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For a fixed charge,
I will supply you with either a copy of any record of birth, marriage,
death or census, provided that you supply sufficient information to
identify this record within half an hour. This will provide you with either the
information you need to verify a record (such as parents' names and/or
address), or simply a fascinating insight into your ancestors (e.g. cause
of death, occupation). If
you wish a photocopy of a record up to 1900, then this will cost
£10. If you wish a legal copy of a record before 1900, or a copy of
a record after 1900, then this will cost £15. If
you wish to proceed, click
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Civil
registration of births, marriages and deaths commenced in 1855
in Scotland, and records after this date are relatively
complete. There are however still errors and omissions which can
cause problems when trying to locate specific records.
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Records before
1855 are Church of Scotland Parish Records, and their accuracy and
even existence is dependent on the record keeping abilities of
individual ministers, and the preservation of these records. The
oldest parish records date back to 1553, but for some parishes there
are no surviving records at all. There are however other
sources which can provide information. To see the sources that I
can search, click here.
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The level of
information available also varies. Information after 1855 is
good, and it is possible really to begin to build up a picture of how
your ancestors lived. What they did for a living, what sort of
conditions they lived in, their brothers and sisters, and what they
died of, can all be ascertained. Information before 1855 is more
basic, and it can sometimes be very difficult to verify the
information from that source alone. If possible I will seek to
verify this from other sources, and at all times I will advise you of
the proof or degree of probability of information provided.
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Try not to set
your heart on finding a particular record or set of records.
Remember, for example, that the female line of your family is as
closely related to you as the male line. The more complete the
information you build, the more rewarding you will find the
experience, and the easier you will understand your Scottish ancestors and how
they helped shape you, generation by generation.
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