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''[[Scotland|Scotland]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] '''Church Records'''''
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Church records are an excellent source for accurate information on names, dates, and places of birth, marriage, and death. Most people in Scotland before the mid-nineteenth century are listed in church records. Since civil authorities did not begin registering vital statistics until 1855, church records are the best source of family information before that date.&nbsp;


'''Church records are the main source for accurate information on names, dates, and places of birth, marriage, and death prior to the beginning of civil registration in 1855.'''
== Understanding Church Organization  ==


'''While the next section gives brief explanations and links to online indexes and records, they are best searched after a basic understanding of the main churches in Scotland with their history and available records. For this, see Section 2.4 Historical Background below.''' 
[[Image:United Presbyterian Church at Stonehouse, Scotland.jpg|thumb|right|403x600px|United Presbyterian Church at Stonehouse, Scotland.jpg]]The Church of Scotland (a Presbyterian church) has been the recognised national church of Scotland since 1690; it is not a state or "established" church (although that latter description has found its way into various official documentation such as marriage registers) and that independence from the state was eventually acknowledged in the Church of Scotland Act 1921. The organization of the Church of Scotland is as follows:  
==Online Records==
*'''1754-1878''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62629/ UK, Admiralty Records of Marriages and Baptisms, 1754-1878] at Ancestry — index & images ($)


===Old Parochial Records===
*The General Assembly is the highest&nbsp;organizational body and serves as the&nbsp;final ecclesiastical court of appeals.  
*All Church of Scotland OPRs (Old Parish Records) can be accessed on the [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ '''ScotlandsPeople website''']. There is no fee to search for names, but there is a fee of about $2 (US) per original image.
*A&nbsp;Synod&nbsp;is made up of&nbsp;several presbyteries and serves as the court&nbsp;of appeals&nbsp;for those presbyteries.  
*Registration in Church of Scotland's registers was costly and unpopular, so many people did not bother to register events at all. Rapid urbanization during the 19th century contributed to the diminishing influence of the Church and a decrease in registration in these areas. For the 19th century onwards, it is estimated that as few as 30% of events occurring were actually being recorded for some urban parishes.<ref>"Guide to Old Parish Registers", Aberdeen City Libraries, https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2019-09/Guide%20-%20OPRs.pdf, accessed 24 March 2024.</ref>
*A&nbsp;Presbytery&nbsp;is made up of&nbsp;several parishes and serves as the court of appeals for those parishes.  
*The original images can also be browsed for free at FamilySearch Centers and Affiliate Libraries through the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog '''FamilySearch Catalog''']. Microfilm and microfiche indexes are also available. See the article '''[[Scotland Old Parochial Registers (OPR)]]''' to learn more.
*A&nbsp;parish is the lowest governing body.  
:*Search: {{RecordSearch|1771030| '''Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950'''}} - at FamilySearch, index & images ($). [[Scotland Births and Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use This Collection]]
*A chapelry or chapel of ease is a small church which serves a distant part of a parish.
:*Search: {{RecordSearch|1771074| '''Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910'''}} - at FamilySearch, index & images ($). [[Scotland Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use This Collection]]
:*{{RecordSearch|2421466|'''Scotland Presbyterian & Protestant Church Records, 1736-1990'''}} - at FamilySearch, index & images ($). [[Scotland Presbyterian & Protestant Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use This Collection]]
:*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&query=%2Bkeywords%3AScotland%20%2Bkeywords%3ABlotter '''Blotter Registers''']
:*{{FSC|79310|item|disp='''Neglected Entries Register'''}}
*'''FindMyPast''' has '''indexed and digitized''' the records.
:*[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/scotland-parish-births-and-baptisms-1564-1929 '''Scotland, Parish Births & Baptisms 1564-1929'''], index & images ($).
:*[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/scotland-parish-marriages-and-banns-1561-1893 '''Scotland, Parish Marriages & Banns 1561-1893'''], index & images ($).
:*[https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/scotland-parish-deaths-and-burials-1564-2017 '''Scotland, Parish Deaths & Burials 1564-2017'''], index & images ($).
*'''MyHeritage''' has also index and digitized the records.
:*[https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30226/scotland-births-baptisms-1564-1950 '''Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950'''], index & images ($).
:*[https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-30229/scotland-marriages-1561-1910 '''Scotland, Marriages, 1561-1910'''], index & images ($).


*[http://www.freereg.org.uk/ '''FreeReg.org'''] is a site that transcribes records from across the UK. A few Scotland Church Records are included. No images are available.
Each local parish (parochin) keeps records.&nbsp;The two major record types are ''parochial or parish registers'' and ''kirk session records.''&nbsp; See details below under '''Old Parochial Registers (OPR'''), or go to [[Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records|Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records]].  


