Non-conformist Churches, including Clergy
What do I need to know before I start?
Try to find out:
- name of the person
- where they lived
- which church they attended
What records can I find in The Mitchell: Glasgow City Archives?
The City Archives holds the records of a large number of non-Presbyterian dissenting churches, including:
- Baptist churches (one or two only)
- Congregational and Evangelical Union churches for across Scotland
- Episcopalian churches for Glasgow, including St Andrew's-by-the-Green, established in the 1750s, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire
- Methodist churches for Glasgow and Lanarkshire
- Unitarian Church of Glasgow
- Quakers, Edinburgh and Glasgow (copies only)
Records of interest include:
- baptisms, marriages and burials (many from before 1855)
- confirmations (for Episcopal churches)
- communion rolls
- membership lists
- financial records, including charitable giving, and pew rents
The records of the Episcopal church include files on the appointment of Bishops and other clergy for the Glasgow and Galloway Diocese. Access to these files requires permission of the Diocesan Office. Please ask the archivists for further details.
What records can I see online?
Databases of the following lists of pre-1855 baptisms from the City Archives are available online:
St Andrew's-by-the-Green Episcopal Church: Baptisms by Father's Surname, A-L (large file, 60MB)
St Andrew's-by-the-Green Episcopal Church: Baptisms by Father's Surname, M-Z (large file 63MB)
Church of Scotland (mainly seceding churches) and Episcopal Churches: Baptisms by Father's Surname
Church of Scotland (mainly seceding churches) and Episcopal Churches: Baptisms by Mother's Surname
These databases are not complete so please contact the City Archives for further information.
What records can I see elsewhere?
The National Records of Scotland holds many church records, so check their online catalogue at: National Records of Scotland. Jewish records are held in the Scottish Jewish Archives Centre.
What other resources will help me find information?
Glasgow City Archives leaflet on Church Records has some useful information about the City Archive holdings and how to access them.