But, apart from the General Registry House, there are certain local records in Scotland which might be consulted.
The principal of these are: The Books of the Sheriffs’ Courts, The Books of the Royal Burghs, Ancient Episcopal Records.
There were no Herald’s Visitations for Scotland, but their Sasines affect all the landed classes.
The records of the Scottish Universities supply information which may be very valuable to the genealogist, in much the same way as those in England and Ireland. These Scottish Universities are St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh.
The Advocates’ Library, Edinburgh, is a very celebrated one, and of printed books, such as have been recommended, the genealogist should find a plentiful supply in any large library in Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Perhaps our pedigree-hunter, when looking up a Scottish family, may rejoice in the existence of the Clan system in Scotland.
Even if this is regarded as a mixed benefit, it has the advantage of giving the genealogist a more limited nomenclature through which to search.
Wales.—Welsh Families.—If by any chance our pedigree-hunter is looking up a family of purely Welsh origin, he may be somewhat puzzled by the family nomenclature, which is almost entirely patronymic, and until rather lately the baptismal name of the father often became the son’s surname!
Parish Registers exist in Wales just as in England and Ireland, but very few of them have been printed.
There are also various Episcopal Diocesan Registers to be consulted there.