Nature of Source
Records from those in receipt of poor relief. A Poor Law had been in existence since 1579 and was based on voluntary donations from sources such as church collections, seat letting charges and charitable donations. Kirk Session and the heritors were responsible for overseeing poor relief so the session minute books and the heritor accounts should show details of payments made to the poor. Persons in receipt of poor relief should also be shown on the parish poor rolls. Increasing urbanisation and a decline in the influence of the Kirk led to problems administrating poor relief.
The Poor Law Act (Scotland) of 1845 reformed the arrangements. The Act created a central Board of Supervision in Edinburgh which granted the poor payments, delivered at parish level by parochial boards and by parish councils from 1894. Therefore, poor relief records might continue to appear amongst heritor accounts and Kirk session records. After 1894 elected parish councils took over responsibility for poor relief. The Board of Supervision were obliged to compile a general register of the poor which carried a detailed description of the pauper. Poorhouses were established and unlike England, inmates were not put to work.
The records can be useful for researching Irish immigrants who arrived in Scotland following the potato famine in the late 1840s and early 1850s. After 1921 separate registers were kept of those needing poor relief and those needing some form of unemployment benefit. Some people were forcibly removed to their parish of settlement to avoid paying relief.
Other Scotland Resources
Census Returns
Clan & Tartan Records
County & Local Histories
Court Records
Directories, Trade, Professional, Telephone & Street
Electoral Registers or Burgess Rolls
Emigration Records
Hearth Tax
Heraldic Coats of Arms & Seals
Kirk/Church Sessions
Land Tax Assessments & Returns
Maps & Gazetteers
Militia Lists
Monumental/Memorial Inscriptions
Newspapers, magazines & journals
Old Parish Registers-Baptisms (OPRs)
Old Parish Registers-Burials (OPRs)
Old Parish Registers-Marriages & Proclamations (OPRs)
Passenger Lists
Pedigrees and Family Histories
Registers of Deeds (Books of Council and Session)
Retours of Services of Heirs
Sasines, Registers of
Statistical Accounts of Scotland
Statutory Registration-Birth
Statutory Registration-Death
Statutory Registration-Marriage
Surname Origins and Distribution
Valuation Rolls & Stent Rolls
Wills/Testaments and Inheritance
Where Found
ScotlandsPeople Centre (The ScotlandsPeople Centre is the official government resource for family history research. Pauper records can be found amongst various series including heritor minutes and kirk session records for the Old Poor Law and parochial boards records for counties in East Lothian, Midlothian and Wigtownshire and parish councils records for the New Poor Law. ScotlandsPeople Centre is a partnership between the National Records of Scotland and the Court of the Lord Lyon. The National Records of Scotland was created on 1 April 2011 by the amalgamation of the National Archives of Scotland and General Register Office for Scotland)
Mitchell Library, Glasgow (Indexed copies of Glasgow poor relief applications and other items such as the original applications, photos, illustrations, plans, maps and books)
Edinburgh City Archives (Holdings include records from the Edinburgh Charity Workhouse including poor relief registers and lunatics and childrens’ hospital papers; Canongate Charity Workhouse; St Cuthbert’s/West Kirk Workhouse; Craiglockhart Poorhouse Name indexes include: St Cuthbert’s Parochial Board paupers’ claims 1850-1852 and Register of inmates at Edinburgh Charity Workhouse 1835-1841)
Aberdeen City Archives (Poor Relief Records. Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives hold records relating to the relief of the poor throughout the North East. There are minutes for most parishes in the historic counties of Aberdeenshire, Banffshire [excluding parishes now in Moray] and Kincardineshire)
County Record Offices & local libraries (Kirk Session minutes, heritor’s minutes, parochial board records)
Period Covered
1759 – 1930
Genealogical Value
- Applicant’s name, resident address, place of birth, condition (married/single), age, occupation and religion.
- Date and place of marriage.
- Parent’s names.
- Names and ages of dependants and names of children not dependant.
- Date of application, date of inspector’s visit to applicant, previous applications and reasons if refused.
Most of the more detailed information is recorded in post 1845 records.
