I am delighted to say that I will be hosting next month's programme of talks for Scottish Family History Month from Family Tree and History Scotland magazines, as well as giving one of the talks myself.
The talks are as follows:
Find your Scottish Stories (Mary Evans)
3 February, 6.30pm
Behind the names and the dates you can often find a story. In her presentation family history researcher Mary Evans will look at useful and colourful resources that can add insights to your ancestors’ lives. Who would have known, for instance, that the reporting in a local newspaper, about a group of gambling children, with a taste for gingerbread, would have led to the smashing of a family history brickwall centuries later? Join us for an enjoyable session with stories and research skills rolled into one!
Scottish directories: a source for people, places, trades and professions (Tahitia McCabe, University of Strahtclyde)
6 February, 6.30pm
As we go about our family and local history research, directories provide information on the development of trades and professions in an area, list local clubs, churches and schools often giving member names and meeting times and show information on transportation and local holidays. In short, if you want a picture of what a town or city provided to its residents, a directory is a great place to start.
Hundreds of digitized Scottish directories will be explored along with innovative online tools combining maps and directory data.
Caledonian Petitions Society (Lorna Kinnaird)
11 February, 6.30pm
Following the Napoleonic Wars, many children of Presbyterian parents in London faced destitution, as they did not qualify for parochial relief.
Genealogist Lorna Kinnaird is working on a fascinating collection of records that sheds light on these individuals and their families through their years of extreme hardship.
What's new and exciting in Scottish family history (Chris Paton)
18 February, 6.30pm
Whether the Scottish records you need are online or offline, this session will bring you right up to date on how to find them as Scottish genealogy expert Chris Paton provides a summary of the resources available to those seeking Scottish ancestors.
Scotland’s People: Beyond Birth Death and Marriage records (Veronica Schreuder, National Records Scotland)
26 February, 6.30pm
Scotland’s People www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk is the official Scottish Government website for searching government records and archives and is run by National Records of Scotland. The statutory registers of old parish registers of births, deaths and marriages are often the first records people search when exploring their family on the Scotland’s People site, and Veronica Schreuder will provide an in-depth guide to accessing and getting the most from these records.
Webinars can be booked individually at £12 each or as a bundle from just £50 (or £40 for Family Tree Plus members and Family Tree magazine subscribers). All sessions include a Q&A and will be recorded for registrants to view afterwards.
Talks will be available as recordings for a specified duration afterwards, as itemised in the emails you will receive from Zoom.
Scottish Family History Month is supported by National Records of Scotland and Strathclyde University. For further details, and to book, please visit https://www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/scottish-family-history-month-2025/.
I look forward to seeing 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 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.
