The Scottish GENES Blog (GEnealogy News and EventS): Top news stories and features concerning ancestral research in Scotland, Ireland, the rest of the UK, and their diasporas, from genealogist and family historian Chris Paton. Feel free to quote from this blog, but please credit Scottish GENES if you do. Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thàinig thu!
The British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) has passed 76 million pges of uploaded content, with the number of pages available at the time of writing being 76,069,936.
The following are the latest additions over the last 30 days for Scotland and Ireland:
Scotland
Forfar Dispatch 1959-1985
Deeside Piper 1986, 1988-1994
Montrose Review 1818, 1839, 1844-1845, 1978-1985
Edinburgh Evening News 1947-1950, 1995
Stornoway Gazette and West Coast Advertiser 1967-1971, 1975-1985, 1988
Fraserburgh Herald and Northern Counties' Advertiser 1959
St. Andrews Citizen 1992
Ireland (N.I.)
Belfast News-Letter 1985
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.
Nearly 5,000 images of plans have been added to the ScotlandsPeople website. Created between 1955 and the late-1980s, these plans depict abandoned and active mine workings across much of the central belt of Scotland from Ayrshire through to Stirlingshire.
National Records of Scotland (NRS) holds 4,865 National Coal Board statutory working plans of abandoned and current workings (NRS, RHP146000) created under requirements of the Mines and Quarries Act 1954. These plans were created between 1955 and 1989 as a response to the Mines and Quarries Act 1954 . This act required mining managers to keep accurate plans of abandoned and active workings in the mine, as well as all other workings within the boundaries of the mine or within a prescribed distance of the mine. Additionally, sections of the seams or veins of working coal and their overlaying strata were sometimes included.
These plans cover much of the central belt of Scotland and have generally been catalogued from left to right, from Ayrshire through to Stirlingshire. Only areas with active or abandoned coal workings are represented, including underwater workings.
The images are free to view.
Does your house have an old mine shaft under it?!
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.
Criminal Ancestors from Scotland? Connect Scottish Convict Criminal Records for Family History
Welcome to the new database that connects transportation records of 8,500 individuals convicted in Scotland to their original court documents, now stored at the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh. For the first time, these records have been combined, giving us a fuller picture of Scotland's convict history and its impact on the development of Australia.
The database isn't just for genealogists—it's also a tool for social historians. It helps us understand how convict transportation shaped Australia and Scotland. By looking at the records, we can learn more about the societies and laws of the time. Whether you're an experienced genealogist or just curious about your family's story, use this database to find out more about your Scottish roots!
At the heart of Old Scottish’s latest database Convict Criminal Records are two types of records: the transportation logs and the detailed court documents. While the first give basic details like names and dates, the latter provide rich stories about the people convicted and the crimes they committed. This mix helps genealogists find out more about their Scottish heritage.
For Australian family historians, this connection means they can now trace their convict ancestors' trials more easily. It lets them understand why their ancestors were sent away and how they coped with their new lives.
The transportation logs have basic information like names and dates, while the court documents have more detailed stories about the people and the crimes they committed. This helps family historians find out more about their ancestors. In one case, you can trace back from 7 February 1837 when, after being at sea for 133 long days, the convict ship John arrived in Port Jackson, New South Wales. Among the surviving male convicts aboard were two young Scottish teenagers, James Rodgers and William Slight. Both boys had been convicted and sentenced to transportation to Australia for 7 years. They left Britain on 27 September 1836 after spending the summer imprisoned on the hulk Leviathan.
Using the collection you can discover the origins of their transportation, travelling back to the ‘Fair City’ of Perth and the fateful events of April 1836.
At their trial in Perth, 13-year-old James Rodgers, and William Slight, a year older, stood accused of theft by housebreaking and opening lockfast places, with the aggravation of being thieves habit and repute. The prosecution alleged they had broken into a shop on George Street, Perth, occupied by Richard Mclean as a boot and shoemaker, by breaking or removing 4 panes of glass in a skylight. Once in the shop, it was claimed the boys stole 3 pairs of boots and broke open a locked desk, taking three pound notes. One of the witnesses against the boys was the celebrated Edinburgh detective James McLevy.
