Author Topic: Query about two birth entries  (Read 551 times)

Offline LauraDC

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Query about two birth entries
« on: Monday 30 January 17 20:25 GMT (UK) »
I have just started tracing my family tree and discovered that my paternal grandmother appears to have two entries on Scotland's People.  I have a copy of her birth certificate and was just checking on when I noticed another entry & have now got copies of both entries.  My question is:  Is it possible to have two entries in two different areas of Glasgow and was this a normal occurrence in 1897?  Thanks in advance.

Offline Billyblue

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Re: Query about two birth entries
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 31 January 17 05:24 GMT (UK) »
Hi Laura and welcome to RootsChat

I'm no expert on Scotland records, but many chatters are.  But someone is sure to ask

How are you sure the two entries are for the one person?
Are the dates identical?
Are the parents identical?
If an address is part of the certificate, are they identical?

If the answers to the above are all yes, I'd hazard a guess that mum and dad both registered the birth but at different offices, and nobody picked up the duplication.  Then again, I may be quite wrong!   :)  :)  :)

Dawn M
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Offline RJ_Paton

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Re: Query about two birth entries
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 31 January 17 08:26 GMT (UK) »
This was quite normal for that period.

Until 1934 the procedure was that if the birth took place outside the Registration District where the parents normally lived the birth would have been registered  in the district of the actual place of birth and the Registrar for that area would send a copy of the record to the Registrar for the "home" district where the family actually lived and an entry would also be made in that Register.

Although today Glasgow is one Registration District at that time there were multiple Registration Districts and even travelling a short distance in the City could easily mean moving to a different Registrar's area.

PS. Welcome to Rootschat.

Offline LauraDC

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Re: Query about two birth entries
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 01 February 17 09:41 GMT (UK) »


This was quite normal for that period.

Until 1934 the procedure was that if the birth took place outside the Registration District where the parents normally lived the birth would have been registered  in the district of the actual place of birth and the Registrar for that area would send a copy of the record to the Registrar for the "home" district where the family actually lived and an entry would also be made in that Register.

Although today Glasgow is one Registration District at that time there were multiple Registration Districts and even travelling a short distance in the City could easily mean moving to a different Registrar's area.

PS. Welcome to Rootschat.
Hi Laura and welcome to RootsChat

I'm no expert on Scotland records, but many chatters are.  But someone is sure to ask

How are you sure the two entries are for the one person?
Are the dates identical?
Are the parents identical?
If an address is part of the certificate, are they identical?

If the answers to the above are all yes, I'd hazard a guess that mum and dad both registered the birth but at different offices, and nobody picked up the duplication.  Then again, I may be quite wrong!   :)  :)  :)

Dawn M

Thank you both for your answers.   I thought it might be a case of two people registering the birth but the other one is feasible too and makes a lot of sense and also interesting.   All the information on both entries is identical including the registrar, time of birth, etc.   I have certainly learnt something new although I think genealogy is a constant learning curve.    Nice to meet you both. Laura