Shetland, Scotland Genealogy: Difference between revisions

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{{Locality
|Name=Shetland
|ID=10590300
|Level=1
|Country=Scotland
|CountryID=10579050
|Locality1=Shetland
|Locality1id=10590300
}}{{Shetland-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[United Kingdom]]
| link2=[[Scotland Genealogy|Scotland]]
| link3=
| link4=
| link5=[[{{PAGENAME}}|Shetland (or Zetland) County]]
}}
Guide to '''Shetland (or Zetland) County ancestry, family history and genealogy:''' birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records. 
{| style="float:right"
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[[Image:Scotland-shetland.png|thumb|<center>Shetland (or Zetland) County</center>]]  
|}
<div style="display:flex; flex-wrap:wrap">
<div style="margin-right:20px">__TOC__</div>
<div id="fsButtons; text-align:top"><span class="online_records_button">[[Scotland Online Genealogy Records]]</span>
<span class="community_button">[[Online Research Help|Online<br>Research Help]]</span></div>
</div>
==History==
The Shetland islands, also known as Zetland, are a maritime county in the northern extremity of Scotland, bounded on the north by the North Sea, on the east by the German Ocean, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south by the waters that separate it from the Orkney Islands. They extend for about 70 miles from north to south and 54 miles from east to west, comprising an area of about 855 square miles or 547,200 acres.
 
At the time of the Roman occupation, northern Scotland, including Shetland, was occupied by the Picts who had them until about the year 876, when the forces of the King of Norway took the isles. They remained under Norwegian rule until 1472 following the marriage of James IIIof Scotland to Princess Margaret of Norway. When her father, Kristian I, could not pay her dowry, Norway forfeited both the Shetlands and the Orkneys to Scotland.
 
The Shetlands comprise a cluster of 90 islands, of which 25 are inhabited, and the remainder are used principally for pasture. There are twelve parishes. Shetland and Orkney are joined into one sheriff's district with a sub-sheriff over each. The only town is Lerwick, which is a royal [[B genealogical glossary terms|burgh of barony]], and there is the village of Scalloway and some small hamlets on the coasts.
 
The population in 1851 was 30,558.<ref>Samuel Lewis. ''Topographical Dictionary of Scotland'', (London, England: S. Lewis and Co., 1846), 3 v.: 651, [FS Library book 941 E5]. Digitized by FamilySearch International, ''FamilySearch.org'', https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/216925 (accessed  June 20, 2016).</ref><ref>Samuel Lewis. "Shaint - Skirling,"  in ''A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland'', (London, 1846), 461-467. ''British History Online'',  http://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/scotland/pp461-467 (accessed June 7, 2020).</ref>
 
== ScotlandsPeople: An Important Online Source ==
 
'''[http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ ScotlandsPeople]''' is one of the largest online sources of original genealogical information. If you are researching UK genealogy, your Scottish ancestry or building your Scottish family tree, they have more than 100 million records to look through.


The Shetland or Zetland islands are a maritime county in the northern extremity of Scotland, bounded on the north by the North Sea, on the east by the German Ocean, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south by the waters that separate it from the Orkney Islands.&nbsp; They extend for about 70 miles from north to south and 54 miles from east to west, comprising an area of about 855 square miles or 547,200 acres.  
The comprehensive choice of Scottish records includes:
{|
|-
|
:*Statutory Registers
:*Old Parish Registers
:*Catholic Parish Registers
|
:*CPR Others
:*Census
:*Valuation Rolls
|
:*Soldiers’ Wills
:*Wills & Testaments
:*Coats of Arms
|}
For more detail on record availability, see [http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/Content/Help/index.aspx?r=554&413 Guides.] For the content guide to what records are on the site, see [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/record-guides-alphabetical Guides A-Z.] More information on the site, its contents, and instructions for using it can be found in the [[ScotlandsPeople|ScotlandsPeople Wiki article]]. Indexes may be searched for free, and there is a pay per view fee to see the digitized record.


