UK Government extends coronavirus self-employed support scheme

The Westminster government is extending the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme for those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, with two forthcoming taxable grant payments to be made to cover the periods from November 2020 to January 2021, and February 2021 to April 2021. 

That's the good news - but the bad news is that the two forthcoming payments will be based on just 20% of average monthly trading profits, as opposed to the previous grants paid at 80% and 70% payments. 

No further details are available as yet, but HMRC will publish further information in due course at www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-employment-income-support-scheme-grant-extension/self-employment-income-support-scheme-grant-extension.

Chris

My next 5 week Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers course starts November 2nd - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Scottish Indexes next conference on October 10th 2020

From Scottish Indexes (www.scottishindexes.com):

Scottish Indexes Conference VI - 10 October 2020

During 2020 we have been hosting a series of free Scottish genealogy events, a series of conferences designed to help you trace your Scottish family tree.

Here’s what we have to look forward to:

• 'Scottish Marriage: Instantly Buckled for Life' by Chris Paton, genealogist at www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk and author of ‘Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry through Church and State Records’.
• 'Genealogy in Glasgow City Archive' by Dr Irene O'Brien, senior archivist at Glasgow City Archives.
• ‘The Records of the Highland Archive Centre’ by Lorna Steele, of the Highland Archive Centre.
• ‘Tracing Scottish Ancestors on Ancestry’ by Kirsty Wilkinson, genealogist and author of 'Finding Your Scottish Ancestors: Techniques for Solving Genealogy Problems'.
• ‘Using DNA To Solve Adoption and Unknown Parentage Mysteries’ by Michelle Leonard of Genes & Genealogy, co-author of ‘Tracing Your Ancestors Using DNA: A Guide for Family Historians’.
• 'Fife Family History Society' by Ali Murray, Chair of Fife Family Society.
• Genealogy Q&A hosted by Graham and Emma Maxwell
  

The next conference is scheduled for the 10th of October 2020. We start at 7 am UK, this is early evening in Australia and New Zealand. We keep going until about 11 pm UK time so that people in the United States and Canada can watch too. Each presentation is shown twice throughout the day and we have a live Q&A with each presenter, as well as two longer Q&A sessions throughout the day. Nearer the time we will post schedules in a variety of timezones. 

To register visit www.scottishindexes.com

Should be fun! 

Chris

My next 5 week Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers course starts November 2nd - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Deceased Online adds Exeter cemetery records

If your ancestors ended up down south in Exeter, this may be of interest from Deceased Online (www.deceasedonline.com):

Two of Exeter City's Cemeteries Now Available on Deceased Online

The first of Exeter City Council's cemeteries, Exwick and Topsham, are now available to view on www.deceasedonline.com. The records comprise computerised burial records, section maps showing the approximate location of graves in the cemeteries, and details of other grave occupants.

Upcoming Records

Exeter's Higher Cemetery is due to be released shortly, and we're working on records from authorities in the East Midlands, London, the West Midlands, and the South East of England.

For further details visit https://www.deceasedonline.com/emails/email_20200924_1.html

(With thanks to Deceased Online via email)

Chris

My next 5 week Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers course starts November 2nd - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Getting closer to Beyond 2022

I've just watched a superb online event hosted by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni) concerning the Beyond 2022 project (www.beyond2022.ie), which is seeking to recreate much of what was lost with the destruction of the original Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922. 

I have written about the project before (see https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/2019/05/beyond-2022-virtually-recreating-irish.html and https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/2019/12/irelands-beyond-2022-project-progresses.html), but today we got to see some of the real deal! As well as a digital walkthrough of the reconstructed original building (see below - and believe me, the next project beyond this should be to have that actually reconstructed, it was gorgeous!), we also got a look behind the scenes at conservation efforts for much of the material which was damaged in 1922 but which survived. When complete, the site will act as both a digital repository, drawing on surviving materials and transcripts, and as a finding aid to locate materials in partner institutions which can act as surrogates for what was lost.

In the months after the fire, damaged material was wrapped up into 378 parcels and stored to await future conservation efforts. In 2017, the Irish Manuscript Commission provided funds to do a conservation survey of the material, which comprises 16,000 vellum sheets and 9000 pages or text blocks. These have been graded into five categories, with Grade 1 needing only a little work to restore them, and Grade 5 being properly messed up material! Of these, the parcels break down as follows: Grade 1 (28), Grade 2 (72), Grade 3 (88), Grade 4 (145), and Grade 5 (45). 

To give an idea of some of the gems found, 66 Yeomanry forms from Co. Carlow in 1798 are included (the year of the United Irishmen rebellion), and we also got to see Port and District books for Coleraine (1696, 1738-39, and 1788-89) and Donaghadee (1725-26 and 1775-76), both of which are Grade 2, and Strangford (1751 and 1818-1819), at Grade 4. The materials include accounts of quit rent and hearth tax money, amongst other papers.

