ABBOTSHALL, a parish, in the district of Kirkcaldy, county of Fife; containing Linktown and Newtown, and the village of Chapel. This place derived its name from its having been the residence of the abbots of Dunfermline. The present church, which occupies the site of the ancient edifice, was built in 1788, and is adapted for a congregation of 825 persons. An additional church, in connexion with the Establishment, has just been erected for the accommodation of the surplus population of this and the adjoining parish of Kinghorn; and there are places of worship for members of the Free Church and United Associate Synod.
This parish was separated from the parish of Kirkcaldy in 1650. The name of Abbotshall is derived from the circumstance of one of the abbots of Dunfermline having built a house here. The parish is mostly rural with 2631 of its 3166 acres under tillage and another 535 acres in wood. Little livestock is raised. There are a few mills in the parish. The population of the parish in 1755 was 1348, in 1791 was 2136, and in 1831 was 4206. The principal town or village is Linktown. A church was built in 1674 and the present church in 1788 (a new church is in the course of erection to supply this parish and the neighbouring parish of Kinghorn). Besides the Established Church, there is one dissenting or Seceding chapel now in connection with the United Associate Synod. There were Cameronians in the parish and there are some Baptists, Independents, and Episcopalians. A very few individuals attend a Relief meeting at Dysart and is it believed there are two or three individuals of the Roman Catholic persuasion, natives of the sister isle [Ireland]. There are six schools in the parish (one parochial) attended by an average of 500 children. There is no library in the parish but there is one in Kirkcaldy.
The above is an extract of the account written in April 1836.
ABBOTSHALL
Available records