Falkirk District Cemeteries (Genealogy)

[apanderson]

I thought I had read a post on the forum regarding Falkirk Cemeteries Office intimating their intention to start charging £26.00 per search for 'look-ups' within Falkirk District cemeteries? (If this has been posted already, then my apologies for not finding it.)

See here: http://www.falkirk.gov.uk/services/births-deaths-marriages/deaths/burial-records.aspx

Personally, I think it's an absolute DISGRACE and I'm embarrased for them (not that they are!!).

Catching on to make easy money?

I'm disgusted!

Anne 

[Forfarian]

Yes.

On the one hand, it seems mean and grasping, but on the other, there is a cost in staff time for doing this sort of thing, and why should the ratepayers of Falkirk be expected to subsidise our hobby at the expense of essential services?

I do think that £26 seems excessive for a simple search (though not, I believe, as much as Glasgow charges). It would be fairer to adjust the charge according to how long the search takes.

But perhaps they are getting fed up with the sheer numbers of requests for lookups and have set the fee high in order to suppress the demand?

If they must look to earning income from it, they would probably earn more at less effort to themselves and more convenience to researchers by using Deceased Online.

[apanderson]

Glasgow Cemeteries department no longer carry out searches - they haven't done for quite a few years now - since they handed over the registers to Glasgow Archives.

There was supposedly a grand plan to digitize all the registers in order to eventually have them 'publicly' available in one way of another - however, (again apparently) although the process has been completed and has been for at least a couple of years - nothing seems to be any further forward.

There were stories circulating that because there are so many elements within a burial search, no-one was able to work out a searchable indexing system. How much truth is in that - who knows?

I believe it costs in the region of £10 a search at the Archives, but I don't know how extensive a search this covers or if it's per person/per lair etc.

Stirling Council had a great system set up before they had to move premises. They had a public browser where you could go and search through the (computerised) records till your heart was content. This hasn't been available since their move to Springkerse, but having spoken to a member of staff recently, they are trying to get it re-instated.

I imagine the only cost to initiate this type of thing would be an additional computer linked to their system and a wee desk to put it on?

Anne

[Forfarian]

Glasgow Cemeteries department no longer carry out searches - they haven't done for quite a few years now - since they handed over the registers to Glasgow Archives.

Ah. It used to be about £50 a time unless I have been misinformed, so that has to be an improvement.

As a matter of curiosity, what happens now if you want a burial that is recent enough to be in a book that they haven't handed over to the Archives?

[apanderson]

  

Tried that approach a few times!

I think they have a 'script' for awkward customers and that is to avoid answering that very question.

I've also discovered that there's always room for cremated remains, so no actual need to know whether the lair is full or if there's room for anyone else (unless of course, you're able to disclose every scrap of information and tell them the details rather than the other way round).

I wonder if it ever dawns on 'the authorities' that quite a few people visit cemeteries armed with an implement of sorts for digging their own wee hole to avoid jumping through hoops and taking out a second mortgage to have a wee box or casket officially interred, not forgetting the added extra of a plant or shrub to cover up the evidence!

Anne

P.S. The cost of a search before the registers were handed over was (I think) around £68 from the council.

[Seoras]

I have had some great help from them in the past and all for the cost of a phone call. I wouldn't mind paying a charge but the one quoted seems a bit steep. They don't seem to be able to tell me where my great grandmother is buried though. I know when and where she died and have tried using her maiden name and both married names. I would have thought Muiravonside, where all four grandparents and several other relatives are buried but no confirmation so far.

[RJ_Paton]

Glasgow Cemeteries department no longer carry out searches - they haven't done for quite a few years now - since they handed over the registers to Glasgow Archives.

There was supposedly a grand plan to digitize all the registers in order to eventually have them 'publicly' available in one way of another - however, (again apparently) although the process has been completed and has been for at least a couple of years - nothing seems to be any further forward.

There were stories circulating that because there are so many elements within a burial search, no-one was able to work out a searchable indexing system. How much truth is in that - who knows?

I believe it costs in the region of £10 a search at the Archives, but I don't know how extensive a search this covers or if it's per person/per lair etc.

Anne

The last time I spoke to the staff at the Glasgow City Archives on this very subject they were very helpful.
They (Archives staff) are still trying to obtain all of the existing paper & Book  records to have them in one centralised location and once a workable index is made they will then be made available to the public at the Archives.
The digitised records are still not in a format suitable for public release (no further info on that one) but Archives staff are prepared to carry out searches for you
a) If you know the year the search fee is around £10
b) if you don't know the year the search fee is "variable" depending upon how much work is required but claimed it was less than Glasgow Council used to charge.
All enquiries should be by email to the Archives.