Two-year Heritage Buddies project seeks volunteers in Renfrewshire

A new 2-year project entitled Heritage Buddies (www.heritagebuddies.uk) is being launched by Stephen Clancy to record and research the heritage graveyards of Renfrewshire. From Stephen's post on LinkedIn: 

Where Buddies Rest: Stories Rise brings together archaeology, local history and genealogy into one project. research groups will survey and record Graveyards and then research the stories of those buried with. Talks and tours of the Graveyards will also be delivered between January 2026 and December 2027.

The first of several consultant/ recruitment sessions will be held at Paisley Arts Centre, formerly the Laigh Kirk on the 8th November between 10am and 1pm, where people are invited to learn more about the project, discuss the uses of the sites as heritage destinations and volunteer to participate in the resesrch groups.

The project is supported by Renfrewshire Council's Cultiure, Heritage and Events Fund, and is seeking volunteers to help survey various sites in the county and to uncover dstories of people who shaped the county's communities. Further details are available on the project website.

(With thanks to Stephen, via LinkedIn) 

Chris 

Order Researching Ancestral Crisis in Ireland in the UK at https://bit.ly/4jJWSEh. Also available -Tracing Your Belfast Ancestors, 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.

North Ayrshire Council’s Genealogy and Local History Library to move

From North Ayrshire Council (https://www.facebook.com/NacHeritage):

Currently located at the Irvine Townhouse (pictured below), the Council’s Genealogy and Local History Library will soon be relocating to within Irvine Library.

As part of North Ayrshire Heritage and Cultural Services, the Genealogy and Local History Library consists of a wide range of resources relating to the rich history of North Ayrshire and beyond.  

The resources available include valuable information via books, maps, photographs, old newspapers, genealogy resources and accessing the family history site, Scotland’s People.

Rhonda Leith, Head of Service for Connected Communities shares: “Work is currently underway to accommodate this welcome move.  

“Having the Genealogy and Local History Library based within the busy Irvine Library will make our unique resources more accessible to the people of North Ayrshire. 

“So, whether you are tracing your family tree, want to look-up old newspapers, or see old photographs, the staff will be delighted to welcome you, whatever your interest. 

“The move is a positive step as part of a wider project to align our services in the heart of our communities and will reduce carbon emissions across the Council’s estate.” 

The Genealogy and Local History Library will close its doors at the Townhouse on Wednesday, 4 September, and will reopen within Irvine Library on Monday, 7 October.

Comment: The Townhouse and the Library are literally about two minutes walk away from each other.

(With thanks to Lorraine Scott)

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.

Stirling Council demolishes 117 year old Christie Clock Tower

This one has caused a bit of anger in Stirling. Citing structural concerns, the local council has destroyed the 117 year old Christie Clock Tower, built to commemorate a former provost of the royal burgh, in an overnight operation beyond the gaze of the public. It's possible the council might have been asleep for 117 years, and hence why they haven't previously addressed the issue.

The council noted the following in comments made to the BBC:

"Contractors tried valiantly for five hours to remove the crown of this well-loved landmark but, unfortunately, due to the lack of stability within the clock structure, the pillar also had to be removed from site.

"Sections of the clock have been removed intact and all stonework associated with the clock tower has been removed from site and stored to allow further investigation and work."

"Repair work on the base will commence over the next two weeks and we will shortly begin a review of a restoration project on the pillar, crown and clock."

The full story is available at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-66695251

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.

Show and tell mining history event in Cumnock

From East Ayrshire Council:

Show and Tell your mining history at our Cumnock event

Do you have mining memorabilia, lots of stories or an interest in local mining history?  Come along to this exciting Show and Tell!

As part of  a photography and oral history project "Mineworkings", by artist Nicky Bird, National Galleries of Scotland is hosting a Show and Tell exhibition at Barrhill Community Learning Centre, celebrating East Ayrshire's mining heritage.

Share your knowledge

If you've got memorabilia, whether it's photographs, mementos or objects, or you're just interested in finding out more, please come along and share your artefacts, questions and stories to help keep the memories alive.  

Community Portraits

Transport yourself to the past by adding your own portrait to our unique collection of photos from mining communities from the 1980s.

Event details
Wednesday 26 July, 11.00am - 3.00pm
Barrhill Community Learning Centre, Bank Avenue, Cumnock KA18 1PQ

Visit our Coal Communities Landscape Partnership website at https://coalfieldcommunities.co.uk

(With thanks to East Ayrshire Council)

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.

Belfast City Council's burial records site redesign

Belfast City Council has redesigned its burial site interface, and given it a new address at https://online.belfastcity.gov.uk/burialsearch/BurialSearch.aspx. The site includes searchable burial records transcriptions for the City Cemetery, Roselawn Cemetery and Dundonald Cemetery. Searches are free, but for records older than 75 years you can purchase the actual burial records for £1.50, which often includes more details than a death certificate.

I'll be honest, I'm of the school that thinks if it isn't broken, don't fix it! This new version does seem to have enlarged everything, there seems to be a bit more navigation required to move around it, but the core functionality is still the same, which is the key thing. (I'm assuming they are going for the tablet crowd, the page is a lot more vertical!)

Happy hunting!

(With thanks to Allie Nickell @alliethinks via Twitter)

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.

Finding the gravestone that doesn't exist - Part 2

In June 2019 I wrote on my previous news blog, Britsh GENES, that I had been absolutely stunned to discover, thanks to MyHeritage, that a headstone for my great grandfather Robert Currie, and for his son of the same name, existed at Riddrie Park Cemetery in Glasgow. 

I was stunned for the simple reason that when I first started my family history research two decades ago I had contacted Glasgow City Council to enquire about where he was buried, and had been told that it was at the Eastern Necroprolis - I even met up with a council worker who took me to the spot, which had no headstone. An email from MyHeritage had suggested that they had a match on BillionGraves.com for Robert, and that the Council, and therefore I, had got it spectacularly wrong (See http://britishgenes.blogspot.com/2019/06/finding-gravestone-that-doesnt-exist.html)

It had been my intention to take my father to the grave, but as he was ill at the time, this could not immediately happen. Covid then hit in early 2020, and a year ago, my father passed away, having contracted the virus on top of other medical complciations.  

On Sunday I finally managed to make it to Riddrie Park Cemetery and paid my respects to both my great grandfather and great uncle, on behalf of myself and my father. Here's to ye lads...

Don't forget that you can access many Glasgow burial registers now for free via FamilySearch's catalogue - the following link should help: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&query=%2Bkeywords%3AGlasgow%20%2Bkeywords%3Acemetery (make sure you are signed in first to see the collections!)

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.