More About Glasgow 2023 Tour

The Glasgow 2023 tour is happening in April and is only 7 months away. Research spaces are limited to 10 so that we can safely be accommodated in the Family History Centres. Once the 10 spaces are filled, no more will be added. I am not planning a fall tour for 2023 and there will be no Edinburgh tours for the foreseeable future.  

While in Glasgow, we will be visiting the Mitchell Library, the Glasgow & West of Scotland FHS and the Lanarkshire FHS. The visits to the FHS are exclusive use with volunteers available to assist you. 

Non-researching companions are more than welcome, and the additional fee for the hotel should be covered in the estimated tour fees. Companions can accompany us in the evenings for meals and a guided walking tour. 

If you have ancestors from Lanarkshire, Renfrew, Glasgow, or the west of Scotland, this will be the only tour on offer. Those with ancestors outwith Glasgow can spend additional time at the Family History Centres and less at the Mitchell, although the Mitchell also has access to the ScotlandsPeople Database, which covers the whole of Scotland and offers access to documents to recent to be available publicly. 

For more details or to register: https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/glasgow-research-tour-april-2023.html

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

 

Schedule for Scottish ViC 2022 is Now Confirmed

The next Scottish ViC will take place on Saturday, January 22, 2022. The schedule has now been confirmed:

9:15    Scottish Covenanters presented by Jimmy Fisher                               

10:30    Culloden presented by Hugh Allison                               

11:40     LUNCH                          

12:30     Survey of Scottish Witch Trials presented by Ciaran Jones                               

2:00       British Slave Owner Database presented by Matthew J Smith                               

3:30        Wrap-up

To meet our presenters: https://www.genealogyvic.com/ViC-2022

Registration is open. All presentation will be live, but are being recorded to allow access for those with time zone challenges. Access to the recordings will remain open for 30 days after the live event. 

REGISTRATION FOR THE APRIL ViC IS NOW OPEN

 The final ViC in the series takes place on April 10th. This ViC focuses on records and methodology 

Presentations include:  

George MacKenzie, former Keeper of the Records of Scotland will present on Record Keeping and Management 

Irene O'Brien, Senior Archivist at the Glasgow City Archives will present on Merchants and Craft Records

Margaret Fox, Archivist, will present on the Cottar, Tenants and Servant Records within the private collections of Traquair House estate papers 

Tahitia McCabe of Strathclyde University's Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic studies at the University of Strathclyde will present on Methodology 

Michelle Leonard is a DNA detective and will present on Using DNA for Scottish Research 

Our fun live event will be a presentation by Nick Card on the Archaeological Dig at the Ness of Brodgar on Mainland Orkney. 

CLICK TO REGISTER

January Scottish ViC Registration is Now OPEN!

Registration is now open for the January ViC. While there is a focus on Borders research  we also look at the Scottish Jewish Archives and the Scots in Ulster. Many of the Reiver families were sent to Ulster. We will look at Women's Sufferage and our treat is a virtual tour of the places associated with the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. 

• Hannah Bell with present on the Borders Archive Services
• Margaret Fox will present on Scottish Border Cases in the High Court
• Andrew Armstrong will present on the Border Reivers
• William Roulston will present on the Scots in Ulster
• Harvey Kaplan will present on the Scottish Jewish Archives
• Donna Moore will present on the Women's Suffrage Movement
• Anne Daly will take us on a virtual tour of Mary Queen of Scot's life

Again I am thrilled with the level of new topics and the calibre of speakers for the ViC.

You can register for just the January ViC for $74cad or for both Nov AND January for $143. Look for the SAVE ON TWO registration to get the discount. 

North Lanarkshire Poor Law Records Added to Ancestry

In August 2019 many - but by no means all - of North Lanarkshire’s Poor Law records were made available in digitised form on Ancestry.com. This article provides an overview of which records you will be able to find and how you can use them for your family history research.  You can read an extended version of this article on: https://blogs.ancestry.co.uk/ancestry/2019/08/16/making-discoveries-in-the-north-lanarkshire-poor-law-records/

What are Poor Law records?

Poor Law records are records which were created under the Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845 which established a secular system of distributing poor relief.  The main records of interest to family history researchers are those kept by the official appointed in each parish to investigate cases of poverty and to pay out relief, the Inspector of Poor.  These are the Registers of Poor and the Record of Applications for Relief.

