FamilySearch: Free Family History Library Classes and Webinars for May 2018

From FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org):

Free Family History Library Classes and Webinars for May 2018

Salt Lake City, Utah (26 April 2018), The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, has announced its free family history classes and webinars for May 2018. Check out the US Mid-South Region, Place Names in Sweden, English Church Records, Indexed Records for the Netherlands, and (Spanish) Connecting FamilySearch and Ancestry Family Trees webinars. Participants can attend in person or online. See the calendar below for the complete list. No registration is required.

Weekly webinars are organized along the following track schedule throughout the month:

Mondays—FamilySearch Catalog at 10:00 a.m. MDT

Tuesdays—FamilySearch.org and Family Tree Classes at 10:00 a.m. MDT

Wednesdays—Indexing Classes at 10:00 a.m. MDT

Thursdays—Research Classes at 1:00 p.m. MDT

Mark your calendars for events you want to join. Online classes are noted on the schedule as webinars. Webinar attendees need to click the link next to the class title at the scheduled date and time to attend the class online. Those attending in person simply go to the room noted. Invite your family and friends. All class times are in mountain daylight time (MDT).

If you are unable to attend a class in person or online, most sessions are recorded and can be viewed later online at your convenience. Access archived classes online at Family History Library classes and webinars.

DATE AND TIME			CLASS (SKILL LEVEL)	WEBINAR | ROOM
Tuesday	1 May	10:00 a.m. MDT	Overview of FamilySearch Memories (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab
Thursday	3 May	1:00 p.m. MDT	Foreign Language Research: Tools for Reading Genealogical Documents (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab
Saturday	5 May	1:00 p.m. MDT	Conectando los árboles de Ancestry y FamilySearch (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab
Monday	7 May	10:00 A.M.	Using the FamilySearch Catalog Effectively (Beginner)	Webinar | 2N Lab
Tuesday	8 May	10:00  a.m. MDT	Submitting Names for Temple Ordinances (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab
Wednesday	9 May	10:00  a.m. MDT	French Language Indexing (1.5 hours) (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab
Thursday	10 May	1:00 P.M.	United States Research: Mid-South Region (Beginner)	Webinar | Main A
Monday	14 May	10:00  a.m. MDT	Using the FamilySearch Catalog Effectively (Beginner)	Webinar | 2N Lab
Tuesday	15 May	10:00  a.m. MDT	Starting Family Tree: Correcting Relationships (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab
Thursday	17 May	1:00 p.m. MDT	England Church Records: How to Quick-find Your Ancestors Online! (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab
Saturday	19 May	1:00p.m. MDT	Through the Eyes of the Parish Priest (Beginner)	Webinar | Main A
Monday	21 May	10:00 a.m. MDT	Using the FamilySearch Catalog Effectively (Beginner)	Webinar | 2N Lab
Tuesday	22 May	10:00 a.m. MDT	Starting Family Tree: Overview of FamilySearch (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab
Wednesday	23 May	10:00 a.m. MDT	Web Indexing/Review Training (1.5 hours) (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab
Thursday	24 May	1:00 p.m. MDT	Figure Out Place Name for Swedish Genealogy (Beginner)	Webinar | Main B
Tuesday	29 May	10:00 a.m. MDT.	Starting Family Tree: Navigating, Adding, Editing, and Standardization of Dates and Places (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab
Thursday	31 May	1:00  a.m. MDT	OpenArch.nl Website: Indexed Records for the Netherlands (Beginner)	Webinar | Main Lab

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Friends in Times of Turmoil - Exhibition Launch at PRONI

From the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni):

Friends in Times of Turmoil - Exhibition Launch

Tomasz Tadla, Consul General of the Republic of Poland and For Your Freedom & Ours request your company at the launch of the '‘Friends In Times of Turmoil” exhibition which take place on the 3rd of May at 7pm at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

The exhibition will be launched with a presentation by Professor Jan Jędrzejewski entitled, 'Not Quite Poles Apart: Hiberno-Polish Literary and Cultural Relations from the Perspective of Northern Ireland’.

Friends in Times of Turmoil Exhibition

This unique exhibition created by the Polish Embassy in Dublin in 2017 tells the story of Consul Wacław Dobrzyński who played a central role in establishing diplomatic relations and friendship between the young states of Ireland and Poland in the twentieth century.

From the moment he set foot on the Emerald Isle, Dobrzyński became deeply infatuated with Ireland and her people. In total, he spent 34 years in Ireland, of which 25 years were in diplomatic service, making him the longest-serving foreign diplomat in the history of the Irish State.

The 'Friends In Times of Turmoil” Exhibition will be available to view at PRONI until 25 May 2018.

