Scotland Counties: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:Map of Scotland Counties.jpg|thumb|left|Pre-1974 counties of Scotland]]  
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[[Image:Map of Scotland Counties.jpg|thumb|right|<center>Pre-1974 Counties</center>]]  
[[Image:Scotland1974+.jpg|thumb|right|Post-1974 Scotland counties]]  


[[Image:Scotland1974+.jpg|thumb|right|<center>Modern Counties</center>]]
== County changes made in 1974  ==


__TOC__
In 1974 the British government reorganized the counties of Scotland. Twelve areas called ''regions'' were created from the original thirty-three counties.


== Introduction ==
These changes should not seriously affect genealogical research, but be aware of the following issues:
 
*Current maps show the new boundaries.
*Current addresses are located in the new counties. The addresses use the current county structure.
*If you are looking for a parish, city, or regional office that houses records, you will need to know the current address and the areas covered by the repository.


Scotland was divided into geographic subdivisions (called counties or shires) during the Middle Ages. Originally, these counties were established for juridical purposes but beginning in the 17th century, they started to be used for local administration purposes.<ref>Wiki contributors, "Shires of Scotland," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shires_of_Scotland, accessed 30 August 2018.</ref> These boundaries remained in use for local government until 1974, after which they were substantially reformed into regions and since 1996 into council areas. Genealogical contexts use the old pre-1974 boundaries.  
However, you should still&nbsp;use the pre-1974 county name when you start your genealogical research.&nbsp; For a list of the pre-1974 counties, with links to their Wiki article pages, see below.  


Long before the 1974 reorganization, some counties had alternate names by which they were at times known. These include: Edinburghshire or Midlothian, Elginshire or Moray, Forfarshire or Angus, Haddingtonshire or East Lothian, and Linlithgowshire or West Lothian.
== Use of the suffix 'shire'  ==


=== Use of the suffix 'shire' ===
'Shire' is an old Anglo-Saxon word designating a county or district, which was&nbsp;integrated into Scotland by the English. A shire was policed by a 'shire reeve' or sheriff.  
'Shire' is an old Anglo-Saxon word designating a county or district, which was integrated into Scotland by the English. A shire was policed by a 'shire reeve' or sheriff.  


The word 'shire' is usually used on the end of a county name when there is a parish or city (burgh) of the same name within the county, such as the city or burgh of Aberdeen in Aberdeenshire. When referring to 'the county of Aberdeen', you do not use 'shire' on the end of the name as that would be redundant.  
The word 'shire' is usually used on the end of a county name when there is a parish or city (burgh) of the same name within the&nbsp;county, such as the city or burgh of Aberdeen in Aberdeenshire. When referring to 'the county of Aberdeen', you do not use 'shire' on the end of the name as that would be redundant.  


One exception worth noting is that of Fife, which has never actually been a county in the true sense of the word, but anciently was a kingdom. It is still referred to as "the Kingdom of Fife" and should not at any time be given the -shire suffix.  
One exception worth noting is that of Fife, which has never actually been a county in the true sense of the word, but anciently was a kingdom. It is still referred to as "the Kingdom of Fife" and should not at any time be given the -shire suffix.  


== History ==
== Alternate names  ==
There were significant changes to Scotland counties in 1974 and 1996.


In 1974 the British government reorganized the counties of Scotland. Twelve areas called ''regions'' were created from the original thirty-three counties.  
Long before the 1974 reorganization, some counties had alternate names by which they were at times known. These include Edinburghshire or Midlothian, Elginshire or Moray, Forfarshire&nbsp;or Angus, Haddingtonshire or East Lothian, and Linlithgowshire or West Lothian.  


In 1996 the regions were replaced by 32 Council Areas. Often their names and boundaries are similiar to the original Counties, but not exactly the same.  
== County list ==


These changes should not seriously affect genealogical research, but be aware of the following issues:
Here is a list of the&nbsp;historic counties with the new (post-1974) county or counties they are primarily a part of. Click on an old county name to see a list of historic parishes with further links to information on parish records.&nbsp;&nbsp;(The codes are the&nbsp;standard 'Chapman Code' abbreviations&nbsp;for the&nbsp;historic counties.)&nbsp;


*Current maps show the new boundaries.
{| style="width: 463px; height: 822px" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="463" border="1"
*Current addresses are located in the new counties. The addresses use the current county structure.
*If you are looking for a parish, city, or regional office that houses records, you will need to know the current address and the areas covered by the repository..
 
