That's it for The GENES Blog - thank you and goodbye!

That's it folks - after eight years, The GENES Blog (previously British GENES), has now ceased to be! You will now find all the latest news from Scotland and Ireland, as well as the rest of the UK and its diaspora, on the newly reinvigorated Scottish GENES blog at https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com.

In a post-Brexit world, Scotland and Ireland have some very exciting prospects ahead of them, which has led to me returning to my roots with Scottish GENES, as I wish to portray a more forward looking brand from the greatest country on Earth - Alba gu bràth!!!

If you have followed The GENES Blog over the last eight years, I would like to sincerely thank you for all your support, and I hope that you found the news coverage useful. I also hope that you will now consider following Scottish GENES, which originally kicked off the whole shebang many moons before The GENES Blog was even in nappies. All the latest news and views, from the Scottish based perspective of a long resident Ulsterman, with roots in both lands.

You can subscribe to Scottish GENES for a daily email feed in the right hand column on the page, at the top, as shown, or through an RSS feed.

You can also follow Scottish GENES on Twitter @genesblog (www.twitter.com/genesblog) and via the blog's Facebook page

Thanks you once again, agus mar sin leibh an-dràsta - bye for now!

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Latest genealogy news on Scottish GENES

The latest stories on the renewed Scottish GENES blog:

Ulster Historical Foundation's 'Things that Money CAN Buy' auction
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/ulster-historical-foundations-things.html

National Archives family history book sale
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/national-archives-family-history-book.html


* The GENES Blog will cease to carry news from February 14th, with Scottish GENES (https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com) taking over from then.

You can subscribe to Scottish GENES for a daily email feed in the right hand column on the page, at the top, as shown, or through an RSS feed.

You can also follow Scottish GENES on Twitter @genesblog (www.twitter.com/genesblog) and via the blog's Facebook page

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Latest genealogy news on Scottish GENES

The latest stories on Scottish GENES (https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com):

Scottish Vaccination Records
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/scottish-vaccination-records.html

Forthcoming talks at the National Records of Scotland
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/forthcoming-talks-at-national-records.html

Forthcoming events at The National Archives
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/forthcoming-events-at-national-archives.html

What's happening to the Scottish censuses on FamilySearch?
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/whats-happening-to-scottish-censuses-on.html

Ancestry announces tactical shift moving forward, and job losses
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/ancestry-announces-tactical-shift.html

Scottish Indexes adds Scottish High Court Criminal Records guide
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/scottish-indexes-adds-scottish-high.html

TheGenealogist releases RAF Operations Book Records
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/thegenealogist-releases-raf-operations.html

National Library of Australia's Family and Community History Survey
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/national-library-of-australias-family.html

FamilySearch celebrates Black History Month in the USA
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/familysearch-celebrated-black-history.html

FindmyPast adds Yorkshire, India and Canada records
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/findmypast-adds-yorkshire-india-and.html

National Library of Scotland adds date range filter to maps site
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/national-library-of-scotland-adds-date.html

Have you visited... TalkingScot?
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/have-you-visited-talkingscot.html

PRONI: Using American Records to Tear Down Irish Brickwalls
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/proni-using-american-records-to-tear.html

* The GENES Blog will cease to carry news from February 14th, with Scottish GENES (https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com) taking over from then.

You can subscribe to Scottish GENES for a daily email feed in the right hand column on the page, at the top, as shown, or through an RSS feed.

You can also follow Scottish GENES on Twitter @genesblog (www.twitter.com/genesblog) and via the blog's Facebook page

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Latest news posts on Scottish GENES

The latest news additions to Scottish GENES (https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com):

Heritage Tourism with Ancestry
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/heritage-tourism-with-ancestry.html

Latest additions to the British Newspaper Archive
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/latest-additions-to-british-newspaper.html

Forthcoming talks in Belfast and Beith
https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/forthcoming-talks-in-belfast-and-beith.html


* The GENES Blog will cease to carry news from February 14th, with Scottish GENES (https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com) taking over from then.

You can subscribe to Scottish GENES for a daily email feed in the right hand column on the page, at the top, as shown, or through an RSS feed.

You can also follow Scottish GENES on Twitter @genesblog (www.twitter.com/genesblog) and via the blog's Facebook page

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

My LivingDNA updated ethnicity profile

I've received an update on my LivingDNA ethnicity profile, which has raised some interesting findings! Full details at https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-livingdna-updated-ethnicity-profile.html.

* This blog will cease to carry news from February 14th, with Scottish GENES (https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com) taking over from then. You can subscribe to Scottish GENES for a daily email feed in the right hand column on the page, at the top.