North Lanarkshire Archives’ Poor Law records originate from civil parishes which existed within the former County of Lanark between 1845 and 1930.  On Ancestry you will find the digitised registers of the following parishes: Bothwell, Cambusnethan (Wishaw area), Dalziel (Motherwell area) and Shotts.

Why are these records of interest to family history researchers?

As the application and registration system involved a type of means testing which required detailed information about the person applying for relief and about their family, the resulting records can contain details of your ancestor you would not find together on one page anywhere else.  Poor Law records therefore can help take your research further at any stage of your family history journey.

 

Registers of Poor / later General Registers of Poor

Initially, each parish maintained a Register of Poor (General Register of Poor from 1865).  In this example from a General Register of Poor from Dalziel Parish (below) you can see why these are such a fascinating resource.  The example regards Mary Doyle or Slamin who first applied for poor relief when her husband was ill and then stayed in the system for several years after he passed away.  The document shows at the top her circumstances at the time of her acceptance into the system and in the bottom part what happened to her and her children while she received money from the parish.

Registers of Poor/General Registers of Poor digitised:

CO1/23 Bothwell Parish

Bothwell Parish Council. Register of poorhouse inmates. 1905 – 1909

Bothwell Parish Council. Children's separate register. 1909-1915

Bothwell Parish Council. Register of guardians. 1909-1915

Bothwell Parish Council. Register of other parish poor. 1912-1914

Bothwell Parish Council. General Register of Poor. 1894-1915

Bothwell Parochial Board. General Register of Poor. 1862-1888

Bothwell Parochial Board. Account, charge and discharge, and list of registered poor. 1892-1896

CO1/26 Cambusnethan Parish

Cambusnethan Parochial Board. Register of Poor. 1863 - 1864

Cambusnethan Parish Council. Register of other parish poor. 1885 - 1915

CO1/37 Dalziel Parish

Dalziel Parish Council. Registered poor pay roll. 1893-1912

Dalziel Parish Council. General Register of Poor. 1883-1892 and 1900-1916

CO1/54 Shotts Parish

Shotts Parochial Board. Register of Poor. 1846-1865 and 1871-1879

Shotts Parish Council. General Registers of Poor. 1870-1911

Applications for Relief

Application Registers contain more entries per year than the Registers of Poor as multiple applications from individual paupers are recorded as well as details of the so called 'casual poor', i.e. persons who received a one-off payment from the inspector without a decision by the board and therefore were not recorded on the poor roll.

The applications for poor relief recorded the main information the Inspector of Poor required to make a decision on the applicant.  These included:

·       Age

·       Religion (Prot. – R.C.)

·       Occupation

·       Average Value of Earnings per week

·       Names of Dependants and Children living with Applicant, and Ages and Earnings

·       Names of Children not living with Applicant (Ages – Residences – and Earnings)

·       Country of Birth (English, Irish, Foreign – or Parish if Scotland)

·       Condition (Married – Single – Widow – Widower – Orphan – Deserted – Separated)

·       Cause of Disablement, whether Wholly or Partially

·       Wholly or Partially Destitute

·       Name of Parents and circumstances if alive

·       Length of Residence in present House and of previous Residences (Settlement – Parishes claimed against &c.)

Application registers digitised:

CO1/23 Bothwell Parish

Bothwell index to registers of applications. 1900-1914

CO1/26 Cambusnethan Parish

Cambusnethan applications for relief. 1855-1916

CO1/37 Dalziel Parish

Dalziel application registers. 1865-1875 and 1877-1917

Poorhouse records

Only one item specifically dealing with poorhouse residents has been digitised which is the New Monkland Parish Poorhouse register of inmates, 1849 – 1862 (CO1/50/24).

There were several other poorhouses in North Lanarkshire whose specific registers have not survived.  However, you may find that your ancestor was sent to the poorhouse (indoor relief), rather than receiving outdoor relief, from their entries in the Application Registers and General Registers of Poor.

(with thanks to NL Archivist Wiebke McGhee)

Please contact HeritageCentre@culturenl.co.uk if you have any questions about the above and if you are interested in records which have not been digitised.

ViC 2020 is in the Books!

