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Saturday, 26 May 2012

FamilySearch remoulds British Isles

Remember when FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org) had us in Europe? There we were, happily munching onions, eating escargots, frankfurt and spaghetti, when without so much as a by-your-leave, they came along and kicked us out, achieving what no Tory politician had ever dared to do. A people seemingly without an identity, we strolled merrily on our longboats and car ferries through the North Sea (or is that the German Ocean?!) and thus did we settle to form the British Isles, a happy new category on the website.

But a restless people we must be, for now we have been redesignated once again, this time to a new category, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Of course, that means Northern Ireland should be well covered!

Think of the fun and games that will ensue if Scotland chooses to go independent in two years time. The SNP may need to think this one through a bit more...! lol :)

Going off now to have a minor identity crisis....

Chris

British GENES on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES and Twitter @chrismpaton
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7 comments:

  1. Debbie KennettSaturday, May 26, 2012 12:41:00 pm

    FamilySearch is still somewhat geographically challenged. I note that the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are both included in the new category for the UK and Ireland, but they are both Crown Dependencies, and hence are not part of the UK and have no association with Ireland either!

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  2. Chris PatonSaturday, May 26, 2012 12:55:00 pm

    I could not possibly comment Debbie. I mean, you're absolutely right, and both definitely fitted in within the former British Isles category, but I could not possibly comment...!

    I suspect someone kicked up about Ireland being within the "British" Isles...! lol :)

    Chris

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  3. CaroSaturday, May 26, 2012 2:30:00 pm

    Great post, Chris - I love the "whatever" tag! I wondered how long the Irish would put up with the way they had been classified by Family Search - the use of "British Isles" is definitely not PC for many people. Now we can have some fun on our side by insisting Family Search rename it "United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland". You have to pity the poor folks in Utah, trying to make sense of all this :-)

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    Replies
    1. sonyaSunday, July 15, 2012 7:27:00 am

      Hi Caroline, as Chris said back in "whenever", I, too, am going to have several minor id crises:

      From family search I have

      THE ONE! I must start with and she is the SPECIAL XX genes from Ulster Northern Ireland;
      One set Republic of Ireland (Oh Dearie me);
      two in the UK proper;
      a few from Germany/Prussia;
      another set in Jersey BI/CI;
      one SPECIAL XY mariner escapee to the UK;
      3 others to Oz all from Denmark;
      AND 3,000+ XX/XY descendants all down-under in 4 States;

      O Bugger it all I'll just have a wee dram! Hang On! and a XY set in Scotland.

      As for the poor folk in good 'ole Ootah, I'll bet they designed the whole thing. cheers bogged down, under sonya's kin

      Delete
  4. RonSunday, May 27, 2012 12:54:00 am

    I accepted British Isles - always annoying that you needed to pick anything - why not just search.... You could at the old front page..

    Only yesterday I read of someone arriving somewhere and found they not say country as England whereas Wales and Scotland where ok.....

    I think this chart says it all
    The Great British Venn Diagram @ Things Of Interest - http://qntm.org/uk

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  5. EdwinaMonday, May 28, 2012 12:23:00 am

    Hi Chris
    My ancestors come from Cornwall & Devon.
    For quite a few months last year when searching the Devon records on FamilySearch all the Scottish results were included!
    Well, we are all Celts!

    I will add, I am grateful for the FamilySearch records as they've saved me literally years in research.

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  6. Chris PatonMonday, May 28, 2012 12:45:00 am

    Aye, they've done a good job - wherever we are!

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