Just going through the Family History Website Directory provided with this month's Your Family Tree magazine, and have come across a website which might be of interest to those researching the migration of the Ulster Scots to America, or as they are known in the US, as the 'Scotch Irish'.
The website is www.1718migration.org.uk and concerns the mass migration from 1718 of Ulster Presbyterians, whose ancestors originated in Scotland. With some useful contributions from James McConnell, Linde Lunney, William Roulston and Colin Brooks, the site gives the backgound to the migration, some basic research sources to examine in Ulster, and information on what became of Ulster's lost sons to the new world.
For a general history on the constant migrations from Scotland to Ireland, I also have an article online called The Scots in Ireland which might be of interest, covering the history of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada, the galloglaigh (gallowglass) warriors from the Hebrides, the Ulster Plantations, migration to America and more.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
Saturday, 8 November 2008
Your Family Tree issue 71 now on sale
Issue 71 of Your Family Tree magazine is now on sale, with the usual goodies inside. As well as articles on records of marriage, Christmas traders, heraldry, the Society of Genealogists (London), planning a family reunion, and Oliver Cromwell's cancellation of Christmas, yours truly has also contributed a couple of articles, the first an opinion piece on the rapidly changing world of Irish genealogy, the other an in depth and up-to-date guide on internet resources to research Irish ancestry online. In addition for those researching Irish ancestors, there is a region guide on the province of Leinster from Irish genealogist John Grenham, and the cover mounted CD has a sample from the 1846 Slater's directory for Dublin and Kilkenny, as well as the Army List for Boer War fighting ancestors from 1900. The magazine also comes with a free book, YFT's Family History Website Directory.
Your Family Tree is on sale from all festive newsagents everywhere for a credit crunch defying £4.99 - oh yes!
Chris
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
Friday, 7 November 2008
Federation of Family History Societies forum
The Federation of Family History Societies, the umbrella body for English and Welsh societies, has a new discussion forum online at www.ffhs.org.uk/forum/index.php . The site has just been created, but will no doubt soon take off, so well worth a visit if you have connections down south.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
New Ayrshire database online
A new website for those with Ayrshire ancestry has been up and running or the last few months at www.ayrshirepast.com. Whilst still embryonic, it promises to shape up into a useful database covering a wide range of records.
Well worth a look.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
Well worth a look.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
Scots graveyard in India to be restored
The Scotsman newwspaper has a fascinating story today concerning the attempts of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) to restore a decaying cemetery in Kolkata (Calcutta), the last resting place for hundreds of Scots in British colonial era India.
The full story is at A grave undertaking: Scots experts fly to India to restore famous cemetery .
Those who believe they may have relatives buried at Kolkata Scottish Cemetery can send inquiries to ajuler@simpsonandbrown.co.uk , and for further information see the RCAHMS website at www.rcahms.gov.uk , and the regular blog from the Kolkata team at scottishcemeterykolkata.wordpress.com .
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
The full story is at A grave undertaking: Scots experts fly to India to restore famous cemetery .
Those who believe they may have relatives buried at Kolkata Scottish Cemetery can send inquiries to ajuler@simpsonandbrown.co.uk , and for further information see the RCAHMS website at www.rcahms.gov.uk , and the regular blog from the Kolkata team at scottishcemeterykolkata.wordpress.com .
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
WW1 Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve records now online
The National Archives at Kew has released 40,000 service records online for sailors who served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, through its Documents Online service.
From the press release:
The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) was formed from civilian volunteers enlisted to assist the navy from 1903. Formerly relying solely upon professional seamen from the merchant service and fishing fleets, the rapid expansion of the navy at the turn of the century forced it to look else elsewhere for recruits. The navy therefore opened its doors to men in civilian shore jobs for the first time.
Volunteers joining the RNVR agreed to serve ´either ashore or afloat´ when required, and consequently performed a wide range of duties. With the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, these volunteers were called upon and either drafted into ships of the fleet, or ordered - with reservists from the Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Fleet Reserve - to join the Royal Naval Division who fought alongside the army.
Records are held for ratings (seamen who did not hold a commission) who joined between 1903 and 1919, and officers who signed up between 1914 and 1922.
The digitised documents (found in ADM 337) provide a range of information on each individual, including name, division, date of birth, former occupation, ships and units served in, and period of service. Other fascinating details for family historians are given, such as height, hair colour and eye colour, along with remarks about character and ability. In some cases a record may also reveal the person´s place of birth. The officers´ records include details of promotions, honours and awards from World War One.
The records can be found at Documents Online .
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
From the press release:
The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) was formed from civilian volunteers enlisted to assist the navy from 1903. Formerly relying solely upon professional seamen from the merchant service and fishing fleets, the rapid expansion of the navy at the turn of the century forced it to look else elsewhere for recruits. The navy therefore opened its doors to men in civilian shore jobs for the first time.
