Online resources
What do I need to know before I start?
A number of our family history resources are available online. You can explore these anywhere provided you have access to a computer with internet access. There are two significant exceptions which can only be accessed on site at the Mitchell Library. These are detailed below.
The ScotlandsPeople Network is accessible via the Registrars at The Mitchell and offers differing availability of records compared to anyone doing online searching at the ScotlandsPeople website. More recent records are available via the ScotlandsPeople Network.
Free access to Ancestry is only available to Glasgow Library members using a computer at any Glasgow Library.
What online resources can I find at The Mitchell: Registrars, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow City Archives and Special Collections?
Registrars
Access the ScotlandsPeople Network at the Mitchell Library through the Registrars and explore the most comprehensive collection of Scottish vital records available. Pay a daily fee and access digital images and full index of a range of records for all of Scotland including:
- civil registration records, 1855-present
- old parish registers, 1538-1854
- Catholic parish registers, 1703-1963
- census returns, 1841-1911
- wills and testaments, 1513-1925
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Archives
An alphabetical index and classification index of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Archive can be accessed online which lead to a summary description of the records held and the dates covered.
Summary catalogue descriptions can be accessed via the Archives Hub
Special Collections and Glasgow City Archives
Catalogues
Online library catalogue |
The key search tool for finding published material on family history in The Mitchell and all Glasgow Libraries. The catalogue has books and pamphlets acquired from 1976 onwards and all Glasgow Collection material. You can access the catalogue at any library or from home. Search by author, title, keyword or under “family history” to find family history books for lending. |
| The Scottish Archive Network | Summary descriptions of Glasgow City Archive collections are available online at the Scottish Archive Network. |
Websites
| Virtual Mitchell | Photographs of Glasgow's buildings and streets and people going about their daily lives. Most of the photographs are from Glasgow City Archives and Special Collections; others are from Glasgow Museums and some have been kindly lent by private owners. |
| The Blitz on Clydeside | Memories, documents and photographs of the people and places of Clydeside during the Second World War. |
| The Glasgow Story | As told by some of Scotland’s best writers and illustrated with thousands of images from the collections of the city’s world-famous libraries, museums and universities. From football to fashions, Auchenshuggle to Yoker, it’s all here. |
Databases
|
St Andrew’s Episcopal Church Baptisms by: father's surname and year |
An index to the baptismal registers of St Andrew’s by the Green Episcopal Church, Glasgow, 1800-1854. (Earlier volumes survive which are not included in this index). |
|
Baptisms by father's surname Baptisms by mother's surname |
An index to various pre-1855 Episcopal and Presbyterian baptismal registers covering Glasgow and some of the surrounding area. (Not all available volumes have yet been added to the index). |
| Evening Times Roll of Honour | Index to pages in the Evening Times 1914-1919 which listed short biographies of service personnel from Glasgow and surrounding areas who were missing, dead or wounded. Entries often include regiment, family names, address, photograph and occupation. |
| Militia Records for Glasgow 1810-1831 | Index to Militia Registers for Glasgow, 1810-1831. The Militia Act of 1809 provided for aliment to militia-men who had children below the age of ten. The men themselves, their wives and children, and the principals for whom they were acting as substitutes (if any) are all indexed. |
| Boer War Burgesses | Index to Militia Registers for Glasgow, 1810-1831. The Militia Act of 1809 provided for aliment to militia-men who had children below the age of ten. The men themselves, their wives and children, and the principals for whom they were acting as substitutes (if any) are all indexed. |
| Chimney Sweeps | Chimney Sweeps Licenses for the Burgh of Glasgow, 1852-1862. |
| Belgian Refugees | Glasgow Corporation's City Assessor maintained a register of 8,000 Belgian refugees, who arrived in Glasgow and the neighbourhood, c. 1914 and they are listed in this database. |
| Police Return of Destitute | A return of the most destitute families and individuals within the police jurisdiction of Glasgow prepared by the Police Superintendent, 1841. |
| Lesmahagow Census by address, reference and surname | An index to the Lesmahagow census, 1821, showing name, address and number of males and females resident at each address. |
| Highland Light Infantry - 1st and 2nd Glasgow battalions | A database of men who served in the 1st and 2nd Glasgow battalions of the HLI. Contains details such as regimental number, rank, religion and often additional information like height and boot size. |
| Glasgow Absent Voters List, 1920 | Contains the names of more than 13,000 men and women who lived in Glasgow. Excellent source of information about those who served in the forces, merchant seamen and other occupations supporting the war effort. |
Indexes to finding aids
| Scottish Regimental Histories Collection | Index to material on Scottish military history, development of the Scottish Regiments, individual regiments and some individual soldiers. Includes regimental magazines, biographies and memoirs. |
| Monumental Inscriptions | Index to published lists of Monumental Inscriptions for graveyards around Scotland. MIs are engravings on grave markers or other memorials to the dead and can provide valuable information about individuals and families. |
Make the most of your Glasgow Libraries membership and take advantage of free access to the following online resources.
| Ancestry | Library members can access the world’s largest genealogical database for free from any Glasgow Libraries computer. Use your library card and PIN to search thousands of databases such as passenger lists, census transcripts and military collections. |
| Research 24:7 | Glasgow Libraries offer free access to library members to a huge range of information and reference resources, including family history. If you’re not a library member, you’re missing out - so join here. |
| Nineteenth Century British Library Newspapers | Shine a light on 19th century British society and explore the family history potential of 48 UK titles including Glasgow Herald and Caledonian Mercury. Free access with your library card and PIN at home or any Glasgow library. |
| Scotsman 1817-1950 | Newspapers offer a fascinating insight into Scottish society, culture, and are a great family history resource. Full text searching. Free access with your library card and PIN at home or any Glasgow library. |
| Pro-Quest Central | Searchable database of over 17000 journals and newspaper titles. Very useful for family and social historians. Free access with your library card and PIN at home or any Glasgow library. |
| Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | over 50,000 influential, deceased UK figures. Free access with your library card and PIN at home or any Glasgow library. |
Leaflets
| Architectural Plans | The wonderful documentary heritage of Glasgow’s buildings over the last three centuries. |
| Church Archives | Discover vital clues to your family’s history in church registers across a wide-range of denominations. |
| Poor Law Archives | Discover vital clues about your family’s history and reveal details about their daily lives. |
| Family History | A wonderful documentary heritage of Glasgow and the west of Scotland to help you make connections with your ancestors. |
| City Archives | The wonderful documentary heritage of Glasgow over eight centuries. |
| Using Archives | Your practical guide to accessing the archives and unlocking Glasgow’s incredible history first hand. |
What records can I see elsewhere?
Scran is a charity & online learning resource base with over 370,000 images & media from museums, galleries, archives and the media.
Glasgow Post Office Directories dating from 1783-1911 can be downloaded from the National Library of Scotland for non-commercial use.
National Library of Scotland have digitised many historical maps from Scotland and the world.