British Newspaper Archive passes 67 million pages - but minimal updates for Scotland and Ireland

The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) has now passed 67 million pages of content, with  67,079,676 pages available to search at the time of writing. 

However, of the 155 titles added or updated in the last 30 days, the additions for Scotland and Ireland have been, well, how shall we say it... minimal?

Scotland

Rutherglen Reformer
1890, 1986, 1996

Airdrie & Coatbridge World
1996, 1998-1999

Ayrshire World
1998-1999

Stirling Observer
1999

Clyde Weekly News
1999

Galloway News and Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser
1998

Strathearn Herald
1997

Wishaw World
1997, 1999

 

Ireland

Weekly Examiner (Belfast)
1872, 1886-1887

Dublin Sporting News
1897-1901

Louth Standard
1950
 

With Scotland, there seems to be a policy now of just adding scraps from the 1990s each week, from local titles (and to be fair, that applies to some of the English content also). While all additions can be useful, I did query this with the BNA last week, asking when we will see some more deeply historic content again. I have been told more is on its way, but I have to admit, it did feel like a bot provided the answer. 

Fingers crossed that Scotland will become relevant again soon!

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 the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors now available to buy from Amazon (UK)

Just a quick update that my new book Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors is now available to buy in the UK from Amazon at £12 (with free delivery), with a Kindle edition available at £5.99 from July 7th 2023. (Note that the paperback version on the Pen and Sword site is now £11.99, but there will be postage on top of that).

The Amazon link is at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Belfast-Ancestors-Historians/dp/152678033X/.

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 the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Progressing Your Irish Research Onine course starts on Monday

My 5 week long course Progressing Your Irish Research Online, taught through Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd (www.pharostutors.com), kicks off again on Monday April 3rd 2023, and I am very much looking forward to getting started with it! If interested in joining in, there are still spaces available, which can be booked via https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=260.

Here is some further information about the course:

There is a common belief that if you have Irish ancestors then you should give up hope of finding out about them, because 'nothing survived the fire', referring to the destruction of Ireland's Public Record Office during the Civil War in 1922. The overall aim of this course is to point out that this is a nonsense, and that the glass is half full and not empty. Whilst there are certainly challenges to be overcome, a great deal can still be accomplished with the many resources now rapidly finding their way online.

This course will describe the many state created records and church records that can be used to research your Irish ancestry. It will provide a context to understand why they were created, and by whom and point out exactly where to find them online, and how to use them effectively.

Lesson Headings:

• Understanding Ireland's boundaries, key repositories and platforms
• The vital records of Church and State
• Documenting the people: Irish censuses and substitutes
• Valuation records and inheritance
• The Decade of Centenaries

Each lesson includes exercises and activities and a minimum of 1 one-hour chat per week.

Some reviews from students:

• 'I enjoyed all of the course, the lessons, exercises and chat sessions were all very helpful. I found Chris Paton ran the course and chat sessions brilliantly. I now feel enthused to carry out more research.'
• 'The astonishing range of information presented, the subsequent results within my own research and the fun, friendly and knowledgeable way it was all delivered. Excellent course and a tutor I would definitely want to study with again.'
• 'It really opened my eyes to what Chris calls the half FULL glass of Irish records, plus a glimpse of history and geography. Excellent.'
• 'It was beneficial from the standpoints of both improving general knowledge of Irish history, and illuminating the numerous and often unique potential sources of genealogical/family history information against that background.' 
• Depth of knowledge. Expertise of tutor. Excellent Handouts.
• Fantastic tutor. First class lesson materials. Top-notch quality learning programme.
• The realization that there are more resources and information available than I first thought!
  
  

And if it helps, a brief introductory video explaining what it will hopefully achieve!

(Also available at https://youtu.be/aonRMQEnIFw)

I hope to see you there! 

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 the USA visit https://www.penandswordbooks.com. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FindmyPast updates Northern Irish wills calendars and adds Inland Revenue Irish Wills & Administrations 1828-1879

Newly added to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Ireland Calendars of Wills & Administrations 1858-1965 (Northern Ireland)
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/ireland-calendars-of-wills-and-administrations-1858-1965

For the first time, you can explore will calendar entries for the District Probate Registries of Armagh, Belfast and Londonderry.

Within this set, we've added 261,256 new record transcriptions, covering between 1921 and 1965.

(Comment: FindmyPast erroneously states on its blog that the update is for "ancestors who died in Belfast, Armagh and Londonderry between 1921 and 1965". For one thing, the district probate registry offices from 1921-1965 covered the whole of Northern Ireland, not just Belfast, Armagh and Derry, and for another, it was only Belfast and Londonderry at work in this period - the Armagh office was abolished in 1921! The records are also freely accessible at PRONI via https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/search-archives-online/will-calendars)


Ireland, Inland Revenue Wills & Administrations 1828-1879
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-records/ireland-calendars-of-wills-and-administrations-1858-1965

This all-new set contains 261,256 images and transcriptions, which offer rich insight into the legacies of your Irish ancestors.

Records include the name of the deceased, and the executor or administrator of their will. 

Further details at https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/irish-wills-administrations

For mote on Irish probate, north and south, check out my Tracing Your Irish Ancestors Through Land Records book from Pen and Sword, available from https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Chris-Paton/a/1799 (UK) and https://www.penandswordbooks.com/9781526780218/tracing-your-irish-ancestors-through-land-records/ (USA).

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors 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. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FindmyPast updates modern Scottish and Northern Irish death indexes

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has updated its midern Scotland and Northern Ireland death idnex collections:

Scotland, Modern And Civil Deaths & Burials 1855-2021
We've added 13,886 records to this collection, again from 2020-2021.

Ireland, Northern Ireland Deaths 1998-2021
There are 2,052 new additions to this collection, with the same years and information as the previous two sets.

Links for these and other new releases at https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/2020-2021-deaths

 

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.

Ireland's Virtual Record Treasury launches

If there is one thing to learn about Irish genealogy and history, it is that the glass is always half full when it comes to the survival of records, it is never half empty. You'll hear a lot of doom and gloom from folk about records being destroyed, and how it just can't be done. Ignore them, there is often a way!

Today, Ireland pulled off a miracle, in retrieving a great deal of the material thought to be forever lost in the Public Record Office fire of 1922, during the Irish Civil War. Through transcripts, surrogate copies, conservation miracles, and collaboration with other archives worldwide (not least PRONI and TNA), the new Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland platform has now been launched at https://virtualtreasury.ie.

Having just watched the official launch online, which I found to be extraordinarly emotional, it's just too big to review right now, so I am merely going to suggest that you get stuck in, and in due course, when I can breathe a little more, I will properly review it! 

Suffice to say that having just typed in my home town of Carrickfergus, 506 entries have popped up, and they will be duly plundered very soon. My home town of Carrickfergus has a Latin motto - Gloria Prisca Novatur - meaning 'the glory of old renewed'. Today, whilst our old PRO has not been fully restored, much of its former glory has been renewed in Dublin. A superb effort from all concerned, and a fitting conclusion to the Decade of Centenaries.

For more on the launch visit https://beyond2022.ie/ and https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/0624/1306668-virtual-record-office/.

The glass is half full, it is not half empty. Have fun!

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.