Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland Genealogy

Scotland Lanarkshire

Glasgow (#644-1)

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Scotland as they pertain to the parish of glasgow. 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 Glasgow. 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 Scotland Census Records.

Click here for a list of the Family History Library microfilm numbers for the [http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlefilmnotes&columns=*%2C180%2C0&titleno=640475&disp=Census+returns+for+Glasgow+%28parish+622++ census records of Glasgow. ]

The 1841 through 1901 censuses of Scotland, indexes and images, are available on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for a small access fee. The indexes without images are also available on www.ancestry.com.

= 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.



Established Church—Old Parochial Records
Note: Tron parish was formed out of the old parish of Glasgow in 1602. St. David’s parish was divided off of the older city parishes in 1720. St. George’s parish was disjoined in 1687. St. Andrew’s parish was founded in 1765. St. Enoch’s parish was formed in 1782. St. John’s parish was formed out of three contiguous parishes in 1819. St. James’s parish was also formed in 1819.

Condition of Original Registers—
Indexed: For an index to these records, see the Scottish Church Records Index on computer at the Family History Library and family history centers. Some records may be indexed in the [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true International Genealogical Index. ] Births: This record appears to have been carefully and regularly kept throughout. Marriages: Portion of the page at May 1616 and at January 1619 are torn off. There are no entries, except a few for 1656–1660, April 1654–June 1660. Prior to October 1756, the entries contain merely the names of the persons married. After October 1756, the trade or profession of the bridegroom and the name and designation of the bride’s father are frequently stated. Deaths: The burial registers for the city of Glasgow are in the custody of the registrar of the High Church District, who is warden of the Cathedral and burying grounds belonging to the Corporation of Glasgow. They consist of twenty–nine volumns. Five volumns described as the “City of Glasgow Mortality Records,” embracing the period 1699–1772, thirteen volumns which appear to apply mainly, if not exclusively, to the Cathedral, or High Church, embracing the period from 1760 to the present time. However there are no entries December 1778–January 1783. The first of these volumns and part of the second being a copy of the portion of volumn four and five applicable to the Cathedral Burying Ground from 1760–1772. There are eleven volumns applicable to the North West, Blackfriars’ and Ramshorn Burying Grounds from December 1776 to the present time. There are no records for these last mentioned grounds from May 1772–December 1776. Note: The records of births and marriages, 1820–1854, for the city of Glasgow, and also those of the Barony Parish for the same period are in the custody of the registrar of Bylthswood district. 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 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:

Note: Only churches with pre–1855 records listed.

Alford
Minutes 1717–1809, 1873–1952 Poor Fund 1842–1855 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/9.

Brownfield Chapel
Minutes 1839–1848 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/643.

Calton
Managers Minutes 1823–1851 Cash Book 1791–1955 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/725.

Cathcart
Various Minutes 1701–1902 Accounts 1759–1822 Communion Roll 1838–1896 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/732.

Down
Minutes and Accounts 1769–1785 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/1052.

Laurieston
Minutes 1850–1881 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/1216.

Martyrs
Collection Book 1852–1946 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/999.

St. George’s West Parish
Minutes 1771–1780, 1812–1913 Poor Fund Debursements 1784–1798 Roll Book 1792–1818, 1823 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/818.

St. John’s
Various Minutes 1819–1840, 1848–1938 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/176.

St. Mark’s
Managers Minutes 1850–1864 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/177.

St. Matthew’s
Minutes 1852–1882 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/645.

St. Mungo’s
Minutes November 3, 1583, March 29, 1593, November 28, 1583, October 1592 North Session Minutes 1788–1975 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/550.

St. Peter’s
Various Minutes 1849–1946 Marriage Register 1849–1901 Communion Roll 1850–1858 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/665.

St. Thomas’s
Minutes 1834–1843 Cash Book 1851–1874 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/635.

Perth East Church
Minutes 1808–1892 Baptismal Register 1853–1893 Marriage Register 1853–1893 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/585.

Shettleston
Managers Minutes 1825–1903 Accounts 1833–1891 Seat Rent Accounts 1779–1853 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/178.

Springburn
Minutes 1854–1966 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, record CH2/774.

Stockwell
Constitution of Church 1837 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/519. Minutes 1842–1843 are in CH3/954.

Tron
Formed in 1602 from the original Old Glasgow Parish Church

Minutes 1788–1925 Poor Accounts 1788–1798 Note: Available at the Glasgow City Archives, Glasgow, Record CH2/594.

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.

To see a list of Glasgow area pre-1855 nonconformist churches with their histories and records, click here.

= 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.

= Poor Law Records =

Prior to 1845, the care of the poor was the joint responsibility of the kirk session and the heritors (local landowners). Beginning in 1845, parochial boards were responsible and they collected funds from property taxes rather than church collections and contributions from heritors. The New Poor Law system took a while to be fully accepted in all areas of the country, though in some areas civil responsibility was practiced from the 1830's. (For further information, see the Wiki article on Scotland Poorhouses, Poor Law, Etc.)

The city of Glasgow had a parochial board and the neighboring areas of Barony, Govan and Gorbals each had their own (see those parish pages for more). The city was divided into six districts (later expanded to twelve) and each district kept detailed registers of the poor receiving relief while the board also kept minutes of meetings and accounts of assessments and expenditures. Not all records survive equaly well, but those that do are very helpful to family history research.

Registers of applications for relief from the various districts, generally for 1851-1900 (though there are some gaps in records) are on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City:


 * 1851-1897
 * 1898-1900

An index has been created to the Glasgow applications for relief that is available as a searchable database on computer at the Glasgow City Archives, Mitchell Library, in Glasgow. There is no cost for using the index or the archive collection. Once a search is made in the index and a reference is found, the appropriate register is ordered. After a short wait, you can view the original register in the archive's search room. You can read all about the search room rules by clicking here.

= Probate Records =

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

Read more about Scotland Probate Records.

Return to the Lanarkshire parish list.