Genealogical Search Facility

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Have you ever wondered how to trace your Scottish ancestors? Our registration service's Genealogical/Family History Search facility is here to help you.

Since 1855, it has been a legal requirement in Scotland that all births, deaths and marriages are recorded in registers maintained by the local registrar. Advances in information technology mean that we can create digital copies of all of the records of Scotland's people. These records, can in turn can be searched online with the help of a registrar.

The service that we provide includes:

• a supervised general search of the records by the registrar in your presence costing £10 an hour.
• copies of birth, death and marriage certificates purchased and issued after completing your general search (£8.50 for each certificate).
• access to Scotland's census records for 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1891 and 1901.
• prints of historical entries costing £0.50 each (births over 100 years old, deaths over 50 years old and marriages over 75 years old)
• prints of census records costing £0.50 each.
• prints of old parish records costing £0.50 each.

Genealogical searches are only available by appointment. Please call 0141 840 3388 or email us at registrar.cs@renfrewshire.gov.uk to make your appointment.