Research in Scotland

[fortuna]

Hi,
Where do you Scottish Researchers go to find for eg. BMD's before 1854. I have tried the IGI - is there anywhere else on line?
This is the first time I've ventured north of the border and I'm finding it very difficult,
thank you,

[Janet]

Pre 1854 in Scotland is going to be Parish Registers and you will find these online at Scotlands People. The Parish Records will not show you the BMD in the same way. They will be shown as Baptisms, Marriages and Deaths, although Deaths are few and far between pre 1854 as I have found! You will not get certs as you do for those records after 1854 but you will find a lot of interesting information which you can save.

Genealogy Scottish family birth records census ancestry Scotland uk - ScotlandsPeople

It is a pay per view site but you get a lot for your money. Scotlands People do all the records for Scotland such as Wills/Parish Records and so on. It is surprising you cannot find any on IGI as many Scottish Records are on there. I found all mine on IGI before splashing out on Scotlands People.

Janet

[GallowayLass]

Scoltands People website for OPR searches (old parish registers). Not many deaths I'm afraid. I've been told that the kirk wasn't that bothered about burials - ye cannae commit sin when ye're deid LOL

Genealogy Scottish family birth records census ancestry Scotland uk - ScotlandsPeople

Good luck

[JBee]

This is the site used before Scotlandslandspeople and so has many of the records of christenings and marriages but no deaths - to start your research. You can search by county and place which is easier than the IGI.

Scots Origins - Scottish genealogy site featuring free IGI search and Scottish Ancestry Research

Unfortunately I don't think they have much regarding nonconformists.

I found marriage banns in 1822 for the High Church (Church of Scotland) but no christenings for the children - so looked elsewhere and found them in the RC records in Edinburgh.

If you know the county/place then you can look and see what coverage there is on the IGI - it maybe that they haven't survived.

Sometimes I've found it easier to find the deaths on Scotlandspeople after 1854 (where the parents names should be recorded) and work that way through the census.

[Uncle John]

This is the site used before Scotlandslandspeople and so has many of the records of christenings and marriages but no deaths - to start your research. You can search by county and place which is easier than the IGI.

Scots Origins - Scottish genealogy site featuring free IGI search and Scottish Ancestry Research

Unfortunately I don't think they have much regarding nonconformists.

And ScotlandsPeople only has OPRs for the Established Church of Scotland, which does exclude many places of worship.

[Olde Crone Holden]

I must be quite lucky - most of my pre 1855 Scottish stuff was on the IGI. Using the information from certs around that time enabled me to go back two centuries in one case, and certainly a hundred years in most cases.

OC

[Harrys mum]

Most of mine was on the IGI as well from Cabrach parish and surrounds.

The other forum worth trying is

SCOTLANDS FAMILY TREE(The friendly forum!) :: Home

They are very friendly and will try to help.

[fortuna]

Thanks everyone for your advice. Will follow as I am making progress,

[Uncle John]

Do shout if you get stuck or want to run an idea past us.

[fortuna]

Hi I am now stuck!!!

John Ferguson living at Logie Buchan, Aberdeenshire when he married Catherine Mair Valentine in 1863 at Dudwick Ellon Aberdeenshire. I cannot find his birth which means the end of his line! Unless someone can find something I've missed. Sp don't go back far enough and I can't find him on the IGI.

Libby thanks for your link I found Pitsligo school records which gave good insight into how the weather and seasons (potato picking, havest) affected school attendance. Also the school having to close because of measles, whooping cough and mumps.

Hope someone can discover John Ferguson, age 24 at marriage, parents William Ferguson and Ann Robertson. I have her parents and her Grandparents,
Thanks for your time,

[Orangeblossom]

Does the marriage record say what John and William's occupations are?

There are a few John Ferguson's with those parents, but none living in Aberdeenshire.


I found his Birth on the IGI
JOHN BARTLET FERGUSON
Birth: 19 JUN 1839 Gamrie, Banff, Scotland
Parents:
Father: WILLIAM FERGUSON
Mother: ANN ROBERTSON
Batch: C111554


Do you have access to Ancestry? I have found them on the censuses.

[fortuna]

Hi Tracey,
Looks as though that could be right 'My' John Ferguson has a son John Bartlet Ferguson born 1870 in New Pitsligo. On his marriage to Catherine - William has occupation Farmer and John is a ploughman as were most of the men in this family.

I wish I could find a map that shows the dividing line between Banffshire and Aberdeenshire. I thought Banff was in Aberdeenshire! Very ignorant about Scotland although I was in Portsoy many years ago! So should know better.

I do have Ancestry but they are very limited aren't they and Sp is expensive if you don't really know what you are looking for!

so now I'm into Banff records........
Thank you - back to the IGI

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

A lot of the problems tracing the pre 1855 events boils down to the structure of the church within Scotland and the fact that only the Established Church (Church of Scotland) records are on SP.

It's difficult to give a potted history of the different church organisations in a brief summary. Also there are times when a parish is situated in one county but for religious purposes is aligned to a church from another county, these quad socra parishes are not all that common but they do appear from time to time.

The wiki has some links that might help, listed under "Registration Districts Information" on the following page Scotland - Family Tree Forum

A chart showing the varied church organisations (but excluding the Roman Catholic and Episcopalian Chrches) can also be found at

Post-Reformation church in Scotland

[Uncle John]

A lot of the problems tracing the pre 1855 events boils down to the structure of the church within Scotland and the fact that only the Established Church (Church of Scotland) records are on SP.

<snipped>

A chart showing the varied church organisations (but excluding the Roman Catholic and Episcopalian Chrches) can also be found at

Post-Reformation church in Scotland

Individual churches sometimes changed allegiance when they got a new minister, and sometimes a minister changed allegiance part way through his ministry. One church I've been tracking has changed allegiance at least 3 times in its history.

[fortuna]

Okay, so Thanks to Tracey I have found John Bartlet Ferguson and believe William Ferguson married to Ann Robertson are the parents. I found the mother Ann (in Gamrie) but have no idea where to start looking for William as he doesn't appear to have been born in Gamrie, Macduff maybe,

[Orangeblossom]

Ancestry has Scottish censuses on. Have you had a look at the 1851 to find William?

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

Just to throw this in the mix from freecen which has the 1841 and 1851 fully transcribed and is around 75% complete for 1861

1841
Piece: SCT1841/155 Place: Gamrie -Banffshire Enumeration District: 3
Civil Parish: Gamrie
Folio: 3 Page: 2

FERGUSON William M 35 Ag Labourer Born out of County
FERGUSON Ann F 30 Born out of County
FERGUSON Alexander M 5 Born out of County
FERGUSON John M 2 Born Banffshire

1851
Piece: SCT1851/248 Place: Tyrie -Aberdeenshire Enumeration District: 8
Civil Parish: Tyrie Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: New Pitsligo-Landwrd
Folio: 183 Page: 3 Schedule: 11

FERGUSON Wm. Head M M 48 Farmer 20 Acres Aberdeenshire - New Deer
FERGUSON Ann Wife M F 43 Aberdeenshire - Aberdour
FERGUSON Alexr. Son U M 15 At School Aberdeenshire - King Edward
FERGUSON Mary Dau U F 13 At School Banffshire - Gamrie
FERGUSON John Son U M 11 Cattle Herd Banffshire - Gamrie
FERGUSON George Son U M 8 Banffshire - Gamrie
FERGUSON James Son U M 2 Aberdeenshire - Tyrie
FERGUSON Margt. Dau U F 10m Aberdeenshire - Tyrie


Just to add, the Freecen coverage for some parts of Scotland is very good but others have yet to be started.

Database coverage can be found at http://www.freewebs.com/mmjeffery/index.htm

[fortuna]

I have a William Ferguson on the 1851 census as aged 25 blacksmith journeyman which cannot be him too young.

John has found a William Ferguson in 1851 with 2 more children and William born New Deer. And the first children fit. There is a birth in New Deer in 1802 Parents William Ferguson and Margaret Burgess. Which looks right to me but on the marriage of William and Ann Robertson he appears to have been born in Gamrie. (Which I missed before)

So who do I go for? They spread all over the place further down the tree New Pit Sligo, Ellon, Methlick and New Aberdour.

[Orangeblossom]

The marriage probably wouldn't say where he was born, only where he was living at the time.

1802 would fit with the census information.

[fortuna]

This is working out well! There are now two James Ironsides in the family in different genearations. Of course now I'm wondering why the name Bartlet crops up so often! The next piece of the puzzle,
Thank you for your help,