East Lothian Library Service Family History Fair

East Lothian Library Service is hosting a 50th anniversary Family History Fair on Monday 20 April 2026 from 3.30-6.30pm, at the Star Room in the John Gray Centre in Haddington.

For further details please visit https://www.whatsoninedinburgh.co.uk/event/172445-east-lothian-library-service-local-history-centre-family-&-local-history-fair/.

 

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

Friends of Argyll Estate Archives makes past newsletters available for sale

From the Friends of Argyll Estate Archives via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/friendsofargyllestatesarchives):

NEWSLETTERS

 

The Friends of Argyll Estates Archives Newsletter, now available to non-members! Edited by volunteer and trustee, Duncan Beaton, the Newsletter was established in 2016 to document all the exciting things happening in the archives.

 

Issued twice a year at the traditional Scots term dates of Whitsunday (28 May) and Martinmas (28 November) the Newsletter typically includes an Editor’s note, a list of upcoming seminars, reports on Friends outings and events, articles informed by archival research, a Pen Picture feature and more!

 

Select issues of the Newsletter are now available to purchase for those who are not yet members, but want to learn more about the Friends or read a particular article.

https://argyllestatesarchives.org/shop/

 

PLEASE REMEMBER: existing members can access the full back catalogue of Newsletters by logging-in to the Friends Area!

(With thanks to the Friends)

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

British Newspaper Archive releases Salvation Army's War Cry

If your ancestors were members of the Salvation Army, the British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) has now uploaded the archive of the War Cry publication. The current release includes content from 1879-1985, but coverage is planned to continue to the present day, according to its description page at https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/BL/war-cry.

My grandmother was a member of the Salvation Army in Belfast as a child, with her mother and grandparents being staunch members. I am still trying to determine which branch they attended in the city, but have already found some clues that I will now pursue with the Salvation Army itself, via its International Heritage Centre (https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/about-us/international-heritage-centre).

Happy hunting!

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

What to expect from the 1926 Irish Free State census

We are now just a week away from the release of the 1926 Irish census by the National Archives of Ireland, the first census to be recorded by the Irish Free State after its foundation in December 1922. The census revealed that the population of the state (today the Irish republic) at that time was just under 3 million people, standing at 2,971,992. The census will be searchable at https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-census/, alongside the 1901 and 1911 censuses, and the surviving census fragments from 1821-1851.

Details on the questions asked by the census are included at https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-census/about-the-census-collections/census-1926/, with blank examples of the forms also available to view. Note that there will be two forms to consult, Form A, the householder's return, and Form B, the enumerator's return.

I am very much looking forward to the release, to discover information about my wife's family in counties Tipperary and Kilkenny, but also branches of my own family in Donegal and Dublin.  

There was an equivalent census recorded on the same night in 1926 by the recently established Northern Irish government, but these returns have tragically not survived. The next census for the north was recorded in 1937, whuch means we still have eleven years to consult that. However, the 1939 National Identity Register for Northern Ireland, recorded two weeks into the Second World War in September 1939, can be consulted by sending an enquiry to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/forms/submit-enquiry. There is no charge for the service, but you may be required to submit evidence of the death of those you are seeking details for, to protect privacy for those still alive.

The next census in the Irish Free State was recorded on April 26, 1936. The following is therefore the list of censuses for Britain and Ireland to be released over the next 25 years:

• 1931 Scottish census (the English and Welsh returns have not survived)
• 1936 Irish Free State census 
• 1937 Northern Irish census
• 1939 UK National Identity Register (already available)
• No UK 1941 census (Second World War)
• 1946 Ireland (Republic) census 
• 1951 UK census / 1951 Ireland (Republic) census

Every census release is a big occasion - happy hunting!

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

FindmyPast adds Dublin Port employment records but fails to name archival source

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added a new Irish collection, but has provided no information on where the records have been obtained from.

Ireland, Dublin Port Employment Records, 1862-1925
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/ireland-dublin-port-employment-records-1862-1925

This new set consists of 1,636 employment records from the 19th and 20th centuries. 

Comment: Dublin Port employment records from 1906-1925, as sourced from the Dublin Port Name Book, are available at https://www.dublinportarchive.com/searchable-archives/. It is unclear if this is the source for some of the records. 

It is regrettable that FindmyPast portrays itself to be the bona fide source here, when it is simply a publisher of material derived from another archival source. 

Chris

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

Learn with Lorna event in Inverness on May 28th

This who have been following Highland Archives archivist Lorna Steele-McGinn over the last six years with her weekly online Learn With Lorna lectures will perhaps be interested to know that Lorna will be hosting an in-person event in Inverness on 28 May 2026. Here's the blurb from the archive's latest newsletter:

Our series of short online talks about the records held by the Highland Archive Service returned on 22nd January 2026 after a Christmas break.  As advertised in our last newsletter we are looking forward to hosting an in-person Learn with Lorna event at the Highland Archive Centre on 28th May 2026.  A talk on some "Treasures of the Highland Archive Service" will be followed by the chance to see some of the many documents that have featured across the 6 years of the series and to meet some of the other team members who have contributed research over the years.  We are really looking forward to welcoming LWL viewers to the archive centre, celebrating the community that has grown from the series, and saying thank you to all who have helped it grow. The few remaining tickets are available via https://tickets.highlifehighland.com/events/highlifehighland/2057468 or by contacting the Highland Archive Centre direct.