Volunteers joining the RNVR agreed to serve ´either ashore or afloat´ when required, and consequently performed a wide range of duties. With the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, these volunteers were called upon and either drafted into ships of the fleet, or ordered - with reservists from the Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Fleet Reserve - to join the Royal Naval Division who fought alongside the army.
Records are held for ratings (seamen who did not hold a commission) who joined between 1903 and 1919, and officers who signed up between 1914 and 1922.
The digitised documents (found in ADM 337) provide a range of information on each individual, including name, division, date of birth, former occupation, ships and units served in, and period of service. Other fascinating details for family historians are given, such as height, hair colour and eye colour, along with remarks about character and ability. In some cases a record may also reveal the person´s place of birth. The officers´ records include details of promotions, honours and awards from World War One.
The records can be found at Documents Online .
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Heraldry talk at Keith this Saturday
A talk entitled "Simple Heraldry" is to be held at Keith Community Centre on Saturday 8th November 2008 at 2.15pm. The talk, organised by Banffshire Field Club, is illustrated and will be given by Gordon Casel. Visitors welcome.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Historical Scottish medical books to go on display
Books and other items from the library of the Royal College of Physicians, which dates back to 1682, are to go on public display in Edinburgh.
For more info, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7710455.stm .
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
For more info, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7710455.stm .
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
National Archives of Scotland loans items for British Library exhibition
The British Library in London has a new free exhibition running from 31 OCT 2008 to 1 MAR 2009 entitled Taking Liberties: the struggle for Britain’s freedoms and rights , which looks at the history of British democracy. Amongst the exhibits on display are four items loaned from the National Archives of Scotland.
These are (as stated on the NAS website):
1) Papal Bull of Honorius III, 'Filia Specialis', affirming the independence of the church in Scotland from any jurisdiction except that of Rome, dated 21 NOV 1218 (NAS reference RH5/3). It confirms a privilege granted to the Scottish church in 1192 by Pope Celestine III, effectively stating that neither the archbishoprics of York nor Canterbury could claim jurisdiction over its bishoprics as they were directly subject to the apostolic see.
2) ’The Ayr Manuscript’ (a volume containing transcripts of early Scottish laws etc), 14th century (ref PA5/2). The Ayr Manuscript features an act of parliament of 1318 which underlines the concern of king and parliament that law and justice be readily accessible to all.
3) A volume of statutes of Kings Robert III, James I and James III, 15th century (ref PA5/6). It includes a 1425 statute which enacted that if anyone could not afford an advocate to pursue his or her cause then the king shall provide one: an early expression of the principle of legal aid.
4) Articles of union between Scotland and England signed by Scottish and English Commissioners, 22 Jul 1706 (ref SP13/209). The Articles of Union are displayed as part of the theme of transition to modern times and the development of the centralised British state.
For more on the exhibition, visit www.bl.uk/takingliberties
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
These are (as stated on the NAS website):
1) Papal Bull of Honorius III, 'Filia Specialis', affirming the independence of the church in Scotland from any jurisdiction except that of Rome, dated 21 NOV 1218 (NAS reference RH5/3). It confirms a privilege granted to the Scottish church in 1192 by Pope Celestine III, effectively stating that neither the archbishoprics of York nor Canterbury could claim jurisdiction over its bishoprics as they were directly subject to the apostolic see.
2) ’The Ayr Manuscript’ (a volume containing transcripts of early Scottish laws etc), 14th century (ref PA5/2). The Ayr Manuscript features an act of parliament of 1318 which underlines the concern of king and parliament that law and justice be readily accessible to all.
3) A volume of statutes of Kings Robert III, James I and James III, 15th century (ref PA5/6). It includes a 1425 statute which enacted that if anyone could not afford an advocate to pursue his or her cause then the king shall provide one: an early expression of the principle of legal aid.
4) Articles of union between Scotland and England signed by Scottish and English Commissioners, 22 Jul 1706 (ref SP13/209). The Articles of Union are displayed as part of the theme of transition to modern times and the development of the centralised British state.
For more on the exhibition, visit www.bl.uk/takingliberties
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
Interview with The Generations Network VP of legal
The Lawyer magazine has an online interview with Ruth Daniels, the vice president of legal for The Generations Network, the genealogical giant which owns Ancestry.co.uk. The article includes some interesting observations about the cultural differences across the world which TGN has to negotiate - for example, whilst in the UK and USA Ancestry has a ready market for DNA genealogy tests, they do not promote the product in France due to cultural sensitivities there about the procedure.
The interview is at www.thelawyer.com:80/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=135489
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
The interview is at www.thelawyer.com:80/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=135489
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
Professional family history research & genealogical problem solving
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