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Famous names recorded in the registers held by the General Register office for Scotland

The registers of births, deaths and marriages held in New Register House, Edinburgh, Scotland, contain a wealth of information about people who were born, lived and died in Scotland, from the 16th century to the present day.  The majority of entries deal with ordinary folk, but some contain details of people who became famous or notorious during their lifetimes.

The entries are recorded in the old parish registers of the Church of Scotland, whose oldest volume dates from 1553; in the statutory registers of births, deaths and marriages from 1855 onward; and in the censuses taken of Scotland's population, every ten years from 1841 to 1901.

Copies of any of these entries, whether relating to someone famous or forgotten, may be bought from the Registrar General at New Register House.

Portrait reproduced with the kind permission of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery

The proclamation of the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots to Henry, Lord Darnley, is one of the earliest events recorded and can be found in the register for the parish of Canongate, Edinburgh. The marriage was celebrated on Sunday 29 July 1565.

Digitised extract from 'the Buik of the Kirk of the Canagait' recording the marriage

In the following pages you will find a small selection of the famous names appearing in our records:

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