Obituaries

Obituaries are narratives in newspapers or journals about the life, times and often the character of an individual who has died. Typically, obituaries tend to be for people who are considered noteworthy or newsworthy in some way.

What do I need to know before I start?

Try to find out:

 

Name of the person, checking alternative spellings and any other names they may have used

A likely date of death, in order to estimate when an obituary may have been published

Date of publication of any obituaries that you are aware of

The newspaper which published the obituary 

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What records can I find in the Mitchell? Special Collections

There are many newspapers, journals and magazines that will contain obituaries and are searchable in print form or microfilm. Examples are Glasgow Herald, Evening Times, Daily Record, The Bailie, local and community papers.

Most of our holdings are not indexed.

 

Indexes are available for these titles:

The Glasgow Herald 1906-1984

Scots Magazine 1739-1833

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What records can I see online?

There are Obituary search facilities in the online resources free to Glasgow Libraries members through our website:

http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/libraries/research-24-7/Pages/home.aspx

It's easy to join the library.

19th Century British Library newspapers

Scotsman 1817-1950

ProQuest Central database covering over 17000 journal titles

Ancestry: US Obituaries and Death Notices​

What other resources will help me find information?

Books such as:

 

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