Monday 18 March 2024

Next Saturday's Scottish Indexes conferences talks schedules now available

The next Scottish Indexes (www.scottishindexes.com) conference takes place on Saturday 23rd March, with the following talks to be given:

  • 'The Orkney Archive Service' by Lucy Gibbon, Archivist at Orkney Library and Archive
  • 'Survival Sex, Poverty and Desperation: Prostitution in Aberdeen 1840-1870' by Dr. Dee Hoole
  • 'Understanding Scottish Inheritance Records' by genealogist Chris Paton
  • 'The John Gray Centre: East Lothian's Heritage Hub' by Dr. Hanita Ritchie
  • 'Making the most of Scottish High Court records' by genealogist Emma Maxwell
  • 'Researching Hudson Bay Company Ancestors' by Christine Woodcock
  • Scottish Genealogy Q&A hosted by Graham and Emma Maxwell

The schedules for the talks, which will be run twice during the day to cater for a worldwide audience, are now available on the wesbite at https://www.scottishindexes.com/conference.aspx

I look forward to hopefully answering some of your questions there after my talk and in the Q&A sessions!

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, 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. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Stone of Destiny to be housed in Perth Museum, which opens Saturday 30th March

The new Perth Museum (https://perthmuseum.co.uk) is to open on Saturday 30th March. From the website:

The new Perth Museum will open its doors on Saturday 30 March 2024 after a £27 million redevelopment project. This world-class cultural and heritage attraction will highlight the fascinating objects and stories that put Perth and Kinross at the centre of Scotland’s story.

At its heart will sit the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, one of Scotland and the UK’s most significant historical objects. Returning to Perthshire for the first time in over 700 years, the Stone will be the centrepiece of the new Museum and will be free for all to view.

Alongside the Stone, the new Museum will display Perth & Kinross’s Recognised Collections of National Significance as well as iconic loans and exhibitions from the UK and abroad.

The Museum will be housed in a heritage Edwardian building that once served as a gathering place hosting everything from markets and concerts, to political conferences and wrestling matches. This historic venue has been transformed into a major visitor attraction by award- winning architects Mecanoo. The Museum will also feature a café, shop, and learning and events spaces.

For further details visit https://perthmuseum.co.uk/about-the-museum/

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, 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. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Friday 15 March 2024

TheGenealogist adds Irish probate records and County Tipperary parish records

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

Over 3 Million New Irish Records Released for St Patrick’s Day

Get ready to paint the town green this St. Patrick's Day with a bumper release from TheGenealogist! They have just announced the release of 1,769,007 individuals to their Irish Catholic Parish Record Collection and 1,263,399 Irish Wills for their subscribers.

For the many family historians with Irish ancestors, these latest records will be a welcome addition to the celebrations of this day that is so close to the hearts of the Irish.

In this latest release from County Tipperary transcripts for over 80 parishes have been added: A full list of the coverage may be found here: https://thegenealogist.co.uk/coverage/parish-records/ireland/#tipperary

Also making up the releases in the “St Patrick’s Day Parade” are these records of Irish wills:

  • Dublin Will and Grant Books 1272-1858,Calendar of Wills and Administrations 1858-1922,
  • Irish Will Indexes 1484-1858, Prerogative and Diocesan Copies of Wills and Indexes 1596-1858,  
  • Will Registers 1858-1900 and Soldiers’ Wills 1914-1918


To go with these records, read TheGenealogist’s article: A Long Way from Tipperary:
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2024/a-long-way-from-tipperary-7187/


Save Over £74 on our Diamond Personal Premium Package
To celebrate this latest release, TheGenealogist is offering its Diamond Personal Premium Package for only £109.95, a saving of over £74.
This offer includes a lifetime discount! Your subscription will renew at the same discounted price every year you stay with us.
To find out more and claim the offer, visit: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/MGBIPR324
This offer expires at the end of 8th June 2024

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, 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. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

FindmyPast adds Irish 18th century religious censuses, and enhances Belfast and Ulster directories collection

FindmyPast has added the following 18th century Irish religious censuses, as sourced from transcriptions by Tenison Groves held at PRONI , as well as an update to its Belfast directories collection:

Ireland, 1766 Religious Census

This week's biggest new set consists of 20,505 transcriptions from the 1766 Religious Census. Although the original documents were lost when Ireland's Public Records Office was destroyed in 1922, these extensive transcripts were recorded by antiquarian and genealogist Tenison Groves prior to the fire.

From these records, you may be able to learn the name of the head of the household, the year, their religion, the parish and the county. The information recorded varies widely, because different enumerators recorded different details.

