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Aberdeen City Records

Aberdeen City Records

Records of the Burgh and City of Aberdeen, dating from the 12th century to the present day. The collection includes the UNESCO-recognised Burgh registers, which run from 1398 to the present day, alongside charters, accounts, correspondence, deed registers, guildry records, rentals, harbour records, electoral registers and tax rolls. The collection also includes the record of Aberdeen School Board, St Nicholas Parochial Board and the city’s Police Commissioners. Records for the New Street Trustees document the development of the city’s distinctive Union Street.

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Aberdeenshire Records

Aberdeenshire Records

Burgh, school board, parochial board and Commissioner of Supply records for the counties of Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine, with links to the records of Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine County Councils and Aberdeenshire Council. Aberdeen County records also include material relating to the county’s militia. The 19 burgh collections – from Banff and Fraserburgh in the north to Stonehaven and Banchory in the south – include the earliest Aberdeenshire material, a charter for the Burgh of Banff dating from 1372. Records of the 107 parochial boards document the operation of the poor law across the north east.

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School Records

School Records

Education and school records for Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and the former counties of Banffshire and Kincardineshire. These usually include log books and admission registers, but can also include other items such as photographs, magazines and prospectuses. These typically date from the late 19th century onwards, and we continue to receive additional material from City and Shire schools. Please note that access to any material relating to living individuals is restricted under the terms of UK data protection legislation.

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​Aberdeen Harbour Board​

​Aberdeen Harbour Board​

Records of Aberdeen Harbour Board, which traces its history back to 1136. The collection includes large series of photographs and plans as well as sailing and arrival registers, financial records and legal papers. There are also large administrative series which document the impact of the Second World War on the Harbour, and staff records. Material dates from the early 19th century to 1960. The collection was catalogued with generous funding from the Archives Revealed programme, supported by the National Archives, the Pilgrim Trust and the Wolfson Foundation, and the Harbour Board.

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Hall Russell

Hall Russell

Hall Russell & Co. Ltd was established in Aberdeen as a general engineering concern in 1864 and incorporated in 1879 as a limited liability company, Hall Russell and Co. Ltd. The company was taken over by the Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd in 1942, where it merged with another Burntisland subsidiary, Alexander Hall and Co. Ltd (established in 1790, incorporated in 1904). The company specialised in fishing vessels, but latterly also produced chemical tankers, oiling and small bulk carriers. Our collection contains minute books, technical records, financial records and some plans, as well a series of fantastic photographs.  

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NORCO

NORCO

From minute books and accounts through to building plans, wonderfully eye-catching advertising material and photographs of shops and staff social events, this collection charts the rise of the Northern Co-operative Company (known as NORCO), from its registration under the Friendly Societies Act in 1861 to its rapid decline in the early 1990s. Included is a brilliant series of photographs that document the development of NORCO House, designed by architects Covell, Matthews & Partners and constructed between 1966 and 1970. Please note: these records are stored remotely. If you wish to consult them, please contact the Archives in advance.

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Police Records

Police Records

​The records of Grampian Police and its predecessor forces. Grampian Police was a regional police force, formed in 1975 from the merger of the Scottish North East Counties Constabulary and Aberdeen City Police. The collection also includes records for Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire, Elginshire, Morayshire and Nairnshire Constabularies and Elgin Burgh Police. The collection includes several series of records relating to criminals, including wanted posters for crimes around the UK and a record of prisoners released from Perth Prison (the General Prison for Scotland from 1839-1882). The collection also includes staff records, annual reports, occurrence books and general orders. Some access restrictions are in operation on this collection.​

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City Building Warrants

City Building Warrants

Our Aberdeen building warrants are an excellent resource, especially if you are tracing any changes to your property or interested in its previous uses or occupants. Since the 1870s, proposals to construct or alter any building within the city limits have required Local Authority approval. Many of the drawings submitted between 1871 and 1946 are preserved in the archives in this collection. Each application for approval includes a set of architectural drawings of the proposed building showing floor plans, elevations and sections. We also similar plans for some areas of Aberdeenshire, and some post-1946 plans for the City – please contact staff for more information.

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School Records

School Records

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