A city in the east of Scotland. A settlement (or group of several settlements) at Dundee has existed since at least the eleventh century. The township of Dundee was raised to the status of burgh in the reign of William I (The Lion) (1165-1214). Dundee became one of the principal market towns and trading ports in Scotland in the medieval period. By the nineteenth century the town had become one of the major industrial towns of Scotland The Burgh of Dundee was constituted a county of a city in 1894. Boundary extensions swallowed up parts of the county of Angus (Forfarshire), particularly in 1913, with the annexation of the burgh of Broughty Ferry.
Statutory registers
Civil registration of birth, marriage and death in Scotland began in 1855. Search the statutory registers for registration districts in Dundee city.
Church registers
Baptisms, marriages and burials were recorded by churches. Church of Scotland registers before 1855 became the Old Parish Registers in the care of the Registrar General for Scotland. Search church registers of baptisms, marriages, burials and other events for Church of Scotland parishes, Roman Catholic congregations and other church congregations in Dundee city.
Census returns
Population censuses have been taken every ten years in Scotland since 1801 and census returns for households survive from 1841 onwards. Search the census returns for census enumeration districts in Dundee city.
Valuation rolls
Valuation rolls are local tax rolls, listing most properties and their owners and occupiers. They were compiled in Scotland from 1855 onwards. Search valuation rolls for parishes and burghs in Dundee city.
Legal records
Wills and testaments
Wills and testaments for people in Dundee were registered in the following commissary courts and sheriff courts (with National Records of Scotland reference codes in brackets):
- Brechin Commissary Court, 1577-1823 (CC3), includes testaments relating to parts of Angus and Kincardineshire
- Dundee Sheriff Court, 1832-1925 (SC45), includes testaments relating to Angus
- Dunkeld Commissary Court, 1687-1823 (CC7), includes testaments relating to parts of Angus, East Lothian, Fife, Perthshire and West Lothian
- Forfar Sheriff Court, 1824-1925 (SC47), includes testaments relating to Angus.
- St Andrews Commissary Court, 1549-1823 (CC20), includes testaments relating to parts of Angus, Fife, Kincardineshire, Kinross-shire, and Perthshire.
- Non-Scottish Courts, 1858-1900 (SC70), includes testaments relating to Scots who died in England and other foreign countries.
- Edinburgh Commissary Court, 1514-1829 (CC8), includes testaments relating to Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian, and, under certain conditions, to all areas of Scotland, and to most Scots who died abroad
- Edinburgh Sheriff Court Inventories, 1808-1925 (SC70), includes testaments relating to Midlothian and, under certain conditions, to all areas of Scotland, and to most Scots who died abroad.
- Edinburgh Sheriff Court Wills, 1844-1925 (SC70), includes testaments relating to Midlothian and, under certain conditions, to all areas of Scotland, and to most Scots who died abroad.
Search for wills and testaments for people and places in Dundee.
Coats of Arms
Search the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings for coats of arms connected with people and places in Dundee.