Scottish GENES

Monday, 5 July 2021

MyHeritage allows users to confirm or reject Theory of Family Relativity matches

You asked, we delivered. I’m excited to tell you about an important feature update we just released: you can now confirm or reject a Theory of Family Relativity™ on MyHeritage. This functionality was widely requested by our DNA users, and we are delighted to make it available.

Our Theory of Family Relativity™ feature incorporates genealogical information from all our historical records and family tree profiles to offer theories on how your DNA Matches might be related to you. While the theories presented are often accurate, sometimes, they are incorrect. Before now, there was no way to confirm or reject a theory. Now there is! This new functionality will allow MyHeritage users to systematically review their theories and mark the ones they’ve already looked at so they can focus on new ones.

By the way, we also recently introduced a new filter to the DNA Match pages: Genetic Groups. You can now filter your DNA Match list according to the Genetic Groups your matches belong to.

The addition of both of these features will make it easier than ever for MyHeritage DNA users to focus on the DNA Matches most important to them so they can move forward with their research.

For further details visit https://blog.myheritage.com/2021/07/new-theory-of-family-relativity-confirm-or-reject-theories/

(With thanks to Daniel Horowitz)

Chris

Just out, Sharing Your Family History Online is on sale at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Sunday, 4 July 2021

FamilyTreeDNA announces updates and new features

From FamilyTreeDNA (www.familytreedna.com), via email:

We are excited to announce the release of several updates to the platform and to your reports! These improvements are just the beginning of a continued effort to help you discover more about yourself and your ancestry.

Thanks for allowing us to join you on your journey of discovery!

Family Finder Updates
The new Family Finder Matches page includes improvements to our matching algorithm, predicted relationship ranges, and X-chromosome matching. The new design allows you to better navigate your matches, and we’ve added more options for sorting, filtering, and searching your match list, including ways to find matches with shared Family Trees.
Further details at https://blog.familytreedna.com/updates-to-family-finder-matching-and-chromosome-painter/

Y-DNA Updates
The new Y-DNA Matches page provides the ability to easily view a breakdown of the number of matches per marker level as well as your matches’ earliest known paternal ancestor’s countries of origin. The new design allows you to better navigate your match list and includes more ways to sort, filter, and search your matches.
Further details at https://blog.familytreedna.com/improvements-to-the-y-dna-matches-page/

New Help Center
We’ve released a brand new learning center that will be referred to as the Help Center. We’ve also added links throughout the platform and your reports that will take you directly to Help Center pages that are specific to the report or page you are viewing. The goal of the new Help Center is to help you find answers to your questions faster. The full migration of the Learning Center to the new Help Center will complete in the 3rd quarter of the year.
Further details at https://blog.familytreedna.com/the-new-familytreedna-help-center/

Website Performance & Usability
We’ve improved match load times and have also made big improvements to the website’s usability. These usability updates include tons of new tooltips throughout the platform and direct links to specific Help Center topics throughout the platform.

New Feature Coming Soon — Chromosome Painter
Later in July, we’ll be releasing the new Chromosome Painter feature for Family Finder! The Chromosome Painter is another way to explore your myOrigins results. It paints segments of your genome with colors that represent the populations in your results. The Chromosome Painter goes beyond telling you your percentages by revealing from where each DNA segment in your ancestry originates.

Chris

Saturday, 3 July 2021

A visit to Dalgarven Mill Museum in Ayrshire

Today I visited the Dalgarven Mill Museum of Country Life and Costume (www.dalgarvenmill.org.uk) in North Ayrshire, located just north of Kilwinning on the road to Dalry. It's been on my Ayrshire to do list for some time, and it did not disappoint.

The mill itself can trace its presence on the site back to the 12th century, as part of the estate of Kilwinning Abbey, where it was previously known as the Waulk Myln of Groatholm. In 1568 a charter of feu records the mill being transferred into lay hands, and over the centuries it has been owned and operated by several families. Under the Blairs of Blair it was run by the Walkers, the Kings and then the Fergusons, and has seen some drama over the centuries, including a devastating fire in 1869 and its requisition by the UK Government as a mill during the Second World War.

