2015

NRS has released valuation rolls from 1855 on ScotlandsPeople. The great, the good and the humble of Victorian Scotland can be found amongst the million plus names and addresses now available to researchers online.

Among the 1855 Valuation Rolls are many notable figures, including Professor James Young Simpson, Hugh Miller, David Octavius Hill, and Sir David Brewster. Humbler  people include the shoemaker father of the future missionary, Mary Slessor, and the landlady of the lodgings where Pierre Emile L’Angelier died, allegedly at the hand of Madeleine Smith, the Glasgow socialite who was notoriously tried for his murder in 1857.

The rolls also provide a snapshot of a country undergoing enormous change, as people left the land in search of work in the expanding industrial towns and cities, often living in cramped, unhealthy conditions, while others emigrated in search of a better life. Britain was also a country at war, and in Scotland, as elsewhere, streets and houses had already begun to be named after the Battle of Alma, in honour of the allies’ victory over the Russians in the Crimea in September 1854.

The Valuation Rolls were first compiled in 1855, the same year that the statutory registration of births, marriages and deaths was introduced under the supervision of the first Registrar General for Scotland. The resulting records provide a detailed picture of the people of Scotland eighteen years after Queen Victoria came to the throne.

The 1855 rolls join eight previous releases on the ScotlandsPeople  website, enabling anyone worldwide to find property owners, tenants and occupiers across Scotland for the 70 years between 1855 and 1925.

The Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said:

"I welcome the addition of the latest resource that NRS is making available to a wide audience. These -records tell part of the story of Scotland and allow people across the world and at home to learn more about the history of their families and communities."

Tim Ellis, Registrar General and Keeper of the Records of Scotland, said:

“The Valuation Rolls started in 1855, the same year as the statutory registration of births, marriages and deaths was begun by my earliest predecessor as Registrar General. Together they provide a mass of information for family historians and other researchers to use in understanding the fabric of Scotland and Scottish society in this period. The latest release is part of the commitment by the National Records of Scotland to progressively improve access to the key records that researchers want.”

Provisional figures for births, deaths and other vital events registered during the second quarter of 2015 are published today by the National Records of Scotland.

The statistics show that 13,897 deaths were registered in the second quarter of the year – 1,051 (8.2 per cent) more than in the same period of 2014. This was the highest number of second quarter deaths since 2006 although levels remain substantially lower than those seen in the 1980s.

The provisional figures also show that:

• 13,718 births were registered in Scotland in quarter two – 303 (2.2 per cent) fewer than in the same period of 2014. The total number of births for the second quarter fell to a low of around 12,600 in 2002. It then rose to around 14,800 in 2008 before falling back to the current level of around 13,700 in 2015. 
• There were 8,187 marriages in total, 155 fewer than in the second quarter of 2014 (a fall of 1.9 per cent). Of these, 427 were same-sex marriages. 
• There were eight civil partnerships (5 male and 3 female), 121 fewer than during the second quarter of 2014. 

Compared with the same period in 2014, the number of deaths from coronary heart disease rose by 4.6 per cent to 1,739, deaths from stroke increased by 6.9 per cent to 1,040, and there were 3,929 deaths from cancer (an increase of 1.7 per cent). .

The full publication Births, deaths and other vital events - quarterly figures is available on this website. 

 The Keeper’s Annual Report for 2015, published under the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011, has been laid before the Scottish Parliament.  It reflects the second full year of activity since the Act came into force on 1 January 2013.

The 2015 report can be viewed on this website.

The primary aim of the Act is to improve the quality of record keeping within 250 named Scottish public authorities. In so doing it helps those authorities to safeguard and prioritise public records as a guarantor of the rights of Scottish citizens.

The report shows that further successes and measurable improvements have been made to public record keeping. The Act requires the named authorities to submit records management plans to the Keeper for agreement. A total of 59 records management plans submitted by authorities have been agreed since the Act came into force and 116 authorities have been invited to submit their plans. Many had them agreed during 2014/15 and they are listed within the report. Plans agreed show that authorities are taking their responsibilities seriously and that good practice is being followed in key areas.

The Act is central to a long-term process of improving the standard of record-keeping across the Scottish public sector. It continues to build trust and promote a new culture around record keeping, one which values public records and ensures that they remain authentic, accurate and true.

In total, 613 drug-related deaths were registered in Scotland in 2014, according to statistics published today by the National Records of Scotland. This was the largest number ever recorded, 86 (16 per cent) more than in 2013, and 257 (72 per cent) higher than in 2004. (The publication explains that the rises would be smaller if account were taken of changes in the classification of drugs.)

