Online Register of Deeds Index Search - Help Page

Why can’t I find my ancestor?/Help with searching

A possible reason is that they are not in the index. Relatively few people registered deeds, if your family were not well off, they may not have created any deeds. It could be that we have not yet indexed the year you are interested in. Click here to see the current coverage of our online indexes. This index is being funded by the ‘Sponsor an Index’ initiative, if you would like to see more indexes online, could you consider sponsoring an index?

It might be, however, that we do have what you are looking for. We have given a number of search boxes but you don’t have to fill them all in. Less is more. If there are no results try reducing the amount of information you give. You could try solely the surname or even just the first name.

Use wildcards: The wildcard * can represent any series of characters, and the wildcard ? can represent any single character.

Both can be used in any field. Let’s say your ancestor’s surname was Blyth. In Victorian records spellings were very inconsistent, and the surname may have appeared with our without a final ‘e’. To get around this, try a search of Blyth* and this will bring up all Blyths, with or without the final ‘e’.

Perhaps a first name is causing some difficulty, for the same reason. Helen, for example might be ‘Hellen’, ‘Helen’, ‘Ellen’, ‘Elen’, ‘Elinor’ or ‘Eleanor’. Searching for *el*n* will bring almost all variations of the name up.

What years have been indexed?

Click here to see the current coverage of our online indexes.

What’s in the index?

Our free online index gives the following information:

Names and designations (if recorded) of the parties to the deed; the type of deed; the recording year (the date the document was registered, not the date it was created); the record source (this tells you the clerks office and if the entry was made from the minute book or the actual volumes of the Register of Deeds).

When we have consulted the register volumes as well as the minute books, the index will also include:

The document year (the date the document was created, as opposed to the date it was registered).

What information is in the full record?

The information in the full record will vary depending on the type of deed as well as other factors. The full designation of the individuals involved is usually given, this can include fathers’ names. It is also not uncommon to see a deed witnessed by other family members, and some deeds name many individuals.

How can I order a copy of the deed?

In most instances you can order a digital copy of the deed from the Register of Deeds for the research fee of £15. As the original deeds are in the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh it can take up to 3 weeks for us to fulfill the order. We will communicate with you soon after receiving the order and advise you of the time you will have to wait. If you need it more quickly this can often be arranged. When you find a result you are interested in click “Add to cart”, on the results page. You can continue searching on our website until you have added all the items you wish to order, then go back to your PayPal cart and check out.

Who holds the original records?

The original documents are held by the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Can you give me more help?

If you have an obstacle in your family tree and you need some help, contact us directly, explain your problem and we will try to assist. Often with our experience and the resources we have to hand, it is possible to solve your problem in an hour or two. We will look at your problem for about half an hour with no obligation. We will then then tell you if we can solve the problem and how much it will cost you, and it will be up to you to decide if you would like to proceed.

Return to Top