I've been alerted to a Facebook page by a friend from Cumbernauld concerning the fate of the dilapidated Cumbernauld House, built in 1731 - see www.facebook.com/cumbernauldhouse.
There's a petition underway by Cumbernauld House Trust Group to save and preserve the building, which can be signed at www.petitiononline.com/cnauld01/petition.html.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Tartan Day
It's Tartan Day overseas today, a celebration of how Scotland has taken over the world! Here's the coverage from New Brunswick of celebrations - http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/lifetimes/article/1007700 - and I'm sure there's plenty of similar accounts elsewhere.
Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing to celebrate all things Caledonian - have a good one!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing to celebrate all things Caledonian - have a good one!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Declaration of Arbroath - Happy Birthday!
The Declaration of Arbroath is 690 years old today. It is perhaps best remembered for the following line:
As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.
In today's more sophisticated parlance, that probably would have been written as:
Oh ye bloody think so? Stitch that Jimmy! (WHOMP!)
Ahem....
The Latin document, one of the treasures of the NAS in Edinburgh (see www.nas.gov.uk/about/090401.asp), had a major impact on Scotland's sense of nationhood, and some say the American Declaration of Independence was founded on its principles many centuries later.
I do have a darker tale to tell however - I once had the great misfortune to interview the head of the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tenessee, in 1999 for a Scottish TV series, and was handed a copy of the declaration by the Grand Pixie, or whatever he was, with the comment that the Klan's founding principles could be traced back to the document. Of course, he was clearly insane and a racist bigot with God on his side, but it goes to show how an idea can be twisted for any use.
Anyway - happy birthday to the Declaration of Arbroath!
PS: No coincidence to add that the SNP launched its election campaign today! (OK, so did Labour, the Torys etc. Talk about bursting my bubble...!)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours, that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.
In today's more sophisticated parlance, that probably would have been written as:
Oh ye bloody think so? Stitch that Jimmy! (WHOMP!)
Ahem....
The Latin document, one of the treasures of the NAS in Edinburgh (see www.nas.gov.uk/about/090401.asp), had a major impact on Scotland's sense of nationhood, and some say the American Declaration of Independence was founded on its principles many centuries later.
I do have a darker tale to tell however - I once had the great misfortune to interview the head of the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tenessee, in 1999 for a Scottish TV series, and was handed a copy of the declaration by the Grand Pixie, or whatever he was, with the comment that the Klan's founding principles could be traced back to the document. Of course, he was clearly insane and a racist bigot with God on his side, but it goes to show how an idea can be twisted for any use.
Anyway - happy birthday to the Declaration of Arbroath!
PS: No coincidence to add that the SNP launched its election campaign today! (OK, so did Labour, the Torys etc. Talk about bursting my bubble...!)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography - user site
May is apparently Local and Community History Month, and to mark the event the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography has launched a new user site to explain how to get the best out of the resource. The guide, available at www.oup.com/oxforddnb/info/freeodnb/local, is in four sections:
1) Getting started: our selection
2) Finding people near you
3) Scotland and Wales
4) Gangs, gatherings, and groups
There's about 6000 entries for Scots - definitely worth a look!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
1) Getting started: our selection
2) Finding people near you
3) Scotland and Wales
4) Gangs, gatherings, and groups
There's about 6000 entries for Scots - definitely worth a look!
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Scottish Research Online - 1 week to go!
My next Scottish Research Online course through Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd starts next week on Wednesday 14th April 2010 and runs for five weeks. There's still time to sign up and to learn some of the best methods for tackling the online component of your Scottish family history research. For more on the course, which costs £43.99, visit www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102.
Incidentally, I had the great pleasure to have lunch today in Glasgow's Mitchell Library with Sherry Irvine, who wrote the original version of the course and who along with Helen Osborne drives the whole Pharos project forward. Sherry knows so much about genealogical research that the very laws of time and space bend to her will* (*a slight exaggeration, but by golly, she knows her stuff!). Some basic advice comes from Sherry in the form of some rules to all research, well worth looking at via www.pharostutors.com/freegenealogyhelp.php#irvine. Helen and Sherry have recently been working hard to expand the range of courses offered by Pharos, and for a complete list of those up and coming visit www.pharostutors.com/coursesmainsd.php.
Following Scottish Research Online in July will be a follow up course entitled Scotland 1750 - 1850: Beyond the OPRs. Some interesting developments on that coming soon, but in the meantime, for more information visit www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Free access to Lost Cousins
Lost Cousins (www.lostcousins.com) is offering free access to its site until April 14th. For more, see the latest newsletter at http://lostcousins.com/newsletters/easter10news.htm.
