Dundee Industrial Schools Admission Indexes

Between 1855 and 1916, the Dundee Industrial Schools took in children from all over the country. The Admission Indexes are available online at:

These are listed alphabetically and are also separated into Boys and Girls. The information provided includes:

• Name
• Date of Birth
• Birthplace
• Residence
• Admission Date
• Father's Name 
• Mother's Name

The lists and fully downloadabe and  can be found at:
 http://www.fdca.org.uk/Industrial_School.html

Tartan Day Scotland Festival 2014

From Angus Ahead comes this press release:

Plans are well underway for the Tartan Day Scotland Festival 2014, the celebration of Scotlandand the Scots which takes place across Angus from 5-13 April 2014. Almost forty events have already been added to the Tartan Day Scotland Festival programme, including a major Homecoming Scotland 2014 event, which is being held in Arbroath on the weekend of 5/6 April.

“We’ve had a fabulous response to this year’s Tartan Day Scotland Festival, with local organisations and businesses arranging and getting involved in events throughout Angus,”said Cllr Mairi Evans, Angus Council Economic Development spokesperson.“This year, we’re thrilled to be hosting a key Homecoming Scotland event in Arbroath and it’s wonderful to see the support being provided to this weekend of celebrations, which is expected to welcome high numbers of additional visitors to the area.”

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The Tartan Day Scotland Festival in Arbroath is set to capture the very essence of the Year of Homecoming Scotland.

“This is an opportunity for local people and for those from further afield to come together and enjoy Scotland’s rich history, its eclectic culture and its pioneering legacy to the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a history buff – there really is something for everyone – from fantastic seafood and maritime demonstrations to music and street performers – I think it’s the perfect opportunity visit to Scotland’s east coast.”

The Tartan Day Scotland Homecoming Weekend in Arbroath will focus on two of the town’s main visitor attractions – Arbroath Abbey and ArbroathHarbour – and will kick off with a ceilidh organised by Arbroath and Area Partnership on the evening of Friday, April 4.

Throughout the weekend, there will be guided tours of– and free entry to - historic Arbroath Abbey. There will also be a medieval encampment in the grounds and craft demonstrations, including calligraphy, combat, juggling and a working forge, similar to the one used to make the iron shoes for the horses of the Scottish Knights who travelled to Arbroath in 1320 to sign the famous Declaration of Arbroath.

Arbroath’s maritime heritage will be in the spotlight at Arbroath Harbour. At the Taste of Angus event in the Fish Market, foodies will be able to sample the very best of local produce, including freshly-caught seafood and, of course, Arbroath Smokies. The visitor centre overlooking Arbroath Marina will host demonstrations of traditional fishing skills, while the nearby Signal Tower Museum, once home to the light keepers of the Bell Rock Lighthouse and their families, will be the backdrop for sea shanties, storytelling and re-enactments of the lives of the local fisher families in days long gone.

Saturday’s Homecoming Scotland celebrations will also feature street performers and live music on Arbroath High Street and guided walks of Arbroath Abbey’s ancient graveyard, Old Arbroath and, as darkness falls, the town’s haunted most spots.

A Tayroots Family History Day will be held on Sunday, April 6 at the Webster Memorial Theatre. This will consist of talks from leading genealogists and historians and the chance for people from near and far to seek advice and information from members of local and family history groups, archivists and other relevant organisations.

At lunchtime that day, the Massed Angus Pipe Bands will lead the way to Arbroath Abbey, where Arbroath Abbey Timethemes will re-enact the April 6, 1320 Signing of the Declaration of Arbroath. For the first time in many years, this ceremony will take place within the walls of Arbroath Abbey, close to where the original document was signed.

Arbroath’s Tartan Day Scotland Homecoming Weekend will conclude with a display of the archives of Auchmithie and a screening of vintage local film footage in the WebsterTheatre.

“The Homecoming Weekend is a wonderful opportunity to welcome back to Angus the descendants of those who left our shores many years ago,” said Cllr Evans. “By holding this event during the Tartan Day Scotland Festival, we will be celebrating Scotlandwith the people of Scotlandand ancestral Scots from across the globe.”

Further information about The Tartan Day Scotland Festival 2014, including the Tartan Day Scotland Homecoming event in Arbroath on 5/6 April, is available online at www.tartandayscotland.com. To keep up to date with the latest news about the Tartan Day Scotland Festival,‘like’ the Tartan Day Scotland facebook page.

