Finding Records of Your Ancestors in Scotland 1855 To 1901

If your ancestor lived in Scotland between 1855 and 1901, follow the steps in this guide to find the records of his or her family. These instructions will show you which records to search, what to look for, and what tools to use.

The Research Process Overview
Follow these steps to find all members of the family (parents and children) of your ancestor who lived in Scotland between 1855 and 1901: 1. Find information about your ancestor’s birthplace and parents’ names in:


 * A. Marriage or death certificates in civil registration records.
 * B. Census records.

2. Find your ancestor’s birth certificate in civil registration records. 3. Find your ancestor with his or her parents and brothers and sisters in census records. 4. Find the marriage certificate for your ancestor’s parents in civil registration records.

How to use this article:
• The Research Process: To see how the process works, review the example on pages 3–11. • Finding Places: To learn more about place names in Scotland, see pages 13–15. • Records: As you follow each step of the research process, go to pages 16–21 to learn about the record you are searching. • Additional Helps: For more information about researching Scottish records, see pages 22–23.

When you have found all members of a family, use the process to find another family. Search for the husband’s or wife’s parents and siblings.