Other sources for Fife records
The Archives of Fife, AJ Campbell (FFHS, 1997), is an excellent guide to the location of pre-1900 archive material of genealogical and local historical importance.
Below are some details of where to find other standard genealogical sources, held elsewhere locally and also centrally in Edinburgh.
Registrar General for Scotland
New Register House, Edinburgh EH1 3YT (Tel.: 0131-334-0380)
The main records in the care of the Registrar General are Old Parish Registers (1553-1853), Registers of births, deaths and marriages (from 1 January 1855), Registers of Adopted Children (from 1920), Registers of Divorces (from May 1984), Service Records (1881-1959), War Registers (from 1899) and census records (1841-1891). Indices to most of the records are computerised and access is generally on microfiche or microfilm. You may take notes from or order an official extract of register entries. Admission is through the purchase of a search pass. There is an on-line search facility at http://www.scotsorigins.com.
National Archives of Scotland
HM General Register House, Edinburgh, EH1 3YY (Tel.: 0131-535-1314).
The best guide to the records in the Scottish Record Office is Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors, C Sinclair (HMSO), which explains step by step how to use the archive. The main groups of records you may find useful include: wills and testaments, sasines and other property records, estate records, valuation rolls, taxation records, court records, church records and material for early family history (pre 1600). There is a website http://www.nas.gov.uk
Local public libraries
Local public libraries have good local history collections:
Cupar Public Library
Duncan Institute, Crossgate, Cupar, KY15 5AS. Tel.: 01334-412285
Microfilm copies of the OPRs for Fife. Card index to local newspapers including Fifeshire Journal (1833-1893) and East Fife Record (1856-1960).
The Local History Department, Dunfermline Central Library
Abbot Street, Dunfermline, KY12 7NL. Tel.: 01383-312994
Specialises in the area of the west of Fife, around Dunfermline and also houses the more recent archives of the former burghs in the west of Fife.
Kirkcaldy Central Library
War Memorial Gardens, Kirkcaldy, KY1 1YG. Tel.: 01592-412878
Covers the Kirkcaldy and Central Fife area, but there is a lot of printed material concerning the rest of Fife.
Methil Public Library
Wellesley Road, Methil, Leven, KY8 3PA. Tel.: 01333-592470
The research material of the Fife Family History Society is held here which includes microfilm copies of the OPRs.
Fife Council Archive
Markinch
Contains many local authority records for the whole of the Fife area. For further details contact Andrew Dowsie: tel 01592 416504/413256 or e-mail to andrew.dowsie@fife.gov.uk.