Nature of Source
Introduction
The Old Parish Registers (OPRs) of Scotland are records of baptisms, marriage proclamations and burials maintained by the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian). These registers are invaluable resources for tracing Scottish family history and heritage.
Origins and Structure of the Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, often referred to as the ‘Kirk’, was established in 1560 as a Presbyterian Reformed Church thus marking a significant shift from Roman Catholicism. By 1567, the Kirk became the established Church of Scotland, assuming sole responsibility for registering baptisms, marriage proclamations and burials apart from events involving Roman Catholics.
The Kirk’s organisational structure played a critical role in maintaining parish records:
- Kirk Session: Each parish was managed by a Kirk Session, which consisted of a minister, 12 elders and a session clerk responsible for maintaining the registers and other session records.
- Heritors: Local landowners, known as heritors, wielded significant influence over parish affairs until the early 20th century.
- Hierarchy: Parishes were grouped into presbyteries, with several adjacent presbyteries forming synods. The highest ultimate authority resided with the General Assembly.
Church Secessions and Schisms
When researching OPRs, it is essential to understand the historical context of the Church of Scotland, particularly the numerous secessions and schisms that occurred over time. These divisions and breakaway factions affected record keeping and may influence where records are located today. The cause of these divisions were not over dogma but revolved around the issue of who controlled the parish especially with reference to the power of the heritors.
- Secession Church (1733)
- Relief Church (1761)
- Free Church of Scotland (1843): The Great Disruption saw approximately 40% of ministers leave the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to establish the Free Church.
- United Presbyterian Church (1847): Formed by merging the Secession and Relief Churches.
- United Free Church (1899): The Free Church merged with the United Presbyterian Church to form this denomination.
- Re-amalgamation (1929): Most United Free Church congregations rejoined the established Church of Scotland.
The upheavals in the Scottish church, particularly the Disruption of 1843, present significant challenges for family historians during this period of 1843 to 1855.
- Many newly formed Free Churches failed to rigorously keep parish registers with many registers lost entirely.
- Some vicars failed to officially register individuals who were not members of the Church of Scotland, leading to many missing names.
- Registers of dissenters and non-conformist sects are not included in the OPRs.
Other Research Challenges
- Many parish registers only begin in the 17th or 18th centuries, with some parishes having no surviving records at all.
- Some people chose not to register an event especially during the imposition of a stamp duty between 1783 to 1794.
- Also be aware that many baptisms were not registered and most start in 1690s and that many parishes failed to keep any burial registers at all.
- The amount of information recorded in the OPRs differed from parish to parish with no set format. The reforms enacted by Rose’s Act in 1812 established some form of standardisation for recording parish registers in England and Wales but unfortunately the Act did not apply in Scotland. Occasionally, registers may record the actual date of birth, marriage, or death, but this is not guaranteed.
- Some parents from different parishes baptised the child in both parishes and with marriages it is possible that the proclamation of banns of the bride and groom might be made in two parishes. Proclamation of banns might be made in two parishes for a single marriage.
- Reference might be made to a Quoad Sacra parish or a Quoad Omnia parish. The former was a religious entity created to address the needs of religious worship and administration and an outpost of an existing parish. The latter dealt with both civil and ecclesiastical matters, meaning it dealt with all aspects of parish life, both the spiritual and civil.
Register of Neglected Entries
Before the introduction of statutory registration in Scotland in 1855, parish authorities were responsible for recording vital events such as births, marriages, and deaths. Unfortunately, the standard of record keeping was often poor which meant many vital events went unregistered. In an effort to address the issue of unregistered events, the Registrar General allowed the public, throughout 1855, to retrospectively register proven births, marriages, and deaths that had occurred before 31 December 1854.
In 1860, the Registrar General established an official Register of Neglected Entries covering the years 1801 to January 1, 1855. To add an event, applicants were required to obtain a sheriff’s warrant validating the event took place and pay a fee. These records were then added to the relevant Old Parish Registers. However the fee deterred many from retrospectively registering a vital event. The register is available to view at the ScotlandsPeople Centre and online at the ScotlandsPeople website.
Calendar Changes
It is important to note that up to 1600 Scotland followed the Julian calendar so the new year began on Lady Day, 25 March and ended the following year on 24 March. The switch to the Gregorian calendar in 1601 adjusted the new year to start on 1st January 1601 and end on 31 December. Events that took place between 1 January and 25 March pre-1601 are often referred to as ‘Old Style’ and ‘New Style’ dates. so as an example a pre-1601 baptism should be shown as 1 February 1589/90.
