Genealogy Chat

Hi
I've just started to look up my Scottish relatives & am struggling. Does Genes Reunited really not cover Scotland?

Kim

Civil registration began in 1855 in Scotland

BMD's are on Scotlandspeople which is a pay to view site but they have different rules

You can view online births over one hundred years ago

Scotlandspeople cost £7 for 30 credits

One credit to view search results, think it is about 18 results per page for one credit, and then a further 5 credits to view an image

Ancestry does have the 1841 to 1901 Scottish census but only transcriptions and not images

FMP does not have any Scottish census

Thank you all for your advice - pay per view sounds expensive when you are looking for Mary MacDonald born in Scotland!!!
I'll try some of your suggestions

The great thing about Scottish marriage certs is that they give BOTH parents' names including mother's maiden name.

If you get Mary's marriage cert that will be more helpful. If she didn't marry, both parents are also on a Scottish death cert.

Ozi

I use Scotlands People, and find them very good.
If you've got a definite date and place of birth, or marriage or death it may not be that difficult.
Good value for money, as 30 credits last for 90 days, and can be carried forward.

Good luck

Kim, see Rebecca's thread. Scotland's People- free credits.

Jenny

Thankyou all

Hi Kim,

www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Credits are available for 365 days from purchase.

£7.00 for 30 Credits
1 Credit to view a page of up to 24 results
5 Credits to view / download / save a copy of one certificate.

Total cost of 6 credits to find and view copy of one certificate is £1.40.

Yes it will cost a fortune if you decide to input the birth of Mary MacDonald.

............................Your search 1855-2009 found 9175 matches...... and start checking every single entry but with some careful searching and comonsense, these results can quickly be reduced.

For example there are 440 1855-2009 matches for Aberdeen births and you can see the number of matches before spending any credits by adjusting you search details as you go along.

339 matches for Aberdeen 1855-1955

1 match for Alford, Aberdeen 1855-1955.

The lovely thing about Scotlands People is that your search result shows some of the birth details and not as a page reference as in the English search.

If you post some details here, you may find some help with your search.

Here's a little help from a post I did earlier.

www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

As it's a pay per view site, if you jump in with both feet, it can prove costly so use all the details you have to cut down the matches.

Very simple site to use, just enter the details and remember that sometimes more is less!
e.g. John Struthers Smith may not have a match while John S.Smith may do.

Lets do a search for an imaginary John Smith. born 1910. Aaargghhh

Enter Smith.......that's all.
You will be told the total number of birth matches for Smith.

## Last search found 226467 matches for Smith ##

Enter John...no middle names
You will be told the total number of birth matches for John Smith.

## Last search found 16066 matches for John Smith ##

Remember the spelling...............

John will be recognised, Jon will not.
James will be recognised, Jim will not..
Iain will be recognised, Ian will not.
Or vice versa depending on what spelling you enter.

Enter his D.O.B.....you can vary the D.O.B from one year to multiple years to find all births in between.

You will be told the total number of birth matches for John Smith 1910.

## Last search found 133 matches John Smith 1910 ##

If there are still lots of matches then in the COUNTY / CITY drop down menu, enter a city / town which will further reduce the matches.

## Last search found 30 matches John Smith 1910 Glasgow. ##

If there are still lots of matches then in the DISTRICT drop down menu, enter a district which will further reduce the matches.

Here is an index page of 24 results which you would receive on payment of one credit.
Clicking on the "Image View ... 5 credits" would at a cost of 5 credits, allow you to download the certificate in order to view or save or print out.

All searches, certificates etc are all retained on Scotlandspeople history for free viewing whenever you login.

