Scottish GENES: April 2022

Saturday, 30 April 2022

The Frontline Walk: The Normandy Beaches charity walk

This may be of interest for those with an interest in military history or military family history:

This autumn, take a unique opportunity to walk 100km in the footsteps of those who fought in the Normandy Landings of World War Two whilst supporting the soldiers and veterans of today.

‘The Frontline Walk: The Normandy Beaches’ follows the coastline stormed as part of Operation Overlord during the D-Day landings of the Second World War.

Passing historic landmarks such as Pegasus Bridge, Brécourt Manor and the infamous Omaha, Gold, Utah, Sword and Juno beaches, before finishing at the stunning British Normandy Memorial, it is a once in a lifetime experience.

The details:

-       When: 5-9th October 2022
-       Where: Normandy, France
-       Registration fee: £150   Fundraising target: £1,250pp (£600 due by 31st July 2022)

What's included:

Return transport from London
All transfers whilst on the trip
Accommodation throughout on a twin room ensuite basis (single rooms available at an additional cost)
All meals and snacks, except breakfast on day 1 and lunch on day 5
Trip historian
Experienced tour guides and support crew, including medical support
A full bespoke training guide
Discounts on equipment from Cotswold Outdoor
Frontline Walk t-shirt and finishers medal
Charity point of contact with regular newsletters and comms until the event

For further details please visit https://events.soldierscharity.org/event/frontlinewalk-normandybeaches

NB: This is not an event I am connected with - for any queries, please contact ABF The Soldiers Charity.

(With thanks to Amy Kenyon via LinkedIn)

Chris

My new book Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records is now available to buy at https://bit.ly/IrishLandRecords. Also available - 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. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Friday, 29 April 2022

Updated - Northern Irish tithe records available again on PRONI website

Just a quick heads up that for the last two days I have been having problems in accessing Northern Irish tithe applotment books via the eCatalogue on the PRONI website (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/search-pronis-ecatalogue). One of my Pharos students has also commented that he is unable to gain access. I have contacted the archive, hopefully they will be accessible again soon. I have also checked the ED/1 National Education Commisioners Grant Aid Application records, and am having the same problem.

In the meantime, some of the northern tithe applotment records have been indexed online at Ancestry's Ireland, Tithe Applotment Books, 1805-1837 collection, although this is incomplete and only provides names, townlands, parishes and counties of residence, with no information on the extent of the land held, valuation or tithe payment due.

UPDATE 3 May: The records are now accessible once again, A big thanks to PRONI for resolving this so quickly after the Bank Holiday weekend.

Chris

Thursday, 28 April 2022

Scotland 2022 census deadline extended until May 31st

As noted on this blog yesterday (27 APR), the Scottish 2022 census still has an astonishing number of schedules to be filled in online or sent through in paper format in time for the deadline of Sunday May 1st (see http://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2022/04/700000-scottish-2022-censuses-still-to.html).

It's just not going to happen - and as a consequence, the deadline has now been extended for a month until May 31st 2022.

For details of the update, please visit the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/news/extension-to-scotlands-census/.

Chris

Conference - The Future of Genealogy: Young Genealogists at the Helm

From the Society of Genealogists (www.sog.org.uk) in England, news of a forthcoming conference:

The Future of Genealogy: Young Genealogists at the Helm

Saturday 7 May 2022 8am - 8:15pm (BST)

The Society of Genealogists, in collaboration with The Family History Federation, is looking forward to hosting this exciting online Zoom event on the 7th of May.

The conference provides a platform for genealogists under 35 to come together, exchange ideas and support each other. This is an international event to connect young people from around the world and help shape the future of the genealogy community. Youth-led, sessions will include a facilitated safe space to discuss what young people want from the community and family history societies, with a range of presentations, panels and discussions.

This event will be led by our young genealogists but is open to all to attend. If you are a genealogy society officer or programme secretary or educator looking to engage young family historians then this is the conference to learn about their expectations and interests.

The conference programme includes ten diverse sessions from young genealogist influencers and historians who will look at sources, resources and the world of genealogy from their perspective. Talks will include (amongst others) - The Effects of DNA Testing Results on Biological and Family Identities; Building a Bridge between Generations; Using Family History to Comprehend the Roots of Climate Crisis: Reflections on Personal Experience.

