Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland Genealogy

Blantyre (#624)

This is a guide to the history and major genealogical records of Scotland as they pertain to the parish of Blantyre. 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 Blantyre. 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=639719&disp=Census+returns+for+Blantyre+%28parish+62++ census records of Blantyre. ]

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 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: There are no entries May 1678–September 1679, March 1688–October 1690 except four, October 1710–February 1712, and March 1720–August 1722. A number of slips containing single entries are attached to the record at various dates and entries out of the order of time are frequent before 1803. There is a duplicate or draft of the record 1803–1826, which has four pages imperfect at 1820 and sixteen pages of entries, 1802–1816 and two entries 1788–1792. Marriages: There are no marriage entries July 1688–December 1690 except two, November 1696–January 1699, November 1703–November 1783; only one for 1761; and no entries, except one for 1791, May 1785–August 1793. There are only proclamations after 1793, except November 1806–August 1807 and December 1808–May 1809 when marriages are recorded. No entries April 1795–August 1799 and December 1810–37, except one entry for 1823 on the page after the record for April 1809. There are, however, occasional entries of proclamation fees 1788–1811 among the Mortcloth Dues for the same period. Deaths: These registers are burials until February 1785 and are recorded on four pages, 212–215, after the baptisms for January 1799. There are no entries February 1785–February 1788, after which Mortcloth Dues are intermixed with others. 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: 

Minutes 1693–1711, 1809–1845, 1850–1910 Accounts 1750–1754 Note: Available at the National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh, record CH2/916.

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.

Blantyre Free Church
History— The minister of the parish and many of his people “came out” in 1843. A church was soon built. It burned down in 1871 and a new church was built the following year. Membership: 1848, 180; 1900, 282. Source: Annals of the Free Church of Scotland, 1843–1900, ed. Rev. William Ewing, D.D., 2 vols. pub. 1914. FHL Film #918572. More details may be given in the source including a list of ministers.

Records—  The extent of records is unknown. Note: In 1831, 6 families, or 30 persons in this parish attended Relief Church services elsewhere

= 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 =

Blantyre 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.