Thanks to Glasgow and West of Scotland FHS

Thanks again to Glasgow and West of Scotland FHS (www.gwsfhs.org.uk) for its warm reception last night, at my second Irish themed talk this year to the society. I gave a short talk about the history of an Irish farm within my wife's ancestry, followed by a forty minute Q&A section, with some very diverse enquriies on both Scottish and Irish family history themed issues.

The venue was at Kelvinside Academy, and bizarrely when I turned up last night the exterior had been dressed by a BBC film production, which was also filming there. Fortunately, I only have a face for radio, so there was no big Hollywood discovery moment!!!

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Thanks to Manchester and Lancashire FHS

A huge thank you to the Anglo-Scottish branch of the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society for its hospitality yesterday (Saturday), when I travelled down from Scotland to give  atalk on being Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis.

It was my first time to Manchester in six years, following the death of my mother there in 2013, and it was great to see the place buzzing as much as normal, and to see so many folk attend the talk in the superb Central Library building.

For more on the society, visit https://www.mlfhs.org.uk.

(With thanks to Yvonne and Michael!)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

NIFHS hosts Finding Your American Cousins talk

From the North of Ireland Family History Society:

US Genealogist to Give a Talk on “Finding Your American Cousins”

The North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) is starting its 40th anniversary celebrations and is inviting people to a special talk on Sunday 20th October: “Finding Your American Cousins”.

Past generations of your family left here and went to America. What happened to them? Where did they go? If you can “jump the pond” with your research, you may be able to fill in gaps in your family tree and connect with cousins who have precious family photos and stories to share with you.

Donna Moughty, a visiting professional genealogist from America, will talk about what records are available for the time and place where your relatives settled. She will focus on online records and will outline strategies for how to use them effectively. She also asks the question: should I do a DNA test?

Your American cousins may be looking for you. Attend this talk to learn how to find them and connect with them.

Booking is not required for this event which starts at 2.30 on Sunday afternoon, 20th October. Admission £5. Venue: Castle Upton Suite, Hilton Hotel, Templepatrick, County Antrim.

This talk is part of a special year-long programme of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of NIFHS. The society has its roots in a family history group formed in Bangor in 1979 and now has eleven branches across Northern Ireland and over 1000 members both locally and around the world. The society has many facilities and projects to help family historians, including a library and research centre in Newtownabbey that is also used for family history and DNA classes.

Further details at www.nifhs.org/resources/courses/american-cousins/

(With thanks to Maeve Rogan)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

My forthcoming Scottish talk in Manchester

I'm looking forward to a day trip to England in a couple of weeks time, to give a talk to the Anglo-Scots Branch Meeting of Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society (https://www.mlfhs.org.uk) on 19th October.  Here are the details!

Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis
Chris Paton
Venue: Central Library, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 5PD, 2pm-4pm

It is often the case in family history research that our ancestors' lives were best documented when the chips were truly down. We may have had ancestors in poverty or debt, with mental issues or illnesses, who were assaulted, murdered, raped, who committed suicide, engaged in insurgency, or who were punished by the state or the Kirk. No matter the crisis, a quill and ink were always in close proximity.

In this talk Chris Paton explores some of the areas of ancestral hardship, to allow us to truly understand the situations that our forebears had to endure and overcome.

This meeting will be held at Central Library in Meeting room 1.

Booking essential, use the Eventbrite icon on the Society homepage.

(See https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/manchester-amp-lancashire-fhs-1651925094)

I'll hopefully see you there!

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

NIFHS launches Ballycarry DNA Project

The North of Ireland Family History Society (www.nifhs.org) has launched a new Ballycarry DNA Project.

From the site:

Ballycarry is an historic County Antrim village with strong Scottish connections and has a number of families that have lived in the district for many generations. We wish to explore the connections between people who are the descendants of whose who lived in Ballycarry in the past to identify if the families living side-by-side were indeed related to each other. This will allow individuals living today to identify that they are related to each other (and others who have taken tests) and to build up a picture of relationships in the past that will explain their connections. In many instances these connections go back beyond paper records and effectively ‘recreate’ a family tree where one no longer exists.

