Scottish Records

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Using ScotlandsPeople to find records

Online: ScotlandsPeople

How much does it cost to access the database and what do I get for my money? The surname search on the Homepage is free and covers all records, allowing you to check how many records of a particular surname appear in the various datasets, before you commit to payment.

Access to the index of wills and testaments is free of charge. Viewing full-colour, actual size digital images of an original will, testament or inventory costs 5GBP per document, regardless of length.

Access to statutory, OPR and census indexes costs 6GBP. For this fee, you will receive 30 "page credits" which are valid for 90 consecutive days. Viewing a page of index results costs 1 credit and each page will contain up to 25 search results. Viewing an image costs 5 credits (equivalent to 1GBP). Your session begins when payment has been authorised and additional credits may be purchased in 6GBP increments. The session will restart with each new credit purchase.

It is possible to waste a great deal of money in searching for these records, but if you use the IGI on FamilySearchand the census indexes on Ancestry, you can narrow down the possibilities considerably, especially when searching for a common surname in Glasgow.

Although the initial outlay seems expensive, in fact it works out as very reasonable when you consider the information which you can receive immediately without the wait for the postman for English certificates and the distinct possibility of having sent for the wrong one!!

Any search you make will be saved and you can refer back to these at any time, viewing images which you have already paid for as many times as you wish.

Scottish Parish Registers

Births before 1855

The level of record keeping varied and some records contain little detail. You could find the name of the child, whether legitimate or not, date of birth and/or date of baptism, father's name, mother's name and maiden surname, place or parish of residence, occupation of the father and names (and sometimes occupations) of witnesses. On the other hand, you may find that the mother's name is not recorded, the sex of the child may not be recorded, or the name of the child may be ambiguous.

Births after 1855

© Crown copyright. Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland

From 1855, registration became compulsory regardless of religious denomination and followed a standard format. When the system began, there was more detail required and records from 1855 give details about the child (date, place and time of birth, full name, sex), the parents' names (including maiden surname of mother), father's occupation, name of informant and relationship to child. An 1855 birth certificate also contains information on siblings, the ages and birthplaces of both parents, their usual residence and the date and place of their marriage. However, following 1855, the detail about siblings and the additional information about the parents was removed. The place and date of the parent's marriage was reinstated in 1861.

Marriages before 1855

© Crown copyright. Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland

The amount of information recorded in OPR banns & marriages records can be variable and most entries contain very little detail. You may find the date(s) of the proclamation of intended marriage and/or date of marriage, names of bride and groom and their parish of residence, sometimes the occupation of the groom and occasionally the name of the bride's father. Otherwise, as in the example, you may only find the names of the bride and groom recorded.

Marriages after 1855

© Crown copyright. Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland

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Deaths before 1855

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Deaths after 1855

© Crown copyright. Data supplied by General Register Office for Scotland

Death certificates following 1855 are probably the most useful of all the certificates. As well as the usual details of the deceased, you will also find the name of the spouse and the names of the parents, including the maiden name of the mother, even though they may all have been long gone!

Scottish Wills and Testaments

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Scottish Census Returns

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General Links for Scotland

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