The mill buildings on site have been painstakingly and lovingly renovated by architect Rob Ferguson (who my wife and I had the pleasure to meet and chat with in the coffee shop), with his family having occupied the buildings since 1883, and owned them since 1922, his own father having been the last working miller on the site. Today the premises host an extensive costume museum, exhibits on rural and country life, as well as the renovated mill working themselves, all open for display.

It's the unusual wee nuggets of information you come across in such places that make them such a pleasure to visit, and amongst the impressive display of Japanese kimonos currently on display there was a photograph of a church that used to exist just outside of Dreghorn village, not ten minutes walk from my flat in Irvine. It was purchased by the Japanese company Sun Life in 1996 and re-erected in the city of Hiratsuka near Tokyo to form a working wedding chapel today (see https://www.facebook.com/OldIrvine/posts/perceton-and-dreghorn-parish-church-in-japanperceton-and-dreghorn-parish-church-/1231881963527437/). You live and learn!

As well as the impressive exhibition, Rob has written a fascinating guide book on the history and renovation of the mill entitled The Life and Times of the Dalgarven Mills - A Miller's Tale, available from the museum (see https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/573029608/a-millers-tale?ref=shop_home_active_5). It's a great read, not only documenting the existence of the original mill from the 12th century onwards but explains the evolution of milling technology, the feudal customs of thirlage, the transfer of ownership across time, and the absolute mammoth task of the mill's renovation and transformation into the museum that now exists today.

And if that doesn't encourage you to visit, its cafe has the best clootie dumpling I've tasted in years!

For more on the museum visit its website at www.dalgarvenmill.org.uk - it is open from 10am-4pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, and 11am-4pm on Sundays; it is closed on Mondays. Admission is £6.

Here are a few more pics to tempt ye!

Chris

Friday, 2 July 2021

TheGenealogist adds County Carlow Roman Catholic records

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

TheGenealogist expands its Irish coverage

TheGenealogist expands its Irish coverage TheGenealogist has just added more than 327,300 individuals to their Irish Catholic Parish Record Collection, along with a suite of Thom’s Official Directories covering Great Britain and Ireland.

These new Catholic Parish Registers have links to the original images. They cover the County of Carlow in the southeast region of Ireland.

Before civil registration was introduced in two stages into Ireland, first in 1845 for non Roman Catholic marriages and then in 1864 for all births, marriages and deaths, the parish registers of the various denominations were the main records in which Irish ancestors' vital events would have been recorded. The Roman Catholic church was far the largest denomination in Ireland and so it is these records that the majority of Irish forebears will mostly appear within.

Also released at this time are Thom's Official Directories covering the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from Victorian times up to the 20th century. These records are great for discovering more about the towns and areas, finding the names of people who held official municipal or government offices, or were professionals such as doctors, clergy, etc.

You can use these books to find Irish businesses from manufacturers of Ales and Agricultural implements to makers of Woolens and Yarns. Thom’s directories allow you to find business advertisements as well as search for tradespeople from Auctioneers and Blacksmiths to Watchmakers and Wine & Spirit Dealers for all parts of Ireland.

The directories released in this package include:

● Thom's Official Directory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1859
● Thom's Official Directory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1898
● Thom's Official Directory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1913
● These expand the Irish directories already in our collection

This release of Irish records joins those of the Irish Wills, recently made available on TheGenealogist, and so expands the coverage of Irish records on this family history site renowned for its comprehensive search facilities.

Read their article, Alexander Thom – Publisher and The Queen’s Printer for Ireland: www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2021/alexander-thom--publisher-and-the-queens-printer-for-ireland-1426/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

RootsIreland offers 20% discount on Annual Subscriptions

From RootsIreland (www.rootsireland.ie), by email:

Special 20% Discount on Annual Subscriptions! Discover your Irish roots by taking out a 12-month subscription for Roots Ireland from 1st July to 14th July!

WHY TAKE OUT AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION WITH ROOTS IRELAND?

RootsIreland have the most complete and most accurate set of Roman Catholic church records online, as well as numerous Protestant records, civil records, census records, headstone inscriptions and census substitutes. Our index is easily searchable and has features such as standardised surname and forename searches which make your searches even more user-friendly.