In order to carry out this project we intend to DNA test individuals who can establish their connections to people who lived in the Ballycarry (Parish of Templecorran) in the 1800s. Doing this will help us to explore links between the testers and other people who have already taken a DNA test. By testing people from a specific area it is anticipated that many connections will be identified and confirmed as the tests can give meaningful information back to each person’s 5x great grandparents (usually at least to the mid 1700s).

For further details of the project, and the launch event on Tuesday 8th October 2019, please visit https://www.nifhs.org/dna/ballycarry-dna-project/.

COMMENT: Whilst I have no identified connections to Ballycarry as yet, I am tripping over lines from nearby Islandmagee, so I am intending to join the main NIFHS DNA project - full details at https://www.nifhs.org/dna/.

(With thanks to Rosemary Sibbett)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Finding Your American Cousins talk in Templepatrick

From the North of Ireland Family History Society (www.nifhs.org):

Finding Your American Cousins

You are invited to a talk by our 40th Anniversary Guest Speaker, DONNA MOUGHTY

On Sunday 20th October 2019 at 2.30pm
CASTLE UPTON SUITE HILTON HOTEL, TEMPLEPATRICK
Admission £5
Come along and bring a friend

Donna Moughty is a Professional Genealogist who has been conducting family research for over 25 years. She teaches and lectures on a variety of subjects including Internet, Irish research, methodology and computer topics locally and at national and regional conferences and institutes. Her blog can be found at www.irishfamilyroots.com

(With thanks to Ken Tait)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts 4 November 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Society of Genealogists announces search for new premises

From the London based Society of Genealogists (http://www.sog.org.uk):

Society of Genealogists looks to relocate

After two years of careful analysis and discussions the Trustees of the Society of Genealogists have concluded that that we have finally outgrown our premises in Clerkenwell and are seeking to relocate.

Charterhouse Buildings is our fifth home since the Society was founded in 1911. But after 35 years, the current library no longer provides adequate space and facilities for our needs and requires significant investment for major repairs, maintenance and IT.

Moving to more suitable premises will enable the Society to reinvest in our core services of providing the best genealogical library and collections in the UK, to continue and expand upon our education programme and to create a more convivial space for our members and users.

No decisions have yet been made about when we will move or where we will go. Rest assured no decision will be made until we have consulted widely and sought advice and input from our stakeholders. The process will no doubt take some time and it is unlikely to be less than a three to five-year period.

We hope that our members and friends will join us in this period of transformation and look forward to better times ahead.

For any further comment or questions please direct enquiries to June Perrin, Chief Executive Officer, Society of Genealogists ceo@sog.org.uk

(With thanks to Else Churchill)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scottish Research Online course starts 2 September 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Lanarkshire Local and Family History Show 2019

The Lanarkshire Local and Family History Show will be taking place in early October:

Lanarkshire Family History Society
presents
Scotland's Largest Local & Family History Event​
9:30am - 4:30pm
Back again this year on Saturday 5th October 2019
Motherwell Concert Hall, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1AB
Entry £2.00 (Accompanied Children Free)
Talks cost £3 each - £10 for all 4 talks (Pay at the venue)
Enquiries - Email secretary-lanarkshirefhs@hotmail.co.uk

Further details are available at https://lfhsshow.weebly.com, including speakers at the event - I'll be amongst them speaking about an Irish house history.

Hopefully see you there!

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scottish Research Online course starts 2 September 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Virtual Genealogical Association 2019 virtual conference

The Virtual Genealogical Association (https://virtualgenealogy.org) 2019 virtual conference will be held Friday, November 1 through Sunday, November 3, 2019 from 8:45am Eastern to 6:00pm Eastern each day.

Registrants will have access to the recordings and handouts for all sessions for 6 months following the conference (until May 3, 2020). Watch any time, any place, on any device.
Socialize & network with fellow attendees during the conference via a private Facebook group
Conference is held via GoToWebinar. All registrants will receive an emailed link.
Closed captioning via Rev.com will be added to recordings of all sessions and will be made available to registrants within 7 days of the live broadcast.
Cancellation policy: Full refund if cancellation request is received before October 18; no refund after October 18, 2019.

