Genealogy Chat

Hi there! I'm trying to find out if you can look up someone just by their father's name in scotland???? I emailed scottish register and they sent me dead web link(thanks!) all I want to know is if i go to Edinburgh to do this am i going to be wasting my time??? I know it'll depend if the father's name was put on the certificates etc but does anyone know if it's possible to look them up by father's name???? It's only because I don't know their names or their mother's names (don't have much to go on) and I'm looking for two illegitimate children belonging to my grandfather....i do have vague areas and timescales involved so know that may help as well. Any info on how I'd go about this would be fabby!!! :-)))) Many thanks!! Janet x

I have looked up family on scotlandspeople.gov & found the best way of finding people is to use their surname only. You may or may not use the soundex sometimes it works other times it doesn't. It's £6.00 for 168hrs or 30credits whichever finishes first. I found it wasn't as easy to use as Ancestry not as much info is given, you may find your credits going down fast when re-checking. Just to add it only goes as far back as 1841 census unless you have lots of other info.

Hi thanks for your reply amanda!! Ok so you suggest scotlands people website..it's good i take it?? My concern is I'm looking for MacDonald's in scotland and could use up creds without getting anywhere near the right person coz there's so many macdonald's here!!!! :-)))) What's the ancestry thing you mentioned is it on GR or is it another site??? I'm new to all this so not sure what's what!! Thanks! Janet x

Watch out! Scotland's People is good if you've got a good idea what you are looking for. You can download and print images of certificates and censuses. However you can easily spend quite a bit [30 quid in 2 sessions in my case] and come away with very little if you need to search around. I can't find my rellies John Todd born in Glasgow [2 generations] because it's such a common name. What dates are you looking for? You can search this site for free using only a surname for births between 1553 and 1875: http://www.originsnetwork.com/ScotsOrigins/SOSearchBC.aspx but then you'll have to trawl through all the possibles. Still it might give you some ideas to start you off. Good luck, Krissie.

hiya, ancestry is a site which alot of peeps use on here, it mainly covers england and ireland, with complete census 1841-1901, it also has BMD's which is free to use, but you have to register first, try posting a request remebering your manners for someone on records board to search scotlands people site for you, or ask them for advice, web site for ancestry is www*ancestry*co*uk replace * with dots julie

Here is the website again: http://www.originsnetwork.com/ScotsOrigins/SOSearchBC.aspx [hope it's printed properly this time] Krissie

Sorry, it hasn't. Here it is again: www*originsnetwork*com [replace * with dots] Then click on Scots Origins What are the names and dates you are looking for? Krissie

Thanks everyone for your help and advice!!! I'm not sure but all the sites I've looked at only seem to go up to 1905-30 for births and I need 1940 onwards.....am I looking in the right places for this sorta info....or should I look somewhere else coz it's fairly recent in terms of ancestry????? Any hints tips advice all gratefully received!!! :-))))

Krissie------ I'm looking for MacDonald (surname!) anytime from around 1940-1955ish but i don't know what their first names are nor do i know their mother's names....all I know is my grandfather had 'liasons' during this time which resulted in two children being born,not much else apart from a vague area where he worked at these times. Thanks for your interest....be grateful if you find anything which might move me forward in my search!!! Janet x

Hmm, sounds difficult. I have an illegitimate relation from Scotland and she is registered with her mother's surname, and that was hard enough to find! I suggest you post another plea on the tips board with an interesting title, then you should get some good advice from members.Some of them love a challenge! I'm off to bed now, so good luck, Krissie

Thanks Krissie...I will do just that in the morning coz I'm off to bed also :-))) G'night & thanks for tips/advice!! Janet x

Janet, There are no online indexes for births in Scotland in the years you are looking for. You would have to look them up in Edinburgh. But if the children were illegitimate then they are most likely registered under their mother's surname with no father's name given at all, so you would be very unlikely to find them under their father's name. I don't know how the indexes that you can look at in Edinburgh work, so I don't know if you can search using father's name only, but even if you can this would only help if their father's name was actually given in the first place, and it probably wasn't. Sorry to sound so pessimistic! Kate.

I kinda knew that it'd be difficult anyway and know it's a long shot but thought I'd ask and see if anyone knew how I could go about it :-) It's just I live over 6hrs by train from Edinburgh and don't wana make the journey if I can't search by father's name, know what I mean?? Coz it'd just be a wasted journey that I'd have to do over 2 days coz of distances involved. I've posted on the trying to find board in the hope that they are out there looking for info on us!! Or that someone know's exactly who they are and have asked them to contact me....you never know!!! Hopefully something will turn up.....please feel free to read the story on trying to find under MacDonald and my name Janet Ritchie......you may know who it is I'm looking for!!!! LOL LOL Thanks for advice!! G'night!! Janet x