Scotland Church Records: Difference between revisions

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Each local parish (parochin) keeps records. The two major record types are ''parochial or parish registers'' and ''kirk session records.''  See details below under '''Old Parochial Registers (OPR'''), or go to [[Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records|Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records]].  
Each local parish (parochin) keeps records. The two major record types are ''parochial or parish registers'' and ''kirk session records.''  See details below under '''Old Parochial Registers (OPR'''), or go to [[Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records|Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records]].  


It ''may be'' necessary to know the parish where your ancestor was born, married, or died so you can search parish registers. If you do not know the parish but know the name of a village or town, you may use a gazetteer to locate the parish. For more information, read the article [[Scotland_Gazetteers|Scotland Gazetteers]]. Gazetteers may provide:  
It ''may be'' necessary to know the parish where your ancestor was born, married, or died so you can search parish registers. If you do not know the parish but know the name of a village or town, you may use a gazetteer to locate the parish. For more information, read the article [[Scotland Gazetteers|Scotland Gazetteers]]. Gazetteers may provide:  


*Descriptions of parishes.  
*Descriptions of parishes.  
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Nonconformists had their own congregations and kept their own records. They could go to church whereever they wished and were not confined to parish boundaries. However, before 1834, nonconformist ministers were not authorized to perform marriages as clergyman; after 1834 they could perform marriages if the banns had first been read in the parish church. Total authority was granted in 1855.In the context of Scots Law as it applied until 1939 this only in practice affected the mode of marriage as until then any declaration of marriage in front of witnesses was valid although many might have failed to be recorded.  
Nonconformists had their own congregations and kept their own records. They could go to church whereever they wished and were not confined to parish boundaries. However, before 1834, nonconformist ministers were not authorized to perform marriages as clergyman; after 1834 they could perform marriages if the banns had first been read in the parish church. Total authority was granted in 1855.In the context of Scots Law as it applied until 1939 this only in practice affected the mode of marriage as until then any declaration of marriage in front of witnesses was valid although many might have failed to be recorded.  


For more background information on churches in Scotland, including a historical time-line, read the article [[Scotland_Church_History|Scotland Church History]].
For more background information on churches in Scotland, including a historical time-line, read the article [[Scotland Church History|Scotland Church History]].  


== Identifying Churches  ==
== Identifying Churches  ==
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==== The Union List of Church Records  ====
==== The Union List of Church Records  ====


The staff of the Family History Library has compiled a resource called the [[Scotland Church Records Union Lists|Scotland Church Records Union List]] which strives to identify all pre-1855 churches in Scotland and whether they have surviving records. It also contains brief parish and congregation histories. This information, arranged by county then parish, is available through the Wiki by searching for a [[Scotland Old Counties pre 1974 and New Counties post 1974|county]] or parish of interest.
The staff of the Family History Library has compiled a resource called the [[Scotland Church Records Union Lists|Scotland Church Records Union List]] which strives to identify all pre-1855 churches in Scotland and whether they have surviving records. It also contains brief parish and congregation histories. This information, arranged by county then parish, is available through the Wiki by searching for a [[Scotland Old Counties pre 1974 and New Counties post 1974|county]] or parish of interest.  


== Old Parochial Registers (OPR)  ==
== Old Parochial Registers (OPR)  ==
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Part of the National Archives of Scotland: [http://www.scottishdocuments.com http://www.scottishdocuments.com]   
Part of the National Archives of Scotland: [http://www.scottishdocuments.com http://www.scottishdocuments.com]   


Scottish Archive Network:&nbsp; [http://www.scan.org.uk www.scan.org.uk]<br>
Scottish Archive Network:&nbsp; [http://www.scan.org.uk www.scan.org.uk]<br>  


Access to British archives/catalog/documents: [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk]&nbsp;&nbsp;  
Access to British archives/catalog/documents: [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk]&nbsp;&nbsp;  


Records of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland: [http://www.scottishcatholicarchives.org.uk/ Scottish Catholic archive], The [http://www.rcag.org.uk/history_intro.htm Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow Archive] and individaul parishes of the Roman Catholic Church. some Roman Catholic Registers are held at the [http://www.nas.gov.uk/ National Archives of Scotland] with the identifier of <u>NAS REF: RH21</u>.
Records of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland: [http://www.scottishcatholicarchives.org.uk/ Scottish Catholic archive], The [http://www.rcag.org.uk/history_intro.htm Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow Archive] and individaul parishes of the Roman Catholic Church. some Roman Catholic Registers are held at the [http://www.nas.gov.uk/ National Archives of Scotland] with the identifier of <u>NAS REF: RH21</u>.  


<br>
 
 
'''Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:'''
 
[[Scotland_Births_and_Baptisms_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)|Scotland Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
 
[[Scotland_Marriages_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)|Scotland Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]


[Go to the [[Scotland Strategies for Locating Births, Marriages and Deaths|Scotland&nbsp;Research Strategies]] page.] &lt;br {{Place|Scotland}}  
[Go to the [[Scotland Strategies for Locating Births, Marriages and Deaths|Scotland&nbsp;Research Strategies]] page.] &lt;br {{Place|Scotland}}  
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