Birth Marriage and Deaths

Old Parish Registers

Initially the responsibility for registering these important life events rested with the church and are contained within the Old Parish Registers.  The period covered by these registers is roughly 1550 to 1854.  These registers deal with members of the established Church of Scotland following the Reformation, but records can also be found which covers the Non-Conformist churches.  The information contained within these records can be useful, but are of varying quality depending on the time period and the parish they were compiled in.

Statutory Registers

From 1855 onwards the recording of births, marriages and deaths were the responsibility for the state.  All registration was complusory irrespective of religious denomination.  As a result of this change, there is far more detail contained within these records.  From one entry the name of parents, their occupations and residences can be found.  From there other sources can be checked to build up a complete picture of the person(s) being researched.