CERTIFICATES
Scotland
What appears on a full birth certificate?
For 1855:
Date and time of birth
Address at birth.
Sex and names of child.
Name, age, place of birth [and if he was registered there] and occupation of father.
Name, age, place of birth [and if she was registered there] and maiden name of mother.
Usual address of parents [if different from place of birth].
Date and place of parents' marriage.
Number and sex of previous children, and if still living in 1855.
Name and relationship to child of informant.
For 1856-1860:
Date and time of birth
Address at birth.
Sex and names of child.
Name and occupation of father.
Name and maiden name
of mother.
Name and relationship to child of informant.
From 1860:
Date and time of birth
Address at birth.
Sex and names of child.
Name and occupation of father.
Name and maiden name
of mother.
Date and place of parents' marriage.
Name and relationship to child of informant.
What appears on a marriage certificate?
For 1855:
Place and date of marriage.
Denominational rites [religious affiliation]
Recorded for both parties:
Name, rank, occupation, birthplace, when and where registered, age and marital status.
Also whether second, third marriage etc, children of a former marriage,
and whether living or deceased, and relationship of the parties [if any].
Usual residence, or residence at time of marriage for both parties.
Names and occupations of fathers of both parties, and whether living or deceased.
Names and maiden name of mothers of both parties, and whether living or deceased.
Names, and sometimes addresses, of the witnesses.
Name of officiating minister/priest.
From 1856:
Place and date of marriage.
Denominational rites [religious affiliation]
Recorded for both parties:
Name, rank, occupation, when and where registered, age and marital status.
Usual residence, or residence at time of marriage for both parties.
Names and occupations of fathers of both parties, and whether living or deceased.
Names and maiden name of mothers of both parties, and whether living or deceased.
Names, and sometimes addresses, of the witnesses.
Name of officiating minister/priest.
From 1922:
Marital status `divorced' might also be recorded.
What appears on a death certificate?
For 1855:
Date and time of death.
Name, age and occupation of deceased.
Address at time of death, and usual residence if different.
Name of spouse [if married].
Name and occupation of deceased's father, and whether living or deceased.
Name and maiden name of deceased's mother, and whether living or deceased.
Cause of death, and name of medical attendant, if any.
Burial place and name of undertaker.
Signature of informant, and relationship to deceased, if any.
From 1856-1860:
Date and time of death.
Name, age, marital status and occupation of deceased.
Address at time of death, and usual residence if different.
Name and occupation of deceased's father, and whether living or deceased.
Name and maiden name of deceased's mother, and whether living or deceased.
Cause of death, and name of medical attendant, if any.
Burial place and name of undertaker.
Signature of informant, and relationship to deceased, if any.
From 1861:
Date and time of death.
Name, age and occupation of deceased.
Address at time of death, and usual residence if different.
Name of spouse [if married].
Name
and occupation of deceased's father, and whether living or deceased.
Name and maiden name of deceased's mother, and whether living or deceased.
Cause of death, and name of medical attendant, if any.
Signature of informant, and relationship to deceased, if any.
From 1967:
Date of birth of deceased is recorded.
BIRTH, ADOPTION, MARRIAGE AND DEATH INDEXES:
Compulsory registration of births, marriages and deaths commenced in Scotland at the beginning of 1855.
Note that names with the prefixes Mc or Mac are separately indexed. Be sure to check under both spellings.
Birth indexes from 1929 list the mother's maiden name which proves useful for obtaining the correct index for a certificate, especially if the name is a common one.
If a birth cannot be located in the indexes, especially if it is the first child of a marriage, check under the mother's maiden name.
The year you are searching may be incorrect: search two years either side. Also, check under other surname variations, and in different districts.
The name a child was baptised by, or known by in later life, may differ from the name used in registration. This includes middle names.
Register of Adopted Children, from 1930:
There are no entries for people born prior to 1909.
The register is a record of persons adopted under order of a Scottish court.
Marriage indexes from 1929 list the surname of the second party next to the details of the first party, which proves useful for obtaining the correct index for a certificate, especially if the name is a common one.
Note that in marriage indexes, the woman's maiden surname is listed. Between 1855 and 1863 the married surname is included in brackets. From 1864 the married surname isn't recorded.
Death indexes from 1866 list the age of the deceased at time
of death.
Death indexes from 1974 list the maiden surname of the deceased's mother.
Death indexes for 1855 list a married woman under her married name, with the maiden name also recorded.
From 1856 to 1858 the maiden surname isn't recorded.
From 1859 to 1865 a married woman is listed under both her married surname with maiden surname beside, and under her maiden surname, with no mention of her married surname.
From 1866 a married woman is indexed twice, under married surname[s], and under her maiden surname.
Note that a widow may revert to her maiden name and not be indexed under her married name at all.
Between 1855 and 1865 no ages are shown in the indexes. From 1866 the age at death is shown.
OTHER INDEXES:
Other indexes to be consulted: [Note that these are incomplete.]
Marine register of births, from 1855:
Relates to births, when the father of the child was a Scottish citizen, and deaths on British-registered merchant ships at sea.
High Commissioners' returns, from 1964:
Relates to births of children of Scottish descent or birth in Commonwealth countries, marriages and deaths.
Register of births, marriages and deaths in foreign countries, from 1860-1965.
Air register of births of deaths, from 1948:
Relates to births of children when the father was usually a Scottish resident. Also relates to illegitimate births, when the mother was usually a Scottish resident. And deaths of a person usually resident in Scotland.
Consular returns of births and deaths from 1914, and of marriages from 1917.
Foreign marriages, from 1947. Certificate copies with translations pertaining to marriages of Scottish citizens abroad not held in the presence of a consular officer.
Register of Divorces, from 1984. Before 1984, search the original marriage index to see if it has been marked `Divorce RCE' [Register of Corrected Entries.]
MILTARY SOURCES:
Service records, from 1881:
Army records of births, marriages and deaths abroad from 1881 to 1959, and records held in the Service Departments' registers, from 1st April 1959.
War registers, from 1899:
South African War [1899-1902]: Deaths of Scottish soldiers.
World War I [1914-1918]: Deaths of Scottish servicemen:
Warrant officers, NCOs or soldiers in the Army.
Petty officers or sailors in the Royal Navy.
World War II [1939-1945]: Incomplete returns of deaths of Scottish servicemen.
Also information from WWI&II Army returns, various regiments, Navy returns WWI&II,
RAF returns WWII, and the Marines.
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Updated March 21th 2001