Almost a fifth of libraries in Britain have closed since 2010

We have a general election next week, and one thing you might wish to bear in mind when casting your vote is that almost one fifth of libraries in Britain have closed since austerity was introduced in 2010.

From today's Guardian: "The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s (Cipfa) annual survey of the UK’s libraries, excluding Northern Ireland, shows there are 3,583 library branches still open in the UK – 35 fewer than last year. Since 2010, 773 have closed."

In the same period, the number of librarians has plummeted from 24,000 salaried staff to 15,300. There are now 51,000 volunteers working in libraries also. The number of library visits has equally plummeted from 315 million visits in 2009/2010 to just 226 million visits over the last year.

The full story is available at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/dec/06/britain-has-closed-almost-800-libraries-since-2010-figures-show.

There may be many factors affecting how you vote this year. Hopefully you can throw this one into the mix also before December 12th!

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. and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Scottish-Ancestry-through-Church-and-State-Records-Paperback/p/16848. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Inadequate computer speeds at Glasgow Registrar's Service

Many folk who use the Glasgow Registrar's Service (www.glasgowfamilyhistory.org.uk/DiscoverLearn/GettingStarted/Pages/Registrars.aspx) for genealogical research, via the ScotlandsPeople service, know that for much of the last year the service's computer speeds have at times been absolutely appalling. On Tuesday of this week I visited the centre to carry out some research for a client, and once again fell victim to the problem - one name search took me ten minutes, and it became such a problem that I ended up swapping computers. As a consequence, I made a formal complaint, and have now received the following response:

Dear Mr Paton,

Front Line Stage One Complaint re: Glasgow Registrars/Scotland's people

I refer to your complaint regarding Computer Speed.

Your complaint has been considered and I can respond as follows:

I refer to your complaint regarding the computer speed within the Registrar’s Service at the Mitchell Library. 

Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention and I have contacted our IT supplier to make them as aware of your complaint. There is a planned schedule for upgrading our IT estate and while they cannot give a definitive date for the Mitchell’s public PC this process has started and will hopefully resolve the issues you experienced. I understand your frustrations and please be assured I am lobbying for the Mitchell’s PC estate to be prioritised.

Glasgow Life welcomes customer feedback and all complaints are regarded as important for improving our services. If you are unhappy with this response and wish to escalate your complaint to an Investigation of our complaints procedure, a member of the Senior Management Team will investigate matters further. Please call 0141 287 8977 and quote the reference at the top of this letter or write to us at Business Support, Admin Hub One, 38 Albion Street, Glasgow, G1 1LH or e-mail info@glasgowlife.org.uk Please raise your concerns to us within 20 working days of the date of this letter.

Yours sincerely.

Dawn Vallance
Principal Librarian
The Mitchell Library

I should add that the staff at the Mitchell, and in the Registrar's Service, have all been exceptionally professional, and have tried to assist in every way possible. The problem is not ScotlandsPeople, and it is certainly not the staff, it is the IT set-up that Glasgow City Council is employing for the purpose of providing the service. If you too have been suffering from the issues, the Council's complaints procedure is accessible via https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/complaints.

In the meantime, if your research is not Glasgow specific (i.e. you do not need the archive or other resources at the Mitchell), be advised that several other centres across the country also offer the ScotlandsPeople service (Edinburgh, Hawick, Alloa, Kilmarnock, Inverness) - details of these are available at https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/visit-us/scotlandspeople-centre and https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/local-family-history-centres.

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.

University of Glasgow conserves and digitises Gaelic manuscripts

The University of Glasgow has an interesting article on the conservation and digitisation of 260 Gaelic song manuscripts from the 18th century, as held within its library.  

For more on the story visit https://universityofglasgowlibrary.wordpress.com/2019/09/19/conserving-gaelic-manuscripts-for-digitisation/

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.

Statistical Accounts of Scotland site now completely free

Update from the Statistical Accounts of Scotland (https://stataccscot.edina.ac.uk/static/statacc/dist/home):

From 1 August 2019, the Statistical Accounts of Scotland Online website will be hosted by the University of Edinburgh Library for a period of two years. Scans, transcripts, map-based searching and our Related Resources will be available free of charge to all users.

