North of Ireland Family History Society launches writing competition

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

North of Ireland Family History Society Biennial Writing Competition 2016 – My Family Odyssey

The North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) runs a writing competition every other year for its members. Organised by the Belfast Branch for all members of the society, it attracts entries from all around the world. The purpose of the competition is to encourage people to write up stories about their family history, going beyond just constructing a family tree.

The title of this year’s competition is ‘My Family Odyssey’. Weave a story on this subject which you can share with members of your family, fellow members of the North of Ireland Family History Society and others by entering the society’s Biennial Competition
for 2016.

Migration has played an important part in the history of many families in the North of Ireland. Through the centuries many people left their homes in the hope of better opportunities in a new land, to escape religious or political persecution or simply in search of adventure.

In researching our family history it is important to understand the challenges and opportunities that migration has presented to our families.

The competition is the brainchild of member Anne Johnston from Belfast Branch who has administered it since its inception in 2005. She said "I am delighted to be organising the competition again this year. I always look forward to reading the family stories that our members have uncovered. The prizes are attractive and I encourage you to enter."

Many of the previous winning articles have subsequently been published in the society’s journal, North Irish Roots.

Full details are available on the NIFHS website where a competition leaflet can be downloaded as a pdf file. The competition is open to all NIFHS members and the winner will receive £100 with the runners up receiving £60 and £40 which will be presented at the 2016 AGM. Entries are welcome from new members of the Society. Membership details are available on the NIFHS website. Entries can be submitted by post or email and must be received by 3rd April 2016.

Link to full competition details:
http://www.nifhs.org/resources/biennial-competition/

(With thanks to Maeve Rogan at NIFHS)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including my recently released 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/.

And the winner of 2 tickets for WDYTYA Live Glasgow is...

And the winner of two tickets for the Who Do You Think You Are Live Glasgow event, from the recent competition I ran here on British GENES, is...

*Marion Turnbull of Northumberland, England*

Congratulations Marion - I'll be in touch! :)

If you would like to attend the event in Glasgow from August 29th to 31st, I have arranged a discount code with the organisers that will allow the purchase of two tickets for £24. Full details are available at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/british-genes-wdytya-live-tickets-offer.html - for the show details itself, visit www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.com.

Hopefully see you there!

Chris

Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And please consider purchasing the great new version of Caledonia by The Libations at 79p via www.caledonia2014.com - all profits go to help fund Scottish foodbanks

FFHS runs Australian themed WW1 competition

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

Competition in our Australasian really useful information leaflet
Deadline for submission of entries 30th June 2104

Do you have someone special in your family tree who served with the armed forces during the First World War?

Maybe they served with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and landed at Gallipoli together with troops from New Zealand, Britain, and France or maybe they were a citizen from another country and fought for that country. Perhaps they were decorated and their medal/s are still in your family today or maybe they were an unsung hero. Did their letters home survive and are now a special part of your family archive? Did they pay the ultimate sacrifice or did they return home to their loved ones? Whatever their story we would like to hear it.

The deadline for submission of entries for the competition in our Australasian really useful information leaflet is 30 June 2014. If you haven’t already submitted your entry, make sure you don’t miss the deadline! All entries must be accompanied by a completed Entry Form which can be found on the website. Entries can be submitted electronically and sent to admin@ffhs.org.uk with ‘COMPETITION’ as the subject heading or by post to: AFFHO, PO Box 3012, Weston Creek, ACT 2611, Australia. There are some great prizes on offer! You can download a copy of our Australasian really useful information leaflet here. NB Please note that the prizes offered are aimed at those researching their Australasian ancestors.

(With thanks to Philippa McCray)

Chris

Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.

FindmyPast Ireland - competition to win copy of my book

FindmyPast Ireland (www.findmypast.ie) is running a competition to win a copy of my latest book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet - the draw will take place on June 26th, you just need to answer a simple question using the website.

For full details, visit the company's latest newsletter at http://i.findmypast.ie/newsletters/assets/fmpie/N2013-05-023590/23590-online.htm

Good luck!

(With thanks to FindmyPast Ireland)

Chris

My new book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet, is now available from Pen and Sword. My next Pharos Scottish course, Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the Old Parish Registers, starts May 15th - see http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/scotland-1750-1850-beyond-oprs-starts.html. Time to smash a few brick walls...!

Oxfordshire FHS - DNA competition

Wendy Archer, chairman of the Oxfordshire Family History Society (www.ofhs.org.uk), has kindly let me know about the following competition being run by Sue Honore and Richard Merry on behalf of the society:

Oxfordshire DNA project

Are you a member of the OFHS and do you have at least 3 generations of Oxfordshire ancestors going back into the mid-19th century or earlier? We have just launched a new Oxfordshire DNA project and are offering TWO free DNA tests to OFHS members. Why not enter?

All you have to do is submit 400-600 words on why you feel a DNA test would be useful to help you discover more about your Oxfordshire family/families using DNA, including a short summary on your family and your family history 'brick walls'. Send to editor@ofhs.org.uk before 30th May 2013. Terms and conditions are below.

