Scottish GENES: May 2025

Saturday, 31 May 2025

Aberdeenshire local studies podcasts

Aberdeenshire's local studies department in Old Meldrum has been promoting its library and resources this past month - you can see more on the department's offerings at https://www.livelifeaberdeenshire.org.uk/libraries/local-heritage/.

One thing I hadn't twigged was that they also have a series of podcasts available freely online at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf9SJJOIgiNJZc0WdEanO6AzUk-DC8OPc. Topics include:

Lord Pitsligo, Jacobite leader and fugitive hiding in plain site
Forvie, the village consumed by sand
Donald Dinnie, Victorian Scotland's greatest athlete

And many more, including one on the local studies team itself, and its work.

Enjoy!

Chris

Order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors in the UK at https://bit.ly/BelfastAncestors. Also available - Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records, Sharing Your Family History Online, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed), and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records - to purchase, please visit https://bit.ly/ChrisPatonPSbooks. For purchase in tthe USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, on Threads at @scottishgenesblog and via Mastodon at https://mastodon.scot/@ScottishGENES.

Friday, 30 May 2025

Scottish Gypsy Travellers' stolen generations a form of "cultural genocide"

The BBC reports at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8de3ld05yo how the UK Government targeted Scotland's Gypsy Travellers community between the 1940s and 1980s through what was known as the "Tinker Experiment", prior to devolution. Scottish local authorities and the Church of Scotland were also complicit in the initiative.

In 2023 the current Scottish Government commissioned research via the University of St. Andrews based Third Generation Project into the activity, with the conclusion now noting that there was a "forced and systematic initiative to remove Gypsy/traveller children from their families and communities", who were then placed into care institutions, into forced-adoption, or into industrial schools. The policy is stated to have been a form of "cultural genocide" in the report, with demands for compensation now being made.

A podcast discussing the story, entitled "The Cruelty - Stolen Generations", is available on BBC Sounds and via the link above.

A previous report from September 2024 identifies some of the archival work that was employed for research into the scandal - it is available at https://ayeright.scot/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tinker-Experiments-Report_unedited.pdf.

Chris

Wednesday, 28 May 2025

TheGenealogist adds 100,000 names to its Occupational Records collection

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

TheGenealogist Launches New Collection of Over 100,000 Occupational Records

Discover the Working Lives of Scientists, Engineers and Apprentices through Rare Historical Documents

TheGenealogist is proud to announce the release of over 100,000 new names in its expanding collection of occupational records. This new addition includes a rich series of publications that offer a unique glimpse into the careers and associations of individuals from the 19th and 20th centuries, many of whom played key roles in Britain’s scientific and industrial history.

These records are drawn from a series of publications, most notably the reports and member lists of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. With reports ranging from the early 1800s to the late 1920s, researchers can now explore a wide array of academic and scientific figures from conferences held in cities including Hull, Edinburgh, Plymouth, Bristol, Dundee, and even Toronto.

In addition to these scientific records, this release features engineering and apprenticeship documents, including:

●    Register of Past Apprentices, Pupils and Students of Petters Ltd, Yeovil, 1938 – A fascinating directory of those involved with this well-known engineering firm.
●    The Junior Institution of Engineers, List of Members, 8th May 1950 – Providing details of early-career engineers across the UK.
●    The British Engineers' Association Official Directory of Members, 1917 – Highlighting professionals active during a crucial time in wartime engineering.
●    And many more!

These resources are invaluable to family historians and researchers alike, offering insights into the professional lives of ancestors who may have worked in the fields of science, industry and engineering. Whether your ancestor presented a paper, attended meetings, or trained as an apprentice at a major engineering firm in the 1930s, this collection could provide the key to uncovering their career history.

Mark Bayley, Head of Online Content, said:

"We’re pleased to add these fascinating science and engineering records to the growing collection of occupational resources available on TheGenealogist. From teachers to tradesmen, clergy to councillors, and now solicitors to scientists, our occupational records span an incredible range of professions and public service roles. This latest release, rich with detail from scientific societies and engineering institutions, gives researchers even more ways to uncover the working lives of their ancestors."

These records are now available to Diamond subscribers of TheGenealogist, adding to its comprehensive collection of occupational records.