This year's ViC was incredibly successful. And for that I have to thank each and every one of the attendees for trusting that the program was going to be worth the money and time that you invested.

I owe a great deal of thanks to this year’s presenters as well:

Stephen Mullen

Irene O’Brien

Margaret Fox

Emma Maxwell

Aoife O’Brien

Thanks to each of you for being so willing to share your knowledge with us and for making the day such a success. The feedback has been terrific and each one of you received accolades on your presentations. New information that we didn’t know before the day started and a renewed interest in the lives of our Scottish ancestors.

Ideas are already coming in for next year, from both attendees and speakers. And that tells me how engaged people are in this learning platform. Save the date! ViC 2021 will be Saturday, February 23.

Just a Week to Go!

The Scottish ViC is just one week away! A full day of presentations for people researching their own Scottish ancestry or who are conducting research for clients with Scottish ancestry. 

The day starts at 8:30 with a presentation on Scotland, and in particular, Glasgow's involvement in the Caribbean Slave Trade. This presentation is given by Dr Stephen Mullen of the University of Glasgow who has conducted research in this area. 

Next up is Dr Irene O'Brien, Sr archivist at Glasgow City Archives who will show us the various records available for researching your ancestor's death. Dr O'Brien's presentations are always chock full of detailed information to show you just how much information you can glean from the records available in local archives. 

Irene is followed by Aoife O'Connor. Aoife works with Findmypast and is their expert on the British Newspaper Archives. Aoife will show us how to get the most out of Scottish newspapers for learning more about the rich details of our ancestor's lives. 

The morning closes off with genealogist Emma Maxwell. Emma and her husband run Scottishindexes. Emma will walk us through using Asylum records to learn about some of the sadder stories of our ancestor's lives. 

We then take a break to have lunch, do some research and recharge before starting the afternoon off with archivist Margaret Fox. Margaret is retired but formerly worked at the National Records of Scotland. Margaret will be giving an in-depth presentation on using Scottish Wills and Testaments and how you can get rich details on your ancestor's life by using these documents. 

ScotlandsPeople have generously provided 26 free credits to all registrants. This will allow registrants to download 2 wills and one other record. 

Following Margaret is a return by genealogist Emma Maxwell who, in this presentation, will show us the deep detailed information that can be gleaned from Prison records. 

Wrapping up the day is genealogy educator Christine Woodcock who will look at the reasons that led to Scots leaving Scotland and settling in Canada and the records that they generated as a result of their emigration. 

The recordings of all presentations are available until February 25th, 2020. 

"Door" prizes: 

1 year subscription to MyHeritage
1 year subscription to Findmypast
1 month subscription to Findmypast 
1 year subscription to Legacy Family Tree Webinars
1 Legacy Family Tree Software

All for just $99cad (~75usd)

To register: https://www.genealogyvic.com/

Need a Last Minute Gift for a Genealogist on Your List?

Need a Last Minute Gift for the Genealogist on Your List? Give them the gift of learning. Give them insight into the records where they might find their Scottish ancestors. Help them to understand the social and historic events during which their ancestors lived. Register them for the Scottish ViC. https://www.genealogyvic.com/  Topics for 2020: Glasgow and the Caribbean Slave Trade Death, Burial and Cemetery Records Prison Registers Asylum Registers Wills and Testaments Scottish Newspapers Scottish Emigration to Canada

Schedule for the Scottish ViC January 25th 2020

All of the presentations for the Scottish ViC have now been recorded and I am thrilled with the level of learning that is being offered again this year. The Scottish ViC is unique in that it is the only virtual learning opportunity dedicated to Scottish genealogy/history. 

The day begins at 8 am with the first presentation at 8:30. We break at 12:30 for lunch and the day wraps up at 5 pm. Following the conclusion of each presentation, the presenter will be available live in a closed Facebook group to answer questions. 

Based on past experiences, it is a fast paced, information packed day. While it sounds like an eternity in front of a computer, you will actually wonder how the time passed so quickly. The day is always an inspiration to kick start those who have not researched in a while. It provides new and renewed energy for those who are "stuck" or stagnant in their Scottish research. And it is a fantastic way to start a new genealogical year. 

