Pittenweem

The ScotlandsPlaces website lets users search across national databases by geographical location. It includes, amongst other material,

• catalogue entries for maps and plans held by the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh; some maps and plans can be viewed
• photos and details of historical buildings and archaeological sites recorded by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Edinburgh
• 17th and 18th century tax rolls
• Ordnance Survey [place] Name Books
• an opportunity to transcribe thousands of historic documents

A very good description is to be found in the relevant chapter in History of the County of Fife: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time by John M Leighton, published 1840, online at Google Books.

Old Pittenweem (Stenlake Publishing) contains many photographs and full descriptions.

There are 2 cemeteries in Pittenweem parish:

1. Pittenweem Churchyard, Kirkgate, Pittenweem (grid ref. NO 549026; GPS: 56.213863 -2.728692):

• The pre-1855 monumental inscriptions for Pittenweem Churchyard are listed in "Fifeshire Monumental Inscriptions (pre-1855) vol. 1 South east parishes" by John Fowler Mitchell & Sheila Mitchell, published by the Scottish Genealogy Society. ISBN 0901061948
• Some stones are recorded in Graveyard Monuments in East, North and Central Fife, John di Folco, published in Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1969-70, vol. 102, pages 205-236, which deals largely with stones dated pre-1707. It can be downloaded from ARCHway.
• A CD with photographs of the stones and transcriptions is available from Scottish Monumental Inscriptions or from The Parish Chest.

2. Pittenweem Cemetery, David Street, Pittenweem (grid ref. NO 546028; GPS: 56.215629 -2.732643):

• The current lair registers (dating from 1837) are administered by Fife Council, Bereavement Services East, County Buildings, St Catherine Street, Cupar, KY15 4TA. Tel. 01334 659336. Fax 01334 412896.
• A CD with photographs of the stones and transcriptions is available from Scottish Monumental Inscriptions or from The Parish Chest.

War graves can be seen at the Scottish Wargraves Project and war memorials can be seen at the Scottish War Memorials Project.

Parish / district reference number for 1841 - 1901 censuses: 452

The 1841 and 1851 returns can be searched on the FreeCEN website.

The 1851 census has been indexed by the Tay Valley Family History Society.

The 1861 census has been indexed and can be downloaded here

Some census records on microfilm may be consulted in  LDS Family Search Centres around the world.

LDS Library Film Numbers:

	1841	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891
Pittenweem	1042703	1042271	103832	103994	203530	208765

(Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Further information on the main Fife page.

In addition to the parish church (St. Aidan's) there was another church (variously the Relief, United Presbyterian, United Free, then St Fillan's Church of Scotland).

The Old Statistical Account (written in the 1790s)does not mention any dissenters from the Established Church.

The New Statistical Account (written in 1845) gives no information about dissenters.

The 1865 Ecclesiastical Directory lists the parish church, the Episcopal Church (St John's) and a United Presbyterian Church.

Information and pictures of the churches at the Scottish Churches website. Details of church history:

• Pittenweem Kirk Session:

On the 8th November 1588 the lands of the parish of Pittenweem were disjoined from that of Anstruther Wester by Royal Charter of King James VI, and the parish itself was erected by Act of Parliament on the 28th June 1633. The parish church was built in 1588 and later restored in 1883. In 1941, following the 1929 union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church, Pittenweem parish church (known after 1929 as Pittenweem St Adrian) was joined with the former United Free Church congregation of Pittenweem St Fillan's. The two charges united under the name of Pittenweem and after the union the former United Free church was converted for use as a church hall. The kirk session of Pittenween, which was linked in 1971 with Carnbee, sits within the Presbytery of St Andrews.

• Pittenweem, relief, United Presbyterian, United Free, St Fillans Church of Scotland:

The Relief congregation of Pittenweem was first established in 1777 and although the exact date is not recorded, George Haliburton Nicolson, the first minister of the charge, was ordained during the latter half of that year. A new church was opened in 1847, the year that it became part of the United Presbyterian Church, within the Presbytery of Kirkcaldy. Following the union of the United Presbyterian Church and the Free Church of Scotland in 1900, the congregation became Pittenweem United Free Church; and following the 1929 union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church Pittenween U.F. was termed Pittenweem St Fillans, Church of Scotland. In 1941 Pittenweem united with the parish church of Pittenweem St Adrian under the name of Pittenweem, and after the union the former United Free church was converted for use as church halls with the parish church remaining in use as the place of worship. The kirk session of Pittenweem, which was linked in 1971 with Carnbee, sits within the Presbytery of St Andrews.

