Searching the sasines. The register of sasines is comprehensive and consequently it is theoretically possible to trace the progression of ownership of every property in Scotland from 1617 to the present day. This is a fairly mechanical process but it is not always quick. Since 1876 the government has maintained a series of search sheets for property in Scotland. These identify the volume and page numbers of all the sasines and deeds for a given building or piece of land and can be used as a starting point for searching back in time. Copies of the search sheets for particular properties can be purchased from: Registers of Scotland, Erskine House, 68 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4NF. ................................................... Alan Stewart, a member of the "Scotland's People" User Group and the author of Gathering the Clans: Tracing Scottish Ancestry on the Internet (Phillimore, 2004), wrote"SCAN hopes to digitize the NAS's collection of sasines (land records dating back to 1599). National Archives of Scotland GB234/RS, Particular Register of Sasines,WIGTOWN, First Series 1619-1657 ; Second Series 1658-1869 ; Minute Books 1620-1869 ...................................................... The National Archives of Scotland has : Reference B72. Records of Wigtown Burgh Register of Sasines (1st Series), 1724-1809 Register of Sasines (2nd Series), 1809-1928 Register of Sasines (2nd Series) - Minute Books, 1820-1928 Burgh Rental Book, 1542-1599. ........................................................... On 22 July 2004 Jim Houston wrote - “The document is blurred, smeared, faded and written in Scottish secretary's hand and to top things off, written partially in Latin! I have included a few of these fragments below in the hope that someone on this list may recognize a name and either confirm that I have decoded the name correctly or help me correct the name. The specific document is Fo.78 from the Records of Whithorn Burgh, Register of Sasines (1st Series) {note that I have not used the original spelling in all cases}: * "At Whithorn the fifteenth day of January, seventy hundred and twenty three" * Anthony Houston and his wife Katherine Dunlop * George Martin of Cutcloy * John Dunlop * John Garoch * James Garoch * William Kelso * John M'Kelso [son of William Kelso] * William Houston deceased of Pennsylvania * James Comitem?" (Count / Earl of Galloway) * William McGonane * Caroline? Campbell and her husband? James McGuffock * Thomas? Graham? * deceased Anthony? McMillian * Charles Campbell “ ........................................................................ Jim also wrote: Source: "Records of Whithorn Burgh, Register of Sasines (1st Series) (RepCode 234, Repository National Archives of Scotland, Reference B71/1/, Date 24 Aug 1684-4 Apr 1732), Fo 77 Ref to James Garroch and his spouse Katherine Houstoun, 10 Jan 17.” Thankyou Jim.