Lanark, Lanarkshire, Scotland Genealogy

Lanark (#648)

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

History
LANARK, a burgh, market-town, and parish, in the Upper ward of the county of Lanark containing the villages of Cartland and New Lanark, 25 miles (S. E.) from Glasgow, and 32 (S. W. by W.) from Edinburgh. This place, the name of which is of uncertain derivation, is of very remote antiquity, and from the traces of a Roman road leading to the site of its ancient castle, is supposed to have been a Roman station. The town is beautifully situated on a gentle acclivity rising to the height of nearly 300 feet above the level of the river Clyde. The church, situated in the centre of the town, was built in 1777, and has been thoroughly repaired. It is a neat and substantial edifice, and is adapted for a congregation of 2300 persons. There are places of worship in the town for members of the Free Church, the Relief, Independents, and Burghers.

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 Lanark. Also available at the.

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 Scotland Census Records.

Click here for a list of the FS Library microfilm numbers for the

Below is information for any known surname indexes:

The 1901 census of Scotland is indexed on 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 indexes through the library.

Church Records
The Established Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. Read more about Scotland Church Records.

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

Condition of Original Registers
Indexed: For an index to these records, see Scotland’s People website, a pay-for-view website. The Scottish Church Records Index is also still available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Some records may be indexed in the[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/5 International Genealogical Index. ] Births: The first seven pages are incomplete and the lower portion of the pages, 1688–1699, are destroyed. Marriages: Except between July 1686 and August 1687 when the fact of marriage is not unfrequently added to the entries, the record is almost exclusively one of proclamations. Source: Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland, by V. Ben Bloxham, pub. 1970. British Book.

Established Church—Kirk Session Records
The Kirk session was the court of the parish. The session was made up of the 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: 

Session Book 1699–1735 Session Minutes 1725–1985 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1529.

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 Lists.

Lanark Free Church
History— The minister and practically the entire congregation of St. Leonard’s church “came out” in 1843. They were deprived of their church in 1845. They purchased the old Associate Burgher church on Hope Street and adapted it for their own use. Membership: 1848, 360; 1900, 470. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914.FS Library Film #. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records— The extent of records is unknown.

Lanark First United Presbyterian Church
History— When the church and parish of Lanark became vacant in 1748, there was a dispute as to who should be the new minister. There was great opposition to the candidate. When both the Presbytery and the Synod found in his favor, two of the bailies of Lanark, along with a number of the people of the parish, petitioned the Associate Burgher Presbytery of Glasgow to be taken under its inspection. This was initially refused so the seceders became part of a congregation at Cambusnethan, in spite of the travel distance. They continued to worship there until 1785 when they were finally formed as a separate congregation. A church was built in 1791. After the death of its minister in 1842, the church became a mission station until 1844. The congregation became extinct in 1846 just prior to the union between the Secession and Relief Churches, which would have made the congregation redundant. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873.FS Library Film #. More details may be given in the source including name of ministers.

Records— The extent of records is unknown.

Broomgate Relief, later United Presbyterian Church
History— A Relief Church congregation was organized in 1795. A church was built in Broomgate in 1796 and a new church was built in 1872/3. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #. More details may be given in the source including name of ministers.

Records— Marriages 1845–1856 Communion Roll 1838 Other Post–1855 Records Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH3/1449.

Hope Street United Presbyterian Church
History— When the minister of Broomgate died in 1835, a minority of the congregation preferred another minister to the one chosen by the majority. They therefore applied to the Relief Presbytery of Hamilton to be disjoined and were formed into a separate congregation in 1836. They built a place of worship that year. Source: Annals and Statistics of the United Presbyterian Church, by Rev. William MacKelvie, D.D., pub. 1873. FS Library Film #. More details may be given in the source including name of ministers.

Records— The extent of records is unknown.

Lanark Congregational Church
History— A congregation in sympathy with Evangelical Union principles was formed in 1847. It joined the Union in 1862. This congregation was still active in 1993. A congregation in New Lanark was formed in 1837 but ceased to meet in 1870. Source: A History of Scottish Congregationalism, by Harry Escott, pub. 1960. FS Library Book. This book includes a list of ministers.

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.

Lanark Roman Catholic Church
History— This area was served from Glasgow in 1841–1844, from Airdrie in 1844–1845, and from Hamilton in 1845–1849. This church was founded in 1849 and the church was dedicated to St. Mary in 1859. The first resident priest transferred to Carluke and took the early records with him. Source: Catholic Missions and Registers, 1700–1880: Vol. 6 Scotland, by Michael Gandy, pub. 1993. Family History Library Ref. Book.

Records— Baptisms 1849–1859 Marriages 1849–1859 Note: Copies available at the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh, record RH21/2, cataloged as Carluke. Later records are in the hands of the parish priest of Lanark.

Lanark Branch, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–Day Saints
Records—                                                         FS Library Film Number  Record of Members    1844–1886         item 9

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
Lanark was under the probate jurisdiction of the Commissary Court of Lanark until 1823, and since then has been under the Sheriff's Court of Glasgow. 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-names' of Lanark and the subject of 'Probate records.' Then click on the link to the records of the Commissariat of Lanark. The library also has some post-1823 probate records for Lanark. Look in the library catalog for the 'Place-names' of Lanark and the subjects of 'Probate Records' and 'Probate Records - Indexes.'

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.