This new occupational records release includes: British Association for the Advancement of Science, List of Members 1838; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Plymouth, 1877; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Edinburgh, 1892; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Nottingham, 1893; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Toronto, 1897; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Bristol, 1898; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Southport, 1903; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Cambridge, 1904; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Dundee, 1912; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Manchester, 1915; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Newcastle-On-Tyne, 1916; Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1917; The British Engineers’ Association Official Directory of Members, 1917; British Association for the Advancement of Science, Report of 87th Meeting, 1919; British Association for the Advancement of Science, Report of the 90th Meeting, Hull 1922; British Association for the Advancement of Science, Report of the 93rd Meeting, 1925; British Association for the Advancement of Science, Report of 94th Meeting, 1926; British Association for the Advancement of Science, Report of the 96th Meeting, Glasgow, 1928; Register of Past Apprentices, Pupils and Students of Petters Ltd, Yeovil, 1938; The Junior Institution of Engineers, List of Members, 8th May 1950; Early New Zealand Engineers

Chris

Ancestry adds Isle of Man civil BMD record indexes

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added indexes for civil birth, marriage and death records from the Isle of Man:

Isle of Man, UK, Civil Birth Marriage & Death, 1849-2013
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63145/
Source: Civil Registration Indexes for the Isle of Man. Isle of Man: ManxBMD.

This collection is an index of information derived from birth, marriage, and death records produced by church and civil authorities on the Isle of Man between 1849 and 2013.

Using this collection

This collection may include the following details:

Name
Registration year
Registration district
Age
Place of residence
Parents' names
Spouse's name
Volume number
Entry number
Page number
Notes

This index uses information from vital records that are important starting points for family research. They are often the most reliable documents for accurate dates of births, marriages, and deaths because they were created at the time of the event. The information from this collection may help you find new names and develop new branches of your family tree. These records also may help you trace your ancestor’s place of residence from birth to death.

Further details via the link.

Chris

Friday, 23 May 2025

ScotlandsPlaces hosted tax rolls and OS Name Books to join ScotlandsPeople

ScotlandsPeople (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) has added an update to say that the Ordnance Survey Name Books, as well as the tax rolls currently hosted on ScotlandsPlaces (www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk), will be made available on the ScotlandsPeople website from June 25th, following the plug being pulled on ScotlandsPlaces on June 24th (see https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2025/05/plug-to-be-pulled-on-scotlandsplaces.html).

Unfortunately there will be some charges introduced:

Records can be searched and viewed free of charge. There will be a small charge to save copies. Additionally, we have created a new name index of male and female servant tax rolls, for which there will be a small charge to view records.

Further additions to ScotlandsPeople's maps and plans section will follow later on this year, with content from ScotlandsPlaces.

The full announcement is available at https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/news-and-articles/more-records-coming.

Chris

FindmyPast competition

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

Win everything you need for your own ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’-style reveal

With the 22nd series of the hit TV show Who Do You Think You Are? captivating audiences across the nation, UK family history website Findmypast is inviting the public to take the first step in delving into their own roots with a special giveaway.

As interest in genealogy surges—fuelled by accessible online archives, compelling television stories, and historic milestones such as the 80th anniversary of VE Day—more people than ever are keen to explore their ancestry.

Yet, according to research by Findmypast, just 10% of Brits know any general information about their family history beyond their grandparents’ generation, including names, addresses or what job they did. Nearly half (47%) have never even seen a photo of them.

The issue is clear: around 1/3 of people have already started researching their own family history, but nearly half say it’s difficult to start. Few realise that the tools to begin your journey are right at your fingertips, with family revelations ready to be unlocked at the click of a mouse.

To help bridge this knowledge gap and inspire the next generation of family historians, Findmypast is giving away two bespoke family history packages.

Each prize includes:

• A 12-month Everything subscription to Findmypast (worth £199.99), offering unlimited access to billions of records, including all British censuses, a treasure-trove of historical newspapers, military records and so much more. Enjoy building your family tree quickly and easily from scratch and understand the details of your ancestors’ lives thanks to Findmypast’s clever tools and features.

• A one-on-one consultation with Findmypast’s Professional Genealogist, Jen Baldwin, who will guide the winner through the first steps of building their family tree and delving deeper into their family’s past.

Thanks to unique relationships with local family history societies as well as iconic institutions like the National Archive and British Library, Findmypast’s collection includes billions of historical records dating back to the reign of Henry VIII, as well as over 90 million newspaper pages stretching right up to the modern day.

Help is at hand in getting started with your family tree and delving deeper into your research, with Findmypast’s helpful guides and thriving independent Facebook community.

“Genealogy TV shows remind us just how compelling our history can be,” said Jen. “Just like the celebrities on screen, it’s easier than ever to have your own genealogy reveal. With sites like Findmypast, you can delve deeper into millions of online records to build a detailed picture of your ancestors’ lives. We’re giving two lucky winners a personal boost, helping them to get started and have their own family history ‘wow’ moment with our one-off competition – make sure to enter now.”

