Scotland Births and Baptisms - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection History
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.” Now the names and information on these CD's are included in this collection.

Collection Time Period
This index covers events from 1564 through 1950. 95% of this collection consists of pre 1875 records. Most of the remaing 5% are pre 1910. There are no Scotland indexing projects currently, so this collection is not expected to change in the foreseeable future.

Civil Registration and Church Records
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

Description of Index
The index, Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1955, 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.

95% of the names indexed with in this collection are:


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

5% of the 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%)

How to Use the Index
Use this index to help you learn more about your ancestors. The information could help you identify family relationships and lineages as well as direct you to original records of your ancestors, which may contain additional information.

Extracted Records
Extraction is a process whereby indexers index relevant data from a record. The extraction took place on a parish level. The indexed records of each parish were assigned one or more batch numbers. The extracted records are not 100% complete as those records already in the IGI when the extraction took place in the 1980's were not included in the batches. Those records not in the batches can still be found on the old FamilySearch site and New-FamilySearch.

Searching the Index
Upon finding a person in the index, the typical data one would expect to find is a Name, Date and Place. Two other relevant items are the:


 * Indexing Project (Batch) Number : The hyperlinked batch number takes you to all those records in that batch which covers one parish for a particular number of years, so you can search just the records in that batch. (There is typically more than one batch number per parish) A website commonly referred to as Hugh Wallis IGI Batch Numbers is a site where you can view and search all the batch number for a Parish.
 * The IGI has been replaced by FamilySearch, and the Historical Records Collection. IGI Batch Number Descriptions help one understand the meaning of the batch numbers. The batch number prefixes related to this collection are 'C' and "i"
 * Source Film Number : The source film number refers to a microfilm of an orginal record from which the batches have been created. This is the record that may provide additional information not found in the index. Search the library catalogue using the film number, and if need be order the film through a Family History Center. Reading the hand writing may be a challenge

Other Indexes of these records

 * ScotlandsPeople - Has an index of these records with digital images for a fee
 * preferred website to access the post 1855 Civil Registration Records
 * It costs over £1 to view each page of the parish registers, so the filmed collection is a better alternative; however, you can still use the index on the website to locate records, for a small fee.
 * Scottish Church Records Index provides a complete index of all the records. It is only available at the Family History Library and Family History Centers.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information on a research log. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections. Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Example of a Source Citation for a Record Found in This Collection
"Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564–1955." index, FamilySearch: accessed 7 April 2011. entry for Peter Hennessy, born 4 July 1881.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

"Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1955," FamilySearch (FamilySearch.org). Index based on various indexes of Scotland, Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. FHL digital index. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.