NB: Note that the Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland platform provides free access to a substantially greater version of this 1766 census at https://virtualtreasury.ie/gold-seams/1766-religious-census

 
Ireland, Census of Protestant Householders 1740

Secondly, we've also added transcriptions of a census that was taken of Protestant householders in 1740. The 15,957 records within this new set are from parishes in the counties of Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Donegal, Down and Tyrone.

Also created by Tenison Groves, these transcriptions contain details like a name, year, barony, parish and county.


Ireland, 1775 Dissenters' Petitions

This week's third and final new set is a collection of historic petition records. It contains approximately 4,000 names, of people who protested the Church of Ireland's sacramental tests in 1775. The petitions consist of dissenters' names categorized by parish, congregation, town, neighbourhood, or, in one case, barony.

Occasionally, members of the Established Church also signed the petitions. The lists typically specify whether signatories were dissenters or Established Church members. In cases where no denomination is indicated, the list contained names of both dissenters and Established Church members without differentiation.

While available for all Northern Ireland counties except Fermanagh, these records are most extensive for areas in Counties Antrim and Down.


Belfast & Ulster Directories

In addition to the three brand new Irish record sets, we've also made a significant update to an existing Irish collection. We added 951,127 Belfast and Ulster directory records, with both transcriptions and original images available for you to explore.

These new additions span 1831 to 1900, and contain over 900,000 names. With almost 70 years of history covered, they offer a detailed glimpse into what the North of Ireland was like in the 19th century.

Comment: There's no source cited for the additional directory records, but the year range suggests that these too may be from PRONI.  

For further details visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/protestant-householders-dissenters-petitions

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, 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. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Thursday 14 March 2024

MyHeritage grants free access to Irish records this weekend

MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com) has made its Irish collections free to access for St. Patrick's Day:

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re happy to announce that we’re making all 14 million Irish historical records available for free from March 14 to 18, 2024! 

Search all Irish records for free

Whether you’re decked out in green, savoring a traditional Irish dish, or just immersed in the vibrant culture and storied past of Ireland, this is a perfect opportunity to explore your Irish roots. Millions worldwide claim Irish roots, showing how far and wide the Irish diaspora stretches. Perhaps you will discover stories of endurance, migration, or interesting new details about the daily lives of your Irish ancestors.

Among our treasure trove of records, some of the most valuable Irish historical collections include:

  • 1901 Ireland Census: A snapshot of life at the turn of the century, providing invaluable information on household members, occupations, and living conditions. The 1901 census is the earliest complete Irish census still in existence; most of the previous censuses were destroyed.
  • 1911 Ireland Census: Offering a detailed view of Irish society ten years later, allowing comparisons and insights into changes over time.
  • Ireland Marriages, 1619-1898: A compilation of Irish marriage records, essential for tracing lineage and family connections.

These collections, as well as many others, can help to paint a picture of your ancestors’ lives, their communities, and the historical context of their lives. Whether you’re an experienced genealogist or just starting to scratch the surface of your family history, this free access period is an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into your Irish roots.

Search through our Irish records today and discover the stories of your ancestors this St. Patrick’s Day.

(Source: https://blog.myheritage.com/2024/03/celebrate-st-patricks-day-with-free-access-to-14-million-irish-records-on-myheritage/

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, 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. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Scottish Jewish Archives Open Day

News of the forthcoming Scottish Jewish Archives (www.sjac.org.uk) Open Day:

Scottish Jewish Archives Centre April Open Day
Garnethill Synagogue, 129 Hill Street, Glasgow, G3 6UB
Sunday 14th April 2.30pm-4.30pm

Booking is essential. This is a free event but donations are always welcome!

This offers visitors the chance to see the displays of the Archives Centre which tell the story of the history of the Jewish community in Scotland. There will also be the opportunity to view the A listed heritage Garnethill Synagogue where the Archives Centre is based.

To book visit https://www.trybooking.com/uk/events/landing/57268?fbclid=IwAR3sFyUq74-9LqdDQZokHmi2x8Prj-xNRUC32OV1O6Q02B5A1izSP3-XyGg

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, 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. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Sunday 10 March 2024

Ancestry adds three new collections from Guinness, Ireland

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added the following new collections relating to Ireland:

Ireland, Dublin Coopers Society and Brewers' Guild Records, 1702-1945
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62587/
Source: Dublin Coopers Guild and the Brewers' Guild of Dublin. Dublin, Ireland: The Guinness Archives.

