Great Sucess, Great Craic, Great Research This Week

We have had a busy but successful week in locating and connecting our Scottish ancestors.

Participants have had two full days at ScotlandsPeople Centre where some were able to make the connections they needed to prove a direct line. This was done through the use of the Old Parish Registers, Wills and Testaments. Others were able to read and transcribe births marriages and deaths more recent than the privacy laws allow for online viewing. Yet others were able to flesh out some of the personal stories of their ancestors through the Kirk Session records. We found evidence of irregular marriages, fornication and banns read then cancelled.

The participants have also spent a full day at the Scottish Genealogy Society. Although there wasn't a lot of headway made here, it was a great time with lots of laughs and stories shared.

 

And today, we visited the National Library of Scotland. Again some good success here. One participant found a very old published family history that contained here great, great grandparents. Others were fascinated with the maps of the areas where their ancestors lived. Trades directories, emigration guides and estate papers were also consulted with some good success in fleshing out the social history of our ancestors.

And now the weekend is upon us. One couple has gone to Whithorn to see their ancestral village. Others will be doing the same this weekend with Ian Walker of Borders Journeys. One couple have ancestry here in Edinburgh so hope to get to wander around the streets their ancestors lived on and to visit the churches and graveyards.

This will be an opportunity for me to connect with family and get caught up on all that has taken place in the last year.