home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Monster Media 1994 #1
/
monster.zip
/
monster
/
GENE
/
SCTINF04.ZIP
/
CENTRAL.TXT
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-03-29
|
7KB
|
189 lines
beginning of scanned pamphlet.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
T R A C I N G Y O U R F A M I L Y H I S T O R Y
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I N E D I N B U R G H
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
C E N T R A L L I B R A R Y
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edinburgh Central Library, with its long opening hours and extensive
genealogical collections is a useful place to visit in your search for
your Scottish ancestors.
This leaflet aims to tell you what is available in the library as well
as helping you to make the best use of our collections.
Since compiling a family tree can be a complicated procedure, it may be
helpful first to consult one of the many books on how to go about it.
The Scottish Department holds several of these, most of which can be
borrowed for home reading.
Once you are ready to begin, there are several sources in which you can
find information about your family.
CENSUS RETURNS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are available in the library between 1841 and 1891 for the
following areas of Scotland.
LOTHIANS, DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY, BODRDERS, CLACKMANNANSHIRE,
KINROSS-SHIRE, FIFE, AYRSHIRE
The Edinburgh Room holds the census for the city itself: the rest are
kept in the Scottish Department.
The census is arranged according to parish and then by address. It will
tell you who was present in the house on the day of the census, their
relationship to the head of the family, their ages, occupations and in
most cases, the parish in which they were born. The census can be
particularly useful for discovering members of your family not in your
direct line.
OLD PAROCHIAL RECORDS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are records which were kept by the Church of Scotland, and they
form the main source of information on births and marriages before
official registration began in 1855. They are commonly known as the
Old Parish Registers or OPRs. The Library holds the OPRs for the same
areas as the census.
Within each parish the records are kept in date order, just as they were
written down by the Session Clerk. We have microfilmed copies of the
original registers and so some of the entries are very difficult to
read. The registers only contain information about members of the Church
of Scotland.
INDEX TO THE OPRs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This covers the whole of Scotland and separately lists christenings and
marriages for each county. It provides the same basic information as the
OPRs, but it is easier to use and read. However, it does not give as
much information: for example, names of witnesses are not given.
INTERNATIONAL GENEALOGY INDEX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The I.G.I. was compiled by the Mormon Church (as was the index to the
OPRs) and again covers all of Scotland. The main differences between the
I.G.I. and the O.P.R. Index are that the I.G.I. lists christenings and
marriages together, and it contains some information from after 1855.
Several editions of the I.G.I. have been published, the first of which
is arranged alphabetically by name. Subsequent editions are first
divided into counties, and then arranged by name.
Both the I.G.I. and Index to the OPRs are on microfiche and are kept in
the Scottish Department. The Reference Department holds the I.G.I. for
England, Wales and Ireland.
FAMILY HISTORIES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Scottish Department holds more than 1300 books about particular
families. Even if we do not have a book about your family, we may be
able to tell you if a work exists in another Scottish library.
MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In many areas of Scotland local and family history societies have
recorded the information inscribed on pre-1855 gravestones in their
area. Both the Scottish Department and Edinburgh Room collect these as
they are published.
However, not everyone would have had a gravestone, and many stones have
by now been vandalised or been rendered illegible by the weather. Since
these records have been compiled on a voluntary basis, they do not exist
for every area of Scotland.
DIRECTORIES
~~~~~~~~~~~
Both the Edinburgh Room and the Scottish Department have trade and post
office directories going back to the nineteenth century. These can be
useful for placing someone at a particular time or for finding
addresses, but they will not give any further family information.
Furthermore, in the case of many Scottish directories we do not hold
complete runs.
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORIES
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lists of members of various professions are kept in the Library. For
example the Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae is a list of ministers of the
Church of Scotland from the Reformation (1560) until 1975.
The above is a list of just some of the sources which the library holds,
and descriptions given are very brief. Should you have any further
questions please do not hesitate to ask a member of staff.
POINTS TO REMEMBER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Talk to older members of your family. They may be able to provide you
with enough information to get you started.
2. It is useful to have a plan of action before coming to the library.
It could save you a lot of time.
3. One problem with many genealogical sources is not finding the name
you are looking for, but proving that the person is related to you.
You will have to check that all the details correspond - parents,
children, places, have to fit in with any information you may already
have.
4. Take a careful note of everything you find, even if it does not
appear to be immediately relevant. It could fall into place later.
5. Much of our information is on microfilm or microfiche. There are
limited copying facilities for which you will need change. If we are
very busy you may need to wait to use a microfilm reader. We do not
operate a booking system.
Be warned - tracing your family tree can be addictive and may end up
taking years'!
READING LIST
~~~~~~~~~~~~
BEDE, Tim
MacRoots: how to trace your Scottish ancestors
BLACK, George F
The surnames of Scotland: their origin, meaning and history
CORY, Kathleen B
Tracing your Scottish ancestry
FERGUSON, Joan P S
Scottish family histories
HAMILTON-EDWARDS, Gerald
In search of Scottish ancestry
JAMES, Allwyn
Scottish Roots: a step-by-step guide for ancestor hunters in Scotland
and overseas
MOODY, David
Scottish family history
SINCLAIR, Cecil
Tracing your Scottish ancestors: a guide to ancestry research in the
Scottish Record Office
WHYTE, Donald
Scottish ancestry research: a brief guide
WILLSHER, Betty
Understanding Scottish graveyards: an interpretative approach
----------------------------------------------------------------------
end of scanned pamphlet.