Genealogy Chat

I usually do most of my research on Scotlands People.( I search this with full names and it gives results on full names) I need to find a couple of things out on Ancestry. Is it possible to search birth marriage death on full names. I seem to have to search through each quarter on surnames only. It seems to take quite some time. Am I doing something wrong. Please help Thankyou Julie

Yes you can search using full names and by adding dates too!

If you are looking for something after 1910`ish then you will have to search quarter by quarter, year by year. If its before 1910 them you might find them on the partial FreeBMD index, in which case you can search for full name, place and timespan.

Don't get excited Julie, I don't know the answer but I hope somebody does as would like to know too. I always thought Ancestry would be easy to use but I sometimes find it difficult to navigate, then all of a sudden I find something to search that i haven't seen before and never know how I got there. Ann glos

Thanks everyone. It is after 1910. Maybe I have been spoilt using Scotlands People. I suppose there is advantages and disadvantges to both sites. It may be easier and cheaper in Scotlands People, but Ancestry records are much more recent. Reasearch is never going to be quick, as we all know. Julie

Ancestry bmd's are free........doesn't get cheaper than that! lol........... Reg

Hi Reggie I did not mean to upset anyone. I have never used ancestry before. I am used to searching and downloading my images straight away. I like to check all images(to make sure I have the right people.) before putting them on my tree, which is cheaper and easier than sending away with Ancestry. Julie

I'm glad others have difficulty with Ancestry. The site is good when it works but at other times I find myself going round in circles. I've signed up for the free 14 day trial, but if anyone does that please print off the relevant acknowledgement just in case you have trouble when you try to cancel. I've had trouble in the past with Ancestry. You have to put in a card number to get the free trial, make sure you use a credit card because if there are any problems the credit card company will sort it out. Good luck

The searching is free, but of course the images are not on line, and certs have to bought at £7.00 a shot.........so in that way Scotlands people is indeed much cheaper. But there is no need to 'sign up' for anything to view bmd's indices. You just register with the site. Reg

Hi Reg Glad I have not upset you. I would not upset anyone here as they have all been very helpful in the past. Gloria I did not need to put payment details in when i registered.I have heard before people have had problems. I would not have bothered if I had to that as I do not need to find a lot of English records. Julie

I have actually signed up for a year as I have eventually found quite a lot of useful information, it is just it takes time to get used to navigating and I am not sure I am getting as much out of it as I could, especially pre 1837. ann glos

Julie Look on my thread 'Please save my sanity' Gloria

Julie, don't forget that the BMD's on ancestry go right up to the present day, whereas those on Scotland's People only go up to certain years - I think it is something like 1905 for births, for example - and if you want to search for an event more recently than Scotland's People has, you have to go and search the indexes in Edinburgh, or have somebody search them for you. Also, if something is mistranscribed on Scotland's People, it is much harder to find than it would be on ancestry. So there are swings and roundabouts! Kate.

Please everyone I dont know what I said so wrong. It is not a playground thing of Scotlands People is better than Ancestry. The question I asked was for help. I only wanted to check whether I was searching Ancestry properly. I dont want to get into a debate about Scotlands people as everyone has there own opinion and I dont intend giving mine. Sorry Julie