At the time of the Roman occupation, northern Scotland, including Shetland, was occupied by the Picts who had them until about the year 876, when the forces of the King of Norway took the isles. They remained under Norwegian rule until 1472 following the marriage of James III&nbsp;of Scotland to Princess Margaret of Norway.&nbsp; When her father, Kristian I, could not pay her dowry, Norway forfeited both the Shetlands and the Orkneys to Scotland.  
==Census==
Many census records have been indexed by surname. Some indexes cover one parish (and will be listed in the Wiki on the parish page) and some indexes are for the county as a whole.&nbsp;The FamilySearch Library has&nbsp;county-wide census placename indexes for&nbsp;Shetland (or Zetland) for {{FSC|709732|title-id|disp=1881}}.&nbsp;&nbsp;Click here [[Shetland (or Zetland) Census Surname Index|here&nbsp;for]] other census indexes available at the library.  


The Shetlands comprise a cluster of 90 islands, of which 25 are inhabited, and the remainder are used principally for pasture.&nbsp; There are&nbsp;twelve parishes.&nbsp; Shetland and&nbsp;Orkney are&nbsp;joined into one sheriff's district with a sub-sheriff over each.&nbsp; The only town is Lerwick, which is a royal [[B genealogical glossary terms|burgh of barony]], and there is&nbsp;the village of Scalloway and some small hamlets on the coasts.  
*[http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ ScotlandsPeople], index, images, free index, pay per view ($)
*{{RecordSearch|2016000|Scotland Census, 1841}}, no images. Also at [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10979/1841-scotland-census MyHeritage], index ($); [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1841-england-wales-and-scotland-census Findmypast], index ($); [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1004 Ancestry.com], index ($).
*{{RecordSearch|2028673|Scotland Census, 1851}}, no images. Also at [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10980/1851-scotland-census MyHeritage], index ($); [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1851-england-wales-and-scotland-census Findmypast], index ($); [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1076 Ancestry.com], index ($).
*{{RecordSearch|2028677|Scotland Census, 1861}}, no images. Also at [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10978/1861-scotland-census MyHeritage], index ($); [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1861-england-wales-and-scotland-census Findmypast], index ($); [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1080 Ancestry.com], index ($).
*{{RecordSearch|2028678|Scotland Census, 1871}}, no images. Also at [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10976/1871-scotland-census MyHeritage], index ($); [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1871-england-wales-and-scotland-census Findmypast], index ($); [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1104 Ancestry.com], index ($).
*{{RecordSearch|2046756|Scotland Census, 1881}}, no images. Also at [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10977/1881-scotland-census MyHeritage], index ($); [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1881-england-wales-and-scotland-census Findmypast], index ($); [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1119 Ancestry.com], index ($).
*{{RecordSearch|2046943|Scotland Census, 1891}}, no images. Also at [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10974/1891-scotland-census MyHeritage], index ($); [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1891-england-wales-and-scotland-census Findmypast], index ($); [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1108 Ancestry.com], index ($).
*{{RecordSearch|3212239|Scotland Census, 1901}} at FamilySearch — index.
*[http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ Scotland Census, 1901], index & images ($). Also at [https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10975/1901-scotland-census MyHeritage], index ($); [http://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/1901-england-wales-and-scotland-census Findmypast], index ($); [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1101 Ancestry.com], index ($).
*[http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ Scotland Census, 1911], index & images ($).


The general surface is diversified with hills.&nbsp;&nbsp;Between&nbsp;them are valleys of pleasing appearance, of which those near the coasts have a wildly romantic character, but the great scarcity of trees detracts much from the beauty of the scenery.&nbsp; There are many lakes which abound with trout.&nbsp; Not more than 25,000 acres are in cultivation.&nbsp; More than 500,000 acres are hilly moorland pasture, water, and waste.&nbsp; The chief crops are oats, bear [barley], potatoes, and turnips.&nbsp; Cattle, sheep, poultry, swine, and horses are raised.&nbsp; Limestone and sandstone are quarried, as is chromate of iron.&nbsp; The chief manufactures are knitting of wool into stockings, gloves, shawls, and mitts, and the weaving of coarse woolen-cloth.&nbsp; There&nbsp;are&nbsp;fisheries for cod and herring and other fish.&nbsp; Dried fish, herrings, oil, butter and eggs, beef, cattle and sheep, Shetland ponies, hosiery, gloves, and worsted shaws are all exported.&nbsp; The port is Lerwick.
==Church Records==
*'''1658-1919''' {{RecordSearch|2390848|Scotland Church Records and Kirk Session Records, 1658-1919}} at FamilySearch — index
*'''1736 - 1990''' {{RecordSearch|2421466|Scotland Presbyterian & Protestant Church Records, 1736-1990}} at FamilySearch — index


