Scottish Genealogy
… finding people
Not everybody has Scottish ancestry…
Introduction to Scottish Genealogy
– Finding people
You CANNOT do Scottish Genealogy properly from
Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, FindMyPast, MyHeritage etc.
WHY?
Because they just don’t have the records
Dr Bruce Durie
But Scotland has the longest-reaching, best-preserved and
most accessible records on the planet
[email protected]
www.brucedurie.co.uk
© Bruce Durie 2016
How do we track people?
Start with a census (if you can) 1841 - 1911
…but everybody wants to be Scottish!
© Bruce Durie 2016
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
Wills & Testaments 1513 to 1925
Tax records
Land records and Maps
Older documents – Charters,
Scottish Parliament, etc.
ALWAYS CHECK THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT…
• Buy credits (30
…and here’s why…
credits = £7 = $11)
Birth, Marriage Death from 1855 to now
Baptism, Marriage, Burial 1560s - 1854
WHERE?
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk
www.nls.uk
• Searches cost 1
credit (some free)
• Documents are
2, 5 or 10 credits
Q. My name is LaPray, and I can find ancestors in the British
censuses
A. Oh really? Show me.
Q. OK. Here’s the transcript…
Thomas Lapray b. ca 1831
Elizabeth Lapray b. ca. 1834
GRAY!
A. Ah! But here’s the image…
Retours of Services of Heirs
Heraldic records (Arms)
DNA tests
© Bruce Durie 2016
SOURCES FOR GENEALOGY
Also be careful with unsourced trees
Why look at Censuses?
How far back can we go?
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
Censuses –
Individuals identifiable within Census data
and images 1841 to 1911
Born in
1893…
The best place to start with any genealogical research is knowing
where people were at a particular time. From there it is
possible to work backwards to births and marriages, forward
to marriages and deaths and laterally to other information
such as occupations and land ownership.
Statutory records post 1855 – Birth, Marriage, Death
Indexes - 1855 to 2015
Births images to 1915 (100 years)
Marriages images to 1940 (75 years)
Deaths images to 1965 (50 years)
…when his
father was 7…
…and his
mother was
72
There has been a census every ten years since 1801, excluding
1941, but only those returns from 1841 onwards carry details
of named residents. Earlier listings for some parishes (e.g.
Abdie and Carnbee in Fife) have survived.
3. Old Parish registers
1553/1563 to 1854 – NOT BMD
Births and/or Baptisms
Banns and/or Marriages
Deaths and/or Burials - not so complete
The latest Census currently available for inspection is 1911.
The 1921 Census will be available early in 2022
© Bruce Durie 2016
Real exercise – Charles J Pearson 1858 - 1914
How to read a census - 1911
How to read a census
We’re going to track
him back through
the census records,
starting in 1911
10
C 1911 PEARSON CHARLES M 53 PARTICK GLASGOW LANARK 646-03 038-00 008
C 1911 PEARSON CHARLES M 53 PARTICK GLASGOW LANARK 646-03 038-00 008
11
12
How to read a census - 1901
How to read a census
How to read a census - 1901
C 1911 PEARSON CHARLES M 53 PARTICK GLASGOW LANARK 646-03 038-00 008
13
How to read a census - 1901
14
1891 Census
16
15
1881 Census
17
Father
deceased?
18
Father alive?
1871 Census
1861 Census
19
20
SOURCES FOR GENEALOGY
1841 Census
Where next? 1851 Census
How far back can we go?