We hold over 22 million records, and our database is being added to continually. In 2020, we added over 500,000 records to our database from Limerick, Clare, Sligo, Kerry, Wicklow, Westmeath, Kilkenny, South Dublin, Armagh, North Mayo and Cork. Over 50,000 records from Cork, Galway and Kerry have been added to our database this year, with more coming soon.

Together, our 34 genealogy centres have an unparalleled amount of local knowledge which can be invaluable to those tracing their ancestors, a service which no other website or company can provide to such a high standard. By taking out a subscription with RootsIreland, you are helping these centres to continue to provide a world-class service and securing many Irish jobs.

If you have any questions please check our Help section and if this does not provide an answer, then you may contact us or one of the county centres. You can check what is available on our site for each countyÂ here.

*Offer applies from 1st July 2021 to 12 midnight Irish time on 14th July 2021 only. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

COMMENT: Pre-discount an annual subscription was £198; with a 20% discount it is £158.

Chris

US Revolutionary War records added to FindmyPast

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added a few collections concerning the US Revolutionary War, in which many Scots and Scots-Irish (Ulster Scots) particpated as combatants.

United States, Census of Revolutionary War Pensioners, 1840
Unlock family heroes' names, ages and addresses with this historic census. It documents the lives of American War of Independence veterans. This special census can also reveal the names of multiple family members, a feature not included in the main 1840 US census.

United States, British Loyalists
Not everyone in British America wanted independence. Trace those loyalists and their intriguing stories in this unique collection of publications. This record set consists of 22 combined publications from across British America covering everything from orderly books to subscription lists.

United States, Lord Dunmore's Ethiopian Regiment, 1776
This small but eye-opening record set lists enslaved people who answered Lord Dunmore’s call to arms during the American Revolution. Compiled from a number of sources, we've created a searchable index of all known individuals who joined Dunmore's unit. In it, you'll discover their names, aliases, ages and, in some cases, what became of them after the war.

Links for these collections, and details of others (including vital records from Manitoba, Canada), are available at www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/us-canadian-records.

Chris

Wednesday, 30 June 2021

Renovated Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum re-opens

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum (www.argylls.co.uk) at Stirling Castle has re-opened today after it closed in late 2018 in order for the facility to be renovated, at a cost of £4 million.

For more on the story visit the Falkirk Herald at www.falkirkherald.co.uk/whats-on/things-to-do/stirling-castle-museum-dedicated-to-revered-scottish-regiment-to-reopen-following-ps4m-revamp-3289867.

Historic Environment Scotland also has a press release at www.historicenvironment.scot/about-us/news/scots-military-treasures-preserved-thanks-to-4m-museum-transformation-at-stirling-castle/.

Chris

Ancestry adds six National Archives of Ireland collections

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added the following Irish collections, all sourced from the National Archives of Ireland in Dublin:

Ireland, Wills and Grants of Probate, 1858-1900
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62078/
Source: Wills and administrations. Dublin, Ireland: Microfilm of original records at the National Archives.

Ireland, Indexes to Wills, Probate Administration, Marriage Bonds and Licences, 1591-1866
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62077/
Source: Indexes of Wills, Administration and Marriage Licence Bonds. Dublin, Ireland: Microfilm of original records at the National Archives.

Ireland, Registers of Wills and Administrations, 1828-1885
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62076/
Source: Inland Revenue registers of wills and administrations. Dublin, Ireland: Microfilm of original records at the National Archives.

Ireland, Crew Lists and Shipping Agreements, 1863-1920
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62047/
Source: Records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1860 - 1921. Dublin, Ireland: Microfilm of original records at the National Archives.

Ireland, Census Fragments, 1821-1851
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62025/
Source: Pre-1901 Census fragments. Dublin, Ireland: Microfilm of original records at the National Archives.

Ireland, National School Registers, 1847-1959
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62023/
Source: National School registers and roll books. Dublin, Ireland: Microfilm of original records at the National Archives.

Descriptions of all of the collections are available via the links. Note that the first five collections are also freely available on www.genealogy.nationalarchives.ie, whilst the school registers are equally hosted on FindmyPast (https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/ireland-national-school-registers). Nevertheless, with the records now also hosted on Ancestry, your online hosted family tree (if you have one), will be able to flag up potential matches.

