Noted on the Aberdeen and North East Scotland FHS Facebook page:
"If anyone here has any connections to Auchindrain, the last uncrofted township in Argyll, I would love to hear from you.
"As part of a major project developing the future of the township museum I am working on the genealogy of all the families. We want to hear about anyone from the community.
"Also spelt : Thornfield, Achindrain, Achandryan"
If you have such a connection, the Achadh an Droighinn Folks page can be found on Facebook at http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Achadh-An-Droighinn-Folks/100001605147913. According to its site branches of the following families are predominant from the area: McCallum, Munro, Sinclair, McNicol and Campbell.
The organiser, based in Inverary, can also be emailed at auchindrainpeople @ yahoo.co.uk
Best of luck to the project!
(With thanks to ANESFHS)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Monday, 10 January 2011
Nova Scotia newspapers now online
There's news from the Anglo-Celtic Connections blog of a major series of digitised historical newspapers from Nova Scotia now online at http://gov.ns.ca/nsarm/virtual/newspapers/default.asp, many of which predate the American Revolution. If your ancestors went to New Scotland, they may be of interest!
The original post is at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2011/01/nova-scotia-newspaper-archives-online.html
(With thanks to John Reid of Anglo-Celtic Connections)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
The original post is at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2011/01/nova-scotia-newspaper-archives-online.html
(With thanks to John Reid of Anglo-Celtic Connections)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Sunday, 9 January 2011
Electric Scotland update
The latest newsletter from Electric Scotland dated 7th January 2011 can be found at www.electricscotland.org/showthread.php/1230-Newsletter-7th-January-2011
CONTENTS
--------
Electric Scotland News
Electric Scotland Community
The Flag in the Wind
Geikie's Etchings
Historical Tales of the Wars of Scotland
Glencreggan: or A Highland Home in Cantire
Kay's Edinburgh Portraits
William McTaggart, R.S.A., V.P.R.S.W.
History of India - An Historical Disquisition
Ten Tales by Sir Harry Lauder
Cavendish - The settlement of P.E.I.
The Lairds of Glenlyon: Historical Sketches
Lossiemouth Project
Scotland, Social and Domestic
The Tower of Craigietocher
Traditions of Perth (New book)
Glasgow and it's Clubs (New book)
John Dunlop
Alastair's Canadian Journal
(With thanks to Alastair McIntyre)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
CONTENTS
--------
Electric Scotland News
Electric Scotland Community
The Flag in the Wind
Geikie's Etchings
Historical Tales of the Wars of Scotland
Glencreggan: or A Highland Home in Cantire
Kay's Edinburgh Portraits
William McTaggart, R.S.A., V.P.R.S.W.
History of India - An Historical Disquisition
Ten Tales by Sir Harry Lauder
Cavendish - The settlement of P.E.I.
The Lairds of Glenlyon: Historical Sketches
Lossiemouth Project
Scotland, Social and Domestic
The Tower of Craigietocher
Traditions of Perth (New book)
Glasgow and it's Clubs (New book)
John Dunlop
Alastair's Canadian Journal
(With thanks to Alastair McIntyre)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
New series of Digging Up Your Roots
A fifth series of Digging Up Your Roots, presented by Bill Whiteford, commenced today on Radio Scotland. The eight part series can be heard at 12.05pm each Sunday and again on the BBC iPlayer (www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer) or by podcast from www.bbc.co.uk/radioscotland/podcasts.
(With thanks to Rosemary Morgan via Twitter)
UPDATE: The series has its own website at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007rv8d which includes a new genealogy news feature. Readers may be forgiven for a slight sense of deja vu with this - if the last two paragraphs seem remotely familiar, it may be because of almost identical wording found in two Scottish GENES posts which I wrote last month: http://scottishancestry.blogspot.com/2010/12/scottish-post-office-directories-on-nls.html and http://scottishancestry.blogspot.com/2010/12/canadian-archive-to-expand-digital.html. The similarities are truly a wonder to behold!