21
Find Charles’s birth
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
NOTE: In 1841, ages (> 15)
often rounded down to
nearest 5 years
Censuses –
Individuals identifiable within Census data
and images 1841 to 1911
Statutory records from 1855 - Birth, Marriage, Death
Indexes - 1855 to 2015
Births images to 1915 (100 years)
Marriages images to 1940 (75 years)
Deaths images to 1965 (50 years)
3. Old Parish registers
1553/1563 to 1854 – NOT BMD
Births and/or Baptisms
Banns and/or Marriages
Deaths and/or Burials - not so complete
So, “45” = 45 to 49
“20” = 20 to 24
22
© Bruce Durie 2016
Pearson, Charles John
Buchanan
1858, October 20, 5h 30m
PM
125 Montrose Street,
Glasgow
George Pearson, Wholesale
Stationer
Mary Pearson, maiden name
Buchanan
Find his marriage
Names of both
parties
b. ca. 1856
b. ca. 1868
Names of
parents of both
parties
Find his death
Witnesses
Address
at death
Name of wife
INTERESTING WITNESS!
Names of
parents
Informant
is his son
Crathie Church
© Bruce Durie 2016
SOURCES FOR GENEALOGY
EARLY OPR BIRTHS
How far back can we go?
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
Censuses –
Individuals identifiable within Census data
and images 1841 to 1911
Statutory records post 1841/1855
1841 1855 – Statutory recording of Birth, Marriage, Death
Indexes - 1855 to 2015
Births images to 1915 (100 years)
Marriages images to 1940 (75 years)
Deaths images to 1965 (50 years)
3. Old Parish registers
1553/1563 to 1854 – NOT BMD
Births and/or Baptisms
Banns and/or Marriages
Deaths and/or Burials - not so complete
© Bruce Durie 2016
Example of a search from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
2 Nov 1561
PATRIK
DURIE
WILZEM DURIE JONAT GURLAY DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
4 Apr 1563
MARJORI
DURIE
WILZEM DURIE JONAT GURLAY DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
8 Oct 1564
JAMES
DURIE
WILZEM DURIE JONAT GURLAY DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
29 Jul 1565
GEORGE
DURIE
PATRIK DURIE
ELSPET LUNDY
DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
14 Sep 1567
ROBERT
DURIE
PATRIK DURIE
ELSPET LUNDY
DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
20 Aug 1570
WILZEM
DURIE
PATRIK DURIE
ELSPET LUNDY
DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
19 Sep 1571
JONAT
DURIE
PATRIK DURIE
ELSPET LUNDY
DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
8 Oct 1572
DAVID
DURIE
PATRIK DURIE
ELSPET LUNDY
DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
4 Aug 1574
PATRIK
DURIE
PATRIK DURIE
ELSPET LUNDY
DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
4 Aug 1574
ARCHE
DURIE
PATRIK DURIE
ELSPET LUNDY
DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
Birth/Baptism record
EARLY OPR BIRTHS
“Raibeart Ruadh” (Rob Roy) McGREGOR, bp. 7 March 1671
Robert Burns Baptism, 1759
Example of a search on DURIE from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
29 Jul 1565
GEORGE DURIE PATRIK DURIE ELSPET LUNDY DUNFERMLINE 424/00 0001
Initially a cattle dealer, Rob Roy turned to crime after being made bankrupt
He blackmailed local farmers and pursued a vendetta against the Duke of Montrose
Spent most of his life called “Campbell” (“MacGregor” as proscribed)
Spy for the English!
Immortalised by Sir Walter Scott and remains a folk favourite. WHY???
•Not every Session Clerk kept good
records…
Marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots and Lord Darnley, Earl of
Ross, Edinburgh 1565
EARLY OPR MARRIAGES
Example of a search from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
“Something George Something Lawful son to What-ye-call-him…..”
Date
Forename
Surname Spouse Names
Parish
GROS Data
19 Sep 1568
MARGARET
DURIE
CHARLES WALLANGE
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
14 Feb 1574
ELIZABETH
DURIE
ANDROWE BAXTER
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
13 Feb 1575
BESSE
DURIE
PATRIK FENTONE
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
22 Oct 1581
ADAM
DURIE
KIRSTEN BARRIE
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
1 Jan 1581
ELEIN
DURIE
ROBERT NICOLL
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
15 Jan 1587
JONAT
DURY
JHON BLAKATER
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
B 09-04-1704-----GEORGE FR208 M OCHILTREE AYR 609-00 0010 0367
'Henry duk of Albany erll of Rois. Marie be the grace of God quen
souerane of this realme. 1 2 3. Maried in the chappell.'
