Surviving Pre-1841 Census Records in Scotland - ScotlandsPeople ...

Surviving pre-1841 census records in Scotland
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This guide gives details of pre-1841 census records held by Scottish local
archives and the National Records of Scotland as well as the transcripts
and photocopies available in the ScotlandsPeople Centre Library.
For contact information, details of opening times and access arrangements
for each archive please check their websites (hyper-links are given at each
sub-heading below).
Dumfries and Galloway Archives
The National Archives of Scotland (now part of the National Records of
Scotland) digitised the 1801, 1811 and 1821 census records for Annan
held by Dumfries and Galloway Archives (reference GGD627).
• Digital images on Virtual Volumes in the Historical Search Room,
General Register House (reference GB225/GGD626);
• Photocopy in the Register House series (reference RH2/8/50);
• Annan parish censuses, 1801-1821 (transcript published by the
Scottish Record Society, 1975) available in the ScotlandsPeople Centre
Library (reference SH 015.001.04)
• An account of the population of the town and parish of Annan taken in
virtue of an Act of Parliament passed in 1800 [Photocopies of lists for
the 1801, 1811 and 1821 censuses] available in the ScotlandsPeople
Centre Library (reference MP 011.001)
Dundee City Archives
The census enumerator's journal for the burgh of Dundee in 1801 and the
Longforgan (Perthshire) census enumerators' drafts for the 1811, 1821,
1831 and 1841 censuses are held by Dundee City Archives.
There are gossipy notes in all of this material to explain how the census
was carried out and who they included, and who they missed out, and
why. The notes in the Longforgan 1841 draft are still useful as an
example of the census process.
• Index for 1801 census of Dundee and transcriptions of the district
descriptions published online by the Friends of Dundee City Archives
• 1801 census of Dundee: name index available in the ScotlandsPeople
Centre Library (reference MT 056.001)
• 1811 census of Longforgan: name index available in the
ScotlandsPeople Centre Library (reference MT 057.001)
Glasgow City Archives
Glasgow City Archives hold the 1821 census for Lesmahagow.
• 1821 Lesmahagow census and index (transcript published by
Lanarkshire Family History Society, 2003) available in the
ScotlandsPeople Centre Library (reference MT 088.005)
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ScotlandsPeople Centre

Surviving pre-1841 census records in Scotland
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Highland Council Archives
Highland Council Archives hold some records for Sutherland: the county
population return for the 1811 census (reference M/SUTH/12/5/a) and the
county population returns for the 1811, 1821 and 1831 censuses for
Golspie, Assynt and Farr (reference M/SUTH/12/5/b-c)
Transcripts available in the ScotlandsPeople Centre Library:
• Population lists of Assynt 1638-1811 (Malcolm Bangor-Jones, 1977)
(reference MT 191.001)
• Population lists of Strathnaver, Strathy and Strath Halladale 1667-
1811 (Assynt Press, 2000] (reference MT 191.002)
Orkney Library and Archive
Orkney Library and Archive hold manuscript copies of the 1821 census for
St Andrews, Deerness, South Ronaldsay & Burray, Sandwick and
Stromness. Among the Orphir Kirk Session records is a manuscript of the
1821 census which gives additional information about livestock, boats,
farm equipment and so on. All are transcribed with copies available from
the Orkney Family History Society.
Transcripts and photocopies available in the ScotlandsPeople Centre
Library with references:
• Population lists - Burgh of Barony of Stromness, landward parish of
Stromness, parish of Sandwick, 1821 [photocopy] (MP 015.001)
• 1821 census of Deerness parish, June 6 th [photocopy] (MP 017.001)
• 1821 census of St Andrews parish, June 6 th [photocopy] (MP 018.001)
• Census 1821, South Ronaldsay, Burray, Swona and Pentland Skerries
by Peter Nicholson McLaren, parochial schoolmaster of South
Ronaldsay [transcript] (MP 095.009)
Transcripts published on microfiche by David Armstrong, 1997
• 1821 census of Scotland. Parish no 14. Deerness, Orkney (MT
095.005)
• 1821 census of Scotland. Parish no 23. Orphir, Orkney (MT 095.001)
• 1821 census of Scotland. Parish no 1. St Andrews, Orkney (MT
095.006)
• 1821 census of Scotland. Parish no 30. Stromness, Orkney (MT
095.007-8)
• 1821 census of Scotland. Parish no 27. Sandwick, Orkney (MT
095.004)
• 1821 census of Scotland. Parish no 29. South Ronaldsay and Burray
• (MT 095.002-3)
Shetland Archives
Shetland Archives hold an 1821 census enumeration book (reference
D16/392/28) that seems to have been reused in 1841 – as a surviving
1821 binding it is still interesting. It includes totals for inhabited houses,
numbers of families, occupations, and numbers of males and females in
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ScotlandsPeople Centre