For more on how to make your trees work with sites such as Ancestry and FindmyPast to locate record matches, my book Sharing Your Family History Online may be able to help. It is available to purchase from Pen and Sword via www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Sharing-Your-Family-History-Online-Paperback/p/18718 in both print and e-editions.

Chris

Scottish civil partnerships extended to mixed-sex couples

Just a quick heads up on the ongoing developments surrounding civil partnerships and marriage law in Scotland!

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 introduced the concept of civil partnerships for same-sex couples into law in Scotland from December 5th 2005. A civil partnership ceremony is secular and must not contain any religious content, or be held at any place that is “used solely or mainly for religious purposes”. A prior notice must be given to a registrar within three months preceding the event, and no later than 15 days before the ceremony is due to happen. The minimum age for both contracting parties is sixteen, and the usual rules of consanguinity, marital status, etc, apply.

A further development in 2014, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act, further provided for the marriage of same-sex couples, bringing marriage law into line for same-sex couples as for mixed-sex couples.

The upshot of all of this was that until today, same-sex couples could enjoy the option of either a civil partnership or a marriage, whereas mixed-sex couples only had the option to marry, and not to enter into a civil partnership. This has changed, thanks to the Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2020, with it now possible for mixed-sex couples to enter into a civil partnership. The BBC has the story at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-57650828.

From a genealogy point of view, it is a useful reminder that for our current generation, and for future generations of genealogists, we may need to consult both the registers of marriage and civil partnerships to locate family developments in the early 21st century and going forwards. Indexes to both of these are available on ScotlandsPeople (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk).

In a practical sense, there is not a great deal of difference between a civil marriage and a civil partnership, but the Citizens Advice Scotland website sums it up neatly as follows:

Civil partnership and marriage are almost identical, and civil partners have the same rights and responsibilities as married partners.

There are some very small procedural differences. For example, civil partnerships are registered by signing the civil partnership schedule, with no words required to be spoken, whereas marriages are solemnised by saying a prescribed form of words.

(Source: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland/family/living-together-marriage-and-civil-partnership-s/registering-a-civil-partnership-s/)

For the genealogist though, there is one other thing to be aware of - marriages can be ended by divorce, but civil partnerships end through dissolution. Again, registers indexes for both are available on ScotlandsPeople.

For background to the recent changes, and the laws underpinning them, visit the Scottish Government's Civil Partnerships page at https://www.gov.scot/policies/family-law/civil-partnership/.

Whether you plan to marry or to go enter into a civil partnership, this humble genealogist simply asks that you leave a paper trail - and above all, be happy, we only have one life!

Chris

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Update on my Pen and Sword family history books

Pen and Sword has now updated the pre-order page for my next book, Tracing Your Irish Family History Through Land Records, with the new cover image. The book is available at the pre-order price of £11.99 plus p&p, and will be available from the end of September this year. You can pre-order your copy at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Ancestors-Through-Land-Records-Paperback/p/19283. I hope it helps - and thanks to those who have already pre-ordered a copy, it was Pen and Sword's 15th biggest seller of the week yesterday, which is quite something for a book that has yet to gain corporeal form!!!

In addition, I note that a second reprint of my book Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd edition) actually happened a few months ago, which was a pleasant surprise to discover last night, so thanks to those who have already bought a copy. It can be obtained via https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483 at £14.99 plus p&p (the good looking girl in the middle of the front cover is my mum, with her parents on either side, who sadly passed away in 2013, and who would have been 71 today!)

I have also just learned that my most recent book Sharing Your Family History Online is due to be reprinted at the end of July - it can be ordered from https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Sharing-Your-Family-History-Online-Paperback/p/18718.

My two Scottish titles are also still available - Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Scottish-Ancestry-through-Church-and-State-Records-Paperback/p/16848), and Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet (https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Scottish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/17717).

So what's next? Well I have a big commitment this summer that I am currently working on (the British Institute's tract on Ireland in October), and then it's straight into my next book, which is taking me right back to my doorstep back home in Northern Ireland.

After that, I then have something in the pipeline that I hope will be very helpful for my Scottish friends - more on both projects in due course!

Chris

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Monday, 5 July 2021

Sunday, 4 July 2021

Saturday, 3 July 2021

Friday, 2 July 2021

Wednesday, 30 June 2021

Tuesday, 29 June 2021