Data provided by the  Scottish Archive Network (SCAN)

The Parish Church (Established Church, Church of Scotland):

The original Old Parish Registers (of baptisms / births, proclamations / marriages, and deaths / burials) of the Church of Scotland, which cover the years up to 1854, are held in the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh, and they can all be consulted there at the National Records of Scotland. The baptisms / births, proclamations / marriages and deaths / burials indexes can be searched at the ScotlandsPeople website. Copies of the register entries may be purchased.

Parish reference number: 459

The Old Parish Registers (OPRs) span the following dates (although there are gaps within these ranges):

Pittenweem OPR	Births / baptisms	Proclamations / marriages	Deaths / burials / mortcloths
452/1	1611-1745	1692-1745	1685-1690
452/2	1750-1819	1750-1819	1782-1819
452/3		1612-1652
452/4	1820-1854	1820-1854	1820-1854
452/5		Accounts for marriages  1650-1662

(Data supplied by the National Records of Scotland)

 

The Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland, published 1872, provides this information about the content of the OPRs, including the gaps within them:

B.  The entries on the lower half of the first three leaves of the Record either partially or entirely illegible through damp. Blank 1615 - Nov. 1628. From latter date to 1639 mothers' names not recorded. Blank Nov. 1655 - Jan. 1685. Three leaves at 1688 - 1690 imperfect. Blank (exc. four irregular entries) Aug. 1690 - May 1692. Portion 1732 - 1742 has also been injured by damp and moths. Five leaves imperfect at 1742 - 1745. Entries for 1746 on pp. 92, 94, 95 of Record. Blank (exc. one entry) Sept. 1746 - Aug. 1750. Portion of leaf cut off at April 1789. Irregular entries of occasional occurrence.
M.  After 11 entries (Feb. to May 1612), Record blank until Dec. 1619. Leaves from 1619 - 1621 partially destroyed by mice, and from 1728 - 1740 injured by damp. From 1619 - 1652 separate entries of Contracts and of Marriages mixed up with other matters. Blank Dec. 1652 - Oct. 1692. From June 1704 the entries generally bear the dates of the Contract, the Proclamation, and the Marriage of the parties. Blank Nov. 1746 - July 1750, and (exc. four entries 1770, and three entries 1777 - 1778) March 1766 - March 1779. Record of 1750 - 1759 incl. in parallel cols. with the Baptisms for the same period.
D.  (Burials.) Record prior to 1690 in parallel cols. with Baptisms for same period. Blank Dec. 1690 - March 1782, after which Deaths. Blank also (exc. one entry) Feb. 1791 - Jan. 1793, and (exc. four entries) July 1807 - Feb. 1811.
[The early portion of the B. and M. Register for Anstruther Wester contains entries for the neighbouring parishes of Abercrombie or St Monance, Kilrenny, and Pittenweem.]
[Subsequent to publication of the Detailed List, records were found within other Church of Scotland records (CH2/833/1) which contain Marriages 1650 - 1662. These are now included in the OPR Records as 452/5.]
[Vol. 452/4 contains an index to B. 1838 - 1854 (surname followed by forename of child); an index to M. 1838 - 1854 (both parties' surnames, bridegroom's first); and an index to D. 1832 - 1854 (surname followed by forename).]

Copies of the registers on microfilm may be consulted in some local libraries and at LDS Family Search Centres around the world. The indexes to baptisms / births and proclamations / marriages can also be searched on the LDS Family Search website or on the IGI on microfiche in local libraries.

LDS Library Film Numbers:

1040170	Baptisms, 1611-1614, 1628-1655, 1685-1819; Marriages, 1692-1820; Burials, 1685-1690, 1782- 1821; Session book (includes Marriages proclamations), 1612-1652.
1040171 Items 1 - 2	Baptisms, Marriages, 1819-1854; Burials, 1820-1854; Marriage banns, 1650-1660.

(Data provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

Deaths / burials are listed on Fife Family History Society's  Pre-1855 Fife Deaths CD.

Further information on the main Fife page.

Kirk Session records for the parish church (CH2/833) are held at the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library. Some Kirk Session material is also to be found in the OPR records (452/3).

Heritors' Records (HR68) are at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh.

