BIFHSGO Conference 2015

Later this week I will be heading to Ottawa to take part in the annual conference of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa. Each year, the conference features a different country from the British Isles, and this year the focus is on Scotland. In addition to Scottish research, the conference will feature topics on Technology and on Photographs - both as they relate to genealogy. Something for everyone.

The BIFHSGO conference is well run, has a variety of topics on offer and has a large marketplace. Online registration is closed, but you can arrive in person and register onsite.

I will be leading two pre-conference seminars on Friday. These are three hour sessions where we will delve into specific topics in Scottish research.

Friday morning focuses on getting started with your Scottish genealogy research.

In Search of Your Scottish Ancestors: 

Search Your Roots-Discover Your Heritage

While many people want to know more about their Scottish heritage, they often don’t know where to begin. Knowing where to look is usually where we falter. Fortunately, researching our Scottish ancestors is a fairly easy task. This seminar will get you started with researching your Scottish ancestry and will help you make the most of your research. Topics include: starting your search, the ScotlandsPeople website, the Scottish naming pattern, Scottish marriages, Catholic parish records on ScotlandsPeople, Scottish family history societies, Using Scottish Libraries and Archives, Scottish newspaper research, Scottish clans, and Connecting with others researching their Scottish ancestry.

The afternoon workshop is a walk-through of using the ScotlandsPeople website.

Dinnae Waste Yer Credits, Then:

Navigating the ScotlandsPeople Website

ScotlandsPeople is the website that provides you with actual images of the statutory records for Scottish research. This is a pay-per-view site using credits. If you don't know how to use the website effectively, you can waste a lot of credits, spend a lot of money and endure a lot of frustration. In this seminar, you will learn how to get the most success out of your ScotlandsPeople searches. Topics include: how the credit system works, how to narrow down your search, which records are the most relevant, where to find past search results, how to trace female ancestors, where to get help, and what to do when you can't read the documents.

On Saturday, I will be sharing ideas for Tracking Your Scots Emigrant Ancestor:

Learn the importance of Understanding Emigration in the Historical Context of Scotland, the  Passenger Vessels Acts of 1803 & 1842, the role of Colonial Societies, and both Online and Offline resources for tracking Your Scots Emigrant Ancestor.

And on Sunday, I will be highlighting some of the Lesser Known Databases for Scottish Genealogy Research:

Scotland is a world leader when it comes to preserving their national history and national memory. Archivists all over the country are working to conserve, preserve, digitize and make available records that can be used for genealogical research. This lecture will assist you in learning where you might find information on your Scots ancestor that will help you to fill in their story and add to your understanding of their social history.

Genealogy Tours of Scotland will have a table in the Marketplace throughout the conference. Please drop by to say hello, share your stories and ask for some ideas on where to turn next in your quest to trace your Scottish ancestor.