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Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire was a county in central Scotland bounded by five other
counties. Part of Loch Lomond fell within its borders and its county town
was Stirling, although Falkirk was its largest town. Apart from
agriculture, a major industry was coal mining and more recently, oil
refining (at Grangemouth).
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.
Buchanan: Lands lie on the east shore of Loch Lomond
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).
Airth,
Alva,
Baldernock,
Balfron,
Bothkennar,
Buchanan,
Campsie,
Denny,
Drymen,
Dunipace,
Falkirk,
Fintry,
Garunnock (Gargunnock),
Killearn,
Kilsyth,
Kippen,
Larbert,
Logie,
Muiravonside,
Polmont,
Slamanan,
St Ninians,
Stirling,
Strathblane
* 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:
Local History Collection
Central Reference Library
Corn Exchange Road
Stirling
FK8 2HX
Tel: +44 1786 432106
Fax: +44 1786 473094
E-mail:
centrallibrary@stirling.gov.uk
www.stirling.gov.uk
Open: Mon, Wed & Fri 09:30 - 17:30, Tue-Thu, 09:30 - 19:00 & Sat
09:30 - 17:00.
Newspapers include Stirling Journal and Advertiser (1820-1970). There are
several indexes to the newspaper holdings.
Falkirk Library
Hope Street
Falkirk
FK1 5AU
Tel: +44 1324 503605
Fax: +44 1324 503606
E-mail:
falkirk@falkirk.gov.uk
www.falkirk.gov.uk
Open: Mon, Tue & Thu 09:30 - 20:00 & Wed, Fri & Sat 09:30 -
17:00.
Indexes are held for several newspapers including the Falkirk Herald
(1845-1991) and the Stirling Journal and Advertiser (1820-1970). There is
also a biographical/obituary notice index (1845, 1860-1910).
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:
Stirling Council Archive Services
Unit 6, Burghmuir Industrial Estate
Stirling
FK7 7PY
Tel: +44 1786 450745
Fax: +44 1786 433005
E-mail:
archive@stirling.gov.uk
Open: Wed-Fri, 10:00 - 12:30 & 13:30 - 16:30.
Booking is advisable
Callendar House
Balgonie Road
Falkirk
FK1 1YR
Tel: +44 1324 503778
Fax: +44 1324 503771
E-mail:
callendarhouse@falkirkmuseums.demon.co.uk
www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/community/cultural_services/museums/museum_venues/callendar_house.aspx
Open: Mon-Fri 1000-1230 & 1330-1700
Booking is advisable
Holds Falkirk local authority, business and estate records plus almost
30,000 photographs.
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.
Callendar House
Balgonie Road
Falkirk
FK1 1YR
Tel: +44 1324 503778
Fax: +44 1324 503771
E-mail:
callendarhouse@falkirkmuseums.demon.co.uk
www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/community/cultural_services/museums/museum_venues/callendar_house.aspx
Open: Mon-Fri 1000-1700; April-September 1400-1700
Wide range of exhibits relating to Falkirk's history
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.
Falkirk Museum and History Research Centre
Callendar House
Balgonie Road
Falkirk
FK1 1YR
Tel: +44 1324 503778
Fax: +44 1324 503771
E-mail:
callendarhouse@falkirkmuseums.demon.co.uk
www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/community/cultural_services/museums/museum_venues/callendar_house.aspx
Open: Mon-Fri, 10:00 - 12:30 & 13:30 - 17:00.
Booking is advisable
Holds Falkirk local authority, business and estate records plus almost
30,000 photographs.
Family History Society Scottish Family History Societies vary greatly in
scope. Some have their own premises and libraries, whereas others are much more
modest. A common feature of virtually all societies is a register of members'
family interests and a regular newsletter. Membership fees are extremely
modest. Family historians should join the relevant FHS and make contact with
the Secretary in advance of a visit.
Central Scotland Family History Society
Hon. Secretary
11 Springbank Gardens
Dunblane
FK15 9JX
www.csfhs.org.uk
Some of the society's holdings are kept in the Stirling Council Archives
(see Stirlingshire County data).
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.
Stirling
Environment Services
Stirling Council
Viewforth
Stirling
FK8 2ET
Tel: +44 1786 442 559
Fax: +44 1786 442 558
Email: crightond@stirling.gov.uk
The Council is responsible for 57 cemeteries and churchyards. No fee is currently charged for the searching facility although precise details of the death/burial are essential.
Falkirk
Bereavement Services
Dorrator Road
Camelon
Falkirk
FK2 7YJ
Tel: +44 1324 503 650
Fax: +44 1324 503 651
Email: billbauchope@falkirk.gov.uk
The Council is responsible for 11 cemeteries in and around Falkirk. The records, which are not indexed, are located at the above address. Personal visits are by appointment only. Simple enquiries relating to specific entries are undertaken free of charge.