Representatives from commercial organisations including Ancestry, Findmypast and My Heritage as well the Society of Genealogists and Family History Federation will take form an industry panel from leading genealogy organisations and young family historians to discuss the issues, answer questions and hear the insights and concerns of young family historians. A PDF copy of the programme is attached and online line here Layout 1 (prismic-io.s3.amazonaws.com)

Cost is £1.50 which covers your registration fee. Everyone is welcome, come for all or part of the day Bookings can be made Conference: The Future of Genealogy – Young Genealogists at the Helm - Society of Genealogists (arlo.co)

Door prizes and prize draw donations for attendees include:

· TWO free annual memberships from Society for One-Place Studies

· One £20 voucher to be spent with Devon FHS (either on membership, attending an event or publications)

· TWO FREE COURSES (for any course, without assessment) from Pharos Tutors

Other offers and discounts available to attendees include:

· 20% off your first year of Society of Genealogists’ membership

· 60% discount from MyHeritage for first-time users

(With thanks to Else Churchill)

Chris

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

RootsIreland adds Galway emigrant and loan records

From RootsIreland (www.rootsireland.ie) via email:

We are delighted to announce the uploading of 4524 new Galway census substitutes to our database at Roots Ireland. They are as follows:

GALWAY EMIGRANT INDEX 1829-1866 (2746 records)

This list, compiled by Peter Madden of Newcastle, Australia, documents the immigration of people from Galway to New South Wales and Queensland between 1829 and 1866.

PRODUCTIVE LOAN INDEX (1778 records)

The Irish Reproductive Loan Fund was scheme set up in 1824 to provide small loans to people who were termed the 'industrious poor'. The records generally run from 1836-48 and are available for the following associations in County Galway: Ahascragh, Ballygar, Castle Hackett, Clifden, Kilconickny, Outerard and Galway Town.

Chris

The Family Histories Podcast returns for a third series

The Family Histories Podcast (https://familyhistoriespodcast.com) is coming back for a third series run, with various genies interviewed by Andrew Martin, and with a great range of topics and stories.

The series kicks off on May 3rd, with Denise Geelhart, and I'm delighted to say that I'll be popping up in the second edition on May 10th. The following is the schedule for the full run:

May 3rd: ’The Benefactor’ with Denise Geelhart
May 10th: ’The Trapped’ with Chris Paton
May 17th: ’The Emigrant’ with Helen Parker-Drabble
May 24th: ’The Defiant’ with David Mendoza
May 31st: ’The Priest’ with Jill Ball
June 7th: ’The Matriarch’ with Yetunde Abiola
June 14th: ’The Forgotten’ with Sheldon K. Goodman

I'm looking forward to hearing some amazing tales!

(With thanks to Andrew Martin)

Chris

Monday, 25 April 2022

700,000 Scottish 2022 censuses still to be returned

The National Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk) has announced that 700,000 householders in Scotland have yet to complete the 2022 Scottish Census, with just a week to go for the offical deadline of May 1st.

The archive has also outlined the return rate for each local authority so far, with Aberdeenshire having the highest return rate at 82%, and with Glasgow at an astonishingly low 65.5%, less than two thirds. Here in North Ayrshore, the return rate is currently 72.4%. Failure to return the census could see a fine of £1000 imposed.

More importantly, in a century's time the descendants of those who have not bothered are going to be more than miffed - but I'm guessing (hoping, praying!) that readers of this blog get it, and have already done so!

For the full story, visit https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2022/call-for-census-completion-as-local-response-rates-are-published.

To fill in the census visit www.census.gov.scot.

Chris

Claim a free issue of Family Tree magazine

From Family Tree magazine (www.family-tree.co.uk):

Family Tree offer genealogists a free issue of the popular magazine

· Members of the public can now claim a free issue of Family Tree magazine
· The full, digital version of the magazine is available when you sign up to the FT newsletter
· Family Tree’s popular newsletter features genealogy tips, news, articles, offers and more
· The April 2022 issue of the magazine, being offered for free, is usually priced £5.50

The Family Tree team are giving everyone the chance to sample the hugely popular magazine for free as part of a new drive to promote the hobby and get more people researching their family history.

Simply sign up to the email at: www.family-tree.co.uk/account/register

Members of the public with an interest in family history are being encouraged to sign up to the free Family Tree newsletter, which is emailed to thousands of enthusiasts every week. Once they sign up they will immediately receive access to the full April 2022 issue, as a digital ‘page-turner’ edition.