Jan Jędrzejewski was educated at the University of Łódź, Poland, where he obtained, in 1985, his MA in English philology, and at Worcester College, University of Oxford, where he completed, in 1992, his DPhil on Thomas Hardy.

He joined Ulster University, as a Lecturer in English, in 1993; he was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2001, and he became a Professor of English and Comparative Literature in 2007. He held the posts of Acting Head of the Humanities Research Institute (2008-2009), Acting Head of the School of History and International Affairs (2009), Head of the School of English and History (2009-2014), and Dean of the Faculty of Arts (2014-2017).

A specialist in nineteenth-century English literature, particularly the Victorian novel, Professor Jędrzejewski also has a major interest in comparative literature, focusing on the literary relations between the British Isles and Poland. He has published monographs on Thomas Hardy and the Church (1996) and George Eliot (2007), and he has produced critical editions of Hardy and Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters.

Registration will take place from 6.30 to 7.00pm and the presentation will start at 7pm.
Additional Information


Admission is to the launch event on the 3rd May is FREE, however booking is essential. Register for this event at Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/friends-in-times-of-turmoil-exhibition-launch-tickets-45190592278?aff=es2)
The Heritage Café at PRONI will be open from 9.30am to 3.00pm

(Original story at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/friends-times-turmoil-exhibition-launch)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Scots-Irish in North America records join FindmyPast

Added to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) this week:

Scots-Irish In North America Histories

Explore 12 fascinating publications on the Scotch-Irish in North America. Covering a variety of date ranges and regions, these publications will enable you to learn more about the history of the Ulster Scots and their descendants in the United States and Canada.The digital images in this collection are presented in PDF form and were taken from the following publications:

The Scotch-Irish in America, 1915 by Henry Jones Ford, professor of politics at Princeton University
The Scotch-Irish in Canada by the Rev. Stuart Acheson, M.A.
The Scotch-Irish in East Tennessee by Judge Oliver P. Temple
The Scotch-Irish in South-Western Pennsylvania by S. T. Wiley.
The Scotch-Irish of California by Terence Masterson
The Scotch-Irish of Kentucky by Judge William Lindsay
Officers and Members of the Scotch-Irish Society of America, 1891
Patriotism of the Scotch-Irish by Professor George MacLoskie
The Scotch-Irish of the Bench and Bar by A. E. Stevenson
The Scotch-Irish People, Their Influence in the Formation of the Government of the United States
The Scotch-Irish Race Among the Nations by Rev. Thomas Murphy
The Scotch-Irish in the General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America by David Steele, D. D.


Surrey Baptisms

Explore a brand new collection of more than 476,000 transcripts of original parish records created by the West Surrey Family History Society. The collection covers 180 parishes across the county and spans the years 1538 to 1901.


Yorkshire Burials

Over 1,000 new additions covering the parish of St Thomas in the Brightside area of Sheffield have been added to our collection of Yorkshire Burials.


PERiodical Source Index

This month, we've added 35,148 images and 10,448 article entries to the Periodical Source Index (PERSI). The new additions have been added to the following publications:

American Monthly Magazine, covering missing issues in volumes 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 26, and 27 (1894-1905)
County Louth Archaeological Society Journal, covering volume 3 (1912)
Devon and Cornwall—Notes and Queries, covering volumes 1-12 (1900-1923)
Hawaiian Historical Society Annual Report, covering volumes 1-30 (1893-1922)
Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, covering volumes 1-31 (1890-1923)
Vermont Historical Society Proceedings (1860-1923)
Waterloo Historical Society Annual Report, covering volumes 4, 7, and 11 (1916-1923)
Women's Canadian Historical Society of Toronto Transactions, covering volume 7 (1907)


Irish Newspapers

Over 17,000 new articles and two brand new titles, the Lurgan Mail and the Irish Citizen have been added to our collection of historical Irish newspapers.


Further information and links area available at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-2563732684.html

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Ancestry adds New Zealand WW1 army service records

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added the following New Zealand database:

New Zealand, World War I Service Records, 1914-1920
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61564
Source: New Zealand World War I Service Dossiers, 1914-1920. Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington, New Zealand. This information is supplied by Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga.


About New Zealand, World War I Service Records, 1914-1920

This database contains New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF) Personnel Files for all known New Zealanders who served in the First World War.

The records contain information of interested to personal and professional researchers alike, including:

* Transfers
* Promotions
* Punishments
* Medals and honors received
* Health status and medical history
* Other biological information

Military service files typically include several documents. The primary document which has been indexed and is searchable by name is the Attestation Sheet. The attestation sheet ncludes personal information about the individual who served, such as:

* Name
* Birth place and date
* Citizenship
* Parents Names and birthplaces
* Occupation
* Education
* Address
* Marital Status
* Dependents
* Previous Military Service

Additional documentation may be found in the files, including correspondence.

