A gazetteer is a dictionary of place-names. Gazetteers describe towns, villages, parishes, counties, rivers, mountains, population, and other geographical features. The place-names are generally in alphabetical order, similar to a dictionary.

Gazetteers may provide more information about towns, such as:

• Distance from nearby places.
• Religious denominations.
• Major manufacturing works.
• Canals, docks, and railroad stations.
• Seats of landed-gentry families.
  

You can use a gazetteer to find the places where your family lived and to determine the civil and church jurisdictions over those places. Gazetteers are also helpful for determining the county jurisdictions used in the Family History Library Catalog.

A sample gazetteer entry might be “Burrelton, a village in the parish of Cargill, near the Woodside railway station, 13½ m. NE of Perth. It has a post office under Coupar-Angus, and a Free church.”

Many places in Scotland have the same or similar names. A gazetteer can help you identify the most common spellings and the counties that have a place by that name.

Helpful gazetteers include:

Groom, Francis H. Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland. 6 vols. Edinburgh: Thomas J. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, 1883-6. (FHL book Ref 941 E5g; fiche 6020391-411.) This set of gazetteers alphabetically lists place-names as they were during the 1880s. A brief description includes distance from other nearby places, name(s) of the church denomination(s) in the area, historical background, and the civil district.

Wilson, John. The Gazetteer of Scotland. Edinburgh: W. & A. K. Johnson, 1882. (FHL book Ref. 941 E5j.; film 990430 item 14; fiche 6026374.)

The Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog lists gazetteers and similar place-name guides under:

GREAT BRITAIN - GAZETTEERSSCOTLAND - GAZETTEERSSCOTLAND, [COUNTY] - GAZETTEERS

atlas

Mason, Oliver. Bartholomew Gazetteer of Places in Britain. Edinburgh: John Bartholomew & Son, 1986. (FHL book Ref 942 E5ba 1986.) Places are in alphabetical order. The town descriptions in the gazetteer will tell you where to find each locality on the maps included in the book.

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GENEALOGY

The term genealogy is used here to describe records that contain family information gathered by individuals, societies, or archives. These records may include pedigree charts, compiled family information, correspondence, ancestor lists, research exchange files, record abstracts, and collections of original or copied documents. These excellent sources of information can save you valuable time. However, these types of records may contain inaccuracies, and you should verify the information found in them.

The “Nobility” section of this outline describes genealogical sources for noble families.

See the “For Further Reading” section of this outline to see a list of handbooks explaining genealogical terms, research procedures, and records.

Unique Family History Library Indexes

The library has several sources that contain genealogical information gathered by others and can lead you to others who are interested in sharing family information. These include:

• International Genealogical Index (IGI). Deceased individuals who were born or married in Scotland are listed in the International Genealogical Index. Names are added continually to the index.
• Ancestral File. The Family History Library has developed a computer database of family information called Ancestral File. You are invited to contribute information or corrections to Ancestral File. For more information, see Using Ancestral File Resource Guide (34113) and Contributing to Ancestral File (34029).
• Family Group Records Collection. More than eight million microfilmed family group record forms are in the Family Group Records Collection, including many Scottish families. The collection has two major sections: The Archive Section and the Patron Section. You can find the film numbers for both sections in the Author/Title Search of the Family History Library Catalog on microfiche under FAMILY GROUP RECORDS COLLECTION.
• Smith’s Inventory of Genealogical Sources in the Family History Library: Scotland is a subject index to items likely not listed in the Family History Library Catalog but which can be found in selected periodicals, books, and films in the library’s collection (FHL book 941 D23s, 34 vols; fiche 6110528 in 18 parts).
  

Family Histories

The Family History Library has many Scottish family and clan histories, published and unpublished, and newsletters that may contain genealogical information, biographies, photographs, and other valuable information.

You will find many Scottish family histories listed in:

Ferguson, Joan P.S. Scottish Family Histories. Edinburgh: National Library of Scotland, 1986. (FHL book Ref. 941 D23fj.) This book lists over 3,200 family histories.

You can also find family histories by using the Surname Search of the Family History Library Catalog. However, the catalog lists only the major surnames discussed in each history.

The Family History Library has some genealogical collections for Scottish families, including published and unpublished collections of family histories and lineages, research files of prominent genealogists, and a few surname indexes. You can find other genealogical information on families by using the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog. Look under the following headings:

GREAT BRITAIN - GENEALOGYSCOTLAND - GENEALOGYSCOTLAND, [COUNTY] - GENEALOGY

Research Coordination

The following publications show names and addresses of individuals and the family names they are researching. Using them may help you coordinate your research efforts. Search several editions since they are published yearly, and specific family names may appear in only one edition.

Caley, Iris Louise, ed. 1993 National Genealogical Directory. Stoke St. Michael, Somerset: National Genealogical Directory, 1993. (FHL book 942 D24na.)

Johnson, Keith A., and Malcolm R. Sainty. Genealogical Research Directory. Sydney: Genealogical Research Directory Editors, 1996. (FHL book Ref 929.1025 G286grd.)

Federation of Family History Societies. British Isles Genealogical Register (“The BIG-R”). 1994. (FHL fiche 6344825.)

The Guild of One Name Studies publishes the following list of organizations that study specific surnames:

Register of One Name Studies. 7th ed. Solihull, England: Federation of Family History Societies, 1996. (FHL book 942 D24re 1996.)

Since most persons with the same surname are not related, you will need to determine whether a name listed in one of the above sources belongs to your family. You might have to do some research in original records to connect your family to a family listed in one of these sources.

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HERALDRY

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Heraldry is the designing, use, regulation, and recording of coats of arms and related emblems. Originally, the crown granted coats of arms to individuals—not families or surnames—to identify them in battle. A person entitled to bear arms is called an armiger. An armiger’s legitimate male descendants can inherit the right to use his coat of arms. Most Scottish ancestors did not have a coat of arms.

The crown awards the right to use a coat of arms to persons who perform a heroic deed, make a notable achievement, or hold a prominent position. Such grants are recorded by representatives of the crown called the King’s heralds. In Scotland the heralds work under the direction of the Lord Lyon King of Arms, who is responsible for rights to arms and pedigrees. Heraldic records are housed at the following address:

Court of the Lord Lyon
New Register House
Edinburgh
EH1 3YT
Scotland

In the sixteenth century, heralds visited all parts of Scotland to discover who was using coats of arms. They asked for proof of male descent from the original grantee. These heraldic visitations were recorded in Public Register of all Arms and Bearings, which continues to be expanded and is available at the above address.

Heralds developed terms to describe the records they kept. Armorials are alphabetical lists of names with a description, or blazon, of the arms. Ordinaries are similar books that describe coats of arms and arrange them according to design. Some minor armigers are not included in any books.

The Family History Library has many books on heraldry, including armorials and ordinaries, laws of heraldry, and explanation of terms. To find their call numbers, look in the Locality Search of the catalog under:

SCOTLAND - HERALDRYGREAT BRITAIN - HERALDRY

Families who bore heraldic arms are often subjects of books or articles. See the “Genealogy” and “Nobility” sections of this outline.

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