As a result of these changes, you no longer need a subscription or a user account to use the website.

Over the next year, our Board will be working with the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, Historic Environment Scotland and the National Library of Scotland on their plans to integrate the Statistical Accounts of Scotland into their national collections. We look forward to updating you in the coming months as these plans take shape.

COMMENT: The accounts were previously available to read for free, but certain additional functionality required a subscription. This is what is being made free now.

(With thanks to Ali Murray via Facebook)

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.

National Library of Wales now a FamilySearch affiliate

A tweet from the National Library of Wales (https://www.library.wales):

We are pleased to announce that @NLWales is now a FamilySearch Affiliate Library giving free access within our building to digital genealogical collections that are otherwise accessible only through one of their centres

For more on FamilySearch affiliate libraries visit https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/familysearch-affiliate-libraries/.

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.

Scottish Enlightenment exhibition to open at National Library of Scotland

From the National Library of Scotland (www.nls.uk):

National Library to launch major exhibition on Scottish Enlightenment

A major exhibition exploring the Scottish Enlightenment, Northern Lights, will open at the National Library of Scotland on Friday 21 June.

The exhibition takes a fresh look at one of the most concentrated periods of intellectual enquiry the world has ever seen, a time when polymaths peer-reviewed, challenged and encouraged one another's work through the many social networks available to them.

Household names connected with the Scottish Enlightenment such as David Hume and Adam Smith feature in the exhibition, as well as other figures less commonly associated with it such as Robert Burns and James Watt. A rare first edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica will be on display, as will a first edition of Smith's 'The Wealth of Nations' and countless unique manuscripts.

National Librarian, Dr John Scally, said:

'We have an unparalleled collection of items relating to the Scottish Enlightenment. Indeed, some of the chief figures of the Enlightenment such as David Hume and Adam Ferguson worked at our predecessor institution, the Library of the Faculty of Advocates.

This exhibition tells the story of those who helped shape the world we live in today. These individuals developed radical ideas on theology, the sciences, economics and identity, amid a growing awareness of the world around them.

The exhibition celebrates 18th-century Scotland as a place of enlightened discourse and debate. It was a time of mutual respect and politeness, where people appreciated each other's opinions and values, and further developed their theories on the basis of such conversations. Some may find this of great contrast to the present day, where people are less inclined to expose themselves to other ideas.

We present the world as it was then, and we are in prime position to do so given we were actively collecting items relating to the Enlightenment during the Enlightenment itself. We welcome those whose appetite is whetted by the exhibition to explore these ideas further at our reading rooms, and we will also be examining this period with a contemporary lens in our programme of talks and events.'

Northern Lights is curated by Robert Betteridge, Curator of 18th-Century Printed Collections, and Ralph McLean, Curator of Manuscripts for the Long 18th Century. It explores the Scottish Enlightenment through the display of rare books and manuscripts from 18th-century Scotland, and is grouped into themes: pre-Enlightenment Scotland, moral philosophy and religion, social science and academic innovation, language and literature, art and architecture, science and medicine, and sociability and society.

Northern Lights opens to the public on Friday 21 June and runs until 18 April 2020 at the National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EW. Entry is free.

(Original news release at https://www.nls.uk/news/press/2019/06/enlightenment-exhibition)

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.

National Library of Scotland Digital Newspaper Collections survey

The National Library of Scotland (www.nls.uk) is currently running an online survey concerning its digital newspaper collections, which will run until Friday July 26th. Here's the blurb:

Reader Survey of Digital Newspaper Collections

The National Library of Scotland is carrying out research into the accessibility and use of Scotland’s newspapers as they are to be found online. The National Library provides access routes to newspaper eResources to registered Library members. Other digital newspaper collections exist elsewhere either providing online open access to view digital newspapers or closed access behind paywalls.

We will be very grateful to you for taking 3-5 minutes to complete 10 survey questions about your experience of using online newspaper collections and how they might be improved. The information you supply will be used to consider how to enhance access routes to newspapers of interest to Scottish audiences.

Any personal information you supply through this survey will be held and used by the National Library of Scotland for the purposes of handling your feedback. For full information about how we will hold and use your personal information, see our privacy page, in particular our fundraising privacy notice and our feedback and complaints notice.