In addition to this, we had demonstrations of materials that exist in surrogate form at PRONI that are being drawn into the project - e.g. 17th century Down Survey maps, and Lord Castlereagh's papers (he was basically running the show in Ireland during the 1798 rebellion and the Union of 1801) - but we also heard some really useful nuggets of info of interest to genealogists. 

The Representative Church Body Library of Ireland (https://www.ireland.anglican.org/about/rcb-library), for example, has contributed some Church of Ireland materials to the Beyond 2022 team for testing for possible inclusion, and the PRONI wills calendar (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/search-archives-online/will-calendars), which currently has entries from 1858-1960, is to be expanded by another 20 or 30 years in the near future, with work on this currently carrying on in the background. 

Although the project has been known about for a while now, today's session was the first chance to really glimpse the full potential of what the project hopes to achieve, and also to tilt the balance of the glass back towards 'half full' rather than 'half empty' in terms of what has survived and accessible.

For further details, and to start playing some of what is already available, visit Beyond 2022 at www.beyond2022.ie.

(With thanks to PRONI and all participants - PRONI has recorded the session, and so I suspect it will join the archive's YouTube channel soon)

Chris

My next 5 week Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers course starts November 2nd - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

FamilySearch publishes 8 billionth searchable name from records

From FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org)

FamilySearch Hits 8 Billion Searchable Names in Historical Records

Non-profit FamilySearch published its 8 billionth free searchable name from its worldwide historic record collections online. The milestone is even more astounding when you think that each name is someone’s ancestor—8 billion family connections just waiting to be discovered. Explore the free databases at FamilySearch.org.

It’s an incredible feat when you realize that just 1 billion seconds ago, it was 1988, or 1 billion minutes ago the Roman Empire was thriving and Christianity was just beginning to spread.

“To digitally preserve and make so many names freely searchable online is impressive, but it’s the personal family connections that matter most,” said David Rencher, FamilySearch’s chief genealogical officer. “With each new record, there’s the possibility to find a missing link in the family tree. And that is soul-satisfying.” And FamilySearch adds over 1 million new records each day.

“Every human being who comes to this earth is the product of generations of parents. We have a natural yearning to connect with our ancestors. This desire dwells in our hearts, regardless of age,” said Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the sponsoring organization of FamilySearch. “When our hearts turn to our ancestors, something changes inside us. We feel part of something greater than ourselves.”

Rencher says finding even one extra hint from a record can make a difference. This is evidenced by the comments that pour in from FamilySearch’s millions of users.

“I have found my Nana’s marriage certificate.” Maureen

“I found that my great-great-grandfather was in the civil war. They took his land...I am very proud of him.” S. Briggs

“Resources are really helping me find people or make corrections and unite families.” M. Thurgood

“I am finding endless Ukrainian immigrant families who pioneered settlements of the Prairies of Canada.” Larry

“This milestone is just the tip of the iceberg. FamilySearch won’t quit until we’ve accounted for everyone possible from the world’s available records,” said Rencher. “With over 8 billion searchable names and growing, the odds of growing the branches of your family tree each time you visit keep getting better all the time.”

Growth is in the roots of FamilySearch. It began 125 years ago (See FamilySearch Celebrates 125thAnniversary) as the Genealogical Society of Utah, with a mere 300 hundred books of family records on its shelves. Now FamilySearch has 3.2 billion digital images, 490,000 digital books, and a Family Tree with over a billion more user-contributed records available online. And it adds over 1 million new records every day.

Seven billion names from almost every country have been added in just the last 10 years. And efforts have been amplified to increase access to even more of the world’s genealogically relevant records. FamilySearch largely credits this remarkable accomplishment to its dedicated online volunteers, innovative technologies, and growing partnerships with other organizations.

It’s never been easier to search for your family lines and connect your own story with your ancestors. What new records will you find? Discover your roots today for free at FamilySearch. 

(Source: Email and https://media.familysearch.org/familysearch-hits-8-billion-searchable-names-in-historical-records/)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

RAF air force lists and war memorial records added to TheGenealogist

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

RAF Air Force Lists and thousands of extra War Memorials released

TheGenealogist has released 71 new Air Force Lists with over 2 million names, as well as 385 extra War Memorials listing over 31,000 names.

Air Force Lists

The launch of this major resource gives access to 71 new Air Force Lists from 1919 to 1945 with over 2 million searchable names.

Air Force Lists are useful for family history researchers to see when an officer joined the RAF. They can also tell you what the airman’s rank was in different years and, by looking at the letters written after his name in the list, they can tell you what medals your ancestor had been awarded. These join a large run of similar Army and Navy Lists and other military records on TheGenealogist.

