MORE than 200,000 historical documents marking life and death in Scotland, including the records of a newlywed couple who faced tragedy in the Clydebank blitz, have gone online.
The entries are from statutory records and have been released onto ScotlandsPeople, a family history website operated by the National Records of Scotland.
Marriage records reveal the details of those wed in wartime Scotland including the couple whose union was cut tragically short.
The Alexander Clarkson and Margaret O’Donnell were married just a month in 1941 when Margaret was killed in a bombing raid, her name again recorded in the register.
Digital images of 110,000 birth entries from 1916, more than 47,000 marriage entries from 1941 and 64,000 death entries from 1966 are now available for members of the public to search, view and save.
Included is the birth of Jessie Grant Kesson, who wrote The White Bird Passes and who was born in Inverness on October 29, 1916.
She rose from humble beginnings to become an acclaimed author receiving honorary degrees from both the University of Aberdeen and the University of Dundee.
An entry details the 1915 birth of Jack Milroy, the Scottish comedian, who was born James Cruden on December 28, 1915 in Govanhill, Glasgow.
Milroy was best known for his double act with comedy actor Rikki Fulton. He played Francie in the comedy duo Francie and Josie.
Fiona Hyslop, Culture, Tourism and External Affairs Secretary, said: "The releases of these records give us a richer understanding of Scotland’s story and our people.
"The marriage certificates from the early '40s in particular provide further insight into the consequences of the Second World War, and how it affected the things we take for granted today.
"I’d encourage anyone interested in finding out more about their local history or genealogy to have a look at the wealth of records now available as part of our new ScotlandsPeople website.
"No matter where you are in the world, you can instantly find out more about your own personal story.”
Visitors to ScotlandsPeople can search record indexes including birth, death and marriage certificates for free, and users are charged to view or download a record image.
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