== Maps  ==
*[http://maps.nls.uk/townplans/index.html Ordnance Survey Scottish town plans], 1847-1895 (62 towns, including 1900 sheets of detailed maps)
 
== Counties  ==
Here is a list of the historic counties with the new (post-1974) county or counties they are primarily a part of. Click on an old county name to see a list of historic parishes with further links to information on parish records. (The codes are the standard 'Chapman Code' abbreviations for the historic counties.)
 
{| style="width: 25%; margin-left: 20px;" class="wikitable"
|-
|-
!Historic County
| '''Historic County'''
!Code
| '''Code'''
!Post-1974 County
| '''Post-1974 County'''
|-
|-
| [[Aberdeenshire, Scotland Genealogy|Aberdeenshire]]  
| [[Aberdeenshire, Scotland|Aberdeenshire]]  
| ABD  
| ABD  
| Grampian
| Grampian
|-
|-
| [[Angus (or Forfarshire), Scotland Genealogy|Angus]] (or Forfarshire)  
| [[Angus Parishes|Angus]] (or Forfarshire)  
| ANS  
| ANS  
| Tayside
| Tayside
|-
|-
| [[Argyllshire Parishes|Argyllshire]]  
| [[Argyllshire Parishes|Argyll]]  
| ARL  
| ARL  
| Strathclyde
| Strathclyde
Line 87: Line 73:
| Central
| Central
|-
|-
| [[Dumfriesshire Parishes|Dumfriesshire]]  
| [[Dumfries-shire Parishes|Dumfries-shire]]  
| DFS  
| DFS  
| Dumfries &amp; Galloway
| Dumfries &amp; Galloway
Line 100: Line 86:
|-
|-
| Edinburghshire (see Midlothian)  
| Edinburghshire (see Midlothian)  
| ---
|  
| ---
| Lothian
|-
|-
| Elginshire (see Moray)  
| Elginshire (see Moray)  
| ---
|  
| ---
| Grampian
|-
|-
| [[Fife, Scotland Genealogy|Fife]] (Kingdom of)
| [[Fife Parishes|Fife]]  
| FIF  
| FIF  
| Fife
| Fife
|-
|-
| Forfarshire (see Angus)  
| Forfarshire (see Angus)  
| ---
|  
| ---
| Tayside
|-
|-
| Haddingtonshire (see East Lothian)  
| Haddingtonshire (see East Lothian)  
| ---
|  
| ---
| Lothian
|-
|-
| [[Inverness-shire Parishes|Inverness-shire]]  
| [[Inverness-shire Parishes|Inverness-shire]]  
Line 131: Line 117:
| Tayside
| Tayside
|-
|-
| [[Kirkcudbrightshire Parishes|Kirkcudbrightshire]]  
| [[Kirkcudbrightshire Parishes|Kircudbrightshire]]  
| KKD  
| KKD  
| Dumfries &amp; Galloway
| Dumfries &amp; Galloway
Line 140: Line 126:
|-
|-
| Linlithgowshire (see West Lothian)  
| Linlithgowshire (see West Lothian)  
| ---
|  
| ---
| Lothian
|-
|-
| [[Midlothian (Edinburghshire), Scotland Parishes|Midlothian]] (or Edinburghshire)  
| [[Midlothian (Edinburghshire), Scotland Parishes|Midlothian]] (or Edinburghshire)  
Line 155: Line 141:
| Highland
| Highland
|-
|-
| [[Orkney, Scotland Parishes|Orkney]] Islands  
| [[Orkney, Scotland Parishes|Orkney]] Islands
| OKI  
| OKI  
| Orkney
| Orkney
|-
|-
| [[Peeblesshire Parishes|Peeblesshire]]  
| [[Peebles-shire Parishes|Peebles-shire]]  
| PEE  
| PEE  
| Borders
| Borders
Line 201: Line 187:
| [[Wigtonshire, Scotland Parishes|Wigtonshire]]  
| [[Wigtonshire, Scotland Parishes|Wigtonshire]]  
| WIG  
| WIG  
| Dumfries & Galloway
| Dumfries &amp; Galloway
|}
|}


=== Parishes in each county  ===
[Return to the [[Scotland|Scotland Portal page]].]
The [https://web.archive.org/web/20080722002809/http://www.scotsfamily.com:80/parish.htm Parish List for Scotland] shows all of the parishes in alphabetical order, giving the parish number, county in which it is situated, and the date when the Old Parochial Records (Presbyterian Church records) began. You may also see maps of Scotland through this link.
 
