Give Yourself the Gift of Learning

St Andrew's Day is just over a week away. We are five weeks away from Christmas and before you know it, it will be a new year and a new decade. 

Burn's birthday is January 25th and that means the annual Scottish ViC. 

We have a great line up of presentations. Presentations not offered outside of Scotland. Presentations that I wanted to be able to bring to a wider audience, which is why I started the ViC. 

In ViC 2020, we take an in-depth look at Prison and Asylum records and learn of the minutia of detail that they contain about the people in the records. Hair colour, eye colour, height, scars, tattoos

We look at records that will help you to learn about the death of your ancestors - and this goes well beyond the death registers and monumental inscriptions. A wide array of records can be consulted to assist with finding this information for your ancestors. 

We look at the rich detail contained in wills and testaments, the legal process of probating a will and the records generated as a result. 

We learn about Scotland's relationship to the Caribbean Slave trade - not a pleasant part of Scotland's history, but an important part to understand. Yes, you might even have ancestors of Scottish descent in the Caribbean.

We take a look at how best to search for your ancestors in the Scottish newspapers and the rich detail that can be gleaned from them. Like maps, newspapers are a huge rabbit hole and learning how to focus our time and attention will make for better success. Ok, who are we kidding, everyone's story in newspapers is worthy of a read - even people who have no relationship to us. 

We will look at the reasons Scots left their homeland and emigrated to Canada. We will learn about the emigration societies, their purpose, how land was parcelled and how our Scottish ancestors fared once they arrived in Canada. And we will learn of the more enterprising Scots who came after the initial settlers and how they made their mark. 

Access to the presentations will be open until February 25th to allow you time to revisit them at your leisure and on your schedule. 

All presenters will be available LIVE and in person in the closed Facebook group for ViC registrants. They will be available immediately following their presentations on January 25th. 

Give yourself the gift of learning. REGISTER HERE

ALL TOURS IN 2020 ARE SOLD OUT!!

All four genealogy research tours scheduled for 2020 are now FULL! 

Two research opportunities in Edinburgh (May and Sept), one research opportunity in Orkney and one in the Borders. 2020 promises to be a busy year for finding Scottish ancestors, researching in Scottish archives and libraries, visiting ancestral homes and honouring ancestors at their graves. 

Watch this blog (or sign up for email alerts) to follow my tour participants as they discover more of their ancestral stories, learn about and better understand their ancestor's history, deepen their sense of heritage and fall more in love with Scotland. 

Plans for 2021 are still in the works and won't likely be announced until after the Scottish ViC 

Once everything is confirmed (dates and location) the 2021 schedule will be shared via this blog and my mailing list. Stay tuned....

Can't Find Your Ancestor's Death Information?

Have you hit a snag trying to find your Scottish ancestor's death record? Maybe it's because you aren't looking at the right records. 

Glasgow City Archivist, Irene O'Brien will show us a variety of records where you can find the information you are looking for when the standard records don't seem to be available. 

Join us for the Scottish ViC to learn about researching Scottish deaths and so much more. Seven presentations, six presenters to show you that your Scottish ancestors really are waiting for you to find them. 

Registration allows access to the presentations and downloadable handouts for one full month. https://www.genealogyvic.com/

SINGLE SPACE OPENS FOR EDINBURGH RESEARCH TOUR SEPT 2020

SEPT 13 - 19, 2020

The tour is scheduled for Sept 13 - 19th, 2020. Arrival will be on the Sunday and check out on the following Saturday.  This allows five full days of dedicated genealogy research.

The tour fees are $2545 canadian. This includes: 

• Pre-tour preparation and support
• Hotel and breakfast
• Three days at the ScotlandsPeople Centre/National Records of Scotland
• One full day at the National Library of Scotland
• One full day of research at the Scottish Genealogy Society. 

*each person is responsible for getting to and from Edinburgh on their own. Airfare and transport between the airport and hotel are not included.

​​***Non researching companions/spouses/family members sharing a room are welcome to join us for $500 Canadian. This includes their extra fee to the hotel. Non researchers do not count for available spaces so a single space DOES allow you to bring a companion. It is the research spaces that are limited.  
 

Walk where your ancetors walked. Worship where your ancestors worshipped. Visit your ancestors at their gravesides.

Find your Scottish ancestors waiting for you on the shelves of the archives, libraries and family history societies in Edinburgh

Gain a deeper sense of your story, your history and your place within the wider Scottish Diaspora. 

As with all spaces, this availability will go on a first come first served basis.  

https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/edinburgh-sept-2020.html

WIN YOUR ViC REGISTRATION!

As we approach Cyber Monday, you have the opportunity to WIN your ViC registration. 

Everyone who registers (or is already registered) for the ViC by Cyber Monday (Monday, December 2, 2019) will be entered to win back their registration fees. (A full refund will be issued to the winner)

REGISTER TO WIN!

Scottish Prison and Asylum Records Presentations

Do you know what your ancestor looked like? Do you know his height? His hair and eye colour? Whether he had tattoos or scars? Scottish PRISON records have such rich detail contained within them.

Do you know what the living conditions were for your ancestor who was in a Scottish asylum?

The Prison and Asylum records for Scotland include a wealth of rich detail that will help you to get a clearer understanding of your ancestor and the life that they lived.

Emma Maxwell will be giving 2 presentations during the Scottish ViC. One on Prison records and the deep detail they contain and one on Asylum records and the stories contained within them about your ancestors.

Access to the presentations is open for a full month following the ViC once you register.

NEW! COMMONWEALTH VIRTUAL INSTITUTE

THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR BRITISH GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HISTORY

 PRESENTS

COMMONWEALTH VIRTUAL INSTITUTE

The ISBGFH is pleased to announce their Virtual Institute which will run from March 16-19, 2020. The theme for this Institute is Researching in Commonwealth Countries. Each day of the Institute will feature 4 presentations on a particular Commonwealth Country:

Monday March 16 – Canadian Research presented by Kathryn Lake Hogan, UE, PLCGS. Kathryn is a Canadian professional genealogist who revels in teaching people how to find their ancestors in Canada. She is the founder and owner of the Canadian-based genealogy business, Looking4Ancestors.

Tuesday March 17 – South African Research presented by Sue McNelly. Sue is a professional genealogist based in Phoenix, Arizona, with over 16 years of experience. Born in South Africa to her English father and South African mother, Sue’s roots are predominantly English with a little Scottish, Irish and of course South African, to add to the mix. Sue is the owner of KindredPast, a genealogy company focusing on research in South Africa, England, and the Isle of Man.

Wednesday March 18 – British India Research presented by Emma Jolly. Emma Jolly MA is a professional genealogist and writer. Based in London, Emma writes regularly for family history publications and is the author of four books. Emma's media work includes radio and television appearances, as well as research for British and Swedish television channels, independent production companies, and national newspapers. She also edits the monthly newsletter of the Society of Genealogists. Emma specializes in genealogy problem-solving, tracing living relatives (alongside DNA test analysis), London history, social history, women's history and the British in India.

Thursday March 19 – Australian Research presented by Kerry Farmer. Kerry Farmer is a researcher, presenter and teacher in genealogical studies. She is on the Board of the Society of Australian Genealogists and convener of their Education Committee. She is Director of Australian Studies for the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, developing their Australian Records courses.

**Please note that this will be a late afternoon/evening series given the time zone differences**

$70usd per day. $249usd for all 4 days.

Registration allows you access to recordings of the presentations

until April 30th 

To register: https://isbgfh.wildapricot.org/