Use these records to:
●    Find ancestors who became officers in the Royal Air Force
●    Discover their ranks, service numbers and medals awarded
●    See which branch they served in and their dates of posting

War Memorials

With 3,400 new photos in this release, these new records include a number of schools and colleges including the Sevenoaks School where WW1 former pupils who served are recorded as well as casualties and medals awarded to them. Other schools and colleges included in this release are: The University College School, Hampstead; Merthyr Tydfil County School; Lord Weymouth Grammar School in Warminster, Wiltshire; Leeds, St Anne's RC School; and West Leeds High School.

War Memorials for workplaces and sporting organisations can help flesh out an ancestor’s life in revealing their occupation or recreational pursuits. Examples include the Gloucester Rugby Club; Gloucestershire County Hall staff for WW1 WW2; the Travellers Club in Pall Mall; Leeds Council employees WW1; Leeds, Kirkstall Brewery; Leeds Stock Exchange members and clerks; London; Army & Navy Stores WW1 - memorials for two of their department stores; and London, Union Discount Co.

Rolls of Service

Included in this week's release are also a number of Rolls of Service for the Boer War, WW1 and WW2, as well as some for civilian casualties in the Second World War such as Salcombe in Devon and Portsmouth.

This release brings the total number of War Memorials on TheGenealogist to over 597,000.

Use these records to:
●    Find ancestors who fought for their country in various conflicts
●    Discover workplaces or organisations that some ancestors were associated with

This release expands TheGenealogist’s extensive Military records collection and when used with connected resources, such as the RAF Operations Record Books (ORBs), Aircraft Identification book from 1939, Military Death records, War Memorials and others on TheGenealogist, it can be possible to really build an ancestors story.

To see an example of this, read TheGenealogist’s article: Paddy Finucane the Spitfire Ace
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2020/air-force-lists-and-records-find-paddy-finucane-the-spitfire-ace-1308/

These records and many more are available to Diamond subscribers of TheGenealogist.co.uk

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

MyHeritage updates Theory of Family Relativity matches

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com), news of an increase of 64% in Theory of Family Relativity matches:

We’re happy to announce that we’ve just refreshed the data for the Theory of Family Relativity™ for the third time since releasing this game-changing feature in February 2019. This revolutionary technology may offer astounding new information on your family connections.

The Theory of Family Relativity™ helps you make the most of your DNA Matches by incorporating genealogical information from all our collections of 12.5 billion historical records and 4 billion family tree profiles, to offer theories on how you and your DNA Matches might be related.

Users who have taken a MyHeritage DNA test or who have uploaded a DNA kit from another service since the last update may now receive answers and new insights about their relationships to their DNA Matches. This update will also provide users who have previously taken a MyHeritage DNA test or uploaded their DNA data with new theories to further their research, thanks to MyHeritage’s ever-growing database of family trees and historical records.

The full story is available at https://blog.myheritage.com/2020/09/update-to-theory-of-family-relativity-3/.

COMMENT: I recently uploaded DNA profiles for my wife, a parent and an uncle, and with this release I now finally have some Theory of Family Relativity matches for all of us. 

It is interesting to note the difference in the quality of the proposed matches between those on my family's side, and those of my wife. Much of my lot are from Northern Ireland and Scotland, and are considerably well documented, whereas my wife's family are from a tight community in the county border area between Kilkenny and Tipperaray in the Republic of Ireland, and are considerably less well documented. This means that many overseas descendants have put two and two together when looking for records and have come up with five, on documents concerning folk with fairly common names such as Gorman and Murray, reflected in the trees they have uploaded which MyHeritage is attempting to posit links (something I have noted replicated in the number of suggested DNA matches on Ancestry via ThruLines). 

The suggested theories do involve genetic matches, but I suspect there will be a bit more work involved there to separate the wheat from the chaff in terms of what is accurate and what is not.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Heading into a second wave

It's not looking particularly great just now with Scotland, the UK, and much of Europe well and truly heading into a second wave of coronavirus infections. Today in Scotland it's been announced that we can no longer visit other households (similar to restrictions also just put in place in Northern Ireland), and it looks like we may have some further measures due soon.

In Dublin, the National Library of Ireland, the National Archives of Ireland and other institutions are also now restricting access again (see Claire Santry's post at https://www.irishgenealogynews.com/2020/09/major-irish-genealogy-repositories-back.html). It's not all doom and gloom though - for example, the NLS has re-opened its Glasgow facility today (see https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/09/national-library-of-scotlands-kelvin.html)

The National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, PRONI and TNA are still currently operating on a restricted access basis, but there is access. And the National Records of Scotland... well no-one really knows what its plans to re-open are just now, but it has been heavily involved in gathering Covid statistics in the last few months, so clearly has a lot on its plate. 

Things may or may not start to close down again, but if they do, hopefully things will improve soon. I'll try to announce any developments as they happen, but if you're in a family history society wanting a plug for some news or events, feel free to drop me a note at chrismpaton@outlook.com.

Don't forget that if you are struggling on any fronts during this pandemic, I have a page with some handy lines that may help, at https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/p/crisis-lines.html.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

National Library of Scotland's Kelvin Hall facility re-opens

The National Library of Scotland (www.nls.uk) has just re-opened its Kelvin Hall facility today in Glasgow, which includes the Moving Image Archive:

We have reopened the National Library at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow.