The population in 1851 was 30,558.
==Civil Registration or Statutory Registers==


('''Source:'''&nbsp; Samuel Lewis' ''Topographical Dictionary of Scotland'', 2nd ed., 1851.&nbsp; Family History Library&nbsp;book {{FHL|941 E5L|disp=941 E5L}}.)
{|
|-
|style="width:25%"|
For details on information found in statutory registers and other methods of searching them, see '''[[Scotland Statutory Registers - Vital Records|Scotland Statutory Registers - Vital Records]]'''.
|
{| width="440" border="1" align="center" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5"
|-
| colspan="3" | <center>Refer to the '''[[ScotlandsPeople|ScotlandsPeople]]''' Wiki article.</center>
|-
| bgcolor="#f7f3b1" colspan="3" | <center>Images and Indexes Available at '''{{H:title|This is the primary website for Scotland Research where you can access civil registration, census, and parish records. It also has probate indexes. View images online or order documents |http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/|label=ScotlandsPeople Website|link=yes|dotted=no|external=yes}} ($)'''</center>
|-
| width="75" | <center></center>
| width="100" | <center>Images-Years</center>
| <center>Indexes</center>
|-
| '''Births'''
| 1855-1921
| rowspan="3" | '''◊ScotlandsPeople''' Website has indexes to 2021.
|-
| '''Marriages'''
| 1855-1946
|-
| '''Deaths'''
| 1855-1971
|}
|}


== Parishes  ==
== Parishes  ==
Some of the Shetland Islands parish records are indexed in [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=5850 '''Shetland Island, Scotland, Extracted Parish Records''']. <br>
This database is a collection of historical parish registers from the county of Shetland Island in the country of Scotland. The records in this collection can range in date from the early 1500s to the mid- to late-1800s. The records include baptisms/christenings, burials, marriages, tombstone inscriptions, obituaries, tax lists, wills, and other miscellaneous types of records. Also included are some records from non-conformist churches.  You will find interesting phonetic spelling. Some of the records may be in Latin or even a Welsh or Scottish dialect. Due to the nature of the records and because the records were originally compiled by a third party, it is difficult to absolutely verify the completeness and validity of the data.


Here is a list of historic parishes for the county of Shetland (or Zetland) with their parish numbers. Click on a parish name to see information about records.&nbsp; Many of the names are of islands which form part of a parish.  
Here is a list of historic parishes for the county of Shetland (or Zetland) with their parish numbers. Click on a parish name to see information about records. Many of the names are of islands which form part of a parish. Click on this link for an [http://www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-map-orkney.htm '''outline map of the parishes of Shetland.]