This collection includes an index of the membership of the Dublin Coopers Guild in Ireland, between 1765 and 1945 and minute books from the Brewers´ Guild of Dublin and Coopers' Guild. Notations about individual members were entered in handwritten indexes. The entries were made in alphabetical order based on the member's last name. Images of the original documents are available.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

  • Name
  • Place of residence
  • Residence date
  • Death date

This index can be used to confirm whether your ancestor was a member of the Coopers and Brewers Guild in Dublin, Ireland, at a specific point in time. The index also can be used to confirm where your ancestor lived when they were in the guild and possibly also the date they died.


Ireland, Guinness Trade Ledgers, 1860-1960
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62562/
Source: Guinness Trade Ledgers. Dublin, Ireland: Guinness Storehouse.

This collection contains images of trade ledgers produced by the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, Ireland, and England between 1860 and 1960. The brewery's sales and personnel records were kept in printed ledger books. Entries were often handwritten during the earlier years included in the collection, and as the years progressed, the ledger entries were typed.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

  • Name
  • Employment date
  • Business Place

The records in this collection can be used to verify that your ancestor did business with the Guinness Brewery at a particular location and time. The records also may be useful for someone researching the financial history of Guinness Brewery.


Ireland, Guinness Employee Records, 1799-1939
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62561/
Source: Employee Records. Dublin, Ireland: Guinness Archive.

This collection contains images of employee records from the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, Ireland, between 1799 and 1939. Records of employee activities were kept in printed log books with entries typically handwritten. The information in the records includes key dates in the lives of employees and information about their relatives.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

  • Name
  • Gender
  • Marital status
  • Birth date and place
  • Marriage date
  • Age at employment
  • Employment dates
  • Death date
  • Street address
  • Occupation
  • Location of employment
  • Spouse’s name, birth date, and age
  • Names, ages, and relationships of up to four relatives

This collection can be used to verify that your ancestor worked for the Guinness Brewery at a particular location and time. The information in the records also can be used to confirm the vital dates of your ancestor’s life and add your ancestor’s spouse and relatives to your family history.

This collection contains several different types of records, such as wage books, authorization logs, and next of kin records, that can tell you when and how a person worked for Guinness and the events recorded by the company. These records can allow you to confirm details about your ancestor’s life that may have also been pertinent to their employer.

Some images have been redacted or removed to protect the privacy of those still alive in accordance with local laws. Some indexes may not include all information as originally recorded, where it is unavailable due to privacy laws.


In addition, Ancestry has also added the following:

Ireland, 2nd and 3rd Edition Map, 1899-1905
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62575/
Source: Ireland, 2nd and 3rd Edition Map, 1899-1905. Kent, England: Cassini Historical Maps.

This collection contains images of second- and third-edition Ordnance Survey maps of Ireland produced between 1899 and 1905. The maps use a scale in which one inch equals a mile, and they were based on previous maps that used a larger scale. The maps show details of cities and villages, roads, railroads, and topographical information.

Using this collection


Records in the collection may contain the following information:

  • Name of county
  • Name of town
  • Name of parish
  • Map scale
  • Map images
  • Survey date
  • Publication date
  • Revision date
  • Railway lines
  • Topographic information


UK, Imperial Gazetteer Maps, 1900
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62577/
Source: UK, Imperial Gazetteer Maps, 1900. Kent, England: Cassini Historical Maps.

This collection contains images of imperial gazetteer maps of the United Kingdom published in 1900. Gazetteers were geographical directories that included information about places and place names. They were intended to be used in conjunction with a map or atlas. Gazetteers provided information about the geography of the region they covered, combining social statistics with content on natural elements, like mountains and waterways, and man-made elements like roads and railroads.

Using this collection

Records in the collection may contain the following information:

  • County name
  • Town name
  • Parish name
  • Map scale
  • Map images
  • Survey date
  • Publication date
  • Revision date
  • Railway lines
  • Topographic information

Further details available via the links.


 

Chris 

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, 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. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Friday 8 March 2024

FindmyPast adds Irish Land Commission loan records 1891-1920

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added the following major Irish record set:

Ireland, Land Commission Advances, 1891-1920

Next up we have another brand new record set, Irish Land Commissions which includes 741,255 records.

Covering 1891 to 1920, these records contain details of tenants who were able to buy the farm they occupied from their landlord and will contain the names of both parties, as well as where the farm was and how much was paid. 