At the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library, with digital copies of the earlier volumes at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• CH2/833
  Pittenweem Kirk Session
  Accounts, 1650-1662 and 1790-1820; Penalties paid, 1650-1661; Debursement of penalties, 1650-1662; Accounts of 'pands' received for marriages, 1650-1662; Minutes, 1653-1655 and 1819-1941; Minutes and accounts, 1685-1816; Scroll minutes, 1895-1942; Scroll minutes and accounts, 1725-1729 and 1738; Treasurer's accounts, 1813-1832 and 1851-1883; Collections, 1814-1823; Baptismal register, 1855-1941; Marriage register, 1855-1941; Charter by Strang, burgess of burgh of Pittenweem, to Susan Lumisdane, 1612; Account of fees paid for proclamations and baptisms, 1827; Miscellaneous papers, 17th and 18th cent; Cash book, 1895-1936; Seat letting book, 1941-1959; Communion roll, 1872-1884 and 1889-1957; Proclamation register, 1941-1980; Congregational Board minutes, 1941-1993.

Included in the Old Parochial Registers on microfilm and at the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh but not online:

• 452/3
  Pittenweem Kirk Session
  Minutes, 1612, 1619-1652

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• HR/68
  Pittenweem parish heritors' records
  Minutes, 1820-1829, 1857-1929; Cash book, 1857-1929; Teind roll, 1948.

Other Churches:

Most records of other churches are held by the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library. Some records are still retained in the churches.

Some of the pre-1855 baptism and marriage registers have been transcribed and published.

At the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library:

• CH3/802
  Pittenweem, relief, United Presbyterian, United Free, St Fillans Church of Scotland
  Minutes, 1814-1941; Manager's and congregational minutes, 1829-1842 and 1845-1941; Baptismal register, 1866-1940; Account book, 1930-1941; Proclamation register, 1936-1940; Communion roll, 1884-1932 and 1935-1941.

At the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, USA, but available on microfilm at LDS Family History Centres around the world:

• Microfilm no. 104155 Item 7
  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Pittenweem Branch
  Record of members, 1842-1853.

Records retained by the church:

• The Episcopal Church in Pittenweem (St John's) has registers which are still kept by the church. Those for the period before 1855 are listed below. A transcript of these entries has been published by the Fife Family History Society Baptismal Registers No. 5. It is also available on CD and onthe Recordspages of their website:

  Pittenweem (St John)	Births / Baptisms	Marriages	Burials
  	1800-1854	1799-1852 (few in number)	1812-1854 (very few)

The Pittenweem page of the LDS Family Search Research Wiki has more information about church history and records.

Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths began in Scotland on 1st January 1855. Full information on the main Fife page.

Registration districts covering this parish:

Registration districts did not necessarily coincide exactly with parishes. In the 20th century especially, there were frequent changes in registration districts.

At the Special Collections Department of St Andrews University Library:

• Pittenweem Burgh Records
  Burgh Register of Dispositions, bonds, etc, 1721-1881; Court book, 1630-1669.

On the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society's website there is an index to Pittenweem Burgh Register of Deeds (1721-1881).

Surrounding parishes: Carnbee, St Monans, Anstruther Wester.

• Geograph
• Flickr

The parish entry in Pigot's National Commercial Directory for the whole of Scotland, 1837, is online at Google Books.

Westwood's Parochial Directory for the Counties of Fife and Kinross for 1862 and 1866 are online at Google Books. On the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society website there is a transcription of the 1862 edition.

Several old gazetteers are available. They all contain descriptions of the parish and many are also worth searching for entries of places within the parish.

• David Webster's Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, published 1819, online at Google Books.
• Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, published 1846, online at British History Online.
• Barbieri's Descriptive and Historical Gazetteer of the Counties of Fife, Kinross and Clackmannan, published 1857, is at Google Books.
• Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4) and John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887), are on A Vision of Britain (click on "Historical places and writing").
• Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland(1892-6) on Electric Scotland

• Ask for a calculation of the distance from Pittenweem to another place.

On 15th May 1891, small areas with indistinct boundaries were exchanged between Anstruther Wester and Pittenweem parishes.

A Vision of Britain provides historical descriptions, population & housing statistics, historic boundaries and maps.

Details of historic buildings and archaeological sites in this parish held by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Edinburgh, are catalogued at ScotlandsPlaces. In the results, click RCAHMS. Unfortunately, not all entries have digital images.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• VR70
  Valuation Rolls: Pittenweem Burgh
  1885-1930; the Roll from 1930 is included in the Valuation Roll for the County of Fife

• VR101
  Valuation Rolls: Fife
  1855-1975; covers the part of the parish outwith the Burgh, and the Burgh itself from 1930

• B/60
  Pittenweem Burgh Records
  Register of sasines, 1669-1960; Register of sasines minutes, 1733-1748, 1821-1960; Index to register of sasines, 1865-1926.