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Book review: The Ruhleben Football Association by Paul Brown

For a review of Paul Brown's new book, The Ruhelben Football Association: How Steve Bloomer's Footballers Survived a World War Prison Camp, please visit https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/book-review-ruhleben-football.html.

* This blog will cease to carry news from February 14th, with Scottish GENES (https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com) taking over from then. You can subscribe to Scottish GENES for a daily email feed in the right hand column on the page, at the top.

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The Scottish GENES Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Transcription Tuesday: Stobs Military Camp WW1 project

For further information on this coming Transcription Tuesday's four projects, including the Scottish project to find the names of those interned at Stobs Military Camp in the First World War, please visit https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/transcription-tuesday-stobs-military.html.

* This blog will cease to carry news from February 14th, with Scottish GENES (https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com) taking over from then. You can subscribe to Scottish GENES for a daily email feed in the right hand column on the page, at the top.

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Kirsty Wilkinson's new Scottish book available on Kindle, plus a new blog

For an update on Kirsty Wilkinson's new book, Finding Your Scottish Ancestors: Techniques for Solving Genealogy Problems, please visit Scottish GENES at https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com/2020/02/kirsty-wilkinsons-new-scottish-research.html.

* This blog will cease to carry news from February 14th, with Scottish GENES (https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com) taking over from then. You can subscribe to Scottish GENES for a daily email feed in the right hand column on the page, at the top.

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Blogicide or resurrection? Scottish GENES is back!

Over eight years ago, in December 2011, I suspended the Scottish GENES blog in order to widen the scope of the news coverage I was offering, with a separate blog British GENES (later The GENES Blog) established in parallel some months earlier. At the time another blogger (thanks John!) amusingly referred to the move as 'blogicide', but in fact the readership transferred and continued to expand over the years.

In this same period, however, there has been a dramatic change in world circumstances, and as we move forwards in the world on the day after Brexit, I want to regain control of the message of where this blog is coming from - it's from an Irish genealogist and blogger who has made his home in Scotland, with a fascination in his two areas of interest, Scotland and Ireland, but also in our closest neighbours in England and Wales and across the EU, and to Scotland's and Ireland's historic and continuing worldwide disaporas.

In this Crisis of Infinite Blogs, the timelines are now being reset, parallel earths and blogs are being removed, and I am heading back somewhat nostalgically and purposefully to the original and the best:

Scottish GENES is back!

The GENES Blog at https://britishgenes.blogspot.com will continue in parallel for a couple of weeks by way of a transition period, but there will soon be a hard exit with no hope of a further transition, although the blog will remain live as an archive - if you want the history of genealogy in Britain and Ireland over the last decade, you'll find it there and free to access!

But for the ongoing news from these islands and further afield, please sign up to Scottish GENES, and at its new dedicated address, https://scottishgenes.blogspot.com. (You can subscribe by email using the link at the top right of the page)

Alba gu bràth!

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

FindmyPast adds Durham records and public sector worker calendars

From FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk):

Britain, Royal and Imperial Calendars 1767-1973
Do you have ancestors’ who worked in the public sector? Explore more than three million records from the Royal and Imperial Calendars from 1767 to 1973 to find out about their career. This expansive collection of records from The National Archives includes lists of all the official departments of state, and branches of public service, the law, the church, national or commercial companies and institutions, and many additional articles of public utility. Each record includes a transcript and original image.

Durham Baptisms
Over 28,000 new addictions covering 9 parishes across the county are now available to search. These transcripts and images reveal not only your ancestor’s name but also their parents’ names. You will also discover their occupations and where they lived.

Durham Marriages
Search over 7,000 new records covering 9 Durham parishes have been added to the collection. Parish registers can reveal details of your relative’s marriage centuries before civil registrations began. Discover your ancestor’s marriage date, marriage place, and your ancestor’s father’s name.

Durham Burials
Over 66,000 new additions covering 11 parishes have been added to the collection. Find out where your ancestor is buried, where they lived and additional relatives to add to your growing family tree.

British & Irish Newspaper Update
This week we are delighted to welcome 71,598 additional pages to the collection as well as five brand new titles, including:
Leinster Reporter - 1897-1925, 1927-1928
Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald - 1850-1872, 1874-1877, 1897
Times of India - 1861-1865, 1867-1888
Wakefield Express - 1879, 1892, 1897-1898, 1902, 1911, 1918
South Notts Echo - 1919-1923, 1927-1939

Further details and links at https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/new/new-imperial-calendars--durham-parish-registers

Chris

You can pre-order my new book, Tracing Your Scottish Family History on the Internet, at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scottish2 (out April). Also available, Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Irish1 and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at http://bit.ly/ChrisPaton-Scotland1. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.