In 1845 buirds for poor relief wis estaiblisht bi the state in Scotland, takkin ower fae the kirk sessions, an open tae fowk o ony releegion. Fowk that haed nae wark, nae place tae gae, or wis auld an infirm, cuid gae intae ane o the state poor-hooses, tho thay cuid be cauldrife an dreich places. Mony faimlies cuid pit in for whit wis cawed ootdoor relief. This meant thay haed speirt at the poor buird tae see whither thay cuid get siller tae pey for medicine, education o bairns, or ither uphaud for a wee whilie jist.

An inspector wad caw by the hoose, speir at the faimly, an judge whither thay war warthy eneuch. A form wad be fillt oot. The name, age, caufgrund, cawing, an releegion o the applicant wad be recordit, alang wi the name o ony spouse, names o bairns an thair ages, an the names o the mither an faither o the applicant, an whither in life or deid. The inspector wad gar the applicant recoont aw the places thay haed bade, for hoo lang, an jot thaim doun forby.  Sae thir forms affen recordit information anent twa-three grees o a faimly – gey important whan yer forebears cam fae parochs whaur the war nae ither records, sic as back in Irland.

The Mitchell Leebrar, in Glesca, hauds the registers for the parochs o Barony, Glesca, Gorbals, Govan an ithers fae the wastland an haes a guid index bi faimly name. The city register-hoose for Dundee, at the Caird Haw, haes anes for thon city an Liff an Benvie, while Embra haes some at hits city register-hoose, tho mony anes fae Embra wis done awa wi some time syne.

For Scots wi forebears sprung fae Irland the registers for poor relief can be gey haundy. In fact, fowk that bides in Irland micht find thir Scots registers gey uissfae for reddin oot kin fae back in Irland whaur mony airts haed nae registers ava. Maist buiks anent reddin oot Earse forebears maks nae mention o thir Scots poor registers, sae gin ye find yersel stuck, tak a swatch o thaim