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Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire occupies the north bank of the Firth of Clyde extending from
Glasgow's suburbs westwards to Argyll. In the 19th Century the County had a
detached portion including Kirkintilloch and Cumbernauld. The county also
embraced Clydebank, Helensburgh, Bearsden and Milngavie. Although the
county, as a whole, was heavily dependent on agriculture, there was an
important shipbuilding industry linked to those areas bordering the Clyde.
The famous teaclipper, the Cutty Sark, was built at Dumbarton, designed by
Scott & Linton and completed by William Denny & Son after the
former company went bankrupt in 1869. The John Brown Shipyard, where both
"Queens" were built at Clydebank also fell within the old county
boundaries. Following the local government chages, the old parishes of
Arrochar, Luss, Rhu (Row) and Roseneath now fall within the Argyll &
Bute Council area.
Clan and Family Heartlands
You can get a feel for the lives your ancestors lived by visiting the area
they came from. These are areas where, for centuries, families lived
together in a tightly-knit community. In the Highlands they are linked to
clan heartlands, whereas, in the rest of Scotland the names are often those
of the local landed families. Although it is unlikely that family
historians can link their ancestry to clan chiefs or family dynasties, it
can still be a moving experience to tour the clan and family heartlands.
Here is a selection of the most common names in this area:
Colquhoun: Located on the west banks of Loch Lomond,
especially around the clan stonghold of Luss. The name is sometimes
abbreviated to Cowan
Parishes
The Parish Church can unlock many secrets for ancestral researchers. Not
only was it the place where children were baptised, proclamations of
marriage announced and the dead buried, it was also the centre of most
social activity within the Parish. There is, however, no such thing as a
definitive list of parishes. Over the decades they have merged, divided,
been renamed and had changes made to their spelling. The following list is
based largely on the situation at the time of publication of the New
Statistical Account (1834-1845).
Arrochar,
Bonhill,
Cardross,
Cumbernauld,
Dumbarton,
Kilmaronock,
Kilpatrick-New (New Kilpatrick),
Kilpatrick-Old (Old or West Kilpatrick),
Kirkintilloch,
Luss,
Roseneath,
* subsequently divided into seperate parishes, ( ) denotes alternative
name or spelling
Detailed information on life and work within each of these parishes can be
found in the Old (1791-99) and the New (1834-45) Statistical Account of
Scotland. These are freely accessible on http://edina.ed.ac.uk/statacc. Part of their charm
is the individual views of the minister, which can include some
fascinating accounts of a parish's history, topography, employment,
landowners, communications, agriculture and even the morality of the
parishioners.
Local Studies Libraries
Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local
history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries
are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it
is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for
hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.
The following is a list of the libraries in your chosen area:
East Dunbartonshire
William Patrick Library
2 West High Street
Kirkintilloch
G66 1AD
Tel: +44 141 776 8090
Fax: +44 141 776 0408
E-mail:
libraries@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
Web: www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk
Open: Mon-Thu, 10:00 - 20:00 & Fri-Sat, 10:00 - 17:00.
Includes a complete backfile of Kirkintilloch Herald with a card index for
1886-1975.
Brookwood Library
166 Drymen Road
Bearsden
Tel: +44 141 942 6811
Fax: +44 141 943 1119
Open: Mon-Thu, 10:00 - 20:00 & Fri-Sat, 10:00 - 17:00.
Includes indexed files of the Milngavie and Bearsden Herald.
West Dunbartonshire
Dumbarton Library
Strathleven Place
Dumbarton
G82 1BD
Tel: +44 1389 763129
E-mail:
arthur.jones@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/arts-culture-and-libraries/libraries/branches/dumbarton
Open: Mon-Thu, 09:30 - 20:00, Fri 09:30 - 17:00 & Sat 10:00 - 17:00.
Newspaper collections include the Dumbarton & Lennox Herald (1851-to
date). Extensive newspaper clippings plus a card index relating to local
events and prominent families. Smaller collections of local material are
spread throughout a further ten libraries. For details contact the
Administration Library Headquarters:
Tel: +44 1389 738328,
Fax: +44 1389 734204
Local Archives Centres
Almost every municipal authority in Scotland has a collection of local
history publications, maps and archives. Although most of these libraries
are prepared to undertake a limited amount of searching on your behalf, it
is far more fulfilling to visit them yourself. You could lose yourself for
hours, pouring over old newspapers and photographs.