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Further County Limerick records added to RootsIreland

The RootsIreland website (www.rootsireland.ie) has added 59,000 records for the county of Limerick, comprised of the following:

• Tithe Applotment Books for all of Limerick, 1824-1835 – 27347 records;
• Marriage and dispensation records from Croom Roman Catholic parish, 1770-1779, 1783-1794 & 1807-1810 – 1704 records;
• Baptismal and marriage records from Fedamore Roman Catholic parish, 1806-1807 – 94 records;
• Death/burial records for Shanagolden Roman Catholic parish 1832-1849 – 4 records;
• Death/burial records for Knockainy Roman Catholic parish 1819-1821 – 53 records;
• Marriage records for Kilcolman and Coolcappa parish 1891-1900 – 65 records;
• Death records for the County Limerick Infirmary in the Registrar’s District of Limerick No. 2, 1912-1948 – 799 records;
• Non-Catholic civil marriage records for the Church of Ireland parishes of Cappamore 1860-1910, Kildimo 1850-1881, Kilmallock 1846-1933, Mungret 1845-1872 and St. John’s 1845-1941 – 586 records;
• A head of households’ census for St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic parish (civil parishes of Kilmurry, Derrygalvin and St. Patrick’s, 1830 & Kilmurry, 1835) – 847 records;
• Census search forms 1841 & 1851 for Old Age Pension applications – 1908-1922 – 1433 records;
• Head of households census for Athea Roman Catholic parish, 1857 – 199 records;
• A database of Limerick people listed in various documents and published sources, 1799-1867 – 8285 records.

Limerick civil birth and non-Catholic baptismal records have been extended also to 1916, non-Catholic church and civil marriages to 1918, and death/burial records to 1918.

Further details on Limerick holdings are available at http://www.rootsireland.ie/2018/04/new-limerick-records-online/.

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

British Army Officers' Widows' Pension Forms 1755-1908 join FindmyPast

Latest additions to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

British Army Officers' Widows' Pension Forms 1755-1908

Indexed online for the first time, British Army Officers' Widows' Pension Forms 1755 - 1908, spans more than 150 years of British military history and contains over 13,000 transcripts and scanned images taken from The National Archives series "WO 42: War Office: Officers' Birth Certificates, Wills and Personal Papers". The collection consists of bundles of original documents submitted in support of pension claims made by the widows of British Army officers. It covers the families of officers who died in service or on half pay as well as compassionate allowances awarded to the children of both deceased and disabled officers.

Somerset Registers & Records

There are four titles included in this collection. These publications may provide you with details of your ancestor's birth, marriage, or burial. Bishop's transcripts, parish registers, and monumental inscriptions are included and provide dates, names, and places of vital events. The four titles currently available to search include:

• Dwelly's Parish Records Vols I & II – Bishop's Transcripts from Wells Diocesan Registry, published 1914
• Parish Registers of Chipstable, Raddington, Kittisford & Pitcombe in Dwelly's Parish Records, 1538-1837
• Parish Register of Wilton, 1558-1837
• Wells Cathedral Monumental Inscriptions and Heraldry, published 1892

Rutland Registers & Records

Explore 180 pages of the Registers of North Luffenham, 1565-1832, to uncover baptisms, marriages, burials and monumental inscriptions.


Northumberland Registers & Records

Explore registers and records from the English county of Northumberland. Discover your ancestor in parish registers, and learn when and where your ancestor's baptism, marriage, or burial took place. This collection currently comprises five publications:

• Early Deeds Relating to Newcastle Upon Tyne, 1100-1600
• Parish Registers of Alnham, Ceadnell, Chatton & Ilderton, 1688-1812
• Parish Registers of Edlingham, 1658-1812
• Parish Registers of Halton, 1654-1812
• Parish Registers of Ingram, 1682-1812

Nottinghamshire Registers & Records

Learn more about the English county of Nottinghamshire and its inhabitants with this collection of registers and records. Find your ancestor in parish registers, and learn when and where your ancestor's baptism, marriage, or burial took place. This collection currently comprises eight publications, including:

• Highways & Byways in Nottinghamshire, published 1924
• History of the Parish of Gedling – Including Marriage Registers, 1558-1812
• Nottinghamshire Marriage Licenses, Vol II Archdeaconry Court & Peculiar of Southwell, 1701-1853
• Old Nottinghamshire, published 1881
• Parish Register Transcripts of 24 Parishes Belonging to the Peculiar of Southwell, 1600-1700
• Parish Registers of Warsop – Extracts with Notes, 1538-1912
• The Nottingham Date Book, published 1884
• Thorton's History of Nottinghamshire, updated by John Throsby, published 1797

British Newspapers

Over 787,000 articles and 17 new titles have been added to our collection of historic British newspapers.