Editor Helen Tovey said: “We want everyone to sample our wonderful magazine and this seemed like a great way to get people involved and for them to find out more about family history. We’re so proud of our monthly mag, it’s been going since 1984 and is packed with information and inspiration, and we also love putting together our weekly newsletter. Family history is all about sharing and so we’d thought we’d give something back!”

Highlights of the April issue include:

· Determining the origin of surnames
· How your ancestors' birth dates can hold the key to the past
· How to use kirk session records
· The lives and working conditions of tailors, dressmakers & seamstresses

Family Tree is published every month by Warners Group Publications. Find out more at www.family-tree.co.uk

(With thanks to Matthew Hill)

Chris

Thursday, 21 April 2022

Buy Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records - free delivery worldwide

I have just noticed that my latest book, Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, can be bought via the Book Depository at https://www.bookdepository.com/Tracing-Your.../9781526780218 for £11.82 with FREE worldwide delivery. (You will also find many of my other titles there with a similar offer)

If you're based in Ireland, Northern Ireland or beyond, that could save you a small fortune in postage when buying it from the publisher direct in Britain! (Post-Brexit customs charges are unfortunately incredibly high from the UK; the publisher itself charges £12.50 for delivery internationally for up to 2 books, which can be very expensive if only seeking to buy one book)

There are now 26 reviews of the book on the publisher's site, as well as further info on the book, at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Ancestors-Through-Land-Records-Paperback/p/19283.

Thanks to all who have purchased it so far, I am glad it seems to be hitting the mark!

Chris

Ancestry adds Edinburgh army attestation records 1796-1857

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added a new Scottish military collection, sourced from Edinburgh City Archives (www.edinburgh.gov.uk/archives/edinburgh-city-archives-1/3):

About Edinburgh, Scotland, Army Attestation Registers, 1796-1857
www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62349/
Source: SL54 Army Attestation Registers 1796-1857. Edinburgh City Archives, Edinburgh, Scotland.

This collection contains attestation records from Edinburgh, Scotland for recruits into the army between 1796 and 1857 and all records are handwritten in English. Attestation records are created when a new recruit swears to serve in the military.

Records in the collection may include the following information:

Person's name
Attestation date
Attestation age
County of residence
Parish of residence
Regiment
Occupation (labeled "designation")
Physical description
Name of recruiter
Name of magistrate witnessing the attestation

Note that whilst the records are sourced from Edinburgh City Archives, people could have attested for service in the capital from anywhere in Scotland.

Chris

Half-price access to the English and Welsh 1921 census this weekend

The National Archives at Kew, England (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) has announced that FindmyPast is offering a fifty per cent discount on records in the 1921 English and Welsh census from Friday 22 April at 10:00 BST until Monday 25 April at 23:59 BST.

From the TNA email:

The 50% off discount is automatically applied at checkout, with no code required. No subscription is needed to take advantage of the offer. 12-month Pro subscribers who already benefit from 10% off 1921 Census purchases will automatically have their discount increased to 50% for the offer period. The offer applies only to 1921 Census image and transcript purchases.

To search the records on FindmyPast visit www.findmypast.co.uk/1921-census

Chris

MyHeritage offers free records access for Anzac Day

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

To make Anzac Day even more meaningful, MyHeritage is pleased to offer free access to our collections of 95 million records from Australia and New Zealand, between 20 April and 26 April 2022 (inclusive).

MyHeritage can help you discover and preserve the stories of your Australian and New Zealander relatives who fought for freedom, or any of your relatives from the region – so seize this excellent research opportunity when the records are free of charge.

MyHeritage is home to several important historical record collections from Australia and New Zealand, including a number of military collections such as the Anzac Memorial records, the Australian World War II Nominal Roll, 1939–1945, and more. Additional records, such as vital records, newspapers, and government records can help fill in more details to paint a full picture of your relatives’ lives.

For further details, visit the MyHeritage blog post at https://blog.myheritage.com/2022/04/anzac-day-free-access-to-all-australia-new-zealand-records.

Records are freely available until April 26th.

Chris

Tuesday, 19 April 2022

Back from Ireland - re-energised!

I got back from Ireland last night after a week away. It was my first time on the island since my last visit to PRONI in Belfast pre-pandemic in February 2020, my first time in the republic since my niece's wedding in 2018, and incredibly, my first in my wife's home village of Piltown since 2016. The occasion for the visit this week was my mother-in-law's 90th birthday, and a good time was had by all!