Interestingly Peter Calver notes that for those seeking access to information concerning themselves in the 1939 National Register for England and Wales, there is no charge, unlike the normal situation of £42 per full household requests, where material is only released for those now deceased. To quote the civil servant who responded to Peter's request: "I can confirm that the NHS Information Centre does not currently charge for a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act 1998". It will be interesting to see if Peter gains the whole household information, or just for himself.
The situation is different for Scotland and Northern Ireland when it comes to seeking information on whole households. Scottish applications are made on an individual basis, but I have no idea as yet what the situation might be for those wishing to make similar applications for their own registration entry (i.e. do they pay £13 or do they have the same rights under a Subject Access Request?). For Northern Ireland, entries are so far only being dealt with if you can send proof of death, but I suspect they too have yet to be tested for those entries from people still living, having only just started dealing with FOI requests.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Interestingly Peter Calver notes that for those seeking access to information concerning themselves in the 1939 National Register for England and Wales, there is no charge, unlike the normal situation of £42 per full household requests, where material is only released for those now deceased. To quote the civil servant who responded to Peter's request: "I can confirm that the NHS Information Centre does not currently charge for a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act 1998". It will be interesting to see if Peter gains the whole household information, or just for himself.
The situation is different for Scotland and Northern Ireland when it comes to seeking information on whole households. Scottish applications are made on an individual basis, but I have no idea as yet what the situation might be for those wishing to make similar applications for their own registration entry (i.e. do they pay £13 or do they have the same rights under a Subject Access Request?). For Northern Ireland, entries are so far only being dealt with if you can send proof of death, but I suspect they too have yet to be tested for those entries from people still living, having only just started dealing with FOI requests.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Ancestors - the farewell issue
Sometimes all you can do is take the salute and return it with the same dignity.
Ancestors issue 94, April 2010 - the farewell issue. On sale now £3.99.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Ancestors issue 94, April 2010 - the farewell issue. On sale now £3.99.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Great Western Railway Shareholders list completed
Your great and canny Scottish granny may have been rolling in oodles of cash. If so, she may have invested it in the Great Western Railway in England! A list of shareholders is available on FindmyPast.co.uk, with the upload of the collection finally completed today. The originals came from the London based Society of Genealogists.
For more, read the FindmyPast blog post at Great Western Railway Shareholders Index is now complete on findmypast.co.uk
UPDATE: just noticed the following on the Findmypast site: "We will be adding the original GWR images to our site by the end of April 2010"
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
For more, read the FindmyPast blog post at Great Western Railway Shareholders Index is now complete on findmypast.co.uk
UPDATE: just noticed the following on the Findmypast site: "We will be adding the original GWR images to our site by the end of April 2010"
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Troon family history event in May
Troon @ Ayrshire Family History Society, along with South Ayrshire Libraries, is holding a family history based weekend event on the 7th and 8th of May.
On the evening of Friday the 7th at 7:30 Tom Barclay from South Ayrshire Libraries will give a talk at Troon Library entitled The Duke's Railway. The talk will focus on the Kilmarnock Troon Railway, the first railway service in Scotland to be authorised by Act of Parliament and to use a steam locomotive. Admission is free.
This will be followed up by a family history open day also in Troon Library between the hours of 11 am and 3:30 pm on Saturday the 8th, where members of Troon @ Ayrshire FHS will be on hand to help with enquiries. A range of CDs and books published by the society will be on sale at the event.
(With thanks to Ian Kennedy at Troon @ Ayrshire)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
On the evening of Friday the 7th at 7:30 Tom Barclay from South Ayrshire Libraries will give a talk at Troon Library entitled The Duke's Railway. The talk will focus on the Kilmarnock Troon Railway, the first railway service in Scotland to be authorised by Act of Parliament and to use a steam locomotive. Admission is free.
This will be followed up by a family history open day also in Troon Library between the hours of 11 am and 3:30 pm on Saturday the 8th, where members of Troon @ Ayrshire FHS will be on hand to help with enquiries. A range of CDs and books published by the society will be on sale at the event.
(With thanks to Ian Kennedy at Troon @ Ayrshire)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
FIBIS update - Times of India
From the Families in British India Society (FIBIS) website:
Births, marriages and deaths as reported in 'Domestic Occurrences' in the Times of India for 1866 have now been added to the FIBIS database. It consists of 1180 births, 322 marriages, and 750 deaths, a total of 2252. It brings the grand total for the period 1859 to 1890 to over 74,442 transcriptions.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Births, marriages and deaths as reported in 'Domestic Occurrences' in the Times of India for 1866 have now been added to the FIBIS database. It consists of 1180 births, 322 marriages, and 750 deaths, a total of 2252. It brings the grand total for the period 1859 to 1890 to over 74,442 transcriptions.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
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