In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described St Leonards like this:
St Leonards, a small parish in the E of Fife, and forming practically part of the parish of St Andrews, though it is civilly and ecclesiastically distinct. It consists of a main portion near the centre of the S border of St Andrews parish and several detached portions in and about the town. The main part, which lies to the S of Boarhills, is bounded W and N by the parish of St Andrews, E by the parish of Kingsbarns, S by the parish of Crail, and SW by the parish of Dunino; its extreme length and breadth are 1¾ mile. ...
The physical characteristics are the same as in St Andrews, and the height above sea-level rises towards the S till 317 feet is reached near the corner of Balcaithly Wood. The drainage is carried off by Kenly Burn, which has, along the boundary or through this part of the parish, a course of fully 1¼ mile. Another portion immediately SW of the town of St Andrews measures 4 by 2 furlongs, and there are smaller sections at the E end of the town. The land area is 820 acres; and the whole parish, which was originally the property of the Priory of St Andrews and afterwards of St Leonard's College, now belongs to the United College of St Salvator and St Leonard at St Andrews. Although the principal of St Leonard's did not always officiate as the minister of the parish, and in the case of George Buchanan (1566-70) was not even a clergyman, it is certain that for some time before the Revolution the two offices were held by the same person; and from that time till 1836, first the principal of St Leonard's, and thereafter of the United College, was always a clergyman and minister of this parish. St Leonards is in the presbytery of St Andrews and the synod of Fife, and the living is worth £315 a year. The chapel of St Salvator's College has been used as the parish church for more than a century, and was legally annexed to the parish in 1843. Valuation (1856) £859, 7s., (1875) £1660, 16s. 3d., (1885) £1377, 10s. 11d. Pop. (1801) 363, (1831) 482, (1861) 513, (1871) 741, (1881) 769, of whom 436 were females.—Ord. Sur., shs. 49, 41, 1865-57.
The location is simply the middle of the parish name as it appears on the New Popular map; this place would be better represented by a parish centroid, if we had a boundary.
St Leonards through time
St Leonards is now part of Fife district. Click here for graphs and data of how Fife has changed over two centuries. For statistics about St Leonards itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of St Leonards in Fife | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/21291
Date accessed: 05th May 2024
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