On my long list of things still to do in my life, I finally managed to get up to Clonmel in Co. Tipperary for a dander - I've driven through it so many times, it is also where my wife was born, and I was determined this time to properly explore! Clonmel is an extraordinary town just oozing with heritage and history, and a place I know I'll certainly be returning to in the future for a more in depth exploration.

I also managed to spend some time looking for an old farmhouse which used to be in my wife's family in the mid-19th century, and was delighted to find it, although I now need to examine several resources to try to determine if the building on site is the original, or a later replacement. (The kind of thing that genies love to have fun with!)

But more importantly, this visit for me has drawn a line under an extraordinary few years on a few fronts, not least of which was the Covid pandemic - Covid is still with us, and will be treated with the same respect and caution towards a worthy enemy that it deserves (it took my father), but just being able to get back into a plane once again, to meet up with family and to explore, was a very liberating experience, both physically and mentally. Absolutely next on my list is a visit back home to Belfast, hopefully in the next month or two, and with any luck, a visit later this year to Orkney (my 50th birthday present from 18 months ago, still to be enjoyed!).

So now I am back in Scotland and ready to get stuck in again! As well as my regular client work and writing routine for UK magazines, including a new column for Computeractive magazine, I am currently working on my next book on researching Belfast ancestry, which will be followed by the development of a couple of new courses for Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Limited (one on Ireland, another on Scotland). I also intend to start a new series of short videos in the next few months via my YouTube channel, and I am delighted to say that I am also now currently updating some previously published content for Australian based Unlock the Past - I will announce more on both in due course. I also have several talks lined up this year, details of which are at https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/p/talks.html.

Another project I am delighted to be continuing with is the editing of the monthly eNews for the Association of Professional Genealogists (www.apgen.org), having resurrected it on a voluntary basis at the start of the year, after a hiatus in its publication of several months. I had originally agreed to do so for six months, until an editor could be found, but having enjoyed the experience so much, I ended up applying for the position myself. Long before I worked in the television and genealogy industries I actually trained for two years at the University of Ulster to be a graphic designer, so it's been a lot of fun falling back onto some long ago acquired skills and combining them with some current ones!

And just for the craic, in amongst all of that, I am also hoping to move again later this year, closer to Glasgow - so you know, fun and games! Onwards and upwards - and time to enjoy the craic again.

Here's a couple of pics of Glasgow as I got in last night...

Chris

APG appoints eNews Editor and Advertising Manager

So a wee development at this end...

The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) is pleased to announce having contracted with Chris Paton of Scotland to edit their monthly eNews and with Theresa McVean of Ontario, Canada, as advertising sales manager.

Chris Paton has spent three decades in communication industries, including twelve years as a television documentary maker in England and Scotland both with the BBC and Scottish Television. Originally from Northern Ireland, Chris has been a professional genealogist in Scotland since 2006. In December 2021 he volunteered to edit the eNews, allowing APG to resurrect this important communication tool.

Theresa McVean is a professional genealogist and co-founder of Ancestree Detectives. She is active in APG as chair of the Ontario Chapter and a volunteer on the marketing committee. She is also a marketing consultant with experience as director of advertising sales at Canadian media companies, as well as having been senior account manager in advertising sales at The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper.

“We are very excited to welcome Chris and Theresa to our team of contractors. The eNews is our primary tool for communication to our members,” said Annette Burke Lyttle, APG president. “Chris has been doing a great job as interim editor, and we’re happy to have him continue. Theresa’s professional background in advertising sales will be a huge asset to the association.”

Comment : I've had a lot of fun putting together the APG's newsletter in the last four months, and look forward to continuing to work with colleagues internationally to help share news that benefits us all in our professional work as genealogists.

