Monday, 14 June 2010

Hamefarin gets underway

Shetland's Hamefarin fortnight is now underway - for more, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/10304941.stm

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)

New Derry resources CD

Billy Macafee has produced a new CD-Rom of useful databases containing resources on County Londonderry for genealogical research. Bill has previously created an excellent site for north Antrim at www.billmacafee.com/.

The CD has taken Bill 5 years to produce though includes research gathered many years before - full details are at www.billmacafee.com/derryancestors/derryancestorscd.htm.

Priced at £12, the CD is available from the following vendors:


Causeway Books in Bushmills and Coleraine
The Bookcase, Portrush
Easons, Coleraine and Derry
Bygones, Portstewart
Books Upstairs, Limavady
Glenshane Community Development, Dungiven
Sheehy's Bookshop, Cookstown
Laurel Villa Guesthouse, Magherafelt.
Tourist Information Centres in Derry, Limavady and Coleraine

For those like me with Derry Ancestors but not in the locale, fret not, it will also be going on sale soon online through the Ulster Historical Foundation Bookshop at www.booksireland.org.uk.

A true Gene Genie!

(With thanks to Bob Forrest)

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)

Sunday, 13 June 2010

Researching Scottish Family History back in stock at ScotlandsPeople Centre

A couple of people have been in touch to say they have tried to pick up a copy of my Researching Scottish Family History book at the ScotlandsPeople Centre. The book had sold out there, but is now back in stock, though is again going quickly. I was up on both Monday and Friday last week to do client research and the eight copies on the shelf in their bookshop on Monday was down to one on Friday!

The book can also be purchased from Amazon at www.amazon.co.uk/Researching-Scottish-Family-History-Christopher/dp/1906280223 (ignore the out of stock warning, click on "2 new" at the bottom) or direct from Family History Partnership at www.familyhistorypartnership.com/.

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)

Get involved with AddressingHistory

On June 3rd I mentioned a new Edinburgh based project currently underway entitled Addressing History (see Edinburgh based AddressingHistory project). The team behind the venture has been receiving some positive feedback about its proposal to link street directories to the relvant contemporary maps, initially for the Edinburgh area, and so has now added a new page detaling how you can get involved once the project goes live.

For more information see
http://addressinghistory.blogs.edina.ac.uk/how-do-i-get-involved/.

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)

ScotFamTree world cup offer

Just noticed that the ScotFamTree discussion forum (http://scotfamtree.11.forumer.com/) has reduced its annual membership to just £5 for this weekend only (i.e. until midnight tonight), via its World Cup Widows offer.

It's thoroughly recommended, I rate it as the friendliest Scottish discussion forum around, though in truth I think of it as much as an online family history society as I do a discussion forum, it literally does so much - online TV channel, regular meetings for members, dedicated online community of helpers from across Scotland and beyond, and a new family tree upload facility.

To save your genealogical soul during this time of national crisis, visit www.scotlandsfamilytree.moonfruit.com/#/tier2-subs/4519612376 !

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)

National Library of Scotland app for iPhone & iPod Touch

The National Library of Scotland has developed an application through Screen Media for both the iPod Touch and iPhone 3G/3GS, which allows you to view letters, documents and manuscripts as featured in the John Murray Archive collection.

To obtain the app, visit http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/national-library-scotland/id368209244?mt=8


(With thanks to Friday's Metro paper)

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)

Interviewed by My Heritage

I've mentioned My Heritage (www.myheritage.com) a few times in the past on this blog, the social networking site which just so happens to have the best freely available family history programme around, Family Tree Builder, which can be downloaded to your computer from www.myheritage.com/family-tree-builder.

Well Robert Barham from My Heritage got in touch last week to interview yours truly - the result is now online at http://blog.myheritage.com/2010/06/the-interview-series-blogger-and-genealogist-chris-paton/.

Thanks to Rob!

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)

Friday, 11 June 2010

Britain at war with Hitler! Live feeds from Twitter

Britain is at war with Hitler's Nazis - follow the UK War Cabinet's wartime decisions live at Twitter, by subscribing to http://twitter.com/ukwarcabinet

We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall never surrender - you know the drill! :)

(With thank to the National Archives at Kew)

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)

Electric Scotland update - two new books

Two new books are now available on Electric Scotland (www.electricscotland.com):

Researches into the History of Tain
The Gaelic Concept of Life and Death

For more on this and other ES news visit www.scotchat.org/showthread.php?t=555

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)

Free play at FindmyPast.co.uk

Now you know that thing where when England plays international football, the Scots either hide or instead stay and throw porridge and macaroon bars at the screen? Well FindmyPast (http://www.findmypast.co.uk/) has just unveiled its own secret mission to stop people watching English football and get them onto their site instead for free!

Here goes...

Whenever England play a match, you'll be able to access all our records for free!*

What you need to know about this fantastic offer:

- When England play, you don't pay: 30 minutes before each England game kicks off, all the records on findmypast.co.uk will be free to view for 3 hours

- You can view original images and transcriptions of all our records for free including birth, marriage and death records 1538-2006, census records including the 1911 census and our Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records 1760-1913 - to name just a few

- Normally you would need a subscription or PayAsYouGo credits to view our records - some of which normally cost 30 credits each - so to be able to see them for free is a rare opportunity

- Keep an eye on our blog for a competition question to enter during each England match. You'll need to answer all the questions correctly for a chance to win, so make sure you don't miss any. The prize is a goodie bag containing a digital camera, vouchers for a year's Full subscription plus much more

All you need to do to make use of this unique offer is register on findmypast.co.uk as you'll need to sign in to view the records. Visit our World Cup page for more information.


*All records available using our Full subscription (including the 1911 Census) will be free: Living Relatives searches and Memorial scrolls are not included.


So put away your macaroon bars and Quakers Oats, fire up the laptop and get stuck in...! :)

Chris

www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)