EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

The National Library of Scotland has digitized over 1800 Broadsides from the years 1610-1950. These Broadsides are a wealth of social history and very revealing about the times in which our ancestors lived.

Broadsides were one page "newspapers" that were distributed in the public market areas of any city or town. Often they were also posted on trees, sides of buildings, market stalls, walls and later lamp posts.

Broadsides not only include the days news but also local gossip and local advertising. The Broadsides were the pre-cursor to todays tabloid papers.

The Broadsides are fully searchable and can also be downloaded in PDF format. Have a look  to see what ancestor news YOU can uncover:

http://digital.nls.uk/broadsides/

Access Over 24,000 BMD Notices in Scottish Newspapers

Happy Haggis, a family tree research site, is offering unlimited access to over 24,000 BMD notices from Scottish (and other British) newspapers. The cost for this unlimited access is £7 ($11). The time frame is 1849-1854. So, if your ancestor was Scottish and fits those timelines, the newspaper listings might be worth a look:

http://www.happyhaggis.co.uk/HHHelp.htm

Itinerary for May 2013 Tour Now Set

The Itinerary for the May 2013 trip is now set. Here is how we will be spending our time in Scotland:

 

Monday May 6^th  – this is a bank holiday. Banks and businesses will be closed. However, tourist attractions are open. The afternoon will be free to explore Edinburgh. The Greyfriars Kirkyard is a few short blocks from the hotel. Edinburgh Castle and the Grassmarket area are ¼ of a mile away (across the road and down some steps!).  

We will meet in the meeting room of the hotel in the evening for a talk on Scottish Genealogy.  

Tuesday May 7^th  – we will meet in the hotel lobby and will travel together to the ScotlandsPeople Centre. We will be part of a Family History Session in the morning and will have the remainder of the day to do some research.  

Wednesday May 8^th – we will once again meet in the hotel lobby and return to the ScotlandsPeople Centre for a full day of research.  

Thursday May 9^th – we will meet in the hotel lobby and will make our way over to the Scottish Genealogy Society for a Family History event and tour and then will be able to conduct research.  

Friday May 10^th – we will meet in the hotel lobby and make our way over to the National Library where we will join a Family History Information Session. We will then be on our own to conduct research at the NLS. Please have a look at the website ahead of time and know what it is you are going to be looking for so that we can make sure ahead of time that it will be available to you since many of the resources are held off-site.  

Saturday May 11^th – we will meet in the hotel library and will travel together to Galashiels for the SAFHS conference.

Sunday May 12^th – this is a free day to explore Edinburgh on your own or to take a day trip through any one of the many tour coach services available.  

Monday May 13^th – if you wish to visit the local family history society responsible for the area where your ancestors lived, this day will be left available to you to do so. Please let me know ahead of time so that arrangements can be made. If you do not wish to travel to the local FHS, you may have a free day to explore, travel, shop or return to any of the research centres on your own.   

Tuesday May 14^th - we will once again meet in the hotel lobby and return to the ScotlandsPeople Centre for a full day of research. You may choose to visit the National Archives today instead. This evening we will meet in the hotel lobby at 5:15 to travel together to Prestonfield Stables to attend the Taste of Scotland Show.

Wednesday May 15^th – today we pack up, check out of the hotel and return home with a case full of new details, certificates and wonderful memories.