Records of the Diocese of Brechin

Scope and Content

Diocesan Synod minutes 1770-1928; synod papers 1852-1928; papers relating to the Provincial Synod 1913-1978; diocesan council minutes and committee minutes 1913-1981; council correspondence, papers and reports 1913-1978; council accounts 1894-1949; papers relating to the Representative Church Council 1960-1979; Scottish Churches Committees minutes and papers 1952-1995; statistical returns 1873-1877; diocesan correspondence 1968-1986; diocesan library report 1890; library accession registers 1856-1888; library borrowing registers 1821-1929; library book lists 1828-1937; library correspondence and financial records 1896-1917; photographs c1865-c1903; Episcopal Church in Scotland yearbooks 1973-1978

Administrative / Biographical History

The Diocese of Brechin largely covers the counties of Kincardine, Angus and Perth. It was formed in the 1680s, the first bishop being James Drummond between 1684 and 1695. Nearly all small towns within the diocese had an Episcopal congregation, but after the 1745 Rising many rural congregations disappeared. By the time of the repeal of the Penal Laws in 1792 there were nine congregations remaining and over the nineteenth century the diocese began to expand, establishing new congregations in the Carse of Gowrie, Angus coastal burghs, and particularly in and around Dundee.

The Diocese is headed by the Bishop of Brechin. Until 1982 the Diocesan Synod was the Bishop's consulting body, and the Diocesan Council was the agent within the Diocese of the Representative Church Council, which had responsibility for the finances of the Episcopal Church of Scotland. Since 1982 these have been merged into one Diocesan Synod formed by the Bishop, clergy and all lay representatives of congregations

Arrangement

Records are arranged chronologically within series.

Access Information

Open for consultation subject to preservation requirements. Access must also conform to the restrictions of the Data Protection Act and any other appropriate legislation.

Acquisition Information

The records were deposited by the diocese in the University Library in 1962. Additional records were deposited in 1997 (AccM/345)

Note

This collection has been re-catalogued. The photographs were previously catalogued as Br MS 5. Records relating to churches have been separated into separate fonds.

Re-catalogued and fonds level description compiled by Sarah Chubb, Archives Hub Project Archivist, November 2001.

Other Finding Aids

Draft descriptive list. Subject source lists and databases are also available.

Alternative Form Available

No known copies.

Conditions Governing Use

Reproduction is available subject to preservation requirements. Charges are made for this service, and copyright and other restrictions may apply.

Accruals

Further accruals expected.

Related Material

Br MS 1 Correspondence of Bishop Alexander Penrose ForbesBr MS 2 Title deeds, legal papers, correspondence, printed material etc.Br MS 3 Dean William Leslie Christie's transcripts of Episcopal recordsMS 68 Dr William Christie collectionChristie, William 'History of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Brechin, 1688-1875' (unpublished doctoral thesis, 1968)The Diocesan Library catalogue is available via http://library.dundee.ac.uk/F/?func=file&file_name=base-list

Additional Information

The material is original.