Hello,
This is my first post to your website.
It's necessary that I view the signature on two registration certificates, a birth certificate and a marriage certificate.
I want to compare the mother's signature when she registered her child, and to compare that to her signature ten years later on her marriage certificate.
What is the best method to do this?.
Would an image of the certificates be sufficient, and can I do this over the internet or must I ask someone to visit the General Registrar Office in Edinburgh?
JD
Verify Signature on Registration certificates
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JDavidson
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emanday
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Hi JD,
A warm welcome to Talking Scot![[scotland-flag]](./images/smilies/scotland-happy.gif "[scotland-flag]")
You can download images of birth, marriage and death certificates from Scotlands People http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ which is the best site for Scottish family research. It is pay per view, but very reasonably priced.
The signatures on birth and death entries are usually that of the informant (or their witnessed mark if illiterate), but the signatures on marriage entries are not usually the originals. I understand these are actually copied by the registrar from the original.
If you could find a death certificate that she might have signed, a parent, husband or child perhaps, you could possibly compare them.
A warm welcome to Talking Scot
You can download images of birth, marriage and death certificates from Scotlands People http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ which is the best site for Scottish family research. It is pay per view, but very reasonably priced.
The signatures on birth and death entries are usually that of the informant (or their witnessed mark if illiterate), but the signatures on marriage entries are not usually the originals. I understand these are actually copied by the registrar from the original.
If you could find a death certificate that she might have signed, a parent, husband or child perhaps, you could possibly compare them.
[b]Mary[/b]
A cat leaves pawprints on your heart
McDonald or MacDonald (some couldn't make up their mind!), Bonner, Crichton, McKillop, Campbell, Cameron, Gitrig (+other spellings), Clark, Sloan, Stewart, McCutcheon, Ireland (the surname)
A cat leaves pawprints on your heart
McDonald or MacDonald (some couldn't make up their mind!), Bonner, Crichton, McKillop, Campbell, Cameron, Gitrig (+other spellings), Clark, Sloan, Stewart, McCutcheon, Ireland (the surname)
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Russell
- Posts: 2559
- Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2005 5:59 pm
- Location: Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire
Hi JD
And a warm welcome to TalkingScot.
Before we can give you much of an answer we would need a few more details for dates etc.
In genealogical terms it is only quite recent that the Birth Certificate or Marriage certificate was actually signed. Previously the entry was made by the Registrar when he transcribed the details into the appropriate Official Register. Although it says 'signed' what was signed was the actual certificate that the mother, or bride & groom took away with them.
To view a Birth certificate over the internet it must have been prior to 1906. Marriage certificates are available on-line from scotlandspeople.gov.uk up to 1931. To see certificates from after that time you would have to go to GRO in Edinburgh or to their linked department in Glasgow.
Hope this helps
Russell
And a warm welcome to TalkingScot.
Before we can give you much of an answer we would need a few more details for dates etc.
In genealogical terms it is only quite recent that the Birth Certificate or Marriage certificate was actually signed. Previously the entry was made by the Registrar when he transcribed the details into the appropriate Official Register. Although it says 'signed' what was signed was the actual certificate that the mother, or bride & groom took away with them.
To view a Birth certificate over the internet it must have been prior to 1906. Marriage certificates are available on-line from scotlandspeople.gov.uk up to 1931. To see certificates from after that time you would have to go to GRO in Edinburgh or to their linked department in Glasgow.
Hope this helps
Russell
Working on: Oman, Brock, Miller/Millar, in Caithness.
Roan/Rowan, Hastings, Sharp, Lapraik in Ayr & Kirkcudbrightshire.
Johnston, Reside, Lyle all over the place !
McGilvray(spelt 26 different ways)
Watson, Morton, Anderson, Tawse, in Kilrenny
Roan/Rowan, Hastings, Sharp, Lapraik in Ayr & Kirkcudbrightshire.
Johnston, Reside, Lyle all over the place !
McGilvray(spelt 26 different ways)
Watson, Morton, Anderson, Tawse, in Kilrenny
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DavidWW
- Posts: 5057
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 9:47 pm
Hi JD
Welcome to TS.
There's only a small chance that the signatures on the marriage certificate are the originals, - if it's an entry involving a marriage by declaration.
Otherwise, as noted, the signatures are transcriptions by the registrar from the marriage schedule. If there's a good legal reason, GROS may allow you to see a copy of the actual signatures on the marriage schedule; but not just for the sake of comparison ..........
And it's the marriage schedule only, retained by GROS, that has the signatures, not any certificate copy taken away by the couple .......
David
Welcome to TS.
There's only a small chance that the signatures on the marriage certificate are the originals, - if it's an entry involving a marriage by declaration.
Otherwise, as noted, the signatures are transcriptions by the registrar from the marriage schedule. If there's a good legal reason, GROS may allow you to see a copy of the actual signatures on the marriage schedule; but not just for the sake of comparison ..........
And it's the marriage schedule only, retained by GROS, that has the signatures, not any certificate copy taken away by the couple .......
David