Here's the line up for the day: 

8:30        HISTORIAN STEPHEN MULLENS: GLASGOW AND THE SLAVE TRADE

                               

9:45        ARCHIVIST IRENE O’BRIEN: DEATH AND BURIAL

                               

10:50     AOIFE O’CONNOR: BRITISH NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES

                               

11:45     GENEALOGIST EMMA MAXWELL: ASYLUM RECORDS

                               

12:30-1:15          

                               

1:15        ARCHIVIST MARGARET FOX: WILLS AND TESTAMENTS

                               

2:50       GENEALOGIST EMMA MAXWELL: PRISON RECORDS

                               

3:40        CHRISITNE WOODCOCK CANADA: LAND & OPPORTUNITY

5:00      WRAP UP

To register: https://www.genealogyvic.com/

Scottish Genealogy Research January 25, 2020

Scotland is where my story begins

Scotland is the home of my ancestors. I have a deep and abiding connection to them. There is a never-ending yearning to learn more of their story so that I can better understand my own.

To learn more about your Scottish ancestors, join us on Saturday, January 25th, 2020 for a day of virtual learning. Learn about record sets that contain information about the lives of your ancestors:

Death and burial, Wills and Testaments, Prison, Asylum, Emigration, Newspapers. For more details: https://www.genealogyvic.com/PRESENTERS

One low fee, seven presentations by six presenters. Access until February 25th to allow for time zone challenges. All from the comfort of home. No travel expense. No time away from family, friends, work or home. No accommodation expense. No meal expenses. Stay warm, stay in your jammies. Engage with others and learn from the best.

To register: https://www.genealogyvic.com/

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.

FREE WEBINARS!

As a lead up to the Scottish ViC, I will be offering a series of free webinars on Scottish research:

BRICK WALL BUSTERS FOR SCOTTISH GENEALOGY

Thursday Nov 14, 2019 at 8 pm eastern

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8803595391334010124

STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER

GENEALOGY GEMS IN SCOTTISH LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES

Thursday Nov 21, 2019 at 8 pm eastern

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2520043668757077004

PREPARING FOR A GENEALOGY TRIP TO SCOTLAND:

Thursday Nov 28, 2019 at 8 pm eastern

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4618182334151670028

ACCESS TO ViC RECORDINGS EXTENDED!

At the request of several registrants, and given the timing of the ViC, access to the recordings is being extended to one month rather than just one week.

That means that when you register for the ViC, you will have access to the recordings of the presentations until February 25th, 2020.  

This allows you to attend your Burns Night Celebration without missing out on the learning that is being offered. 

Access will also be extended for the downloadable handouts as well. Ready to register? https://www.genealogyvic.com/

OPEN SPACE FOR EDINBURGH RESEARCH TOUR SEPT 2020

A SPACE HAS BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE SEPT 2020 EDINBURGH TOUR

The Edinburgh tour runs from Sept 13-19, 2020 directly ahead of the Borders Tour.

Fees include:

Pre-tour preparation

Hotel & Breakfast

Three full days of research at ScotlandsPeople Centre (NRS)

Research at Scottish Genealogy Society

Research at National Library of Scotland

As with all empty spaces, this will go on a first come first serve basis.

For more information, or to book your space:

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

In Search of Your Scottish Ancestors: British Institute

I will be teaching the Scottish course at this year's British Institute in Salt Lake City. The Institute allows for an intense week of learning and research. The classroom experience is in the morning followed by an afternoon, early evening of research at the Family History Library.

The course will cover the following topics over the course of the week:

·         Researching Scottish Ancestors – The Basics

·         Breaking Through Brick Walls

·         Online and Offline Resources for Scottish Research

·         Genealogy Resources in Scottish Archives (NRS, Local and University)

·         Genealogy Gems in Scottish Libraries

·         Mapping Your Scottish Ancestors

·         Those Poor Daft Scots – Poor Law and Asylum Records

·         Researching Scottish Occupations

·         Researching Scottish Criminal Ancestors

·         The Highland Clearances – Before and After

·         Settling in America

·         Settling in Canada

·         Hudson's Bay Ancestors and Metis resources

·         British Home Children and Farm Servants

·         Customs, Superstitions and Traditions

·         Preparing for a Genealogy Research Trip to Scotland

For more info on the British Institute:

https://isbgfh.org/cpage.php?pt=56

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.