No Year Surname Forename Sex District City/ County/ MR GROS Data Image Extract

1 1856 BEATTIE JAMES M ST NICHOLAS ABERDEEN CITY/ABERDEEN 168/01 1423
2 1856 BEATTIE JAMES M BELHELVIE /ABERDEEN 174/00 0029
3 1856 BEATTIE JAMES M INSCH (ABERDEEN) /ABERDEEN 203/00 0023
4 1856 BEATTIE JAMES M BANCHORY DEVENICK /KINCARDINE 251/00 0063
5 1856 BEATTIE JAMES M ANDERSTON GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 644/08 1251
6 1856 BEATTIE JAMES M WILTON /ROXBURGH 810/00 0012
7 1856 BEATTIE JAMES M ANNAN BURGH /DUMFRIES 812/01 0064
8 1856 BEATTIE JAMES M KIRKCONNEL /DUMFRIES 834/00 0011
9 1856 BEATTIE JAMES M RUTHWELL /DUMFRIES 846/00 0024
10 1857 BEATTIE JAMES M KILWINNING /AYR 599/00 0284
11 1857 BEATTIE JAMES M ETTRICK /SELKIRK 774/00 0001
12 1857 BEATTIE JAMES M GALASHIELS /SELKIRK 775/00 0094
13 1857 BEATTIE JAMES M CASTLETON /ROXBURGH 784/00 0051
14 1857 BEATTIE JAMES M ANNAN LANDWARD /DUMFRIES 812/02 0048
15 1857 BEATTIE JAMES M CANONBIE /DUMFRIES 814/00 0039
16 1857 BEATTIE JAMES M LANGHOLM OR STAPLEGORTON /DUMFRIES 839/00 0084
17 1858 BEATTIE JAMES M ARBIRLOT /ANGUS 271/00 0006
18 1858 BEATTIE JAMES M GLAMIS /ANGUS 289/00 0047
19 1858 BEATTIE JAMES M LOCHWINNOCH /RENFREW 570/00 0064
20 1858 BEATTIE JAMES M BATHGATE /WEST LOTHIAN 662/00 0242
21 1858 BEATTIE JAMES M ANNAN /DUMFRIES 812/00 0151
22 1857 BEATTIE JAMES DAVIDSON M HERIOT AND WARRISTON EDINBURGH CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/07 0125
23 1858 BEATTIE JAMES MCINTOSH M MARYKIRK /KINCARDINE 265/00 0021
24 1858 BEATTIE JOHN JAMES M CAERLAVEROCK /DUMFRIES 815/00 0020


Any middle names are a bonus as you can see from the Beattie search.

You can use wildcards e.g BEATT* would bring up any name starting with BEATT....BEATTIE, BEATTY, BEATTIES.
SM*TH would bring up SMITH, SMYTH.........

www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Well worth it and a very user friendly pay per view site which presents results properly as names rather than references on book pages in quarters.........

£7.00 for 30 credits.

1 credit (23p) to view search results of up to 24 per page.

5 credits (£1.17) to view certificate online

Searchable indexes are available free for the following.........

Births 1855-2009
Marriages 1855-2009
Deaths 1855-2009

Certificates are viewable online (cost 5 credits) for the following.........

Births 1855-1910
Marriages 1855-1935
Deaths 1855-1960

Outwith these dates, certificates have to be ordered from GROS Scotland at a cost of £10.00 or may be viewed in person at records office............£10.00 for a day pass at Edinburgh...........details below.

http://www.scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk/

The larger towns have Genealogy Centres.

Strathclyde Area Genealogy Centre
22 Park Circus
Glasgow,
0141 287 8364.
Here you are able to view records yourself at your own computer terminal for a cost of £14 per day.

ScotlandsPeople Centre General Register House
2 Princes Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3YY
0131 314 4300
Here you are able to view records yourself at your own computer terminal for a cost of £10 per day.

http://www.scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk/

In Dundee there is a Family History Centre where a registrar will undertake searches on your behalf for a cost of £22.50 per hour. They also have a postal search service.

179-181 Princes Street
Dundee, Angus DD4 6DQ
01382 461 845

http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/supportservs/genealogyunit/

Many of the Aberdeenshire Registration offices will charge £10 per hour for a registrar to assist you with your search.
It is necessary to book in advance for the above.

http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/familyhistory/index.asp

Many local libraries have family history search facilities. They can hold microfilm of Old Parish Registers, International Genealogical Index, microfiche of census.
No two libraries are likely to provide the same facilities.
Edinburgh Libraries provide access to Ancestry, while Fife's website says they provide access to DIGROS.

It would be advisable to contact the individual registration office or library in the area you wish to search to gain specific information on their facilities and access.


Many thanks to Rhona Durno who supplied this information.
Family History Officer
ScotlandsPeople Centre

You could try SCOTFAMTREE , it's an excellent site , lots of help with your Scottish ancestors, also English , American and Canadian.

jean

Thank you everybody

Have found an aunt via Scotlands People - just need to register to get thye details!

Hi all just found this link:

Sign up tol http://www.ancestralscotland.com/

and get 10 free credit to Scotlands People

Kim

I am looking for Norma Buchanan .born approx 1936.JAMAICA.she had a son Paul.she studied in Scotland

Hello Pat

This post is about a year old.

You will do better if you start a new thread of your own on Find Ancestors or, as Norma and Paul may still be alive, on Find Living Relatives. Please choose one or the other, not both.

;-)

I have already paid £35 to view records on Scotlandspeople and £24 on birth certificates for the same person because I was convinced it was who I was looking for. It is 5 credits to view each name and place you think might be your ancestor. I'm not going on it again. Why don't they just charge a yearly fee it would be cheaper. Haven't found anything I have been looking for yet. :-|

Amelia, there are ways of searching on scotlandspeople that can save credits and there are some records on other sites. Why don't you post some details of who you are looking for and maybe somebody can help.

Am looking for a Mary Graham Sorley who may have been born in Comrie, Perthshire in 1917. Would like to know is she had a twin sibling or any other brothers or sisters if at all possible. Have tried various resources and drawn blanks. Any help much appreciated