Alloway and Southern Ayrshire FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY Robert Burns Cottage, Alloway, Ayr
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Sunday 1 April 2012

Valuation Rolls in Scotland

The Valuation Rolls in Scotland Go Online for the First Time
The ScotlandsPeople Team is delighted to announce the launch of the Valuation Rolls (VRs) in Scotland for 1915.

This is the first time that the rolls have been published online, allowing genealogists, local historians and other researchers to view images of entries in the rolls. Fully searchable both by name and address, the Valuation Rolls provide a fascinating snapshot of Scotland during the First World War, and will be a valuable resource for family history researchers.

What Do the Rolls Contain?
The rolls record the names of owners, tenants and occupiers of each property, unlike the full lists of family members to be found in the censuses. Usually the named person is the head of the household, but sometimes a husband and wife might be listed. Frequently, the wife is the named tenant of rented property. 

Why Were the Valuation Rolls Set Up?
The Valuation Rolls were created so that the authorities could set local rates. The purpose was to assess property by its annual rental value. This was either the value of the rent paid by the tenant, or a notional rental value if the owner occupied their own property. The burgh and county assessors did not list properties individually that were worth below £4 annual rental value.

Special Introductory Offer for the Launch of the Valuation Rolls
To celebrate the launch of the Valuation Rolls (VR), for an introductory period, the cost of viewing a VR image will be will be 2 credits rather than 5.

The View from the Keeper of the Records
Registrar General and Keeper of the Records, George MacKenzie, said:
"We are making available details about property owners and tenants which will be invaluable for people researching their family history, the history of their house, or their local area. The rolls are very useful when used in conjunction with other records, especially the census and statutory registers that people can also search through ScotlandsPeople.”

The View from brightsolid
Chris van der Kuyl, the CEO of brightsolid, who operate ScotlandsPeople for the National Records of Scotland, said:
“The publication of the Valuation Rolls on the ScotlandsPeople website is another piece in the jigsaw for helping people to trace their Scottish ancestry. Everyone at brightsolid is very excited by the launch of these new records, which will complement the 1911 Census records that we published on the ScotlandsPeople site just last year.” 

From Crofts to Castles...
The 1911 Census records provide a snapshot of Scotland on the brink of the First World War. The Valuation Rolls allow researchers to carry the story of their ancestors forward into a time of upheaval and change brought about by war.

Every kind of dwelling can be found in the rolls, from crofts to castles, and they reflect the drift of people from rural areas into our towns and cities, as well as the continuing industrialisation of Scotland.

Working premises include shops, offices, factories, football stadiums, churches, cinemas, swimming baths, railways and even lighthouses. This is a fascinating insight into where and how our ancestors lived.

Who Will Be Interested in the Valuation Rolls?
These new online records will be interesting both to people in Scotland and to the Scottish diaspora across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. 

To browse or search these new records, visit the the ScotlandsPeople website.
Vouchers are available from ASAFHS. Contact the treasurer for details using the "Contact" page.

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