The following is a list of the archive offices in your chosen area:
East Dunbartonshire
William Patrick Library
2 West High Street
Kirkintilloch
G66 1HW
Tel: +44 141 776 8090
Fax: +44 141 776 0408
E-mail:
archives@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk/archives
Open: Mon-Thu, 10:00 - 20:00 & Fri-Sat, 10:00 - 17:00
Brookwood Library
166 Drymen Road
Bearsden
Tel: +44 141 942 6811
Fax: +44 141 943 1119
Holds records relating to Bearsden and Milngavie
Open: Mon-Thu, 10:00 - 20:00 & Fri-Sat, 10:00 - 17:00.
West Dunbartonshire
Dumbarton Library
Strathleven Place
Dumbarton
G82 1BD
Tel: +44 1389 763129
E-mail:
arthur.jones@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/arts-culture-and-libraries/libraries/branches/dumbarton
Open: Mon-Thu, 09:30 - 20:00, Fri 09:30 - 17:00 & Sat 10:00 - 17:00.
Museums and Heritage Centres
Scotland is a country with a remarkable history. So it should come as no
surprise that Scotland is home to a remarkable collection of museums and
heritage centres. These range from the major, internationally renowned
collections in Edinburgh's
Royal Museum of Scotland to hundreds of small centres
that specialise in the history of local communities. The following
museums are all in your chosen area. A visit to any one of them may well
shed new light on the lives led by your ancestors.
Family History Society
Local societies are run by volunteers who meet together periodically. Most
maintain an index of members' interests - and this could well lead to the
discovery of a long lost cousin or two. If there are any such societies in
your chosen area, they will be listed below.
Glasgow & West of Scotland Family History
Society
Unit 5, 22 Mansfield Street
Glasgow
G11 5QP
Tel: +44 141 339 8303
www.gwsfhs.org.uk
Open: Tue 14:00 - 16:30, Thu 10:00 - 21:30 & Sat 14:00 - 16:30.
A members' surname index database is maintained. Various indexing projects
in progress.
Burial Information
It may seem a little odd, but a visit to the burial ground of an ancestor can make you feel more closely connected to them. However, tracking down the specific plot, or lair as they were referred to in Scotland, depends on the period of time when the deaths occurred.
Up to the mid-19th century it was the normal practice for people to be interred in the Parish Kirk burial ground - although this was only rarely marked with anything as grand as a headstone. The Scottish Association of Family History Societies (SAFHS) is currently co-ordinating a major project to develop a National Burial Index, relating to pre-1855 records. This will eventually be available on CD ROM. Although this will help to confirm that burials took place in parish burial grounds, it will not, unfortunately, indicate the location of the lair.
If your ancestor was wealthy enough, their grave may have been marked by an inscribed headstone. Over the years, family history societies and other volunteer groups have painstakingly transcribed and indexed such inscriptions - and these are nearly always held in the relevant local history libraries or family history research centres.
By the mid-19th Century, many parish burial grounds had become seriously overcrowded, especially those in urban areas, and this led to the creation of both private and municipal cemeteries. If you know the place and date of death, you should be able to discover the location of a lair, although not all cemeteries and records have survived.
The concept of cremation started to gain popularity in the late 1940s and has increased ever since. Ashes may be taken away by the family, scattered in the garden of remembrance or buried either in the crematorium or in a family plot.
East Dunbartonshire
Parks and Amenities Services
Connect Services
Broomhill Industrial Estate
Kilsyth Road
Kirkintilloch
G66 1TF
Tel: +44 141 578 8000
Fax: +44 141 574 5555
Email: general@EastDunbarton.gov.uk
The Council operate nine cemeteries, most of which were opened in the late 19th Century. Registers are held for most, though not all, of them. They are not indexed so precise details of death/burial are recommended. Records of burials in the old Churchyards are not held.
Pre 1922 burial records are held in the William Patrick Library (see Dunbartonshire 'Local Studies Libraries' information)
West Dunbartonshire
Bereavement Services
West Dunbartonshire Council
Richmond Street Depot
Clydebank
G81 1RF
Tel: +44 1389 738 548
Fax: +44 141 562 2346
E-mail: Helen.murray@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
The Authority is responsible for several cemeteries in Clydebank, Dumbarton, Alexandria and Kilmarnock. Visitors are welcome at the above office where the lair registration books are kept. Copying of extracts is not permitted. A standard charge of £12 is made per search.
