Marnoch
Parish
Marnoch church and Aberchirder
|
built 1792 |
|
Photographed
by Declan Chalmers 1995
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Family Names connected with parish
Early History
M.I. Inscriptions: can be found in the
Booklet
"The Kirkyard of Marnoch"
Compiled by Sheila M. Speirs.
Parish Dates
Family
Names connected with the Parish
The
Statistical account below was written in 1791 as deduced from the population
census below.
I have
left the spellings as written with the old "s" as "f".
Parish
of Marnoch
(County
of Banff)
By the
Rev. Mr James Innes.
Name, Situation, Soil, and
Productions.
Aberchirder was the old name of this
country and parifh, which is now called Marnoch, the church being dedicated
to St Marnoch. This parifh lies in thc county of Banff, prefbytery of
Strathbogie, and fynod of Moray. It is from nine to ten meafured miles in
length, and from four to five in breadth. In general it is rather flat,
lowlying land, being moftly furrounded with hills upon the weft, north, and
eaft, which are covered with heath. The river Doveron, which is not navigable1
runs from five to fix mi1es along the fouth fide of the parifh. The foil
near the banks of the river, is a rich loam, and produces good crops. Toward
the upper part of the country, it is wet, ftoney, and ftiff. The crop confifts
of barley, oats, peafe, potatoes, and turnips. A very large quantity is
annually exported from Banff, Portfoy, or M'Duff. The beft arabIe and meadow
ground rents per acre from 15s. to 20s.; the rent of inferior from 6s.
8d. to 2s. 6d. The parifh is fully provided with good peats. Confiderable
numbers of cattle are reared yearly and fold, and likewife a large quantity of
butter and cheefe.
There are feveral extenfive plantations
of various kinds of wood,viz. common fir, fpruce, larch, and pine, beech, oak,
elm, afh, birch, and alder, moff of them in a very thriving condition, and fome
of them well advanced in fize. There being no meafurement of the parifh,
the extent of the farms cannot be precifely afertained. There are farms that
pay rent from L40 to L.70 fterling, and many leffer ones from L.10 to
L8 Sterling, and a very great number of fmall crofts from L.5 and L.6 down to
L. 1 of rent.
Defeafes. - The air is wholefome, and
the people in general healthy. Except a few tradefmen, they are not employed in
a fedentary life ; being either country gentlemen, farmers, or crofters, their
bufinefs occafions them to be much in the open air. No local diftempers take place
in this parifh, confumptions and fevers are the moft prevalent.
Rent, etc;.-The rent
of the parifh is L.2300 Sterling yearly. The only language fpoken in it is
Englifh.
Church.-The church is very old, and in a
very ruinous condition. James Donaldfon, Efq; of Kinnairdie, is the patron.
About twenty years ago, the church was repaired, and galleries were erected
fufficient to accommodate 300 people. A new and much larger church is to be
built next year, which clearly fhows the increafe of population here, occafioned
partly by a good many extenfive farms being parcelled out and let in crofts,
which alfo made a conflderable increafe of rent to the heritors.
The living was augemented in 1789; and is
now L.45 in money, 90 bolls of meal, and 22 bolls of bear.
There are ten heritors in this parifh, four of whom refide in it, whole farms
are moftly inclofed -, but the reft of the country, in general, is not.
Poor.-There are feven upon the poor's roll. The fum of L.40 Sterling is
yearly expended for their relief, which arifes from the collections of the
church, penalties, a fmall payment for the mort-cloth, and hand-bell, at
burials with the annual rent of L.100 fettled for their relief.
Prices of Labour,-A ploughman's
wages are from L.5 to fix guineas a-year, other men fervants about L.5
Sterling. A woman fervant from L. 2 to L.3 a-year.
Eminent Men.- Marnoch has produced no man eminent in learning or
fcience, except Alexander Gordon, Efq; late of Achentoule, who entered into the
army of Czar Peter the Great, and by his perfonal valour and good conduct in
the war carried on againft Charles XII. King of Sweden, was raifed to the rank
of Major-General, and wrote his hiflory.
Character of the People.-The people are induftrius. Few of them inlift
in the army. They enjoy in a reajonable degree, the comforts and advantages of
fociety, and are contented with their fituation. They are decent, active, and
humane. It is very remarkable, that during the time of the prefent incumbent,
which is now almoft 36 years, none have emigrated, neither has any fingle
perfon been condemnned or even tried for a capital crime.
Population, etc -The births, deaths, and marriages, as entered in the
parifh regifter, for the laft feven years, ftand thus:
Marnoch
|
Years |
Births |
Deaths |
Marriages |
|
1784 |
28 |
20 |
13 |
|
1785 |
24 |
20 |
15 |
|
1786 |
37 |
21 |
8 |
|
1787 |
28 |
12 |
7 |
|
1788 |
36 |
17 |
8 |
|
1789 |
37 |
16 |
14 |
|
1790 |
37 |
9 |
7 |
By an enumeration made this year, the whole
population amounts to 1960, 84 of which are Roman Catholics, 6o Epifcopals, and
eight or ten Seceders. In Dr Webfter's report the number was 1894.
The bridges were built and are held in
repair by the county, and the roads by the ftatute labour. There are about 500
work horfes, and about 3000 cattle, in the parifh. There are about 500
different families, which, at an average, wil1 make near four perfons in each.
Thcre are no houfes uninhabited, and many more have been 1ately built than
pulled down.
School.-The fchoolmafter has only 100 merks falary, two guineas as
feffion-clerk, 1s. per quarter for teaching Englifh, Is.6d. for writing and
reading, and 2s. for Latin and arithrmetic 3 1/2d. for each certificate, 6s.
1/2d. for each baptifm, and Is.7d. for each marriage. At the parochial fchool
there are from 12 to 20 or 30 fcholars at the charity fchool in Foggieloan from
40 to 6o.
Alehoufes. There are fix alehoufes in the parifh.
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