Difference between GROS offices & ScotlandsPeople?

[Colin72]

Hello Everyone,

I was just curious to know how research is conducted differently when actually visiting the GROS offices in Edinburgh as compared to searching records online via the Web Site ScotlandsPeople which can really chew into ones budget while narrowing down searches for individuals. Do the actual offices offer computers which one can search the records via an online database system similiar to the ScotlandsPeople database, and not involve chewing up paid "credits" while narrowing searches for ancestors?

What is the difference between the New Register House and the Ladywell House in Edinburgh? i.e. do both offices hold census, marriage, birth and death records, or is it only the Ladywell House that holds these records?

Thanks for any answers!
Colin

[Polwarth]

It's ages since I've been in New Register House - but you used to be able to look up records in huge registration books. There ARE computers in there now, cos I've seen them!

New Register House is nowadays far too small to contain all the Scottish records - it was 'new' nearly 200 years ago!

[Peter_Martin]

Ladywell House is I think administrative offices where they collate the data. They don't admit the public to that place to look at the records. New Register House is the place you want to go to if you wish to consult the actual records from commencement to last year. Scotlands People is a website run by the General Register Office for Scotland and you will find the following information:

Church of Scotland Baptisms & Marriages indexes to 1854. The commencement date varies with the parish. They are working on making the actual register image available online, but this is being held up.

Then you have the civil registers of births, death and marriages. This is where there is a cut off. If the event happens after the date shown below your only option is to visit New Register House or pay someone to do so for you/contact them direct.

Births 1855 - 1905
Marriages 1855 - 1930
Deaths 1855 - 1955

The Census for 1841, 51, 61, 71, 91 & 1901 are available, 1911 will not be open until 2012. The 1801, 1811 & 1821 census were destroyed soon after the figures were extractd.

[Colin72]

I am aware of the 1911 census becoming available in 2012 which of course will be of tremendous benefit in research for family information, especially in finding the names and ages of children. I am wondering what other resources may currently be available or techniques that one can employ in uncovering family details in regard to childrens' names and ages since we only have access up to 1901 census at the moment?

[Polwarth]

I suspect that if you had addresses, you could probably look up electoral rolls... but that wouldn't help for dates before universal suffrage or for children under the voting age (at first) of 21

[b1b2j3]

There have been some improvements and some non-improvements with on-line GROS lately. Not so good is the sites tighter control of downloading, at least from my end.

My only way to access from Oz, oh well ! I agree its a bit chewy those credits too. However, thats how I can pick up info for other Bannatyne, Muir, Allison, McArthur etc etc. So what comes around goes around. One of the head scratching issues I have with GROS online, is the time limit on credits. I just do not understand if one has paid for access, why access is denied after 168 hours.

I could ask, I know but I'd only get the company line so to speak. Ho hum, bum...Bron

[Colin72]

Hello Bron,

I thought I'd pass along this information to you, especially if you are still conducting genealogy research. I've come into contact with a family history researcher named Anne who can pretty much look up the same records that you can look up at the Scotlands People Web Site, but in a more efficient manner that doesn't "chew up" credits.

So far she has provided excellent service and has found many birth, marriiage and death records for me. For about 1.25 GBP she will provide an image file of the record for you. All you need to do is supply a few details about the Scottish ancestor you are looking for, and she can look up the records for you. For more details, you should go here http://www.scottishpenpals.com/scottishgenealogy.php