Scotland Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Scotland

What is in This Collection?
This collection is an index for the years 1561 to 1910.

This index is not complete for any particular place, region or time period. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index.

The index, "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910," is to be used as a tool to locate and view the original documents. The documents or records record more than what is found in the index.

Most of the names indexed with in this collection are:


 * Pre 1855 Church of Scotland Records
 * Civil Registration 1855 to 1875

The remaining names indexed with in this collection are:


 * Church of Scotland post 1855
 * Denominations other than the Church of Scotland

The primary record classes, pre 1855 Church of Scotland and Civil Registration 1855 to 1875 are not to be considered complete; though, a high percentage of the records are in the index. (95% to 98%)

For over 30 years, volunteer indexers extracted this information from microfilm copies of the original records. In 2001, some of the entries were published on 16 CDs by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the “British Isles Vital Records Index: England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.” This is an index of some marriages throughout Scotland. The index is not necessarily complete for any particular place or region.

This collection is an index to civil registration and church records. Church records and civil registration were official records and are some of the most reliable sources of information available for those who were born, married, or died in Scotland.

To learn more about these records consult the following wiki articles:


 * Scotland Church Records
 * Scotland Statutary Registers - Vital Records

What Can These Records Tell Me?

 * The names of the bride and groom
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Some records may include the names of the parents

Collection Content
Sample of indexed information

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the bride or groom
 * The approximate date of the marriage

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the information you have found to find the couple in later census records
 * Use the father's names to find the bride and groom as children in earlier census or birth records
 * Use the age to calculate a birth date and to find other records such as birth, christening, census, land and death records
 * Use the information to find additional family members. Witnesses or bondsmen were usually relatives
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If possible, look at an image of the original record. The original may contain information that was not recorded in the index
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by middle names, nicknames, or abbreviation of their given name

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Scotland.
 * Scotland Guided Research
 * Scotland Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.