Thank you.

The National Library of Scotland
June 2019

To take part in the survey visit https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QZT8JCG

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.

Digitisation of the Australian Joint Copying Project

I've picked up on the following from the National Library of Australia (https://www.nla.gov.au):

The microfilm produced by the Australian Joint Copying Project has long been a first stop for those researching local or family history. The 10,400 microfilm reels however have been difficult to access even for those living near libraries holding the microfilm let alone those in rural areas. The content itself can often be dense and difficult to locate relevant information.

The National Library of Australia has begun a new project to address these problems. Thanks to the Australian Public Service Modernisation Fund the AJCP Online Project will digitise the 7.5 million records captured on the original AJCP microfilm, delivering them online free of charge to all.

All of the original paper handbooks and finding aids are now available and searchable online with added and enhanced content and indexing making it easier to locate the information you want.

The AJCP was a project to microfilm vast swathes of material held at the National Archives in England, and other institutions, that concerned its former colonies in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, with materials from 1560 to 1984. As the announcement notes, the work is ongoing and will be completed by mid 2020:

The AJCP is now available online for all Australians wherever they are. You can search and access the records in a variety of ways including the AJCP Portal, Trove, and the National Library of Australia Catalogue. The AJCP Online project concludes in June 2020 and will release new content each month.

The digitised records, and catalogued entries awaiting digitisation, can now be searched for and consulted freely online at https://www.nla.gov.au/content/australian-joint-copying-project.

The full announcement is at https://www.nla.gov.au/stories/blog/preservation/2019/06/06/australian-joint-copying-project-reimagined.

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.

Welsh probate documents now searchable on Ancestry

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has recently added the following collection:

Wales, Wills and Probate, 1513-1858
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/waleswills/
Source: Wills proved in the Welsh Ecclesiastical courts before 1858, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru: The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Wales.


About Wales, Wills and Probate, 1513-1858

Historical Context

Wills before 1858 were generally proved in the church courts, of which there was a hierarchy extending from an individual parish up to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The ministers of some parishes had a right to prove the wills of those of their parishioners who had property solely in their parish - known as a peculiar jurisdiction. This could be 'inhibited' by the Dean or Bishop at certain times.

The more important churches within the dioceses, and the cathedrals, often held their own courts. Courts of Dean and Chapters, and of the Prebends, of Cathedrals are numerous - their jurisdictions were over the places from which their revenues derived. In addition, Rural Deans supervised a group of parishes (normally not less than 12, and not including peculiars), and in some parts of the country had authority to prove wills within that area.

A larger number of parishes was headed by an archdeacon, and there would be one or more archdeaconries in a diocese, headed by a Bishop. The archdeaconry courts would normally grant probate for persons with property in their area of jurisdiction. The bishop's court (or consistory court) would grant probate for any person having property in more than one archdeaconry within the diocese. The dioceses in the south of England with the Channel Islands and Wales, formed the Province of Canterbury, of which the Archbishop of Canterbury was the head. His Prerogative Court of Canterbury proved the wills of those with property in more than one diocese or peculiar in the Province. In the north of England, the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of York acted in the same way for northern dioceses.

Canterbury claimed overall jurisdiction in probate matters when persons had property in both Provinces or had died abroad. (However, this did not always happen in practice.)

Wills in England and Wales

Wills could be written for males beginning at age 14 and females at age 12. In 1837 the age was changed to 21 for both men and women, although in the case of women, these were primarily unmarried or widowed women, since a woman’s property by law was the property of her husband until 1882.

What can I find in these records?