………………………………….
Henry, Duke of Albany, Earl of Ross [Lord Darnley].
Mary, by the grace of God, queen
sovereign of this realm.”
The deletion of the figure 3 probably means that the Royal pair were
married after being twice 'cryit'.
They were married on Sunday 29 July 1565.
MARRIAGE BEFORE 1834
OPR Marriage record 1734
REGULAR MARRIAGE
From the Reformation until 1834 (and for Episcopalian from 1712) there
were three essential conditions:
proclamation of the intended marriage in the parish church or churches
of the parties
celebration of the ceremony by a minister of the established Church of
Scotland
Celebration in church and on a Sabbath (Sunday) – but this one rather
went away
Sometimes there is more detail
OPR MARRIAGES
Irregular marriage “regularised”, from Kirk Session minutes
Robert Burns and Jean Armour 5 August 1788, Mauchline, Ayrshire
Anything other than the form of marriage above was “irregular” and even
illegal, but could still be valid
IRREGULAR MARRIAGE - three distinct types:
Marriages according to the forms of the Church of Scotland but
without banns.
Betrothal followed by intercourse.
Marriages by consent in the presence of witnesses
Marriages by consent without witnesses - up to 1939
(by co-habitation and repute – but that’s only EVIDENCE of a marriage
Combined B M D record
(rare)
EARLY OPR BURIALS
Example of a search from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
Date
Forename
Surname Spouse Names
Parish
GROS Data
19 Sep 1568
MARGARET
DURIE
CHARLES WALLANGE
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
14 Feb 1574
ELIZABETH
DURIE
ANDROWE BAXTER
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
13 Feb 1575
BESSE
DURIE
PATRIK FENTONE
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
22 Oct 1581
ADAM
DURIE
KIRSTEN BARRIE
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
1 Jan 1581
ELEIN
DURIE
ROBERT NICOLL
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
15 Jan 1587
JONAT
DURY
JHON BLAKATER
DUNFERMLINE
424/00 0001
Notice how little information,
especially in deaths
Burns Robert in Mossgiel and Joan [sic] Armour in Mauchline
came before the Session upon 5 Aug and acknowledged that they were irregularly married some
years ago. The Session rebuked both parties for this
irregularity and took them solemnly bound to
adhere to one another as husband and wife all the
days of their life
OPR Death/Burial
OPR Death/Burial
Other Church of Scotland records (Kirk Session)
A Kirk Session record - 1801
Real example…
Birth and Baptism of Andrew Balfour, 23 Feb 1737
…but also…
© Bruce Durie 2016
Real example…
Real example…
Marriage of Andrew Balfour’s parents, aft. 29 Mar 1737
Marriage of Andrew Balfour, 14 Apr 1769
Catholic Old Parish Registers
From 1730-1854
Most are from the 30 years following the relaxation of
legislation against Catholics in the 1790s
However, some have additional information such as:
– a later entry of a marriage in a birth record
– whether the marriage was “mixed”
– names of Sponsors (who may be relatives)
Marriage of
Andrew Balfour,
aft. 9 Apr 1769
© Bruce Durie 2016
Quite often, entries are in Latin (even up to the 1960s!)
© Bruce Durie 2016
Additional detail…
However…be careful
Don’t ignore gravestones!