You can now visit between 10.00-16.00, Tuesdays to Saturdays, to consult digital resources and part of the Moving Image Archive collection.

We have health and safety measures in place, including social distancing, and you must wear a face covering unless you are exempt under Scottish Government guidelines.

For further details visit https://www.nls.uk/using-the-library/kelvin-hall

(Source: https://www.nls.uk/service-disruption)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Cavan Day 2020

From RootsIreland (www.rootsireland.ie):

Cavan Day 2020

The first-ever Cavan Day Saturday, 26th September is fast approaching and already messages are flooding in from all over the globe, with Cavan people and friends of the county from all corners of the globe sending well wishes to the worldwide Cavan family.

'Cavan Day' is an online celebration of Cavan, its people, its heritage, its friends and its global cultural imprint. Taking place in lieu of the planned 'Cavan Calling' festival, which will now take place in 2021, Cavan Day will see Cavan people, their descendants, and those with a fondness for the county, celebrate their connection to Cavan, maybe you can wear the Cavan colours of blue and white, fly the flag, make a short video and take to the world wide web to share messages, photos or treasured memories of what Cavan means to you. To learn more about this exciting day, please click here.

Yours Sincerely
rootsireland.ie 

(With thanks to RootsIreland via email)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

FIBIS offers paperless membership option

From the Families in British India Society (www.fibis.org):

Paperless membership – £12 per year no matter where you live
by Valmay

Here at FIBIS, we understand that many of our members don’t necessarily want hard copies of the FIBIS Journal, so we now offer a paperless option for only £12. You will receive all the same benefits of membership as the regular UK, Europe, and Overseas membership options, but you will not receive hard copies of anything by post. When the FIBIS Journal is published you will download your copy as a PDF from the member’s area of the website. Notification that the Journal is ready for download will be posted on the FIBIS blog and our social media pages.

Find out more and join online (https://www.fibis.org/store/fibis-membership/fibis-membership/)

PLEASE NOTE: Existing members wishing to switch to the paperless membership will need to wait until their current subscription is due for renewal and cancel it before being able to purchase a paperless subscription. 

(With thanks to Valmay Young)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Ancestry rewrites Ireland's history

I don't normally read the region histories in the DNA section of Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk), but for some reason I decided to do so today.

Most of us from Ireland know that identity is definitely an issue that many struggle with in some form or another, and certainly the recent DNA ethnicity (admixture) changes have kept a few of us talking!

But lads - honestly, we might need to talk. You can't just go rewriting the history of Ireland for the craic, you're only going to go and upset someone!

According to Ancestry, this is how Ireland was planted with settlers from Britain - sorry, England:

I'm not going to give the history lesson here. Suffice to say, Ancestry, you might wish to take another look.

And whilst you're at it, it might be worth taking a look at the Scotland bit also. I'm fairly sure we make and drink whisky here - whiskey is very much Ireland's take on it! 

UPDATE: And I've just been alerted to the fact that Merthyr Tydfil in Wales apparently became a Welsh city between 1850 and 1875....! 

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

FindmyPast enhances collection search options

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has enchanced its tool for locating collections of interest:

Finding the record collection you want is now easier than ever. With our new and improved list of all record sets, you can search by topic and filter by location and date range.

You can access this handy feature by selecting 'All record sets' on the Search menu when logged into the site.

For further details, and latest releases, visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/migration-records

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Irish 2021 census postponed until 2022

In mid-July the National Records of Scotland announced that the 2021 Scottish census was to be postponed until 2022, due to the current coronavirus pandemic (see http://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/07/coronavirus-moves-scotlands-next-census.html). Now the Republic of Ireland's Central Statistics Office has announced the same move - the Republic's 2021 census is to move to April 2022.

Here's the full announcement from the CSO:

Statement on the postponement of Census 2021

On the advice of the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the Government has today decided to postpone the 2021 Census to 03 April 2022.

Explaining the decision, Pádraig Dalton, Director General of the CSO said: “The Census of Population is a unique count of everyone present in Ireland on Census night and provides essential information for planning and decision making. It is vital that the Census enables everyone in Ireland to participate so that the information gathered reflects all of our needs and can be used to make decisions that benefit us all.

The decision to postpone the Census scheduled for 18 April 2021 until 03 April 2022 was not taken lightly and was based on a number of factors. Foremost in the decision making, was the need to ensure the safety of the general public and CSO field staff, coupled with the need to deliver a Census that achieves the highest possible response rate, across all facets of Irish society.

Furthermore, the Census of Population is a major logistical operation and COVID-19 restrictions have prevented or delayed many key planning activities from taking place over recent months.”

On consideration of these challenges the Government has decided to postpone the 2021 Census until April 2022 to enable the CSO to undertake a comprehensive, inclusive and safe Census in 2022 which will provide valuable and accurate data for our country in the years ahead.

