Registration for the Scottish ViC ends January 20/22

 

You don't want to miss this one! I have had the great pleasure of listening to Hugh Allison speak about the Battle of Culloden and the fallout which led to emigration. I have had the great pleasure of speaking to Matthew Smith and hearing about the stories that will be uncovered during the talk about the British Slave Owner Database. These stories are not just about the slave owners but also about the enslaved. The connections between the Caribbean and Scotland run strong.

I have also had the great pleasure of hearing Ciaran Jones talk about the Witches of Scotland and the information available in the Survey of Scottish Witchcraft Database in conjunction with the Interactive Map of Scottish Witches. And I have heard about the Covenanters in Scotland and the tragedy of those who were presecuted simply for wanting to hold onto their Presbyterian religion.

All of these talks fit well with VIsitScotland's Year of Scottish Stories. They will give you tremendous insight into the times in which your ancestors lived. The fear, the worry. Many of these events affected not just the individuals but also their families, and indeed, entire communities. 

This event will certainly let the Scottish ViC go out on a high note. I am incredibly proud of the depth of learning that these events have provided over the years, and this one is no exception. 

The ViC will run from 9:15 eastern and wraps up at 3:30 eastern. Access to the recordings remains open for 30 days for those with time zone challenges. 

To register: https://www.genealogyvic.com/ViC-2022

 

Another New Resource for Scottish Research

In my  last post I alluded to more than one new resource. And here it is! Another new book about Scots who initially settled in along the Ottawa Valley in Ontario but then migrated to Utah after converting to Latter Day Saints. Their travel takes them through Nauvoo Illinois, Council Bluffs Iowa and then along the Mormon Trail. 

There are several surnames listed in the book's 32 page index as well as some 50 family tree charts contained within the book. 

Click here for the index showing the surnames listed within the book. 

And click the link to GlobalGenealogy  where the book can be purchased in either print or PDF formats. Global ships internationally. 

New In Brief Guide for Scottish Genealogy

Just in time for Tartan Day!

IDG Introduces their Newest of In-Brief Research Guides:

Researching Your Scottish Ancestors by Christine Woodcock

UTICA, OH, 5 APRIL 2016—The In-Depth Genealogist (IDG) is pleased to announce the publication of “An In-BriefGuide to Researching Your Scottish Ancestors”by Christine Woodcock. Christine writes the column “In Search of Your Scottish Roots” for The In-Depth Genealogist’s digital magazine, Going In-Depth.

Within the In-Brief guide you will find the following helpful topics: Important Dates to Remember, Types of Documents Available Online, Useful Information within the Documents, Tips for Success, Archives, Libraries, Family History Societies, and much more.

PDF download is just $2.47!

Tartan Day - April 6

April 6th will be the 695th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, a letter written to Pope John XXII declaring Scotland an independent country and allowing Scotlandto use military action when provoked.

The Declaration, written in Latin (the formal language of the times), was signed by 51 noblemen. As a toast to this very historic event, Canada began celebrating its Scots heritage in the mid 1980s with parades, pipe bands, highland dancing, Kirkin o' the Tartna and other gatherings of the Scots Diaspora. This became widely known as Tartan Day. And in 2011, Canada had its own (Maple Leaf) tartan officially recognised.

In fairly short order, many other countries of the Scots Diaspora also declared or celebrated Tartan Day on April 6th. The exception to this is Australasia, which celebrates International Tartan Day on July 1, the anniversary of the repeal of the Act of Proscription which forbade the wearing of tartan by anyone outwith the military.

A Scot's A Scot Even to the Twentieth Generation

Few words have more truth. No matter how many Scots I meet, whether born and raised, first generation or ten generations removed, Scots have a fierce and proud claim on their heritage. Not a chest-pounding machismo sort of pride. But a calm, deeply entrenched sense of belonging. 

It is this inherent sense of who they are that gives the Scot descendant, who visits Scotland for the first time, the sense that they have returned home. A calm, comfortable knowledge that they belong here. THIS is where their roots started.

Is there such a thing as the memories of our ancestors being passed along in our DNA? Hard to know for certain. But something in our genes, our culture makes us KNOW where we came from and to whom we belong. 

One of the best parts of working and interacting with the Scots diaspora on a daily basis is their quickness to indulge in their heritage and all things Scottish. The symbolism, the celebrations, the traditions, the music. Photographs, food, memories evoke a depth of response that, for many cultures, is beyond understanding. 

Genetically and biologically, I belong to a huge family. My maternal grandfather fathered 21 children. All but one survived to adulthood. My paternal grandparents had 9 children. 8 of them survived to adulthood. A feat in and of itself. 

At a young age, my parents and I left our home and family behind for a better life in Canada. Mum had 2 sisters and a niece here. But in many ways, my upbringing was likely more Scottish than that of my cousins in Scotland. Every summer, all summer, Scotland came to us. The family arrived in pairs, or in packs, but they always arrived. 

In addition, all of my parent's friends were Scottish. We celebrated every tradition and holiday known to Scots. My parents regularly had a ceilidh, as had been the tradition in my dad's home when he was growing up. Of course, my dad was the only one that was musically inclined, but the others were always up for a get together. 

Our house was the focus of the neighbourhood and friendship circle every Hogmanay. The cleaning, the cooking, the food, the Auld Lang Syne circle and of course the First Footer. And then there were the Burns Nights. Not that we called them that. And not that they always occurred in January. But there were times when the haggis was made, paraded out on a platter and aptly addressed by my mum as she recited, from heart, Rabbie's immortal words. 

I find that now that most of my parents' generation have passed on, I crave those moments more with each passing day. This past couple of weeks, however, has provided some wonderful opportunities to re-connect with those traditions. I enjoyed sharing my heritage with friends at a Burns Night sponsored by Clan Donald Southern Ontario and then 5 days later, was able to enjoy the Scottish Tattoo at the Sony Centre where I also manned a booth for the Clans and Scottish Societies of Canada. 

People flocked to the table to see what their tartan looked like. Some were clearly moved when they touched the swatch of material. Lots of memories were shared and lots of humour shared. And a deep sense of knowing that in our heritage, we belonged to each other and to our ancestral homeland.