The collection is accessible at https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/ireland-land-commission-advances-1891-1920

The dataset documents loans advanced to tenants under the Irish land purchase acts, as published by HMSO in its Returns of Advances Under the Irish Land Purchase Acts. Whilst it covers the whole of Ireland, this will be particularly useful for those researching in the Republic, where the actual land commission records are not available to the public (unlike those for Northern Ireland, long story!), nor the Cancelled Land Books online, the follow on from Griffith's Valuation (although these are currently being digitised, and will be made available online in due course). Although the same books for this period for Northern Ireland are available online (as PRONI's Valuation Revision Books collection), these records are still useful to show the amounts loaned to Ulster-based tenants also.

The following is an example of a loan made to folk in the townland of Ballymartin in County Antrim, including likely extended family members from my family on the Bill and Coulter lines:


And the record for my wife's great great grandmother Margaret Murray in Tibberaghny (Tybroughney) townland in Co. Kilkenny, showing a loan granted to her of £180 for her farm of some 129 acres:

You can find out more on records concerned with the Irish Land Commission in my book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, available from Pen and Sword in the UK at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Ancestors-Through-Land-Records-Paperback/p/19283, and from the USA at https://www.penandswordbooks.com/9781526780218/tracing-your-irish-ancestors-through-land-records/.

(Source: https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/womens-land-army-irish-land-commissions)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, 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. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Temporary changes with PRONI's reading room access, plus Northern Irish 1939 National Identity requests now being processed

I attended the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni) stakeholder forum this morning; the following is a brief report.

The main PRONI reading room is being closed for a few weeks until mid-April, in order to facilitate some building works within it - the main reception room is being extended into the reading room, and a new staff consultation room is also being created in the space. This means that for the next few weeks the main search room on the same floor will host a reading room area, which will include twelve available desks, and one of the main scanners, onto which you can scan document productions and save images onto a USB drive (NB: this is only to be used for document productions, and not materials in the search room).

There have been some changes in the search room also, with the self-service microfilms moved to the middle of the room, and with some new library space to be added in the foreseeable future. 

The new on-site Axiell catalogue is now envisaged to be available from about April, after some minor problems with the software are resolved in the beta testing stage. This will replace the current Calm based catalogue system, through which document productions are ordered for the reading room.

Stormont is back up and running - which means that Northern Irish 1939 National Identity Register applications, as well as FOI requests, can now be fulfilled (NI bizarrely needs a sitting minister in place for FOI requests to be dealt with, with processing suspended whilst the parliament was adjourned). These should start going out shortly, with the current backlog envisaged to take a week or two to complete.  

Following the success of the PRONI centenary celebrations, the next year-long themed event will be on diversity and inclusivity, which will last from April 2024 to March 2025. As part of this the PRONI guide on slavery will be expanded and relaunched, which will include expanded content to cover areas such as the Caribbean. There will also be a conference at PRONI to tie in with Frederick Douglas Week in April (Douglas was a former slave in the US who became an anti-slavery campaigner in Belfast).

PRONI is currently discussion a community archives scheme with Newcastle and Glasgow Universities, with an event to be hosted in June in Belfast. It is hoped that grants may be available to make four or five community archive schemes sustainable.

Bernadette Walsh, archivist at Derry's Tower Museum (https://towermuseumcollections.com), confirmed that funding was now in place for a major move for the museum, which will close at some point in the near future and re-open in late 2026 at a new facility. The new digs in Derry will have a dedicated archive room called the Archive Discovery Zone, with about eight to ten spaces, to encourage those wishing to use the archives, including genealogists. The new museum will serve the wider district, not just Londonderry city.  

Roddy Hegarty of the



Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, 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. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives to close for several months from June for relocation

Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives (https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/libraries-and-archives/aberdeen-city-and-aberdeenshire-archives) is due to close from 10th June 2024 until Spring 2025 in order to move its entire collection to the Town House - here's the full announcement:

Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Archives will be vacating its building at Dunbar Street in early 2025.
To prepare, pack and move the archive collections it is necessary for our opening hours to reduce from April 2024, as follows:
 
1 April - 3 June:
Old Aberdeen House open Mondays (by appointment only) 09:30 to 16:30.
Town House open Fridays (by appointment only) 09:30 to 16:30
 
10 June onwards:
Both Old Aberdeen House and Town House will be closed.
 
The Town House search room is scheduled to reopen in Spring 2025 (with access to collections formerly at Old Aberdeen House at this site by prior arrangement).
 
Our research service has also been temporarily suspended and, whilst e-mail enquiries remain open at archives@aberdeencity.gov.uk, we may not be able to answer all queries whilst access to our collections is limited.
 
We look forward to updating you with our plans in the future.

(Original announcement at the archive's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/aberdeencityandshirearchives)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, 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. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.