Edinburgh Castle

I'm Currently Researching in Scotland

I am in Scotland, researching family history. I won't be posting to this blog, but feel free to follow along on my research trip at:

http://genealogytoursofscotland.blogspot.com

Happy Searching!

BIFHSGO Conference 2012

The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa has finalized the details for their annual conference which will run from September 14 - 16 at the Library & Archives Canada. This year's theme is Scottish Genealogy with Keynote speaker Chris Paton and guest speaker Patricia Whatley. In addition, there will be sessions on Selkirk Settlers, Scottish Poor Law, DNA and genetics, Writing for Publication, and using cloud technology such as Dropbox & Evernote.

The fees are $80/person for members if you register before 10 August. There are two buffet lunches on Saturday and Sunday for an additional $15 each. There are also pre-conference seminars on the Friday. The cost for these is $25 each.

Registration and conference information is available at: http://www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=22

Scottish Nurses Archives

A little known resource for those with nurses in their ancestral lines is the Royal College of Nursing Archives Scottish Board. Their documents are not available online, but you can write to them at 42 South Oswald Road, Edinburgh EH9 2HH . I will be visiting these archives next month. Can't wait to see what I come up with.

Good luck with your Scottish research!

I've Made My Lists - Now I'm Checking Them Twice

In just 4 short weeks, I will be in Glasgow as I get ready for the research tour. I am looking forward to my guided tour of the Necropolis at 2 pm. And I’m looking forward to my short time in Glasgow. I’m usually in Edinburgh when I am home, and although in the Glasgow “area”, really spend very little time in Glasgow itself. And I’m looking forward to introducing people to the rugged beauty and rich heritage of my homeland.  

In preparation for the research, I have made my lists and now it’s a matter of checking them twice to make sure I get the most out of my time at the repositories. For the most part, I have the BMDs and census records. My lists are a bit different this time. Records that will help to re-build the story of my ancestors and less about the dates and places that the BMDs, OPRs and Census records provide. This time I am in search of rounding out some of the stories and of gathering records from some of the more obscure archives.  

I want to spend some time trolling the Kirk Session records and the OPRs of course. But I also want to get into the Nursing Archives in Edinburgh, and to the Archives at the University of Glasgow for the NHS records. Getting these records will provide some of the missing gaps of the social history parts of my family history.

I am looking forward to spending time with my older aunties and getting their perspective and recollection of the stories that have been passed down over the generations.  

And I'm looking forward to sharing my research with you while I am in Scotland. Check my Genealogy Tours of Scotland blog for the details of the trip: http://genealogytoursofscotland.blogspot.ca/

Titanic Records Now On FindMyPast

Find My Past has launched new record sets for those searching for ancestors who were passengers on the titanic. One record set is the White  Star Line's Officer's Books. These are the official employment records of the commanders and officers onboard. The second set are the maritime BMDs. These, of course, are not limited to the Titanic, but list the BMD records for anyone with a maritime occupation as well as the passengers who died at sea. If you do not have a subscription to FindMyPast, it will cost you 5 credits to view the transcriptions of the BMD records and another 5 to view the image. For the Officer's Books, it will cost 5 credits to view the transcription and 10 credits to view the image. You can purchase 60 credits for £6.95 ($11). These are good for 90 days. You can also purchase 280 credits for £24.95 ($40) and these are good for a year.

Tartan Day 2012

April 6th is Tartan Day. 40 million Americans can claim Scottish Ancestry. There are a number of Scots-American Associations in the US, many sponsoring events this weekend. Events are planned in Washington DC, San Diego, Denver, Cincinnati and Nashville NC. But the biggest US event for Tartan Day is taking place at Ellis Island. This event is sponsored by Clan Currie Society. The event is held annually to honour the half million Scots immigrants who passed through Ellis Island on their way to build a better life for their families and in the process to help build and shape the country.

In Canada, there are a number of Tartan Day Events happening as well. One is sponsored by the Scottish Studies Foundation and is held at Toronto's Casa Loma. And there will be a Ceildh at the Royal York at 7:30. In the Nation's Capital, the Sons of Scotland Pipe Band will be celebrating on Parliament Hill at noon.   

In New Brunswick, the Scottish Cultural Association is involved with Tartan Day Events in Fredericton, Moncton and St John.  

Wherever you are, show your pride. Wear your ancestral tartan and celebrate your Scots heritage.