The statistics also show that:

• Males accounted for 74 per cent of the drug-related deaths in 2014.
• In 2014, there were 213 drug-related deaths of people aged 35-44 (35 per cent of all drug-related deaths), 157 drug-related deaths of 25-34 year olds (26 per cent) and 148 deaths of 45-54 year olds (24 per cent).
• The NHS Board areas which accounted for most of the 613 drug-related deaths in 2014 were:
  • Greater Glasgow & Clyde – 189 (31 per cent);
  • Lothian – 105 (17 per cent); and
  • Lanarkshire – 67 (11 per cent).
• Using the annual averages for 2010-2014, to reduce the effect on the figures of year-to-year fluctuations:
  • For Scotland as a whole, the average of 558 drug-related deaths per year represented a death rate of 0.11 per 1,000 population;
  • The NHS Board area with the highest rate was Greater Glasgow & Clyde (0.15);
  • The next highest rates were for Ayrshire & Arran and Tayside (both 0.11)
• Comparing the annual averages for 2010-2014 with those for 2000-2004:
  • The percentage increase was greater for females (141 per cent) than males (50 per cent);
  • The largest increase in numbers was for 35-44 year olds, the next largest was for people aged 45-54, and there was a fall in the number of drug-related deaths of people aged under 25;
  • The NHS Board areas with the largest increases in the numbers of drug-related deaths were Lothian (up by 45), Greater Glasgow & Clyde (up by 38) and Lanarkshire (up by 33).
• Of the 613 drug-related deaths in 2014:
  • Heroin and/or morphine were implicated in, or potentially contributed to, the cause of 309 deaths (50 per cent of the total) – more than in any of the previous four years;
  • Methadone was implicated in, or potentially contributed to, 214 deaths (35 per cent) – fewer than in any of the previous three years;
  • One or more opiates or opioids (including heroin/morphine and methadone) were implicated in, or potentially contributed to, 535 deaths (87 per cent) – higher than in any of the six previous years for which there are comparable figures;
  • Benzodiazepines (e.g. diazepam) were implicated in, or potentially contributed to, 121 deaths – fewer than in any of the six previous years for which there are comparable figures;
  • The corresponding numbers for some other substances were: cocaine – 45 deaths; ecstasy-type drugs – 14 deaths; amphetamines – 22 deaths; alcohol – 106 deaths. 
  • The percentages add up to more than 100 because more than one drug was implicated in, or contributed to, many deaths. 
• Annex E of the publication provides information about deaths which involved so-called New Psychoactive Substances (NPSs), including their definition for the purposes of these figures. On that basis, in 2014:
  • There were 62 deaths in which NPSs were implicated, or potentially contributed to, the cause of death;
  • Almost all of them (55) are included in the 613 drug-related deaths referred to earlier;
  • In 40 of the 62 deaths, the only NPSs present were benzodiazepines (usually etizolam, but sometimes diclazepam or phenazepam);
  • In just 7 of the 62 cases were the deaths believed to have been caused by NPSs alone;
  • There were also 52 deaths for which NPSs were present but were not considered to have contributed to the death.  Almost all of them (51) are included in the 613 drug-related deaths referred to earlier. In most cases (44 out of 52) benzodiazepines were the only NPSs present.

The full publication Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2014 is available on this website. 

Demographic information about Scotland’s population

National Records of Scotland (NRS) today publishes Scotland’s Population 2014 – the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends.

Tim Ellis, the Registrar General of Scotland, said:

"This is a time of substantial demographic change: the population is increasing and ageing. The ageing population is the most distinctive current demographic development and will bring both opportunities and challenges.

Life expectancy at birth in Scotland, while increasing, is lower than in the UK as a whole, and lower than a lot of other developed countries. There is also considerable local variation in life expectancy. Good quality data contributes to research aimed at improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of health interventions, and securing lasting improvements to the health of the people of Scotland.

In the last half of the 20th century, more people tended to leave Scotland than move here. However, since 2001, this has changed, with more people moving to Scotland than leaving. Around 60 per cent of people moving to Scotland are from the rest of the UK, while around 40 per cent are from overseas. Migrants tend to be younger than the population as a whole."