The Presentations:

(pre-recorded) Judy G. Russell: The Seanachie: Linking Life and Law through Storytelling (Judy explains how rambling through the statute books and other legal records can help us tell the stories of our families with rich detail that won’t be forgotten.)

(pre-recorded) Julie Goucher: How European Surnames Can Help in Genealogical Research (Julie discusses the broad elements of researching European surnames, including factors such as culture, geography, religion, languages (including alphabets and dialects), naming patterns, the merging of surnames, and the benefits of DNA projects.)

Friday, November 1, 2019
8:45am Katherine R. Willson: Friday welcome
9:00am Blaine T. Bettinger: Identifying Your DNA Matches’ Secret Identity (Who is that new match with the weird username and no tree? Learn new tricks to identify your matches and build their trees.)
10:30am Helen V. Smith: Discover Your Family History in Australia (Australia has many resources available for researching your family history but it is essential to know the specific time and place, as this influences what records are available and in which jurisdiction they are held. Helen reminds us that, while many of the most used records for family history have been digitised, many of the specialist or lesser used records are only available in specific repositories, and these records add great depth to your family history.)
12:00pm Denise May Levenick: Preserving the Past: Archiving & Digitizing Your Family Keepsakes (Denise provides an overview of preservation and digitization techniques for family historians, including best practices for archival storage and fundamentals of digitization of family history papers.)
1:30pm Ari Wilkins: Incorporating Oral History Into Your Research (Ari demonstrates how oral history can dramatically enhance our genealogical research by providing information that traditional records may not: names, dates, and places of life events, as well as motives for migration, explanations of brief marriages, or descriptions of an ancestor’s personality.)
3:00pm Bernice Bennett: Writing and Telling Your Story (Do you have a story to tell but don’t know how to write or tell it? Bernice’s session will explore how you can turn your genealogical research into a compelling and engaging family story.)
4:30pm Daniel Earl: The Next Generation: 5 Tech Tools to Get Your Kids Involved in Family History (Dan combines his experiences as a parent & youth leader, and his professional background in developmental psychology, to examine 5 tools for inspiring the next generation of genealogists, as well as the ‘peak’ times to involve them.)

Saturday, November 2, 2019
8:45am Katherine R. Willson: Saturday welcome
9:00am Blaine T. Bettinger: Using DNA Shared Matching for Success (Shared matching is the most powerful tool the testing companies provide. Learn what this tool does and how you can use it to explore your matches.)
10:30am Lisa Alzo: Timesaving Apps for Busy Genealogists (Lisa gives us a broad review of the best time-saving apps & tools for Android and iPhone/iPad platforms to get a handle on backed-up research or photo-scanning projects, society meetings and conferences, and never ending “to-do” lists.)
12:00pm Christine Woodcock: Online Sources for Scottish Research (Christine shares the many online resources for finding your Scottish ancestors.)
1:30pm Peggy Clemens Lauritzen: Hidden Gems in the FamilySearch Wiki (The FamilySearch Wiki is one of the best-kept secrets of FamilySearch, containing tens of thousands of pages to assist you in researching your family history. Peggy shows us how this powerful and robust tool can bring the world to your fingertips.)
3:00pm Nicka Smith: BlackProGen LIVE! (Nicka shares the history, the platform, the challenges, and the rewards of running BlackProGen LIVE!)
4:30pm Gena Philibert-Ortega: Finding Images to Tell the Story of Your Ancestors (Even if you were not lucky enough to inherit pictures of your ancestors, you can illustrate their story with images as Gena reveals places to find images and how to incorporate them into your ancestral stories.)

