Trip to Edinburgh

Post by **Pandabean** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:38 pm

Hey all,

I have to go to Edinburgh next week for an interview and was wondering where I should go in terms of NAS or NRH for half a days worth of research?

I have found a few items on the NAS website that I would like to view (such as church session records and a couple of decrees) but I also would like to look up some Births and Deaths that took place after SP's cut off. What would I likely get through more of? I wont be going with my laptop and will be travelling by train to Edinburgh Waverly.

Post by **AnneM** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:44 pm

Andy

I've not worked in NAS but have in the National Archives in Kew and in other record offices. I'd therefore guess that you would have a more productive half day at NRH as it is pretty straightforward to get what you want and you can achieve a lot in the 3 hours or so you will have.

Anne

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:48 pm

Hi Andy,

I'd second that - by the time you have found your way around NAS and ordered up the documents you want, half your time will be gone! You could order the documents up in advance though, and have them waiitng for you when you arrive, which would save a lot of time, so may still be worth it.

Remember, if you go to NRH, you will have to buy a half day pass for £10 from 1.00 on.

Whatever you decide, have fun!

Chris

Post by **Pandabean** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:04 pm

Whats the computers like at NRH? I heard that you have to be exact when searching, is that true?

Muriel · Post by **Muriel** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:08 pm

Hi Andy

The way you can search at NRH is not as flexible as SP but, hey, it's not costing you 5 credits a time so you can do multiple searches. If you've got a list of what you want to do it's amazing what you can get through in an afternoon.

Muriel

Rach · Post by **Rach** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:54 am

Hi Andy,
I agree with Muriel. For the BMD's after the cut-off date you should find them quickly if you have a good idea of where they were living etc.
Where the opr's are concerned, once I got the hang of the different ways you can search [e.g. by decade or by year] I found what I was after amazingly quickly compared to in the past.
Have a great time wherever you end up!
Rae

Post by **Pandabean** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:32 pm

Ok seems my mind is made up and it is off to NRH to look up births,marriages and deaths.

How good is the system when all you know is a name and a rough time span?

Also how do I find my way there?

Post by **AndrewP** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:50 pm

Pandabean wrote:Also how do I find my way there?

Exit the Waverley Station by the Waverley Steps (get up onto the overbridge inside the station). At the top of the Waverley Steps, turn right. NRH is up the narrow street opposite (West Register Street, Burger King on the corner). General Register House (home of NAS) is the big building on the other corner of West Register Street and Princes Street (with the statue of Wellington on his horse obstructing the pavement outside).

Even if you don't find that exit from the station, exit the station by the ramp up to Waverley Bridge. Turn right at the top, and you will see Princes Street ahead of you. Turn right onto Princes Street, and directions as above.

See GROS's map:
http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/contacts ... ormap.html

All the best,

AndrewP

Post by **Pandabean** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:41 pm

Thanks Andrew. Just realised how easy it is to get to.

Is it usually quite busy?

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:43 pm

Pandabean wrote:Thanks Andrew. Just realised how easy it is to get to.

Is it usually quite busy?

GROS varies greatly in terms of the number of research places filled from the morning influx. "Problem" times can be school holidays, - not kids, I hasten to assure you; and genealogical "tourists", - the warmer the month, and especially around Festival time, the higher the number

Unless you can't avoid it, don't leave it until 1:00 pm!

The problem with going for a 1pm halfday entry is that these can't be booked in advance.

If you turn up at around 12:30, 12:45 there'll be a queue at the door, and at some point around 12:45 you're admitted to the waiting room, and given a numbered ticket to ensure that you have a registered place in the "1:00 pm queue".

So it's pot luck as to whether you get in or not. That written, I've only been turned away 3 times in 21 years

I'd suggest that you come to Edinburgh prepared for research at GROS and NAS, so that, if you can't get into the former, you can get into the latter (for which you will need evidence of identity in order to obtain your readers' card).

If you're free some time before 1:00 pm, say 12 noon, there's an alternative, which is to pay the full day £17, - thereby you jump the "1:00 pm" queue so to speak, as anyone willing to pay the £17 up to 12:59 will take precedence

It all depends on how often you can get to GROS/NRH and the value of the access to the NRH DIGROS system, e.g. in the 4½ hours from 12 noon to 4:30 pm, with proper preparation, you should be able to look at upwards of 500 digitised images - that's 2,600+ credits on SP

- that's assuming the case where you are searching for records where there's a commonly occurring name involved that would otherwise cost big bucks on SP.

In a legal, testamentary search situation, looking for a birth of a particular name, I've looked at over 1,000 DIGROS images in just on 4 hours

The downside of the DIGROS search system at NRH is that it won't accept wildcards, - but don't ignore the two alternative spelling alternatives still available on the pre-DIGROS "green on black" system that runs in parallel on your search place screen with DIGROS.

(It's strongly rumoured to be the case that the search system at the new combined GROS/NAS/Lord Lyon "ScotlandsPeople" Centre, to be opened later this year, will allow wildcards.)

David