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GROS Today Continuities and Change. By Martin Tyson Departmental Record Officer General Register Office for Scotland. New Register House. An Act to provide for the better Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Scotland, 1854. History. Functional Stability:
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GROS TodayContinuities and Change By Martin Tyson Departmental Record Officer General Register Office for Scotland
An Act to provide for the better Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Scotland, 1854
History Functional Stability: • Oversight of registration system • Data custodians • Access to records • Statistical reports
Major additions • Census - 1861 onwards • 1939 - registration of population • 1952 - National Health Service Central Register
Major causes of change • Technological change • Administrative change • Societal change
Technological change 1 - Databases • processing of statistical information - Vital Events database, 1974 on • record keeping – NHSCR • future of census?
Technological change 2 - Census processing • 1861 - by hand • 2001 - imaged forms had most information automatically processed • geographical information systems • more data, more analysis
Technological change 3 -Indexing • 1854 - access via paper indexes • 2004 - access via electronic index databases
Technological change 4 -Imaging • 1854 - access to register data by extract copy • 2004 - access to digital images
DIGROS Digital Imagingof the Genealogical Records Of Scotland’sPeople
Provide access to digital images of GROS records for all of Scotland Enable family history search centres to be set up locally DIGROS will :-
DIGROS • Digitisation of all GROS records • Connection with existing indexes • In-house and online • Available at local registration offices
Promote closer links with National Archives for Scotland & Lord Lyon Encourage local councils to establish local family history centres Result in “genealogy campus” in Edinburgh by 2006 Scottish Family History Research Service will :-
Technological change 5 - Electronic registration • supply registration software to registrars • electronic creation of register entries • transmitted electronically to centre
Administrative change • Changes in status and nature of registrars – professionalisation, Certificate of Proficiency • Rationalisation of geography of registration system: 1027 Registration Districts in 1855, 231 now.
The Future - new ways of working • Registration bill - powers for online registration • informants talking directly to GROS
Registration Bill (forthcoming) • 32 registration districts • register births, deaths anywhere • powers for e-registration • Major move away from the parochial system of registration inherited in 1854
Societal changes • 1930 - adoption registration introduced • 1939 – end of irregular marriage • 1977 – Marriage (Scotland) Act – current basis for marriage law
Societal changes – new and upcoming • Gender Recognition Act 2004 • Civil Partnerships Bill • Family Law Bill
Gender Recognition Act 2004 • Set up Gender recognition panels • Recognise transgender • Set up gender recognition register • Allow marriage in new gender • Provide for existing marriages to be dissolved
Civil Partnerships Bill • Allow same sex couples to register partnership • To acquire legal rights similar to those of a married couple
Family Law Bill • Where an unmarried couple both jointly register a child’s birth, father will automatically acquire parental rights. • 46% of births in 2003 to unmarried parents • Only 6% registered solely in mother’s name
GROS: Records Enterprise By Martin Tyson Departmental Record Officer General Register Office for Scotland