GenealoGical SourceSat

nortH aYrSHireHeritaGe centre

SaltcoatS

Manse Street, Saltcoats, KA21 5AATel: 01294 464174 Email: naheritage@north-ayrshire.gov.uk

Opening Hours:Monday – Friday 9.30am-1.00pm, 2.00pm – 5.00pm

Saturday 10.00 – 1.00pm, 2.00pm – 5.00pmWebsite: www.ers.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/localandfamily.cfm

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INTRODUCTION

The North Ayrshire Heritage Centre brings together a comprehensive range of unique materials relating to North Ayrshire’s rich past, which will be of interest to both the serious researcher and the casual browser.

The collection includes books, newspapers, maps, photographs, genealogy sources and substanstial archival collection, as well as objects and artefacts pertaining to the area.

The District of North Ayrshire comprises Skelmorlie, Largs, Fairlie, West Kilbride, Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Irvine, Dreghorn, Kilwinning, Dalry, Kilbirnie, Beith and the Isles of Arran and Cumbrae.

We welcome your visit, whatever your interest.

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HOW TO TRACE YOUR FAMILY TREE

Find as many CERTIFICATES as you can to take you back to 1855 when compulsory registration was introduced in Scotland. Remember to note place of residence, as the other sources are listed by parish.

Use the 1841 to 1901 CENSUS RETURNS in conjunction with certificates to provide further information about your ancestors and their households. Census returns give address, name, relationship to head of family, age, marital status, sex, occupation and place of birth. From age and place of birth you can apply for a birth certificate if the person was born after 1855, or you can search the OPRs if the person was born before 1855.

Remember: - the 1841 census does not give as much information as the later ones,- information could have been misheard or wrongly recorded,- ages may be rounded up or down.

OLD PARISH REGISTERS – if a person was born or married before 1855, check the Old Parish Registers, which record the births, baptisms, proclamations, marriages and sometimes deaths up to 1854.

Remember - check 1854 (Register of Neglected Entries)- there may be gaps in the registers- before 1855, people were not required to register- these are Church of Scotland records only.

A birth entry will give you the child’s name, names of parents and date of birth/baptism. Some may give address and father’s occupation.

INDEX TO THE OPRs – compiled by the Mormon Church and available on microfiche. Entries are arranged by county, then alphabetically by surname within that county. If you are unsure which parish in Ayrshire your ancestor was born or married, check the index first. If you find them listed there, you can then go straight to the relevant OPR.

THE INTERNATIONAL GENEALOGICAL INDEX (IGI) – compiled by the Mormon church, this index contains births, baptisms and marriages submitted to them by their members. Names and dates from family bibles, wills, diaries, etc are included along with OPR entries. Do not confuse this with the Index to the OPRs. This is also available online at www.familysearch.org.

MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS – these can be a good starting point if you know where your ancestors might be buried. These are a transcript of headstones, and in North Ayrshire this was carried count in 1985. Every headstone that was legible at that time was recorded. Many were also photographed.

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS – have columns of birth, death and marriage announcements. They also have obituaries.

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HOW TO TRACE YOUR FAMILY TREE

YOUR OWN BIRTHCERTIFICATE

Gives you

⇒ your date of birth⇒ your place of birth⇒ your father’s name⇒ your mother’s name (maiden)⇒ place of parent’s marriage Apply for YOUR PARENT’S ⇒ date of parent’s marriage MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE⇒ your father’s occupation⇒ if parents are deceased Gives you

⇒ date of their marriage⇒ ages of both parents⇒ groom’s name⇒ bride’s name⇒ groom’s father’s name⇒ groom’s mother’s name (maiden)⇒ bride’s father’s name⇒ bride’s mother’s name (maiden)⇒ place of marriage⇒ groom’s usual residence⇒ bride’s usual residence⇒ occupation of groom⇒ occupation of bride⇒ occupation of groom’s father⇒ occupation of bride’s father⇒ if any are deceased⇒ name of minister⇒ witness details⇒ denomination of church

