This wedding entry is for Victoria Alberta McDonald and Alfred Blaker, who married in Crathie, Aberdeenshire on 4 November 1897. It's particularly notable for the identity of one of the witnesses - Victoria R. I. The initials stand for "Regina et Imperatrix" or "Queen and Empress". The bride at this wedding, Victoria McDonald, was the … Continue reading A Royal At A Wedding
“I Am What You Would Call Done” – Lynn Bruce & Olivia Howarth on the Scottish Pension Appeals Tribunal Records
We're now approaching the centenary of Armistice Day in 1918, so this seems like an appropriate time to take stock of the cost of World War I for Scots who fought in it. In this week's podcast, we hear from project cataloguers Lynn Bruce and Olivia Howarth, who are currently cataloguing and preserving Scottish Military … Continue reading “I Am What You Would Call Done” – Lynn Bruce & Olivia Howarth on the Scottish Pension Appeals Tribunal Records
Voices From Our Archives: George & Elizabeth Davidson, 1918
In every exhibition there are documents and items that we have to leave out. We’re usually sad to do so, since each one tells another piece of a story that we couldn’t tell you about. One story that features in our WWI Prisoners of War exhibition is that of Private George Davidson, a soldier captured … Continue reading Voices From Our Archives: George & Elizabeth Davidson, 1918
Estimating Local Populations
What is the population of your local area? The answer depends on what area you want to know about. Is it an entire town or city? Is it a neighbourhood, or a few streets? At National Records of Scotland (NRS) we produce population estimates for various different geographies covering local populations, each using different ways … Continue reading Estimating Local Populations
For You The War Is Over
Our new exhibition at General Register House, Edinburgh, reveals previously untold stories of Scottish soldiers who were captured on the battlefields of World War I and imprisoned in Germany. On display for the first time from Monday 22 October, soldiers' personal letters and photographs tell their stories from "behind the wire" in their own words, including … Continue reading For You The War Is Over
Voices From Our Archives – Corporal James McPhie VC (1894 – 1918)
Corporal James McPhie is one of 74 Scots who was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the presence of the enemy during the First World War. James McPhie was born in Edinburgh on 18 December 1894, the son of Allan McPhie, commission agent, and Elizabeth McPhie. Eight members of the McPhie family – … Continue reading Voices From Our Archives – Corporal James McPhie VC (1894 – 1918)
The Wallace Letter, November 1300
Last Saturday, as part of Doors Open Day 2018, National Records of Scotland displayed the Wallace letter - a 700-year-old message from the King of France, one of only two surviving documents with a personal connection to Scottish historical icon William Wallace. Discovered in the Tower of London in the mid-1800s and now part of the … Continue reading The Wallace Letter, November 1300
Reading Scotland’s Records
Calling all budding palaeographers! Scottish Handwriting, 1500-1700 Tuesdays from 5.30 pm to 7 pm, from 25 September Archival records are amazing. They document the lives of our ancestors; they allow us to peer into past societies and they're a record of the events, big and small, that shaped our country into what it is today. Reading … Continue reading Reading Scotland’s Records
No Vote, No Census – Ruth Boreham on the 1911 Census suffrage protests
…I begged her not to interfere with me in the performance of my duty and told her I would listen only to her father, and that I would go whenever he asked me. Then she ran off to another room and almost instantly returned with a large brass bell which she kept constantly clanging … Continue reading No Vote, No Census – Ruth Boreham on the 1911 Census suffrage protests
The Hundred Days – Tank Campaign Scotland, 1918
Callander, Perthshire, 7 August 1918 #NRS100Days One hundred years ago today, the people of Callander were treated to a surprising sight as a new and frightening machine arrived on the high street of the Trossachs town. On 7 August 1918, crowds gathered for a look at “Julian” – a Mark IV British Army tank. Men, women and … Continue reading The Hundred Days – Tank Campaign Scotland, 1918
Open Book 