Nature of Source
Introduction
The statutory registration of births, regular marriages and deaths for all religious denominations became compulsory in Scotland in 1855. The regulations came into force from January 1, 1855, following the passing of the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1854. The system established a comprehensive and reliable framework ensuring records were kept consistently. There is some variation in the information on certificates between 1855 and 1860 with the 1855 certificates containing particularly detailed genealogical information.
Challenges in Early Record Keeping
Before 1855, the recording of vital events was primarily managed by the Kirk. However, by the 19th century the standard of record keeping by the Kirk authorities had deteriorated with the result that fewer entries of baptism, marriage and burial were being registered in the Old Parish Registers with some completely lost.
A number of factors contributed to this state of affairs such as fewer people being as observant in the established Kirk and the industrial expansion of urban town and cities where the Kirk had less influence. The growth of nonconformist sects also resulted in fewer registrations of vital events. After a number of delays and much argument between the church and secular authorities, a system of state registration was finally enacted on January 1, 1855.
Registration Districts and the GRO
Under the 1855 Act, Scotland was divided into Registration Districts (originally amounting to 1027 but now significantly reduced) for recording events with each district managed by a registrar acting as the official in charge. Local registration districts were structured and based around parish boundaries.
The Act also established the General Register Office for Scotland which later merged with the National Archives of Scotland to form the National Records of Scotland. The office was based in Edinburgh and overseen by the Registrar General.
Copies of registration certificates are forwarded to the General Register Office in Edinburgh from which annual indexes covering all of Scotland are compiled. A legally recognised certified copy of a register entry, known as an extract, can be ordered online via ScotlandsPeople which offers digital access to Scotland’s official records. The original certificate is typically issued at the time of the recorded event, whether it be a birth, marriage, or death.
Understanding Reference Codes
Scottish statutory registration certificates of birth, marriage and death are assigned a unique GROS reference which helps identify the entry within the registers. An example refence of ‘GROS 640/00 0504’ is broken down in the following manner:
- GROS refers to the General Register Office for Scotland which is now merged with the National Records of Scotland.
- 640 is the District Number and represents the registration district where the event was recorded. Each registration district in Scotland has a unique code assigned to it.
- 00 indicates the sub-district or more detailed area within the district. ‘00’ is sometimes used as a placeholder if there is no subdivision.
- 0504 is the sequential entry number or certificate number assigned to the specific event within the given district (or sub-district) for that year.
Register of Corrections
Some statutory register entries had to be amended whilst leaving the original intact, with these so called corrected entries kept in the Register of Corrected Entries. Always check to see if an entry is marked in the left margin with a note.
Irregular Marriages in Scotland
Similar to England, the authorities in Scotland grew increasingly concerned with the issue of ‘irregular’ or ‘clandestine’ marriages. In England, Hardwicke’s Act of 1753 outlawed ‘irregular’ marriages by stipulating that a marriage could only take place in an Anglican church performed by an Anglican minister and only after the publication of banns. The only exceptions applied to Jews and Quakers. As the Act did not apply in Scotland, English ‘runway’ couples were able to obtain a valid marriage certificate in the border towns such as Ayton, Chain Bridge, Coldstream, Gretna Green, Halidon Hill, Ladykirk, Lamberton, Mordington, Norham and Paxton. Less well known areas for ‘irregular’ marriages were the coaching inns in the Canongate district of Edinburgh and South Leith marriages which are transcribed in Marshall’ s Calendar of Irregular Marriages in the South Leith Kirk Sessions Records 1697-1818. The English Episcopal Chapels in Scotland during the 19th century also married English runaways.
Please note that the term ‘handfasting’ is simply another way of describing a wedding ceremony and does not signify a temporary marriage arrangement or refer to a Celtic/pagan ritual.
Regular vs. Irregular Marriages
In Scotland a marriage was considered ‘regular’ after the reading of banns and if the marriage ceremony was conducted by a minister of the established Church of Scotland. The 1834 Marriage (Scotland) Act extended ‘regular’ marriages by permitting dissenting clergy to conduct marriage ceremonies. If these requirements were not adhered to the marriage was deemed ‘clandestine’ and illegal but crucially could be valid in the eyes of the state. Under Scots Law a marriage was considered valid (but not legal) under certain conditions as follows:
- Both parties declared themselves married in the presence of witnesses (per verba de praesenti).
- Marriage ceremony followed by sexual intercourse (per verba de futuro subsequente copula).
- Simply living together with the status of man and wife – by habit and repute.
Abolition of Irregular Marriages
Irregular marriages were abolished with the passing of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1939 coming into force on 1 July 1940. The Act introduced civil marriages with marriages only becoming legal and valid on production of a certificate proving publication of banns or a notice of intended marriage and if celebrated in an office of an authorised Registrar. The only exception to the law were marriages by ‘habit and repute’. This anomaly was finally addressed by the Family Law (Scotland) Act of 2006. Irregular marriages were unrecorded in the statutory marriage registers although a registrar could legally register the marriage if both parties declared their union before a sheriff and obtained a warrant from him.