Further References
Poor Law Specific
- Cage, R.A. The Scottish Poor Law 1745-1845: Scottish Academic Press, 1981
- Lamond, Robert Peel. The Scottish Poor Laws: Their History, Policy and Operation: W. Hodge, 1892
- Lindsay, Jean. Scottish Poor Law: Arthur Stockwell, 1975
- MacKay, George A. Practice of the Scottish Poor Law: William Green & Sons, 1907 (Also available to read online at the Internet Archive)
- Mitchison, Rosalind. The Old Poor Law in Scotland: The Experience of Poverty, 1574-1845: Edinburgh University Press, 2000
Family History Guides
- Adolph, Anthony. Tracing Your Scottish Family History: Collins, 2008
- Bigwood, Rosemary: The Scottish Family Tree Detective: Tracing Your Ancestors in Scotland: Manchester University Press, 2007
- Clarke, T. Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors: The Official Guide: Birlinn, 2012
- Cory, Kathleen B. Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2009
- Durie, Bruce. Scottish Genealogy: The History Press, 2012
- Durie, Bruce. Documents for Genealogy & Local History: The History Press, 2013
- Hamilton-Edwards, Gerald. In Search of Scottish Ancestry: Phillimore, 1983
- Holton, Graham & Winch, Jack. Discover Your Scottish Ancestry: Internet and Traditional Resources: Edinburgh University Press, 2009 (Preview available from Google Books)
- James, Alwyn. Scottish Roots: From Gravestone to Website: The Step-By-Step Guide to Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors: Luath Press, 2005
- Paton, Chris. Researching Scottish Family History: The Family History Partnership, 2010
- Paton, Chris. Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry through Church and State Records: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword Family History, 2019
- Stewart, Alan. My Ancestor was Scottish: Society of Genealogists, 2012
- Tovey, Helen. My Scottish Ancestry: Lomond Books, 2011
Other
- Concise Scots Dictionary: Edinburgh University Press, 1999 (Preview available from Google Books)
- Lynch, Michael. Oxford Companion to Scottish History: OUP Oxford, 2011
- Moffat, Alistair & Wilson, James. The Scots: A Genetic Journey: Birlinn, 2011
- Richards, Eric. The Highland Clearances: Birlinn, 2013
- Scots Dictionary: Collins, 2014
- Timperley, Loretta R, (ed). A Directory of Land Ownership in Scotland c 1770: Scottish Record Society, 1976
- Torrance, Richard D. Scottish Trades, Professions, Vital Documents & Directories: Scottish Association of Family History Societies, 1998
Websites
www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/poor-relief-records (National Records of Scotland: Research Guides: Poor Relief Records)
www.scan.org.uk/researchrtools/poorrelief.htm (Scottish Archive Network: Poor Relief Records)
www.scan.org.uk/knowledgebase/topics/poorlaw2.htm (Scottish Archive Network: The Poor Law in Scotland after 1845)
www.scan.org.uk/knowledgebase/topics/poor_registers_topic.htm (Poor Relief Registers)
www.workhouses.org.uk/Scotland (A Comprehensive History of the Workhouse by Peter Higginbotham: The Workhouse in Scotland)
www.exploregenealogy.co.uk/scotlandpoorlaw.html (Scotland Poor Law Records and Genealogy Research)
http://findingyourancestors.scot/scottish-poor-relief-records-online (Finding Your Scottish Ancestors: Scottish Poor Relief Records Online. Guide to the whereabouts of poor relief indexes and original records available online)
www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/tutorials/what-are-scottish-poor-law-records (Who Do You Think You Are Magazine: What are Scottish Poor Law records? Was the Poor Law system in Scotland different to England? And how do you find the family history records? Chris Paton explains)
www.scottishindexes.com/learningpoor.aspx (Scottish Indexes: Learning Zone: Poor Relief Records in Scotland. Guide to the basic facts around poor relief records, who hold the records now and how we can access them)
www.glasgowfamilyhistory.org.uk/ExploreRecords/Pages/Poor-Law.aspx (The Mitchell Library: Glasgow City Archives: Poor Law from 1845. This is a brief guide to poor law archives where you can discover vital clues about your family’s history and reveal details of their daily lives)
www.family-tree.co.uk/useful-genealogy-websites/where-to-look-online-for-scottish-poor-relief-indexes-collections (Family Tree: Where to look online for Scottish Poor Relief indexes & collections. Alison Spring shares her recommendations for the best online resources for exploring Scottish Poor Relief indexes and collections)
www.johngraycentre.org/about/archives/poor-law-research-guide-3 (John Gray Centre: Poor Law: research guide 3)
www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2018-05/Poor Law Information Leaflet.pdf (Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives: Caring for the poor, sick and needy. A brief history of poor relief in Scotland)
www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/libraries-and-archives/aberdeen-city-and-aberdeenshire-archives/catalogues-and-indexes/poor-relief-records (Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives: Poor Relief Records. Guide to finding and using poor relief records)
www.oldscottish.com/blog/p-is-for-poor-law-paupers-and-payments (Old Scottish: P is for poor law, paupers and payments)
www.fdca.org.uk/DailyLife_Poorhouse.html (Friends of Dundee City Archives: Daily Life in the Poorhouse)
Online Databases
- Scotland, Poor Law & Poor Lists. Explore this collection of more than 123,000 poor relief records. Each record includes a transcript and original record where available that will reveal your ancestor’s level of poverty, family details, occupation, residence, denomination and the nature of the relief they received.