== Parishes in each county  ==


== References ==
The [http://www.scotroots.com/parish.htm Parish List for Scotland]&nbsp;shows all of the parishes in alphabetical order, giving the parish number, county in which it is situated, and the date when the Old Parochical Records (Presbyterian Church records) began.&nbsp; You may also see maps of Scotland through this link.


[[Category:Scotland Maps and Gazetteers]]
[[Category:Scotland]]

Revision as of 16:26, 18 November 2009

Pre-1974 counties of Scotland
Post-1974 Scotland counties

County changes made in 1974[edit | edit source]

In 1974 the British government reorganized the counties of Scotland. Twelve areas called regions were created from the original thirty-three counties.

These changes should not seriously affect genealogical research, but be aware of the following issues:

  • Current maps show the new boundaries.
  • Current addresses are located in the new counties. The addresses use the current county structure.
  • If you are looking for a parish, city, or regional office that houses records, you will need to know the current address and the areas covered by the repository.

However, you should still use the pre-1974 county name when you start your genealogical research.  For a list of the pre-1974 counties, with links to their Wiki article pages, see below.

Use of the suffix 'shire'[edit | edit source]

'Shire' is an old Anglo-Saxon word designating a county or district, which was integrated into Scotland by the English. A shire was policed by a 'shire reeve' or sheriff.

The word 'shire' is usually used on the end of a county name when there is a parish or city (burgh) of the same name within the county, such as the city or burgh of Aberdeen in Aberdeenshire. When referring to 'the county of Aberdeen', you do not use 'shire' on the end of the name as that would be redundant.

One exception worth noting is that of Fife, which has never actually been a county in the true sense of the word, but anciently was a kingdom. It is still referred to as "the Kingdom of Fife" and should not at any time be given the -shire suffix.

Alternate names[edit | edit source]

Long before the 1974 reorganization, some counties had alternate names by which they were at times known. These include Edinburghshire or Midlothian, Elginshire or Moray, Forfarshire or Angus, Haddingtonshire or East Lothian, and Linlithgowshire or West Lothian.

County list[edit | edit source]

Here is a list of the historic counties with the new (post-1974) county or counties they are primarily a part of. Click on an old county name to see a list of historic parishes with further links to information on parish records.  (The codes are the standard 'Chapman Code' abbreviations for the historic counties.) 

Historic County Code Post-1974 County
Aberdeenshire ABD Grampian
Angus (or Forfarshire) ANS Tayside
Argyll ARL Strathclyde
Ayrshire AYR Strathclyde
Banffshire BAN Grampian
Berwickshire BEW Borders
Bute BUT Strathclyde
Caithness CAI Highland
Clackmannanshire CLK Central
Dumfries-shire DFS Dumfries & Galloway
Dunbartonshire DNB Strathclyde
East Lothian (or Haddingtonshire) ELN Lothian
Edinburghshire (see Midlothian) Lothian
Elginshire (see Moray) Grampian
Fife FIF Fife
Forfarshire (see Angus) Tayside
Haddingtonshire (see East Lothian) Lothian
Inverness-shire INV Highland
Kincardineshire KCD Grampian
Kinross-shire KRS Tayside
Kircudbrightshire KKD Dumfries & Galloway
Lanarkshire LKS Strathclyde
Linlithgowshire (see West Lothian) Lothian
Midlothian (or Edinburghshire) MLN Lothian
Moray (or Elginshire) MOR Grampian
Nairnshire NAI Highland
Orkney Islands OKI Orkney
Peebles-shire PEE Borders
Perthshire PER Tayside, Central
Renfrewshire RFW Strathclyde
Ross & Cromarty ROC Highland
Roxburghshire ROX Borders
Selkirkshire SEL Borders
Shetland (or Zetland) Islands SHI Shetland
Stirlingshire STI Central
Sutherland SUT Highland
West Lothian (or Linlithgowshire) WLN Lothian
Wigtonshire WIG Dumfries & Galloway

[Return to the Scotland Portal page.]

Parishes in each county[edit | edit source]

The Parish List for Scotland shows all of the parishes in alphabetical order, giving the parish number, county in which it is situated, and the date when the Old Parochical Records (Presbyterian Church records) began.  You may also see maps of Scotland through this link.

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