Can then apply for

YOUR FATHER’S BIRTHCERTIFICATE

and YOUR MOTHER’S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

Gives you Gives you

⇒ date of his birth ⇒ date of her birth⇒ date of his parent’s marriage ⇒ date of her parent’s marriage⇒ (your grandparents) ⇒ (your grandparents)

YOUR PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

YOUR MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS’ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

Apply for

BIRTH CERTIFICATES OF GREAT GRANDPARENTS(if born 1855 onwards)

If born before 1855 check the Old Parish Registers

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DEATH CERTIFICATES

A DEATH CERTIFICATE gives you

⇒ date of death⇒ age at death⇒ occupation of deceased⇒ marital status⇒ spouse’s name⇒ name of deceased’s father⇒ occupation of deceased’s father⇒ name of deceased’s mother (maiden)⇒ if parents or spouse are deceased⇒ cause of death⇒ time of death⇒ informant’s details⇒ residence of death not at home

Apply for

BIRTH CERTIFICATE

BIRTH CERTIFICATE Can lead to MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE Can lead to DEATH CERTIFICATE

DEATH CERTIFICATE Can lead to BIRTH CERTIFICATE

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HOLDINGS

CENSUS RETURNS

These are produced every ten years and are released to the public after a period of 100 years has passed.

1841 – 1901 for County of Ayrshire.1841 - 1901 for the Isles of Arran and Cumbrae.1911 (Scotland – only available on scotlandspeople)1911 (for England - vouchers cost £5)

There any indexes available for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1881, and 1891.

OLD PARISH REGISTERS

County of Ayrshire.Isles of Arran and Cumbrae.

INTERNATIONAL GENEALOGICAL INDEX

Great Britain and Ireland.

SCOTLANDS PEOPLE

The Heritage Centre is offering a voucher scheme for access to Scotlands People. Start-up cards cost £7 for 60 credits. Top-up cards cost £5.60 for 30 credits. Cards are only available from Local History Libraries.

They can be used within the library or at home. Please note that they cannot be used with your existing Scotlandspeople account.

Website: www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

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POOR RELIEF RECORDS

Ardrossan 1846-1925 Kilmarnock 1863-1925Beith 1845-1925 Kilwinning 1839-1925Cumbrae 1855-1925 Kirkmichael 1847-1925Dailly 1855-1877 Kirkoswald 1839-1925Dalmellington 1911-1920 Largs 1875-1925Dalry 1886-1925 Muirkirk 1912-1920Dreghorn 1872-1901 Stevenston 1856-1925Dundonald 1845-1921 Straiton 1902-1925Irvine 1827-1930 West Kilbride 1857-1861Kilbirnie 1856-1903

Who qualified for poor relief?Normally people receiving poor relief were unable to support themselves, either through age or incapacity. They included orphans, the sick or disabled and the insane. The 'sturdy beggar' or the able-bodied poor, were not generally entitled to support and were indeed legislated against, although in practice many did receive some degree of assistance.

BURIAL RECORDS

Ardrossan 1874-1925 Kilbirnie 1887-1930Dailly 1876-1914 Kilwinning 1870-1894Dalry 1866-1925 Kirkmichael 1881-1923Dreghorn 1849-1925 Largs 1862-1925Irvine 1818-1862 West Kilbride 1859-1923

MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS

For all graveyards and cemeteries within North Ayrshire, from earliest legible until early 1980s.

We hold photographs for most of the North Ayrshire cemeteries.

We also hold some for other areas of Ayrshire. Please ask for details.

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NEWSPAPERS

Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald 1857 – presentBeith Echo and Northern District Advertiser

1904-1913

Dalry and Kilbirnie Herald 1894-1926Irvine and Fullarton Times 1874-2003Irvine Herald 1877-2005Kilwinning Chronicle 1894-1950Largs and Millport Weekly News 1877-2005Saltcoats, Ardrossan and Stevenston News

1906-1908

Stevenston Gazette 1894-1926

VALUATION ROLLS

We hold the majority of the County of Ayrshire from 1914 until present. However, there are gaps in the collections, therefore it is advisable to check in advance of your visit.