02/11/1894 29/11/1894 DURIE CATHERINE - MICHAEL
DURIE/MARGARET GALLOCHER F HAMILTON, ST MARY'S
Catherine Durie L[awful] Michael Durie & Margaret Gallocher [born] Nov
2nd [bapt.] Nov 29th (Sponsors) Ann Garrity (Priest) P Donnelly
[Later added in a different hand] Catherine Durie married to John
McKusker at St. Mary’s Hamilton 12th Dec 1919 Witnesses James Bryce
& Maria Ducey (priest’s name)
Also check out…
Wills and Testaments 1513-1925
– not quite the same thing
– no Probate in Scotland (Confirmation)
– free to search, 10 credits (£2.33/$3.50)
per document to view, regardless of length
– Over 600,000 digitised (LDS)
Coats of Arms (Heraldry) 1672-1913
– free to search, £10/$17) per document
to view, regardless of length
– Arms are the legal property of ONE
person at a time
© Bruce Durie 2016
People and Places
Real example…
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
Wills, Testaments etc. of John Balfour, d.15 Nov 1781
Like a Head of Household census
– and in “inter-census” years
– and after the 1911 census
SC
89 BALFOUR
JOHN
26 Jun 1783
SOMETIME MERCHANT AND
TD
PLANTER IN PEDEE RIVER, SOUTH
CAROLINA, WHO WAS SECOND
ELDEST SON OF THE DECEASED
ANDREW B., LATE OF
BRAIDWOOD, MERCHANT IN
EDINBURGH
EDINBURGH
CC8/8/126
SC
90 BALFOUR
JOHN
24 Nov 1783
SOMETIME MERCHANT AND
TD
PLANTER IN PEDEE RIVER, SOUTH
CAROLINA, WHO WAS SECOND
ELDEST SON OF THE DECEASED
ANDREW B., LATE OF
BRAIDWOOD, MERCHANT IN
EDINBURGH
EDINBURGH
CC8/8/126
SC
104 BALFOUR
JOHN
16 Feb 1803
PLANTER IN PEDIE RIVER, SOUTH TD
CAROLINA, AMERICA
EDINBURGH
CC8/8/134
© Bruce Durie 2016
© Bruce Durie 2016
www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk
Andrew Balfour of Braidwood
John Balfour of Braidwood
Land tax rolls for Midlothian (Edinburghshire), vol 04 p 15, 1771
Land tax rolls for Midlothian (Edinburghshire), vol 07 p 12, 1814
People and Places
www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk
 Ordnance Survey Name Books for each county in Scotland
 Official Reports
o Land Ownership Commission Reports, 1872-1873
o The Hay Shennan County and Parish Boundaries, 1892.
 Ordnance Survey maps from the mid-1800s.
 Gazetteers and Atlases
 The National Monuments record including archaeological reports on
historic and prehistoric sites
Andrew
Balfour of
Braidwoodd.
20 Feb 1781
© Bruce Durie 2016
Examples – Land ownership
 Maps and plans of counties, parishes, cities, towns, villages, farms,
roads, canals, harbours, churches, school, public building, private houses,
mines and quarries
© Bruce Durie 2016
© Bruce Durie 2016
Maps – from 1500s
Oldest maps – Timothy Pont
20,000 maps, free to download www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk
and
www.nls.uk/maps
Fabulous
detail in
some of
these,
including
shapes of
buildings
•High-resolution, colour, zoomable images
•Dated between 1560 and 1935
•Grouped into categories
Land Ownership Commission 1872-3
The report of a parliamentary commission into land
ownership, giving the names of every owner of land (of one
acre or more) in each county (outwith major burghs).
© Bruce Durie 2016
•All free!
Perth ca. 1560, just after John Knox’s sermon in St John's Kirk.
Notice also the bridge washed away in the 1621 floods.
© Bruce Durie 2016
© Bruce Durie 2016
Oldest maps – Pont and Bleau
Where does your name come from?
John Wood’s town plans – 1820s
www.publicprofiler.org/
- in GB, uses 1881 census and data from 1998
Note: names of
land holders
Pont was
(probably) born
around 1565 in Fife,
son of a prominent
clergyman, and
spent the 1580s/
1590s mapping
Scotland
• There is a similar tool on Ancestry.com
Notice his use of
symbols
These were the
basis for the Atlas of
Joan Blaeu in 1654
© Bruce Durie 2016
Don’t forget specialised directories
Example - For Church of Scotland clergy, consult
Scott, Hew, 1791-1872.
Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae: the succession of
ministers in the Church of Scotland from the
Reformation.
Online - all volumes at
http://www.archive.org/
Search for “Fasti”
© Bruce Durie 2016
Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae
GLENELG
The church of Glenelg was dedicated to St Cuimen. On 1st May 1650 this parish was
severed from the Presbytery of Lorn and incorporated in that of Skye. This arrangement lasted
but a short time, and Glenelg was given back to the Presbytery of Lorn. On 19th May 1724 the
Presbytery of Gairloch, now called Lochcarron, and the Synod of Glenelg were both erected.
To these new Courts this parish was then joined. Glenelg was at the same time made the
seat of the Synod. There are mission chapels within the bounds at Arnisdale and
Lochhournhead.
All ministers from 1420 including…
1830 ALEXANDER BEITH, translated from Kilbrandon; presented by Charles Grant of
Glenelg in June, and adm. 24th Sept. 1830; translated to Stirling 26th Sept.1839.
1840 JOHN MACRAE, born 22nd Nov. 1799, son of John M., minister of Glenshiel; educated
at King's College, Aberdeen, 1814-18; ordained to Glenshiel 8th April 1824; translated and
adm. 27th Feb. 1840; Clerk of Presbytery of Lochcarron 1836-75, and of Synod of Glenelg
1854-75; died 7th July 1875.
He married 1st March 1826, Jamesina Fraser (died 27th July 1851), daughter of Norman
Macleod of Drynoch, and had issue - Alexandrina Jessie, born 4th June 1827 (married 4th
Feb. 1847 Hugh Bogle, merchant, Glasgow); Forbes Johanna, born 15th April 1829; John
Kenneth, deputy commissioner of Rangoon, born 17th April 1831; Madeline Charlotte, born ]st
Feb. 1835 (married Colin Campbell, minister of Lyne and Megget); Catherine Christina, born
5th Nov. 1838, died at Edinburgh 11th Jan.1919; James Norman, missionary at Madras, born
25th Dec. 1842.
Publication -Account of the Parish (New Stat. Acc., xiv.).-[Hist. of the Macleods, 226 ; Hist. of
the Macraes, 107.]
© Bruce Durie 2016
Sources
Online
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk
www.freecen.org.uk
http://freebmd.rootsweb.com
http://freereg.rootsweb.com
Documents
www.nas.gov.uk
www.nas.gov.uk/nras
www.scan.org
www.rps.ac.uk
Maps
Commercial sites (not so good for Scottish) www.nls.uk
www.ancestry.co.uk or
www.ancestry.com
www.familysearch.org
Physical
ScotlandsPeople Centre, Edinburgh
National Library of Scotland
Local libraries
FHS libraries
© Bruce Durie 2016
LDS Family Research Centres
Relevant books by Bruce Durie
Hot off the press…
ScotlandsPeople Vouchers… and Handouts
10-credits ScotlandPeople Voucher
Online courses now available
from the University of
Strathclyde…
8 weeks, from October 2015
Introduction to Genealogy
Introduction to Heraldry
Genetic genealogy (DNA)
Scottish Genealogy
The History Press
3rd Edn 2012
One is all of these slides, as a PDF
The other is TEN TOP TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR
SCOTTISH FAMILY HISTORY
That’s it for now…
Thank you for your kind attention
Documents for
Genealogy
& Local History
The History Press
www.brucedurie.co.uk/books
© Bruce Durie 2016
There are two handouts somewhere on your website:
Retours of Services of Heirs (3 vols)
Info here …
www.strath.ac.uk/courses/yourfamilyhistory/
© Bruce Durie 2016
Dr Bruce Durie BSc (Hons) PhD OMLJ FSAScot FCollT FIGRS FHEA
e-mail: [email protected]
web: www.brucedurie.co.uk/
© Bruce Durie 2016
And always
remember….
…Genealogy is the
ONLY field of human
endeavour where a
step backwards is
considered progress!