There were seven dioceses or their equivalents in Wales. The following list shows the areas of probate jurisdiction and the dates of the wills included in the collection:

Diocese of Bangor: Anglesey, most of Caernarfonshire, most of Merioneth, parts of Denbighshire and Montgomeryshire Original wills 1576-1858 (majority dated 1635-1648, 1660-1858) Copy wills 1790, 1851-1858

Archdeaconry of Brecon: Breconshire, most of Radnorshire, and some parishes in Monmouthshire, Montgomeryshire and Herefordshire Original wills 1557-1857 (mainly 1609-1653, 1660-1857) Copy wills 1543-1858 (mainly 1570-1589, 1694-1858)

Diocese of Chester: four parishes in Flintshire and Holt in Denbighshire. Original wills 1521-1858 (mainly 1557-1650, 1660-1858)

Peculiar of Hawarden: parish of Hawarden Original wills 1554-1858 (mainly 1554-1641, 1660-1858)

Diocese of Llandaff: Monmouthshire and Glamorgan (except for Gower) Original 1568-1857 Copy wills 1695-1844

Diocese of St Asaph: most of Denbighshire, Flintshire and Montgomeryshire, and parts of Merioneth, Caernarfonshire and Shropshire Original 1557-1858 (mainly 1583-1649, 1660-1857) Copy wills 1548-1709 (mainly 1565-1648, 1660-1669, 1684-1709)

Diocese of St David’s: Pembrokeshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and part of Glamorgan (Gower) Original 1556-1858 (mainly 1564-1653, 1660-1858) Copy wills 1703-1858 (mainly 1703-1731, 1814-1858)

You may be able to find the following information (where available):

Name
Date will was proved
Place will was proved

Parts of this description have been taken from the National Library of Wales website. You can find out more about their collections on this 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.

Ancestor Network wins National Library of Ireland genealogy service contract

From Ireland's Ancestor Network (https://www.ancestornetwork.ie):

National Library of Ireland Genealogy Service 2019
Dublin, Wednesday, 29 May 2019

Ancestor Network Ltd has been awarded the contract to support and assist the genealogy advisory service at the National Library of Ireland in 2019, following a public tender competition.

This is the 8th consecutive year that the National Library of Ireland has selected Ancestor Network to provide this unique genealogy advisory service. It is also the tenth anniversary of the founding of Ancestor Network Ltd in May 2009.

Starting from today, our professional genealogists will assist visitors from Monday to Wednesday, 9:30am to 5:00pm and Thursday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:45pm. Our professional genealogists will advise and assist visitors about family history sources available at the National Library, other repositories, and online internet sources.

Aiden Feerick, Ancestor Network’s Project Manager stated: “Our team of genealogists work with experienced National Library staff members to provide an open and friendly walk-in service. We strive to assist every visitor in finding some information about their individual families.”

John Hamrock of Ancestor Network stated: “We are very pleased to have been selected by the National Library for 2019, particularly on the tenth anniversary of the founding of Ancestor Network. This appointment, along with our recent initiatives such as establishing a branch office in Northern Ireland, our recent book launches of counties Tipperary and Leitrim research guides, and our strategic alliance with a US based genealogical research platform will serve to continue our steady growth in the years ahead.”

Ciara Kerrigan, Assistant Keeper, National Library of Ireland added,
“We are delighted to be working with the excellent team of genealogy experts at Ancestor Network for the eighth year running. People interested in undertaking family history research make up a big part of our overseas and local visitors, and developing the NLI further as a venue for research, culture, learning and tourism is an important objective of our redevelopment programme – “Re-imagining the National Library’ – which is well underway.”

(With thanks to @AncestorNetwork - original release at https://www.ancestornetwork.ie/national-library-of-ireland-genealogy-service-2019/)

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.

ScotlandsPeople computer issue at Glasgow genealogy centre

I have just returned from a day's research in Glasgow at the genealogy centre in the Mitchell Library (https://www.glasgowfamilyhistory.org.uk/DiscoverLearn/GettingStarted/Pages/Registrars.aspx), and whilst I was successful in my research objectives, it was again despite some serious issues with the current ScotlandsPeople computer system access at the facility.

On a previous visit last week I was deeply frustrated by the centre's computers constantly playing up, they being very glitchy, slow, and at times returning returning search results displaying no images available. The staff were very helpful, but apart from a brief respite in the afternoon, it was a tortuous affair. I bumped into a genealogist friend at the centre today who advised me that this problem has in fact been ongoing since December.

