Scottish birth help needed

[Golden Oldie]

I am researching my friends family tree for her. Her father was Edward Alexander Roberts born September 1907 in Greenock. There are 6 daughters and he told everyone that he was a twin. I can find no trace of a twin but I did find a brother who was born very close to Edward. Could anyone see if they can find a twin, maybe who died, or did he mean the brother who was born so close
Thank you
Ann

[herky]

Is it possible that the twin was still born? .....I am not sure if a stillborn child would have a registered birth or death, perhaps someone else would know. However if he talked about his twin then it is more likely that he knew him/her. In days past folk didn't really talk about stillborn children to their children. A bit of a mystery.
I do know that if the child lived for even a few minutes then he or she would have been registered as I have a few in my Scottish family.
Sorry to not be of much help.

[GallowayLass]

Sadly the law as applied back then would mean that if there was a twin stillborn then there would be neither birth nor death certificate issued as one cannot technically die if one has never drawn breath in the first place. It was a cruel thing to have to go through. I think I am right in saying that it would also mean that the word “twin” would not have been written on the birth certificate of the surviving baby but somebody more knowledgable than me will hopefully come on and confirm that or not. If Edward did have a twin who only lived for a short while (days, hours or minutes), there would have been two births registered and one death. Both birth certificates would have the word twin written on them. Have you viewed Edward’s entry on the page in SP to see what it says?

[kylejustin]

I would have though maybe the word "twin" or the time of birth would be recorded on the scottish births like for english twins.

i would get the image and the preceding page (if top entry) or succeeding page (if bottom entry) to see if another birth was registered.

[GallowayLass]

Time of birth is always recorded on Scottish birth certificates whether single or multiple birth. Twin, triplet etc. is written on the individual certs of children who were born as as such. I don’t know if that practice exists today as I have no known multiple births in Scotland amongst family my age and younger and haven’t found any when in SP centre Edinburgh.

[Golden Oldie]

Thank you all very much. I dont know how or belong to anything that would allow me to look at the equivalent in Scotland of Free BMD. Can you give me some advice
Regards
Ann

[Anne in Carlisle]

You always have to pay for anything from Scotland's People, they don't allow any others in! However you can get some way by using the indexes, I believe. To see any record you'll have to pay but you can do it in quite small chunks and your credits are saved for a long time in case you go back to search again.

I had never had any need for Scottish records until I started on son in law's tree, so it was a learning curve. However I have been glad of a few credits still remaining for a couple of others who popped up.

Anne

[Anne in Carlisle]

For what its worth. I found the index for Edward Alexander Roberts born in Greenock West in 1907. There are no other Roberts births in Greenock West in 1907. (there is a Susan in Greenock East but obvs not that one)

Anne

[Golden Oldie]

Your help and advice is much appreciated.
To Anne in Carlisle, I think you have answered my question.

Regards
Ann

[Macbev]

Out of pure nosiness, I have downloaded the image of the birth reg on Scotland's People and can forward it to you if you can PM me an email address. No mention of a twin, I'm afraid