===Kirk Sessions===
The [http://www.nas.gov.uk/ National Archives of Scotland] maintains these records under&nbsp;the following references:&nbsp;[http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/ CH1], [http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/ CH2], [http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/ CH3]. A more detailed description of each of these record types is available online at the [http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/news/dunaskinnews200207/sourcesforscottishchurchhistoryinthenas/ University of Glasgow (Archive Services).]  
*[https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-guides/kirk-session-records '''ScotlandsPeople Kirk Sessions''']  
*[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2390848 '''Scotland Church Records and Kirk Session Records, 1658-1919''']
*[https://www.oldscottish.com/records.html '''Old Scottish Genealogy and Family History'''] Scroll down to "RECORDS BY COUNTY".
*[http://www.scottishindexes.com/coveragebmd.aspx '''ScottishIndexes'''] has some court and church register transcriptions for non-OPR (Old Parochial Registers)


===Non-Conformists===
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:
[[File:Scottish Catholic Dioceses.png|300px|thumb|right|<center>Roman Catholic Dioceses of Scotland</center>]]


[[File:Dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church.png|300px|thumb|right|<center>Dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church</center>]]
*Descriptions of parishes can be found at [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/ Genuki.org.uk].
[https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search#{%22category%22:%22church%22} ''' ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk]''' In 1855, the government officially called for all non-parochial (non-conformist) church registers (of all religions outside of the Church of Scotland) to be turned in to the official government archive, now managed by '''ScotlandsPeople'''.
*Maps showing parish boundaries to help determine which parish records to search
*'''Catholic Records:''' [https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/catholic-parish-registers '''Catholic Parish Registers Guide'''].
*Lists of neighboring parishes can be found at [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/ Genuki.org.uk].
::[[Scotland Roman Catholic Church Parishes]]
*'''Other Non-Conformist''' Records: A list of what is available is for other non-conformist churches is available here: [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/church-registers#Parishes '''Church Records Guide'''].
::The main NRS collections are as follows:
:::Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) (NRS reference CH10), 1569-1983
:::Methodist Church (NRS reference, CH11), 1661-2002
:::Episcopal Church (NRS reference CH12), 1549-2003
:::United Free Church (NRS reference CH13), 1901-1986, including some records of predecessor churches back to 1792
:::United Reformed Church (NRS reference CH14), 1726-1993
:::Unitarian Church (NRS reference CH15), 1792-1975
:::Free Church (NRS reference CH16), 1843-1977, including some records of predecessor churches back to 1823


==Contents of the Records==
==== Nonconformists  ====
=== Births/Baptisms  ===
 
Children were usually baptized within a few days or weeks of birth. Births/baptisms may include: <br>
Churches which are not part of the Church of Scotland are often referred to as nonconformist although this word's correct use does not have valid application in a country with no state church and properly applies only in England where the Church of Scotland is a non-conformist church. There were two categories of so-called nonconformist churches in Scotland:  
*Name and surname of the child
 
*Birth and/or baptism date and place
*Seceders -- Those who seceded from the main church but were still Presbyterian in form.
*Parents’ names, including the maiden name of the mother
*Dissenters -- Those who were not Presbyterian in form, such as Baptist, Methodist, or Catholic.
<br>
 
Births/baptisms may include: <br>
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.
*Child’s placement within the family and indication of legitimacy
 
*Father’s occupation and residence
The [http://www.nas.gov.uk/ National Archives of Scotland] maintains these types of records under the following references: [http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/news/dunaskinnews200207/sourcesforscottishchurchhistoryinthenas/ CH4-CH16.] A detailed description of the record types is available online at the [http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/archives/news/dunaskinnews200207/sourcesforscottishchurchhistoryinthenas/ University of Glasgow (Archive Services).]
*Names of witnesses
 
=== Marriages/Proclamations ===
For more background information&nbsp;on churches in Scotland, including a historical time-line, read the article [[Scotland Church History|Scotland Church History]].
Marriages usually took place in the parish where the bride resided. Marriage records usually give: <br>
 
*Names of the bride and groom
== Identifying Churches ==
*Date and place of marriage/proclamation<br>
 
Marriages may include: <br>
The following books contain maps that show parish boundaries:  
*Proclamation of intent to marry
 
