FREQUENTLY   ASKED   QUESTIONS
 
 
 
What surnames are covered by the Gooderson Archive's Scottish Births Index database?
 
The database contains an exact transcription of the complete entry for all instances of the Gooderson, Goodinson and Goodison surnames that are listed in the Scottish G.R.O. births index.  Some of the entries for variant surnames (such as Goodeson) have also been included, together with a number of similar sounding but non-variant surnames (such as Goodson).
 
 
 
What source was used to compile the database?
 

The 19th and 20th century parts of Gooderson Archive's Scottish Births Index database was compiled by one of the Archive's organisers who undertook a series of visits to New Register House in Edinburgh for the purpose of extracting the records required.  The 21st century part of the database has been compiled from electronically obtained data.

 
 
 
Why was no use made of the "FreeBMD" project as source of information for the compilation of the Archive's Scottish birth index database?  
 
The FreeBMD project does not cover Scotland.
 
 
 
Why are there no quarters shown in the search results?
 
One of the many ways in which the Scottish civil registration system differs from that south of the border is in the length of the index production cycle.  Since the population of Scotland has always been so much smaller than that of England, it was decided from the outset of civil registration in Scotland to produce indexes on an annual basis.
 
 
 
Have records for the years 1837 to 1854 been excluded from the database?
 
Although civil registration began in England and Wales in the year 1837, it was not until much later (January 1855) that that it was extended to Scotland.  Consequently there are no corresponding records in Scotland for the period 1837 to 1854.
 
 
 
Why do many of the births appear to have been recorded in the database under the names of two different registration districts?  
 
Births in Scotland, unlike those in England and Wales, are required to be registered in both the registration district in which the birth took place AND the registration district in which the parents live.  Therefore, when this occurs, two separate entries for each birth will be found in the database.
 
 
 
Why can't I specify gender in my search?
 
Although entries in the Scottish G.R.O. birth index have always included an indication of the gender of each child (and this information has been included in the Archive's database) the Archive organisers felt that little or no advantage would be gained by designing the search engine to require such information in order to carry out searches.
 
 
 
Can I add an entry for a person who has not been included in the database?
 
No.   The database is intended to be an accurate reflection of entries for the surname Gooderson (and its variants) exactly as they appear in the Scottish G.R.O birth index and not as list of facts.
 
 
 
What are the names that appear in the end column of the search results, under the heading "Mother"?  
 
These are the mothers' maiden surnames, as recorded by the G.R.O. in their original master index.
 
 
 
Is there any significance in the background colour of the database pages?
 
Yes, in order to avoid confusion, the background colour used throughout the Gooderson Archive's Scottish births index database pages has been kept the same as that used in the English version.
 
 
 
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