Having also visted the ScotlandsPeople Centre in Edinburgh last week, I experienced no problems at all with the same system there. My understanding is that the problem in Glasgow may be something to do with a new IT contract at the Mitchell Library, but whatever the reason is, it seriously needs to be addressed. I was invited to leave feedback last week about the problems, but assuming it may have been an issue on that day alone, I elected not to - I had no such reservations today, and have asked for feedback as to why this situation is happening. As soon as I receive a response I will post it here.

In the meantime, if you are planning to carry out research using the ScotlandsPeople system in Glasgow, I can advise that it is workable, but you will need to constantly refresh the pages as you are searching. I will be heading back later in the week, but do note that there are several other centres offering access to the same system, in Edinburgh (https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/visit-us/scotlandspeople-centre) and in Kilmarnock, Hawick, Inverness, Alloa (see https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/local-family-history-centres).

Here's hoping for a quick resolution.

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.

New Library Search catalogue coming to National Library of Scotland

The National Library of Scotland (www.nls.uk) has a new catalogue coming its way:

Library Search

Library Search is a new National Library of Scotland service which will replace the main catalogue and provide wider access to our collections.

It will bring together, in a single search, details of our printed, manuscript and archive, moving image and digital collections, as well as high quality e-resources and databases from a range of publishers.

Library Search is scheduled to be in place by November 2018.


Included in Library Search are:

• More than five million records from our print collections, including books, maps, journals, newspapers and music
• Almost five million electronic legal deposit items
• Records of 35,000 items from our archives and manuscript collections
• Hundreds of thousands of digitised resources from our collections, including digitised books, maps, photographs, posters, music, and films from the Moving Image Archive
• Millions of articles from full-text newspapers, journals and reports
• Thousands of electronic books, including many reference works
• Millions of records and abstracts from online services, digital archives and databases.

The new service brings several benefits. You can:

• Refine searches by format, subject, year, etc
• Access a wide range of electronic resources
• Request materials for consultation in our reading rooms
• Receive notification when items you've requested are ready for you
• Review your borrowing history.

Further information is available at https://www.nls.uk/catalogues/library-search

Pic: NLS, (c) Kim Traynor. Creative Commons license

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.

Historic Medical Officer of Health reports

There's an interesting spot by Canadian based blogger John Reid concerning new Aberdeen Medical Officer of Health Reports that are now available online from the Wellcome Library - John's post is at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/2018/07/medical-officer-of-health-reports-for.html. The post refers to the reports from the years 1890, 1895, 1900 and 1902-1971, for the city of Aberdeen only, although a search of the catalogue shows that there are many other reports from across Britain and Ireland that are also available.

Medical Officer of Health reports from across Scotland for the year 1891 only are also freely available on the ScotlandsPlaces website at https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/official-reports/medical-officer-health-reports.Here's the blurb on the site for this collection:

From 1890 onwards a full-time Medical Officer of Health was appointed in each county in Scotland with a remit to report on the state of health of the county and its various parishes and towns. The annual reports of the Medical Officers give an objective view of the living conditions, diseases and major health issues in different parts of Scotland. Information on the individual parishes and towns are found within the 'registration districts' headings found in these volumes. The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) has an incomplete set of the published reports from 1891 onwards (NAS HH62).

A useful resource to help add some context to the environments where your ancestors once lived.

(With thanks to John Reid)

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.

James Cook: The Voyages - British Library talks

The London based British Library (www.bl.uk) will be hosting three talks on maritime voyager James Cook:

Nicholas Thomas: The Voyages of James Cook
Thursday 3 May, 19.00-20.30
£12 / £10 / £8, Knowledge Centre Theatre (keynote lecture)

Captain James Cook was one of the greatest sea explorers of all time. In this keynote lecture, Professor Nicholas Thomas, Director of the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, reimagines Cook's journeys to describe what he and his associates experienced and what the societies he encountered experienced when their divergent worlds came together.


James Cook: Travelling Worlds
Tuesday 12 June 19.00-20.30
£12 / £10 / £8, Knowledge Centre Theatre (keynote lecture)

In a keynote lecture, Anne Salmond, author of The Trial of the Cannibal Dog and Aphrodite’s Island, examines the differences between the wooden world of Endeavour and the Pacific Islands James Cook visited, discusses some of the artefacts collected during the voyage, and contrasts our contemporary world with the world of Cook, Joseph Banks and their companions.