How to Enter:
To enter the giveaway and start your own family history journey, go to https://www.findmypast.co.uk/who-will-you-find and simply register an account before 23:59 on 20 June 2025. Already a Findmypast customer? Head to the Findmypast Family History Forum for your chance to win.

T&Cs apply, visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/page/wdytya-experience-terms-conditions for full details.

Chris

Wednesday, 21 May 2025

New look for LivingDNA portal

LivingDNA (http://livingdna.com) has had a revamp. Here's the blurb from the email:

Get ready to explore your ancestry and health like never before!

Our brand-new online portal has been completely redesigned to give you a fresh, seamless experience while keeping all the features you know and love.

With an intuitive interface and improved navigation, discovering your family history and unlocking valuable health insights has never been easier. Whether you're tracing your roots or exploring personalised wellness information, everything is now more accessible, engaging, and user-friendly.

I'm not a big fan of the platform, as I find it to be too weighted towards things I have no interest in (e.g. 'Neanderthal' and 'Viking' DNA, as well as 'Wellbeing' tests), and not enough easy to use functionality to determine how you relate to distant cousins - but if you have an account, you may wish to check out the new look.

Chris

Tuesday, 20 May 2025

Irish Cabinet briefed on 1926 Irish census plans

There's a brief update on the forthcoming Irish 1926 census, with the Irish Cabinet being briefed today on plans to launch the digitised census online in just under a year's time on 18 April 2026.
You can read about the story at https://www.thejournal.ie/1926-census-website-digitalisation-6709077-May2025/.

Note that the surviving records are for the Free State (later to become the Republic) of Ireland, and not for Northern Ireland, the equivalent records for which from 1926 have not survived.

You can read more about the National Archives of Ireland's plans for the census at https://nationalarchives.ie/collections/search-the-census/census-1926/.

Chris

23andMe sold for £192 million

DNA firm 23andMe, which filed for bankruptcy protection two months ago, has been sold to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for £192 million (US $256 million).

For more on the story visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0ln0e5g6kgo.amp.

Chris

PRONI to open at 12.00pm on Thursday 29th May

Just a quick note to say that the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/public-record-office-northern-ireland-proni) has announced that it will not open on Thursday 29th May until 12.00pm, instead of the usual Thursday opening time of 10.00am. It apologises for any inconvenience caused.

Further details on PRONI's opening hours are available at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/getting-proni-and-opening-hours.

Chris

Monday, 19 May 2025

Researching Irish Land Records course starts June 2nd

My next Researching Irish Land Records course, taught on behalf of Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd, starts on Monday 2nd June 2025, and lasts for five weeks. Here are the details:

Researching Irish Land Records

The issue of land ownership was a potent question in Ireland for centuries. In the 17th century vast swathes of land was settled by Protestant British colonists during the Plantations of Ulster, drawn mostly from Scotland, whilst the subsequent Cromwellian conquest led to mass confiscation of land across Ireland, to be conveyed to English soldiers and 'adventurers'. The Penal Laws had soon dispossessed the native Irish Catholic population of many rights, including land ownership and inheritance rights. At the same time, the first national land valuation survey in the world was carried out, and an elaborate system of land administration imposed. In the 19th century, Ireland's incorporation into the United Kingdom was followed by great tragedy with the Famine, but in its aftermath a new opportunity arose following the Land War to radically alter rental provisions and then to redistribute land away from an absentee landlord class.

Following on from the Progressing Your Irish Research Online course*, this course will look at the various types of records that can help with land research in Ireland from the period of the 17th century to the present day. It will examine the various forms of land tenure that existed, the records of ownership and rental, the valuation and conveyance of property, maps, and many other resources. Importantly it will show how to find the most useful land records, and how to use them for your family history research.

* Although not compulsory, it is recommended that students will have first completed the Progressing Your Irish Research Online course.

Lesson Headings:

The Basics of Irish Land Research
Colonialism and Conquest
Managing the Land
Valuation and Conveyance
The Land War and Redistribution

Relevant countries: Ireland

What to expect:

Each lesson includes lesson notes, activities and forum exercises for students to complete during the week and a one-hour live tutorial (text chat or Zoom) with the tutor and the rest of the class. Times for the tutorials are set at the beginning of each course by the tutor.

Tutor: Chris Paton
Length: 5 weeks
Start date: Monday 2 June 2025
Cost: £70

Feedback from previous students:

“I really liked how each lesson showed why it's important to understand and use different types of records. It helped me see how one record leads to the next, making it easier to trace family history. Land records, in particular, can be tricky, but this course gave me a much better understanding of how and why they were made, which is key to interpreting them.”