Chris

Updated list of my family history themed talks

Just a quick note to say that the following is my updated list of available talks on Scottish, Irish and UK topics, for any societies that may be interested! I've gathered them here by region/topic, a couple of talks fit into more than one (you'll always find an up to date guide at my APG profile listing at https://www.apgen.org/users/chris-paton):

Scotland
1) The Godly Commonwealth - Discover Scottish Church Records
2) Scottish Kirk Session Records
3) Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records
4) Instantly Buckled for Life - Scottish Marriage Records
5) Discover Scottish Land Records
6) Discover Scottish Family History
7) Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis
8) Scottish Burgh and Trade Incorporation Records
9) Scottish Research Resources Before 1800
10) Understanding Scottish Inheritance Records
11) There's Been a Murder - The Mount Stewart Murder of 1866
12) The Weavers of Perth
13) Tracing the Irish in Scotland
14) Finding Ancestors with Scottish Censuses
15) Scottish Church and State Records
16) British and Irish Newspapers

Ireland / Northern Ireland
1) Irish Family History Resources Online
2) Discover Irish Land Records
3) A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy
4) A Decade of Remembrance: Researching Ireland 1912-1923
5) An Irish Farm History
6) Using the internet and PRONI for Northern Irish research
7) Tracing the Irish in Scotland
8) British and Irish Newspapers
9) Civil Registration in the British Isles
10) What is Ireland? Understanding the Lay of the Land
11) Discover Ireland's Vital Records
12) Researching Irish Occupations
13) Records of Daily Life in Ireland
14) Finding the Irish in British Records
13) Tracing the Irish in Scotland

UK / General
1) A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy
2) British Censuses and Substitutes
3) British Civilian POWs in the First World War
4) Genealogy Without Borders
5) Writing Family History Articles
6) Sharing Your Family History Online

As always, I am happy to talk live, pre-recorded, online or in person, locally or internationally - further details upon request!

Chris

Friday, 15 April 2022

FindmyPast adds more Glasgow Catholic records

FindmyPast has added Roman Catholic baptism and marriage records for Glasgow's St. Mary's Church of the Assumption.

For further details visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/scottish-roman-catholic

Chris

Thursday, 14 April 2022

TheGenealogist adds OBEs and historic Irish visitation records

TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk) has added the following collection, with some useful Scottish and Irish content included:

Peerage, Gentry, Royalty and Visitations records released

Family historians with an aristocratic ancestor in their family tree will be pleased to hear that TheGenealogist has just significantly boosted the number of records in its Peerage, Gentry and Royalty collection.

Heraldic visitations, one of the records to be included in this release, were tours of inspection undertaken by Kings of Arms throughout England, Wales and Ireland. Their purpose was to register and regulate the coats of arms of nobility, gentry and boroughs, and to record pedigrees. A number of later books, while they can not precisely be described as Heralds Visitations, provide similar information and can likewise help the researcher to populate their family tree back through the ages and are also in this record release.

This latest release covers the following searchable book records:

Armorial Families, Arms Authorized by The Laws of Heraldry 1863, Boyle’s court guide 1888, Burke’s Handbook to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire 1921, Burke’s Landed Gentry Volume 1886, Debretts House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1887, Encyclopedia of Heraldry or General Armory of England Scotland and Ireland 1844, Genealogica Bedfordienses Landed Gentry of Bedfordshire 1538-1700, Grantees of Arms to The End of The XVII Century, Herefordshire Visitation Of 1569, His Majesty the King 1910-1935, Imperial British Calendar 1823, Index Nominum to the Royalist Composition Papers, Kelly’s Handbook To The Titled Landed and Official Classes 1909, Landed Gentry of Bedfordshire 1538-1700, Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica - Third Series Vol IIIV, Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica - Third Series Vol IV, Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica Fourth Series Vol II 1908, Nottingham Visitation 1569 and 1614, Short View of the Peerage of Ireland 1759, Standing Council of the Baronetage Official Roll of the Baronets 1929, Suffolk Visitations of 1561 1577 1612, Sussex Visitations 1530 and 1633-4, The Pedigree Register for London 1907-1915, The Peerage of Ireland 1754, The Royal Kalendar 1786, The Royal Kalendar 1788, The Royal Kalendar 1796, The Royal Kalendar 1804, The Royal Kalendar 1820, Webster’s Royal Red Book Court and Fashionable Register January 1915, Worcestershire Visitation 1569

Read TheGenealogist’s article: The Castle Ruin and its connection to the Australian ‘King’

https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2022/the-castle-ruin-and-its-connection-to-the-australian-king-1530/

Comment: I suspect the most useful part of this from a Scottish perspective will be the publication from 1921 on the Order of the British Empire awards, with thousands of folk recognised in the UK's civil honours list in the years immediately following the First World War - I've previously had to consult this book at Glasgow University, so it's great to see it online.

