Genealogy FAQ
How can I trace my ancestors in the University Library?
We have many records which are of interest to genealogists, mainly relating to those individuals who either have a personal connection with the University or who were born or lived in the north east Fife area. For further details, see the Genealogy page.
How can I find out if someone attended the University of St Andrews?
We hold records of students and staff of the University going right back to the earliest days of the institution, although we are aware that the records are not complete for the whole of that period. Some of the matriculation and graduation records are in print: see
J.M. Anderson, The Matriculation Roll of the University of St Andrews 1747-1897, edited by James Maitland Anderson, Edinburgh, Blackwood, 1905.
A.I. Dunlop, Acta Facultatis Artium Universitatis Sanctiandree, 1413-1588, edited by Annie I Dunlop, Edinburgh, Oliver and Boyd, 1964.
J.M. Anderson, Early Records of the University of St Andrews: the Graduation Roll 1413-1579, edited by James Maitland Anderson, Edinburgh, Scottish History Society, 1926.
These volumes should be your first port of call. We also have a manuscript index to the period (1560-1747) for which the records are not in print.
If you cannot find the person you want, or they are likely to be in the unpublished records, please write or email with your enquiry, giving as complete details as you can, and we will do our best to help you.
See also "What information do you hold on past students of the University?".
What information do you hold on past students of the University?
For students up until the late 19th century, frequently our only record is their name in the matriculation register. We are unlikely to be able to supply such information as parents names, home residence, etc. We may be able to reconstruct a likely academic profile, based on the norms of the day, and we may have some indication of their social status from the financial records.
For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, we also hold Library borrowing records which can provide useful information about the nature and extent of their studies.
For more recent students we do hold the files created for matriculation and record purposes. Particularly in modern times, these records provide some personal and family information, but please note that we will not supply information from these files to a third party during the lifetime of the student.