ED Numbers
Q1 - I have 2 books for one ED that are numbered 1/5 and 2/5. Are these put in as 5a and 5b or both as 5?
A1 - It will depend on the year:
- 1841: The circled book number found on the GROS page (See Folio Numbers, Question 1) will differentiate the ED books. There may be a warning in fctools for duplicate ED numbers when the file is converted but this can be ignored.
- 1851: There is a printed letter on the GROS page that will be used in conjunction with the ED number.
- 1861-1871: We have no other reference number to work with in these years. Please add an a/b designation with the ED number.
Folio Numbers
Q1 - Are there Folio numbers in Scotland?
A1 - No. However, 1841 and 1851 have reference numbers added after the census was taken:
- 1841: There is a circled number at the bottom of the GROS page. If there is no number there, please look at the index card filmed prior to the start of the parish.
- 1851: There are volume numbers listed on an index card prior to the start of the parish. Please use this number.
- 1861-1871: Most of the pages that contain the book number are either missing or to dark to read. If you find the GROS page, you will see “Book B containing XXX number of people”. Please enter the letter in the folio column. If the page is missing or unreadable, please enter zero. There will be a warning in fctools when the file is converted, regarding a zero folio number, but this can be ignored.
Page Numbers
Q1 - There are missing pages in the census. How do we enter these?
A1 - If you are working on 1841 or 1851, please order the alternate filming to ensure they are actually missing. If you need the film numbers, please contact the county coordinator or look them up in the LDS catalog.
If they are actually missing, there is nothing we can do about it. Enter the pages “as is”. There will be a warning in fctools when the file is converted, regarding to many entries on XX page, but this can be ignored.
Software
Q1 - VALDREV keeps stopping on every birth place. There are no Scotland places of birth in the program. Is there a way to save the POB’s?
A1 - Yes. Right Click in the Place of Birth box. This will bring up the POB list. Choose “Add to Supplementary”. Be careful about adding places that are spelled incorrectly.
Q2 - There are no Scotland places of birth in VALDREV. Is there any way to save the Supplementary list for the next file?
A2 - Yes. In the VALDREV folder, you will find the parish folder (HSxxyyy.dir). Copy and paste the PLACESUP.GEN file to the folder of the parish you have just imported. This has to be done before you actually start validating the parish file.
For every new file you import, continue to copy and paste this file. Your supplementary list will grow quite quickly and VALDREV on the birth places in the list.
Q3 - I have a volunteer for checking but they have a Mac computer. Is there a Mac version of WINCC or VALDREV?
A3 - No. There is a work around where the volunteer will have to check the parish in spreadsheet format. Please contact the Scotland Coordinator for more details.
Q4 - My checker is having problems with WINCC “graying out” when an uninhabited building is added or the status is changed.
A4 - This is a bug in WINCC. Shut the program down and restart it. It should work correctly after that.
Q5-How do I save the additions to the Supplementary List of birth places?
A5- Please read the FreeCEN Manual, Section 6e under Validation [6a].
Miscellaneous
Q1 - There are no columns to record the Rooms with Windows and Children attending School in the 1861 census. Do we record this in the notes?
A1 - The FreeCEN policy is to record the Rooms with Windows only if there are 5 or more.
A1a - For Children attending School, please look to see if the number matches with the number of children in the household. If so, it’s redundant information. If not, please record in the notes. (We do not want to use the notes space for these unless absolutely necessary as we may be taking valuable space needed for occupations or something more important.)
Q2 - I'm ready to move on to the next census year. How do I order the CDs/Films? What do I do with the CDs/Films I already have?
A2 - You will need to fill out the Master Agreement sent you from the GSU. The film numbers are found in the LDS catalog. Do a Title search for 18X1 Scotland Census (X = the year you want to order). For 1841 & 1851, there are two filmings. The 104 set has better clarity.
A2a - You may mail them back to the GSU, the address is on the order form. Or you may return them to the nearest FHC and send a signed inventory list of the CDs/Films to the GSU.
Q3 - When are Project Updates due?
A3 - Project updates for the GSU are due every 6 months. Our updates are in February and September. This is a requirement of our film order agreement with the GSU and must be submitted. Please send them to the Scotland Coordinator.
A3a - Your personal updates for volunteers can be submitted to the Scotland Coordinator every three months. This is simply a back up of your volunteer records containing their names, addresses, emails and parishes or years they are working on.
Q4 - Chapman Code for Kincardineshire. The instructions say to use KIN but the code is actually KCD. Which do I use?
A4 - KCD. The instructions are incorrect and have not been changed.
Uploading Files
Q1 - When I try to log on to upload a file I keep getting the following error message:
“Documents in this folder are not available. The folder may have been moved or deleted, or network problems may be preventing a connection to the server.”
A1 - The server is busy. You will have to try to log on later. I have found having a folder for files that need to be uploaded helps so when I can log on, they are all in the same place and can be loaded at the same time.
Q2 - I have uploaded files to my database folder but they are not in the search engine yet.
A2 - Please see the Coordinator’s Guide, Uploading Problems.
