I've just picked up on this from the website of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies at www.safhs.org.uk/SAFHS_News.asp :
Members of the worldwide Clan Currie Society taking part in the Homecoming Scotland Gathering event in Edinburgh this summer (25/26 July) will celebrate the Homecoming and the 50th anniversary of their Society in a unique way - with a new pipe tune specifically commissioned for the occasion! The march, which commemorates the Highland Review of 1822 for which the tartan was designed and first worn, was composed for the Society by award-winning piper Stuart Samson MBE.
Robert Currie, president of the Society, said: 'We are honoured to have been able to commission one of the top pipers in the world, Stuart Samson MBE, to compose 'The Currie Tartan' for the 50th anniversary of the Clan Currie Society - and I'm delighted that it will also mark our visit to The Gathering in this Year of Homecoming. Stuart is very well-known and well respected in the piping world, having achieved some of the highest accolades in the piping world.'
'I would like to extend a very warm invitation to all Curries, wherever they may be, to visit with us at our Clan tent at The Gathering in Edinburgh on 25 and 26 July. Whatever the spelling of your name - Currie, Curry, McCurry, McMhuirich, MacMureach, MacVurich or any other derivative spelling - if you are part of our clan network, we'd love to hear from you. And if you are not able to come to Edinburgh, please get in touch through our website on http://www.clancurrie.com/ to find out more and register for updates on all of our activities.'
Hopefully I'll be able to catch up with these guys - my Bridgeton born gran was a Currie, whose family originally came from Magherafelt in Northern Ireland!
More info on The Gathering 2009 at www.clangathering.org. In the latest update from the site, the event has just announced that the Noisettes and Jim Diamond will unfortunately not be able to attend due to unforeseen circumstances.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Monday, 13 July 2009
And another thing - the ScotFamTree AGM !
At cross purposes here - as I was writing up the last post, I was actually contacted by one of the mods on ScotFamTree to ask if I could mention their forthcoming AGM. It is to take place on Saturday 15th August 2009 at the Stewarton Area Centre, Avenue Street, Stewarton, East Ayrshire, KA3 5AS, from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Tickets are priced £6, which includes a light lunch, and are available from
http://scotlandsfamilytree.moonfruit.com/#/2009meet/4526231754.
For those who can't attend, the meeting will be streamed live online - y'all didn't know they had their own telly channel as well, did ye?!! No kidding, see http://www.livestream.com/scotlandsfamilytreechannel . I've just been listening to Amy MacDonald singing Caledonia (Scotland's best ever song) on it...!
However, sandwiches are not available online, so definitely worth the trip to Stewarton on that score alone...
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://scotlandsfamilytree.moonfruit.com/#/2009meet/4526231754.
For those who can't attend, the meeting will be streamed live online - y'all didn't know they had their own telly channel as well, did ye?!! No kidding, see http://www.livestream.com/scotlandsfamilytreechannel . I've just been listening to Amy MacDonald singing Caledonia (Scotland's best ever song) on it...!
However, sandwiches are not available online, so definitely worth the trip to Stewarton on that score alone...
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
ScotFamTree forum
With the temporary demise of Talking Scot, like many people I've been looking at some other forums this week to see what the current state of play is with other sites (see Talking Scot forum offline). As such, I've been along and had a more detailed look today at the ScotFamTree forum.
You turn your back for two minutes and they decide to rearrange the furniture! The site has adopted a new look since I last visited a few months back, a very impressive new look, but it also seems to have considerably expanded the range of material it has available to offer online. The site offers several different levels of membership, with a basic free membership that allows you to get used to the forum and some assistance for queries, but also an enhanced second and third tier, which costs £8 a year.
There are some very noticeable and impressive advantages to this forum compared to other sites. For one thing, in addition to the straightforward 'lets-go-somewhere-to-have-a-chat' function, the site also works very much like an online family history society. For the annual fee, which is cheaper than the membership for many FHSs, you actually get access to considerably more material than some societies have to offer, either available online or by way of records look ups. It is also well structured with different categories - there's a surnames section, an occupations section (with whole categories on mining villages, fishing villages, and more), not to mention a county based queries section (similar to that on Rootschat), and many others. I've spent the last hour going through the ScotFamTree site and am still finding new categories of material. A very good sign!
If there is a downside, it is simply that the web address doesn't quite flow off the tongue - it's at http://scotfamtree.11.forumer.com - but once you've bookmarked it you won't have to worry about that again!
