Westwood's Parochial Directory for the Counties of Fife and Kinross, 1862

Parish of Ballingry

Ballingry, popularly termed Bingry, is an upland Parish in the south-west of the County, three miles in length, by about one and a half in breadth. It is bounded on the north by Portmoak, by Auchterderran and Kinglassie on the east and south, and by Beath and Cleish on the west. About one half of the Parish is under tillage, and the other half in wood and pasture. Coal and iron-stone are extensively wrought, and there is a furnace for smelting the latter at Lumphinnans. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged as miners or in agricultural labours. With the exception of the houses for the miners at Lumphinnans and the small corner of the village of Lochgelly which is in the Parish, Ballingry can boast of nothing of the nature of a village.

There was formerly a considerable Loch in the Parish, called Loch Orr, from which the small stream Orr issues, but it is now all drained and in a state of cultivation. Toward the eastern extremity of the site of this Loch was a small island, upon which stands the remains of an ancient castle, supposed to have been founded in the reign of Malcolm III. A little to the eastward of Lochore House were once the vestiges of a Roman Camp, now levelled and effaced. Some have conjectured that this was the spot where the 9th Legion was attacked and nearly cut off by the Caledonians. The only hill in the Parish is Benarty, on the north border, richly adorned with plantations. In addition to the Parish Church, which with the Manse is situated in the north of the Parish, Lochgelly Free Church and Manse are also in Ballingry.

The Dunfermline branch of the Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee Railway, runs through the southern section of the Parish, and the stations at Lochgelly and Cardenden are in the immediate vicinity.

POST OFFICE and Postal Arrangements same as Auchterderran, which see.

BLACKSMITHS.
Lowe, Robert, Shank of Navity
White, John, Feus, Lochgelly

CLERGY.
Macainsh, Peter, Free Church, Lochgelly
Pennell, James, Parish Church, Ballingry

FARMERS.
Cation, David, (Farm Steward) Ballingry
Duncan, Michael, Rosewells
Duncan, William, Inchgall Mill
Glass, Robert, Craigend
Greig, Alexander, Wester Cartmore
Greig, David, Hynds
Hogg, Miss, Lumphinnans (non-resident)
Jackson, Thomas, Esq., Brigghills
Paton, John, Wester Balbedie
Simpson, Robert, Navity
Soutter, John, Chapel of Lochore
Wilson, Thomas, Kirkland
Wilson, William, East Blair

GENTRY & PEOPLE OF INDEPENDENT MEANS.
Those marked thus * are only occasionally resident.
Constable, Wm. Briggs, Esq., Benarty, Blairadam
Henderson, Robert, Glencraig
Henderson, William, do
Henderson, Misses, Crosshill Cottage
*Hunt, Mrs, Navity
*Johnstone, Major, Lochore House

GROCERS.
Those marked thus*are also Spirit Dealers.
* Steedman, George, Shank of Navity
Wishart, Robert, Lochcraig

VINTNERS.
Muir, John, Feus, Lochgelly
Nicol, James, do do

MISCELLANEOUS.
Brand, John, Shoemaker, Shank of Navity
Christie, Alex., & Co., Tenants of Mineral and Iron Works, Lumphinnans
Duncan, Wm., Corn Miller, Inchgall Mill
Henderson, D., Cabinet-Maker & Joiner, Feus, Lochgelly
Jeffry, John, Overseer, Lochore Estate
Keppie, Andrew Tait, Parish Schoolmaster, Inspector of Poor, Registrar, Heritors' & Session Clerk, Ballingry
Mungall, James, Manager, Lumphinnans Works
Mungall, Robert, M.D., Medical Practitioner, Lumphinnans
Robertson, Geo., Tailor & Sexton, Ballingry
Wilson, Geo., Farm Steward, Lumphinnans