Scotlands People Essential Maintenance on 23 Nov 2022

[Forfarian]

Oh dear oh dear oh dear.

I've been experimenting with the updated SP index.

If I search the marriages index for marriages of a Smith to a M*cdonald, the result is "Sorry, there are no results for your search."

Given that an identical search on the old International Genealogical Index for marriages of Smith to M*cdonald, from 1855 to 1875 only, produces 110 results, there must be many hundreds if not thousands of marriages of a M*cdonald to a Smith between 1855 and the present day.

It would be irritating to get a result saying 'There are too many results to display' but that would at least be truthful.

Saying 'There are no results' is just plain wrong.

This is worse than Verschlimmbesserung. It's actually Kaputtreparieren - repairs causing damage that threatens to make the repaired item useless. 

I have e-mailed SP to draw this to their attention, as there is no point moaning about things here or anywhere else without taking it up with those responsible.

Now, if everyone else on RC were to do something similar ..... ?

[pharmaT]

The site is back up and running albeit, with a new look.
Something isn't quite right with the deaths.

Been looking at deaths and from what I can see, whilst the facility to enter other surname  is still on the search, if you enter one, it results in no matches.

I tested this by entering my death mother's details.
If I search individually by married and maiden name, both names show separately under the same index number.
However, if I was to search by the usual method and enter the married plus the maiden name in the Other Surname  field it results in no matches.

I tried it with other female relatives and its the same....  no match results each time.


EDIT
I have reported this to Scotlands People

I have been having this issue for a long time.

[MonicaL]

What a pain...and still no 1921 census introduction 

Only just got home after some days away so will despair now trying different searches.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Oh dear

It was very irritating to get the 'more than 1000 results' error message when there were fewer than 1000 results for the primary name on its own, but this doesn't sound like an improvement.

I have been getting this a lot previously, even when the results number is below 1000 results.

Also, I see that the census index now lists only the parish/district reference number. I have in the past found the inclusion of the ED and page number extremely useful for working out which pages to view.

This is certainly not helpful and will make census searches more hit and miss (...and ultimately more expensive to do) 

Monica

[MonicaL]

Since I started to use Scotlands People, I have always used the wildcard of '*' for variant spellings. I have always just used it without having to select anything before using it.

No longer the case it seems. You need to click the option to include the wildcard option for each line of a surname/ first name so that it will apply:

[MonicaL]

T
Been looking at deaths and from what I can see, whilst the facility to enter other surname  is still on the search, if you enter one, it results in no matches.

I tested this by entering my death mother's details.
If I search individually by married and maiden name, both names show separately under the same index number.
However, if I was to search by the usual method and enter the married plus the maiden name in the Other Surname  field it results in no matches.

I tried it with other female relatives and its the same....  no match results each time.

This hopefully is a temporary glitch.

From their guidance notes on site www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/record-guides/statutory-register-deaths

Surname - please note that women are indexed under their maiden surname and any married surname(s)

Other surname - enter a woman's maiden surname or a previous married surname to narrow your search. The index cannot distinguish between name types, for example, a search for a married woman named Brown with maiden surname Smith returns entries for a married woman Smith with maiden surname Brown. If the maiden and married surnames are the same search on surname and leave this field blank.

Let's hope this is up and running again very soon.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Continuing on death searches, again from their guidance notes linked above:

Mother’s maiden surname - this wasn't included in the statutory index of deaths until 1974. The information is being added retrospectively starting with the early years although you may find it in some later entries as a result of individual record updates. If you enter a name in this field and the information hasn't been included in the index the record will not be found.

Don't think this is up an running yet. Blank columns on deaths post 1974.

Have tried again on my maiden name....and getting nil results. My main line has never existed it seems (and my maiden name is not that common) 

Monica

[MonicaL]

I think I am going to walk away from SP for a few days and let them sort things out.

Monica

[bleckie]

Hi All
I have been looking at OPR births I have one
I am looking for births to this couple: Daniel Campbell and Mary McNiven I have only been able to find one Archibald Born December 1820 search criteria as follows.

You searched for - Church type: Old Parish Registers - Births, Surname: "campbell", Surname options: "Exact names only", Forename: "Archibald", Forename options: "Wildcards allowed", Year range: "from 1810 to 1830", County/city: "GLASGOW CITY" 47 replies.

If I cut and paste parents' names and instead of using "Glasgow" use all and just using surname for child.
I do not get any hits.

How does this work.
I wish people would not try to improve a system that works and leave well alone.

Yours Aye
BruceL