As things stand, the censuses for Northern Ireland, England and Wales are still scheduled to be undertaken in 2021, but coronaviris may well yet derail that.

(Source: https://www.cso.ie/en/csolatestnews/pressreleases/2020pressreleases/pressstatementpostponementofcensus2021/)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Virtual British Institute - October 12th-14th 2020

I've been hard at work over the last three weeks preparing my talks for the forthcoming Virtual British Institute (https://www.isbgfh.com/Virtual-British-Institute), which will take place from October 12th-14th online. Here's the short description of what to expect:

Due to Covid-19 the 2020 British Institute will be virtual. Each presenter will introduce topics they will cover in 2021, so you can begin your research while at home. Basic through intermediate levels of instruction will be offered in four 'live' presentations with 'live' question and answer time. From the comfort of your home access a full syllabus highlighting relevant record groups. Courses will run consecutively, so take one or all three from Oct. 12 - 14.

We are offering the following courses:

Tracing Your Irish Family History on 12 Oct 2020
Chris Paton

English Research: Fundamentals and Beyond on 13 Oct 2020
Paul Milner (further details at https://www.isbgfh.com/page-18079)

Hidden Treasures in Welsh Family History on 14 Oct 2020
Darris Williams (further details at https://www.isbgfh.com/page-18078)

As can be seen, I'll be kicking off on the Monday with four Irish themed sessions, each at 90 minutes in length, and broken down as follows:

TRACING YOUR IRISH ANCESTORS

CHRIS PATON

Monday, October 12th

1. Church and State: Ireland's vital records
This session will explore how to locate ancestors in Ireland using the civil registration records of births, marriages and deaths from 1845 and 1864 onwards, both online and in Ireland itself, as held at both the GROI in Roscommon and the GRONI in Belfast. It will also examine how to understand and utilize the records, and to appreciate their strengths and limitations.

Chris will then look at the various church denominations in Ireland, how they were structured, and the types of records they kept. He will explore how to locate surviving material, to equally identify what has not survived (and why), and to understand where Protestant and Catholic Ireland occasionally overlapped, with the role of the Church of Ireland as the state church.

Where gaps in such records exist, Chris will further discuss how other sources may be able to provide alternative information to plug those gaps, including resources in Britain.

2. Irish land records
In this session Chris will provide an understanding of the administrative boundaries within which various records were created and gathered in Ireland, look at how to locate places mentioned in records in Ireland, and to understand what those place names might mean.

He will also provide an introductory overview of the key land records available for ancestral research - the surviving censuses and census substitutes, the records of land valuation and taxation (including 19th century tithe applotment book and Griffith's Valuation), the Registry of Deeds, the value of estate records – and of course, how to find them, both online and in the island's many archives.

3. Daily life in Ireland
As well as the basic resources to establish the genealogy of our families, additional record sets exist that document their role and status in society, and often their fate.

In this session Chris will look at additional resources that can place our families in context, including, for example, freeholders lists and absent voters lists, the administration of the poor law and the role of the poorhouse in Ireland, and education records.

He will also look at surviving judicial records and the records of law enforcement, and provide a flavour of what might be out there, by exploring a case study of a 19th century murder which unblocked a genealogical brick wall, and pushed a family narrative back a hundred years to the mid 18th century.

4. The Decade of Centenaries
From 1912-1923 a dramatic transformation occurred in Ireland, culminating with the Partition of the island into the two constitutional territories in existence today. In this session Chris will explore the dramatic events of the period, which are today being commemorated north and south of the island as the 'Decade of Centenaries'.

These include the struggle for Home Rule and the defiance of the Ulster Covenant, workers' rights and the Dublin Lockout of 1913, the Suffragette campaign for the enfranchisement of women, the pause on all fronts created by the First World War, and the subsequent sacrifices made in the British Empire's name. During the turmoil, Ireland experienced its Easter Rising, which led towards a constitutional turning point, with the Conscription crisis, the subsequent War of Independence against British rule, the Partition of Ireland into two administrative territories, and the resultant tragedy of the Irish Civil War.

So yeah, I'm a little busy just now pulling it all together (three down, one to go!), but it should be a lot of fun!

There are still spaces available - for further details, and to sign up, please visit https://www.isbgfh.com/Virtual-British-Institute - and I'll hopefully see you there!

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

The Family History Show Online - 26th September 2020

News of an online event coming soon down south:

The Family History Show, Online returns 26th September 2020

The Family History Show, Online, run by Discover Your Ancestors, returns on Saturday 26th September 2020 in place of the London Family History Show for this year. Building on the huge success of the first online Family History Show in June, where over a thousand attendees enjoyed a great day, the next one is on track to be even better!

Online access means that we are all able to safely enjoy many of the usual features of the physical show from wherever we are in the world, as well as making it possible for those that have disabilities to easily attend.

