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Scottish Police & Court Archives


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Anyone able to shine some light on this for me ?

Basically, I discovered a couple of years ago a big well kept family secret. My Grand-Uncle, in an unbalanced state of mind, strangled a woman to death on Glasgow Green in late 1960. He was tried at Glasgow Sheriff Court, found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to 15 years.

The family never talked about this and kept it hidden from my Mum and her siblings, taking the secret to the grave with them. I found all this information out by looking through old copies of the Herald, the Evening Times and the Daily Record. I should like to add that my Grand Uncle was reformed whilst inside and was released after about ten years. He died in 1990. Everyone I've spoken to that knew him said he was a lovely man and they never knew anything about this.

My question is, is it at all possible to view the old City of Glasgow Police's original police reports and statements and the transcripts of the trial itself ?

I hope it's not all locked away until 2060, under this daft 100 year rule we have.

Any information at all is very welcome !

Edited by ErsatzThistle
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I'm not an archivist per se but I've worked with various archives, including a number from the police, for many years.

In the Lothians they're a nightmare. Some still exist, most don't and they're spread out all over the place. Quite often in former policemen's houses. There was one case in the Lothians where the Inspector wanted the records destroyed. He visited the first station and took the records. As he left to go to the next station, the first station phoned them and warned them. Many records were saved in this way.

My favourite police entry was one where a chap was arrested in the 1930s for theft and bestiality.

But getting to your question, yes, there'll be a 100 year rule. However, the next of kin will be able to get the information (they'll redact everything else on the page/s). Keep digging in the newspapers, such as the Scotsman. Probably more in there.

And check the online catalogues for the National Archives of Scotland and, a long shot, the National Library of Scotland. Also, don't just check his name, check the victim's name too.

Edited by Stapes
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Cheers mate.

Would my current Uncle being the eldest nephew of my unfortunate Grand Uncle, be considered as "next of kin". We can provide birth certificates and so on to prove our family's link to him.

I personally think the 100 year rule is stupidly excessive. It should be limited to 75 years at most in my opinion, and even then that should be for military secrets and so forth. I've been researching family that went to Australia and the public records system over there has almost everything open to the public with hardly any of our antiquated rules on disclosure.

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It might be less than 100, maybe 70, but I think it is 100.

Think it's fine if it's someone's medical record for example. The censuses are closed for 100 years because the censuses said they would be closed for 100 years when people gave their details.

Not sure how next of kin works. I can ask and get back to you.

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Thanks very much mate :ok:

Unfortunately I can just see some stuffy, snobby librarian at the national archives e-mailing me back to say I'll have to wait until 2060/61 to read things that related to close members of the family, and even though everyone concerned is now long dead !

Aye, I can understand medical records, military secrets, intelligence service files etc. all being locked up for 100 years. I just think it's really excessive to lock things like the census away for 100 years when many other countries are more progressive and realise them after about 50-60 years which is what they do in the USA.

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Don't worry, I know someone at the National Archives so pass it through me if you find something and I'll get a straight up answer for you. You shouldn't have that issue at NLS as records aren't usually closed.

I think the NAS would love to unlock the census (think of the financial benefits) but legally they can't.

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