Just to reiterate, as the site states at the top of this page, "If you would like to quote from this blog, please do so, but please credit the Scottish GENES blog as the source with a link." Honestly, it's not too much to ask considering the content is freely given! I have no problem with content being rewritten though, as that is not a breach of copyright - and that at least shows a bit of effort!
UPDATE: Many thanks to the series producer for acknowledging that it was wrong for the material to be lifted and used without credit, and for agreeing to remove my content from the BBC site, which has now been done.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
(With thanks to Rosemary Morgan via Twitter)
UPDATE: The series has its own website at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007rv8d which includes a new genealogy news feature. Readers may be forgiven for a slight sense of deja vu with this - if the last two paragraphs seem remotely familiar, it may be because of almost identical wording found in two Scottish GENES posts which I wrote last month: http://scottishancestry.blogspot.com/2010/12/scottish-post-office-directories-on-nls.html and http://scottishancestry.blogspot.com/2010/12/canadian-archive-to-expand-digital.html. The similarities are truly a wonder to behold!
Just to reiterate, as the site states at the top of this page, "If you would like to quote from this blog, please do so, but please credit the Scottish GENES blog as the source with a link." Honestly, it's not too much to ask considering the content is freely given! I have no problem with content being rewritten though, as that is not a breach of copyright - and that at least shows a bit of effort!
UPDATE: Many thanks to the series producer for acknowledging that it was wrong for the material to be lifted and used without credit, and for agreeing to remove my content from the BBC site, which has now been done.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Clock and Watch tax records added to ScotlandsPlaces
The ScotlandsPlaces website (http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/) has added a new free to view set of records for several counties on its site, to accompany the previously released Farm Horse Tax records collections. Now you can look to see who paid Clock and Watch Tax from 1797-98! Sadly, the collection is not complete however - from the site, the following description:
The Clock and Watch Tax rolls (National Archives of Scotland, E326/12) list the names of clock and watch owners as well as the number of clocks and watches and tax totals. The listing below is that of the original rolls. Only two volumes survive and it is fairly clear that a third volume (containing the counties of Midlothian, Moray, Orkney, Peebles, Perth, Renfrew, Ross, Roxburgh, Selkirk, Shetland, Stirling, Sutherland, West Lothian, and Wigtown) is not extant.
Clock and Watch Tax, Volume 1
Volume 1 contains clock and watch tax listings for the following counties: Aberdeenshire, Argyll, Ayrshire, Banffshire, Berwickshire, Buteshire, Caithness, Clackmannanshire, Cromartyshire, Dunbartonshire, and Dumfriesshire.
Clock and Watch Tax, Volume 2
Volume 2 contains clock and watch tax listings for the following counties: East Lothian (Haddingtonshire), Fife, Angus (Forfarshire), Inverness-shire, Kincardineshire, Kinross-shire, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Lanarkshire. Please note that the Inverness-shire roll is not divided up on a parish by parish basis.
Additional new releases on the site include Bathymetrical Survey of the Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland, 1897-1909, Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6-inch mapping, 1843-1882 Ordnance Survey 1st edition 25-inch mapping, 1855-1882 Historical county maps of Scotland, 1580-1928, and Historical town plans, 1580-1919 (all previously available on the National Library of Scotland's website)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
The Clock and Watch Tax rolls (National Archives of Scotland, E326/12) list the names of clock and watch owners as well as the number of clocks and watches and tax totals. The listing below is that of the original rolls. Only two volumes survive and it is fairly clear that a third volume (containing the counties of Midlothian, Moray, Orkney, Peebles, Perth, Renfrew, Ross, Roxburgh, Selkirk, Shetland, Stirling, Sutherland, West Lothian, and Wigtown) is not extant.
Clock and Watch Tax, Volume 1
Volume 1 contains clock and watch tax listings for the following counties: Aberdeenshire, Argyll, Ayrshire, Banffshire, Berwickshire, Buteshire, Caithness, Clackmannanshire, Cromartyshire, Dunbartonshire, and Dumfriesshire.
Clock and Watch Tax, Volume 2
Volume 2 contains clock and watch tax listings for the following counties: East Lothian (Haddingtonshire), Fife, Angus (Forfarshire), Inverness-shire, Kincardineshire, Kinross-shire, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Lanarkshire. Please note that the Inverness-shire roll is not divided up on a parish by parish basis.
