Help with some language in the NAS catalogue

[SarahND]

Hello all,
I will be going to NAS in a couple of weeks and am looking things up in the online catalogue so I know what to order. I'm trying to find some information about a marital separation case and came up with this entry:

CC8/6/176
Alphabetical index of consistorial processes, both extracted and unextracted, 1658 - 1835. The designations of parties is not given. A chronological inventory of the same material, containing full designations of parties almost throughout, is contained in CC8/20/6.

I just realized that I don't know what designation means in this context Does it mean that the names of the parties are not given? If not, what is it an alphabetical index of?

Thanks in advance,
Sarah

[paddyscar]

Hi Sarah:

An alphabetical index - names and place names, soley in alphabetical order rather than a subject index. For instance, no subject headings like Churches, Halls, Societies, Associations, Bishops. They would only be listed as:

Bobbin Collector's Society
Carter, Bishop Alexander T.
Glasgow Historical Society
Herringold, Bishop Thomas M., SJ
Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Church Annex
Ladies Guild of Pembroke Presbyterian
Marston, Bishop A. J.
Morningside Evangelical Church
Teacher's Assistants Society
St. Thomas Church
St. Thomas Church Hall
Widows and Orphans Association of Govan

Not as

Bishops

• Carter, Bishop Alexander T.
  Herringold, Bishop Thomas M., SJ
  Marston, Bishop A. J.

Churches

• Holy Trinity Church
  Morningside Evangelical Church
  St. Thomas Church

Societies

• Bobbin Collector's Society
  Glasgow Historical Society
  Teacher's Assistants Society

I'm not sure if this is a legal term, but my understanding would be:
Designations - persons named but not identified by descriptors, such as head of parish council, lawyer for the defense, principal of the school

Mr. Thomas Smith testified he was drunk. [rather than]
Mr. Thomas Smith. owner ot the White Horse Pub testified he was drunk.

Frances

[AndrewP]

Hi Sarah,

Have a look at the following webpage for access to NAS (I am assuming that you are heading for General Register House rather than West Register House).

http://www.nas.gov.uk/about/070222.asp

While rebuilding work has been going on, the main front entrance has been closed (permanently?). Until last week the side entrance to the east was being used. From this week the "Garden Entrance" is being used. For this entrance you go through the gates into New Register House's grounds, then through between these two buildings and across the garden, past the Mathieson Dome into this other entrance.

All the best,

AndrewP

[SarahND]

Thanks, Frances!
That clarifies things. I guess that means that it would be no easier to find a person's name in CC8/20/6 than it was in CC8/6/176-- unless, of course, one knew the date since it is chronological. Someone has already checked the second one for me and not found the case I am interested in. I was hoping that if I looked in the other index I might find it... Oh well. I will probably have a look anyway

Thanks for the info on finding the door, Andrew! We will be staying north of NAS, can I get to the door from that direction, or do I have to go round the other side and come back up?

Regards,
Sarah

[AndrewP]

Thanks for the info on finding the door, Andrew! We will be staying north of NAS, can I get to the door from that direction, or do I have to go round the other side and come back up?

The only access to that door is from the NRH side. There is no direct access into the north side of the site (the security guards would probably come after you if you were seen climbing over the high fence).

The NRH gate is easiest found from Princes Street, or can be found via the narrow streets leading in from St Andrew Square.

All the best,

AndrewP

[SarahND]

I suppose I don't really want to waste time tangling with security guards, tempting though it is to scale the walls I'll just have to go around the long way...
Sarah

[AnneM]

Hi

The designation is the name and address of the parties which is found as a rule at the top of a writ and which would usually run thus:

Sheriffdom of Grampian, Highlands and Islands
at Aberdeen

in causa

Jeanie Brown or Smith (Assisted Person)
20 Blank Street
Aberdeen
Pursuer

against

John Donaldson
35 Garden Lane
Huntly
Defender

The bit that identifies the parties is the designation.

Anne
[/i]

[SarahND]

Anne,
Thanks for the legal description, but now I'm confused again

The designation is the name and address of the parties which is found as a rule at the top of a writ and which would usually run thus:

The bit that identifies the parties is the designation.

Ummm... the semantics is still ambiguous to my tiny mind Sorry
It seems to me that the "name and address" and the "bit that identifies" would also include the name... Or is it just the
(Assisted Person)
20 Blank Street
Aberdeen

Linguistic nitpicking aside I guess what I need to know is what the Alphabetical index of consistorial processes as described in CC8/6/176 would include and whether it would be a list of the names or not. Is the main difference between that index and CC8/20/6 List of Consistorial Processes Extracted and Unextracted 1658-1835 that one has just the names and the other the further designations? My head is beginning to spin on this I could have sworn that the latter list had the word "chronological" in its description, and now I don't see it

In fact, now the NAS catalogue won't show it to me at all... something is amiss. Do you suppose it is my ancestors in question who are being coy again and interfering with the NAS site?

Sarah