The Family History Show, Online will, mirroring the format of the very successful live shows, feature an online lecture theatre, the popular ‘Ask the expert’ area – where you can put questions forward to their specialists – as well as over 100 stalls where you can ask for advice as well as buy genealogical products.

Q&A Expert Session

Attendees are invited to submit questions via the website and a selection will be put forward to the panel in a multiuser Zoom session that is streamed on a linked video channel for the show.

Visit stalls and chat

To make this online experience as useful to family historians as attending the physical show would have been, you can “visit” a stall in the virtual exhibition hall. With over 100 present there will be a wide variety of societies and companies.

Built into the website is the ability to talk to some of the stallholders by text, audio or video from the comfort of your own home. With this facility, you can ask them for advice regarding their family history society or discuss their organisation and also purchase from their online stall various downloadable and physical products to help you with your research.

Lectures

In the virtual lecture theatre there will be the chance to watch new talks from the same expert lecturers who would have been at the physical event and are on the ‘Ask the Expert’ panel. These presentations will cover a wide variety of family history topics from DNA to how to find family information in military records. All of these videos are subtitled.

Feedback from the last Family History Show, Online:

“The Exhibitor Hall, with the video chat and Question Feed, and details and links to their products, etc. Your show is a very close, and in some ways better, reproduction of the live event, and I’m looking forward to attending next year’s event.” Scott Barker

“I know the actual shows are great, but for us not able to get there, these online days are ideal. I put aside time to listen and it felt like a 'day away' from the usual routine. Well done and thank you.” Ruth Owen

“I understand there must have been a lot of planning for the event under such tricky circumstances and it was absolutely superb in the end. Thank you very much for a really good day, your experts were helpful and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing their advice and information.” Sue Farley

Thank you so much for a great show. Learnt a lot and the experts were very interesting to listen to. Special thanks to Amelia Bennett. Looking forward to September. Keep safe” Irene Baldock

Tickets to attend the next online Family History Show on 26th September 2020 are available now for just £6.00 each (£8.00 on the day). All ticket holders will also receive a digital Goody Bag worth over £10 on the day.

To find out more about The Family History Show, Online and buy your ticket visit https://thefamilyhistoryshow.com/online/

(Via email)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Ancestry discusses why we are all now a wee bit mair Scottish

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has blogged an interesting article about why so many people are now discovering that they have the best early Christmas present ever, a wee bit more Scottish in them!

You can read about the changes to the updated ethnicity/admixture results on AncestryDNA at https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2020/09/11/why-your-latest-results-could-include-more-scotland-in-your-ethnicity-estimates/.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Paisley Heritage Centre to re-open on appointments only basis

Paisley's Heritage Centre (https://www.renfrewshireleisure.com/heritage-centre/) is to re-open next week, with visits by appointment only:

I am delighted to share with you the news that Renfrewshire’s Heritage Centre in Paisley will reopen from Thursday, September 17th.

We are pleased to be able to announce this latest step in Renfrewshire Leisure’s journey out of lockdown as the charity plays its part in the region’s wider recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

All visits will be by appointment only. Bookings can be arranged from today (September 10th). Details of how to do so are below.

Great work has taken place by the Centre’s vastly experienced team digitally and over the phone since March, but we know you are keen to return to seeing some items from our collection physically to carry out your research.

As you would expect, we have had to put a number of measures in place to ensure the operation of the Centre - temporarily housed at the Abbey Mill Business Centre on Seedhill Road as the transformation of Paisley Museum takes place - to safeguard our staff and visitors, which is our absolute priority.

Full details on the operation of the Centre can be found at www.renfrewshireleisure.com/coronavirus. But, for your immediate information, mitigation measures include:

• An appointment-only entrance system. Bookings, which are in two-hour slots, the first starting at 10am and the last finishing at 4pm, must be arranged by emailing heritage@renfrewshire.gov.uk or by calling 0141 618 5375. Entry will not be granted without proof of prior booking.
• The discussion of research requirements ahead of arrival to ensure we have everything in place for you when you arrive and to maximise your research time on site.
• Specific table use. Tables will be two metres apart. Resources required will be placed on these tables prior to arrival.
• Mandatory use of face coverings, as outlined by the Scottish Government.
• Hand hygiene measures to protect both staff and visitors, as well as the items in the collection.
• The quarantining of resources for 72 hours after each use for your safety.
• Taking your contact details to comply with the Government’s Test and Protect procedures.

Arrangements may, of course, have to be adapted at any time to comply with any change in guidance from the Scottish Government.

My colleagues and I are looking forward to welcoming you back to the Centre in the safest way we can and thank you in advance for your cooperation in adhering to the guidelines we have put in place in the interests of everyone.

Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Heritage Team at the address above.