Additional new releases on the site include Bathymetrical Survey of the Fresh-Water Lochs of Scotland, 1897-1909, Ordnance Survey 1st edition 6-inch mapping, 1843-1882 Ordnance Survey 1st edition 25-inch mapping, 1855-1882 Historical county maps of Scotland, 1580-1928, and Historical town plans, 1580-1919 (all previously available on the National Library of Scotland's website)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Friday, 7 January 2011
Simon Fowler, The History Man
Those of you who were previously keen readers of the National Archives' Ancestors magazine, which ceased publication in April of last year, may be interested to know that its former editor Simon Fowler is now taking on research commissions. Simon's website is at www.history-man.co.uk and lists details of the service he now provides, along with rates etc.
I've just hired Simon to do some military research (his specialism) for me at the National Archives at Kew, and very pleased with what he has turned up. Highly recommended.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
I've just hired Simon to do some military research (his specialism) for me at the National Archives at Kew, and very pleased with what he has turned up. Highly recommended.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Plastic Paddy cert gets go ahead
The Certificate of Irishness suggested by the Irish Government, as first reported on this blog on June 25th 2010 (http://scottishancestry.blogspot.com/2010/06/certificate-of-irishness.html) is tragically to go ahead. The certificate is designed to allow people living abroad a chance to get a certificate that would have “no legal standing as such [but] would constitute official recognition for many people of their familial and emotional connection to Ireland", according to Washington's Irish Embassy, as reported on the Irish Central website on 25th October last year (www.irishcentral.com/news/Certificate-of-Irishness-receives-mixed-reaction-105661108.html).
In other words, on a citizenship basis it is not worth the paper it will be printed on, but will make you feel better about having an Irish granny.
I objected to this when it was first suggested for a condition which was proposed which would allow those living abroad discounts when visiting Irish tourist attractions and other discounted services if they held such a document. This is quite clearly discriminatory against people born and raised in Ireland, who have legally valid documents proclaiming their actual Irishness as defined by citizenship - birth certificates, that sort of thing. It is also particularly insensitive considering Ireland is nearly bankrupt just now, and many of its citizens might be equally interested in such a discount as the economy falls apart around them whilst the same government is now issuing fancy bits of paper out to those willing to pay.
Irish Central has again picked up on this, quoting a Fianna Fail member who said that, "I do hope that the same [tourist] discounts will apply to those of us living on this island too – I would envisage a serious PR backlash if there were a two-tier system set up… with Irish people faring worse." (See www.irishcentral.com/news/Certificate-of-Irishness-receives-mixed-reaction-105661108.html)
I'm from Northern Ireland, and my wife from the Republic, and we both feel quite passionately that Irishness is not something that can be sold to anyone willing to pay, but something endemic within the blood and the culture. However, on the off chance that this is incorrect, I do also have ancestry from Scotland, East Indies, Gibraltar, Bermuda and possibly even England (still working on that one!), and look forward to the development of equally useless bits of paper with no legal vailidity that will make me feel a bit more comfortable about my ethnic origins.
If you do have an Irish granny, and wish to apply for such a document, be warned that the Government of Ireland may at some stage also be willing to sell your Irish granny for a bit more cash.
Thoroughly shameful.
UPDATE: For a definition of 'plastic paddy' see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_Paddy
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
In other words, on a citizenship basis it is not worth the paper it will be printed on, but will make you feel better about having an Irish granny.
I objected to this when it was first suggested for a condition which was proposed which would allow those living abroad discounts when visiting Irish tourist attractions and other discounted services if they held such a document. This is quite clearly discriminatory against people born and raised in Ireland, who have legally valid documents proclaiming their actual Irishness as defined by citizenship - birth certificates, that sort of thing. It is also particularly insensitive considering Ireland is nearly bankrupt just now, and many of its citizens might be equally interested in such a discount as the economy falls apart around them whilst the same government is now issuing fancy bits of paper out to those willing to pay.