Surviving pre-1841 census records in Scotland
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each township in North Yell. According to a pencil note on the front these
figures are for 1841. With census enumerator's form anent house of Brae,
Midbrake, North Yell, 1841.
National Records of Scotland
1801 census of Stow
• The papers of the Innes family of Stow in Peeblesshire (references
GD113/1/468-470) contain the following:
- Census of the population of Stow, 1801;
- Militia allocation and general account of the population of the
parish of Stow, 1801;
- A list of the population of the parish of Stow, as taken by J Paris,
school-master, 1801.
• Transcript available in the related resources section of The statistical
accounts of Scotland 1791-1854.
Old Parish Registers
• Moy and Dalarossie (reference OPR 105/2) contains copies of 1821 and
1831 census returns;
• Kirkinner (reference OPR 881/2) contains an 1831 census of population
enquiry form at the end of the marriage entries.
ScotlandsPeople Centre Library
The Library holds the following transcripts and photocopies in addition to
those noted above. They are arranged alphabetically by place-name.
Scottish population listings prior to the 1841 census. The parish of
Dalkeith, Midlothian. 1811 census, 1821 census, 1831 communion roll of
the Established Church. (J and B Bishop, 2002) (reference MT 199.001)
Dallas parish. 1811 census. Name order (Aberdeen and North East
Scotland Family History Society, 1999) (reference MT 150.001)
Population listings for the parish of Dallas, Morayshire. 1689 claims for
recovery or compensation; 1777 heads of households and poor list; and
1811 census [from the kirk session records] (J and B Bishop, 2001)
(reference MT 207.001)
Galston parish, 1801 census: men of Galston parish divided into four
classes presumably for militia suitability (undated but probably 1801)
(reference MT 213.001)
Galston parish, 1811 census (reference MT 213.002)
Galston parish, 1821 census (reference MT 213.003)
Galston parish, 1831 census taken June 1831 by Alexander Macnaught,
schoolmaster (reference MT 213.004)
(All published by Troon @ Ayrshire Family History Society, 2003)
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ScotlandsPeople Centre

Surviving pre-1841 census records in Scotland
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1811 census Ladykirk parish, Berwickshire, Scotland: an indexed
transcription by Graham and Emma Maxwell (Graham Maxwell Ancestry
Research Services, 2008) (reference MT 247.001)
1831 census Ladykirk parish, Berwickshire, Scotland: an indexed
transcription by Graham and Emma Maxwell (Graham Maxwell Ancestry
Research Services, 2008) (reference MT 247.002)
Population roll of Lochrutton, 1821 [photocopy] (reference MP 010.001)
Peterhead parish 1801 census material (Aberdeen and North East
Scotland Family History Society, 1993) (reference MT 069.001)
St Quivox parish, Ayrshire, census 1821 (Troon @ Ayrshire Family History
Society, 2003) (reference MT 214.001)
Further information about the Library’s holdings of pre-1841 population
record transcripts is available on the ScotlandsPeople Centre Library
website and Centre network pages.
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ScotlandsPeople Centre