West Lothian Council delivers

Births - historical searches

 

Sources in the West Lothian Local History Library for tracing births and baptisms:

• old parish registers for West Lothian - births and baptisms from c.17th century till 1854
• censuses for West Lothian - can be used to calculate approximate year of birth

Local newspapers - the Library holds a range of local newspapers including

• West Lothian Courier 1873 to date
• Linlithgowshire Journal and Gazette 1891 to date
• Midlothian Advertiser 1906-1967
• Livingston Post 1968-1981
• Bo'ness Journal and Linlithgowshire Advertiser 1879-1950
• Lothians Express 1893-1921
• Edinburgh Evening Courant 1780-1812
• West Lothian Herald and Post 1996 to date 

Most of these papers included birth notices.  The newspapers can be viewed on microfilm in the library.  The  local newspaper index (new window) to the first three titles above can be searched online, but note that birth, marriage and death notices were not indexed.

For other parts of Scotland, the Local History Library holds:

• the International Genealogical Index (based on old parish registers) for the whole of Scotland and Ireland
• indexes to the 1851 census for many parts of Scotland
• 1881 census for Great Britain
• index to the 1891 census for the whole of Scotland

Statutory Records (from 1855 on)

To search for statutory records (birth, marriage or death certificates, from 1855 on), there are three options:

• go to the Scotlandspeople website (new window)
• visit New Register House (new window) , Princes Street, Edinburgh.  Tel. 0131 314 4449 or 4450
• contact your local registrar's office - see phone book under Registration Service.

For online sources, see the links on the right of this page.

 

To get a copy birth, marriage or death certificate:

• apply to any Scottish Registrar's office

OR

• go online - www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk (new window)

OR

• apply to GROS, New Register House (new window)