Day Two - Research and R&R

Today we were at the National Library of Scotland. We started our time there with a very thorough overview of the sorts of records that contain genealogical information, given by Elaine Brown. In addition to sharing the resources available at the NLS, Elaine showed us how much information is available on the NLS website so that we can continue our research at home. 

This evening, the group enjoyed their time with the very talented Robert of Historic Edinburgh Tours who led them on a guided tour of Edinburgh's Victorian Slums. 

This is a particularly enlightening tour for those of us who are studying our family histories. And took a personal turn for those tour participants who have Edinburgh ancestors. 

Family History Month - Using Magazines for Genealogy Research

Most of us who are researching our ancestors are aware of the value of using newspapers for our research and how they assist us in understanding the social history of our ancestors. But few of us are aware of the value of using magazines for genealogy research.

The National Library of Scotland is a national deposit library. As such, they receive copies of everything published in Scotland. That includes magazines. These magazines might be from your ancestor's place of employment, their social club or organization, their trade guild, their church, their regiment or their athletic club. 

Magazines like these often include:

• obituaries
• promotions
• recognition for achievements
• club celebrations
• board of directors
• election results 

and perhaps best of all: PHOTOGRAPHS! 

The thousands of magazines available at the NLS are only available in-house but they are well worth looking through. You just never know what you might discover about your Scottish ancestor.

Two Days of Research at the NLS

We have spent two very productive days at the NLS. Yesterday we were at the Maps building on Causewayside. It was fascinating to be able to see maps of the places where our ancestors lived and to be able to see what their communities looked like. The staff are incredibly enthusiastic which made the day. 

Today we were at the George IV Building. After a fantastic talk, we were able to take to the collections and shelves, newspapers and microfilms to see what we could uncover about our ancestors. 

The weather has been nothing short of glorious, so the walk to and from the George IV building has been warm and refreshing. Apparently it is snowing back in Ontario. 

National Library of Scotland Honour Rolls

The National Library of Scotland has digitized and made freely available online, their collection of honour rolls for WWI. These records are indexed alphabetically by either place or organization. The rolls contain names of casualties and those who fell in active duty.

The rolls are a collection from organizations such as schools, universities, clans, businesses and churches from across Scotland.

Here's the link:

http://digital.nls.uk/rolls-of-honour/pageturner.cfm?id=100847906

You Can't Do All of Your Research Online

You will get to a point in your Scottish research where you can no longer get the information you seek online. You will either be looking for records that are too new to be published online, or that are too old to be readily found online. That is when it becomes necessary to either travel to Scotland or to hire a genealogist in Scotland to do the work for you. 

At the Scotland’s People Centre, you can view documents right up to the present day. These can not be copied or downloaded, but you can transcribe to your hearts content.
 

 

At the National Library, you can access national and regional newspapers, old maps, historical clubs and society records, emigration lists, trades directories, post office directories and a great deal more.

 

 

 At the Scottish Genealogy Society, you can view burial records, monumental inscriptions, some trades directories, voters rolls and more.

 

At the National Archives, you can access Kirk Session records, Court records, Fatal Accident Reports, Tax records and a host of other information to assist you in really knowing who your ancestors were.

Since this is likely to be a once in a lifetime trip, do yourself a favour and know what it is you hope to accomplish and where you can accomplish it. The worst thing you can do is just show up in Scotland and hope for the best. Traveling to the home of your ancestors takes planning. It is not enough to show up in the village, head to the local pub and start asking questions. You need to do some research ahead of time. Learn about what repositories are available, what archival materials they hold, who can access them and what is required to access them (do you need a “readers ticket” or special card? Do you need photo i.d? Do you need to provide passport photos so an i.d. card can be created for you?). Learn the hours that the repositories are open, whether an appointment or booking time is required and whether there are fees involved. 

Many archival institutions have their holdings off-site and so it is important that you know this and order ahead so that your time can be well spent and disappointment kept to a minimum. Read up on whether you are allowed to photograph the images, scan the images, download or copy the images. Take your laptop or tablet as well as a USB stick. 

A trip to your ancestral homeland is both awe-inspiring and humbling. It provides you with such a deep seated feeling of reverence knowing you stand in the same place where your ancestors walked. The sights, some of the landmarks and the sounds may have changed, but the deep emotion of knowing your great-great anything once stood in the same spot you are now standing in, or worshipped in the same church you are visiting, is incomparable. It helps you put the dates, names and places into perspective. It breathes life into the documents.