Creating Family Keepsakes With My Flip Pal

Last night, I loaded the Creative Suite software that I purchased with my Flip Pal. It was remarkably simple to load, but what I wasn't prepared for, but pleasantly surprised by, was what all was included. There is the Scrapbook Artist2 software, PagePlus which is an editing/publishing program similar to Publisher or PrintMaster,  PhotoPlus which is a photo editing program, a Slideshow creator (which I did not install, but plan to) and Family Tree Heritage genealogy software. All for only $50.

I decided to get to work with the Scrapbook Artist software. I recently purchased MyMemories and was thrilled with the ease of use of that software. Scrapbook Artist is really quite simple as well. And less complicated in that nothing needs to get downloaded within the program. It comes pre-loaded with a number of digital back grounds, embellishments, letters and frames. The add-ons are easy to load, easy to use and it is easy to change the colour using the colour wheel.

I wasn't as thrilled with the journaling in this program and journaling is a very integral part of preserving memories for me. And many of the add-ons need to be purchased, whereas MyMemories offers TONS of freebies with new things being added weekly.

However, if I hadn't already had MyMemories, I would be quite content with all that Scrapbook Artist has to offer. Here's the final product:

The pages can all be saved as Png files (picture files) which can then be "dropped" into a photobook program and then printed/bound for gift giving. This particular page is of my mum and will be included in a book about her for my children.

Here's to preserving family keepsakes!

My New Flip Pal Mobile Scanner Has Arrived!

My early Christmas present to myself is a new Flip Pal mobile Scanner. I first learned about these devices earlier this year and immediately wanted one. But as any mum knows, everyone else comes first. Finally another genealogy friend talked me into spoiling myself for a change, and I took the advice and ordered my Flip Pal. It arrived in the mail today!

I decided right off the hop that if I was going to get the Flip Pal, I was going to do it right the first time and so I purchased the Creative Suite program as well. This is optional. I do a lot of desktop publishing and I make all sorts of family treasure type of gifts like personalized calendars, newsletters, etc so I knew the additional cost was going to be worth while for me. 

The first thing that struck me was how super light-weight the device is. It weighs just over a pound. There is no fuss, no muss, no bother in setting it up. The batteries are pre-loaded. You just need to remove the protective paper that sits between them for shipping. Turn the on switch and you are in business!! No plugs, no wires, no cables. Just flip the switch and it is ready to go.

I recently inherited the job (ok, I offered) of scanning some old photos that were given to the local genealogy society. They are photos of people from here and the thought was that if we displayed them on the blog, we might be able to find the rightful owners of these treasured heirlooms. So, I set to work. In less than 5 minutes, I had scanned 12 photographs, both sides! It is so incredibly simple. Lift the lid, place the photo face down, push the button and seconds later, the photo is scanned. The display screen shows you where the scan is in terms of its progress.

The 2GB SD card holds up to 1250 images. More than the average family historian is going to need space for! Then it is as simple as popping the SD card when  you are finished. The Flip Pal comes with an SD- USB stick (commonly known as a card reader). If you want to save the pics on the SD card, you can. Just replace the card when you are ready to scan more photos. If you want to download them into the computer, place the SD card into the reader and away you go. If you want to re-print, take the SD card to your local photo finishing shop and you are all set.

I love my new toy. And I wasn't paid or compensated in any way for sharing my enthusiasm. I just really love the device and wanted to spread the word about how simple it is to use. Not to mention how valuable it can be for someone who has loads of old photos or documents to scan.

Happy Scanning - and here's to getting through our "to-do" lists!

Free Download of Resource Guide to Searching Your Ancestral Roots in Angus & Dundee

Tayroots Family History has a free Resource Guide to researching your Angus & Dundee roots which can be downloaded for free in PDF format. You can also sign up for a free e-newsletter to stay abreast of what is happening in their area. Once you do, you will be able to receive a free booklet, by mail, called "Researching Your Family History in Angus and Dundee"  This book will be mailed to you free of charge, regardless where you live in the world. Why not take advantage?

Here's the link to the website:

http://www.tayroots.com/home/home.asp

To sign up for the newsletter, and free booklet, and to download the resource guide, click on the Research Your Roots tab at the top of the page.

Happy Researching!