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
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, the Adopted Children’s Register from 1930, census records, Catholic parish registers, 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 birth, marriage, and death records for Scotland from 1855 to the present day.
Local Registrar Offices
Registrars maintain current registers of births, stillbirths, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships. They also conduct all civil marriages and civil partnership registrations. All births, stillbirths, deaths, marriages (both civil and religious) and civil partnerships occurring in Scotland must be recorded in these registers. The original registers are preserved and held centrally by the Registrar General.
Period Covered
1855 – Onwards
Genealogical Value
All Years
- Deceased’s name, sex, marital status, age at death, residence/address and occupation.
- Date, time and place of death.
- Cause of death, duration of last illness, doctor’s name and informant’s name.
- Spouse’s full name (Spouse’s name removed from 1856 to 1860 and reinstated in 1861),
- Parent’s names including mother’s maiden name with occupations and whether alive or deceased.
1855 Only
- Deceased’s birthplace.
- Names and ages of children and date of death and age of any children who pre-deceased the parents.
- How long lived in district.
Up to 1860 including 1855
- Place of burial, the name of the undertaker and when the doctor last saw the deceased alive.
- Name of the undertaker.
Further References
Registration Specific
- Sheila M, Spiers. The Parishes, Registers and Registrars of Scotland: The Scottish Association of Family History Societies, 1993
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. Statutory Register of Marriages. The Statutory Register of Marriages contains detailed information about each couple who have married in Scotland since 1 January 1855 and is of great value to researchers.
National Records of Scotland
Research Guide. Irregular Border Marriage Registers.
National Records of Scotland
Research Guide. Register of Corrected Entries, now the Register of Corrections.
ScotlandsPeople Guide
Statutory Registers. Guide and comprehensive overview to statutory registers in Scotland, which are official records of births, deaths, and marriages.
ScotlandsPeople Guide
Statutory register of Marriages. Guide and information on the statutory register of marriages.
ScotlandsPeople Guide
Parishes and Districts.
National Records of Scotland
Registration 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.
The Mitchell Library
Research Guide: Civil Registration, Scotland. Find the birth, marriage and death records of your Scottish ancestors from 1855 to the present day. The guide details the historical context, types of records available and how to access them.
Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine
How to research Scottish ancestry. Scottish ancestry expert Chris Paton picks out the key records for tracing your Scottish family history.
Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine
Marriage certificates: Everything you need to know. How to find and order marriage certificates for your British and UK ancestors and what the records will tell you.
University of Glasgow
Scottish Way of Birth and Death: Marriage The Law. The guide focuses on the historical context and legal framework surrounding marriage in Scotland, particularly in comparison to England. It highlights the unique aspects of Scottish marriage law.
Family Tree
Finding and Using Scottish Civil Records for Genealogy. By Amanda Epperson.
TalkingScot
Registration Districts in Scotland.
National Library of Medicine
The Establishment of Civil Registration in Scotland, by Dr Anne Cameron.
Online Databases
Scotland’s People
The ScotlandsPeople website is the official Scottish Government site for searching government records and archives. There are two search and order options:
- Users can search and order an officially certified paper copy of a marriage register entry from 1st January 1855 onwards.
- Users can search and order a digital image of the record entry from 1st January 1855 to 1949. For marriages a 75 year cut-off for viewing images online applies. The digital image cannot be used for legal or official purposes, only for research.
The Minor Records
The minor records comprise records of births, deaths and marriages of Scottish persons outside Scotland. The indexes to marriages in the minor records include:
- Consular returns (from 1917)
- Register of births, deaths and marriages in foreign counties (1860-1965)
- Foreign marriages (from 1947)
- High Commissioners’ returns (from 1964)
- Consular and foreign records combined series (from 1975)
- Army returns (1881-1959). Marriages of Scottish persons at military stations abroad
- Services Departments’ registers (from 1 April 1959)
- Certified copies of entries relating to marriages solemnised by Army chaplains outside the United Kingdom since 1892
Inverclyde Library
Intimations: The Watt Library index of family history notices, 1800-1918. The index contains over 100,000 local births, marriages and deaths as seen in the pages of the Greenock Advertiser, Greenock Telegraph and other local papers originally from the historic county of Renfrewshire.
Findmypast
Scotland, Modern and Civil Marriages 1855-2019. Search Scottish marriage records compiled from a number of official and unofficial sources including records from local government indexes held by various councils and archives, volunteer and local family history society transcriptions and civil registers.
Findmypast
Scotland, Parish Marriages & Banns 1561-1893. Search a comprehensive collection of regular and irregular Scottish marriage records. The collection was compiled from a variety of different sources including transcriptions of the original surviving Church of Scotland OPR (Old Parish Registers) material from across the country.
Findmypast
Scotland, Newspaper Marriage & Anniversary Notices. Search for your Scottish ancestors’ marriage and anniversary notice in these newspaper reports. Marriage and anniversary notices were paid announcements usually written by a family member and sent to the newspaper.
FamilySearch
Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910. Index to selected Scotland marriages extracted from civil registration and church records. Only a few localities are included and the time period varies by locality.
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.
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.
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