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-Burials (OPRs)
Old Parish Registers-Marriages & Proclamations (OPRs)
Passenger Lists
Pedigrees and Family Histories
Poor Law Records
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 located in central Edinburgh includes search rooms for in-person visits. The centre provides access to various historical records including the official statutory register of Scottish birth, marriage and death dating back to 1855, registers of baptisms, marriages, burials kept by the Church of Scotland, the Roman Catholic church and other churches. the Adopted Children’s Register from 1930, census records, Coats of Arms, valuation rolls, wills and testaments. It is run by the National Records of Scotland, a non-ministerial department of the Scottish Government. Many of the records are available via ScotlandsPeople which is the official government website for searching government records and archives related to Scottish family history research.
The Mitchell Library
The Mitchell Library in Glasgow houses a dedicated Family History Centre and includes digital copies the Old Parish Registers (OPRs) of births/baptisms, banns/marriages, and deaths/burials. Also available are the records of churches which had seceded from the established church in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as for many other denominations.
Scottish Genealogy Society
Library and Family History Centre. Resources include Old Parish Registers (OPRs) with the original in microfilm for every parish in Scotland.
National Library of Scotland
Old parish registers index. The library holds a microfiche index to the old parish registers for Scotland.
Period Covered
1553 – 1854
Genealogical Value
- Child’s name and date of birth/baptism.
- Parents’ names and mother’s maiden name.
- Place of residence and parish address.
- Father’s occupation.
- Sometimes list of witnesses.
Further References
Parish Specific
- Baptie, Diane (comp). Parish Registers in the Kirk Session Minutes of the Church of Scotland: The Scottish Association of Family History Societies
- Burn, John Southerden. The History of Parish Registers in England: Also of the Registers of Scotland, Ireland, the East and West Indies: J.R. Smith, 1862 (Available to view online or download at the Internet Archive. Also available to buy on CD at GenFair)
- Sheila M, Spiers. The Parishes, Registers and Registrars of Scotland: The Scottish Association of Family History Societies, 1993
- Turnbull, William Barclay. Scottish Parochial Registers. Memoranda of the State of the Parochial Registers of Scotland: T.G. Stevenson, 1849 (The book contains lists of parishes and the whereabouts of the registers. The book is available to view online at Google Books)
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
- Maxwell, Ian. Tracing your Scottish Ancestors: A Guide for Family Historians: Pen & Sword, 2009
- 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
National Records of Scotland
Research Guide: Old Parish Registers. The guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Old Parish Registers with details of the gaps in the records, examples of the different types of entries as well as sections on Scottish handwriting, personal names, place-names and further reading. The site includes lists of counties showing the year that Old Parish Registers began recording births and marriages for each Parish as well as an index of all parishes.
ScotlandsPeople Guide
Church Registers. The site provides detailed guides on records from the Church of Scotland, the Roman Catholic church and other churches. The guide explains how to access and search the records and to understand the contents.
ScotlandsPeople Guide
Parishes and districts. This guide provides a brief overview of Scottish parishes and districts.
National Library of Scotland
Births, deaths and marriages. There are several useful resources in Scotland and online which give access to records of births, deaths, and marriages.
Church of Scotland
Historical records. Information on researching and tracing historical records.
Statistical Accounts of Scotland 1791-1845
University of Edinburgh Library. The site offers a digital archive of parish reports from 1791 to 1845. These accounts, written by local ministers, provide detailed insights into the geography, history, economy, and agriculture of Scottish parishes during the agricultural and industrial revolutions. The platform allows users to explore both the Old and New Statistical Accounts.
Christians Together
Presbyterianism: Scottish style. Brief History of the Presbyterian Christian Church in Scotland.
Wikimedia Commons
Churches of Scotland timeline. Timeline showing the evolution of the churches of Scotland from 1560.
EdinPhoto
Church of Scotland. A brief history of the Church of Scotland and some other churches including summary of break-aways and mergers.
TravelScotland
The Great Disruption of 1843.
Scottish Episcopal Church
History. The roots of the Scottish Episcopal Church trace back to the beginnings of Christianity in Scotland.
Dalbeattie & Castle Douglas Churches
The Origins of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Scottish Episcopal Church History
The site offers a comprehensive historical account of the Scottish Episcopal Church, covering its roots in Scottish history and its connection to the Anglican Communion
Dictionaries of the Scots Language
DSL Online brings together the two major historical dictionaries of the Scots language: Modern Scots after 1700 in The Scottish National Dictionary; Older Scots before 1700 in A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue.
