Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland Genealogy

Parish #479 

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Scotland as they pertain to the parish of Falkirk. To learn more about how to use these records to search for your ancestors, go to the Scotland: Research Strategies.

= History =

The New Statistical Account of Scotland (pub. 1834-45) offers uniquely rich and detailed parish reports for the whole of Scotland, covering a vast range of topics including history, agriculture, education, trades, religion and social customs. The reports, written by the parish ministers, are available online at http://edina.ac.uk/stat-acc-scot/. Click on ‘Browse scanned pages’ then search the parish reports for your parish of interest. Also available at the Family History Library.

= Census Records =

A census is a count and description of the population, taken by the government, arranged by locality and by household. Read more about census records.

Here is a list of the Family History Library microfilm numbers for the census records of Falkirk as well as the library numbers for any surname indexes available:

The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. To use it, you must register and pay a small access fee. All available censuses, 1841-1901, are indexed on this website. It may be easier for you to pay to use the website rather than access the separate indexes through the library.

= Church Records =

The Established Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Read more about church records.

Here are the pre-1855 records that exist for this parish.

Condition of Original Registers—
Index: For an index to these records, see the Scottish Church Records Index on computer at the Family History Library and family history centers. The records may be indexed in the International Genealogical Index. Births: Corners of early leaves prior to 1617, and 1630–1635 were destroyed, and many entries are imperfect. There are two imperfect leaves at 1686 and records are blank, excluding two fragments, November 1657–April 1661. The entries are tabulated throughout, and the information embraced is limited to names and dates. Marriages: Corners of early leaves were destroyed, and many entries are imperfect. The fact of marriage sometimes not added to the entries of proclamation. Entries of irregular marriages are not infrequent. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book 941 K23b.

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The Kirk session was made up of he minister and the land owners and business men of the parish, chosen to serve on the session. The Kirk session dealt with moral issues, minor criminal cases, matters of the poor and education, matters of discipline, and the general concerns of the parish. Kirk session records may also mention births, marriages, and deaths.

Here is a list of the surviving Kirk session records for this parish:

Minutes 1617–1690, 1693–1863 Record of Evening School Attendance 1787–1789 Births and Baptisms 1784–1846 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/400.

Nonconformist Church Records
A nonconformist church is any church that is not the Established church. Read more about nonconformity in Scotland in the article on the Scotland Church Records Union List.

Erskine Associate Burgher Church, later United Presbyterian
History— 

Click here to see a history of this church.

Records— Records are on deposit at the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh but their extent is not known.

Falkirk Second General Associate Anti-burgher Church, also called Graham’s Road Church
History— Click here to see a history of this church.

Records— Various minutes 1784–1787, 1799–1821, 1824–1833 (volume damaged), 1839–1882 Registers of Burials 1827–1869 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1222.

Falkirk West Relief Church, later United Presbyterian Church
History— Click here to see a history of this church.

Records—                                                                          FHL Film Number  Records of St. Ninian’s Relief Presbytery including Falkirk        1886473 Other: Minutes 1781–1845 Other for Falkirk West Relief Church: Baptismal Register 1817–1892 - few pre–1845 Marriage Register 1843–1854 Register of Members 1849–1856 Various Minutes 1771–1979 Accounts 1789–1791, 1821–1859 Poors’ Money Book 1828–1862 Other post–1855 records Note: Available at the Stirling Council Archives, Stirling, Scotland, record CH3/1459.

Falkirk Free Church
History— Click here to see a history of this church.

Records— The extent of records is unknown.

Laurieston Reformed Presbyterian Church
History— Click here to see a history of this church.

Records—                                           FHL Film Number  Baptisms and Marriages, 1822–1861       1068236 item 12

Falkirk Independent Churches, Congregational and Evangelical Union
History— Click here to see a history of these churches.

Records— The extent of records is unknown. For information write to: The United Reformed Church, Scottish Synod Office PO Box 189 240 Cathedral Street Glasgow G1 2BX, Scotland

Falkirk Baptist Churches
History— Click here to see a history of these churches.

Records— The extent of records is unknown. For information write to: The Baptist Union of Scotland 12 Aytoun Road Glasgow G41 5RT Scotland

Falkirk Roman Catholic Church
History— This church was served from Edinburgh 1830–1838, then Stirling. Church in Falkirk consecrated to St. Francis Xavier in 1839.

Records— Baptisms and Marriages 1843–1858 Confirmations 1850–1852 Deaths 1857–1858 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record RH21/77.

Falkirk Branch,The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–Day Saints
History— Unavailable.

Records—                                      FHL Film Number  Record of Members, 1843–1884         0104151 item 3

= Civil Registration Records =

Government or civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths (also called statutory records) began on January 1, 1855 in Scotland. Each parish has a registrar's office and large cities have several. The records are created by the registrars and copies are sent to the General Register Office in Edinburgh. Annual indexes are then created for the records for the whole country. See the article on Scotland Civil Registration for more information and to access the records.

= Probate Records =

Falkirk was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Ayr until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Stirling. Probate records for 1513- 1901 are indexed online at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. You must register on the website but use of the index to probate records, called 'Wills &amp; Testaments,' is free. You may then purchase a copy of the document or, if the document is before 1823, it will be on microfilm at the Family History Library. To find the microfilm numbers, search in the library catalog for the 'Place' of Stirling and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Ayr. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Stirling. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place' of Stirling and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records. [Return to the Stirlingshire parish list.]