Unearth the skeletons in your family closet this Halloween with brand new records

2-3 minute read

By Niall Cullen | October 29, 2021

We're conjuring up witchcraft and wrongdoings in Scotland's past this week. What spine-tingling stories will you discover?

Here's what's new on the most frightening Findmypast Friday of the year.

Scotland, Names of Witches 1658

In this small but spooky collection, you’ll find details on some of those accused of witchcraft in early modern Scotland.

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1563’s Witchcraft Act made consorting with witches or taking part in witchcraft a crime punishable by death in Scotland. Around 1,500 people were executed, most of them women, until the last Scottish witch trial in 1727.

Scotland, Court & Criminal Database

Unlock criminals and victims in your Scottish family tree with this detail-rich collection. The records include names, occupations, addresses, and information about the crimes.

This resource comprises prison records, precognitions, and trial papers from all over Scotland, as well as the Fife Kalendar of Convicts. From fiends and felons to bone-chilling revelations, where will the dark side of your Scottish family story take you?

Newspapers

This week, we’ve added 19 new papers, including 13 from Scotland. The latest arrivals include:

Annandale Herald and Moffat News covering 1889-1892
Ayr Observer covering 1844, 1883, 1886-1887, 1889-1890 and 1892
Bridge of Allan Reporter covering 1890-1892
Courier and West-End Advertiser covering 1869-1880
Crieff Journal covering 1891-1892
Dufftown News and Speyside Advertiser covering 1898-1922 and 1935-1961
Edinburgh Evening Dispatch covering 1886-1892, 1894-1895 and 1897
Edinburgh News and Literary Chronicle covering 1848-1863
Evening Gazette (Aberdeen) covering 1882-1883, 1886-1889, and 1891-1892
Glasgow Property Circular and West of Scotland Weekly Advertiser covering 1879, 1883, 1886-1887, and 1890-1891
London and Liverpool Advertiser covering 1847
London News Letter and Price Current covering 1859-1865
London Weekly Investigator covering 1855-1857
North British Advertiser & Ladies’ Journal covering 1879, 1882-1883, 1885-1886, and 1889-1892
Northern Advertiser (Aberdeen) covering 1891-1892
Scottish Leader covering 1888 and 1890-1893
Scottish Press covering 1849-1850, 1852-1854, 1856-1857, 1859-1860 and 1862
Tichborne News and Anti-Oppression Journal covering 1872
Town and Country Advertiser covering 1834-1836

Meanwhile, we've updated 15 publications with extra pages, including:

Aberystwyth Observer from 1898
Greenock Herald from 1853, 1858, 1863, 1868 and 1878
Harborne Herald from 1896
Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal from 1726-1733, 1735-1741, 1743-1764, and 1767-1768
Kilmarnock Weekly Post and County of Ayr Reporter from 1856-1863
Lynn Advertiser from 1994
Newark Advertiser from 1992
Rhos Herald from 1898
Seren Cymru from 1895
South Wales Argus from 1911
South Wales Weekly Argus and Monmouthshire Advertiser from 1898 and 1910
St. Austell Star from 1897
Stamford Mercury from 1916
Suffolk and Essex Free Press from 1994
Warminster Herald from 1858, 1870-1871, 1875-1876, 1881, and 1885-1886

The 1921 Census is coming

In case you missed the news, we're excited to announce that the 1921 Census of England and Wales will be exclusively available online at Findmypast from January 6, 2022 (00:01 GMT).

We're delighted to have been chosen by The National Archives to bring this detailed snapshot of 38 million lives to you.

Findmypast Fridays live

If you like your genealogy with a terrifying twist, why not check out history's spookiest names or help us crack the infamous case of Jack the Ripper? Happy Halloween from everyone at Findmypast.