Beyond the Census - Using Scottish Kirk Session Records to Trace your Scottish Ancestors

Go beyond the Census and Birth, Marriage and Death records in your search for Scottish Ancestors. The Kirk Session, then as now, were the people involved in the day-to-day running of the parish church. Before the mid nineteenth century, as well as being responsible for registering births and marriage, they were also involved in the distribution of poor relief and ensuring that the parishioners behaved according to the morals of the church. Scottish Kirk Session records often contain detailed information about the people in the parish. Most of these are now accessible online via Scotland’s People website. An understanding of what they contain and how to search these records can help you with your ‘brick wall’ or provide information about your family history.

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