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Cumbrae

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"CUMBRAY, a parish in the district and county of Bute, Scotland. It comprises the islands of Great and Little Cumbray, and contains the town of Millport and the village of Newton. The two islands lie in a line, and the larger is to the N. of the smaller. They are situated in the Firth of Clyde, between the island of Bute and the coast of Ayrshire. The total, area of the parish is 5,000 acres, of which 3,000 are arable. The landowners are the Earl of Glasgow and the Marquis of Bute. This parish is in the presbytery of Greenock and synod of Glasgow and Ayr, and in the patronage of the Earl of Glasgow. The stipend of the minister is £159. There are Free and Episcopalian churches, and a Baptist chapel; also an Episcopalian collegiate church, built in 1851, near the Priory, a seat of the Earl of Glasgow, and founded for a provost, a canon, and five honorary canons."

Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)

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Churches

Presbyterian / Unitarian
Cumbraes, Church of Scotland
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Church Records

The parish church records are held in the General Register Office for Scotland in Edinburgh, and copies on microfilm may be consulted in local libraries and in LDS Family History Centres around the world.

Records in the old parish registers (OPRs) for the Cumbraes parish span the following years:

Births or Baptisms ~ 1730-1854
Marriages or Banns ~ 1782-1854
Deaths or Burials ~ no records

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Cumbrae which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, Samuel Lewis - 1851

MILLPORT, a village, in the island and parish of Great-Cumbray, county of Bute; containing 817 inhabitants. This is a modern village, pleasantly situated in the south-east corner of the island, and having a commodious harbour capable of admitting vessels of considerable burthen, the depth at low water being six feet, and at high water fourteen. The anchorage ground is of large extent, and finely sheltered by two small rocky islands, called the Allans, to which vessels resorting hither in stormy weather are moored, by means of iron rings fastened in the rocks, so as to ride in perfect safety. A fine pier was erected, chiefly by the late Marquess of Bute. Several vessels belong to the port, some of the burthen of forty tons; and it is regularly visited by the Clyde steamers from Glasgow. The village is thriving, and is a great summer resort for seabathing, having excellent accommodation for that purpose; it contains some good lodging-houses, and the dwellings in general are neat, and of cleanly appearance. The inhabitants are engaged in fishing, weaving, and other pursuits: there are about sixty looms, and plain and fancy work is executed in great variety for the Glasgow manufacturers. The parish church, which is situated here, was built in 1837, and is a handsome edifice, ornamented with a tower, and containing 750 sittings. Here are also the parochial school, another day school, and two Sunday schools; a small library, a friendly society, and one or two other useful institutions.

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NS169565 (Lat/Lon: 55.767514, -4.920973), Cumbrae which are provided by: