The Declaration of Arbroath will be displayed at the National Museum of Scotland from 3 June this year, but you can find out more about it now. In this talk, recorded on the Declaration’s 700th anniversary in 2020, archivist Dr Alan Borthwick spoke about the document’s long and surprising history, and more about its significance… … Continue reading 700 Years of the Declaration of Arbroath, with Dr Alan Borthwick
Scotland’s Census 1921: Fresh Air Fortnight
If you have children missing from their family home in the 1921 census, especially in Glasgow, it may be worth widening the search to include seaside locations. The charity Glasgow Poor Children’s Fresh Air Fortnight Scheme gave children two weeks away from their lives in overcrowded and deprived areas of Glasgow to let them enjoy … Continue reading Scotland’s Census 1921: Fresh Air Fortnight
Scotland’s Census 1921: Labourers on the move
The 1921 census asked for ‘Road, Street, &c. and No. or name of House.’ Sadly however, not everyone in 1921 lived in a conventional house - in fact, an entry from Sanquhar tells the story of a family of seven who did not have a roof over their heads. James White, his wife Elizabeth and … Continue reading Scotland’s Census 1921: Labourers on the move
Census 1921: Missing Military Men
The 1921 census in the UK was originally scheduled to be held on 24 April but it was delayed until 19 June due to civil unrest and strikes. The census was taken during a coal strike which ended on 28 June and reveals that many military personnel were deployed to mines around the country. The … Continue reading Census 1921: Missing Military Men
Census captures build-up to 1921 Golf Open at St Andrews
The 1921 Open Golf Championship was held at St Andrews on 23 – 25 June 1921. The 1921 census was held on 19 June 1921 and our records show many golfers and journalists were already in the town. These records give us a unique insight into the golfing world a hundred years ago. The census … Continue reading Census captures build-up to 1921 Golf Open at St Andrews
St. Kilda’s last census
The 1921 census has now been added to ScotlandsPeople, the NRS ancestry research website. You can use the census to explore where a person was staying, whether they were at home or staying elsewhere, what their accommodation was like, who they were with, what their occupation was and much more. Today, we're looking at what … Continue reading St. Kilda’s last census
Archives Online – Maps and Plans
RHP7041 – Architectural drawing of Dalkeith Parish Church, 1848, W Burn and D Bryce, architects. ScotlandsPeople is our ancestry research service and Scotland's leading website for genealogical research. In addition to records of births, deaths and marriages in Scotland going back centuries, you can also find many more record sets from the National Records of … Continue reading Archives Online – Maps and Plans
A Tumult in the City
Following the 'Glorious' or 'Bloodless' Revolution of 1689 , when William of Orange was crowned King of England and Scotland and displaced James VII and II , in Scotland, there was still resistance from the people. As fighting continued to break out, people were arrested and imprisoned for petty crimes, such as not praying for … Continue reading A Tumult in the City
Doors Open Days 2021
The National Records of Scotland (NRS) is taking part in Doors Open Days (DOD) again this year, on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th September. The aim of DOD is to give everyone the opportunity to explore some of the most architecturally and culturally significant buildings in Scotland, places which are not usually open to the … Continue reading Doors Open Days 2021
Ancestry Research: Lightbulb Moments and False Trails
A chance discovery last year, in one of our registers inspired NRS Registration casework officer Rachael Lloyd to investigate the life of Malvina Wells – born into slavery in Grenada, and later making a life for herself in Edinburgh in the 1800s. Little did Rachael know that while she was researching her article Frances Macdonald, … Continue reading Ancestry Research: Lightbulb Moments and False Trails
Open Book 