James Cook: Legacies and Controversies
Friday 15 June, 19.15-20.30
£12 / £10 / £8, Piazza Pavilion (panel discussion)

In August 2017, a statue of James Cook in Sydney’s Hyde Park was defaced amid demands that its inscription should be changed, prompting intense debate about celebration and dispossession. Why is Cook such a controversial figure? Anne Salmond and Ahilapalapa Rands discuss Cook’s social, environmental and cultural legacy. Chaired by Nicholas Thomas.

To book tickets, please visit https://www.bl.uk/whats-on. Tickets are on sale to Members from 1 March and on general sale from 8 March.

(With thanks to the British Library)

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.

Sleepwalk to Slaughter, and other Cork exhibitions

This popped up on my Facebook account earlier - a link to a series of online exhibitions run by Cork City Libraries concerning Cork, the Great War, the Decade of Centenaries, and beyond.

Amongst the virtual exhibitions running are:

• Sleepwalk to Slaughter: Cork, Ireland and the Great War
• War is Women's Business
• The Poets Rising: 1916 and Irish Literature
• "While the Mad Guns Curse": Writers and the Somme
• Europe's last Summer: The World Before World War 1 in Books and Magazines

To access the presentations, please visit http://www.corkcitylibraries.ie/servicesandprogrammes/historytoblame/virtualexhibitions/. Enjoy!

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.

Paisley poor law records indexes online

Good news for those with connections to Paisley in Renfrewshire:

Heritage Centre makes Paisley Poor Law Indexes searchable online.

This important source of information for people researching their family history and Paisley and Renfrewshire’s social history is now much easier to search. The Heritage Centre has created an online version of the Paisley Poor Law Indexes to open up the collection to those with ancestors from this area. Find out more about these unique records, the information they contain, and how they can help you with your research on our website: https://libcat.renfrewshire.gov.uk/iguana/www.main.cls?surl=PoorLaw


From the site itself:

What area and time period do the records cover?

The records start in 1839 and run until 1942, with Parochial Boards being responsible for the administration of these records. The boards covered by our records are –

• Paisley Parochial Board
• Paisley Parish Council
• Paisley Burgh
• Abbey Parochial Board

What information is contained in a Poor Law application?

Information contained in applications for poor relief can be very useful to people researching their family history, but its depth can vary considerably. Records can include general information, such as

• name age and place of birth
• name of spouse and date and place of marriage
• parents’ names and names and ages and residence of children, and if any of them are deceased
• present address and previous addresses

They can also include detailed additional information about the family’s circumstances. Some even include birth, marriage, and death certificates, reports, wills, and newspaper cuttings.

(With thanks to Kirsty Wilkinson via Facebook)

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. 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.

National Library of Wales broadcast archive survey

The National Library of Wales (https://www.llgc.org.uk/) has an online survey for interested users to fill out concerning a proposed Broadcast Archive. From the Survey:

The National Library of Wales Broadcast Archive is a brand new ambitious project at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth!

With financial support from the HLF, we’re receiving BBC Cymru/Wales sound and video recordings to add to our collections. So, that’s all of the original recordings and their digital copies, which will be added to the ITV Wales film and video archive already kept at the Library

We will be:
preserving the collections for ever by keeping them safe in a brand new storage area making it digitally available for the public to view

All of the material will be available to view in 4 digital viewing hubs that we will be opening in Aberystwyth, Wrexham, Carmarthen and Cardiff and 1000 clips will be available to view online on our website.

The collection is unique in that it records all aspects of life in 20th century Wales. It includes radio recordings from the 1930s and television from the 1950s and with over 360,000 sound and video items to choose from the programmes are as varied as life is in Wales!

Maybe you will discover a clip of your favourite rugby game, news of an event you remember, an exciting episode of your favourite soap opera, a piece of comedy that makes you laugh until your sides hurt, your favourite pop star or a children's programme that reminds you of your childhood ... or even maybe a clip of your grandparents ...

And there are sports programmes, news, documentaries, soaps, dramas, comedy, music and children’s television ….. And so much more ….. The programmes are as varied as life is in Wales …..