The records reveal that William was the son of a silver plate worker, while James was an apprentice shoemaker. They also indicate that they were poorly educated: neither could write. The case against them was weighed by the knowledge they had both been in trouble before. William had been convicted twice at Edinburgh Police Court in 1833 for theft, and twice at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in 1833 and 1835. James had two previous convictions at Edinburgh Police Court in 1832 and 1835, both for theft.
About Convict Criminal Records
This database links the transportation records of 8,500 people convicted in Scotland to the original court records now held at the National Records of Scotland. This is the first time these records have been linked to each other. Doing so increases the usefulness of both record sets, and allows Australian (and other) family historians for the first time to directly trace their convict ancestors to the trials where they were sentenced. Another benefit is that the transportation registers only provide a limited amount of information (typically name, date of trial, ship, date of departure and usually offence). The Scottish records provide a wealth of detail both about the individual prisoners and the crimes they committed. For genealogists, these clues can help them trace their ancestry back in time in Scotland from their convict ancestor.
Of course not every person sentenced to transportation was actually sent to Australia, so this combined record set allows social historians to investigate the phenomenon of convict transportation, which had such a profound impact on the development of Australia.
This new record set opens up many research opportunities, both for family historians in Australia and Scotland, and for other historians in both countries. The index can be found at https://www.oldscottish.com/convict-criminal-records.html
(With thanks to Fergus Smith at Old Scottish)
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.
The National Archives at Kew, England (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) carries many records for Scotland and
Ireland/Northern Ireland, usually for those collated on a British wide
basis (e.g. military records, civil service records, etc), although
there are some unique holdings also, such as those of the Royal Irish
Constabulary prior to its disbandment at Partition in 1921.
The following was announced by the archive on Monday 8th April 2024:
Saul Nassé has been appointed by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport as Chief Executive and Keeper of The National Archives and will take up the post at the end of July. He takes over from Dr Jeff James who has led The National Archives successfully since 2014.
Saul Nassé is a Fellow of Robinson College, University of Cambridge and former Group Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment, the University’s examinations business. In his eight years with the organisation, he developed new digital propositions, grew international reach, and deepened engagement with teams around the world.
Previously, Saul held leadership roles at the BBC both in the UK and India. As Controller, BBC Learning, he led the teams that commissioned and produced educational content, such as Bitesize and Domesday Reloaded.
** There is no further news as yet on the appointments process for an equivalent new Chief Executive for the National Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk), fulfilling the role of Registrar General for Scotland and the Keeper of the Records of Scotland. The position is currently being managed by 'Interim Chief Executive' Janet Edgell, who has now been in this temporary role for almost 14 months (see http://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2023/02/interim-ceo-appointed-at-national.html). The deadline for the position was originally advertised in late 2022 and early 2023, the closing date for applicants being Thursday, February 16th 2023.
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.
My next 5-week course for Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd (www.pharostutors.com), entitled Researching Scottish Ancestral Crisis, starts on May 20th 2024.
For some ten years or so, Pharos offered two Scottish themed courses, Scottish Research Online and Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers.
In
the first course, we've shown how to access certain records for
Scottish research online, whilst the second course has taken things
further by showing how to access records not just online, but in
archives. At the same time it has also shown how various aspects of
Scotland worked, as a means to locate records offline and online that might help
when the OPRs don't.
In this third course, we now turn things seriously up to
eleven...! In the past, records were often kept at the point of crisis
on a range of fronts, and in this course, I not only explore those
scenarios, but also explain how the country worked, the types of records
generated, and how to access them. If you have done the previous two courses - or feel yourself to be
somewhat further along with your research experience and at the relevant level - I hope you can
sign up to this course, which I hope, as ever, will be both fulfilling
and fun!