The report on Scotland’s Population shows that:

• The estimated population of Scotland on 30 June 2014 was 5,347,600, the highest ever recorded.
• Life expectancy in Scotland has improved greatly over the last 30 years. Life expectancy of those born around 2013 is now 77.1 years for males and 81.1 years for females. This is an increase of 8 and 5.8 years respectively. However, life expectancy in Scotland has improved more slowly than in the rest of the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
• In the year to 30 June 2014, 82,440 people came to Scotland (from the rest of the UK and from overseas) and 64,860 left Scotland (to the rest of the UK and overseas). This resulted in a net-gain of 17,580.
• There were 29,069 marriages in Scotland in 2014. Of these, 367 were same-sex marriages following The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 coming into force on 16 December 2014. There were also 436 civil partnerships – 193 male couples and 243 female couples. The average age at which people marry for the first time has increased by around two years since 2004, to 33.2 years for men and 31.4 years for women in 2014.
• There were 56,725 births registered in Scotland in 2014. There were 711 (1.3 per cent) more births in 2014 than in 2013. This is the first rise following five consecutive annual decreases in the number of births.
• There were 54,239 deaths registered in Scotland in 2014. The top causes of death were cancer (15,840), ischaemic (coronary) heart disease (6,872), respiratory system diseases (6,707), and cerebrovascular disease (stroke) (4,123).
• In 2014, there were 455 adoptions recorded in Scotland. The number of adoptions each year is around a quarter of what it used to be in the early 1970s.
• In mid-2014, there were 2.42 million households in Scotland, which is an increase of around 169,000 over the past ten years.

The report also contains an invited chapter analysing how Scotland’s ethnic groups fare in the labour market. The analysis shows that:

• People of Polish ethnicity in Scotland were the most economically active, but they were most likely to be in lower-skilled employment;
• Those of Indian ethnicity were the most likely to be highly qualified and working in the top professions;
• Gypsy/Travellers were more likely than other ethnic groups to be working the longest hours, and to be in the lowest social grade.

The report is a compendium that brings together key demographic information from a range of publications produced by NRS. It has been produced annually since it was first published in 1855. It is accompanied by an update on a wide range of other statistics on births, stillbirths, adoptions, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths, which appear in the Vital Events Reference Tables and in website sections on deaths from certain causes. 

Among the other information published by NRS today:

• There were 1,152 alcohol-related deaths in 2014, an increase of 52 (5 per cent) compared with 2013;

• There were 696 probable suicides in 2014, 99 (12 per cent) fewer than in the previous year;

• Age-standardised death rates fell by 19 per cent between 2004 and 2014 for all ages and by 23 per cent for people aged under 75.

The full publications Scotland's Population 2014 - The Registrar General's Annual Review of Demographic Trends, Vital Events Reference Tables 2014 and Deaths by various causes (excluding Drug-related Deaths and Winter Mortality) are available on this website. 

An infographic report on Scotland’s population, along with interactive data visualisations on causes of death and birth rates by age has also been published today on this website.

NRS has released thousands of marine death records online. A complete record of the deaths of Scottish seafarers from late Victorian times until 1974 is being made available online for the first time through ScotlandsPeople adding to the varied genealogical sources already available.

Among the 14,000 records, compiled by the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, are William M Murdoch, First Officer on RMS Titanic and the Scottish crew members who died when the Lusitania was torpedoed in 1915.

Also newly-released online are Returns of Deaths at Sea for the years 1902-1905. The Returns list Scottish seamen, fishermen who drowned and emigrating Scots who never reached their destination. Read some of their fascinating stories on the ScotlandsPeople website.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said:

"Scotland is a maritime nation with fascinating stories and an important seafaring history and these new online registers will provide wider access to this heritage. I welcome the addition of this new resource that NRS is making available, which is part of the story of Scotland and will encourage people from across the world and at home to find out more about Scotland's seafaring heritage."

Tim Ellis, Registrar General and Keeper of the Records of Scotland, said:

“The Returns of Deaths of Seamen and Deaths at Sea open a window into the lives of Scots seafarers in the first half of the twentieth century. They reveal the dangers experienced by seamen and passengers alike, and provide useful information for anyone wishing to discover more about their ancestors.  Our commitment at National Records of Scotland is to continue to extend digital access to the key records that researchers want.”

The number of households in Scotland has continued to increase. There were 2.42 million households in 2014, an increase of 0.8 per cent since 2013, according to figures published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS) in 'Estimates of Households and Dwellings in Scotland, 2014'.

Tim Ellis, the Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland, said:

“The number of households in Scotland grows every year. The rate of growth was increasing in the lead up to the economic downturn, but since then, it has fallen. Between 2001 and 2007, there was an average increase of 20,200 households per year. Between 2008 and 2014, the average increase was lower, at 14,400 per year.