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

Glasgow Genealogy Centre set to re-open in May

Some good news from Glasgow, as the Registrar Service's Genealogy Centre in the Mitchell Library is set to re-open next month:

We are happy to announce the re-opening of our Family History centre based within the Mitchell Library.

The centre will open Monday and Tuesday only from 9th May 2022. We will also be open one Saturday per month from 2 July 2022, with the exception of Public Holidays (2 July, 6 August & 3 September).

Our booking diary will re-open on Monday 11 April. Spaces will be by strict appointment only and bookings can be made by calling 0141 287 7655. Saturday booking information is available below.

Please note we are receiving an exceptionally high volume of emails at this time so it is advisable to book by phone and please also refer to the information on this page for details about our service.

Glasgow City Council now operates a cashless system. Payment on the day can be made by Debit or Credit card only. Apple pay is also available.

We look forward to welcoming back all of our regular and new visitors to the centre and thank you for your continued patience and support.

(Original announcement at https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=17698- with thanks to Jack Davis)

Chris

Sir Tom Devine accuses NRS of managerial ineptitude

There has been a fairly outspoken attack against our national archive by prominent historian Sir Tom Devine, who has accused the National Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk) of "managerial ineptitude" over its access restrictions for months, and expressed concerns about documents going mouldy. For the full story visit www.thetimes.co.uk/article/staff-at-national-records-of-scotland-fear-trouble-with-mould-s8pswf66v?fbclid=IwAR16NSUFP9cJSkUJRlP9Ox3uMJWG0dU9ALLwm7v-aDEhXY2fMMbEE_ijdgc

Recently I also blogged the news of the Information Commissioner's less than impressed opinion of the NRS's restrictions during the pandemic - see https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-nrs-was-wrong-to-deny-access-to.html

The rest of the UK's national archives, PRONI in Belfast and TNA near London, have had a fairly honourable pandemic, with exceptional service provision in challenging times. Scotland deserves better.

Chris

Wednesday, 13 April 2022

Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers course starts May 9th

The next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers course from Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd commences on May 9th 2022. Here is a taste of what to expect:

Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers

This is an intermediate level course in Scottish family history for those who are going back beyond 1850. You should have some experience with research in the Old Parochial Registers (OPRs) of the Church of Scotland and in using major websites for Scottish research.

This course discusses sources that fill the gap when the OPRs are uninformative or missing; for example, records of parish and town administration, occupations, land transfer and taxation. Using these records involves several different locations. You will learn how to check online finding aids and how to find the most effective way to obtain records that may be available online or offline.

This is the second course on Scottish research. If you have not previously taken the Scottish Research Online course please check its description.

Lesson Headings:

* Kirk Sessions records and parish poor
* Burgh records and town poor
* Occupations, taxation and early lists
* Land transfer and the value of sasines
* Land, inheritance and estates

Each lesson includes exercises and activities; a minimum of 1 one-hour chat session per week. (See How the Courses Work at https://www.pharostutors.com/howcourseswork.php.)

Relevant Countries: Scotland
Course Length: 5 Weeks
Start Date: 9 May 2022
Cost: £58

Student feedback from the most recent run of the course in Noivember 2021:

"The exercises helped you to explore new lesson concepts right away. Especially by directing students to apply new research aids to their own work."

"Very clear explanations of terminology and legal processes Really helpful exercises and comprenesive list of useful catalogues and other references Chat sessions very helpful and engaging."

"This being the second genealogy course I have taken, and the second with Pharos, I found these were detailed foundation courses which will permit me to search better and with less effort in my future research work."

"Great subject-matter and excellent tutor/written materials. It could not have been better."

The following video also gives a bit more of a flavour about what to expect:

(Available also at https://youtu.be/1vX6GZtwZJ0)

For further details, and to sign up, please visit https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302.

I'll hopefully see you online soon!

Chris

Monday, 11 April 2022

FamilySearch Family History Library in Utah appoints new director

From FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org):

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, 11 April 2022—FamilySearch announced that Lynn Turner is the new director of the FamilySearch Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. He replaces David E. Rencher, who will continue as FamilySearch’s Chief Genealogical Officer. Turner was previously the assistant director of the Family History Library (FHL). He’s an Accredited Genealogist (AG®) in Spanish research. He will assume his new responsibilities immediately.