Further details and links at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-2561597094.html

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Fife Kalendar of Convicts 1790–1880 CD now on sale

Fife Family History Society (www.fifefhs.org) has released a new data CD, entitled Fife Kalendar of Convicts, 1790–1880. The following are the details, and where to buy:

Fife Kalendar of Convicts, 1790 – 1880 (CD)

£15.00

This CD contains a PDF copy of the Fife Kalendar of Convicts, 1790 – 1880 (20MB) and an installer for Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Kalendar is also available as a digital download. At over 2000 pages long this publication is not suitable for printing. It is best viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader, an application widely available as a free download.

The Fife Kalendar of Convicts is an index of cases tried in a number of the courts of Fife, as well as Fife cases before the High Court. It also covers Jury Trials of Cupar and Dunfermline Sheriff Courts, as well as Justice of the Peace records and cases dealt with at local Burgh/Police/Magistrates Courts. Records of transportation of Fife convicts to Australia have also been consulted, as have additional sources.

To purchase the CD, and for further details, please visit https://shop.fifefhs.org/shop/cd-media/fife-kalendar-of-convicts-1790-1880-cd/

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts soon

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts on May 7th 2018 through Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd. Here's a description of the course:

This is an intermediate level course in Scottish family history for those who are going back beyond 1850. You should have some experience with research in the Old Parochial Registers of the Church of Scotland and in using major websites for Scottish research. This course discusses sources that fill the gap when the OPRs are uninformative or missing; for example, records of parish and town administration, occupations, land transfer and taxation. Using these records involves several different locations. You will learn how to check online finding aids and how to find the most effective way to obtain records that may be online, in print, on CD or microfilm. This is the second course on Scottish research. If you have not taken Scottish Research Online please check its description.

Lesson Headings:

* Kirk Sessions records and parish poor
* Burgh records and town poor
* Occupations, taxation and early lists
* Land transfer and the value of sasines
* Land, inheritance and estates

Each lesson includes exercises and activities; a minimum of 1 one-hour chat session per week. See How the Courses Work.

STUDENTS SAID: well structured chats with opportunities for questions as well

Relevant Countries: Scotland
Course Length: 5 Weeks
Start Date: 7 May 2018
Cost: £49.99


The following video also gives a bit more of a flavour about what to expect:

(Available also at https://youtu.be/1vX6GZtwZJ0)

For further details, and to sign up, please visit https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. 

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

FamilySearch Adds 2 Billionth Image of Genealogy Records

From FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org):

FamilySearch Adds 2 Billionth Image of Genealogy Records

Salt Lake City, Utah (23 April 2018), In your quest to discover your family history it might be time to take another look at FamilySearch’s online offerings. The genealogy giant’s free online databases of digitized historical documents have now surpassed 2 billion images of genealogy records with millions more being added weekly from countries around the world. Nonprofit FamilySearch, a global leader in historical genealogy records preservation and access, announced the milestone today.

Last September FamilySearch transitioned from its microfilm circulation services to a new digital model that makes its massive genealogical records collections more broadly and readily accessible online (See UPDATE: FamilySearch Digital Records Access Replacing Microfilm). Today’s announcement reinforces its continuing commitment to grow online genealogy resources. FamilySearch currently adds over 300 million new images a year online from its microfilm to digital and field operations efforts.

The free genealogy records include censuses, birth, marriage, death, court, immigration and other document types that are invaluable for individuals to make personal family history discoveries and connections. A host of online volunteers (See FamilySearch Indexing), partners, and emerging technologies help to eventually create searchable name indexes to the images, but in the meantime, images (digital photos) can be browsed and saved.

The digital image only collections can be viewed at FamilySearch in three points of access:

• The catalog includes a description of all microfilms and digital images in FamilySearch images. New images from field operations or digitized microfilms are added daily.
• Historical records include collections that have searchable name databases or some waypoints to help in browsing unindexed images.
• Books include digital copies of local histories and published genealogies from the FamilySearch Family History Library in Salt Lake City and other affiliate libraries. This includes many books that were previously preserved on microfilm.

FamilySearch traces its preservation work to 1938 when its forerunner, the Genealogical Society of Utah, began microfilming historical genealogy documents. Eighty years later, the preservation science has changed from microfilming to digital preservation which creates convenient access to anyone with an internet connection. Today, FamilySearch has over 300 mobile digitization teams with specialized cameras, filming genealogy documents on location from archives worldwide. It also partners with libraries and societies to digitize their historical books and other relevant publications.

FamilySearch has billions more indexed records that are searchable by name online, and robust, free collaborative Family Tree and Memories features and mobile apps. To explore its records and images and these services, simply create a free account and start searching.

