My ancestor died before 1855; how do I find when and where they died?

The main sources for information on births and marriages before 1855 are the Old Parochial Registers (OPRs). However, they are less useful for information on deaths. Only about half of the parishes have any deaths recorded in the OPRs and, with the exception of some of the larger parishes such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, they are not indexed. This means that finding a death in the OPRs can take a long time and in many cases you will not find anything. It is also worth pointing out that, other than the date and perhaps the cause and age of the deceased, no other information is usually given.

Other sources available are monumental inscriptions, burial registers and lair books. The best source for published and unpublished monumental inscriptions is the Scottish Genealogy Society. However, for most of our ancestors, especially in the cities, there will be no gravestone. In these cases, you should see if a lair book or burial register exists. These books may be held in local archives or by the appropriate council (for public cemeteries) or company (for private cemeteries). The best place to start is probably to consult the local archives for the area in which your ancestor died.