In addition we also have:

Ardrossan From 1892Beith 1902-1904Cumbrae 1855-1938Dalry 1900-1902Largs 1911-1912Stevenston 1892-1893; 1896-1897

ELECTORAL ROLLS

These are held at Ardrossan, therefore, prior notice must be given.

Ayr County Council 1956-1976Cunninghame District Council 1977-1995North Ayrshire Council 1996 – present

LISTS OF VOTERS

1854, 1857, 1859, 1868, 1879-80

TRADE DIRECTORIES

1837, 1851-52, 1887, 1908-09, 1935-37, 1973

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ADDITIONAL HOLDINGS

We have a collection of maps and photographs as well as local history books and pamphlets which may pad out your family’s social history.

NEED HELP?

If you are unsure how to begin putting together your family tree or are having trouble finding your family, we can provide you with our time and professional expertise to guide you in your research, as well as instruction on how to use our facilities.

If you want to research your family tree but don’t have the time, take advantage of our genealogical research service and let us do all the work for you.

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GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH SERVICE

We offer a genealogical research service where we can put together your family tree, adding as much additional social history information as possible from all of our resources. This service includes access to the scotlandspeople website.

If you choose to use this service we will search through scotlandspeople and the Old Parish Records for births, marriages and deaths; monumental inscriptions, burial records, census records (1841-1911), valuation rolls, poor relief records, newspaper archives (from 1857 to 2011), books, maps and photographs.

Please ask us for a quote.

tHe traDitional naMinG Pattern

For ScottiSH FaMilieS

This tradition was followed generally across Scottish society regardless of religion or social standing.

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Son

First son after father’s fatherSecond son after mother’s fatherThird son after fatherSubsequent sons after:Great-grandfathers / uncles / friends / minister / doctor / Schoolmaster /Landowner / prominent people … and so on.

DauGHter

First daughter after mother’s motherSecond daughter after father’s motherThird daughter after motherSubsequent daughters after:Great-grandmothers / aunts / friends / minister’s wife / doctor’s wife / schoolmaster’s wife / landowner’s wife / prominent people … and so on.

ONLINE RESOURCES

www.scotlandspeople.gov.ukCost: £7 for a Start Up voucher and £5.60 for a Top Up voucher.PLEASE NOTE: The vouchers cannot be used with your existing Scotlandspeople account if you currently pay direct to the website by credit card.

www.ayrshire-roots.co.uk Cost: Free, however you must register with them.This site contains:

• A database of birth, marriage and death intimations for the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald

• A database of First and Second World War casualties found in the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald

• Poor Relief database

www.familysearch.orgCost: FreeThis website contains records from the largest genealogy organization in the world.

www.freecen.org.ukCost: FreeThis resource is an ongoing project which aims to eventually hold the 1841-1891 U.K. census records.

www.cwgc.orgCost: FreeThe Commonwealth Graves Commission website provides information on those who fell during the First and Second World Wars.

www.scottishmining.co.ukCost: FreeThis website provides information on Scottish miners and mining areas, compiled from old reports, gazetteers and newspaper articles. Includes lists of mining accidents.

www.nas.gov.uk The National Archives of Scotland

The National Archives of Scotland hold on deposit a small proportion of church records for other Protestant denominations, including the Methodist, Congregational/United Reformed and Scottish Episcopal churches, the Unitarian Church and the Society of Friends (Quakers).

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English or Welsh ancestors?

www.findmypast.co.ukCost: subscription based. Contains English and Welsh genealogical records, Passenger Lists and military records

www.ancestry.com Cost: subscription based

Catholic ancestors?

www. scottishcatholicarchives .org.uk/

Records of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland are held by the Scottish Catholic Archive and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow Archive.

Catholic births and marriages are also available on the Scotlandspeople website.

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Do you have IRISH ancestors?

Have a look at the following websites:

www.proni.gov.uk The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/archive-for-family-and-local-history The General Register Office for Northern Ireland

http://www.groireland.ieThe General Register Office for the Republic of Ireland

www.nationalarchives.ie National Archives of Ireland.

www.emeraldancestors.com contains births, deaths, marriage and census records

www.roots.ireland.ie

www.irishgenealogy.ie