From October 2009, Catholic Parish Register images and indexes are being added to the ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk website. This section gives some indication of the records which have been digitised and indexed and when they are available.
What records are available and when?
Why are some categories complete, and others incomplete?
What does complete mean?
What does incomplete mean?
Will more records be digitised and indexed in the future?
WHAT RECORDS ARE AVAILABLE AND WHEN?
|
Catholic Parish Registers: Scotland
|
|
|
Pre-1855
|
Available
|
Post-1855
|
Available
|
|
Total
|
1703-1855 complete
|
|
1855-1958 incomplete;
|
|
|
403,866
|
452,846
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Baptisms and births
|
1703-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1908 incomplete;
|
Yes
|
|
213,760
|
260,052
|
|
Deaths, burials and funerals
|
1782-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1959 incomplete;
|
Yes
|
|
7,465
|
11,617
|
|
Marriages
|
1794-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1934 incomplete;
|
Yes
|
|
32,281
|
62,384
|
|
Confirmations
|
1794-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1909 incomplete;
|
Yes
|
|
12,740
|
30,930
|
|
Confessions
|
1839-1846 complete;
|
Yes
|
1890-1909 incomplete;
|
Yes
|
|
6,646
|
0
|
|
Converts
|
1741-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1909 incomplete;
|
Yes
|
|
503
|
119
|
|
Communicants
|
1782-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1909 incomplete;
|
Yes
|
|
104,451
|
69,334
|
|
Status Animarum
|
1804-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1909 incomplete;
|
Yes
|
|
15,255
|
5,415
|
|
Seat Rents
|
1829-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1909 incomplete;
|
Yes
|
|
8,171
|
12,995
|
|
Sick Call
|
1827-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
None
|
|
|
2,594
|
|
Catholic Cemeteries: Scotland
|
|
|
Pre-1855
|
Available
|
Post-1855
|
Available
|
|
Total
|
1851-1855 complete
|
|
1855-1958 complete;
|
|
|
7,996
|
256,778
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Glasgow: Dalbeth
|
1851-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1959 complete;
|
Yes
|
|
7,996
|
256,778
|
|
Edinburgh: Mount Vernon
|
None
|
|
1895-1959 complete;
|
Yes
|
|
|
0
|
|
Catholic Bishopric of the Forces: British Armed Forces worldwide
|
|
|
Pre-1855
|
Available
|
Post-1855
|
Available
|
|
Total
|
1836-1855 complete
|
|
1855-1958 complete;
|
|
|
121
|
17,708
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Baptisms and births
|
1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1908 complete;
|
Yes
|
|
113
|
11,684
|
|
Deaths
|
1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1959 complete;
|
Yes
|
|
6
|
3,615
|
|
Marriages
|
1836-1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1855-1934 complete;
|
Yes
|
|
2
|
1,371
|
|
Confirmations
|
1855 complete;
|
Yes
|
1867-1909 complete;
|
Yes
|
|
2
|
1,038
|
WHY ARE SOME CATEGORIES COMPLETE, AND OTHERS INCOMPLETE?
The Catholic Parish Registers project began with a focussed plan – to digitise and index all pre-1855 Catholic parish registers that existed. It became very clear during the project that more than pre-1855 records were being digitised and indexed for three reasons:
1. Some volumes which began before 1855 continued on after 1855, in some case up to 100 years
2. Some parishes had chosen to deposit more than pre-1855 parish registers at the Scottish Catholic Archives
3. The records of the Bishopric of the Forces; Dalbeth Cemetery, Glasgow; and Mount Vernon Cemetery, Edinburgh were available in full
The decision was taken to carry on digitising and indexing the records because it was felt there would be a demand for them.
WHAT DOES COMPLETE MEAN?
If the records survive, they have been digitised and indexed and made available online. No surviving records are thought to be missing from the collection – however this does not mean that all localities are covered by all records at all times.
WHAT DOES INCOMPLETE MEAN?
If the records were available to the Scottish Catholic Archives, they were digitised and indexed. In the post-1855 period, the collection of records is far from complete.
WILL MORE RECORDS BE DIGITISED AND INDEXED IN THE FUTURE?
There are no plans at the moment to continue gathering, digitising or indexing more records from the post-1855 period.