If you are not yet an OFHS member, but have Oxfordshire ancestors and want to enter the competition, then why not join? It's well worth the cost of the membership to have a chance of winning a DNA test. See www.ofhs.org.uk for membership details.

Are you just curious to find out more about our project? Go to www.familytreedna.com/public/Oxfordshire and see what is happening.

If you have already had a DNA test done at FamilyTreeDNA, and have a long line of Oxfordshire ancestors, then log on to www.familytreedna.com/public/Oxfordshire and request to transfer your results to our project. (All transfers are checked for validity before approval, so membership is not automatic.)

Terms & Conditions of DNA competition:

1. All entrants must be members of the OFHS as of 1 May 2013.
2. Entrants must have at least 3 generations of Oxfordshire ancestors in the 19th century or earlier.
3. The OFHS Executive Committee will pick the two winning entrants. The judges' decision is final and no correspondence can be entered into regarding judging. The judges reserve the right to award one or zero free tests if the quality of entries justifies that action.
4. The competition closes on 30th May 2013 and winners will be notified by 1st July 2013.
5. Winners agree to having their stories publicised by the OFHS. Full test results and ID numbers on the DNA site will not however be released to the public.

(With thanks to Wendy, and good luck to entrants!)

UPDATE: A Canadian reader has been in touch to let me know the result of a query she made to Oxford FHS - namely, what kind of DNA test is available? Here was the response:

Basically we are offering the most suitable test for the winners, within a price range, hence the perhaps vague offer of ‘a DNA test’. It will most likely be a 67 marker Y-DNA or mtDNA HVR1 and HVR2. We will consider a FamilyFinder/autosomal test too if appropriate, but so far are expecting people mostly coming forward for Y-DNA tests.

(With thanks to the reader, who wishes to remain anonymous!)

Chris

My new book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet, is now available from Pen and Sword. For my other genealogy books, please visit  http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html; whilst for my online Scottish based genealogy courses please visit the Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd site.

British GENES St. Paddy's Day competition winners!

Four books were on offer for the British GENES St Paddy's Day competition (see http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/saint-patricks-day-competition-time.html) - first prize being my new book Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet and the Family and Local History Handbook 14, with second prize being the Irish Family and Local History Handbook 2 and my own Discover Scottish Land Records.

The question was: In April 1845, the partial civil registration of marriage commenced in Ireland (non-Roman Catholic religious weddings and civil marriages) - but in what year did the civil registration of ALL births, marriages and deaths finally get underway on the island?

The answer: 1864

There was a great response with 87 entries! For the draw, I needed someone skilled in the arts of messing about with wee bits of paper, and so the winners have been chosen by my youngest son Jamie!

So here goes...

Commiserations if you failed to win, and congratulations to the winners, Diane Bamberger (not sure where you are!), and to Carole-Anne Hamilton in Ottawa, Canada. I'll be in touch shortly!

And special thanks to Bob Blatchford and Rupert Harding for prizes - and to the mighty force that is Jamie Paton!

(To purchase copies of my books, see details in the Books tab at the top of the blog site!)

Chris

My new book, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet, is now available from Pen and Sword. For my other genealogy books, please visit  http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html; whilst for my online Scottish based genealogy courses please visit the Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd site.

Start Your Family Tree Week with free FindmyPast credits

From Brightsolid's team:

Start Your Family Tree Week - 26 Dec 2012 – 1 Jan 2013

Christmas is rapidly approaching and with all the family gathered around to celebrate the festivities it is the perfect time to question older generations and listen to their fascinating stories from the past.

Due to the past success Start Your Family Tree Week is back for its third year. From 26th December to 1st January, Genes Reunited and findmypast.co.uk will be helping members start their family trees with special offers, free getting started guides, discounts and competitions for the chance to win fantastic prizes!

Genes Reunited has some great prizes on offer during the week, competitions will be posted on the message boards and Facebook page. To see the Genes Reunited getting started guides, visit www.genesreunited.co.uk/static.page/syftw

Findmypast.co.uk will be offering 50 free credits to get involved with the fun and to start searching records, coupled with quiz questions, guides and templates that make getting started as simple as can be! Experts are by no means left out in the cold either, with more advanced questions alongside beginners’ tasks and a “brick wall challenge day” will be held on Facebook and Twitter on the 31st December! The entire week’s calendar of activities can be found at www.findmypast.co.uk/content/start-your-family-tree-week/index

NB: FindmyPast Ireland is also in on this - they're offering a Blackberry and a year long subscriptions in a competition - see www.findmypast.ie/articles/start-your-family-tree-week-2012

Chris

Having a Christmas present crisis?! Check out my range of genealogy books at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html - perfect for the family historian's Christmas stocking...! Also now out - new Kindle edition of Tracing Your Family History on the Internet, from http://tinyurl.com/d3vqtz5