{| style="width: 612px; height: 318px" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="612"
{| style="height: 318px; width: 612px" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="612" border="1"
|-
|-
| '''Parish'''  
| '''Parish'''  
Line 25: Line 117:
| '''No.'''
| '''No.'''
|-
|-
| Aithsting -- see Sandsting  
| Aithsting -- see [[Sandsting & Aithsting, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Sandsting]]
| 9  
| 9  
|  
|  
| [[Northmavine, Shetland, Scotland|Northmavine]]  
| [[Northmavine, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Northmavine]]  
| 8
| 8
|-
|-
| [[Bressay, Shetland, Scotland|Bressay]]  
| [[Bressay, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Bressay]]  
| 1  
| 1  
|  
|  
| Papa Stour -- see Walls  
| Papa Stour -- see [[Walls, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Walls]]
| 12
| 12
|-
|-
| Burra -- see Bressay  
| Burra -- see [[Bressay, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Bressay]]
| 1  
| 1  
|  
|  
| Quarff -- see Bressay  
| Quarff -- see [[Bressay, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Bressay]]
| 1
| 1
|-
|-
| Cunningsburgh -- see Dunrossness  
| Cunningsburgh -- see [[Dunrossness, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Dunrossness]]
| 3  
| 3  
|  
|  
| Sandness -- see Walls  
| Sandness -- see [[Walls, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Walls]]
| 12
| 12
|-
|-
| [[Delting, Shetland, Scotland|Delting]]  
| [[Delting, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Delting]]  
| 2  
| 2  
|  
|  
| [[Sandsting & Aithsting, Shetland, Scotland|Sandsting &amp; Aithsting]]  
| [[Sandsting & Aithsting, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Sandsting & Aithsting]]  
| 9
| 9
|-
|-
| [[Dunrossness, Shetland, Scotland|Dunrossness]]  
| [[Dunrossness, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Dunrossness]]  
| 3  
| 3  
|  
|  
| Sandwick -- see Dunrossness  
| Sandwick -- see [[Dunrossness, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Dunrossness]]
| 3
| 3
|-
|-
| Fair Isle -- see Dunrossness  
| Fair Isle -- see [[Dunrossness, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Dunrossness]]
| 3  
| 3  
|  
|  
| Skerries -- see Nesting  
| Skerries -- see [[Nesting, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Nesting]]
| 7
| 7
|-
|-
| [[Fetlar, Shetland, Scotland|Fetlar]]  
| [[Fetlar, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Fetlar]]  
| 4  
| 4  
|  
|  
| South Yell -- see Mid Yell  
| South Yell -- see [[Mid & South Yell, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Mid Yell]]
| 6
| 6
|-
|-
| Foula -- see Walls  
| Foula -- see [[Walls, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Walls]]
| 12  
| 12  
|  
|  
| [[Tingwall, Shetland, Scotland|Tingwall]]  
| [[Tingwall, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Tingwall]]  
| 10
| 10
|-
|-
| [[Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland|Lerwick]]  
| [[Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Lerwick]]  
| 5  
| 5  
|  
|  
| [[Unst, Shetland, Scotland|Unst]]  
| [[Unst, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Unst]]  
| 11
| 11
|-
|-
| Lunnasting -- see Nesting  
| Lunnasting -- see [[Nesting, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Nesting]]
| 7  
| 7  
|  
|  
| [[Walls, Shetland, Scotland|Walls]]  
| [[Walls, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Walls]]  
| 12
| 12
|-
|-
| [[Mid & South Yell, Shetland, Scotland|Mid &amp; South Yell]]  
| [[Mid & South Yell, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Mid & South Yell]]  
| 6  
| 6  
|  
|  
| Weesdale -- see Tingwall  
| Weesdale -- see [[Tingwall, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Tingwall]]
| 10
| 10
|-
|-
| [[Nesting, Shetland, Scotland|Nesting]]  
| [[Nesting, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Nesting]]  
| 7  
| 7  
|  
|  
| Whalsay -- see Nesting  
| Whalsay -- see [[Nesting, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Nesting]]
| 7
| 7
|-
|-
| North Yell -- see Fetlar  
| North Yell -- see [[Fetlar, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Fetlar]]
| 4  
| 4  
|  
|  
| Whiteness -- see Tingwall  
| Whiteness -- see [[Tingwall, Shetland, Scotland Genealogy|Tingwall]]
| 10
| 10
|}
|}


<br>
==Maps==
 
*[http://maps.nls.uk/counties/ National Library of Scotland map collection]


== Census ==
== Poorhouse Records ==
'''NOTE:''' Workhouses in Scotland were commonly known as ''poorhouses''. For more information on Scottish poorhouses, go to the [[Scotland_Poorhouses,_Poor_Law,_Etc#Poorhouses|Scotland Poorhouses, Poor Law, Etc]] page.


The Family History Library has&nbsp;county-wide census indexes for&nbsp;Shetland (or Zetland) Census Surname Index &nbsp;for {{FHL|2F734149|title-id|disp=1881}}.&nbsp;&nbsp;Click [[Shetland (or Zetland) Census Surname Index
There was one workhouse in this county:


Census Surname Index
*[http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Shetland/ Shetland Combination]


|here]]&nbsp;for other census surname indexes available at the library.<br>
A description with drawings and photos of the workhouse today along with databases of those living there from the 1881 Census are provided on the link above located on the site entitled '''''[http://www.workhouses.org.uk/ The Workhouse: The story of an institution...]''''' which is owned and operated by Peter Higginbotham.


