Join Me in Halifax!

I am thrilled to have been invited by the Genealogical Society of Nova Scotia to speak at a day long symposium. 

Join us on Saturday, October 15, 2016 at the William Spry Community Centre for a day of talks on Scottish genealogy research. 

Talks include: 

• In Search of Your Scottish Ancestors (getting started on Scottish research)
• Lesser Known Databases for Scottish Research (both online and offline)
• Breaking Through Brick Walls (strategies for discovering "next steps")
• They Came From Scotland (Tracking Your Scots Immigrant Ancestor)

GANS is going to feed you as well! Lunch and refreshments are provided to keep you energized. There will be publication sales and chances to purchase these resources during breaks.

The day is full of genealogy fun and learning and is open to everyone. To register, simply click this link. 

I'm looking forward to seeing you in Halifax in October!

SCOTTISH INSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGISTS

Sign up for this unique opportunity for professional and semi-professional genealogists who do research in the Scottish records. 

While in Edinburgh, we will be learning from Scottish genealogists and archivists who are expert in their respective fields.

The week of intense study culminates in a joint day of Professional Development with our colleagues in the Scottish Genealogy Network.

Fees include: 

•  7 nights in a hotel in Old Town Edinburgh, at the edge of the University campus
•  Breakfast every morning
•  Transfer to the Archives
•  Two and half days of intense learning    
•   An evening of learning and tour of the Scottish Genealogy Society
•  Research fees for two full days of research at the NRS
•   Research fees for a unique evening of research at the NRS
•   Half a day of research at the Maps Dept of the NLS
•  Registration fees for the joint day of Professional Development with the  Scottish Genealogy Network
•  Lunch at the SGN Professional Development Day
•  Time to network and develop collaborative relationships with our Scottish  colleagues
•  A guided historical tour of Greyfriars Cemetery (note, this is NOT a ghost  tour)

 This unique Institute is limited to 15 participants.

For more information or to book your space in the Institute:

http://www.scottishinstitute.ca/

Symposium on Scottish Genealogy Research

Friday August 22, 2014

9-4

Springhills Suites by Marriott

Vaughan Ontario

 

James Thomson: Basic Scottish Research

Linda Reid: Using DNA to Confirm or Deny

   Genealogical Relationships

Ruth Blair: Scots-Irish Research

Dr Kevin James: Scottish Emigration

Christine Woodcock: Tracking Scots Emigrant Ancestors

 

Cost: $35 for OGS members; $45 for Non-members.

Lunch included. 

  

Registration forms are available at:

http://www.ogs.on.ca/scottishsig/index.php

 

For more information, contact:   scottishsig@ogs.on.ca

 

Thank You Toronto!

What a great day yesterday! I was fortunate enough to be part of the Toronto Branch (OGS) Workshop "Scotland & Its People"

The day was very well organized and lots of information was offered and shared.

Dr Kevin James from the University of Guelph's Scottish Studies Program gave a condensed history of Scotland, helping to put our genealogy research into perspective. His second talk was a brilliant overview of reasons for Scots emigrating.

Sheena Tait made her maiden voyage to Canada to speak on Scottish History and it's impact on Genealogy Research (parish records, poor law records, estate records etc). Her second talk gave an overview of the Scottish agricultural labourer and provided some of the social history aspects for our farmer ancestors. And Sheena's final talk provided resources that would allow us to gain a better sense of being able to visualize what our ancestors' lives were like.

James FS Thomson from the Toronto branch gave two workshops. The first was on the website ScotlandsPlaces, the sister site to ScotlandsPeople, where documents other than statutory records are available - tax records, gazeteers, ordnance maps and so much more. His second talk was on conducting Scottish research from the GTA and the resources that are available locally.

Linda Reid, also from the Toronto Branch, gave a wonderful and fascinating talk on using Lair records to break through genealogical brick walls.

Krista Barclay gave us a fascinating look at Scots who had initially settled in Ontario and who subsequently migrated to North Dakota as a response to the Homesteaders Act.