See also FamilySearch’s Strategy to Help Preserve the World's Archives

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Deceased Online scheduled maintenance

From Deceased Online (www.deceasedonline.com):

Deceased Online Essential Server Maintenance

We will be carrying out essential planned maintenance work to the Deceased Online server over Saturday 21st April and Sunday 22nd April 2018.

The Deceased Online service will be unavailable from midnight (British Summer Time) on Friday 20th April 2018 and will be operating as normal on Monday 23rd April 2018.

This is the first time in over 5 years where the service has been interrupted for essential server maintenance and we will keep the time where the service is unavailable to a minimum.

We are expecting to complete the work on Saturday 21st April 2018 but have scheduled Sunday 22nd April 2018 as contingency period. There may be temporary interruptions to service on Sunday 22nd April as we carry out performance tests and final adjustments.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

TheGenealogist adds War Memorial and headstone records

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

TheGenealogist adds another 64,920 War Memorial records and 13,487 new headstone records

This week TheGenealogist has expanded its growing headstone and war memorial record collections with some interesting new additions to both. The headstone records cover 53 new cemeteries and the various war memorials are from Australia, Britain, Canada and the USA.

The International Headstone collection is an ongoing project where every stone photographed or transcribed earns volunteers credits, which they can spend on subscriptions at TheGenealogist.co.uk or products from GenealogySupplies.com. If you would like to join, you can find out more about the scheme at: https://ukindexer.co.uk/headstone/

Also published online this week are an additional 64,920 War Memorial records which include a complete roll of honour for both WW1 and WW2 for Shetland, with men's units and the Shetland village in which they had resided. There are other war memorials in this release that cover the country including the Abercarn Tinplaters Memorial Institute in Wales. There are plaques and monuments in Bedford, Bolton, Lancashire, London, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Warwickshire and even further afield in Canada, Western Australia and the USA. One of the Canadian memorials is a fascinating, but sadly very worn, WW2 memorial

from Calgary in Canada that names 227 aircrew from Australia and New Zealand who died while training in Calgary, revealing just how dangerous WW2 aviation was.

From the USA TheGenealogist has uploaded some WW1 and WW2 war memorials from New York, including a fine one in Battery Park. This is a roll of those men and women who lost their lives in the Atlantic coastal waters in WW2 and had no known grave as a result of U-boat action. The war memorial gives researchers the ranks, units and the US state from which they had come, and the shockingly large number of Americans included is a salutary lesson when in Britain we are often only aware of our own countrymen/women who died at sea from enemy action against the convoys.

Lastly there are a number of Boer War memorials - for example the tribute within Blackpool Town Hall that commemorates the 74 Blackpool men who volunteered to join various units for service in South Africa.

These new records are all available as part of the Diamond Subscription at TheGenealogist.

To find out more about the UKIndexer volunteer project, you can read the following article: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2018/family-history-can-be-a-rewarding-hobby-790/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Society of Genealogists to sponsor Secret Lives conference lectures

I recently announced details of the Secret Lives conference (see http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/secret-lives-conference.html). The following is the latest update from the organisers:

The Secret Lives conference team are delighted that the Society of Genealogists has agreed to sponsor the lecture stream in the Mayfair Suite.

Alec Tritton, conference chair said " It is thanks to such generous offers that we are able to have three streams of lectures. It gives delegates a fantastic choice of topics that would not have been possible without this".

June Perrin, CEO of the Society of Genealogists said "The Society of Genealogists is delighted to sponsor an invaluable additional stream of lectures at the conference. Our main remit is to help educate people on the subject of Genealogy and the diverse range of topics at the conference is another excellent way to achieve this. If you haven’t booked yet don’t miss out."

Founded in 1911 the Society of Genealogists (SoG) is Britain’s premier family history society. The Society maintains a splendid genealogical library and education centre in Clerkenwell in London.

Secret Lives: Hidden Voices of our Ancestors is a three day genealogical conference being held in the four star Jurys Inn, Hinckley Island, Leicestershire, UK from 31st August to 2nd September 2018.

Further details:
http://www.sog.org.uk
https://www.secretlives.org.uk

(With thanks to Alec Tritton)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Irish Genealogy Virtual Conference 21st April

Next Saturday April 21st I will be participating in an Irish Genealogy Virtual Conference with several other speakers on Irish based topics. Sign up from anywhere in the world to take part, to learn a little and to enjoy the craic!