It should be a great event! To watch Lorna's Learn with Lorna series on YouTube, visit https://www.youtube.com/@HighLifeHighlandsocial

(With thanks to Highland Archives) 

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

Ancestry adds Prerogative Court and Exchequer Court of York wills

This blog tends to concentrate on genealogy resources relevant to Scotland and Ireland these days, but occasionally there are developments down south of the border worth noting. The English and Welsh 'probate' system - the equivalent of Scotland's confirmation system - had two high-tier ecclesiastical courts running the show until 1858. One of these, the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (PCC Court), has had wills for the southern half of England available for some time, but there was also a Preogative Court for York (PCY Court), for the northern half, although the PCC Court remained superior to the PCY Court. Whilst some records for the PCY Court have been available on FindmyPast for a while, Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has also now added them as a collection. Ancestry's collection also includes wills form the lower Exchequer Court in York:

England, Prerogative and Exchequer Court of York Wills, 1389-1858
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63000/
Source: Yorkshire Wills and Probate, 1383-1858. York, England: Borthwick Institute for Archives.

This collection contains images of wills filed in Yorkshire, England, between 1389 and 1858. A will is a document that specifies how a person’s property should be distributed after their death.

Records in this collection may include the following information:

• Name
• Place of residence
• Relationship to head of household
• Will date
• Probate date

The indexed information may help you confirm important dates regarding your ancestor’s death and estate processing. You may find additional information by looking at your ancestor’s record image. Your ancestor’s will may include names of family members that you can add to your family tree, and they can help to sort out how your ancestors were related. A will may also include an inventory of an estate’s assets, which may provide some insights into your ancestor’s financial status and lifestyle.

If the will doesn’t have the information you are looking for, you may be able to find related probate records, such as property inventories, petitions to begin the probate process, guardianship and orphans’ court records, and estate bonds.

The majority of the wills in this collection are written in Latin. Ancestry’s Latin genealogy guide may help you read the documents. Some of the records are handwritten in English, but old handwriting can be difficult to read. This article may help you decipher your ancestor’s record. 

For further details, consult the link above. 

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

FindmyPast Easter subscription sale

From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk): 

Save up to 30% with Findmypast’s unmissable Easter sale 

Delve deeper into your family story this Easter with up to 30% off selected subscriptions* from 1st – 13th April 2026 

Easter is the perfect moment to delve deeper into the people and stories in your family tree and Findmypast is making it easier than ever with a limited‑time sale, offering up to 30% off subscriptions. 

Between 1st – 13th April 2026, enjoy 20% off 1-month (was £24.49, now £19.59) and 3-month (was £59.99, now £47.99) Everything subscriptions and 30% off 12-month Everything annual subscriptions (was £169.99, now £118.99). The discount will be automatically applied at checkout. 

The Everything subscription is Findmypast’s top tier subscription, offering full access to the platform’s rich archive of historical records and newspapers, as well as the simple-to-use family tree builder, millions of family trees, innovative tools and smart features to help users delve deeper into their family history.

Whether you’re just beginning your family history journey or you’re deep into long-standing research, this unmissable offer makes it easier than ever to uncover the details of your ancestors’ lives and the world in which they lived. From grandparents’ wedding announcements to handwritten census entries, quickly uncover names, places, milestones, photographs, occupation histories, and vibrant stories that bring ancestors’ lives into focus. 

As the home of British and Irish family history, Findmypast is the UK’s leading genealogy company, built on long-standing collaborations with archives, cultural institutions and publishers across the UK and beyond. Unique partnerships with the British Library, The National Archives, county record offices, family history societies, and major publishers including Reach PLC and National World ensure unrivalled access to rich resources tracing back over 1,000 years of history. Thousands of records are digitised at Findmypast’s dedicated scanning facility in Yorkshire and added to the site every week, creating one of the richest and most varied online archives available for researching British and Irish roots.

Jen Baldwin, Research Specialist at Findmypast said: “Easter is a moment when many of us come together with family, making it the perfect opportunity to explore our shared stories. Whether you’re discovering your ancestors for the very first time or building on years of research, our Easter sale opens the door to millions of records and intuitive tools that help bring your family history to life. There’s no better time to delve deeper into your family tree and see what new discoveries are waiting for you.”

*Code applied automatically at checkout. Subscriptions included in the offer are 20% off 1m Everything and 3m Everything, and 30% off 12m Everything annual subscriptions. Offer period runs from 9am BST on 1st April 2026 to 11.59pm BST on 13th April 2026. UK only. Ts&Cs apply.

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

Easter - certificate ordering disruption from ScotlandsPeople

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

Please note: Certificate Priority Ordering will be unavailable from 1 p.m. on Thursday 2nd April 2026 with all Certificate Ordering unavailable from 4 p.m. on Thursday 2nd April 2026.

All Certificate Ordering will re-commence from 9 a.m. Tuesday 7th April 2026.

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.

MyHeritage's ScribeAI tool

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

We’re excited to introduce Scribe AI, a powerful new feature that transcribes, translates, and interprets historical documents and photos. Released just a few weeks ago, the first users who tried it have already given it rave reviews and told us about breakthroughs they were able to make with it.

Upload a scanned family letter or historical document, or a photo, and Scribe AI will generate a clear transcription, explain symbols and context, and suggest next steps for your research. For photos, it will estimate the place and date and provide a full historical context. It can also be applied directly to historical records on MyHeritage that include images, and to photos you’ve already uploaded to MyHeritage.

Powered by advanced AI technology trained on historical records and photos, it reveals insights you may never have uncovered otherwise.

You can find out more about this new tool at https://blog.myheritage.com/2026/03/introducing-scribe-ai/.

Comment: I am personally allergic to anything that has AI in its title, but let me know what you think of it!

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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. To purchase in the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page.