WHAT RECORDS ARE CONSULTED?

The official records held at The General Register Office for Scotland are the primary source for research.  The main records to be searched will be Statutory Civil Registers from 1855 to present, Old Parish Registers prior to 1855, census returns from 1841 to 1901. Other records, where appropriate (eg Monumental Inscriptions, Kirk session records etc) may also be consulted where necesssary.

BIRTH CERTIFICATES

Scottish birth certificates dating from 1855 (the first official year of registration) contain

  1. Full name of individual
  2. Date, time and place of birth
  3. Sex
  4. Name, surname and rank or profession of father, maiden surname of mother and date and place of marriage. 
  5. Informant's name.

MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES

Marriage certificates include

  1. Place, date and how married (ie church or registrar's office)
  2. Names of parties, together with rank or profession, single, widowed and relationship, if any (eg cousins)
  3. Ages of parties
  4. Usual residence
  5. Name, surname, rank or professsion of father and name and maiden surname of mother
  6. Signature of officiating minister and names of witnesses

DEATH CERTIFICATES

Death certificates include

  1. Name and surname, rank or profession and whether single, married or widowed
  2. Date, time and place of death
  3. Sex and age
  4. Name, surname and rank or profession of father, together with name and maiden surname of mother
  5. Cause of death and duration of disease
  6. Informant (and details of residence if outwith house in which death occurred)

OLD PARISH REGISTERS

These records were kept prior to 1855 and some parish records have survived which go back to 1550.  Each parish is different, however, and some of these have been destroyed.  The information contained in these OPRs differ in that there is no standard format.  Some contain very little information and this was due to the session clerk or minister who wrote down the details. 

CENSUS RETURNS

The census returns give most information about the family, in that they list all the members of the family living in the same house with a description as to their names, relationship, ages, occupations and places of birth.  The available census returns for consultation are those from 1841 to 1901.

Copies of the above documents can be provided either as part of a full family history or as a one-off search. 

Price on application.

For further details contact

Margaret Hubble

email:  mhubble@btconnect.com