Irish Central has again picked up on this, quoting a Fianna Fail member who said that, "I do hope that the same [tourist] discounts will apply to those of us living on this island too – I would envisage a serious PR backlash if there were a two-tier system set up… with Irish people faring worse." (See www.irishcentral.com/news/Certificate-of-Irishness-receives-mixed-reaction-105661108.html)
I'm from Northern Ireland, and my wife from the Republic, and we both feel quite passionately that Irishness is not something that can be sold to anyone willing to pay, but something endemic within the blood and the culture. However, on the off chance that this is incorrect, I do also have ancestry from Scotland, East Indies, Gibraltar, Bermuda and possibly even England (still working on that one!), and look forward to the development of equally useless bits of paper with no legal vailidity that will make me feel a bit more comfortable about my ethnic origins.
If you do have an Irish granny, and wish to apply for such a document, be warned that the Government of Ireland may at some stage also be willing to sell your Irish granny for a bit more cash.
Thoroughly shameful.
UPDATE: For a definition of 'plastic paddy' see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_Paddy
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
Penny Weddings
The latest blog post on my Walking in Eternity blog is now online, and explains a bit about 'penny weddings' (aka 'penny bridals') and the Kirk's perception of them.
To view the post visit http://walkingineternity.blogspot.com/2011/01/penny-weddings.html (warning: there may be some promisary dancing involved!)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
To view the post visit http://walkingineternity.blogspot.com/2011/01/penny-weddings.html (warning: there may be some promisary dancing involved!)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
FindmyPast new year discount offer
FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) is offering 15% off any subscription if you subscribe before midnight on Sunday 9th January (UK time). Simply use the code NEWYEAR when signing up.
(With thanks to FamilyTreeFolk on Twitter)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
(With thanks to FamilyTreeFolk on Twitter)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
New Scottish GENES carrier pigeon service!
In a bid to bring you all the latest news as quickly as possible, I'm delighted to announce the new Scottish GENES Carrier Pigeon Service (Scottish GENES CPS)! All the latest news on a wee bit of paper wrapped around the legs of pigeons, guaranteed to reach you within hours! Once read, return the pigeon or make a pie! If successful, I'm also hoping to launch the new Scottish GENES Oh-Yez Town Crier Corps (Scottish GENES OYTCC)...
OK, technically speaking, the above is all a bit of a fib. But there are many ways to stay on top of all the latest news and events from Scotland as recorded on this blog. You can subscribe to the blog in a daily feed by using the email and RSS feed sign ups in the right hand column of this page. If you prefer Facebook, the Scottish GENES page is located at www.facebook.com/pages/Scottish-GENES-GEnealogy-News-and-EventS/142692975740899, whilst links to all stories are posted online at Twitter also on my page @chrismpaton (http://twitter.com/#!/ChrisMPaton).
Recently I also started a new daily summary of additonal news via my Twitter based British GENES Daily - this is a daily newspaper automatically created every night just after 8pm from genealogical stories linked to on friends' twitter posts - it mainly has a British slant, though often with stories from further afield. Try it out for free at http://paper.li/chrismpaton.
Doing my best to keep you on top of developments in a fast changing world! :)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Researching Scottish Family History (New book)
OK, technically speaking, the above is all a bit of a fib. But there are many ways to stay on top of all the latest news and events from Scotland as recorded on this blog. You can subscribe to the blog in a daily feed by using the email and RSS feed sign ups in the right hand column of this page. If you prefer Facebook, the Scottish GENES page is located at www.facebook.com/pages/Scottish-GENES-GEnealogy-News-and-EventS/142692975740899, whilst links to all stories are posted online at Twitter also on my page @chrismpaton (http://twitter.com/#!/ChrisMPaton).
Recently I also started a new daily summary of additonal news via my Twitter based British GENES Daily - this is a daily newspaper automatically created every night just after 8pm from genealogical stories linked to on friends' twitter posts - it mainly has a British slant, though often with stories from further afield. Try it out for free at http://paper.li/chrismpaton.
Doing my best to keep you on top of developments in a fast changing world! :)
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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