At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Kirkcaldy:

• B/Pi
  Pittenweem Burgh records
  Valuation and assessment rolls for Burgh and Parish of Pittenweem, 1845-1933.

At the Special Collections Department of St Andrews University Library:

• B/60
  Pittenweem Burgh Records
  Assessment rolls, 1973-1975.

Historic maps:

• On-line maps:
  • National Library of Scotland map collection - main page
  • For 17th, 18th and early 19th century maps, see the National Library of Scotland map collection.
  • Using the geo-referenced maps at the National Library of Scotland allows historic maps to be viewed on top of a modern map or satellite view
  • Ordnance Survey 6-inch, 1st edition (1855) Fife sheets 26 and 27 at the National Library of Scotland (for the best images), or at old-maps.co.uk or British History online.
  • Ordnance Survey 6-inch editions of 1896, 1921 and 1938 at old-maps.co.uk.
  • Small images of Ordnance Survey 25-inch editions of 1895 and 1914 at old-maps.co.uk.
  • Town plan of Pittenweem dated 1832 (Great Reform Act plan & report) at the National Library of Scotland
  • A Vision of Britain has the Ordnance Survey 1-inch, 1st edition (1850s) and the Ordnance Survey 1-inch, Popular edition (1920s) - both showing parish boundaries; Land Utilisation mapping (1930s); and more.
  • Ordnance Survey 1-inch, 1st edition (1857) sheet 41; 2nd edition (1899) sheet 41; and 3rd edition (1906) sheet 41 at the National Library of Scotland.
  • Ordnance Survey 1-inch, Popular edition (1927) sheet 64 at the National Library of Scotland.
  • Ordnance Survey 1-inch, 7th series (1950s-1960s) sheet 56 at the National Library of Scotland.
• Paper maps:
  • The National Library of Scotland sells paper and digital copies of their maps (select "Enquiries & copies").
  • The Caledonian Maps Victorian Ordnance Survey Map Series sheet 41 (reprint of the 1899 1-inch map).
  • Old-maps.co.uk sell paper copies of all their on-line maps.
  • Ordnance Survey 1-inch, 7th series (1950s-1960s) sheet 56
  • The best collection of large scale local and estate maps and plans is held by the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh. The RCAHMS also has some plans. They are catalogued on the ScotlandsPlaces website. N.B. Only a few maps and plans are available as digital images.

Present-day maps:

• On-line maps:
  • National Library of Scotland map collection - main page
  • Streetmap
  • Ordnance Survey maps
• Paper maps:
  • Ordnance Survey Landranger (scale 1:50000 -  about 1 inch to 1 mile) sheet 59 - St Andrews
  • Ordnance Survey Explorer (larger scale 1:25000 -  about 2 and a half inches to 1 mile) sheet 371 - St Andrews and East Fife

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NO546028 (Lat/Lon: 56.215264, -2.733618), Pittenweem which are provided by:

• OpenStreetMap
• Google Maps
• StreetMap (Current Ordnance Survey maps)
• Bing (was Multimap)
• Old Maps Online
• National Library of Scotland (Old Ordnance Survey maps)
• Vision of Britain (Click "Historical units & statistics" for administrative areas.)
• Magic (Geographic information) (Click + on map if it doesn't show)
• GeoHack (Links to on-line maps and location specific services.)

• All places within the same township/parish shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby townships/parishes shown on an Openstreetmap map.
• Nearby places shown on an Openstreetmap map.

War graves can be seen at the Scottish Wargraves Project and war memorials can be seen at the Scottish War Memorials Project.

Fife Deaths Abroad 1855-1900 - a compilation of overseas deaths recorded in Fife newspapers - has been produced by Andrew Campbell of Fife Family History Society. The Society have recently re-published it in their Publications Series, 30.

The parish is included in Andrew Campbell's compilation of Fife Shopkeepers and Traders 1820-1870 taken from newspapers and directories. It is available in most Fife reference libraries, in the libraries of the family history societies, and at the Manuscript Department of the Special Collections Department of St Andrews University Library. It is also available as Fife Traders and Shopkeepers on CD from Fife Family History Society.

There is a series of articles about many Fife family businesses in Fife Family History Society's Journal, New Series 11.

