A Busy Week of Research

It is almost impossible to believe that today was our last day of research together. The weeks seems to have flown by. 

On Monday, the group was divided into two smaller groups for research at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society. Again, each tour participant was paired up with a volunteer to start digging into different strategies for discovering their family history in the West of Scotland area. 

Tuesday was our first full day at the Glasgow City Archives. We were given an overview of the records by Dr Irene O'Brien, senior archivist at the GCA. Then some of the participants went to the registrar to consult the ScotlandsPeople database and the rest of the group had the amazing opportunity to consult original records. What a fantastic experience that is! 

Wednesday saw a return to the Mitchell to once again consult original records at the archives, or to consult the ScotlandsPeople database. Some also went across the corridor to consult the special collections held at the Mitchell. 

On Wednesday evening, we enjoyed dinner together as a group. We walked down to the Buttery where we enjoyed a lovely meal and a nice, relaxed evening. It was a wonderful respite from a very busy week, and a chance for us to enjoy each other's company. 

Today we were back at the Mitchell with most using the ScotlandsPeople database until that department closed, then moving over to the archives. In the evening, we went to listen to a talk about the maps that are held at the Mitchell. We also learned about the changes to Glasgow over the last couple of hundred years as they are shown in the series of maps held by the library. Again, being able to consult original records was a wonderful experience. 

Tomorrow is our last breakfast together, then we are off on separate adventures. Some are heading to Europe or England, some are heading to meet up with family and others are staying to explore more of their ancestral homeland. I will be heading back home. I will be taking new information and new documents with me as well as a better understanding of the world my great grandfather grew up in. I will once again be sharing the news about the richness of the resources available for genealogy research in Scotland.
And while I will be taking back some wonderful memories, I will be forever blessed by the relationships that were developed during our time together as a research group. 

Glasgow Research Tour Itinerary

The itinerary for the 2019 Glasgow tour is now confirmed.

Thursday May 16: We will meet in the hotel lobby for a meet and greet and to talk about the week ahead.

Friday, May 17: We will meet in the hotel lobby at 8:30 am to walk to the train station where we will head to Motherwell. Research opportunities will be available at both the North Lanarkshire Archives and the Lanarkshire Family History Society.

Saturday May 18: Those who are interested will meet in the hotel lobby at 12:45 to head to the Glasgow Women's Library. Here we will be given an overview of the library and a behind the scenes tour. Then we will head out on a guided tour of Glasgow's East End. This is one of the older parts of Glasgow and has a rich history. We will see the Templeton Carpet Factory, Glasgow Green, and will end at Abercrombie Cemetery, locally known as the Weaver's Cemetery.

Sunday May 19: For those who are interested, we will meet in the hotel lobby at 1:15 and head to the Glasgow Necropolis for a guided tour.

Monday May 20: Today’s research opportunity will be at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society. We have also been invited to join the GWSFHS for their evening meeting.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we will head to the Mitchell Library for full days of research at the Glasgow City Archives

The tour ends after breakfast on Friday morning. Some will head further afield, or stay a few days longer. Others will return home complete with certificates, stories, photos, a richer sense of themselves as part of the Scottish diaspora and with a keener sense of connection not only to their ancestors but also to their ancestral homeland.

To book your space: https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/glasgow-tour.html

Only ONE space remains!! If you are the first to book, it's YOURS!

Are You Interested in Researching in Glasgow?

Do your Scottish ancestors hail from Glasgow, or Lanarkshire? Are you interested in researching your Scottish roots in the archives and family history societies in Scotland? 

There is ONE space left for the Glasgow 2019 tour. This will be allocated on a first come first serve basis

Looking for more information? Here's the link:  
https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/glasgow-tour.html

FOUR Spaces Left for Glasgow Genealogy Tour 2019

There are just four spaces left for the Glasgow research tour May 16-24, 2019. 

Here is the link for more information. 

https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/glasgow-tour.html

Please also note that air travel or travel from the airport to the hotel are not included. 

Announcing a Glasgow Tour for 2018!

At the request of several participants, I have put together another Glasgow research tour for 2018. Tour dates are May 16-24th, 2018. 

Tour fees are $2675 Canadian. 

The tour will allow for five full days of research with an optional sixth day. The tour runs from mid week to mid week, allowing free time on the weekend. This not only provides a break from the research, but it allows time to process what we have uncovered. And it allows time to re-charge ourselves by resting, shopping or sightseeing. 

New for 2018 is the opportunity to research Lanarkshire ancestors who were outside of the city of Glasgow proper. These opportunities include:

• Lanarkshire Family History Society
• North Lanarkshire Archives 

North Lanarkshire Archives collects and preserves the historical records covering the areas of Airdrie, Bellshill, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, Motherwell, Shotts, Stepps and Wishaw.

There will be three full days of research at the Glasgow City Archives, where records for South Lanarkshire are on deposit. 

The tour is once again being limited in size to allow for group cohesion and also so that we don't overwhelm the research facilities. 

As it sits right now, based on those who expressed interest, and were therefore given first opportunity for registering for the tour, there are only FIVE spaces left. 

If you have Glaswegian or Lanarkshire ancestors and would like to research in the records in and around Glasgow, this is your chance! But don't hesitate or you may lose out. 

The Records Keep on Giving

The Glasgow Research Tour is halfway through their week! How can that be? 

The group have had two full days of research in the Glasgow City Archives, the Family History Centre or in the Mitchell's Special Collections Department. We have been in awe and are so amazed at the remarkable history and memories that the Glasgow City Archives have been able to preserve and share. Ancestor have been found, stories uncovered and life has been breathed into the lives of our ancestors. So much of the understanding comes from understanding their life circumstances as well. 

The Glasgow Group have also visited and consulted the collections of the Glasgow University Archives. Photos have been uncovered, death and burial records consulted and again we have been amazed at the sheer wealth of original records available for genealogy research. 

 

From here we have time at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society and then a final day at the Mitchell. 

Friendships have been cemented. Research has been shared. Ancestral streets, homes, churches and neighbourhoods have been visited. And best of all, we have all reconnected with our own Scottish roots. 

The Research Begins!

The Glasgow Research Group had their first day at the Glasgow City Archives today. What a treat! Many were amazed at the information that they were able to gather on their Glasgow ancestors and lots of unknowns were answered today. As always, the Poor Relief records provided a wealth of information.

Poor Law records, Kirk Session records, Burial records, School records, and Merchant records were all consulted today. Being able to handle, read and understand the genealogy gems within the original documents made the participants feel like they were experiencing their own Who Do You Think You Are episode!