This is the programme (note the advertised times are Canadian based Eastern time - I've put UK/Ireland times in brackets after):

9:00-10.10 (UK/Ire 2-3.10pm) - Fintan Mullan presents Finding 17th Century Families in Ireland

10:25-11.35 (UK/Ire 3.25-4.35pm) - Gillian Hunt presents Using Church Records for Irish Genealogy Research

11:50-12.35 (UK/Ire 4.50-5.35pm) - Fiona Fitzsimons presents Finding Women in the Irish Records

1.15-2.20 (UK/Ire 6.15-7.20pm) - Chris Paton presents Using Irish Land Records for Genealogy Research

2:35-2.55 (UK/Ire 7.35-7.55pm) - Maurice Gleeson presents Making Online Resources Work for You

All presentations will be available for 72 hours after the end of the virtual conference to allow for time zone challenges and to make attending easier for people who are not able to commit to the full day.

To sign up, please visit https://www.genealogyvic.com. The price to register is Can $79.

For details on special deals available from vendors throughout the conference, visit http://scottishgenealogytipsntricks.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/the-irish-vic-is-just-fortnight-away.html. This includes 20% discount on all purchases from Global Genealogy, who publish my Unlock the Past books in Canada - details on these are available at http://www.globalgenealogy.com/authors/paton-chris/chris-paton.htm.

I'll hopefully see you there!

UPDATE: The timings have since been revised, and have been amended above.

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Waterford records added to FindmyPast

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added the following seventeen databases for those with an interest in Waterford, Ireland, from 1662 to 2006:

• Freemen pre-1700 (1662-1700)
• Freemen (1700-2006)
• Freedom petitions (1824-1842)
• Burgess list (1879-1893)
• Langable rental (1832) – a langable was a term used for a rent roll
• Register of electors – Waterford city (1900)
• Register of electors – Centre Ward (1903)
• Rate books (1906-1907)
• Rate books – Centre Ward (1912)
• Rate books – South Ward (1912)
• Register of electors – Centre Ward (1913)
• Register of electors – Custom Ward (1913)
• City Council Members (1889-1895)
• Trade directories (1824-1910)
• Grave memorials/inscriptions
• Lismore estate papers emigration record database (1815-1905) 

The collection is available to search at https://search.findmypast.co.uk/search-world-Records/waterford-registers-and-records

Also released by FindmyPast this week:

New South Wales, Deceased Estate Files 1880-1923
Discover your ancestor in this index of over 137,000 deceased estate files from New South Wales. The records span the years between 1880 and 1923. Each result includes a transcript that may reveal a combination of your ancestor's date of death, duty date, locality and any additional remarks.

New Jersey Death Index 1901-1903 Image Browse
Explore over 1000 digital images of the New Jersey death index covering the years 1901 to 1903. This collection has been obtained through Reclaim the Records.

New Jersey Marriage Index 1901-1914 Image Browse
Explore over 7,000 digital images of the New Jersey marriage index covering the years 1901 to 1914. This collection has been obtained through Reclaim the Records.

Surrey Feet of Fines 1558-1760
Explore over 20,000 feet of fines records for Surrey created between 1558 and 1760. Feet of fines were documents of a fictitious suit of law created to obtain a secure transfer of land. The document recorded the final agreement (or concord), written in triplicate, between buyer and seller: two copies side by side and one copy across the bottom of the sheet (the foot of the fine). An indented or wavy line separated the three sections; one section was given to the seller, one to the buyer, and one (the foot) to the court. The idea behind this system was that forgeries could be identified by showing they didn't fit the three-piece jigsaw of the authentic, original foot of fine.

Cornwall Burials
Hundreds of new records have been added to our collection of Cornish burials. The collection now contains over 280,000 records covering more than two hundred parishes across the Cornish peninsula. The new additions cover Dissenter burials in Falmouth and Penryn between 1808 and 1926.

Further details and links at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-2559353328.html.

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

FIBIS AGM and Open Lecture Meeting

From the Families in British India Society (www.fibis.org):

FIBIS AGM and Open Lecture Meeting – 16 June 2018

This years FIBIS AGM and Open Lecture Meeting will be held on Saturday 16 June at the Union Jack Club, Sandell St, Lambeth, London, GB SE1 8UJ. (View map) Please note that you MUST register your attendance in advance for security reasons.
Programme

10.30 FIBIS experts answer your research questions
12.00 Break for Lunch.
13.15 AGM
14:00 Presentation by Iain Shore on the refurbishment of the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur
15:00 Refreshment break
15:30 Paddy Walsh will present a film made by Mark Probett on the Cawnpore Massacre, to be followed by a short QA session

Please register your attendance online at https://www.fibis.org/store/events/fibis-agm-open-lecture-meeting-2018/. If you experience any problems booking email valmay@fibis.org.

