The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland has recently updated its catalogue to provide a further 80,650 entries on its e-catalogue (eCATNI), bringing the total to 1,255,929 entries, though more has still to be added over the next few months.
For more information on the additions visit www.proni.gov.uk/news_details.htm?newsRef=1159
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Letters from the Crimea
Alan Currie has published a series of four interesting letters written by soldiers fighting in the Crimea at www.talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14653. The letters have been sourced from the Glasgow Herald. An interesting read.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Friday, 15 January 2010
Electric Scotland update
The Electric Scotland website has been updated this week to provide the following:
Scots in England and Wales
W. D. Cocker
John G. Burnett’s Story of the Removal of the Cherokees
William Tennant
Tree Myths and Forrest Lore
The Horizontal Mill at Kirtomy, Farr, Sutherlandshire
A Great Unknown Scot
The Scots Magazine 1739
To see the books and articles, visit www.electricscotland.com.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Scots in England and Wales
W. D. Cocker
John G. Burnett’s Story of the Removal of the Cherokees
William Tennant
Tree Myths and Forrest Lore
The Horizontal Mill at Kirtomy, Farr, Sutherlandshire
A Great Unknown Scot
The Scots Magazine 1739
To see the books and articles, visit www.electricscotland.com.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
British Library 19th C newspaper update
John Reid has blogged on his Anglo-Celtic Connections blog that the 19th Century British Library Newspaper Collection has just been updated with a further 100,000 pages. Amongst the new titles featured is a further Scottish title, the Dundee Courier, from 1845-1900, as well as additonal material for 16 other titles, including for the Isle of Man and Isle of Wight, though with no further Irish content as yet.
The JISC site states that a million pages will be added in early 2010, so this is just a first batch, and that "The new pages added to the collection in December 2009 will be an exclusive preview available to UK Further and Higher Education institutions as part of the JISC licence agreement. Access to the newspapers remains via institutional gateways." Having just checked access through a local authority site, there is no sign of the update as yet, nor on the commerically available version to the public at http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs. However, with the JISC announcement dated for yesterday, the update must be imminent.
John's post, listing all the new titles to be included, is available at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2010/01/100000-pages-of-additional-british.html.
(Many thanks to John Reid)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
The JISC site states that a million pages will be added in early 2010, so this is just a first batch, and that "The new pages added to the collection in December 2009 will be an exclusive preview available to UK Further and Higher Education institutions as part of the JISC licence agreement. Access to the newspapers remains via institutional gateways." Having just checked access through a local authority site, there is no sign of the update as yet, nor on the commerically available version to the public at http://newspapers.bl.uk/blcs. However, with the JISC announcement dated for yesterday, the update must be imminent.
John's post, listing all the new titles to be included, is available at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2010/01/100000-pages-of-additional-british.html.
(Many thanks to John Reid)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Online books beyond Google
Sheena Tait has a concise and useful summary on where to look for online internet books, beyond Google, in her latest post at http://setait.co.uk/beyond-google-other-sources-for-free-books/.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Stopping World Vital Records spam mails
If, like me, you are getting hacked off with daily e-mails from World Vital Records, a much more preferable way to keep on top of the company's developments is to unsubscribe from its newsletter and to access its blog instead, available at http://blog.worldvitalrecords.com.
The site also has a Twitter page at http://twitter.com/worldvrecords and a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Provo-UT/World-Vital-Records-Newsletter/230992820304
As of today though, I'm blocking the company's e-mail newsletter address from my computer - foghnaidh's na dh'fhoghnas! (enough's enough!).
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
The site also has a Twitter page at http://twitter.com/worldvrecords and a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Provo-UT/World-Vital-Records-Newsletter/230992820304
As of today though, I'm blocking the company's e-mail newsletter address from my computer - foghnaidh's na dh'fhoghnas! (enough's enough!).