Sunday, November 3, 2019
8:45am Katherine R. Willson: Sunday welcome
9:00am Marcel Elias: The Myths of German Research (Were all German records destroyed? Was there a Germany before 1872? Is it easy or hard to find a Heinrich Müller from Germany? Join Marcel as he discusses the myths of German research.)
10:30am Michelle Tucker Chubenko: Eastern European Ancestry in Galicia and Bukovina (Michelle helps us discover resources & records for researching the Austro-Hungarian Empire Provinces of Bukovina and Galicia [today’s Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine]).
12:00pm Ursula C. Krause: On This Day Appeared Before the Registrar: German Civil Records (Ursula guides us on where to find (and how to access) the German civil records established in January 1876. We will look at the information they hold, the importance of looking at the handwritten side remarks, and dealing with the strict German privacy laws.)
1:30pm Colleen Robledo Greene: Researching Hispanic Genealogy (Colleen’s overview explains Hispanic genealogy concepts, immigration to and migration within the U.S., researching their lives in the U.S. and in the homeland, and key reference tools.)
3:00pm Audrey Collins: Introduction to English Civil Records
4:30pm Jen Baldwin: Findmypast: Your Source for British and Irish Records (Jen provides a beginner’s guide to the Findmypast website and historical records collection.)

For further details, and to register, visit https://virtualgenealogy.org/2019-vga-conference/

(With thanks to Katherine R. Willson, President, Virtual Genealogical Association)

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) for just £11.99 at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

2020 SAFHS Conference in Musselburgh

The Scottish Association of Family History Societies 31st annual conference will be held at The Brunton, Ladywell Way, Musselburgh, EH21 6AA, on Saturday 18th April 2020, from 9am-4.30pm.

Entitled "It's a Sair Fecht!", the price for delegates is £35, for a talks programme with four speakers. For those wishing only to attend the fair, with up to 50 stands, the entry price will be £2, payable at the door.

Further details will soon be available at https://www.safhs.org.uk/conference.php

(With thanks to Lorna Kinnaird via the Scottish Genealogy Network's Facebook page)

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) for just £11.99 at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Latest British Connections edition now available for ISBGFH members

The latest edition of British Connections (Vol 20, issue 2), for members of the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History, is now available.

In the current issue I have contributed two articles, one on Irish poor law records, the other on the Irish Registry of Deeds. There are also articles from Christine Woodock, Paul Black, Irene O'Brien, Sylvia Tracy Doolos, Beryl Evans and Maurice Gleeson, covering topics such as English, Welsh and Scottish poor law records, the Scottish, Welsh and Irish naming patterns, DNA, and the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage.

To sign up to the society, and to access the digital magazine, visit https://isbgfh.org

(With thanks to Christine Woodcock)

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) for just £11.99 at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

SAFHS website refreshed

I've just noticed that the website of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies at www.safhs.org.uk has had a bit of a refresh. You'll find contact details for most mainland Scottish societies on the site, as well as details of projects and other resources. Well worth bookmarking.

Chris

My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts May 13th 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Thanks to Glasgow and West of Scotland FHS

A huge thanks to Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society (https://www.gwsfhs.org.uk) for its hospitality last night. After the society held its AGM I gave a talk on the latest Irish family history developments online and offline.

I had so much to talk about that we sadly ran out of time at the end to have Q and As, but managed to help a few folk before throwing out time at Kelvinside Academy!

For more on the good work being done by the Glasgow based society, read the Scottish Genealogy Network post at http://scottishgenealogynetwork.blogspot.com/2015/03/sgn-visit-to-glasgow.html, following a visit in 2015 to its resource centre in Partick.

It was also great to bump into fellow Norn Iron genie chum Maeve Rogan at the talk, who handles the online social media platforms for the North of Ireland FHS. Ireland really is only a hop, skip and a jump* away from Scotland (*ferries are also available!). The society's website is at https://www.nifhs.org.

Thanks again!

Chris

My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts May 13th 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Glasgow talk on Irish genealogy resources

Just a quick heads up to say that On Monday 15th April I will be speaking at Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society (https://www.gwsfhs.org.uk) about What's New in Irish Genealogy, at the Gilchrist Theatre, Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow (please use the Kirklee Rd entrance).