Kind regards,

Christine McLean
Heritage Manager

(With thanks to Jack Davis)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

FindmyPast adds emigration guides

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added 60 historic guides for prospective emigrants to its site:

Global Immigrant Guides

Were your migrating ancestors enticed by a settlement scheme? This fascinating collection could have the answers. Covering emigration to North America, Australia and beyond, immigrant guides were often used by governments and companies offering incentives to settle in a particular area. They reveal all sorts of advice.

60 different publications from around the world are included in the collection. Use them to add amazing colour and context to your family's migration experiences.

From the collection page itself at https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/global-immigrant-guides:

What can these records tell me?

Immigrant guides were often published companies offering passage, either across an ocean or across land. They were used as promotional materials to encourage settlement where the company made an investment. Governments with settlement schemes, such as Canada and Australia, often also produced these guides. No matter who published it, they can give us a great deal of information about the circumstances in which our ancestors relocated; costs, time spent, necessary supplies to bring, and so forth.

These guides typically will not list immigrants or emigrants by name, but you can utilize them for historical context to understand the motivation for the journey as well as the logistics.

For more on this and other updates, visit https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/global-immigrant-guides.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

We're all Scottish now!

So Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has now rolled out its new DNA ethnicity estimates, and the good news is that we're all Scottish now - at least, as far as Twitter is concerned today, it seems that everybody has had a sudden revelation of Scottishness. Well, you can't beat perfection I suppose...!

This is my new ethnicity estimate, to the left, and my father's beside it:

Overnight I am now a whopping 82% Scottish, 16% Irish, and errrr, 2% French, which is a new one. And by the looks of things, my Belfast born father's lot must have fought at Culloden and Mons Graupius...

Actually, in some ways it does make some sense. In previous estimates I have had my estimate defined as being in a community that straddles the Irish Sea to encompass Lowland Scotland and Ulster, which had a substantial settlement of Scots in the 17th and 18th centuries - and this seems to be further reflected with my association with the 'Scottish Lowlands, Northern England & Northern Ireland' community. And yes, I do have very specific lines from Dublin which are clearly not Ulster Scots or Lowland Scots.

However, the new maps are certainly some craic. 'Ireland' now seems to include the Western Isles and the west coast of Scotland, and the map for 'Scotland' now includes Antrim, Down and the far north of England. Credit where it is due though, France is still in France.

In many ways not a lot has actually changed. All that I have found out in the last 20 years from my research can be interpreted both by this result and the previous version, if we accept that I am now also miraculously 1/50th French and my believed Yorkshire line has now seemingly been quashed by the Jacobites.

As ever folks, enjoy the new results, until they change again.

But do take the Scottish bit seriously - we're all Jock Tamson's bairns....!
 
Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Dumfries and Galloway FHS adds Graveyard Locations page

From Dumfries and Galloway Family History Society (https://dgfhs.org.uk):

WEBSITE UPDATE

We have added Locations of Dumfries and Galloway’s 237 Graveyards on a new Graveyard Locations page under our Resources Menu.

In May 2020, we launched our New Online Shop and we would like to thank everyone for supporting this addition to our Society. To access the Shop select SHOP ONLINE from the top menu. All our books are now available and new books will be added as they become available.

We have recently added another 24 of our older Newsletters. There are some really interesting articles and family stories so if you haven't considered checking out newsletters issued before you joined, please do so. You can search the contents for places and names in our Newsletter Index.

(With thanks to the society via email)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Irish Newspaper Archives updates Belfast Newsletter coverage

The Irish Newspapers Archive (www.irishnewsarchive.com) has updated its Belfast Newsletter collection

The World's oldest and largest Irish Newspaper Archives continues to grow. We have updated the archive with the following new content:

Belfast Newsletter 1909, 312 editions, 3,571 pages
Belfast Newsletter 2008, 311 editions, 25,l585 pages

The coverage now available for the Belfast Newsletter is 1738-1949, 2006-2008, & 2013 - Current.

(With thanks to Andrew Martin)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Next Scottish Indexes virtual conference on October 10th

The next virtual conference to be run by Scottish Indexes (www.scottishindexes.com), its sixth, will be held on Saturday, October 10th 2020. 

Amongst the speakers at this event will be Dr. Irene O'Brien, Michelle Leonard, and yours truly, who will be giving a talk on Scottish marriage records (please note I will not be giving marriage guidance advice, and that I may still be having small adjustment issues to having just turned 50 by that point!)

For further details on additional speakers, talks details and event timings, keep an eye out on the Scottish Indexes website.

Hopefully see you there!

Chris  

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Ancestry to update ethnicity estimates

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) will be updating its ethnicity estimates again shortly within the next few weeks:

Our most precise breakdown yet.

In each update, we continue to add new regions, making your results even more precise.

More people tested means stronger confidence.

Our existing DNA reference panel was already impressive, but this new update includes even more DNA samples. With over 40,000 samples in our reference panel, this allows us an even better understanding of genetic signatures around the world for a more detailed picture of where you came from.
See more detail across the globe.