*Residences and groom’s occupation
*''Civil Parishes and Counties of North East Scotland Showing Overall Dates of Old Parochial Records: Held in Edinburgh and Available Worldwide on Microfilm [Scotland]: Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society''[ 198-]. ({{FHL|941 E7c|call number-id|disp=Family History Library&nbsp;Map Case 941 E7c pt. 4}})
*Marital status
*''The Phillimore Atlas and Index of Parish Registers'', 2nd ed. Chichester, England: Phillimore &amp; Co. Ltd, 1995. ({{FHL|941E7pa|callnumberid|disp=Family History Library&nbsp;Book 941 E7pa}})
*Names of fathers
*''Parish Maps of Scotland.&nbsp;''Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1991. ({{FHL|6036350|Fiche-id|disp=Family History Library Book 941 E7ch; Fiche 6036350}})
*Names of witnesses
*''Phillips’ Handy Atlas of the Counties of Scotland 1881.&nbsp;''London, England: G. Phillip, 1881. ({{FHL|941 E7p|call number-id|disp=Family History Library Book 941 E7p; Film 423175}})
<br>
 
Some records show a couple’s “intent to marry,” also called the proclamation of banns. Usually the intent to marry was proclaimed in the parishes of both the bride and groom. The marriage was usually recorded only in the parish in which the marriage actually took place.  
Parish outline maps are also available online at [http://www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-maps.htm http://www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-maps.htm].
=== Deaths/Burials ===
 
Few burial records were kept before 1855. It is important to know that many women, when their husbands died, reverted to their maiden names and were buried under that name.  
==== 1851 Census of Places of Worship  ====
<br>
 
Deaths/burials generally include: <br>
Popularly called the 1851 Religious Census, this is a resource for identifying what churches existed where in 1851. [[1851 Census Places of Worship|Read more...]]
*Name
 
*Date and place of death or burial<br>
==== The Union List of Church Records  ====
Deaths/burials may include: <br>
 
*Occupation
The staff of the Family History Library has compiled a resource called the [[Scotland Church Records Union Lists|Scotland Church Records Union List]]&nbsp;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.  
*Age at death
 
*Names of relatives
== Old Parochial Registers (OPR) ==
*Residence
 
*Mortcloth dues (fee paid for the use of the funeral cloth or pall draped over the casket or body during the funeral ceremony)
The term ''old parochial registers'' refers to the parish records kept by the Presbyterian Church (Church of Scotland) from the time the church began keeping records up to the year 1855. The records include registers of births/baptisms, marriages/proclamations, and deaths/burials. The amount of information in registers varies from parish to parish. Later records generally give more complete information than earlier ones. For more information see [[Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records|Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records]].
 
Most parish registers begin after 1650. Some kirk session (parish court) records begin earlier than the parish registers. Kirk session records may have some christening, marriage, and burial records in them.
 
Some early parish registers may be in Latin. Scotland has its own version of English, so you may need to use a dictionary to understand some words and terms. Read more in [[Scotland_Language_and_Languages Scotland|Language and Languages]].  
 
For an interesting article on what is found in the registers, see:  
 
*Whyte, Donald. "Old Parochial Registers of Scotland." Refers to people from various parts of Ireland - baptisms, marriages - that were held in various Scotland Old Parish Registers for the years 1691-1846. Article in ''The Irish Ancestor'', vol.III, no.2,1971, pages 79-82. Family History Library book 941.5 B2i. <br>
 
==== Indexes  ====
 
Indexes to the old parochial registers have been created and are available in various forms.&nbsp; See the following Wiki articles for more information:
 
*[[Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records|Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records]].
*[[Scotland Old Parochial Registers (OPR)|Scotland Old Parochial Registers (OPR) Index]]


[[Image:United Presbyterian Church at Stonehouse, Scotland.jpg|thumb|right|403x600px|United Presbyterian Church at Stonehouse, Scotland.jpg]]
== Key Web Sites  ==


===Historical Background===
[http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ScotlandsPeople]:&nbsp;A&nbsp;paid subscription site&nbsp;
For more background information on churches in Scotland, including a historical timeline, read the article [[Scotland Church History|Scotland Church History]].


====Church of Scotland====
[http://www.nas.gov.uk National Archives of Scotland]:&nbsp;Online catalogue show holdings viewed while physically there.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  
The Church of Scotland (a Presbyterian church) has been the recognized national church of Scotland since 1690. It is not a state or "established" church (although that latter description has found its way into various official documentation such as marriage registers); that independence from the state was eventually acknowledged in the Church of Scotland Act 1921.