== Maps  ==
== Societies ==


Click on the map at the right to see a larger version, and click again on the larger map. Next, click on the ‘Expand’ button when it appears in the lower right-hand corner of the map.  
[https://www.shetland-fhs.org.uk/ Shetland Family History Society]<br>
Shetland Amenity Trust<br>
Garthspool<br>
Lerwick<br>
Shetland<br>
ZE1 0NY<br>
Email: [mailto:secretary@shetland-fhs.org.uk secretary@shetland-fhs.org.uk]<br><br>
[https://www.scotsgenealogy.com/ Scottish Genealogy Society]<br>
15 Victoria Terrace<br>
Edinburgh<br>
EH1 2JL<br>
Scotland<br>
Tel. 0131 220 3677<br>
Email: [mailto:enquiries@scotsgenealogy.com enquiries@scotsgenealogy.com]<br>


[[Image:Shetland, c. 1845.jpg|thumb|right]]
== Archives and Libraries  ==


Click [http://www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-map-orkney.htm here] to see an outline map of the parishes of Shetland.  
The catalog of the Shetland Archives is available [http://www.calmview.eu/ShetlandArchive/CalmView/ online]. Note: This is the catalog of the holdings; the materials are not online.  


== Poorhouse Records ==
== Reference Material ==


See Shetland [http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Scotland/UnionsScotland.shtml#SHI www.workhouses.org.uk/Scotland/UnionsScotland.shtml#SHI]
"Early Congregational Independency in Shetland" by Rev. Dr William D McNaughton. 2005. ISBN 1-904746-05-5, ISBN 9781904746058. Gives history of churches and those involved c. 1790-1870


== Archives and Libraries ==
== Websites ==


The catalog of the Shetland Archives is available [http://www.calmview.eu/ShetlandArchive/CalmView/ online]. Note: This is the catalog of the holdings; the materials are not online.  
*Shetland Resources and help pages on [http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?board=113.0 RootsChat Shetland Resources and help pages. (Free)].
*[http://www.bayanne.info/shetland/Shetland Family History]


[Return to the Scotland&nbsp;[[Scotland Old Counties pre 1974 and New Counties post 1974|county list]].]
== References ==
<references />


[[Category:Shetland]]
[[Category:Shetland, Scotland]] [[Category:Counties of Scotland]]

Revision as of 03:51, 21 December 2024



Shetland Wiki Topics
Shetland.jpg
Beginning Research
Record Types
Scotland Background
Local Research Resources

Guide to Shetland (or Zetland) County ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

Shetland (or Zetland) County

History[edit | edit source]

The Shetland islands, also known as Zetland, are a maritime county in the northern extremity of Scotland, bounded on the north by the North Sea, on the east by the German Ocean, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the south by the waters that separate it from the Orkney Islands. They extend for about 70 miles from north to south and 54 miles from east to west, comprising an area of about 855 square miles or 547,200 acres.

At the time of the Roman occupation, northern Scotland, including Shetland, was occupied by the Picts who had them until about the year 876, when the forces of the King of Norway took the isles. They remained under Norwegian rule until 1472 following the marriage of James IIIof Scotland to Princess Margaret of Norway. When her father, Kristian I, could not pay her dowry, Norway forfeited both the Shetlands and the Orkneys to Scotland.

The Shetlands comprise a cluster of 90 islands, of which 25 are inhabited, and the remainder are used principally for pasture. There are twelve parishes. Shetland and Orkney are joined into one sheriff's district with a sub-sheriff over each. The only town is Lerwick, which is a royal burgh of barony, and there is the village of Scalloway and some small hamlets on the coasts.

The population in 1851 was 30,558.[1][2]

ScotlandsPeople: An Important Online Source[edit | edit source]

ScotlandsPeople is one of the largest online sources of original genealogical information. If you are researching UK genealogy, your Scottish ancestry or building your Scottish family tree, they have more than 100 million records to look through.

The comprehensive choice of Scottish records includes:

  • Statutory Registers
  • Old Parish Registers
  • Catholic Parish Registers
  • CPR Others
  • Census
  • Valuation Rolls
  • Soldiers’ Wills
  • Wills & Testaments
  • Coats of Arms

For more detail on record availability, see Guides. For the content guide to what records are on the site, see Guides A-Z. More information on the site, its contents, and instructions for using it can be found in the ScotlandsPeople Wiki article. Indexes may be searched for free, and there is a pay per view fee to see the digitized record.