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
New Ulster databases online
The following pay-per-view databases are available at the Ulster Historical Foundation:
A rent roll of the Clanbrassil estate, County Down, 1681
Carrickfergus Criminal return 1839
Derrynoose emigrants, County Armagh, 1840-50
Dissenters in the parish of Ahoghill, County Antrim in 1766
Gracehill Academy: pupils and teachers, 1805-55
Passengers to America, 1773, 1789-93, 1796
Raloo tithes, County Antrim, 1769-1771
Rental of the Lindesay of Loughry estate, 1745-61
Rental of the Rowan estate, County Antrim, 1761
Rent rolls of the Castlestewart and Lissan estates from 1786
Survey of Stewart of Killymoon estate, County Tyrone, 1767
Survey of the 'Sixteen towns or Mannor of Clananise', County Tyrone
Tenants manor of Brownlows-Derry, County Armagh, c.1670-1799
Tenants on the McCausland estate, Ardstraw, County Tyrone, 1720-33
Tenants on the Upton estate, Templepatrick, County Antrim, 1768-9
Valuation of the Forward estate, County Donegal, 1727
(Source: UHF update e-mail)
UPDATE: The UHF has contacted me to say these are only available to full Guild members, which costs £30 a year.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
A rent roll of the Clanbrassil estate, County Down, 1681
Carrickfergus Criminal return 1839
Derrynoose emigrants, County Armagh, 1840-50
Dissenters in the parish of Ahoghill, County Antrim in 1766
Gracehill Academy: pupils and teachers, 1805-55
Passengers to America, 1773, 1789-93, 1796
Raloo tithes, County Antrim, 1769-1771
Rental of the Lindesay of Loughry estate, 1745-61
Rental of the Rowan estate, County Antrim, 1761
Rent rolls of the Castlestewart and Lissan estates from 1786
Survey of Stewart of Killymoon estate, County Tyrone, 1767
Survey of the 'Sixteen towns or Mannor of Clananise', County Tyrone
Tenants manor of Brownlows-Derry, County Armagh, c.1670-1799
Tenants on the McCausland estate, Ardstraw, County Tyrone, 1720-33
Tenants on the Upton estate, Templepatrick, County Antrim, 1768-9
Valuation of the Forward estate, County Donegal, 1727
(Source: UHF update e-mail)
UPDATE: The UHF has contacted me to say these are only available to full Guild members, which costs £30 a year.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
US version of WDYTYA airs in March
The US version of the British series Who Do You Think You Are commences its transmission on NBC at long last on Friday March 5th 2010. The following comes from the NBC press release:
Who Do You Think You Are?" premieres Friday, March 5 (8-9 p.m. ET) and gives viewers an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities. Among the celebrities featured are Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike Lee, Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields and Emmitt Smith. Ancestry.com is NBC's official partner on the series. From executive producer Kudrow ("Friends," "The Comeback") - in conjunction with her production company Is or Isn't Entertainment and the U.K.'s Wall to Wall productions - "Who Do You Think You Are?" is an adaptation of the hit BBC television documentary series created and executive-produced by Alex Graham.
Who Do You Think You Are?" is produced by Wall to Wall productions (a Shed Media Company) in association with Is or Isn't Entertainment. Alex Graham and Lucy Carter from Wall to Wall and Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky and Don Roos from Is or Isn't Entertainment are the executive producers. Bryn Freedman is the co-executive producer.
No idea if it will see the light of day in the UK...
(With thanks to Dick Eastman's blog)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Who Do You Think You Are?" premieres Friday, March 5 (8-9 p.m. ET) and gives viewers an up-close and personal look inside the family history of some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities. Among the celebrities featured are Matthew Broderick, Lisa Kudrow, Spike Lee, Sarah Jessica Parker, Susan Sarandon, Brooke Shields and Emmitt Smith. Ancestry.com is NBC's official partner on the series. From executive producer Kudrow ("Friends," "The Comeback") - in conjunction with her production company Is or Isn't Entertainment and the U.K.'s Wall to Wall productions - "Who Do You Think You Are?" is an adaptation of the hit BBC television documentary series created and executive-produced by Alex Graham.
Who Do You Think You Are?" is produced by Wall to Wall productions (a Shed Media Company) in association with Is or Isn't Entertainment. Alex Graham and Lucy Carter from Wall to Wall and Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky and Don Roos from Is or Isn't Entertainment are the executive producers. Bryn Freedman is the co-executive producer.
No idea if it will see the light of day in the UK...
(With thanks to Dick Eastman's blog)
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Forget changing the bulb - try a chandelier
Going south for this one! If you think you have a problem changing a lightbulb, think of the folks at St. George's, Bloomsbury. A short film at www.wmf.org.uk/resources/films/installing_the_chandelier shows a time lapse recording of the installation of a 17th century chandelier in the premises. Hopefully it has environmentally friendly bulbs!
Thanks to architectural historian Jonathan Foyle via Twitter.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Thanks to architectural historian Jonathan Foyle via Twitter.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
1939 Scottish national registers - my order arrives!
As readers will no doubt be aware from my post last Friday on Scottish 1939 national registration, it is now possible to order up copies from the enumeration that was carried out in September of that year (see 1939 Scottish national registration census records to be released).
Well muggins here does not muck about! As soon as I learned of the new release, I immediately placed an order to the General Register Office in Edinburgh, with a request to view the details of the two individuals, my great grandmother Jessie Paton (nee MacFarlane) and my father's uncle, John Brownlie Paton.
Both entries came this morning, and I thought it might be worth outlining the information it contained and how those entries have both been of use.