Marian Press gave a very informative talk on resources for local history and social history to assist us in gaining a better understanding of our Scottish ancestors.

And I gave a talk to a very enthusiastic group on preparing for a genealogy research trip to Scotland.

It was a full day. Full of learning. Lots of chances to network and some great craic. Many of us  missed out on lunch because we didn't want to have to miss out on any of the talks to go out and grab a sandwich.

Thank You Toronto!

Upcoming Talks and Workshops on Scottish Genealogy Research

Conference season is in full swing. There are a number of workshops and lectures on Scottish genealogy on offer. Here are the ones coming up in the next 3 months:

 March 29th: FairfaxGenealogical Society

                   Fairfax Virginia

                   Basic Scottish Research, Lesser Known Databases for Scottish Genealogy                         Research, Tracking Your Scots Emigrant Ancestor, Preparing for a                                     Genealogy Research Trip to Scotland 

April 14th: TorontoBranch OGS

                   North YorkPublic Library

                   Full Day Workshop: Scotland & It's People

May 1- 4 OGS Conference

                Niagara College

                Sponsored by the Niagara Branch, this weekend of workshops includes    several talks by Chris Paton

 

May 24th: Windsor Museum

                 Tracking Your Scottish Emigrant Ancestor

Scottish Genealogy Learning Opportunities

The roster of talks for the upcoming year is starting to get underway. I have noticed a number of talks, conferences and workshops where various aspects of Scottish Genealogy will be discussed. So, if you are looking for some inexpensive learning or are hoping for a genealogy get away, here are some opportunities:

March 28 & 29:
Fairfax Genealogical Society Spring Conference
Fairfax Virginia
http://fxgs.org/cpage.php?pt=20

April 14
Toronto Branch OGS
Scotland & Its People
North York Public Library
http://torontofamilyhistory.org/learn/workshops/scottish-workshop-2014/

May 24
Windsor Museum

August 22
Scottish Symposium
Springhills Marriott Vaughan
http://www.ogs.on.ca/scottishsig/index.php

September 13
British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa

Upcoming Talks

March is a busy month with a number of talks on Scottish Genealogy still to come. Here's the listing for this month:

 

Researching in Scotland

Monday March 11

7:00 pm

Oxford Branch OGS

http://www.ogs.on.ca/oxford/eventspg.html 

This presentation will focus on the annual trips to Scotland led by Genealogy Tours of Scotland. Come and learn about how we spend our time in Edinburgh, what archives we visit and what records we are able to access that we can't access online.  

Researching in Scotland

Wednesday March 20

6:00 pm

Hamilton Branch WISE Meeting 

This presentation will focus on the annual trips to Scotland led by Genealogy Tours of Scotland. Come and learn about how we spend our time in Edinburgh, what archives we visit and what records we are able to access that we can't access online.  

Scottish Genealogy Research:

Search Your Roots; Discover Your Heritage

Saturday March 23

1:00 pm

Cambridge Libraries and Galleries

http://www.cambridgelibraries.ca/libraryevent/scottish-genealogy-workshop?date=2013-03-23 

Do you have Scottish ancestry but don’t know where to begin your genealogy research? Join us to learn where to start, what to consider and where to look what online to help you find your Scottish Ancestors

To book a talk, workshop or seminar contact me at: genealogytoursofscotland@gmail.com

 

Discovering Your Scottish Roots Talk

For anyone in the Kitchener Ontario area, I will be giving a talk called Discovering Your Scottish Roots at the second annual Kitchener Genealogy Fair, Nov 3 at Kitchener City Hall. This is a FREE event. Lots of other workshops on that day. Learn to search your roots and discover your heritage in the process.

 

Hope to see some of you there!

Scottish Genealogy Workshop

We had a great day in Hamilton today with a jam packed day of researching scottish ancestry. For those that missed the talk, I will be in Kitchener at the KPL (Country Hills Branch) on March 19th starting at 6:30 pm.
The session is free. However, you are encouraged to call the library to reserve a spot (519-743-3558).