The two main types of records are '''Old Parochial Registers (OPR)''' and '''Kirk Session Records'''. OPR's list baptisms, marriages and burials. Kirk Session records are the records of the Church Courts. They often list information relevant to genealogy. Additional records to utilize can include [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&query=%2Bkeywords%3AScotland%20%2Bkeywords%3ABlotter Blotter Registers] and {{FSC|79310|item|disp=Neglected Entries Register}} (considered to pertain to civil registration, but many entries start well before C.R. even began--1809-1860).
[http://www.scottishdocuments.com Part of the National Archives of Scotland]:&nbsp;Digitized collections&nbsp;
<br>
====Non-conformist====
Churches which are not part of the Church of Scotland are often referred to as '''nonconformist'''. By the 19th century a majority of the population was non-Conformist. There were two categories of so-called nonconformist churches in Scotland:  


*Dissenters or sometimes called seceders or seccesionist -- Those who seceded from the main church but were still Presbyterian in form. Such dissenting churches included Associate, Covenanters, Burghers, Anti-burgher,  Free church, Reformed Presbyterian, and later in the 1800's the United Presbyterian and others.
[http://www.scan.org.uk Scottish Archive Network]:&nbsp; Digitized Collections
*Nonconformists -- Those who were not Presbyterian in form, such as Episcopal, Methodist, Quaker, Baptist, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), or Catholic.


Nonconformists had their own congregations, with different boundaries to the Church of Scotland and kept their own records. 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 affected, only in practice, the mode of marriage because until then any declaration of marriage in front of witnesses was valid although many might have failed to be recorded.
[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/ National Archives of England]:&nbsp;Link to catalogue
====Scotland Handfast Tradition====
The rite of '''Handfast''' was introduced into Scotland by Scandinavian Vikings and dates back to the beginning of Christianity. The original idea is linked to Common Law Marriages and of the posting of Banns in church. The word "Handfast" is tied to a hand shake that was used in earlier times to finalize a business transaction. The tradition of Handfast as a form of marriage lasted well into the 20th century, especially in the isolated and mountain areas of Scotland.


Handfasting was originally used to announce the union between a man and woman who wished to live together as husband and wife before receiving the blessing of the church. The couple would stand before their peers, hold hands above their heads, and state their intentions. The agreement was good for one year and one day, or until clergy came to the area. A child born of a Handfast union was considered legitimate and was eligible to inherit.  
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>[http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/ NAS REF: RH21]</u>.  


Many times this was an arrangement made so a man would know if a woman were able to bear children. Also, in areas where there was no church and the clergy came infrequently to marry and baptize, it was a means to legitimize those marriages. How often couples were married by handfasting is unknown. If, in the course of your research, you cannot find a marriage for your ancestral couple, it may be because they were married in this traditional way. Chances are good that the event took place within the year prior to the birth of the couple's first child.
<br>


Handfasting is no longer an acceptable practice in Scotland. However, it is possible that the new rise of premarital agreements or contracts between couples who wish to live together without the benefit of legal marriage is an offshoot of the ancient tradition of the Handfast system.
'''Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:'''


===Correspond with or visit the actual churches.===
*[[Scotland Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)|Scotland Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
Some records are still held in the [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/research-guides/parishes-and-districts local churches.] Contact the current minister to find out what records are still available.
*[[Scotland Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)|Scotland Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
*'''Make an appointment''' to look at the records. Or ask the minister of the church to make a copy of the record for you.
*To find church staff available, you might have to visit on Sunday.
*Ask for small searches at a time, such as one birth record or a specific marriage. Never ask for "everything on a family or surname". 
*A '''donation''' ($25-$40) for their time and effort to help you would be appropriate.
*If the church has a website, you may be able to '''e-mail a message'''.
*See the [[Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy|'''Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy''']] for help with composing letters.


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


[http://www.ancestry.co.uk/ Ancestry.co.uk], a paid&nbsp;subscription site, &nbsp;has some Scotland Parish Records available online. This site is available at the Family History Library and Regional Centers for free.


==Research Guidance==
{{Template:Pros-Scot}}


'''FamilySearch Wiki Help for Non-Church of Scotland Church Records Research'''
{{Place|Scotland}}
*[[Steps For Tracing Scottish Ancestry Outside of The Church of Scotland|Steps For Tracing Scottish Ancestry Outside of The Church of Scotland]]
*[https://familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lesson/782 Scotland's Lost Other Half: Tracing Difficult Ancestral Lines in Scotland's Non-Parochial Register]
<br>
'''Online Tutorials on FamilySearch:'''
*[https://familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/lesson/783 Using Church of Scotland Parochial Registers to trace Scots Ancestry]


[[Category:Scotland Church Records]]
[[Category:Scotland|Church Records]]

Revision as of 12:18, 12 September 2012

Scotland Gotoarrow.png Church Records

Church records are an excellent source for accurate information on names, dates, and places of birth, marriage, and death. Most people in Scotland before the mid-nineteenth century are listed in church records. Since civil authorities did not begin registering vital statistics until 1855, church records are the best source of family information before that date. 

