Ceres Parish and Fife Folk Museum

What a wonderful day spent exploring the Fife parish of Ceres. This small former Burgh of Barony has a recorded history back to 1314 when men from the village were archers for Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn and after the victory over the English they were granted two days holiday to celebrate. This tradition continues to the present day when the Ceres Highland Games are still held http://www.ceresgames.co.uk/. Many of the traditional pantiled cottages in the village were weavers homes.Linen and flax growing were an important industry with a corresponding growth in population recorded in the census returns. For anyone with ancestors from Fife a visit to the Fife Folk Museum is a must http://www.fifefolkmuseum.org/. This wee gem of a museum run by volunteers has a wonderful collection of exhibits covering agricultural and domestic life in the 18th and 19th century. There is a fine display of Scottish weights and measures, agricultural equipment and traditional trades and crafts of masonry,joinery and thatching. For those who fell foul of the law a pair of 'jougs' are still found attached to the entrance to the old tron or weigh house.

The Parish of Ceres,7 miles by 4 miles is rich agricultural farm land and previously was a source of lime and coal. A network of footpaths once used by pilgrims bound for St Andrews cross the parish and a fine view of the surrounding area is gained from Hill of Tarvit. 

Ceres Parish   District No: 415

County.  Fife

Old Parish Records

Baptismal Register 1738–1806, 1808, 1836–37, 1858–1891

Session Minutes 1738–1748

Accounts 1738–1771, 1781–1863

Commissary Court .St Andrews  Earliest testament 1550

                              Edinburgh                               1580

Sheriff Court.    Cupar.

The 1841 census was lost in transit to Edinburgh.