 

Research Day Four - National Library of Scotland

Today was spent at the National Library of Scotland.

Most of the morning was spent in a session learning about all that the NLS has to offer people who are researching their family history. Then after a quick tour, it was time to hit the collections. Newspapers were consulted, trades and city directories poured over, maps consulted and books perused. While not quite as productive a day from a research perspective, we have learned a great deal about what resources are available to family historians and we have a keener understanding of the lives and times in which our ancestors lived.

Looking forward to the SAFHS conference tomorrow in Galashiels.

Research Day Three - Scottish Genealogy Society

We had a later start this morning since the SGS opens a wee bit later than the other archives.

 

Given the limited space available in the SGS, I left the group in the capable hands of the volunteers and made my way over to the National Library to order some documents for tomorrow. I made a detour to St Giles first.

 

 

Of course the masterpiece of St Giles, is quite likely the Thistle Chapel

 

 

 

Of course, no trip to the Royal Mile is complete without enjoying the characters that are routinely sprinkled along the street.

 

 

I did make it over to the NLS and ordered the documents I would like to peruse tomorrow when we visit as a group. Then I headed back down to the National Records of Scotland to consult the records of the appeals court as well as the kirk session records. Another very productive day.

New Digitized Collections On NLS Website

The National Library of Scotland has added two new digitized collections to their website database. The first is a collection of medical documents from the British Raj. The 'Medicine - Vaccination' shows British efforts to vaccinate the Indian population against smallpox. http://digital.nls.uk/indiapapers/ 

The second collection is a selection of British Army, Navy and Air Force lists. These lists give details of officers who served during the First and Second World Wars. 

http://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/pageturner.cfm?id=97343435

 

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/

Do You Have Covenanter Ancestors?

From the National Library of ScotlandBlog: 

“During the seventeenth century, the Scottish Covenanters were fighting for their religious freedoms against the King in London. Many were martyred for their cause and monuments to those who died can be found in many areas of Scotland.  

If you are looking for specific Covenanting ancestors, the ‘Scottish Covenanter Genealogical Index’ by Isabelle McCall MacLean (2007) may be of interest. There is also the ‘Register of the Rev. John MacMillan: Being a Record of Marriages and Baptisms Solemnised by him among the Cameronian Societies’, edited by Rev. Henry Paton (1908). This latter title is a record of the marriages and baptisms of Covenanters during the period 1706-1751.”

 

 

Day Eleven - Last Day of Research

Today was spent at the National Library. It is hard to believe that the trip is coming to an end. I could easily spend another week in the archives and research centres. But that will now need to wait until next year's trip.
We were shown a presentation of what the holdings of the NLS contain. The NLS is the leading centre for the study of Scotland and the Scots. There are British Directories (1773-1950), Industrial Histories, Publications of Scottish Clubs and Societies (including apprentice records, military records and various ephemera), WWI official photographs, Army, Navy & Airforce Lists (primarily officers or decorated soldiers), Family Histories, Emigration Lists, Matriculation Rolls, Newspapers and Old Maps.
After a brief tour, we were able to conduct some research. I was able to view an original hard copy of the Dalkeith Advertiser for 1955 and found an article in which my grandmother had been interviewed about the size of her family.

Some of the group returned to the Scottish Genealogy Society which is just down the street, or went to the Central Edinburgh Library across the street to finish up their research.

It has been a very productive trip. Lots of documents have been viewed, downloaded or copied. Blanks and spaces have been filled in and foliage has been added to our family trees. I can't wait to get back to Canada (well actually I can......) and start to put the family newsletter together so that I can share what has been found over the past 10 days.

I wish you all continued good luck in your search for your Scottish ancestors.

The 1833 Death of Tom Williams, Edinburgh's Hangman

A great piece of social history from the National Library of Scotland on the death of Edinburgh's hangman, Tom Williams. Tom had been in the job for 12 years. His body is interred in Greyfriar's Church Yard cemetery.

Happy Reading!

Can't Find Them in the Census?

One of the best tools for a genealogist is the census. This lets us know where our ancestors were, their approximate age, occupations and who the family was comprised. From there we can go back and look for birth or marriage certificates. But sometimes our ancestors elude us on the census records, or we might be wanting to find them before the 1841 census. What then? The OPRs have scant information but are a useful tool as well. If these records don't produce results, have a look at the Post Office Directories, now available through the National Library of Scotland (NLS).

Here's the link: http://www.nls.uk/family-history/directories/post-office/

From here, you can click on the area where your ancestors resided and start scouting them out!

Happy Searching!