Genealogy Chat

This is the old FS search screen, but I think it searches in the new database:
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true

So enter the parents names, and the region (British Isles) and the batch # c115641.
You'll also get a hit for Martha.

Scottish Batch #s mostly take the form X11pppn where X=C (christenings) or M (marrs), ppp is the parish # (left padded with zeros if you're in the extreme north), and n is a dating #.
For civil BMDs 1855-75ish, n will be 1 and sometimes 3 - for OPRs, the oldest will be 2, then 4, 5 etc.
In the big cities, they may run out of n #s, so they will introduce a fake parish # for the overflow.

For the parish #s (and the availability of OPRs), see:
http://www.scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk/research/list-of-oprs.html

For BUT/RFW:
http://www.scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk/pdf/list-of-oprs-552to575.pdf

so that's where I got 564 from. Batch #s for non-CofS churches don't fit in with this pattern.


FreeCEN has some of the earlier censuses transcribed, but Greenock has only partial coverage for 1841-51, and nothing later.
FreeCEN gives a nicer display of the h/h, showing all the info at once (Ancestry makes you click on each member) and also transcribes the marital and disability status which Ancestry doesn't do.
Also FreeCEN lets you page thru neighbouring h/hs easily.
http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

Coverage is at: http://www.freecen.org.uk/statistics.html


Ancestry's transcriptions are less reliable than FreeCEN's or SP's.
Some years, they mistranscribe Aberdour parish (169) as Aberlour, which was a big pain for me.
They also sometimes confuse the page # with the line #.
On the other hand, their search screen is quite good - it will let you search for John Smith whose spouse is Mary, or John Smith s/o John & Mary.
If your local library or LDS FHC has a sub, then that's useful.
On the other hand, you can do free searches on Ancestry, but see limited details. E.g.:

Exact Search Results - 1851 Scotland Census
View Record Name Parent or spouse names Estimated Birth Year Birthplace Relation Civil parish County
View Record Alexr Bain abt 1829 location relation city Aberdeenshire

You can guess things and search again to see if you've still got a hit.
One natural thing to search for is the census place, and here it's quicker to enter the parish #.
In some parishes this doesn't work, as the parish is split - in the above example, parish 168 is split into 168a and 168b.
It might have been 168/1, 168/2, etc. 168b is Old Machar parish in ABD; 168a is Aberdeen ABD. Alexr's in 168b.

Thanks Howard - i am thinking of getting a subscription for one the providers - is that better than GR (which doesnt have scottish)

Hot news - have found him - in an asylum

Was James a child from a previous marriage of Samuel or a son of Susan prior to marriage?

Yes, www.familysearch.org.

Yes - found those and have researched them - with help of GR - have just posted a lookup for him.

re Elizabeth - just this weekend have found her DC (died when she was 18) - she moved to a thread works in paisley - we think it was suicide - she drown3ed in the paisley thread works reservoir.

where was her BC - LDS?

Presumably you have found his brother and sister Robert b. 14/11/1869 and Elizabeth 8/12/1866?
No James, though, on Familysearch.org.

Ta

As i thought - my problem is that i have a James watson (son of Samuel watson and Susan Motherwell) aged 7 in 1871 - and it is such a common name i suspect i will be 'hit hard'.

Have been chasing watson for some time in Greenock but have never chase down james

Christopher..........Scottish records are renowned for the extra information they give relating to birth marriages & deaths as opposed to Eng/Welsh ones. However searching Scotlands People hits the pocket hard!

There are no subscriptions........so we all have to pay as we go, however I believe some census records are available on Ancestry, so people who have a subscription would be able to help you there.

I am sure you are unable to search on parents names, depending what years you are after there are some Scottish records on Familysearch.

Ann

Scotlandspeople is the site for Scottish research, and people are very generous if they use their subscription to do look ups :)
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/


Census transcriptions can be found, I believe in ancestry.


Yours still learning.......... and still on an upward learning curve :)

I have used it for a while and am I right in thinking there is no easy way of searching for a bride or a groom with parents names (to sort wheat from chaff).

Also another another dim question - is there a source other than Scotland's people for such records - that is when people do 'look ups' ar they using their

Final dim question - when i am asking for a look up on census in Scotland - presumable they are able to use sources other than Scotland people

Yours still learning..........