The following is the course description:
Researching Scottish Ancestral Crisis
As
in our own lives, many of our Scottish ancestors had to overcome great
adversity on occasions to simply make it through the day. Illness,
death, bigamy, abandonment, accidents, eviction, victimhood, ethnic
cleansing, and so much more a dramatic range of experiences across a
series of lifetimes. And whenever such crises emerged, somebody was
usually close to hand with a quill and ink to bear witness. In so doing,
a great documentary legacy was created that can greatly help us to
understand the true lives of our forebears, and the struggles that led
to who we became today.
Many challenges and hardships were faced
across time. There were the laws of the local parish church and the
punishments awaiting those who breached kirk discipline, diligently
recorded in the kirk session and presbytery papers, but additional
courts existed elsewhere in society, from the Crown and the burghs to
the local justices of the peace and trade incorporations. Records of the
churches and heritors, as well as the post-1845 poor law records, can
detail the struggles of those who struggled to avoid poverty, whilst
documents such as letters of horning and warrants of poinding, as well
as sequestration and cessio bonorum, can detail the persecution and
stigma of being a debtor or a bankrupt. In other areas, the court
records can also reveal some of the ingenious methods by which people
could avoid inheriting the debts of their predecessors.
The
darkest moments of the soul, from mental health issues and illness, are
revealed in historic asylum and hospital records held in archives across
Scotland, whilst cases of murder and suicide can be uncovered in court
processes, newspapers and broadsheets. Dramatic moments of rebellion,
when our forebears drew a line in the sand against a perceived tyranny
or democratic deficit, can be found in contemporary records of the
Covenanters, the Jacobites, the Chartists, the Suffragettes, crofters,
and those cleared from the land to make way for more profitable sheep,
from the forfeiture of lands and prosecutions to the folk songs of many
who were forced to emigrate.
This course will reveal the many
areas of Scottish ancestral hardship that have been documented over the
last few centuries, and explore how to access the relevant records. It
follows on from two previous Pharos courses, Scottish Research Online,
which explores websites offering some of the more basic records for
Scottish research, and Scotland 1750: Beyond the Old Parish Registers,
which takes students to more advanced records found offline and online,
and which flags up the importance of using catalogues. Although not
compulsory, it is recommended that both courses are completed prior to
studying Researching Scottish Ancestral Crisis.
Lesson Headings:
* Law and Order * Family Events and Relationships * Poverty and Debt * Medical Issues * The State and the People
Each
lesson includes lesson notes, activities and forum exercises for
students to complete during the week and a one-hour live tutorial (text
chat or Zoom) with the tutor and the rest of the class. Times for the
tutorials are set at the beginning of each course by the tutor.
"Wonderful topics to research and presentation and ideas of where to go
to look for answers regarding these topics. Have learnt so much over the
3 courses and now have lots to do in updating and following through on
the course materials and what I have learnt. Already looking at
different ways of research and finding out heaps more. The 3 courses are
so great and full of information and Chris is excellent in the Chat
section with not only giving questions for us to reply to but also the
answers."
"It was an excellent continuation of the previous course and really made
me look at genealogy in a much broader way. Chris is a very encouraging
tutor and willing to answer all questions. He has such an extensive
knowledge of genealogy."
"The course content...amazing"
"All course materials were professional and thorough. Chris did a lot of
prep work to make sure that we received the best information needed to
be successful."
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.
The BBC has a short, but fun, report focussing on a century of Scottish ship launches on the Clyde, on the day when the second of the two ferries currently being built at the Ferguson Marine yard is due to be launched.
I had the pleasure to be standing up close beneath a ship as it was launched in 2005, whilst working on the Coast series for the BBC, when we filmed the launch of the RFA ship Cardigan Bay (on a second attempt!). It was an incredible site to view the hull slip into the river, to be followed by the large and noisy drag chains behind it, designed to stop the vessel hitting the other side of the river. Fingers crossed the Glen Rosa is not the last major vessel to be launched on the Clyde!
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.
We're absolutely thrilled to announce that Angus Archives' catalogue is now available online! For the first time, you can dive into a treasure trove of history, stories, and heritage from across Angus, all from the comfort of your home.
Explore our rich collections of documents, photographs, and more with just a few clicks!
