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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: | 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 others. | ||
*Nonconformists -- Those who were not Presbyterian in form, such as Episcopal, Methodist, or Catholic. | *Nonconformists -- Those who were not Presbyterian in form, such as Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, 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. | 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. | ||
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===Non-Church of Scotland=== | ===Non-Church of Scotland=== | ||
*[https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ ScotlandsPeople] has indexed most of the Roman Catholic parish registers throughout the country. These collections can be accessed on their [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search#{%22category%22:%22church%22} Advanced Search] page. See this page for more information: [https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/catholic-parish-registers Catholic Parish Registers] A slight majority of other non-Church of Scotland denominational registers are available for searching in person or by record agent at the National Records of Scotland. A list of what is available is [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/church-registers#Parishes here]. | *In 1855, the government officially called for all non-parochial church registers (outside of the Church of Scotland) to be turned in to the then government archive, called the Public Record Office. [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ ScotlandsPeople] has indexed most of the Roman Catholic parish registers throughout the country. These collections can be accessed on their [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search#{%22category%22:%22church%22} Advanced Search] page. See this page for more information: [https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/catholic-parish-registers Catholic Parish Registers] A slight majority of other non-Church of Scotland denominational registers are available for searching in person or by record agent at the National Records of Scotland. A list of what is available is [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/church-registers#Parishes here]. | ||
*Other nonconformist databases include: | *Other nonconformist databases include: | ||
*{{RecordSearch|2421466|Scotland Presbyterian & Protestant Church Records, 1736-1990}} at [https://familysearch.org/search FamilySearch] — index | *{{RecordSearch|2421466|Scotland Presbyterian & Protestant Church Records, 1736-1990}} at [https://familysearch.org/search FamilySearch] — index | ||