1) Jessie
The following information was supplied: County, Burgh, Address, Surname and Other names, M or F, Birth, Single, Married Widowed or Divorced, Personal Occupation
In this instance, I did not supply an address for Jessie (I did not have one) just her date of death and a vague indication that she might have been in Glasgow or Inverness. Family lore had it that she was moved to Inverness just prior to the start of the war by her eldest son, along with her daughter. The returned record conclusively shows that she was still in Glasgow when the war broke out. The mystery is, who was she staying with, as the address is not one I have come across? Possibly her daughter, certainly not her sons, but now I have a whole new line of enquiry to pursue. The record outlines that she was doing unpaid domestic duties, which might imply that she was staying with a family member. Lots of fun ahead...!
2) John
I provided John's date of death and address in this instance. The information returned mostly confirmed what I had before, but the date of birth supplied was significant, as until now I only had his birthdate from a school record in Inverness. John was in fact born in Brussels, Belgium, where my family used to run a series of shoe shops for the Glaswegian firm R & J Dicks. So this is the only GROS issued record I have with John's date of birth.
In each case the entry costs £13. I supplied two cheques, one each for £13, rather than a single cheque for £26, in case one could not be found.
Am I pleased with the results? Very.
Is it expensive? Yes, but I knew the cost up front and the likely type of information to be returned.
Was it worth it? In this case, absolutely, as I was able to learn more about my family members from each, though in some cases I can see that it may not provide info above and beyond what people may already know. However, it is a fixed event, and every record is as important as the last in my view, so even if nothing new is forthcoming, that also shows that nothing has changed.
So what unique info can be found in these records for 1939?
i) Address obviously, particularly as you can order an entry without it - all you need is a date of death.
ii) Names - John's middle name of Brownlie was simply abbreviated to B, so you may not necessarily find out someone's middle name if you are looking for it. Jessie's maiden name was not included.
iii) Date of birth.
iv) Marital status - note the question includes divorce as an option
v) Occupation - in this case both had civilian roles. I am unclear as yet how this might differ for members of the military.
I will be making more applications in future, though my grandparents had moved to Northern Ireland by this stage, but there were a few family stragglers still floating around to chase up! And maybe it's just me, but a three day turnaround?! Crikey - I think I got in before the rush! Big thanks to the GROS.
A very useful release.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
Well muggins here does not muck about! As soon as I learned of the new release, I immediately placed an order to the General Register Office in Edinburgh, with a request to view the details of the two individuals, my great grandmother Jessie Paton (nee MacFarlane) and my father's uncle, John Brownlie Paton.
Both entries came this morning, and I thought it might be worth outlining the information it contained and how those entries have both been of use.
1) Jessie
The following information was supplied: County, Burgh, Address, Surname and Other names, M or F, Birth, Single, Married Widowed or Divorced, Personal Occupation
In this instance, I did not supply an address for Jessie (I did not have one) just her date of death and a vague indication that she might have been in Glasgow or Inverness. Family lore had it that she was moved to Inverness just prior to the start of the war by her eldest son, along with her daughter. The returned record conclusively shows that she was still in Glasgow when the war broke out. The mystery is, who was she staying with, as the address is not one I have come across? Possibly her daughter, certainly not her sons, but now I have a whole new line of enquiry to pursue. The record outlines that she was doing unpaid domestic duties, which might imply that she was staying with a family member. Lots of fun ahead...!
2) John
I provided John's date of death and address in this instance. The information returned mostly confirmed what I had before, but the date of birth supplied was significant, as until now I only had his birthdate from a school record in Inverness. John was in fact born in Brussels, Belgium, where my family used to run a series of shoe shops for the Glaswegian firm R & J Dicks. So this is the only GROS issued record I have with John's date of birth.
In each case the entry costs £13. I supplied two cheques, one each for £13, rather than a single cheque for £26, in case one could not be found.
Am I pleased with the results? Very.
Is it expensive? Yes, but I knew the cost up front and the likely type of information to be returned.
Was it worth it? In this case, absolutely, as I was able to learn more about my family members from each, though in some cases I can see that it may not provide info above and beyond what people may already know. However, it is a fixed event, and every record is as important as the last in my view, so even if nothing new is forthcoming, that also shows that nothing has changed.
So what unique info can be found in these records for 1939?
i) Address obviously, particularly as you can order an entry without it - all you need is a date of death.
ii) Names - John's middle name of Brownlie was simply abbreviated to B, so you may not necessarily find out someone's middle name if you are looking for it. Jessie's maiden name was not included.
iii) Date of birth.
iv) Marital status - note the question includes divorce as an option
v) Occupation - in this case both had civilian roles. I am unclear as yet how this might differ for members of the military.
I will be making more applications in future, though my grandparents had moved to Northern Ireland by this stage, but there were a few family stragglers still floating around to chase up! And maybe it's just me, but a three day turnaround?! Crikey - I think I got in before the rush! Big thanks to the GROS.
A very useful release.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Professional genealogical problem solving and research
http://twitter.com/ChrisMPaton
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