Logo of the General Register Office

General Register Office for Scotland is a government agency, accountable to Scottish ministers, that administers the registration of births, deaths, marriages, divorces and adoptions, and is responsible for the statutes relating to the formalities of marriage and conduct of civil marriage. It is also responsible for the census of Scotland's population and the the National Health Service Central Register. Birth is the process in animals by which an offspring is expelled from the body of its mother. ... In Western culture, skeletons are often the symbol of death. ... Marriage is a relationship and bond between individuals (termed spouses -- a male spouse is a husband and a female spouse, a wife) that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent or parents other than the birth parents. ... A statute is a formal, written law of a country or state, written and enacted by its legislative authority, perhaps to then be ratified by the highest executive in the government, and finally published. ... Marriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many people who (usually) are in a sexual relationship. ... A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ...

History

Initially Christian ministers of the Church of Scotland were responsible for keeping parish records of baptisms and marriages. Later the Privy Council of Scotland, following the suggestion General Assembly of the Church of Scotland enacted that all parish ministers should keep a record of baptisms, burials and marriages. This situation continued until 1854 when Parliament passed an Act transfering responsibilty to the State. Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... In most Protestant churches, a minister is a member of the ordained clergy who leads a congregation or participates in a role in a parachurch ministry; such a person may also be called a Pastor, Preacher, Bishop, Chaplain or Elder. ... The Church of Scotland (CofS sometimes known as the Kirk) is the national church of Scotland. ... A parish is a subdivision. ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ... Marriage is a relationship and bond between individuals (termed spouses -- a male spouse is a husband and a female spouse, a wife) that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ... The Privy Council of Scotland was a body which formerly advised the King. ... The Church of Scotland (CofS sometimes known as the Kirk) is the national church of Scotland. ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ... Underwater funeral in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seafrom an edition with drawings by Alphonse de Neuville and Edouard Riou. ... Marriage is a relationship and bond between individuals (termed spouses -- a male spouse is a husband and a female spouse, a wife) that plays a key role in the definition of many families. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The debating chamber or hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels. ...

The Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1854 created the General Registry Office of Births, Deaths and Marriages, headed by the Registrar General with the appointment of registrars in every parish. It also provided that the Registrar General should produce an annual report to be forwarded to the Home Secretary to be laid before Parliament containing a general abstract of the numbers of births, deaths and marriages registered during the previous year. The first general abstract (relating to 1855) was submitted in 1856. In education, a registrar is an official in an academic institution (a college, university, or secondary school) who handles student records. ... The Home Secretary (official full title Secretary of State for the Home Department) is the chief United Kingdom government minister responsible for law and order in England and Wales; his or her remit includes policing, the criminal justice system, the prison service, internal security, and matters of citizenship and immigration. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Registrars General for Scotland

The Registrar General was also Deputy to the Lord Clerk Register. The Deputy Clerk Register had to be an Advocate of not less than ten years standing. The Lord Clerk Register is the oldest surviving Great Office of State in Scotland, with origins in the 13th century. ... It has been suggested that Barrister#Advocates in Scotland be merged into this article or section. ...

William Pitt Dundas was the first holder of the combined post of Deputy Clerk Register and Registrar General from September 1854 until April 1880. His successor, Roger Montgomerie, died six months after his appointment, and Mr Pitt Dundas resumed office for around a year, until the appointment of Sir Stair Agnew, KCB. The last person to hold the combined posts was Sir James Patten McDougall, KCB, in office from May 1909 to March 1919. 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1920 the Registrar General (Scotland) Act 1920 was passed which provided for the appointment by the Secretary of State for Scotland a whole-time Registrar General, Dr James Craufurd Dunlop, (previously Medical Superintendent of Statistics) was appointed. 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ...

List of Registrars General for Scotland

• William Pitt Dundas, 12 September 1854 - 28 April 1880
• Roger Montgomerie, 19 April 1880 - 25 October 1880
• William Pitt Dundas CB, 17 November 1880 - 12 January 1881
• Sir Stair Agnew KCB, 13 January 1881 - 30 April 1909
• Sir James Patten McDougall KCB, 1 May 1909 - 7 March 1919
• Dr James Craufurd Dunlop, 1 January 1921- 2 September 1930
• Andrew Froude ISO, 3 September 1930 - 14 February 1937
• James Gray Kyd CBE, 1 September 1937 - 30 November 1948
• Edmund Albert Hogan CBE, 1 December 1948 - 31 May 1959
• Alexander Burt Taylor CBE D Litt, 1 June 1959 - 4 September 1966
• James Allan Ford CB MC, September 1966 - September 1969
• Archibald L Rennie, October 1969 - 11 June 1973
• William Baird, 12 June 1973 - 3 August 1978
• Victor Colvin Stewart, 4 August 1978 - 12 April 1982
• Dr Charles Milne Glennie CBE, 13 April 1982 - 31 October 1994
• James Meldrum, 1 November 1994 - 21 February 1999
• John Randall, 22 February 1999 - 1 August 2003
• Duncan Macniven, 4 August 2003 - present

New Register House

New Register House, the main building of the General Register Office for Scotland, is close to the east end of Princes Street in Edinburgh. It was designed by Robert Matheson, the Clerk of Works at the Office of Her Majesty's Works in Scotland. Initially, the General Registry Office had been located in General Register House, but on 30th March 1861 was moved to New Register House. Princes Street, as viewed facing west from the Scott Monument Princes Street and the Castle at twilight Princes Street is the main shopping street in Edinburgh city centre, although it was originally designed to be a residential street. ... It has been suggested that Areas of Edinburgh be merged into this article or section. ... Clerks of Works are the most highly qualified non_commissioned tradesmen in the Royal Engineers. ... March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (90th in Leap years). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

See Also

• General Register Office (England and Wales)
• General Register Office for Northern Ireland
• General Register Office (Ireland)
• Genealogy

The General Register Office is that part of the government of England and Wales that deals with the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths. ... Genealogy is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. ...

External Links

• General Register Office for Scotland website
• Scotsland People - A geneological research site administered by the GRO for Scotland
• General Register Office for England and Wales wesbite
• General Register Officer for Northern Ireland