General housekeeping and information on how the course will run. 

Abstract

In this session Chris will explore Scotland's historic burghs, enterprise zones set up within the country's ancient feudal system in the medieval period as a means to facilitate the manufacturing of goods and their sales. As the forerunners to Scotland's towns and cities, the burghs were home to urban communities and organisations who operated under their own set rules and regulations, generating many records along the way.

Chris will discuss the various types of burghs that existed, the records of the councils, merchants and trade incorporations, and how their records can be used for our family history research today.

Abstract

In this talk Chris will offer a jargon-free introduction to how DNA research can be used in our ancestral pursuits. He will provide an overview of the three main types of tests available, and with some case studies from his own personal research he will illustrate the most commonly used form, autosomal DNA, to show how he was able to use it to resolve some brick wall issues.

Abstract

In this talk Chris takes us to pre-19th century Scotland, when things begin to get a little more complicated with our ancestral research. From Kirk to state, a variety of records are available, but it's one thing to find them, and quite another to understand them, with different handwriting styles, language problems, and the feudal nature of Scottish society forming some of the many challenges that make earlier Scottish research fun but challenging. Chris will explore the various record types available, and how to access them both online and offline.

Abstract

In the 19th century, anyone whose behaviour didn’t conform fairly rigidly to what was considered normal faced the prospect of being labelled ‘insane’ or a ‘lunatic’ and incarcerated in an asylum.  By the end of the century, many new asylums had been built across Scotland.  This session will delve into the historical context of asylum development in Scotland, who was building the asylums and controlling them, and who was being incarcerated. It’ll also look at what records were kept, what can typically be found, as well as where, when searching for information about the lives of ancestors.

Abstract

Many people wonder about the history of their home, how long ago it was built and who had lived there before them.  In Scotland there are a wide and varied selection of records and sources that can be used to investigate the history of a house, whether it was a humble Victorian tenement or a palatial pile in the countryside.  This session will look at the sources specific to property and buildings, records documenting the people who lived in a building and other sources that can produce interesting details to enhance the story of the building through the people who were associated with it from its earliest times.

Abstract

Discover some of the stories of everyday Scots to be found by searching kirk session records of the Presbyterian churches and learn how to use this free-to-view collection on the ScotlandsPeople website.

Abstract

This presentation explores the history and records of various faiths that existed in Scotland from the Reformation, covering Catholic, Presbyterian, and non-conformist church records and Jewish records.

Abstract

Did your ancestors live in or migrate through one of Scotland’s many cities or towns? Case studies will demonstrate the rich sources you can mine to discover the details of their urban lives, including those in the twentieth century.

Abstract

Many people were supported with poor relief and records created as a result of the Poor Law (Scotland) Act of 1845 are often rich in detail and can give information on a person’s (and family’s) origins. This session will discuss what these records contain, where they can be found and how to use them.

Catriona Haine

Catriona Haine is a professional genealogist and family historian based in Scotland, providing research services to clients through her business MarpleCat Genealogy (www.MarpleCat.com). 

She specialises in Scottish family history and the Irish diaspora, with a special interest in the lives of those who lived through the industrialisation of Scotland.  Catriona was bitten by the genealogy bug more than 20 years ago when she started to uncover the Irish origins of her own Scottish family. Catriona holds an MSc in Genealogical Studies from the University of Strathclyde and carried out extensive research into 19th century Scottish asylums and lives of those impacted by pauper patient removals from the Glasgow Royal Asylum for her master’s degree dissertation. Catriona is a member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists and an Associate of AGRA (Association of Genealogists & Research in Archives).

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. See https://scotlandsgreateststory.wordpress.com/

Judith Russell

Judith Russell qualified with the MSc in Genealogical Studies in 2012 and is now a retired tutor and genealogist based in Glasgow. Judith tutored for many years on the University of Strathclyde’s postgraduate Genealogical Studies programme and also taught and developed shorter genealogy courses for the university’s Centre for Lifelong Learning. She has developed courses and seminars on Irish family history and on the poor law, with particular reference to the Irish diaspora in Scotland and to Glasgow City Archives’ collection of poor relief applications. Judith also has a wealth of experience in researching genealogy projects for clients, many of which involved Irish family roots.

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”( https://scotsancestors.blogspot.com/). 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.