Genealogy Chat

Still confused - see 12April circa 1038am posts

Can you order certs over 100 years old or not ? Scottish GRO highlights not being able to get Birth 100, Marriage 75 etc, but Scottish people site only talks about ordering the original index entries ? Could someone clarify if a birth/marriage cert in the 1855 - 1890 period IS a document !!!! Ta muchly.

Yes they are they will also to download it if its available on line so a bit quicker than waiting for the postie. I think it works out cheaper than the English certificate, it also has more information. Must say I was impressed when I used it not long ago. Irene

Hi Laird Yes, on Scotlandspeople you can view, print and save the original documents back to 1855. And with much more information on them than English/Welsh ones. Pre 1855, you order a copy of the extracts, which are usually a full page of the original registrars book. They don't give a lot of info on individuals, but they do give info on lots of other people born, married or died (whichever you have ordered) around the same time. Hope this helps. Regards Ellen.

Excellent - cheers Irene, just wondered why the explanation of 'whats available' seemed to focus on INDEX Entries, rather than 'original certificate image' .....

Thanks very much Ellen - does sound good. Will go and play !

I made the mistake of looking up my Grans birth on Scotlands People and then ordering a certificate from the GROS. The certificate was a scanned copy of the info online on an official RO certificate. A £16 mistake I won't make again!

Thanks Janet - I'm sure I would have done the same.....

So now I've viewed online images of a marraige - its quite informative, showing 2 weddings on the page, with loads of names, places and dates. If I order 'it', from what somebody said above, I just get it printed on GRO paper ? So exactly WHAT did a couple take away from the marraige in terms of a cert, and can you not get a 'copy' of that today - similar to England Wales ? Cheers for info !

If you have actually paid to download the image you just print that out or save it to your computor there would be no point in paying again to get same information. I wish it was as easy to get the english images. I suspect that the certificates were copies of book which is what we get if we order from GRO If you didnt print it out dont worry cos you can go back anytime to look at previous viewings its a great service sandie

thanks both - BUT still not an answer to :- So exactly WHAT did a couple take away from the marraige in terms of a cert, and can you not get a 'copy' of that today - similar to England Wales ?

it does have a section for ordering next to download button but not sure just what you get . sandie Just had a look at Scotish Gro site have a look think it will give you all you need to know www(.)gro.scotland(.)gov(.)uk/famrec/hlpsrch/leaflet2(.)html

the scottish site lets you print out marriages which give both people that are getting married the date,age and both parents names and the witnesses names and where and when registered and if they where single or a widow. The marriages go from 1855 to 1929 where you can get copy of the site before that you have to order them but all they give is who got married nothing else I just copy and paste

Laird - I ordered marriage certificates from Scotland People when the images were unavailable for download. What I have seem to be the part of the page relative to the marriage ordered photocpied on to official paper and signed. It is no different to the image you could download. This would make me think that there was a separate piece of paper filled in at the time for the happy couple, they couldn't have taken a photo copy then! All of the Scottish certs I have including Birth, Marriage & Deaths are the same format - just a pasted copy of the relevant section of the page in the book.

I had to ask for a copy of a Marriage in 1916 which I couldn't find on scotslandspeople but due to the scottish way of putting the date and place of the parents marriage on the childs birth certificate could locate it. The certificate would have been handwritten and given to the relevant person. An extract is a copy of this entry either handwritten again or typed with extract at the top. On scotlandspeople you download an entry. Don't forget to save your images to Timeline where you can type in which certificate is which so view at any time in the future even if you don't have any credits left (save a printed one too). Birth Certificate extracts contains name of child, when and where born, sex, name surname or profession of father, name and maiden surname of mother. Date and place of marriage. Signature and qualification of informant and residence, if out of the house when the birth occurred. When and where registered and signature of registrar. Marriage certificate extracts contains when,where and how married. Names in full of parties with signature. Rank or professional and whether bachelor, spinster, widower, widow or divorced. Age. Usual residences, Name, surname and rank or professional of father. Name and maiden surname of mother. If a regular marriage, signature and designation of officiating minister or registrar and signatures and addresses of witnesses. If an Irregular marriage, date of Decree of Declarator, or of Sherrifs warrant. When and where registered and signature of registrar. Death certificate extracts contains name and surname, rank or professional and whether single, married or widowed (also married to * and his profession)(also have one that lists the previous husbands (1) and (2). When and where died. Sex. Age. Name, surname and rank or profession of father. Name and maiden surname of mother. Cause of death, duration of disease, and medical attendant by whom certified. Signature and qualification of informant and residence. If out of the house in which the death occurred. When and where registered and signature of registrar. I have one extract of death certificate that has a corrected entry on the back which I presume is the result of an inquest into the sudden death. The OPR's (pre 1855) contain very little information and they send you a copy of the page containing other entries for £10. A christening in 1799 contained Father's name and profession, his wife's maiden name, the church parish, a son/daughter born date named * baptised in church. A marriage in 1820 contained the grooms name and profession, the church parish and spouses maiden name of same parish. More normal though was grooms name and profession, church parish he belonged to, spouses maiden name and church parish she belonged to daughter of christian name, surname & profession of father and town. The date of the marriage. Hope that helps

Laird My Grandparents Original Wedding Certificate of 1921 is just the same as the English (but with more information on it) an actual certificate, not copied from the book, I often wonder though If I had needed to send for it, would it be a Book entry photo copy? Probably? Everthing Else I just download from site, its not worth buying the information when you can see it online. A Marriage/Banns Certificate I did buy for £10! from 1833 is a A4 size photocopy from the Entry book with about 10 marriages on it, which gives just the peoples names and which Parish they were from or English etc... no family details, Nothing.

Many thanks indeed for the replies and extra details - understand now, and thinking about it, its not a bad system ! Kind regards, Laird (not a scottish landowner !)