“In 2014, for the second year in a row, the annual increase in the number of households appears to have grown. However, this is not just down to increases in house-building. Instead, there has been an apparent drop in the number of second homes and empty properties. This appears to be mainly because some empty properties and second homes have been reclassified, following recent Council Tax changes on empty properties.”

Almost all council areas saw an increase in household numbers between 2013 and 2014. However Argyll and Bute, East Ayrshire and Eilean Siar saw slight reductions. The overall number of dwellings (including vacant properties and second homes) rose in all council areas in 2014 except West Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde. Both of these areas had carried out demolitions as part of regeneration projects.

In Scotland as a whole, 2.9 per cent of dwellings were vacant and 1.1 per cent were second homes, with the latter concentrated in more rural areas.

The full publication, Estimates of Households and Dwellings in Scotland, 2014, is available on this website.

The equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington outside General Register House in Edinburgh gives the National Records of Scotland a unique link with the British general and his most famous victory at Waterloo on 18 June 1815.

To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, two online features spotlight the iconic statue and some of the Scottish soldiers who fought in the conflict, revealing what became of some of the veterans. We also reveal some Waterloo-inspired names on the ScotlandsPeople website.

The battle involved thousands of Scottish troops in the British army’s epic fight, alongside other allied forces, against Napoleon’s superior army. More than 4,000 British soldiers died in or soon after the battle, but the survivors earned the right to wear the Waterloo medal, and enjoyed the status of heroes at home. 

Exactly thirty-seven years later, many of the veterans were present at the ceremony to unveil the statue of Wellington outside General Register House. His defeat of Napoleon was regarded as ensuring the freedom not only of Britain but of Europe in general.

Provisional figures for births, deaths and other vital events registered during the first quarter of 2015 are published today by the National Records of Scotland.

The statistics show that 16,521 deaths were registered in the first quarter of the year – 2,562 (18.4 per cent) more than in the same period of 2014. The main drivers of the increase were deaths from respiratory diseases and circulatory diseases. This was the highest number of first quarter deaths since 2000 although levels remain substantially lower than those seen in the 1980s. 

There were 462 same-sex marriages between 1 January and 31 March 2015 - the first full quarter since the Marriage and Civil Partnerships (Scotland) Act 2014 came into force in December 2014.

The provisional figures also show that:

• 13,320 births were registered in Scotland in quarter one – 610 (4.4 per cent) less than in the same period of 2014. The total number of births for the first quarter fell to a low of  around 12,400 in 2002. It then rose to around 15,100 in 2008 before falling more gradually to the current level of around 13,300 in 2015. 
• There were 3,889 marriages in total, 340 more than the figure for the first quarter of 2014 (a rise of 9.6 per cent).  
• There were 20 civil partnerships (12 male and 8 female), 57 fewer than during the first quarter of 2014. 
• Compared with the same period in 2014, the number of deaths from coronary heart disease rose by 12.4 per cent to 2,008, deaths from stroke increased by 20.2 per cent to 1,317, and there were 4,072 deaths from cancer (an increase of 4.2 per cent).

The full publication, Births, deaths and other vital events - quarterly figures, is available on this website.

 A unique 14^th century letter concerning Sir William Wallace, one of the main leaders of the fight against Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence and regarded by many as Scotland’s greatest national hero, is to remain in Scotland for a further two years.  The document is currently on loan to National Records of Scotland from The National Archives in London, and the two organisations have reached agreement that the loan will be extended until 2017.

The letter, from King Philip IV of France to his agents in Rome, commands them to assist Wallace in his business before the Pope and is dated 7 November 1300.  It is known that Wallace travelled to the court of Philip IV of France in 1299 in an effort to persuade him to support the Scottish Cause against the English King, Edward I.  The document suggests that Wallace intended to visit the Pope but it is not known whether he reached Rome.

The letter is normally held in The National Archives.  Its age and fragility mean that it can only be put on display for limited periods of time, but it has been displayed in Scotland twice in recent years, in the Scottish Parliament in 2012, and again in 2014 at Stirling Castle.

Jeff James, Chief Executive and Keeper of The National  Archives  said: “We hold a range of records that are part of our shared history across the whole of the British Isles, including Scotland. Making our collection accessible to everyone is a priority and we are delighted to work in partnership with National Records of Scotland.  The loan is a great opportunity to widen access to this important document.”

Tim Ellis, Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland and Keeper of the Records of Scotland said: “I’m really pleased that we have been able to retain this iconic document in Scotland for a further two years.  It comes from a fascinating and tumultuous period of Scotland’s history and we now have the opportunity to start planning for a further opportunity to display this rare document, in Scotland, in the coming years.”