session, which is in turn answerable to the regional presbytery. The supreme body is the General Assembly.

If your ancestor was a Presbyterian clergyman who had a parish or congregation, then there are a number of printed sources that you can use to find information about him. The Fasti Ecclesiae Scotticanae is a series of volumes covering the period from the Reformation in 1560 up to 1999. The series provides details of all known ministers of the established Church of Scotland since the Reformation. For details of ministers from the main denominations which dissented from the Church of Scotland in the 18th and 19th centuries, you should consult one of the following volumes: History of the Congregations of the United Presbyterian Church, 1733-1900; Annals and Statistics of the Original Secession Church (un-indexed); Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843-1900; The Fasti of the United Free Church of Scotland, 1900-1929.

You will also find details about clergymen and their work in the records of the churches and presbyteries in which they served. The records of the Church of Scotland are deposited with the National Archives of Scotland (NAS). Check online at www.nas.gov.uk

Among the church records held by the NAS is also a list of Relief Synod ministers, which gives dates of birth, marriage and death of them and their wives (NAS ref: CH3/515/8). If you know your ancestor was a Presbyterian missionary abroad, records of these are preserved in the National Library of Scotland.

If you are unable to trace your ancestor in the records relating to Church of Scotland ministers, it is possible that he might have been a minister in the Scottish Episcopal Church. The Scottish Episcopal Church is part of the Anglican community and has enjoyed a distinct identity in Scotland since the 17th century. A useful reference work is Scottish Episcopal Clergy, 1689-2000 by David M Bertie, but in the absence of any published biographical details you should look for information in the records of the church.

• If you have a question for the Genealogy Clinic e-mail the team at [e-mail] We will endeavour to deal with all enquiries as quickly as possible, but we regret that we cannot enter into personal correspondence.

• ScotlandsPeople is a partnership between the General Register Office for Scotland, the National Archives of Scotland and the Court of the Lord Lyon.