Cost - £160 for the two day course 

This two day course will include lectures by prominent Scottish genealogists and educators.  

Case studies and in-course exercises will provide hands-on learning to embed the skills and knowledge covered.  

Day 1 (Monday 2nd of June) 

• Scottish Family History Research Methodology Basics (Tahitia McCabe)
  How to get started with your research, keep track of what you find and make sure what you find is correct.
  
  
• Scottish Birth, Marriage and Death (Kate Keter)
  In this talk we will look at Scotland’s civil (post-1855) records of births, marriages and deaths. We will look at where these records – both images and transcriptions – can be found, at what they typically contain and how the information can be used to build a family tree.
  
  
• Scottish Census Records (Kate Keter)
  In this introduction to the census records of Scotland we will look at what census and census-type records are available and where they can be found.  We’ll take a detailed look at the information they include, and what might be missing, and show how that data can help us expand our family trees.
• Scottish Church Records (Alison Spring)
  Before 1855, churches in Scotland were responsible for recording births, marriages, and deaths. This talk will explain how these records were kept, where they can be found, and what to expect when searching them for the life events of ancestors.
  
  
• Using Newspapers in Family History Research (Dr Calista Williams)
  Newspapers can bring a family to life with stories of parties, engagements, deaths, trials and much more. Many are now available online and this talk will explain how to find them and get the best out of their use.

Day 2 (Tuesday 3rd of June) 

• Discover Scottish Land Records (Chris Paton)
  An overview of the complicated (but useful) records concerning land and property transfer in Scotland. What they contain and where to find them.
  
  
• Understanding Scottish Inheritance Records (Chris Paton)
  An introduction to Scotland's system of inheritance, the records it created, how to use them and where to find them.
  
  
• Using Sheriff Court Records for Genealogy Research (Emma Maxwell)
  Sheriff Court records are packed with useful and interesting details for family history research; from criminal court cases to paternity cases and wills to apprenticeship records, We will look at the organisation of the Sheriff Courts, how to access the records and how to use them.
  
  
• Overcoming Brick walls: Case Studies (Emma Maxwell)
  In this presentation, experienced Scottish genealogist Emma Maxwell demonstrates how to overcome genealogy brick walls using a variety of research methods. She will use three case studies, each with a different challenge, and demonstrate how each problem was solved.
  
  
• Visualising your Family History (Emma Maxwell)
  It’s all too easy to think about our ancestors through modern eyes and therefore not really understand what life was like for them.  Emma will help you visualise your family history and show how we can use written records, photographs and moving images to find out more about the lives of our ancestors.

Daily schedule 

Morning - 9.00-13.00 - 4 hours 

Lunch - 13.00-14.00 

Afternoon - 14.00 - 17.00 - 3 hours 

(hot drinks will be available. Lunch not provided). 

Book your place today through the University's online shop. 

 

Biographies

Kate Keter

Kate Keter has been researching family trees for over 30 years.  What started as a hobby soon became an obsession and ultimately led her to complete an MSc in Genealogical Studies from Strathclyde University in 2016.  Kate now works as a professional genealogist at Family Tree Tales (www.familytreetales.co.uk) and as a tutor on the Genealogy and Family History courses at Strathclyde.  She is a regular speaker at online and live conferences on various Family History related topics.   She is a member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG) and the Association of Scottish Genealogists and Researchers in Archives (ASGRA).

Chris Paton

Chris Paton is a Scottish based professional genealogist, originally from Northern Ireland, specialising in Scottish and Irish family history, and Scottish house history. He holds a PG Diploma in Genealogical Studies from the University of Strathclyde and tutors for Pharos Tutors. A prolific speaker and author, he has lectured extensively around the world and is the author of over 20 genealogy books as well as contributing regularly to UK genealogy magazines.

Emma Maxwell

Emma Maxwell has been a professional genealogist for over 20 years. In addition to helping countless clients overcome brick walls, Emma Maxwell co-founded scottishindexes.com to provide free indexes to people researching their family tree. Emma organises four Scottish Indexes conferences a year and is an admin for the Scottish Indexes community group on Facebook. Emma is also the secretary of the Scottish Genealogy Network. Her special interest is in criminal and asylum records as these shine a light on the forgotten people in society.

Tahitia McCabe

Tahitia McCabe is the head of the Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies and the past-president of the Association of Genealogy Educators and Schools. She holds an MLS from Syracuse University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies from the University of Strathclyde. Tahitia is the lead tutor for the free online course Genealogy: Researching Your Family Tree found on FutureLearn. She regularly speaks at genealogy and history conferences and teaches beginner level courses.

Alison Spring

Alison Spring is a professional genealogist, speaker, and writer specialising in the records of Scotland. With over 40 years’ experience of family history research, she has a Masters Degree in Family & Local History from the University of Dundee and is a member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists.  Based near Glasgow, she is passionate about tracing your family tree on a budget and blogs as the “Frugal Family Historian”. She has also taught college and university genealogy courses and written for the UK’s “Family Tree” magazine. She has delivered presentations for events including the Virtual Genealogical Association, RootsTech, and Scottish Indexes, as well as family history societies in the UK and overseas.

Calista Williams

As well as being a tutor, Calista is also the Course Director for the MSc in Genealogical Studies. She completed her Masters in History and Heritage at Aberystwyth University in 2013 and then went on to complete an AHRC-funded PhD in History with the Open University. Her thesis focuses on the founding and development of the National Library and its connection with Welsh national identity, c.1840-1916. Her ancestors originate from across the British Isles and she also has several branches from Ireland. Calista has contributed to programmes on the BBC, BBC Radio Wales and S4C.