ScotlandsPeople to launch 1921 census tomorrow on St Andrew's Day

From ScotlandsPeople (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk):

Get your clicking fingers ready: the 1921 Census is coming to ScotlandsPeople!

 

The 1921 census will be opened at 9 am tomorrow morning, available to search and view. Find your parents, grandparents or even earlier generations among 4.8 million individual records.

 

For the first time, open up 150,000 searchable scanned images of the original handwritten census books detailing each address, from the very finest hotels to the most cramped tenements and from ships at sea to people living in tents.

 

Get a glimpse of what life was like for people in 1921: where they lived, who they lived with, their occupations and more. This census also recorded where people worked, if children had been orphaned and who was eligible for benefit under the National Insurance Act of 1911.

 

Investigate for yourself from tomorrow morning...

 

Please note that the ScotlandsPeople website will be offline from 06:00 to 09:00 on Wednesday 30 November, ahead of publication. Thank you for your patience.

COMMENT: It's been a long time coming, but with the many current problems with the site as a result of last week's update, fingers crossed that at least this bit of the site will work.

 

 

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Problems with records access at ScotlandsPeople centres since update

I have been reading many reports of ongoing problems at the various ScotlandsPeople centres - Glasgow, Hawick, Inverness, etc - since the National Records of Scotland updated its website last Wednesday. The purpose of the update was to move all the data for the site to a cloud-based server, which seems to have caused a growing list of issues with many users. 

I have asked the ScotlandsPeople team via Twitter if they can confirm these problems at the satellite centres, and have had no response. However, I am aware that today some friends have received words of cancellations tomorrow in Glasgow, Inverness and Hawick, for example. It would also seem from reports that I have seen that the NRS is not communicating with the centres about these issues.

The bottom line for now is that if you are planning on visiting one of the centres in the next few days, you may wish to check in advance that it will be open and offering the service, which may save you a trip if there are still ongoing problems. You can access contact details at https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/local-family-history-centres and https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/visit-us/scotlandspeople-centre.

Another full on clusterbùrach from the NRS by the sounds of it...

You can read about some of the issues at Fergus Smith's blog at https://www.oldscottish.com/blog/its-deja-vu-all-over-again

UPDATE: ScotlandsPeople has commented on this blog post about local family history centres (LFHCs) via Twitter: "Thanks for your feedback. We've been keeping LFHCs up to date with our plans over recent months and we are continuing to work with them to provide support to deal with any local issues. If you have any queries about LFHC services, please contact them directly." 

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

ScotlandsPeople Centre holiday service closure

From ScotlandsPeople (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk):

The ScotlandsPeople extract ordering service will close for the festive period, starting from 1 pm on 23 December and reopening on 4 January. Visitors to the ScotlandsPeople Centre in Edinburgh should note that the Centre will also be closed for the duration of this period.

Chris 

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Users report problems with ScotlandsPeople update

The ScotlandsPeople website at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk has had some sort of update, and as a consequence, users have been reporting all sorts of problems with it, with the following tweets just a representative sample:

A particularly useful thread from Fergus Smith highlights various problems, starting at https://twitter.com/oldscotbooks/status/1595862603401773062.

I queried one of the problems, the removal of the source information from the search returns on census records - with the ScotlandsPeople team, and was told it was now fixed - but it has not been. Whilst some information has been restored, showing the number of the registration district and enumeration district, the all important page number is still missing, which can be used when doing a search to make sure you have all the right people in a household before paying to see. (UPDATE: This has now been addressed, as of Friday evening)

It should also be noted that the promised return of the fuzzy search facility, useful in certain circumstances when peforming searches, has not been included (see http://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2022/02/scotlandspeople-to-reinstate-fuzzy.html).

It beggars belief that the site no longer has a user group, as it once had, to flag up such issues, but this is where we are with the NRS these days. If you see a problem when using the site, ScotlandsPeople advises folk to contact its customer service team at https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/contact-us.

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Friends of Glasgow Necropolis tours in 2023

From The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/glasgownecropolis): 

The Friends of Glasgow Necropolis are delighted to announce that our 2023 tours programme is now available on our website. Throughout 2023, we will be undertaking friendly, informative tours of the magnificent Glasgow Necropolis. 

The first tour kicks off on January 7th - further details at https://www.glasgownecropolis.org/tours-events/#tour2023 

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

No access to ScotlandsPeople on Wednesday 23rd November

From ScotlandsPeople (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk):

Upcoming Essential Maintenance - Wednesday 23rd November 2022

ScotlandsPeople will be offline for maintenance on 23 November. The ScotlandsPeople Centre in Edinburgh will be closed and the site will be unavailable in local history centres. We are upgrading our system and migrating storage, and we apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.

If you have a booking in our ScotlandsPeople Search Rooms on 23rd November, we will be in contact with you directly to re-arrange or to provide a refund.

Certificate ordering will not be available from 12 noon GMT Monday 21st November. If you have any urgent enquiries please contact us here.

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

MyHeritage releases AI Time Machine image feature

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

Once in a while, MyHeritage breaks the Internet by releasing an amazingly cool feature that everyone wants to try. Well, that moment has arrived again! We are delighted to introduce AI Time Machine™, an exciting new feature that is so much fun!

