Keeping busy in the genie world!

Apologies for the limited blogging this week, but it has all been a bit manic at this end, as I continue to try to sell my house and juggle a few other things at the same time!

I have recently started a new temporary part-time job for six months working for a local member of the UK parliament as a caseworker, to cover for a friend who is away travelling on a trip of a lifetime. This is a role I worked on last year for a member of the Scottish Parliament, which is as immensely rewarding as genie work in helping folk with everyday problems. As a consequence, I will be cutting back on my genealogical research service for clients up to Christmas to an extent, albeit not completely (I was over in Belfast on a research trip for a client last Friday, for example), but I will be continuing as normal on writing, teaching and speaking chores. If you are seeking research done in Scotland before Christmas, do drop me a note and I will see if I can fit it in, but if not, I will happily direct you to trusted colleagues who will certainly be able to help.

I am now delighted to confirm that I will be heading over to the USA next year on two conference trips, the first to the Celtic Connections conference in Illinois at the end of July 2020, and the second to run the Irish tract for the ISBGFH's British Institute in Salt Lake City in October 2020. The last time I was in either Illinois or Salt Lake City was during a filming trip for a Scottish Television documentary series in 1999, and so I am very much look forward to both. I will blog more about both of these in due course.

Over the next few weeks I will be finalising my third book this year for Pen and Sword, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, and am looking forward next month to the release of my Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd edition) - you can pre-order this book at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483.

I have several talks up and coming in Scotland and England for the rest of this year:

• October 5th 2019 Lanarkshire Family History Show - An Irish house history
• October 5th 2019, Aberdeen & NE Scotland FHS (Glasgow branch) 2pm-4pm, Renfield Saint Stephen's Church Centre - Glasgow, 260 Bath St, Glasgow G2 4JP - Discover Scottish Church Records
• October 19th 2019, Manchester & Lancashire FHS, Manchester, England - Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis
• October 21st 2019, Glasgow & West of Scotland FHS. Irish genealogy - house history, and Q&A
• November 13th 2019, Central Scotland FHS, Stirling, Scottish Research Resources before 1800

My next Pharos based Scottish courses are coming along soon also:

Scottish Research Online (102)
Course Length: 5 Weeks
Start Date: 02 Sep 2019
Cost: £49.99
https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102

Scotland 1750 - 1850 - Beyond the OPRs (302)
Course Length: 5 Weeks
Start Date: 04 Nov 2019
Cost: £49.99
https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302

So little time, so much genealogical work to be done...! :)

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.

Genie Hero - Cyndi Ingle for Cyndi's List

Congratulations to Cyndi Ingle for twenty years dedicated work on the ultimate genealogical resource listings site, Cyndi's List (www.cyndislist.com)!!!

If you have yet to use Cyndi's site, it is the ultimate directory covering just about anything and everything of interest in the world of genealogy, worked on day in and day out by Cyndi to keep links up to date and to add new links as and when she finds them.

For those who do use her site, I'd also suggest following Cyndi on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cyndi.ingle2 - not only is she one of the most clued up folk out there, but in the genealogy world she is also one of the funniest! I had the pleasure to meet Cyndi (as well as her mum and son!) on an Unlock the Past cruise last year, and she was great company, and great craic!

So here you go Cyndi, I haven't issued one of these in a while, but you've just become a British GENES Genie Hero! :)

(I can hear the reaction now - "pffft!")

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.

Ancestry keeps professional genies happy

I had not heard that the US parent company of Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) had recently changed its terms and conditions about use of the site, but apparently it has kicked up a bit of a kerfuffle in the US. American blogger Dick Eastman has a post this morning that thankfully carries a response from the company which seems to have resolved the issue.

It would appear that the changes removed a phrase about the use of the site by professional genealogists, seemingly excluding them. This appears to have been more of a cock up than a conspiracy, and in a letter Ancestry's PR bod Matthew Deighton has described how the legal team has now changed the terms once again to say the following:

“You may access the Website, use the graphics, information, data, editorial and other Content only for personal or professional family history research, and download Content only as search results relevant to that research.”

Genies can once again breathe a sigh of relief! Eastman's full post is at http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2012/04/clarification-ancestrycom-terms-and-conditions.html#more

Incidentally, compare that to RootsIreland's equivalent clause at www.rootsireland.ie:

"You may use the content on the website for private and non-commercial purposes only. You may not use the records to create your own work (e.g. a database of records, an article, publication), copy or reproduce the records (either in whole or in part), or make available, share or publish them unless you have our permission in writing."

Guess that that goes to show there are certainly ways and means of doing things...

UPDATE: In the interests of fairness, Findmypast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has a similar clause:

"You can only use the website for your own personal non-commercial use, e.g., to research your own family history. We are also happy for you to help out other people with their family history by telling them about records available on the website and how and where they can be found, including showing them anything within our free search results. However, you must not provide them with copies of any of the records (either an original image of the record or the information on the results page), even if you provide them for free."

I've not actually yet found any terms and conditions on The Genealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk) - I presume they must be there somewhere!

Chris

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

Scotland's Greatest Story research service www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk and www.facebook.com/ScottishGenealogyResearch

Genies who inspire - Robert Davey MBE

Discover my Past England finished as a magazine at the end of last year, but within its pages I had a monthly column called Gene Genies, where I would interview someone from the family history community to help gauge the pulse of the modern family history world in the UK. Perhaps the most fascinating interview I did of all was with Robert Davey MBE in mid-2010, an extraordinary man who did something for his hobby that went far above and beyond the call of duty. His achievement was quite simple: Bob took on the Devil - and won.

In the first of a semi-regular series, where I hope you as readers can help, I'd like to pay tribute to the genies who inspire us in our communities - either through their devotion to the hobby, the heights that their achievements have reached, or the inspiration that they give to others. So here's a summary of what Bob did that so impressed me....!

Whilst out for a walk in June 1992, Bob and his wife came across the ruins of the old 8th century built Anglo-Saxon Church of St Mary the Virgin at Houghton-on-the-Hill, Norfolk (www.saintmaryschurch.org.uk). To his horror he found that the building was being used by Satanists to perform black masses, with a pagan altar found inside, a goat headed deity on the wall, and the numbers 666 scratched into the wall. The building was still consecrated, and a horrified Bob decided to rescue it from its decline.

The Satanists soon got wind of his plans, sent him death threats and at one point tried to run him down with a car. After being terrorised for a considerable period of time, Bob went public in 1996, and the Territorial Army soon learned of his predicament. Together they planned a sting to tackle the devil worshippers, and on a specific date when they learned that they were planning to return to the church the TA surrounded them on their approach, forcing them to flee. They never returned. The full story is at www.saintmaryschurch.org.uk/bob_davey/


Since then the building has been lovingly restored to its former glory, with the roof, floor, windows, and missing stones on the walls all replaced. The church now has a Society of Friends, and as well as being used as a church once more it also houses a local museum. Accompanying the restoration is an excellent website, which contains transcriptions of many parish registers - christenings 1785-1935, weddings 1822-1942 and burials 1816-1892 - as well as other local records.

If you can think of someone in your community who you'd like to celebrate, please do drop me a note. Let's get our genie heroes recognised, whether in Britain or in Ireland, and give them credit where it is due! 

Chris