The talk follows the society's AGM, and
should kick off shortly after 7.30pm - I hope to maybe see you there!

Chris

My next Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course starts May 13th 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

The Scots in British India talk by Sir Tom Devine

Thanks to Valmay Young at the Families in British India Society (https://www.fibis.org) for notice of the following:

Scotland’s Empire: The Scots in British India

Scotland’s EmpireThe British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia (www.bacsa.org.uk) invites those of Scots/British India ancestry, and all interested in the history of the Scots in India, to attend a lecture on ’Scotland’s Empire: The Scots in British India’ by Sir Tom Devine, Professor Emeritus in History at the University of Edinburgh. Sir Tom Devine is Scotland’s pre-eminent historian and the leading authority on the Scottish Diaspora. His books include Scotland’s Empire, To the Ends of the Earth and The Scottish Clearances.

In this lecture Sir Tom considers the role of Scots in India in administration, the military and trade with special reference to the period from the late seventeenth to the early nineteenth centuries. Among the themes examined are the scale of Scottish ‘colonisation’ of the East India Company, the reasons for this and the impact of the India connection on Scotland itself.

The lecture will be followed by a wine reception and book sales. It is the final in this year’s series of lectures on British India, ‘THE RAJ Re-Examined’ (BACSA in association with the South Asia Centre, LSE).

Time/place/price
Monday 8 April, 6.30-8.00pm

Wolfson Theatre, New Academic Building, London School of Economics, 54 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LJ

Tickets: £8.50 (BACSA members £6) includes a glass of wine
Online booking: http://www.bacsa.org.uk/?page_id=2180

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FIBIS Annual General Meeting and Open meeting 2019

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

FIBIS AGM and Open Meeting 2019
Sat, 15 June 2019 10:30 – 17:00 BST
356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA

Programme

10.30 FIBIS experts answer your research questions
12.00 Break for Lunch.
13.15 AGM
14.00 "The East India Company Civil Servant who created a New Method of Language Learning" by Professor Marjorie Lorch, PhD. Birkbeck, University of London
Thomas Prendergast wrote a series of bestseller foreign language learning manuals in the 1860s and 1870s. He is now viewed as an influential British educator whose legacy continues today. However, surprisingly little was known about his life. He was born in 1807 into a notable family. He spent his life working for the Honourable East India Company in Madras. In 1858, at the age of 52, Prendergast retired and went blind shortly afterwards. At this time, he began writing his books which enjoyed great popularity and remained in print for decades after his death in 1886.

In this presentation Marjorie will describe her efforts to reconstruct the details of his life in Madras and England using a range of resources and strategies. These revealed information about his family background and early life in Madras, schooling in England, training at the East India College, his career through his various posts and promotions as a civil servant in the HEIC and finally details of his life in retirement in Cheltenham and the activities that included his late contributions to education. These fascinating biographical details provide a picture of Prendergast's intellectual and social character and bring to life a man of his time in 19th century British India.

15.00 Break
15.30 "‘Almost-mothers’: exploring your family’s ayahs" by Dr Jo Stanley, FRHistS.

On the stiff brown sugar-paper pages of most Anglo-Indian family photograph collections – maybe in your own, too – there is a sepia photo or two showing a sari-clad Asian nanny: the ayah. Occasionally she’s resplendently central, displaying the latest baby for the professional photographer. In most cases she’s to the side of the family group, holding Baba, along with any number of little Missie Sahibs and Master Sahibs, behind the Sahib and the Memsahib. Often she’s the sole Asian servant in the group. But who was she?

16.30 – 17.00 Networking

ALL WELCOME! FREE ADMISSION

To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fibis-agm-and-lecture-meeting-tickets-54773775838

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FFHS to become Family History Federation

From the Federation of Family History Societies (www.ffhs.org.uk):

FEDERATION OF FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETIES IS CHANGING ITS NAME

• The Federation of Family History Societies is rebranding as 'Family History Federation'
• Rebranding to Family History Federation will officially launch at Family Tree Live in April 2019 along with a new-look website.