Ever wondered what you might have looked like if you were born during your ancestors’ lifetimes centuries ago? Using advanced technology, AI Time Machine™ creates stunning images of a person in different time periods throughout history. With the AI Time Machine™, you can see yourself as an Egyptian pharaoh, a medieval knight or a Viking, a 19th-century lord or lady, and much more, in just a few clicks!  

Upload photos of yourself from different angles, and AI Time Machine™ will learn what you look like and cast you as a hero in original, never-before-seen images. Create your images in a click from dozens of historical themes that we have curated. You can download the incredible results, share them easily with family and friends, or use some of them as original profile photos on your social media accounts. 

For the full story, visit https://blog.myheritage.com/2022/11/introducing-ai-time-machine-transform-yourself-into-a-historical-figure-using-everyday-photos/

Update - me as a shortsighted Greek god!

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Speakers announced for Scottish Indexes conference on Nov 26th

The next Scottish Indexes (www.scottishindexes.com) conference is just a week away on November 26th 2022 - here's what to expect:

Do you want to learn how to trace your family history? Have you made a start but need some tips on how to proceed? Or perhaps you are an experienced researcher who is keen to discover new skills and new records. Whatever your experience level, you are welcome at the Scottish Indexes Conference.

This is a free and time-zone friendly event. We show all presentations between 7 am UK time and 3 pm UK time, then we start again and show all presentations again between 3 pm and 11 pm. This means that if you are in New Zealand or Australia you can join us on your evening of Saturday 26 November. If you are on the east coast of America the 3 pm session begins at 10 am your time. A full schedule will be posted in a variety of time zones so that you can plan your day.

'Criminal Portraits' - Phil Astley
'Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records' - Chris Paton
'Homes fit for Heroes: 1919 Act houses in the 1921 census' - Kay Williams
'From the Hebrides to Mississippi - The Crofter's Son' - Alison Spring
'Stones and numbers tell their stories' - Jane Harris
'The Disruption of 1843' - Jennifer Jolly

To register visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7316625603607/WN_ERdVuCQnR42Ovzr-mx2XsQ

See you there!

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

History Scotland magazine's winter online lecture series

From History Scotland magazine (https://www.historyscotland.com), news of its winter online lecture programme:

Scots in Nelson’s Navy, 23 November 2022
What was the role of Scots in the 18th- and early 19th-century Royal Navy? Was the Navy really as Anglo-centric as it seemed?
These any many other questions will be answered in this exclusive talk by historian Dr Sara Caputo, who will use a wide variety of primary sources to explore this fascinating topic.

The afterlife of Mary Queen of Scots, 6 December 2022
Join us for an unforgettable evening as we explore why Mary Queen of Scots has had such an important and enduring presence in Scottish collective memory and popular culture.
In this illustrated talk Hunterian art curator Anne Dulau and senior lecturer in Scottish History Dr. Steven Reid will be telling us about 'The Afterlife of Mary Queen of Scots', a research project at the University of Glasgow which is currently hosting a major exhibition at The Hunterian.

Rebellious alliances in late medieval Scotland, 11 January 2023
Dr Gordon Mckelvie explores the rebellious alliances of 14th- and 15th-century Scotland, exploring the role of written agreements in causing rebellions.
We will look at various instances in which written agreements played a key role in causing rebellions and consider how much these bonds were a legacy of medieval Scotland's most famous document: the Declaration of Arbroath'.

Scotland’s first book, 17 January 2023
In the winter of 1507-08, two men - Walter Chepman and Andro Myllar - set up a strange device in one of the buildings on Edinburgh's Cowgate. Made of wood, taller than a man, and looking like a cross between a torture implement and a wine press, it was Scotland's first printing press.
This lecture tells the story of how it came to Scotland, what Chepman and Myllar printed on it, and how that book may (or may not) have changed Scottish history.

For further details, and to book a place, visit https://www.historyscotland.com/virtual-events//history-scotland-online-lecture-programme-winter-2022-23.

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

North Irish Roots journal index 1984-2021 now available for NIFHS members

Over the last year I have been working as part of a team of volunteers on a project for the North of Ireland Family History Society (https://www.nifhs.org), to index the seventy-seven North Irish Roots Journals from 1984-2021 as part of a new Guide for NIFHS Members. Led by Audrey McKeown, the team also included Kate Brinko (USA), Amy Abbott (England), Margaret Armstrong (Northern Ireland), Alison Balzer (Canada), Elizabeth McIver (Scotland), and Jon Kwiatkowski (USA).

From Audrey: “The purpose of producing this Guide has been to provide members with a key resource document of over 260 pages to use as part of their family history resources. It lists Titles, Authors, Surnames, Locations, Resources (over 480 listed), Transcriptions completed, Books, and Book Reviews (320+). It also highlights the work of the NIFHS Volunteers and Branches over the years.”

Most of these Journals are accessible to members in the JSTOR Ireland Collection. The Guide is available to members in the Members Only Content section of the website.

To join the NIFHS, please visit https://www.nifhs.org/membership/ - you can join a specific branch (Ballymena, Belfast, Causeway Coast and Glens, Foyle, Killyleagh, Larne, Lisburn, Newtownabbey, South Tyrone, Tyrone), or join as an associate member.

I hope the guide helps – I'm already making some interesting finds!

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.