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COATS OF ARMS 1672-1907
The Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland contains all recordings of Coats of Arms in Scotland
from 1672 to the present day and is added to daily. Coats of Arms cannot be used legally in Scotland unless
they are recorded in that Register. The Register is maintained by the Court of the Lord Lyon, the office
responsible for heraldic matters in Scotland.
MILITARY RECORDS
ScotlandsPeople isn’t the only source of Scottish records online. Records of the Scottish regiments of the
British army are held at the National Archives of the UK in London and are indexed through the Archives’ web
site. British army records include various types of service records and pension records. The pension records,
known as ‘Soldiers’ Documents,’ are indexed in the online catalogue of the Archives. Search it at:
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/search.asp.
1. In the ‘Word or phrase’ field, enter the name of the soldier
2. In the ‘Department or Series Code’ field, enter WO 97
3. Click on ‘Search’
The pension records can give age at enlistment and discharge, years of service, birth place, physical
description, regiment name, and some history of service. The FHL has the Soldiers’ Documents on film and
once you have the regiment name, you can find the right film number in the collection. The documents are
filed in alphabetical order by the soldier’s name.
OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES
The ScotlandsPeople web site provides links to other online resources for Scotland.
1. Click on the tab for ‘Help & Other Resources’
2. In the list to the left, select ‘Other Resources’
3. In the green box to the left, click on your choice of topic, such as ‘Records’
4. A number of web sites for records are described and links to their web sites are provided
5. Check out each link and web site to see what there is to help you
6. Also check out the ‘Research Tools’
For links to other Scottish archives and their web site and email addresses, go to the Scottish Archive Network
at www.scan.org.uk and click on ‘Directory.’ SCAN holds catalogs of many record offices and also includes
some nice research tools such as a glossary of uniquely Scottish terms and “how to” articles.
MAPS AND GAZETTEERS ONLINE
The Web site www.scotlandsfamily.com provides parish maps for every county in Scotland. The site
www.visionofbritain.org.uk provides access to Wilson’s Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland.
ANCESTRY.COM
Ancestry.co.uk has a large collection of records for anyone doing research in England and Scotland. While
some of their records are only indexes, they are a stepping stone into the original records located at Scotland
Peoples. Together these two sites make Scottish research a lot easier.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SCOTLAND
The National Archives of Scotland www.nas.gov.uk has some searchable sources such as the National
Register of Archives that may help you locate estate records. Their catalogue is also available on their site.
HANDWRITING
The Web site www.scottishhandwriting.com has some helpful tutorials on reading old Scottish handwriting.