We really want to develop a project that you will love and so we need to know what you want us to do!

Help us at the National Library to plan and develop a project for you by taking five minutes to answer this questionnaire!

The survey is available online at http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/SQ3RL/

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. 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.

1921 Canadian Census online at LAC

The 1921 Canadian Census has been made freely available online at the Library and Archives Canada website (www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng).

From the site:

About the Census of Canada 1921 database

If you have ever been keen to research genealogy, a simple search in the 1921 Census database will give you access to a vast amount of historical information, including the following:

Dwelling, house
Family, household or institution
Name of each person in the dwelling, including:
relationship to the head of the household
gender
marital status
age
country of birth and nationality
religion
language
race
literacy level and education
profession, occupation and employment status

Visit the Library and Archives Canada website and start your 1921 Census database search today!

To search the database visit www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/Pages/2017/1921-Census-Canada.aspx.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. 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.

Forthcoming Northern Irish family history and DNA classes

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

Family History & DNA Classes from the North of Ireland Family History Society

The North of Ireland Family History Society (NIFHS) have a wide selection of family history and DNA courses starting soon at their Library just outside Belfast. Bookings are open to everyone but be quick as some are already heavily booked after an email was sent to their members. Also included in the listings is a selection of free events including their upcoming open day and a library lock in. The courses are in addition to the monthly talks and meetings programmes arranged by NIFHS Branches across Northern Ireland.

The courses for Autumn 2017 are as follows:

September 5th – Family Finder 1 – 3 Tuesday evenings
September 9th – Starting your Genealogy – Beginner’s Course – 3 Saturday afternoons
September 30th – Transcription – Methods and Benefits – 1 Saturday afternoon – FREE EVENT
October 3rd – Family Tree Maker – Basics and Benefits – 1 Tuesday morning
October 3rd – Websites for Genealogy – 2 Tuesday evenings
October 10th – Valuation Records – 1 Tuesday morning and afternoon
October 16th – Family Finder 2 – 3 Monday evenings
October 17th – Writing up Your Family History – 3 Tuesday mornings
October 17th – Researching Military Ancestors – 2 Tuesday evenings
October 31st – Halloween Lock-In – 1 Tuesday evening – FREE EVENT
November 7th – Understanding Heraldry – 1 Tuesday morning and afternoon plus a walkabout to be arranged
November 8th – It’s All About Me – 1 Wednesday afternoon
November 11th – Making the Most of Your Autosomal DNA Results – 2 Saturday afternoons FULLY BOOKED!
November 14th – Emigration to Australia and New Zealand – 1 Tuesday afternoon
November 14th – The Advantages of Y-DNA – 1 Tuesday evening
November 15th – Using Family Search – 1 Wednesday afternoon
November 28th – Life in Ulster in the 1830s – 1 Tuesday afternoon
November 22nd – Land Records – 1 Wednesday morning and afternoon

The courses are open to the public but, as they are so popular, they must be booked in advance by email. They are held in the Honneyman Room, NIFHS Library, Unit C4, Valley Business Centre, 67 Church Road, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, BT36 7LS. There's plenty of free parking on site.

Courses last between one and three sessions. The cost ranges from £7 to £15. Many of the classes are run on Tuesdays when the Library is already open (2pm - 8pm) so there will be an opportunity to do further research. For day-time classes, there is a café on site.

More information is on the NIFHS website: www.nifhs.org/resources/courses/

(With thanks to Maeve Rogan)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. 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.

National Library of Scotland updates Curious Travellers map

The National Library of Scotland (www.nls.uk) has updated its Curious Travellers map at http://curioustravellers.ac.uk/map/, to allow users a chance to follow in the footsteps of Johnson and Boswell as they toured around the country in 1773.

The four-year project was launched in September 2014 by the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (CAWCS) and the University of Glasgow, with its priorty being the writings of Flintshire naturalist and antiquarian Thomas Pennant (1726-1798), who travelled across both Scotland and wales and recorded his observations along the way.

For more on the Curious Travellers project, visit http://curioustravellers.ac.uk/en/.

(With thanks to @natlibscotmaps)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102.
For details on my Scottish & Irish genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
For my genealogy research service, please visit http://www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk.