Statutory Registers
IMAGES
Births
Marriages
Deaths
RCE's
Minor Records
A digital image of a statutory record is a scan of the microfiche copy of the original register page containing the entry in which you are interested. There will usually be other entries on the page. The entry contains the same information you would normally see when looking at the actual record. Note 1855 images display five entries per page and extend over two pages, due to the extra information required by the registrar in that year.
The statutory images are in .tif (TIFF) format, and viewing an image costs 5 credits (equivalent to 1GBP). See How to View an Image for more information. A description of each image incorporating search name, image type and reference number and the date and time that the image was generated, can be found at the top of each image. If you would prefer not to display these details, uncheck the "Image Description Appears In Image" box on the "My Details" page.
Images are Crown copyright; however, they are not official copies. If you wish to have a certified, legally admissible copy of the specific register entry in which you are interested, you will need to order an extract. See Extracts for more information.
Births
The following table indicates when particular details were introduced to and/or removed from statutory birth registration. Please note that only images of statutory births from 1855 to 1909 are presently available to view on this site.
| Registers of Births |
Date Range |
| Child: name, sex, date, time & place of birth |
1855 to date |
| Mother: name & maiden surname |
1855 to date |
| Mother: occupation (usually shown only if parents not married or no father's name given) |
1855 - 1998 |
| Mother: occupation |
1999 to date |
| Mother: age & place of birth |
1855 only |
| Father: name & rank, profession or occupation |
1855 to date |
| Father: age & place of birth |
1855 only |
| Parents: date & place of marriage |
1855 only, then 1861 to date |
| Siblings: parents' other children, living or deceased (numbers and sex only) |
1855 only |
| Informant: qualification & signature (address if different from location of birth) |
1855 to date |
| Registrar: date & place of registration, signature |
1855 to date |
Example of a statutory births image
Marriages
The following table indicates when particular details were introduced to and/or removed from statutory marriage registration. Please note that only images of statutory marriages from 1855 to 1934 are presently available to view on this site.
| Registers of Marriages |
Date Range |
| Bridegroom: name & marital status |
1855 to date |
| Bridegroom: age |
1855 - 1971 |
| Bridegroom: date & place of birth |
1855, then 1972 to date |
| Bridegroom: rank, profession or occupation |
1855 to date |
| Bridegroom: residence |
1855 to date |
| Bride: name & marital status |
1855 to date |
| Bride: age |
1855 - 1971 |
| Bride: date & place of birth |
1855 only, then 1972 to date |
| Bride: rank, profession or occupation |
1855 to date |
| Bride: residence |
1855 to date |
| Couple: date & place of marriage |
1855 to date |
| Couple: if irregular marriage, date of conviction etc. |
1855 - 1965 |
| Couple: relationship, if related to each other |
1855 - 1860 |
| Parents of couple: name including maiden surnames of mothers |
1855 to date |
| Parents of couple: rank, profession or occupation |
1855 to date |
| Parents of couple: alive or deceased? |
1855 to date |
| Children of couple by each former marriage |
1855 only |
| Witnesses: signatures |
1855 to date |
| Witnesses: addresses |
1922 to date |
| Marriage celebrant: signature |
1855 to date |
| Registrar: date & place of registration, signature |
1855 to date |
| Form of Marriage e.g. Established Church of Scotland, Free Kirk, Licence (type) etc |
1855 to date |
Example of a statutory marriage image
Deaths
The following table indicates when particular details were introduced to and/or removed from statutory death registration. Please note that only images of statutory deaths from 1855 to 1959 are presently available to view on this site.
| Registers of Deaths |
Date Range |
| Deceased: name, sex & marital status |
1855 to date |
| Deceased: date of birth |
1966 to date |
| Deceased: place of birth |
1855 only |
| Deceased: rank, profession or occupation |
1855 to date |
| Deceased: how long in the District? |
1855 only |
| Deceased: date, time & place of death |
1855 to date |
| Deceased: age at death |
1855 to date |
| Deceased: causes of death |
1855 to date |
| Deceased: duration of disease |
1855 - 1964 |
| Parents: name & rank, profession or occupation |
1855 to date |
| Parents: alive or deceased? |
1855 to date |
| Spouse: name |
1855, sometimes 1856 - 60, then 1861 to date |
| Children: names & ages at date of death certificate or age and year of death if child pre-deceased parent |
1855 only |
| Doctor: name of doctor certifying death |
1855 to date |
| Doctor: when last saw deceased alive |
1855 - 1860 |
| Burial place & name of undertaker |
1855 - 1860 |
| Informant: qualification & signature |
1855 to date |
| Informant: residence |
1855 - 1965, then 1972 to date |
| Registrar: date & place of registration, signature |
1855 to date |
|
Example of a statutory death image
RCEs
You may occasionally come across a statutory image with a note in the margin ‘RCE’ and a reference number. RCE stands for Register of Corrected Entries, or, after 1965, Register of Corrections, Etc. If, after an entry in a register had been completed, an error was discovered or some other amendment was required as a result of new information, the original entry could not be altered. Instead, each registrar kept a register of corrected entries in which such amendments were written, originally after they had been approved by a sheriff. Corrections to birth entries might be to name, residence, identity, or as a result of a sheriff’s finding in a paternity case, with the father’s name being added as directed by the sheriff, or as a result of an illegitimate child being legitimised by its parents’ subsequent marriage. Corrections to marriage entries might relate to name, residence or identity, bigamy or divorce. Corrections to death entries might relate to sudden or accidental death.
Images of RCEs are now available here on ScotlandsPeople. Please read the help on RCEs before viewing them.
The following is an example of an RCE relating to a name change in a birth entry:
Birth entry showing RCE reference in left margin
RCE
The following is an example of an RCE relating to a bigamous marriage:
Marriage entry showing RCE reference in left margin
RCE
The following is an example of an RCE relating to an accidental death, in this case a victim of the Tay Rail Bridge disaster, December 1879:
Death entry showing RCE reference in left margin Please note the entry for the death of one of the guards on the train also appears on this page.
RCE
Minor Records
The Minor Records comprise records of births, marriages and deaths of Scottish persons outside Scotland.
Images of Minor Records (births up to 1909, marriages up to 1934 and deaths up to 1959) are available here on ScotlandsPeople. For index entries after these dates, you may wish to order an extract to see the full details of the register entry. Find out more
The following sample images illustrate the type of information found in the Minor Records:
Births
Foreign Returns
Marine Register
Service Returns
Marriages
Foreign Returns
Service Returns
Deaths
Air Register
Foreign Returns
Marine Register 1
Marine Register 2 Note: Cause of death was recorded in this register as a number. Find out more
Service Returns
War Returns: South African War; World War I; World War II