“The content was excellent. The instructor provided good contextual information for the suggested links and readings. I learned about resources I might never have discovered easily.”

“I enjoyed learning about new approaches to Irish land record research that were either unknown or forgotten to me.”

“The course notes were amazing and Chris is a very knowledgeable tutor.”

To register, please visit https://www.pharostutors.com/researching-irish-land-records

Chris

Introduction to Scottish Family History event at Strathclyde University

On Tuesday 3rd June 2025 I'll be giving two presentations to the University of Strathclyde's two day long Introduction to Scottish Family History event in Glasgow, which starts on the preceding Monday 2nd June, and held at the campus itself.

My topics will be as follows:

Discover Scottish Land Records
An overview of the complicated (but useful) records concerning land and property transfer in Scotland. What they contain and where to find them.

Understanding Scottish Inheritance Records
An introduction to Scotland's system of inheritance, the records it created, how to use them and where to find them.

Also giving talks on a range of topics at the two-day event will be Tahitia McCabe, Kate Keter, Alison Spring, Dr Calista Williams, and Emma Maxwell. For the full programme please visit https://www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/centreforlifelonglearning/genealogy/on-campusbeginnertointermediatelevelgenealogy8-weekclasses/ - to sign up, visit https://onlineshop.strath.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/centre-for-lifelong-learning/strathclyde-institute-for-genealogical-studies/introduction-to-scottish-family-history-research.

The event will be followed by a longer on-campus academic conference entitled Ken Your Kin, from June 4th-11th 2025. Details of that event are available at https://www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/centreforlifelonglearning/genealogy/kenyourkin/.

Chris

Recent notable additions to Ancestry

The following are some of the more noticeable collections aded to Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) over the last couple of months that may be of interest:

UK, Recommendations for Honours and Awards, 1935-1943
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63097/ (full collection on Fold3.com)

UK, Postal Establishment Books, 1691-1979
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62454/

UK, Navy Board and Predecessors Prisoner of War Registers, 1755-1831
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63094/ (full collection on Fold3.com)

Web: Caribbean, Aircrew in the RAF during World War II, 1939-1945
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/63333/

Chris

Sunday, 18 May 2025

Next Scottish Indexes conference will be on 13 September 2025

One to put in your diary folks - the next Scottish Indexes conference will be on 13 September 2025.

Amongst the presentastions already announced:

'I want to research my family history – how do I start?' by Lorraine Stewart
'Women of Glamis: Privilege and Privation' by Ingrid Thomson
'The Servants in Traquair House' by Margaret Fox

For further details, and to register (it's free), visit https://www.scottishindexes.com/conference.aspx

Chris

RAF lists added to FindmyPast

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added the following collections amongst this week's latest releases:

Royal Air Force Lists 1919-1945

If your ancestor served in the Royal Air Force between 1919 and 1945, their name may appear within this new record collection.

For details of this and other collections visit https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/poland-italy-monumental-inscriptions-barrow-news

Chris

British Newspaper Archive passes 92 million pages

The British Newspaper Archive (https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) has just passed 92 million pages of content, with the number of pages available ast the time of writing being 92,064,993.

The following are the latest releases for Scotland and Ireland over the last 30 days:

Scotland

Perthshire Courier
1927-1928

Berwick Warder (published in Berwick-upon-Tweed, England, but also covers Kelso)
1835-1837

Greenock Elector
1885

Dundee Evening Telegraph
1992

Banffshire Journal
1948-1949, 1979

Forres Elgin and Nairn Gazette, Northern Review and Advertiser
1993

Dundee Weekly News
2002

Ireland

Wicklow Press
1905-1906, 1909

Drogheda Advertiser
1900-1901, 1903, 1907-1908, 1925-1926, 1928

Cork Weekly Herald
1900-1901

Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal
1851-1859, 1861-1863

Achill Missionary Herald and Western Witness
1837-1849, 1856, 1867-1868

Lurgan Mail
1985

Kilkenny Moderator
1904, 1907

Waterford Standard
1912-1917, 1919, 1927

Chris

Forthcoming talks for the Wales-Ireland-Scotland-England (WISE) Family History Society

I will be doing a couple of events for the Wales-Ireland-Scotland-England Family History Society (W.I.S.E. FHS; https://wise-fhs.org) later this month.

On Saturday May 24th I will be doing a talk entitled Discover Your Scottish Ancestors for the group at 1.30pm MDT (8.30pm UK), with details at https://wise-fhs.org/event/w-i-s-e-pre-seminar-meeting-with-chris-paton/.