- Scotland, Mental Health Institutions Registers & Admissions. Search admission and register records for Scottish mental health institutions including asylums and poorhouses. The records were transcribed by Graham and Emma Maxwell from the original records held at the National Records of Scotland. The records for Inverness District Asylum have been provided by Stuart Farrell).
- Scotland, Forfarshire (Angus), Dundee Poor Relief Assessments 1822-1839. Search transcribed poor relief assessment lists from the parish of Dundee.
- Scotland, Linlithgowshire (West Lothian), Poorhouse Records 1859-1912. Search a variety of different record types including admissions, deaths, discharges and sick rolls including admissions to the lunatic section of the poorhouse)
- West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, Poor Law Applications and Registers, 1846-1914. The records in this collection are from the parishes of Cardross or Bonhill.
- Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Poor Law Applications and Registers, 1818-1923. This collection contains records relating to the relief of people living in poverty in the historic counties of Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, and Kincardineshire, Scotland. Most of the documents were created by the parochial boards and parish councils that were responsible for providing relief to impoverished people in their parish.
- North Lanarkshire, Scotland, Poor Law Applications and Registers, 1849-1917. This collection contains applications for relief from parish institutions in North Lanarkshire.
- Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, Poorhouse Records, 1888-1912. This collection contains Poorhouse Records for Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. It includes records for those who received help from the Abden Home Poor Law Institution originally named the Kirkcaldy Combination Poorhouse.
- Edinburgh, Poor Law Records, 1817-1852. This collection contains records from government poorhouses in Edinburgh.
Dumfries and Galloway Archives
Dumfries Poor Board Minutes, 1871-1885. These records document the activities of the local parochial (or poor) board established under the Poor Law (Scotland) Act, 1845. These minutes are rich in names, recording the names of the sick and needy in receipt of poor relief. The indexes also include the names of those who made charitable gifts to the inmates of the poorhouse or supplied the goods and services to the poor board.
Scottish Indexes
Scottish Poor Relief Records. Indexed poor relief records consisting of Registers of the Poor with selected records from Wigtownshire, Roxburghshire and Peeblesshire.
Old Scottish
- The Board of Supervision and Poor Law Appeals, 1845-1895. Indexes to appeals recorded in the 23 volumes of minute books of the Board of Supervision extracted from NRS Reference HH23/1-23. The appeals themselves have largely not survived.
- General Registers Of The Poor, 1865-1930: Search indexes to the General Registers of the Poor of around 8,500 entries from Wigtonshire. These Registers had a standardised format, providing biographical detail about those granted poor relief.
Edinburgh City Archives
Name indexes include:
- St Cuthbert’s Parochial Board paupers’ claims 1850-1852.
- Register of inmates at Edinburgh Charity Workhouse 1835-1841.
Friends of Dundee City Archives
The Dundee Poorhouse Records. Index of all the inmates who passed through or died within the Dundee Poorhouse from its inception to its demise.
Stirling Council Archives
Poor Relief Indexes, 1814-1934. Search online for ancestors who may have appealed to their Parish for assistance. The indexes cover 14 Parishes in the Stirling Council area.
Aberdeen & North-East Scotland FHS
Index to Poor Law 1845-1900.
Aberdeen & North-East Scotland FHS
Poor Relief St Nicholas Poorhouse 1779-1788. Index and Transcription.
Renfrewshire Libraries
Paisley and Renfrewshire Heritage Centre: Paisley Poor Law Indexes,1930-1948. Indexes from applications for assistance from people who were unable to support themselves due to age or incapacity.
Borders Family History Society
Poor Law Records Index. Transcriptions and indexes of poor law records for various Borders parishes for the period 1845 to 1933.
CD Roms
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