Understanding Church Organization[edit | edit source]

United Presbyterian Church at Stonehouse, Scotland.jpg

The Church of Scotland (a Presbyterian church) has been the recognised national church of Scotland since 1690; it is not a state or "established" church (although that latter description has found its way into various official documentation such as marriage registers) and that independence from the state was eventually acknowledged in the Church of Scotland Act 1921. The organization of the Church of Scotland is as follows:

  • The General Assembly is the highest organizational body and serves as the final ecclesiastical court of appeals.
  • A Synod is made up of several presbyteries and serves as the court of appeals for those presbyteries.
  • A Presbytery is made up of several parishes and serves as the court of appeals for those parishes.
  • A parish is the lowest governing body.
  • A chapelry or chapel of ease is a small church which serves a distant part of a parish.

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.

The National Archives of Scotland maintains these records under the following references: CH1, CH2, CH3. A more detailed description of each of these record types is available online at the University of Glasgow (Archive Services).

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. Gazetteers may provide:

  • Descriptions of parishes can be found at Genuki.org.uk.
  • Maps showing parish boundaries to help determine which parish records to search
  • Lists of neighboring parishes can be found at Genuki.org.uk.

Nonconformists[edit | edit source]

Churches which are not part of the Church of Scotland are often referred to as nonconformist although this word's correct use does not have valid application in a country with no state church and properly applies only in England where the Church of Scotland is a non-conformist church. There were two categories of so-called nonconformist churches in Scotland:

  • Seceders -- Those who seceded from the main church but were still Presbyterian in form.
  • Dissenters -- Those who were not Presbyterian in form, such as Baptist, Methodist, or Catholic.

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.

The National Archives of Scotland maintains these types of records under the following references: CH4-CH16. A detailed description of the record types is available online at the University of Glasgow (Archive Services).

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

Identifying Churches[edit | edit source]

The following books contain maps that show parish boundaries:

Parish outline maps are also available online at http://www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-maps.htm.

1851 Census of Places of Worship[edit | edit source]

Popularly called the 1851 Religious Census, this is a resource for identifying what churches existed where in 1851. Read more...

The Union List of Church Records[edit | edit source]

The staff of the Family History Library has compiled a resource called the 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 county or parish of interest.

Old Parochial Registers (OPR)[edit | edit source]

The term old parochial registers refers to the parish records kept by the Presbyterian Church (Church of Scotland) from the time the church began keeping records up to the year 1855. The records include registers of births/baptisms, marriages/proclamations, and deaths/burials. The amount of information in registers varies from parish to parish. Later records generally give more complete information than earlier ones. For more information see Scotland Established (Presbyterian) Church Records.

Most parish registers begin after 1650. Some kirk session (parish court) records begin earlier than the parish registers. Kirk session records may have some christening, marriage, and burial records in them.

Some early parish registers may be in Latin. Scotland has its own version of English, so you may need to use a dictionary to understand some words and terms. Read more in Language and Languages.

For an interesting article on what is found in the registers, see:

  • Whyte, Donald. "Old Parochial Registers of Scotland." Refers to people from various parts of Ireland - baptisms, marriages - that were held in various Scotland Old Parish Registers for the years 1691-1846. Article in The Irish Ancestor, vol.III, no.2,1971, pages 79-82. Family History Library book 941.5 B2i.

Indexes[edit | edit source]

Indexes to the old parochial registers have been created and are available in various forms.  See the following Wiki articles for more information:

Key Web Sites[edit | edit source]

ScotlandsPeople: A paid subscription site 

National Archives of Scotland: Online catalogue show holdings viewed while physically there.   

Part of the National Archives of Scotland: Digitized collections 

Scottish Archive Network:  Digitized Collections

National Archives of England: Link to catalogue

Records of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland: Scottish Catholic archive, The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow Archive and individaul parishes of the Roman Catholic Church. some Roman Catholic Registers are held at the National Archives of Scotland with the identifier of NAS REF: RH21.


Wiki articles describing online collections are found at:

[Go to the Scotland Research Strategies page.] <br 

Ancestry.co.uk, a paid subscription site,  has some Scotland Parish Records available online. This site is available at the Family History Library and Regional Centers for free.


v • d• e
Links to Scotland-related articles
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