Archives, Family and Local History
Researching your family history is a valuable and extremely rewarding experience. Visitors to Burns Monument Centre seeking to trace their ancestors have access to a full range of resources. In addition to written records we provide a wide range of family history and census records including -
- Digital Imaging of the Genealogical Records of Scotland’s People online service that allows viewers to access:
- Births, deaths and marriages in Scotland from 1855
- Old Parish Register (OPR) baptisms/births and banns/marriages from 1553-1854
- Wills and testaments from 1513
- Census returns 1841-1901
- Scottish divorce records from May 1st 1984
- Historical archives relating to East Ayrshire, including poor relief records, council records, business records and burial records
- Monumental inscriptions for many cemeteries in Ayrshire
- Ayrshire newspapers from 1834 and some Ayrshire Poor Relief c1855 -1925
Trained staff are available to help visitors wishing to trace their roots. However, if you are coming from a distance it is advisable to contact the centre in advance to book time with a genealogy specialist.
Some tips on how to get started …
Family History Begins At Home
Before visiting the Burns Monument Centre there are certain steps you can take in order to make your research time more productive.
Begin by recording your own details, for example, date and place of birth, marriage, spouse, children – then the details of parents, grandparents and so on as you recall them. Your own birth certificate should give the date and place of your parents’ marriage. Copies of their marriage certificate will help you to work backwards from what you already know or can find out.
Documents and photographs
Most families can lay their hands on old documents or photographs, which can be of use to the family historian. Examples of items you might find within the extended family are: -
BDM certificates, obituaries/intimations, family bibles, school reports or leaving certificates, apprenticeship papers, graduation certificates/awards, military records, business papers, immigration papers, diaries, address books, letters, postcards, newspaper cuttings, memoirs.
Read Up on Family History or Join a Society
Libraries and bookshops stock a range of material on family history. Look for books that concentrate on sources for Scottish research.
Success or Failure
How successful you are in researching your family is determined by a number of factors, most of which are outwith your control. Whether records survived or not, common Christian names and surnames, the mobility of your family, social status, literacy levels and transcription errors can all affect the accuracy of your search.
