Description

Discover Scottish Land Records 2nd Ed

Chris Paton, 2017, Publisher: Unlock the Past
64 pages, Digital (.pdf) Download Only

This updated guide from family historian Chris Paton takes a look at the complicated records concerning land and property based research in Scotland.

For centuries property transactions within the country were governed by feudal tenure, a system which was abandoned in England and Wales in the Middle Ages, but which continued in Scotland until 2004. But feudalism was not the only method by which land was held, with Udal Law, duthchas, leasehold and more competing as forms of tenure across the country at different times.

Connected with the rules surrounding property transactions were those associated with the inheritance of land and heritable estate, all of which are explained in great detail. From sasines to skat, from retours to precepts of clare constant, and from apparent heirs to heirs apparent, this concise guide will help you get to grips with one of the most exciting and useful topics within Scottish family history.

Contents:
Introduction to first edition
Introduction to second edition
Acknowlegements
1. Where were they?
– The vital records
– Parish records
– Census records
– Street directories
– Phone directories
– Valuation rolls
– Burgh assessmernt rolls
– Earlier tax and valuation rolls
– Newspapers
2. A Sense of place
– Maps
– The Statistical Accounts of Scotland
– Other gazetteers
– Forfeited estates
– Other National Records of Scotland collections
– Historic Environment Scotland
3. Land tenure
– Scottish laws
– Feudalism
– Charters
– Instruments of Sasines
– Protocol books and the Secretary’s Register
– The Registers of Sasines
– Locating the records
– Pre-1781 sasines minute books
– Liferents and trusts
– Registers of Scotland
– Registers of deeds
– Tacksmen
– The end of feudalism
– Other forms of tenure
4. Inheritance
– Apparent heirs
– The Services of Heirs
– Precept of Clare Constat
– Types of heir
– Ultimus hacres
Glossary
Further reading
Index