aberdeenshire leaflet 16/4/09 15:24 Page 1

Aberdeen City Archives City Archives Aberdeen City Archives

School boards and education authorities Introduction Education in the north-east was administered by parish school A wealth of documents and records relating to the rich histo- boards from 1873 to 1919 and by county education authorities ry and heritage of are available to the public at from 1919 to 1929. The minutes of these bodies are a useful Old Aberdeen House, Dunbar Street, Aberdeen, part of source of information on school buildings and the employ- Aberdeen City Archives. This leaflet aims to outline the major ment of teachers. After 1929 the education authorities were Aberdeenshire sources that can be used for family history, local abolished and their powers were passed to the county and City history, school projects, and for many other purposes. councils. So from 1929 onwards education records are con- tained within the county and city collections. A leaflet provid- ing more detail about these records is available on request and The Collections also on our website. These consist of documents in many forms dating from the early 17th century to the present day and cover the three School records Headteachers’ log books and pupil admission registers survive ancient counties of Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine. They Burgh records for several hundred north-east schools as a major source for range from minutes, registers, accounts, letters, and log books, The records of these self-governing towns are a vital source for family and local history. A list of the schools collections, most- to maps, plans and photographs. Originally, they were creat- local history and usually include Town Council minutes, ly post-dating the Education () Act of 1872, can be ed for practical and administrative purposes but many of them accounts, and letters. In some cases they also include building found in the Catalogues section of our website. Please note are now a valuable source for all kinds of research. plans and harbour records. The date of the earliest records for that access to certain records in these collections is restricted each burgh collection held are as follows: under the Data Protection Act and they may only be consult- ed upon completion of an access request form. A leaflet pro- (1890) (1780) Major viding more detail about these records is available on request (1890) Kintore (1747) and also on our website. Aberdeenshire Sources (1844) Macduff (1783) Banff (1649) (1893) Commissioners of Supply records Deposited records Ellon (1873) (1807) The minutes and accounts of the Commissioners of Supply The records of a number of local businesses, churches, volun- (1840) (1889) document the administration of counties by landowners until tary organisations and individuals have been deposited for per- (1834) Rosehearty (1811) the establishment of county councils in 1890. Records survive manent preservation alongside the official records of (1819) (1617) for the counties of Aberdeen from 1654, Kincardine from Aberdeenshire Council. These holdings include the records of (1708) (1858) 1762 and Banff from 1772. The collection includes the min- Duncan & Munro, architects, Turriff; Campfield Smiddy, (1793) utes and accounts of the turnpike road trustees and commuta- ; the Episcopal churches of Banff and Portsoy; tion road trustees, detailing the development of the road infra- Peterhead Methodist church; the Society of Solicitors and Poor relief records structure in the counties from the 1790s to the 1870s. The Procurators of Kincardineshire; and the Royal Northern Parochial Boards (later Parish Councils) administered poor Aberdeen County collection also contains a very comprehen- Agricultural Society. sive set of Assessed Tax lists covering 1799-1832 which pro- relief support in Scotland from 1845 to 1929. Minutes, appli- cations for relief and registers of the poor survive for many vides a list of the major landholders in each parish of the Many of these records are useful for research on parishes in Aberdeenshire, making them a major source for County. Aberdeenshire. Of particular importance are the records of family history research. Indexes to many of these records are the Garden of Troup family; Peterhead Poor House; John Fyfe available in the Old Aberdeen House searchroom and the County council and district council records Limited, granite merchants; and the Grampian Valuation Joint Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society The county councils of Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine, and Board. The Valuation Joint Board’s records comprise proper- shop. Please note that access to certain records is restricted their district councils, were established in 1890. They were ty valuation rolls listing heads of households for the counties under the Data Protection Act and that they may only be con- responsible for carrying out many local authority functions up of Aberdeen (from 1859/60), Kincardine (from 1862/63) and sulted upon completion of an access request form. A leaflet to 1975, including roads, public health, housing, education Banff (1877/78), and also electoral registers for the counties of providing more detail about these records is available on and planning. Minutes and accounts survive for all the coun- Aberdeen (from 1918), Kincardine (from 1911) and Banff request and also on our website. ty councils and for some district councils. (from 1939). aberdeenshire leaflet 16/4/09 15:24 Page 4

Aberdeen City Archives Aberdeen City Archives

Services to the Public Old Aberdeen House The Archive offers a full range of reader services. There is a Old Aberdeen House I Dunbar Street I Aberdeen I AB24 3UJ public searchroom at Old Aberdeen House for the consulta- Tel: 01224 481775 I Fax: 01224 495830 I tion of documents and detailed lists of many of the collections e-mail: [email protected] Aberdeenshire’s can be consulted there. An archivist is also on duty to advise www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/archives A RCHIVES users on all aspects of our holdings. Searchroom opening hours I Monday - Wednesday, 9.30am - 1pm, 2pm - 4.30pm I Please telephone in advance to make an Please note that spaces are limited and readers are asked to appointment I Pencils only may be used in the searchroom book a seat in advance, particularly those readers coming from a distance or who intend to work for several days or weeks. Potential readers are also asked to bear in mind that the search- room is closed for stocktaking for two weeks towards the end of the year.

Additional services offered by the City Archives include replies to postal, email and telephone enquiries, exhibitions, record surveys and public talks. We also offer a limited research serv- ice, the rates for which can be found in our table of fees on the website or on request. Photocopies of documents and repro- ductions of photographs and plans can be purchased, subject to copyright restrictions if applicable. The formats and charges for these can also be found in our table of fees.

Many of the collections housed by the Archives Service have been gifted or loaned by institutions or individuals and staff welcome further deposits of historical significance. Once deposited these records are cleaned, stored and listed and made available for public research. The Archives staff are also happy to provide advice on the conservation and storage of docu- ments on request.

Old Aberdeen House Facilities car parking I reference library I sources leaflets I copying service I enquiries service I research service

www.aberdeencityandshire.com Published by Aberdeen City Archives, April 2009 www.aberdeencity.gov.uk