Census[edit | edit source]

Many census records have been indexed by surname. Some indexes cover one parish (and will be listed in the Wiki on the parish page) and some indexes are for the county as a whole. The FamilySearch Library has county-wide census placename indexes for Shetland (or Zetland) for 1881.  Click here here for other census indexes available at the library.

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Civil Registration or Statutory Registers[edit | edit source]

For details on information found in statutory registers and other methods of searching them, see Scotland Statutory Registers - Vital Records.

Refer to the ScotlandsPeople Wiki article.
Images and Indexes Available at ScotlandsPeople Website ($)
Images-Years
Indexes
Births 1855-1921 ◊ScotlandsPeople Website has indexes to 2021.
Marriages 1855-1946
Deaths 1855-1971

Parishes[edit | edit source]

Some of the Shetland Islands parish records are indexed in Shetland Island, Scotland, Extracted Parish Records.
This database is a collection of historical parish registers from the county of Shetland Island in the country of Scotland. The records in this collection can range in date from the early 1500s to the mid- to late-1800s. The records include baptisms/christenings, burials, marriages, tombstone inscriptions, obituaries, tax lists, wills, and other miscellaneous types of records. Also included are some records from non-conformist churches. You will find interesting phonetic spelling. Some of the records may be in Latin or even a Welsh or Scottish dialect. Due to the nature of the records and because the records were originally compiled by a third party, it is difficult to absolutely verify the completeness and validity of the data.

Here is a list of historic parishes for the county of Shetland (or Zetland) with their parish numbers. Click on a parish name to see information about records. Many of the names are of islands which form part of a parish. Click on this link for an outline map of the parishes of Shetland.

Parish No. Parish No.
Aithsting -- see Sandsting 9 Northmavine 8
Bressay 1 Papa Stour -- see Walls 12
Burra -- see Bressay 1 Quarff -- see Bressay 1
Cunningsburgh -- see Dunrossness 3 Sandness -- see Walls 12
Delting 2 Sandsting & Aithsting 9
Dunrossness 3 Sandwick -- see Dunrossness 3
Fair Isle -- see Dunrossness 3 Skerries -- see Nesting 7
Fetlar 4 South Yell -- see Mid Yell 6
Foula -- see Walls 12 Tingwall 10
Lerwick 5 Unst 11
Lunnasting -- see Nesting 7 Walls 12
Mid & South Yell 6 Weesdale -- see Tingwall 10
Nesting 7 Whalsay -- see Nesting 7
North Yell -- see Fetlar 4 Whiteness -- see Tingwall 10

Maps[edit | edit source]

Poorhouse Records[edit | edit source]

NOTE: Workhouses in Scotland were commonly known as poorhouses. For more information on Scottish poorhouses, go to the Scotland Poorhouses, Poor Law, Etc page.

There was one workhouse in this county:

A description with drawings and photos of the workhouse today along with databases of those living there from the 1881 Census are provided on the link above located on the site entitled The Workhouse: The story of an institution... which is owned and operated by Peter Higginbotham.

Societies[edit | edit source]

Shetland Family History Society
Shetland Amenity Trust
Garthspool
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0NY
Email: secretary@shetland-fhs.org.uk

Scottish Genealogy Society
15 Victoria Terrace
Edinburgh
EH1 2JL
Scotland
Tel. 0131 220 3677
Email: enquiries@scotsgenealogy.com

Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]

The catalog of the Shetland Archives is available online. Note: This is the catalog of the holdings; the materials are not online.

Reference Material[edit | edit source]

"Early Congregational Independency in Shetland" by Rev. Dr William D McNaughton. 2005. ISBN 1-904746-05-5, ISBN 9781904746058. Gives history of churches and those involved c. 1790-1870

Websites[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Samuel Lewis. Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, (London, England: S. Lewis and Co., 1846), 3 v.: 651, [FS Library book 941 E5]. Digitized by FamilySearch International, FamilySearch.org, https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/216925 (accessed June 20, 2016).
  2. ↑ Samuel Lewis. "Shaint - Skirling," in A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, (London, 1846), 461-467. British History Online, http://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-dict/scotland/pp461-467 (accessed June 7, 2020).

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