Relating to Rathven I have found this page which might be useful to you Goldie and others hopefully http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/sheena_charles/sessmins.htm There is other information and links on that site. I cant vouch for the site and as usual the precaution about information presented on the internet other than official sources. To explain the position of the Kirk, I have found further background information http://www.genguide.co.uk/source/KirkChurch-Sessions-Scotland/116/ Quote: It might be possible to find the mention of an event such as a baptism, marriage proclamation or burial amongst the records. For example, an irregular or clandestine marriage that does not appear in the official Old Parish Register might be recorded in the Kirk minutes. The minutes might record information regarding a couples proclamation with additional details about the 'cautioners' who were usually male relatives who acted as sponsors for the marriage paying a security to ensure the forthcoming marriage met the correct conditions. The minutes might also note details of the hire of the mortcloth which was used to cover the coffin prior to burial and might be the only reference to a person's death. - See more at: http://www.genguide.co.uk/source/KirkChurch-Sessions-Scotland/116/#sthash.ogN3uguw.dpuf The Scottish Reformation saw the introduction of a new system to run church affairs: the General Assembly, synods, presbyteries, and Kirk sessions. Presbyterians who later broke away from the Kirk also adopted a church court system. The Kirk Session Minute I posted yesterday referred to a fine having to be paid and as I understand, that fine would have been contributed to the relief of the poor in the Parish although there was a greater emphasis on fund raising from other sources in Scotland than there was in England & Wales to support the poor rather than move them on from whence they came. If any one knows and understands the origin of our Benefits system, the Poor Law was the earliest form of it in the Poor Law Act of 1834 in England & Wales. There was a Scottish Poor Law Act, information about which I have found here http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Scotland/ One can read the full text of the Act from a link on this page though it will be somewhat "heavy" I suspect. In 1845 parochial boards took over responsibility for the poor rate ending the Kirk Session's influence on local matters, and elected parish councils were introduced in 1894. In 1929 the Kirk Sessions were abolished. http://www.nas.gov.uk/about/101101.asp A new service that was rolled out from November 2010 opens up access to digital images of millions of pages of Church Court Records launched by the National Records of Scotland: I have an idea Gavin has posted about this earlier. Janet