If you’d like to view anything from the catalogue, visit the search room Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Uncover the past and start exploring Angus’ heritage today!
(With thanks to Scottish Indexses via Facebook)
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.
Elizabeth Shown Mills' book Evidence Explained has now reached its fourth edition. So what is the book, and how can it help genealogists?
When carrying out genealogical research we come across all sorts of soures that can contribute to the narrative being pursued. We need to consider the evidential value of each source - is it accurate (just because it is written in black and white, or found on a website online, that does not necesarily mean it is true!), is it a primary or secondary source, can the evidence in a source be corroborated by other sources, and much more. Or to put it more simply, trust nothing, question everything! When sources are combined, we can create a proof for an argument that something happened to someone at a particular time and place, but along the way we may find that some of the sources used in such a proof conflict with each other. This is why we need to understand how and why particular sources were created, in order to evaluate their efficacy for our research. Even then, the research is never complete - it may take just one new source previously not found to completely upend a previously concuded theory within a proof. In addition to all of this, we also need to be able to create descriptions of where and how our sources are found, using citations that can allow us to easily find them again should we need to, and/or to allow others to also locate the same piece of evidence in due course.
In this updated edition of Elizabeth's book, long viewed as an essential within the genealogical profession since its first publication in 2007, she initially explains the nature of proofs, sources and evidence, before then turning to the various ways that source citations can be constructed. She then discusses the fundamentals of what makes a citation and how to build one, with various templates - for example, how do you cite a book or magazine article that you have found, or a particular website.
Subsequent chapters look at particular classes of records that we may wish to engage with - archives and artifacts, business and institutional records, cemetery records, census records, church records, and more. There are particular suggested citation solutions given for sources found from across the world, with Scotland and Ireland included, for example in how to cite Scottish civil registration records, or the earlier Old Parochial Records, as well as sources such as Griffith's Valuation and the Irish Registry of Deeds.
The book is written from a US perspective, and there are occasional factual errors when crossing the ocean - Scotland did not unite with England in 1607, for example (the Crown of both countries was merged in 1603, with the political union with England in 1707), and there is an odd solitary reference to "Griffith's Evaluations" - however, this is a not genealogy how-to book, but a guide on how to create adequate source citations. Those quoted for this side of the Atlantic are very effective, and there is enough information from other types of sources to allow individuals to construct their own bespoke citations for particular situations which may not be included.
There are, of course, many possible ways to cite sources. When I studied at Strathclyde University, for example, we were encouraged to use the Harvard style of referencing, which I still use to an extent to this day (although I use a more simplified version when constructing client reports). As Elizabeth herself notes, "Citations are flexible structures. As with any type of structure, certain elements are essential while others are optional. Standard building blocks can be assembled in various ways to fit each need". So whilst some may use Elizabeth's book to try to find a definitive way to cite a source, that may slightly miss the point - the key point is that there are basic elements to consider when citing a source, however you try to structure that, and to train you how to think about the very nature of the sources that you may be attempting to use to create a proof.
There is a lot to learn from Elizabeth's momentous work, and as such, this latest edition, brought up to date within its 744 pages to reflect the ever changing range of resources becoming available for our research, is an invaluable addition to the genealogist's bookshelf.
(With thanks to the Genealogical Publishing Company for a review copy)
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.
The first North of Ireland Family History Society (www.nifhs.org) North Irish Roots journal for 2024 has just arrived in the post, and includes an article by yours truly on Poor Law Removals from Britain to Ireland.
Also in the journal, which focusses on 'Tracing your family in England', there are articles from Debbie Bradley on how to search for ancestors in England and Wales, the Shankill Graveyard, and Christian Endeavour (Ireland) Retreat Homes, news on some new NIFHS transcriptions available to members, a review of the 'A Few Forgotten Women' project, and more!
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.
South Lanarkshire Libraries (https://www.slleisureandculture.co.uk/info/3/libraries) is holding another ByGoneCon event in Hamilton Town House Library on Saturday May 11th 2024. If your history or heritage organisation would like to participate (it's free to do so) contact the organisers at 01355 220046.
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.