In 2004, Turner received his Bachelor of Arts in Genealogy and Family History from Brigham Young University and began his career at FamilySearch. As an intern, he began merging technology with genealogy, testing the scanning software being developed to digitize FamilySearch’s 2.4 million rolls of microfilms (See “FamilySearch Completes Digitization of Massive Microfilm Collection”). Shortly after his internship, Turner worked in FamilySearch Research Support, where he oversaw all outside correspondence for Spain and Latin America for the Family History Library. It was during this time that he and others began to develop the foundation of the FamilySearch Wiki, a rich genealogical resource guide online with other 100,000 articles.

Turner said it has been a privilege to work under Rencher’s tutelage for 3 years, and he’s excited to direct the library’s operations during these fascinating times of change in the family history industry. As the Assistant Director of the Family History Library, Turner managed new updates to patron workstations and customer service experiences—like the launch of free online genealogy consultations and new web pages for the library. He worked with FamilySearch software engineers to develop systems and processes to streamline microfilm scanning, third party keying, and the publication of millions of images and indexed records online. He also worked extensively with co-workers in Latin America and Spain to increase access to more records in these areas.

David Rencher Continues as FamilySearch Chief Genealogical Officer

“Lynn has been incredibly prepared to assume this role, both as a manager and as a genealogist,” said David E. Rencher, FamilySearch chief genealogical officer (CGO), and the previous library director. “I have the utmost confidence that the Family History Library is in great hands—a terrific management team with a very dedicated staff and service missionaries looking for opportunities to exercise all of the quality standards for our guests.”

Rencher was the library’s director from 1999–2002, and 2018–2022. When asked about passing on his role as the library’s director to Turner and focusing more on his CGO commitments, Rencher said, “Personally, it has been very gratifying at this stage of my career to have had the opportunity to oversee the changes in the guest experience and the upgrades to the library facilities. Who knew that we would be able to make such incredible improvements during the closure of the facility—something that would have taken much longer otherwise.” Rencher is excited to spend more time in his role as FamilySearch CGO with special projects like the 1950 US Census and working with genealogical societies.

Future Plans for the FamilySearch Family History Library

Looking to the future, Turner said the library team will continue to focus on making resources more available globally through technology. “We are now sharing knowledge and support virtually, making more and more books available online through the digital library. We will also continue to leverage technology to enhance our in-person experience. As the field of genealogy shifts, we will adapt to help people discover, gather, and connect with their ancestors,” said Turner.

The Family History Library serves hundreds of thousands of patrons per year from all over the world. Millions more frequent the 5,000+ family history centers worldwide or do online research daily at FamilySearch.org.

(Original release at https://www.familysearch.org/en/newsroom/lynn-turner-director-family-history-library)

Chris

Friday, 8 April 2022

Ireland's Landed Estates website comes back in from the cold

A big thanks to Claire Santry for blogging that the Landed Estates database from NUI Galway is back up and running, after an absence of several months.

The site, available at www.landedestates.ie, documents the ownership of estates in the provinces of Munster and Connacht from 1700-1914, and can be searched by the names of families, houses, estates, or via an interactive map. It's a valuable site, and its return is definitely welcome!

(With thanks to Claire Santry; https://www.irishgenealogynews.com/2022/04/irelands-free-landedestates-database-is.html)

Chris

The Decade of Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923 talk

I gave a talk last night to the Guild of One-Name Studies (https://one-name.org) on the topic of The Decade of Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923. The session looked at the tumultuos period in which Ireland's constitutional argument with the UK ended up with the partition of the island and a full blown civil war, but in which other struggles were also happening, including that of the Suffragettes, the rights of workers to unionise, and of course, the First World War.

The session was recorded by the society and is freely available online at https://one-name.org/the-decade-of-centenaries-researching-ireland-1912-1923-webinar-with-chris-paton/ until May 8th (or click on the image below to be taken directly there).

If you want to know more about the period, there is a dedicated chapter on the topic in my book Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd edition), available from Pen and Sword at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483 (if seeking to buy it from Ireland, postage is cheaper if bought from Books Ireland at https://www.booksireland.org.uk/store/books/tracing-your-irish-family-history-on-the-internet-second-edition)

Chris

FindmyPast adds Quaker deaths from 1810-1918

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added 27,000 Quaker death records from the Friends Historical Library Dublin, many of the records providing detailed obituaries and biographies.

For further details visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/dorset-quakers.