The Online Scots Dictionary
Translate from Scots to English and from English to Scots.
OVS-Genealogy
Birthdate Calculator. Calculate birth date from death date and age on tombstones and death certificates.
Calculator Site
Birthday Calculator. Discover what day you were born on and how many days there are until your next birthday.
Miscellany
Historical Calendar. The calendar allows you to see the often differing dates using Julian and Gregorian calendars.
Online Databases
Scotland’s People
The ScotlandsPeople website is the official Scottish Government site for searching government records and archives. The site includes indexes and images of Church of Scotland OPR Births & Baptisms, Deaths & Burials and Banns & Marriages from 1553 onwards.
Scotland’s People
Presbyterian Church Records, 1744-1855. These churches were originally outside the Church of Scotland (or left the Church of Scotland) but joined (or re-joined) the Church of Scotland at various points. Datasets include Presbyterian births and baptisms, 1744-1855; marriages and proclamations 1729-1855; death and burial records, 1783-1855.
Findmypast
Scotland, Parish Births & Baptisms 1564-1929. Search transcribed records from registers compiled from a wide range of primary sources from a number of organisations. It contains transcriptions of the original surviving Church of Scotland Old Parish Registers and supplemented by further new records from other faiths, including the Scottish Episcopal Church, Free Church of Scotland, United Free Church and more.
The Genealogist
Search or browse two formats of parish registers covering Scotland. Firstly, databases of transcripts some with linked images of the original registers and secondly, searchable book images from printed books such as the Phillimore series of transcripts of marriage registers. For full county coverage refer to the website.
FreeREG
The site provides free access to transcribed baptism, marriage, and burial extracted from Church of England parish and non-conformist registers and other relevant sources covering England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The project is a volunteer led with records added daily.
FamilySearch
Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. Index to selected Scotland births and baptisms. Only a few localities are included and the time period varies by locality. The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.
MyHeritage
Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. Index to selected Scotland births and baptisms. Only a few localities are included and the time period varies by locality. The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.
Ancestry
Scotland, Extracted Parish Records, 1571-1997. This database is a collection of historical parish registers Scotland. The records in this collection can range in date from the early 1500s. The records include baptisms/christenings, burials, marriages, tombstone inscriptions, obituaries, tax lists, wills, and other miscellaneous types of records. Also included are some records from non-conformist churches.
Scottish Indexes
Non-OPR Births/Baptisms, Banns/Marriages and Deaths/Burials Indexes. The indexed records are taken from Kirk Session material of the Church of Scotland, other Presbyterian churches, and registers of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). They are not part of the Church of Scotland Old Parish Registers.
Scotland BDM
Scotland Births Deaths and Marriages. The aim of the Exchange is to provide a free resource for sharing information about ancestors found in Scotland.
Scottish Indexes
Sheriff Court Paternity Decrees, 1830-1915. This record set contains over 42,000 paternity cases (known as ‘actions of affiliation and aliment’) heard before the Sheriff Courts and also selected Kirk Sessions of the Church of Scotland and other Presbyterian churches. For privacy reasons, the index does not go beyond the year 1923. Entries for the years that follow will be added on an annual basis.
Old Scottish
Sheriff Court Paternity Decrees, 1800-1919. Search indexes to over 43,000 Sheriff Court affiliation and aliment decrees. The decrees deal with child maintenance issues and typically identify the father and mother, give the date of the child’s birth and stipulate the amount the father was required to pay.
Findmypast
Scotland, Paternity Decrees 1750-1922. Records from paternity disputes that appeared before Scotland’s Sheriff Court. Paternity cases were brought before the courts to decide who was responsible for paying the aliment, or the financial maintenance, of the illegitimate child. The transcripts were created by Graham and Emma Maxwell from sources found at the National Records of Scotland
Old Scottish
Fathers Found. Search over 8,000 identified fathers of illegitimate children who are not named in birth records using a wide range of historical records.
CD Roms
S & N Genealogy Supplies
Fife, Dunfermline Parish Registers 1561-1570; Melrose Parish Registers 1642-1722; Restalrig Parish Registers 1728-1854; West Lothian, Torphichen Parish Registers 1673-1714; Aberdeenshire, Bairnie and Tillydesk Parish Registers.
