Hebridean genealogist Bill Lawson awarded British Empire Medal

Congratulations to Isle of Harris based genealogist Bill Lawson, who has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the New Years Honours list for "services to the community in the Western Isles". The full Gazette entry for the announcement is available at https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4783889.

Originally from Stirling, and raised in Ayrshire, Bill has spent many years researching families in the Western Isles and the many crofts on the islands, through his service Cò Leis Thu?, based at the Hebrides People Centre on Harris.  

For more on the story read the BBC Alba account at https://www.bbc.co.uk/naidheachdan/sgeulachdan/cje9pqjdz1lo (in Gaelic).

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.

Michael Tobias awarded OBE for services to Jewish community

Congratulations to all round legend Michael Tobias on being awarded an OBE for services to the Jewish Community!

Michael, currently an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Strathclyde's Genealogy Studies department, has spent many years carrying out research into the Scottish Jewish community, and you'll regularly see him in good times at the Burns Monument Centre in Kilmarnock and at the Mitchell in Glasgow working away.

You can find out his reaction to the award in the Barrhead News at www.barrheadnews.com/news/18998365.michael-tobias-queen-honours-east-renfrewshire-man-obe-services-jewish-community.

A pint has been duly set aside in due recognition for good times hopefully soon to come - well done Michael!

(With thanks to Gail Dever at https://genealogyalacarte.ca/?p=34451)

Chris

Pre-order my next book, Sharing Your Family History Online, at https://bit.ly/SharingFamHist. My book Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 is also out, as are Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.