Chris

Thursday, 7 April 2022

Ancestry and MyHeritage launch indexes for the Wyoming and Delaware 1950 census

Last week saw the release of the 1950 United States of America federal census, causing lots of excitement over the water! The census was released by NARA at https://1950census.archives.gov/, although not in a fully searchable format.

Records suppliers Ancestry and MyHeritage have now released searchable indexes for two states, Wyoming and Delaware. To find out more, visit the following links:

MyHeritage https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-11006/1950-united-states-federal-census and https://blog.myheritage.com/2022/04/now-live-the-1950-u-s-census-index-for-wyoming-and-delaware/

Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/blog/wait-over-1950-us-census-now-available-ancestry-powering-countless-new-discoveries and https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62308/

This will obviously be an ongoing roll out, as and when states indexes become available. If your Scottish or Irish ancestors emigrated, hopefully this should help!

Chris

Scotland 2021's most popular baby names and most common registered surnames

The National Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk) has announced that Olivia and Jack were the two most common names given to babies in 2021.

And remember the good old days when people had really dramatic thunderclap fight-the-gods surnames like 'MacGillivray' - 'mac gille bhreithe', the 'son of the servant of judgment'...?! Well the most common surnames in the birth, marriage and death registers for 2021 were Smith, Brown, and Wilson.

Just another reason to keep on digging into those records...! :)

For more on the story visit the NRS post at https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2022/olivia-and-jack-are-scotlands-top-baby-names.

Chris

TNA catalogues Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers service records

The first tranche of Ministry of Defence (MOD) service personnel records has been added to the catalogue of the National Archives in England (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk), with the records available for ordering on site at the facility at Kew.

The first of 9.7 million military service records to be transferred from the MOD over the next six years, this collection concerns series WO 420, relating to the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers regiment.

All records available are for those with a date of birth greater than 115 years, and documents need to be ordered in advance by four days prior to their consultation.

For further details read the TNA guide on the new records at https://cdn.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/mod-service-records-collection-faqs.pdf

(Source: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/news/first-mod-service-personnel-records-now-available/)

Chris

British Newspaper Archive passes 50 million pages of content

The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) has just passed 50 million pages of content. Congrats to all involved!

The following are the Scottish and Irish additions over the last month:

Scotland

Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
1982-1985, 1988

Annandale Herald and Moffat News
1886-1888

Annandale Observer and Advertiser
1891

Blairgowrie Advertiser
1987

Bridge of Allan Gazette
1885-1886

Bridge of Allan Reporter
1875, 1877

Daily Record
1991

Dumfries & Galloway Courier and Herald
1884-1894, 1896

Dumfries and Galloway Standard
1987

Dunfermline Saturday Press
1891

Edinburgh Evening Dispatch
1893, 1896

Edinburgh Evening News
1913, 1922

Glasgow Evening Times
1894

Irvine Herald
1987

Kelso Mail
1891

Kilmarnock Standard
1987, 1991

Kinross-shire Advertiser.
1891

Northern Advertiser (Aberdeen)
1885-1887

Paisley Daily Express
1881, 1987, 1990, 1992

Rutherglen Reformer and Cambuslang Journal
1880-1881, 1883-1884, 1887

Stirling Observer
1992

West Lothian Courier
1989

Wishaw Press
1991, 1993

Ireland

Dublin Weekly News
1861

Dundalk Examiner and Louth Advertiser
1930

Dungannon News
1893-1906

Ireland's Saturday Night
1874, 1895-1922, 1924-1929, 1931-2008

Leitrim Journal
1850-1872

Limerick Gazette
1804-1820

Limerick Reporter
1890, 1892-1894

Louth and North Lincolnshire Advertiser
1872

Lurgan Times
1886

Chris

SAFHS conference Saturday 9th April 2022

The Scottish Association of Family History Societies (www.safhs.org.uk) annual conference is this Saturday, hosted online by Scottish indexes (www.scottishindexes.com).

For further details on speakers, topics and times, please visit https://www.safhs.org.uk/conference.php

Chris

Pages

Saturday, 30 April 2022

Friday, 29 April 2022

Thursday, 28 April 2022

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Monday, 25 April 2022

Thursday, 21 April 2022

Tuesday, 19 April 2022

Friday, 15 April 2022

Thursday, 14 April 2022

Wednesday, 13 April 2022

Monday, 11 April 2022

Friday, 8 April 2022

Thursday, 7 April 2022