(With thanks to Valmay Young)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Lives of the First World War project to end 2019

From the Imperial War Museum (www.iwm.org.uk), news of the Lives of the First World War project (​https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org):

Findmypast and Imperial War Museums’ groundbreaking Lives of the First World War project enters its final year

Findmypast and IWM call on members of the public to preserve as many stories as possible before submissions cease on 18 March 2019

Findmypast and Imperial War Museums today announced their groundbreaking collaboration, Lives of the First World War, will cease taking submissions on 18 March 2019. From this date onwards, IWM will act as the custodian of the millions of contributions made by members of the public, creating a permanent digital memorial that will always remain free to access.

Lives of the First World War was launched in 2014 as the IWM’s flagship digital centenary project. Since then it has captured the stories of more than 7.6 million men and women from across Britain and the Commonwealth who contributed their ‘toil and sacrifice’ during the First World War.

Charlotte Czyzyk, Public Engagement and Project Manager for Lives of the First World War, said:
​
"From factory workers and members of the armed forces, to medics and conscientious objectors, Lives of the First World War has curated over 2.2 million biographical details, anecdotes and images thanks to the contributions of more than 130,000 dedicated members. These rich, personal life stories will be preserved by IWMs for future generations, serving as a powerful and permanent record of the ‘lost generation’."

As the project enters its final year, Findmypast and IWM are calling on members of the public to help them preserve as many stories as possible. By joining Lives of the First World War and uploading scans of photos, letters and diaries, by researching a name on a local war memorial, or by sharing anecdotes passed down through the generations, family historians will contribute to a permanent digital memorial that will help shape our understanding of this important period of world history, both now and in the future."

(With thanks to Charlotte Czyzyk)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

1920 English and Welsh electoral register joins FindmyPast

New to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) this week:

England & Wales, Electoral Registers 1920
Over 6.7 million records – discover where your ancestors were living in a 1920 census substitute created from out exclusive collection of England & Wales electoral records. These newly indexed records can be searched by name, year, constituency, polling district and keyword.

Canadian Headstones Index
Over 1.8 million records – Search this index of Canadian headstones to discover when and where your ancestor died. This collection has been obtained through CanadianHeadstones.com, presented by the Ontario Genealogical Society. Additional information about these records can be found on the source's website.

Sussex Registers & Records
Explore two fascinating publications – Parish Registers of Hove & Preston (1538-1812) and Parochial History of Chiddingly (1407-1847), to uncover baptisms, marriages, burials, memorial inscriptions, local histories and biographies of early figures from the county's history.

Warwickshire Registers & Records
Explore two fascinating publications – Historical Warwickshire, Its Legendary Lore, Traditionary Stories, and Romantic Episodes (published 1876) and History of Coventry (published 1870), and learn more about the history, legends and lore of William Shakespeare's birth county.

Surrey Registers & Records
Explore five publications – covering Beddington, Chipstead & Titsey, Gatton & Sanderstead, Richmond and Wimbledon. These compilations of parish registers date back to the mid 1500s and contain baptisms, marriages and burials from a variety of parishes across the county.

Suffolk Registers & Records
Explore seven publications – covering Bury St Edmunds, West Stow & Wordwell, Rushbrook, Ickworth, Denham and Chillesford. The collection includes Wills & Inventories, Hearth Tax returns and Parish records dating back to 1539.

New South Wales, Railway Employment Records
Over 700 records – Explore a register of salaried officers working for the New South Wales Government Railways and Tramways (1856-1890) and a personnel register for Darling Harbour (1909-1932) to uncover details of your ancestor's career on Australia's railroads.

Cardiganshire Burials
Over 1,514 Llanwenog monumental inscriptions 1768-1996 have been added to our collection of Cardiganshire Burials. The records will reveal a combination of your ancestors birth year, death date, burial date, burial location, residence, death place and relatives' names .

Further details at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-2556894621.html

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Looking for Annie Paton from Inverness

Everyone has a real bugbear with their family history. One of mine is my great aunt, Annie MacGillivray Paton, for whom I know very little. She was born in Belgium to my two Scottish great grandparents, and died in Inverness, having worked there in the aftermath of the Second World War at Menzies bookshop. So I'm hoping the reach of this blog post might generate a few answers!

Here is what I know about Annie:

Annie was born at 3.30pm on April 26th 1894 in Brussels, Belgium, to my great grandparents, David Hepburn Paton (pictured right) and Jessie MacFarlane. The registration of her birth was on the 28th, witnessed by 37 year old Auguste Moreau, negociant, and 23 year old magasinier Charles Depoorter from Schaerbeek. The birth certificate reads:

Annie MacGillivray Paton, nee le vingt six dec mois a trois heures apres midi, rue de Marche Aux Herbes, no. 76, 4e Don; fille de David Hepburn Paton, gerant, ne a Blackford (Ecosse) et de Jessie MacFarlane, nee a Inverness (Ecosse), conjoints, residant meme maison et domiciles a Glasgow.