If you are suffering from withdrawal symptoms from Talking Scot's absence, or are looking for a forum dedicated to Scottish family history research, I'd definitely urge you to have a look at this forum, though I'd really make sure you have a chair behind you when you do - you'll probably be bowled over! :)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
You turn your back for two minutes and they decide to rearrange the furniture! The site has adopted a new look since I last visited a few months back, a very impressive new look, but it also seems to have considerably expanded the range of material it has available to offer online. The site offers several different levels of membership, with a basic free membership that allows you to get used to the forum and some assistance for queries, but also an enhanced second and third tier, which costs £8 a year.
There are some very noticeable and impressive advantages to this forum compared to other sites. For one thing, in addition to the straightforward 'lets-go-somewhere-to-have-a-chat' function, the site also works very much like an online family history society. For the annual fee, which is cheaper than the membership for many FHSs, you actually get access to considerably more material than some societies have to offer, either available online or by way of records look ups. It is also well structured with different categories - there's a surnames section, an occupations section (with whole categories on mining villages, fishing villages, and more), not to mention a county based queries section (similar to that on Rootschat), and many others. I've spent the last hour going through the ScotFamTree site and am still finding new categories of material. A very good sign!
If there is a downside, it is simply that the web address doesn't quite flow off the tongue - it's at http://scotfamtree.11.forumer.com - but once you've bookmarked it you won't have to worry about that again!
If you are suffering from withdrawal symptoms from Talking Scot's absence, or are looking for a forum dedicated to Scottish family history research, I'd definitely urge you to have a look at this forum, though I'd really make sure you have a chair behind you when you do - you'll probably be bowled over! :)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Update on National Archives cuts
Following my post on July 1st concerning the recent cuts proposals from the National Archives at Kew (see Major Changes Proposed at the National Archives of Kew), the Federation of Family History Societies' Archives Liaison officer Roger Lewry has sent me an e-mail with further details obtained from the first public consultation meeting at TNA, held on July 2nd:
Closing the reading rooms on Mondays and the introduction of car parking charges are just two of the changes being proposed by the TNA. These are necessary if the current level of funding remains unchanged in cash terms for the foreseeable future, as has been the case for the past three years. On the other hand, expenses are increasing eg salaries and energy costs to name but two. Unless action is taken it will soon reach the stage where the funding is not sufficient to meet operating costs. More information can be found at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/changes.
The Monday closing is expected to save £0.5M out of the £900k that is to come from the public services part of TNA. The remainder of the £4.2M saving is to come from other areas.
There are currently about 30 vacancies and these will not be filled. In addition, a further 35 jobs are expected to go. We were told that a flatter staffing structure would be introduced.
There was strong feeling aroused at the first open meeting which I attended on 2 July when these proposals were explained for the first time. Since then letters of protest have appeared in The Times and The Daily Telegraph. The Independent has also publicised this.
Nick Barratt is heading a campaign against the proposals and we will keep you informed of progress.
Nick is of course a well known historian who worked on the Who Do You Think You Are series. More information as it comes.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Closing the reading rooms on Mondays and the introduction of car parking charges are just two of the changes being proposed by the TNA. These are necessary if the current level of funding remains unchanged in cash terms for the foreseeable future, as has been the case for the past three years. On the other hand, expenses are increasing eg salaries and energy costs to name but two. Unless action is taken it will soon reach the stage where the funding is not sufficient to meet operating costs. More information can be found at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/changes.
The Monday closing is expected to save £0.5M out of the £900k that is to come from the public services part of TNA. The remainder of the £4.2M saving is to come from other areas.
There are currently about 30 vacancies and these will not be filled. In addition, a further 35 jobs are expected to go. We were told that a flatter staffing structure would be introduced.
There was strong feeling aroused at the first open meeting which I attended on 2 July when these proposals were explained for the first time. Since then letters of protest have appeared in The Times and The Daily Telegraph. The Independent has also publicised this.
Nick Barratt is heading a campaign against the proposals and we will keep you informed of progress.
Nick is of course a well known historian who worked on the Who Do You Think You Are series. More information as it comes.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
WW1 Tramways battalion Glasgow Highlanders pics surface
A series of 286 photographs showing British soldiers in France has recently been discovered and exclusively published in today's Independent newspaper. Amongst the various British soldiers included are members of the Tramways Battalion of the Glasgow Highlanders and the Royal Army Medical Corps.
