Dundee

[Morag]

In todays Scotland on Sunday there was an article about family history - and it mentioned that it was possible to do searches in Dundee. Has anyone had any experience of this - and do they know exactly what is available ?
Morag

[LesleyB]

Hi Morag
There is a reasonably new Family History centre in the main library - maybe this is what was being referred to?
http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/supportser ... alogyunit/

There is also Tay Valley FHS
http://www.tayvalleyfhs.org.uk/
and the LDS have a Family History centre at Dundee too.

And Dundee City Archives and the University Archives
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/archives/famhist.htm

Best wishes
Lesley

[Morag]

Hi Lesley

Thanks for the reply - I didn't know such a place existed !
Can you search on your own - the link implies that a searcher will help you ?
I thought it might save a trip to Edinburgh if the same information is available.

Morag

[LesleyB]

Hi Morag

Can you search on your own - the link implies that a searcher will help you ?

I think not...I think this is part of the several centres set up around Scotland where the searching is Registrar led. Good for those who are beginning perhaps and need a bit of help to get started, or those who are visiting and do not have the time or experience to go to NRH, but maybe not for those who have already done a fair bit of work on their tree and have spent time at SP etc. ?

But I've not used the above service or the similar registrar service available at St Andrews, Fife, so I don't have first hand experience of it - perhaps someone else has and may be able to advise you better?

Best wishes
Lesley

[Montrose Budie]

In general, from what I've seen over the last couple of years when this site in Dundee was set up, with other sites across Scotland, e.g. St Andrews and somewhere in The Borders, - I'm not aware of any central listing of these, altho' will confess that I haven't dug that deep on the GROS website, - the access is on a supervised basis costing around £20 or £25 per hour, - a wee bit "eye watering" compared to the £11 per day for access to the ScotlandsPeople facility in Edinburgh, albeit that there isn't the same one-to-one assistance/supervision, but then my experience over a period of 24 years at New Register House has been that the search room supervisors in general have always been extremely helpful.

From somewhere I have the memory that many if not all of these local locations limit the access time (Park Circus in Glasgow is an exception).

In general, the registration process in Scotland is carried out by the local authorities as a sub-contractor to GROS in Edinburgh (I defer to anyone, ..... please!..... who has a more detailed understanding of this relationship).

As part of the project involving electronic registration of BMD, many registrars' offices now have direct online access to the DIGROS system in Edinburgh, as used to be the case at New Register House in Embra before the opening of the new ScotlandsPeople Centre.

This means that, from any registrar's office anywhere in Scotland that has the link it's possible to access DIGROS and all the BMD, census and OPR indexes and images.

But there's maybe a wee problem!, - there's no date limits in terms of the BMD images that can be accessed via DIGROS from a registrar's office (in other words the same level of access as staff members at NRH), which is perhaps a reason for the supervision!)

At NRH in Embra, for the public, only images with the same cut-off dates as on ScotlandsPeople could be accessed, as I assume is still the case at the new ScotlandsPeople Centre.

While I'm sure that there's many registrars out there who are highly skilled genealogical researchers, I have to comment that this cannot be relied on to be the case if you visit such a facility.

Yes, of course, they may, and should be, very familiar with the DIGROS system, but that's not necessarily the same thing as being an expert genealogical researcher in terms of how to trace back through the generations. including aspects such as wildcards and how best to combine GROS resources with those of the LDS, CDs and www.familysearch.org, etc., etc.

mb

[Morag]

Thank you for all your replies - I think I would be best to try to arrange a day in Edinburgh as I have quite a list of things that need to be checked. I thought it might be easier to go to Dundee - but it doesn't sound as if it is.

Morag

[Montrose Budie]

Thank you for all your replies - I think I would be best to try to arrange a day in Edinburgh as I have quite a list of things that need to be checked. I thought it might be easier to go to Dundee - but it doesn't sound as if it is.

Morag

I'd suggest that a day in Embra could be very much more productive, never mind more economic, not least the situation where a look at some National Archives of Scotland records turned out to be required, - but please be aware that you now need photies and two separate proofs of identity plus those photies, - in order to be allowed access to the NAS reading rooms.

mb

[bleckie]

Good Morning all

Here is a link to Perth & Kinross Council registrars help
you can follow the links and it will give you a list of fee's if you are looking for specifics I don't think it is to bad and if you have a note book and pencil handy well!

yours Aye

BruceL
http://www.pkc.gov.uk/Community+life+an ... rvices.htm

[Morag]

Thanks for all the help - the Perth links look really good - on first glance my lot seem to be hiding - but you never know!

Morag