Renfrewshire Archives and Libraries

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Archives & Libraries of Renfrewshire Archives and Libraries of Scotland Societies of Renfrewshire Societies of Scotland FamilySearch Centers

For a list of archives and libraries on the national level, go to the Scotland Archives and Libraries page.

The council area has the same name as the historic county of Renfrewshire, which had been abolished for local government purposes in 1975, but the modern council area only covers the central part of the historic county. The eastern part of the pre-1975 county is covered by the East Renfrewshire council area, and the western part by the Inverclyde council area.^[1]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Renfrewshire Council Archives
Paisley Central Library
68 High Street
Paisley PA1 2BB UK

Website

Collections include: Census records, OPRs, Electoral registers and voters rolls, Paisley weavers, hammermen, tailors records, monumental inscriptions and mortcloth, Poll tax rolls, hearth tax records, poor law, trade directories. Title deeds, books and journals, cain of Lochwinnoch, Council minutes, Maps, newspapers, Paisley pamphlets, postcards, sasines.

Renfrewshire Heritage Centre
Studio 907
Abbeymill Business Centre
12 Seedhill Road
Paisley PA1 1JS

Telephone: 0141 487 3722
Email: heritage@renfrewshire.gov.uk
Website

The Heritage Centre holds an extensive collection of materials which provide a wealth of information about Renfrewshire, its people and places, from the earliest times to the present day. Our comfortable centre offers dedicated space for local and family history research, and quiet study.

East Renfrewshire Archives
Williamwood High School
Eaglesham Rd
Clarkston G76 8RF UK

Telephone: 0141 577 3059
Email: craig.geddes@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
Website

The archives are stored in the records store at Williamwood High School. We hold the historic records of several of our previous local authorities, and of various other local organisations of historical interest.

Inverclyde Archives
Watt Institution
15 Kelly Street
Greenock
Scotland
PA16 8JX

Telephone: 01475 715624
Email: wattinstitution@inverclyde.gov.uk
Website

Inverclyde Archives is the institutional repository for Inverclyde Council and has a collection which spans over 300 years of local history. We collect and preserve the historic records of Inverclyde and its people which include the villages of Wemyss Bay, Kilmacolm, Inverkip and Quarrier's Village and the former historic Burghs of Greenock, Gourock and Port Glasgow and those relating to Inverclyde after local government re-organisation and boundary changes.

As well as local government records, we hold material from local clubs and societies, businesses and organisations, family papers, police records, parish council records, title deeds and sasines, maps, plans and images. We also hold bound copies of the Greenock Telegraph from its inception along with other local newspapers and journal publications.

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Museums[edit | edit source]

Register Offices[edit | edit source]

At ScotlandsPeople one can search the indexes and obtain a digital copy of the record for a small fee within minutes. However, sometimes additional help is available from local registrars. For example, proof of death and close family relationship can make more recent records available that would otherwise be restricted by privacy laws.

Renfrewshire Registrars Scroll to the bottom of the article.
Renfrewshire requesting copy certificates

East Renfrewshire Registrars
East Renfrewshire search for a record
East Renfrewshire requesting copy certificates

Inverclyde Registry Office
Inverclyde requesting copy certificates
Inverclyde Genealogy