Directory of Seafarers - the East Neuk ofFife1580-1800 and The Shipping of Anstruther and the East Neuk of Fife by David Dobson can be obtained from the Tay Valley Family History Society.

The relief of paupers after 1845 was carried out by the Parochial Board and later by the Parish Council. Their records are at the Fife Council Archive Centre. See Public Records below.

Population

There is a page with census statistics from 1755 to 1961 here.

See also A Vision of Britain and Histpop for population statistics.

Probate records are 'Confirmations' in Scotland.

Prior to 1824, wills, testaments & inventories of residents of Pittenweem may be found in either the St Andrews Commissariot (CC20) or the Edinburgh Commissariot (CC8) records. From 1824, commissary business has been conducted by the Sheriff Court of Fife at Cupar (SC20). 

Indexes and finding aids are given on the main Fife page.

Local sources worth searching for deeds include St Andrews Commissary Court and Pittenweem Sheriff Court.

Parochial Boards and their successors, Parish Councils, administered many local functions including poor relief.

At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Kirkcaldy:

• FCC/6/48
  Pittenweem Parochial Board / Parish Council
  Minute books, 1845-1917.

School Board records and / or school logbooks are held at the Fife Council Archive Centre. Pittenweem records:

At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Kirkcaldy:

• Pittenweem Public School
  Log books, 1917-1981.

• Pittenweem South Infants School
  Log books, 1899-1909.

• Pittenweem East School
  Log books, 1873-1939.

• Pittenweem School Board
  Minute Books 1873-1919.

Entries less than 50 years old may contain sensitive personal information and are not on open access. If you are a former pupil you are entitled to see your own entry. Please contact the Archivist for further details.

Education statistics for Fife schools in 1891-2 list the following board schools in the parish:

"Statistical accounts" giving fascinating insights into the local topography and history, social and economic conditions, and even the daily lives of people, were written by the parish ministers in the 1790s and the 1840s. For more information see the main Fife pages

• The 'Old' Statistical Account is at The Statistical Accounts of Scotland and Google Books.
• The 'New' Statistical Account is also at The Statistical Accounts of Scotland and Google Books.

The hearth tax, clock & watch tax, male servants tax, female servants tax, and farm horse tax are all on ScotlandsPlaces.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• E326
  Assessed Taxes Schedules, 1748-1802
  Pittenweem Royal Burgh:
  • Window tax, May 1757-Apr 1798
  • Commutation tax, 1784-1798
  • Inhabited house tax, 1784-1798
  • Female servant tax, 1785-1792

See also the Early Taxation Records page.

Towns were usually referred to as Burghs in Scotland.

At the Special Collections Department of St Andrews University Library:

• B/60
  Pittenweem Burgh Records
  Council minutes, 1629-1776, 1795-1975; Court book, 1630-1669; Burgh chartularies, 1721-1881; Assessment rolls, 1973-1975; Register of voters, 1887; Register of Dispositions, bonds, etc, 1721-1881; Abstracts of accounts, undated.

On the Records pages of the Fife Family History Society's website there is an index to Pittenweem Burgh Register of Deeds (1721-1881).

At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Kirkcaldy:

• B/Pi
  Pittenweem Burgh records
  Town council minutes, 1969-1973; town clerk's letter books, 1836-1953 (with gaps); town council accounts, 1816-1942 (with gaps); Joint Pittenweem and Anstruther water committee records, 1886-1970; Dean of Guild Court register of plans, 1905-1971 and architectural drawings, 1920-1936; attendance book, St Adrian's Masonic Lodge, 1898-1916; papers relating to Pittenweem coalfield, 1894-1943; minutes of heritors of Pittenweem Burgh and Parish, 1829-1857; licensing register, 1879-1903; register of electors, 1832-1856; valuation and assessment rolls for Burgh and Parish of Pittenweem, 1845-1933.

At the National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh:

• B/60
  Pittenweem Burgh Records
  Pittenweem burgh records, 1669-1960, including: Register of sasines, 1669-1960; Register of sasines minutes, 1733-1748, 1821-1960; Index to register of sasines, 1865-1926.

At the Fife Council Archive Centre, Kirkcaldy:

• B/Pi
  Pittenweem Burgh records
  Register of electors, 1832-1856.

At the Special Collections Dept. of St Andrews University Library:

• B/60
  Pittenweem Burgh Records
  Register of voters, 1887.

• B/10
  Crail burgh records
  Papers relating to elections of Member of Parliament for Crail, Kilrenny, Anstruther Easter and Wester and Pittenweem