The story is online at www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/exclusive-the-unseen-photographs-that-throw-new-light-on-the-first-world-war-1688443.html and includes a link to all of the photograph, which the paper hopes will help facilitate their identification.
The story is online at www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/exclusive-the-unseen-photographs-that-throw-new-light-on-the-first-world-war-1688443.html and includes a link to all of the photograph, which the paper hopes will help facilitate their identification.
(Thanks to Susan Collins at Portrait Films for the tip off)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Scotland's Greatest Story promo vid
I had a minor operation last week on my neck and shoulders, and can't really move around much, so in the last few days I've basically plonked down in front of my computer to explore Windows Movie Maker, the first time I've touched editing software since I left the Beeb.
I did a short intro to the research service I offer in the first effort last week - I've now done a follow up, though as it is playing out of sync when uploaded to Blogger, it can be accessed instead at YouTube by clicking on the following image:
Guaranteed to make you come over all Scottish like! :)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
I did a short intro to the research service I offer in the first effort last week - I've now done a follow up, though as it is playing out of sync when uploaded to Blogger, it can be accessed instead at YouTube by clicking on the following image:
Guaranteed to make you come over all Scottish like! :)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Who Do You Think You Are - series 4 on DVD
With a new series of Who Do You Think You Are appearing next Wednesday on BBC1, there's a chance soon to pick up some more of the earlier editions, with the release of series 4 on September 7th 2009 on DVD.The line up was as follows:
1.Natasha Kaplinsky (tx 6 September 2007)
2.John Hurt (tx 13 September 2007)
3.Griff Rhys Jones (tx 20 September 2007)
4.Carol Vorderman (tx 27 September 2007)
5.Alistair McGowan (tx 4 October 2007)
6.Graham Norton (tx 11 October 2007)
7.Sir Matthew Pinsent (tx 18 October 2007)
The 3 disc set also includes the Nicky Campbell adoption special which was boradcast prior to the series transmission. Amazon.co.uk is selling it for £16.98 (RRP £24.99)
If you can't remember the series, it is the one where Matthew Pinsent turned out to be the son of God!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Talking Scot update
A brief update on the progress of the currently in limbo Talking Scot forum. Any futher updates prior to full restoration will be announced on this thread as and when they are received.
The forum's new host server is closed for the weekend and as some technical issues have still to be resolved requiring its assistance, it looks like the site may be back online next week at some stage, though this depends on these issues being resolved successfully.
The forum's new host server is closed for the weekend and as some technical issues have still to be resolved requiring its assistance, it looks like the site may be back online next week at some stage, though this depends on these issues being resolved successfully.
Once the site is back up and running, I'll make another announcement. In the meantime, the site's AG has adopted a thread on the Rootschat forum also providing updates - see www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=391333.new;topicseen#new.
UPDATE (Mon 13th): the new temporary domain for the site will be www.talkingscot.co.uk - the home page currently shows the original front page from the previous site (www.talkingscot.com) with the message ** SITE UNDER RECONSTRUCTION - PLEASE BE PATIENT **
UPDATE (Tue 14th): The site at www.talkingscot.co.uk is now partially active, with most non forum pages restored e.g. the societies page, the libraries page etc. The main forum section is still being restored.
UPDATE: (Sun 19th): One of the TS Administration Group members has announced on the Rootschat forum that TalkingScot's original domain name www.talkingscot.com was returned to the TSAG on Friday 17th July. However, she has also announced that the team are having problems with their software recognising the backup that was made of the site prior to it going down. Andrew Paterson of the TSAG, who is doing the actual restoration work, confirmed to me a few days ago that it was his hopeful intention to use the .co.uk address only temporarily, and to revert back to the .com address as soon as possible. The .com address is now showing as a holding page for TS, so it looks like this is in hand, with just the technical issues as outlined on Rootschat still to be resolved.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites - resources
I've just discovered that a useful resource on the Jacobites is actually available online. Following the 1745-46 rebellion, a series of testimonies concerning the whole affair was gathered by an Episcopalian minister, the Reverend Robert Forbes and written up as "The Lyon in Mourning". In 1895 this account was published by the Scottish History Society, edited by Henry Paton with a new preface, and has subsequently been digitised and placed online at the National Library of Scotland website, at www.nls.uk/print/transcriptions/index.html.