This will be followed the following Saturday by a seminar with three topics, being Scottish Kirk Session Records, Scottish Marriage Records: Instantly Buckled for Life, and Understanding Scottish Inheritance Records. The seminar starts at 9.00am MDT (4.00pm UK), and you can find further details on this at https://wise-fhs.org/event/w-i-s-e-annual-seminar-with-chris-paton/.

I am looking forward to both events immensely, and I hope that you can join us!

Chris

Plug to be pulled on ScotlandsPlaces website next month

This has been expected for some time, but it looks like the ScotlandsPlaces website at www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk is to be ended on June 24th. The following message is currently being displayed on the websites:

Scotlands Places will switched off on 24th June 2025, however users will be able to access the materials directly from each of the contributing bodies.
HES material can be found on trove.scot.
NLS material can be found at nls.uk and maps.nls.uk.
NRS records will be accessible through scotlandspeople.gov.uk.
Further information about the closure can be found on the HES website: Retiral of HES web services | Historic Environment Scotland.

ScotlandsPlaces was launched in October 2009 (see https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2009/10/scotlandsplaces-website-online.html), and has provided a variety of resources free of charge for Scottish genealogists and historians for over 15 years. But the priorities of the founding institutions - the NRS, Historic Environment Scotland (previously RCAHMS), and the NLS - have changed massively since then, each now developing their own separate platforms and doing heir own thing. Whilst the message on the website states that material will be ytransfered to these platforms, it does not say that ALL the material will be transferred, and whether it will continue to be offered on the free basis that it always has done. Whilst Trove and the NLS platforms are free, ScotlandsPeople is not; fingers crossed the NRS will soon tell us how to access records such as the 17th and 18th century land and tax records currently available on ScotlandsPlaces.

It's a sad day, and having seen the poor version of the new replacemernt NRS website in recent months, I donlt have a lot of faith in the institution, but as always, remain open to be convinced that they have their users interest at heart. In the meantime, you have just over a month to use the site whilst it still exists.

RIP ScotlandsPlaces.

Chris

Scottish GENES is back!

I'm back in genealogy land after a few months time off for good behaviour doing a Cert HE course at the University of Glasgow, entitled Gaelic with Immersion. The course was designed to help people with a degree of Scottish Gaelic push towards fluency, and it has certainly helped me to develop my abilities with the language. At the conclusion of the course I spent three weeks on the Hebridean island of South Uist (Uibhist a Deas), where I was able to meet many people in various walks of life who still use Gaelic as their first language in Scotland, and where I had a chance to also travel to other Hebridean islands, including Barra (Barraigh), Vatersay (Bhatarsaigh), Benbecula (Beinn na Foghla), Grimsay (Griomasaigh), North Uist (Uibhist a Tuath), and Berneray (Beàrnaraigh).

During my time in the Western Isles, I was able to cut peat by Beinn Mhòr, plant potatoes on the machair at Daliburgh, visit cèilidhs and concerts, and talk to Gaelic speakers young and old across the islands, including former STV colleague Alex O' Henley, one of the BBC's and UEFA's football commentators, at his croft at Garrynamonie.

As a genealogist it was great to get a chance to visit many historical sites in South Uist and the other islands, including the township of Milton, where Flora MacDonald was born (she who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape “over the seas to Skye”), Castle Ormacleit (a MacDonald of Clanranald stronghold), and Kildonan Museum. At Kildonan I had a chance to see the 'tasglann' or archive of Comunn Eachdraidh Uibhist a Deas, otherwise known as South Uist Historical Society, where people can come to research their family history, or the history of the family croft or the local island. There are several 'comainn eachdraidh' in the islands, and I also had a chance to meet and talk to folk from Comunn Eachdraidh Èirisgeigh (Eriskay Historical Society), and to see where Comunn Eachdraidh Barraigh is Bhatarsaigh (Barra and Vatersay Historial Society) was based, albeit this was closed on the day I visited the island of Barra. For links to the various comainn eachdraidh, and to discover what they can offer for Hebridean research, read my blog post at https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2023/10/comainn-eachdraidh-historical-societies.html.

My final two assignments have been submitted, and I now await the formal certificate to be awarded (assuming I haven't screwed these up!), but it is time to get back to the day job. Scottish GENES is back, and I look forward to sharing genealogy news with you over the next few days, weeks, months and years, just as I have done since 2007.

Finally, if you have been following my Gaelic journey, and wish to have a go yourself, check out my blog post at https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2025/01/resources-to-help-you-learn-scottish.html - agus gun tèid leibh leis an turas agaibh!

In the meantime, some more pics from my recent Hebridean escapades!