Coverage - Scottish Paternity Index
We have a large number of clients who tell us that these records have helped them break down a brick wall that they have had for years. Not only do these records help you trace your Scottish genealogy they also help you understand your ancestors and can lead to the discovery of precious items such as long-lost love letters! (See our Learning Zone to find out more about that!).
This record set contains paternity cases (known as "actions of affiliation and aliment") heard before the Sheriff Courts and also selected Kirk Sessions of the Church of Scotland and other Presbyterian churches. We have also included a few other sheriff court cases of genealogical interest, such as aliment cases where no children were involved (for example when a wife was deserted by her husband), and also 'breach of promise to marry' cases. The main bulk of the data has been indexed from the 'Registers of Extracted Decrees', which for most Sheriff Courts are complete from about the 1830s-1840s onwards. Not all cases resulted in an extracted decree, so we are also gradually indexing cases found in the processes, or original case papers, for many Sheriff Courts. For privacy reasons, our index does not go beyond the year 1923. Entries for the years that follow will be added on an annual basis. The database currently contains 43,113 entries.
Sheriff Court Registers of Extract Decrees
Completely indexed registers:
Aberdeen 1834-1837, 1875 (2 cases only), 1903-1923
Arbroath 1887-1923
Airdrie 1846-1923
Alloa 1830-1923
Ayr 1837-1923
Banff 1895-1923
Campbeltown 1830-1923
Cromarty 1833-1923
Dingwall 1830-1910
Dornoch 1855-1869
Dumfries 1793-1801, 1830-1920
Dumbarton 1883-1923
Dunoon 1895-1923
Duns 1830-1923
Elgin 1837-1886, 1892-1923
Falkirk 1841-1923
Fort William (Argyll) 1841-1861
Fort William (Inverness-shire) 1836-1923
Greenock 1874-1877, 1881-1923
Haddington 1829-1923
Hamilton 1845-1923
Hawick 1894-1923
Inveraray 1839-1903
Inverness 1799-1806, 1825-1923
Jedburgh 1748-1753, 1831-1892
Kirkcaldy 1881-1923
Kirkcudbright 1748-1765, 1830-1923
Lanark 1842-1923
Leith 1831-1850, 1887-1923
Linlithgow 1860-1923
Lochmaddy 1890-1923
Nairn 1831-1853, 1874-1884, 1888-1892, 1896-1923
Oban 1881-1923
Paisley 1830-1923
Peebles 1837-1923
Peterhead 1904-1923
Portree 1887-1923
Rothesay 1830-1923
Selkirk 1751-1757, 1782-1793 and 1830-1923
Stirling 1835-1923
Stonehaven 1832-1869
Stornoway 1829-1834, 1849-1923
Stranraer 1887-1923
Tain 1830-1923
Tobermory 1821-1824, 1830-1832, 1836-1880
Wick 1830-1923
Wigtown 1830-1923
Indexing in progress (showing years indexed so far):
Cupar 1835-1836, 1875-1890
Dunblane 1906-1921
Dundee 1868-1876
Dunfermline 1830-1845
Edinburgh 1830-1901, 1908
Glasgow 1862-1863, 1891-1893, 1898-1922
Inveraray 1839-1881
Kilmarnock 1850-1889
Perth 1885-1887
Sheriff Court Processes
Completely indexed series:
Arbroath 1887-1920
Dunoon 1895-1920
Falkirk 1850-1920
Kirkcaldy 1882-1920
Lochmaddy 1895-1920
Oban 1886-1920
Stranraer 1849-1923
Indexing in progress (showing approximate years covered so far):
Aberdeen 1752, 1761-1762, 1802, 1811, 1817, 1820-1822, 1830, 1836-1837, 1856-1859, 1871-1872, 1900-1923
Airdrie 1848-1864, 1870, 1882-1883, 1889-1890, 1913-1923
Alloa 1861-1920
Ayr 1816, 1861-1865, 1880-1881, 1912-1923
Banff 1859-1920
Campbeltown 1830-1920
Cromarty 1906-1920
Dingwall 1912-1920
Dornoch 1915-1920
Dumbarton 1870-1920
Dumfries 1796-1815, 1834-1835, 1844-1848, 1850-1855, 1857, 1859-1860, 1911-1923
Dunblane 1911-1920
Duns 1798-1800, 1849-1850, 1858-1859, 1914-1923
Edinburgh 1788, 1808-1809, 1819, 1829-1860
Forfar 1826-1828
Greenock 1912-1923
Haddington 1825-1923
Hamilton 1843, 1857, 1912-1923
Inverness 1799-1806, 1825-1859, 1914-1920
Jedburgh 1822-1923
Kirkcudbright 1817-1830, 1835-1836, 1844-1860, 1915-1923
Lanark 1847-1849, 1915-1923
Leith 1916-1920
Linlithgow 1860-1920
Nairn 1853-1860, 1909-1920
Paisley 1843-1847, 1850-1852, 1854-1855, 1858-1859, 1914-1923
Peebles 1915-1923
Peterhead 1859-1920
Rothesay 1860-1920
Selkirk 1844, 1860-1923
Stirling 1820, 1901-1920
Stonehaven 1860-1920
Stornoway 1860-1920
Tain 1844-1846
Tobermory 1860-1886
Wick 1860-1920
Wigtown 1825-1830, 1837-1847, 1853-1855, 1915-1923
Search the Scottish Paternity Index
Kirk Session Minutes
Indexed so far:
Canonbie, Dumfriesshire 1709-1855