The account comes in three volumes, and is well worth a read if you have an interest in the Jacobites, Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Forty Five. Another useful guide on the rebellion is found at www.jacobites.info, whilst S. & N. Genealogy Ltd is selling a CD-ROM entitled "A List of Person Concerned in the Rebellion 1745-46", a reprint from an original text in 1890 with the names of some 2500 Jacobites, outlining their respective fates.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
The account comes in three volumes, and is well worth a read if you have an interest in the Jacobites, Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Forty Five. Another useful guide on the rebellion is found at www.jacobites.info, whilst S. & N. Genealogy Ltd is selling a CD-ROM entitled "A List of Person Concerned in the Rebellion 1745-46", a reprint from an original text in 1890 with the names of some 2500 Jacobites, outlining their respective fates.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Ulster Historical Foundation website problems
The following comes from the Ulster Historical Foundation:
Our new website went live on 10 July 2009. Currently we are experiencing some 'teething' problems with various areas of the website. We trust that you will bear with us as we make the necessary changes which will allow us to improve the functionality of the site.
Unfortunately some sections of the website cannot be accessed for the next few days, so you may experience some problems with the site. We assure you that we will be working on resolving these issues and we expect the website will be fully working soon. If you wish to report any problems please send your email to david.graham@uhf.org.uk
With our apologies for any disruption.
Ulster Historical Foundation
The site at www.ancestryireland.com has recently had a redesign, buit I'm unclear as yet as to whether its functionality has changed in any way. I did recently get an e-mail from them on June 23rd announcing that back issues of its Familia publication would be available online at the site, and also the following:
...there will also be 30,000 baptisms from the Church Of Ireland in Co Antrim coming on line in the next 2 weeks, which you can view by buying credits.(Full Guild Members get 50% discount) and you can also buy in bulk now.
It should be noted that the UHF also makes its records for Antrim and Down available at the Irish Family History Foundation site at www.irish-roots.ie. However the site offers considerably more records for each county on the IFHF site, so whether these Church of Ireland baptisms from Antrim are new records or just simply records that it already makes available at the IFHF site is not at all clear.
Hopefully this will be clarified in due course, but it is a very confusing way for a supplier to make its records available to the public! This is further compounded by the fact that the BMD records are actually offered at two different rates north and south of the border, and whilst it still charges an extremely high price for its records, the exchange rate means that it is now in fact cheaper to purchase records through the UHF site. The down side remains that there are considerably fewer records available from the UHF site, and so for some time I have been advising people to do the free search through the IFHF site (which has a better search interface), and if you come up trumps and can narrow down the right record, to then purchase it at the UHF site. It's not ideal, but it does work!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
Our new website went live on 10 July 2009. Currently we are experiencing some 'teething' problems with various areas of the website. We trust that you will bear with us as we make the necessary changes which will allow us to improve the functionality of the site.
Unfortunately some sections of the website cannot be accessed for the next few days, so you may experience some problems with the site. We assure you that we will be working on resolving these issues and we expect the website will be fully working soon. If you wish to report any problems please send your email to david.graham@uhf.org.uk
With our apologies for any disruption.
Ulster Historical Foundation
The site at www.ancestryireland.com has recently had a redesign, buit I'm unclear as yet as to whether its functionality has changed in any way. I did recently get an e-mail from them on June 23rd announcing that back issues of its Familia publication would be available online at the site, and also the following:
...there will also be 30,000 baptisms from the Church Of Ireland in Co Antrim coming on line in the next 2 weeks, which you can view by buying credits.(Full Guild Members get 50% discount) and you can also buy in bulk now.
It should be noted that the UHF also makes its records for Antrim and Down available at the Irish Family History Foundation site at www.irish-roots.ie. However the site offers considerably more records for each county on the IFHF site, so whether these Church of Ireland baptisms from Antrim are new records or just simply records that it already makes available at the IFHF site is not at all clear.
Hopefully this will be clarified in due course, but it is a very confusing way for a supplier to make its records available to the public! This is further compounded by the fact that the BMD records are actually offered at two different rates north and south of the border, and whilst it still charges an extremely high price for its records, the exchange rate means that it is now in fact cheaper to purchase records through the UHF site. The down side remains that there are considerably fewer records available from the UHF site, and so for some time I have been advising people to do the free search through the IFHF site (which has a better search interface), and if you come up trumps and can narrow down the right record, to then purchase it at the UHF site. It's not ideal, but it does work!
On the plus side, the UHF does have additional databases, unique to the organsiation, which can be accessed if you join their guild at £30 a year.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
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