Sur la declaration du pere, age de vingt neuf ans.

En presence d' Auguste Moreau, negociant, age de trente sept ans, domicile a Bruxelles, et de Charles Depoorter, magasiniere, age de vingt trois ans, domicile a Schaerbreek.

At the time of her birth, her parents were living at Marche Aux Herbes.

In 1907 the family briefly relocated to Inverness in Scotland, and then to Glasgow in 1908. The 1911 census, taken on April 2nd, showed that Annie was by then residing at 108 Cumberland Street in the Gorbals with her mother and her father's brother Joseph and family.

The family returned to Belgium in mid-1911. Annie was still there when the Germans invaded just three years later in August 1914. After the death of her father in March 1916, Annie remained with her mother under a form of house arrest in Brussels, and was there for the whole war. Whilst there, she had to endure not only the death of her father, but the imprisonment of her younger brother John at Ruhleben camp in Germany, and the uncertainty of her brother William's war service with the army.

When the war was over, Annie returned to Glasgow with her mother and brother Charlie (my grandfather).

My aunt Sheila Cobby (nee Paton) recalled how when she was laid up in hospital with her childhood illness of polio, she received a collection of Beatrix Potter books from her Aunt Annie. Sheila never actually met her aunt, neither did my father.  From 1930 to 1939, Annie was recorded in the electoral registers as being resident at 6 Sunnybank Street, a tenement in Shettleston, Glasgow, along with her mother Jessie (and brother Charles until 1934/35).

Their cousin Joan West (nee Paton) however, recalls how Annie moved to Inverness with her mother Jessie Paton, nee McFarlane (Calum's and Jamie's great great granny) during the Second World War. With the outbreak of war, William Paton, Annie's brother, had insisted they go at once to the north, not wishing them to experience what they did during the prior war, and that they would be safer there from German bombs than in Glasgow. Annie and Jessie shared a house initially on South Street, Inverness, with a Mrs Murray, and were visited by Joan after the war when she was stationed at a Royal Naval base in Lossiemouth. Annie never married, and took up work in Inverness at Menzies bookshop.

Annie's grand nephew, Alan Paton, once told me how he and his grandfather William had visited her in Inverness in her latter days. Alan recalled that she had a very strong French accent still, after all the years she had been back in Scotland, and that she constantly berated her brother William for having no French at all - what she considered should have been his 'mother tongue'!! Alan also recalls seeing a portrait of Annie, painted when she was about 19, and says that in her youth, she was a beautiful woman. The whereabouts of this portrait is no longer known.

Annie eventually died on March 25th 1975 at her home in Inverness, with her death registered on the 28th by her cousin by marriage, Ann Cooney. The cause of death was bronchopneumonia, hypertension and carcinoma of the breast.

The following notice was placed on page one of the Inverness Courier on March 25th 1975:

PATON - Suddenly at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, on the 24th March 1975, Annie Paton, 91a Bruce Gardens, Inverness. Service on Thursday, at 1.45pm., at Messrs D. Chisholm & Sons' Service Room, 10 George Street, Inverness; thereafter Funeral to Tomnahurich Cemetery. All friends respectfully invited.

Whilst I know a considerable amount about my grandfather Charles, and his brothers John and William, Annie is the mystery member of the family - I don't even have a photo of her or her mother Jessie Paton (nee MacFarlane).

If anyone has any further information about Annie and Jessie, or a photo, I'd love to hear from you!

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Gibraltar and Yorkshire records added to Ancestry

The following collections have been added to Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk):

Yorkshire, England: Church of England Parish Records, 1538-1873
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61630
Source: This information is compiled under licence from the printed parish registers published by the Parish Register Section of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society or the Yorkshire Parish Register Society (together "the Section").

This database is a collection of historical parish registers from Yorkshire, England. The records in this collection can range in date from the early 1500s to the mid- to late-1800s. Parish records--primarily baptisms, marriages, and burials--provide the best sources of vital record information in the centuries before civil registration. Baptismal records generally list the date of the baptism, the name of the child being baptized, and the name of the father. Marriage records generally include the date of the marriage and the names of the bride and groom. Burial records generally list the date of the burial and the name of the deceased individual. Occasionally burial records will include other bits of information, such as where the individual was from or if he/she was a widow.

Records from various parishes throughout Yorkshire will continually be added to this database for the next couple of months.


Web: Gibraltar, WWII Evacuee Embarkation Records, 1940
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=70853
Source: http://www.nationalarchives.gi/gna/EvacList_Surname.aspx accessed 5th February 2018.

Sourced from Gibraltar's National Archives. 15,021 embarkation records are included - see website for details.

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.