A to Z Index:
  • Share this |


Family History

Family history research resources are available in our libraries

Microfilm and microfiche

Census records

- 1841 and every 10 years thereafter (100 year closure)
- Currently available on microfilm – 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901

Old Parish Registers (OPRs)

17th Century – 1854

These are registers kept by the Church of Scotland of baptisms, marriages and burials in each parish. They date back typically to the 1600s, although precise dates will vary from parish to parish and many records are incomplete.

In 1855 it became the role of the Registrar to record births, marriages and deaths.

The International Genealogical Index (IGI)

c.1690 – c. 1875

Effectively a microfiche index of christenings and marriages listed in the OPRs. The information has mainly been taken from Old Parish Registers and covers the dates from roughly the late 1600s to about 1875. The indexes mainly cover the Church of Scotland records and a few other churches. The IGI does not include deaths or burials.

A collection of the microfilm and microfiche resources listed above, covering every parish in Aberdeenshire, is held in the Local Studies Department, Oldmeldrum. There are also smaller, more local microfilm collections at Banchory, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Inverbervie, Inverurie, Kemnay, Macduff, Peterhead, Stonehaven and Strichen Libraries.

Microfilm and microfiche facilities are free except for printing costs

ScotlandsPeople vouchers

Vouchers which give discounted access to the Scotlandspeople website are available for purchase from all libraries and the Local Studies Dept. This is one of the largest online sources of original genealogical information. For further details see the following information.


Other resources available in Aberdeenshire Libraries

Books

Local studies material, generally available in each of the service points (libraries and mobile libraries) of Aberdeenshire Libraries, is useful for giving background information about the area where the researcher’s ancestors lived. Most parishes have at least one book written about their history. At worst there will be Statistical Accounts, written about every parish in the 1790s (Old Statistical Account), 1840s (New Statistical Account) and 1950s (Third Statistical Account).

Graveyard or Monumental Inscription guides, including some for Catholics, Quakers and Episcopal Church. Monumental inscription guides have been published by Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society covering many, though not all, parishes in Aberdeenshire.

Newspapers
Especially useful for family notices, obituaries etc. Aberdeenshire Libraries has an archive of all local newspapers currently published, both bound and microfilmed and an extensive historical archive of local newspapers. Where possible the archives of the newspaper are made available on microfilm at the nearest relevant library (e.g. Fraserburgh Herald at Fraserburgh Library)

Maps

Useful for locating the residence of ancestors, the Local Studies Department, Oldmeldrum, has an extensive but not comprehensive collection (6” and 25” to the mile) of Ordnance Survey and other maps from the late 19th century onwards.

Also a complete set of 1st (c. 1870s) and 2nd (c. 1902) edition Ordnance Survey maps (6” to the mile) can be accessed using CD-Rom facility only available in the Local Studies Department.

Computers

All users of and visitors to any of the Aberdeenshire Libraries are entitled to register to use the People’s Network (not available on mobile libraries) which gives free access to computer facilities, including the Internet. The only cost is printing. Through the People’s Network computers, researchers can access any of the Internet genealogy sites.