Our larger panel allows us to better distinguish between adjacent regions—like Australia and New Zealand—as well as break down larger regions, like East Asia and the Americas, into more detail.

There's a wee vid also (see https://youtu.be/b5BZPEfOmXQ):

The full announcement at https://www.ancestry.co.uk/dna/lp/ancestry-dna-ethnicity-estimate-update includes maps showcasing likely areas affected, with before and after regions coverage outlined (Australia and New Zealand in particular), and is accompanied by various FAQs.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

FindmyPast adds private messaging facility

From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk), news of the site's new messaging facility:

Private Messaging

An exciting new way to make connections is now live. With Private Messaging, you can contact other Findmypast members via tree-to-tree hints and start a conversation about your shared past.
Private Messaging on Findmypast

When you receive a tree-to-tree hint, you can send a message request to its owner to chat about common ancestors.

To initiate contact with someone through Private Messaging, you need to be on a Starter, Plus or Pro subscription or free trial on findmypast.co.uk.

Message other Findmypast members

When you receive a message, you'll see a small envelope when logged into the site. We'll also send you an email.

It's a way to reach out to fellow Findmypast members and talk family trees. Who knows, you may even make connections with new relatives?

For more details, along with information on new American passenger records on the site, visit FindmyPast's blog at www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/passenger-lists

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

Second Family Tree Academy Conference in mid-September

From Family Tree magazine:

Join us for the second Family Tree Academy Conference, in association with FamilySearch
14-17 September 2020

Set to take place over four days, with many of the sessions beginning in the morning (don't worry if you're in a different timezone, many of the presentations will be available to view online via the Family Tree website), topics to be covered include:

- Dive into the records and resources on FamilySearch
- Behind the scenes at Granite Mountain
- Plus three exclusive expert webinars:

Tuesday 15th September at 11.30am: Working with DNA for family history with Michelle Leonard
Wednesday 16th September at 11.30am: Setting up and keeping organised family history files with Jackie Depelle
Thursday 17th September at 11.30am: Dating and understanding Victorian family photos with Jayne Shrimpton

Helen Tovey, editor for Family Tree "We’re really looking forward to the second Family Tree Academy conference. We’d love you to join us for the free video presentations as we discover ways to dig deeper into our family history, in particular finding out more about the many ways the FamilySearch website can help us trace records and build out our trees further."

For further details
All conference details can be found here: http://familytr.ee/Sepconf
Helen Tovey, Editor of Family Tree magazine on helen.t@family-tree.co.uk

(With thanks to Lauren Freeman)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.

TheGenealogist doubles the number of English Tithe Maps

Having brought news from Northern Ireland on tithes records, it seems only fair to bring some from England also! From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

TheGenealogist Doubles the number of Tithe Maps on Map Explorer™

See Ancestors’ land or property recorded on georeferenced Tithe Maps

TheGenealogist’s Map Explorer™ which can help researchers find an ancestor’s land and view how the landscape changed over time has been augmented by the addition of georeferenced Tithe Maps for Cheshire, Dorset, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Staffordshire and Yorkshire West Riding.

Total number of maps in this release is 3,655
Total number of Tithe maps in Map Explorer™ is now 6,972
Map Explorer™ has over four million viewable records indicated by Map Pins
TheGenealogist’s Map Explorer™ displays maps for historical periods up to the modern day.


Corfe Castle mapped over the years

Map Explorer™ now features various colour and black and white Tithe maps as well as modern map base layers and historical maps which are all georeferenced to allow the user the ability to see how places change over the years. Map Explorer™ is a useful tool for browsing an ancestor’s area to find other plots that they owned or occupied, while TheGenealogist’s Master Search can be used to look for ancestors’ plots across the tithe records and then view them on Map Explorer™.

The addition to Map Explorer™ this week of the black and white tithe maps for Cheshire, Dorset, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Staffordshire and Yorkshire West Riding linked to the apportionment books will enable researchers to discover ancestors who both owned or occupied property between 1837 and the 1850s, with some additional altered apportionments in later years when property was sold or divided. The records allow TheGenealogist’s Diamond subscribers to find details of the plots, the owners of the land, as well as the occupiers at the time of the survey while also identifying the actual plots on the maps. Tithes usefully record all levels of society from large estate owners to occupiers of small plots such as a homestead or a cottage.

Map Explorer™ now features colour tithe maps for the counties of Buckinghamshire, Cumberland, Essex, Huntingdonshire, Middlesex, Northumberland, Rutland, Surrey, Westmorland, the City of York as well as North and East Ridings of Yorkshire plus black and white maps for Berkshire, Cambridge, Cheshire, Dorset, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire and Yorkshire West Riding.

See our article: Tithe Maps on Map Explorer reveal more about the place ancestors lived and worked
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2020/tithe-records-on-the-map-explorer-reveal-more-about-the-places-our-ancestors-lived-and-worked-1302/

Find out more at TheGenealogist.co.uk/maps/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course starts August 31st - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is now out, also available 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.