This was posted to another list and I thought some of you might be interested. Marion >GENERAL REGISTER OFFICE FOR SCOTLAND INTERNET SERVICE > >Internet service will be formally launched by Henry McLeish, Minister of >State at The Scottish Office on Monday the sixth of April. > >Public access to the database will be available immediately after the >launch, from approximately 1.00 p.m. UK time. > >The service will provide World Wide Web access to a fully searchable index >to births/baptisms and banns/marriages from the Old Parish Registers dating >from 1553 to 1854, and births, marriages and deaths from the Statutory >Index for 1855 to 1897. An index to census records for 1891 will also be >provided; 1881 census data will be made available later this year. > > Searching will be possible on the following fields: > > Surname > Event type (birth/baptism, marriage, death) > Sex > Forename (or first initial) > Year of registration (or range of years) > Age (or age range) - deaths only > Registration District (Statutory Index) > County (Old Parish Register) > >This index will constitute one of the world's largest databases of >genealogical information, >including nearly 30 million names. Users will be able to order register >extracts (eg a birth >certificate, a census entry) from the GRO(S) via the Web. > >Charging for the service will be by credit card, using a highly secure >payment mechanism. Credit card details are transmitted in encrypted form, >making this method more secure than using a credit card in a store or >restaurant. > >Charges will be similar to those charged currently by the GRO(S) at New >Register House, in >Edinburgh. > >This venture was intitiated and will be operated by OMS Services Ltd. The >application is being developed by RTA, an associate company of OMS. > > MORE INFORMATION > > General Register Office for Scotland > Brian Philp, Deputy Registrar General > New Register House, Edinburgh EH1 3YT, UK > Tel: +44(0)131-314 4434 Fax: +44(0)131-314 4405 > Web: www.open.gov.uk/gros/groshome.htm > > OMS Services Ltd > Dr Ian Galbraith, Managing Director > 87 Moss Lane, Pinner, Middlesex HA5 3AT, UK > Tel: +44(0)181-866 5830 Fax: +44(0)181-868 1160 > email: ian@aecserve.com > Web: www.aecserve.com/oms/who.html > > --