The rebranding to Family History Federation acknowledges that the membership of the Federation is wider than just family history societies, encompassing a range of associated organisations. ‘Family History Federation’ also reflects how its focus is firmly on family history: the primary purpose being to encourage, educate and support all family historians.

The Family History Federation will launch at Family Tree Live, at Alexandra Palace on 26 April 2019 which is opportune as this new event is brought to London thanks to a partnership between Family Tree magazine and the Federation. A new website will showcase member organisations and act as a gateway for family historians to find the help and expertise they need to grow their tree.

Ian Waller, Publicity Officer for the Federation, said “As we move forward as a Federation we are working towards encouraging more and more people who pursue their family history to become actively involved in their local organisations and to make it easier for them to find help, gain knowledge and be aware of the many resources available to them as they pursue this absorbing hobby.”

Steve Manning, Education Officer for the Federation, added “The Federation has a long heritage, which we are very proud of, but it is still important to look to the future, so that the Federation can continue to help grow camaraderie among family historians and encourage them to tap into experienced groups well into the 21st century.“

About the Federation
The Family History Federation is an educational charity with member organisations throughout the world. Most of these focus on a particular geographical area or on a specific surname but there are other specialist organisations with associated disciplines. Using its website, social media and other means of communication, the Federation ensures that family history news, book reviews and guidance on how to learn more about the subject are readily available to the general public as well as to its member organisations.

Contact details
For more information, please contact:
Emma Waltham, Marketing Manager

emma@ffhs.org.uk

Family History Federation
PO Box 62
Sheringham
NR26 9AR

www.ffhs.org.uk

(With thanks to @FederationFHS)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Irish family history talk in Motherwell on March 14th

A quick note to say that my next talk will be on Thursday March 14th 2019 at the GLO Centre Motherwell, from 7:00pm, hosted by the Lanarkshire Family History Society (www.lanarkshirefhs.org.uk). The subject is Irish Family History Resources Online.

I hope to see some of you there!

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Irish Family History - forthcoming talk in Beith

On Wednesday February 20th 2019, I will be giving a talk on the subject of Irish Family History to Garnock Valley Family History Group at Beith Townhouse in North Ayrshire. The session starts at 7.30pm, with the session being free for members, and with a small charge for non-members.

In my talk I will be looking at records from across the island of Ireland that can be accessed online from here in Scotland, but will also briefly discuss some records available offline in repositories within Ireland itself, including the closest facility, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast.

The venue, Beith Townhouse, has its own dedicated website at www.beithtownhouse.co.uk.

I look forward to hopefully seeing you there!

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FIBIS adds Jalna Christian Cemetery in India images and transcriptions

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

Jalna Christian Cemetery – over 100 graves photographed and transcribed

Photos from the old cemetery at Jalna, East of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, have now been transcribed and uploaded to the FIBIS database. Almost all the graves are between 150 and 200 years old. Our thanks to The Pilgrim Trust for funding the photography and to Sandra Seage for the transcriptions.

You can view the index of Jalna Christian Cemetery headstones via https://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_components&id=1182&s_id=359


FIBIS Cemeteries Project

FIBIS has hired a photographer who is currently visiting cemeteries in India and taking two photographs of every gravestone: one of the whole and one of the inscription. Mindful that many Indian cemeteries are in a dilapidated condition that is only going to deteriorate further, we are looking for donations to enable us to continue this important project.

In the meantime, the photographer is receiving from FIBIS a modest fee and necessary expenses for travel. Therefore, we are asking for suggested donations of £3 (Three pounds sterling) for one image or £5 (Five Pounds sterling) for two.

How to donate to the FIBIS cemeteries project and order an image

Please make donations via the PayPal button on the Cemeteries Project page (https://www.fibis.org/about-2/cemeteries/cemeteries-project/) to ensure donations go to the correct project. Please quote the Cemetery and Image Reference in the “Add special instructions to recipient” section of the “PayPal Review your payment” screen. Photographs will be sent by email. If you experience any problems making your donation please email treasurer@fibis.org.

(With thanks to Valmay Young)

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.