Kilgour

This is an ancient Scottish surname. It originates from a place known as 'The lands of Kilgour', near Falkland in the county of Fife, and it was once claimed possibly in jest that 'the surname was popular as far afield as Aberdeenshire'. The first recorded holder of the surname was one Sir Thomas Kilgour, who in circa 1538 was it seems a 'merchant' as well as being chaplain at the church of St. Thomas in the palace of Holyrood House. Possibly being chaplain was only a part time job, and probably not too well paid, as Sir Thomas's name appears regularly in the accounts for payments for 'bear skins'. Just what he was doing with all these skins, unless he was selling them on, is a matter of conjecture. Other recordings of the same period include David Kilgour of Lathrisk in 1555, and later Alexander Kylgour who was registered as the heir to his father Alexander Kylgour of Nethill, in the year 1600. The surname seems to have bred a regular covey of churchmen. Amongst the many recordings are those of John Kilgour of the cathedral church of Aberdeen in 1607, and a century or so later, that of Hamilton Kilgour, the minister of Collace, who died in 1777.