Thursday 31 March 2016

Further update on ScotlandsPeople Centre closure

I've just received the following from the National Records of Scotland, concerning the continued temporary closure of the ScotlandsPeople Centre (which is also causing problems for its satellite access points across the country):

"A virus was identified on March 23. On-site services were immediately closed and the virus was contained. A small section of the on-site family history search facility remains affected and ICT staff are working hard to allow this service to return to normal as soon as possible. All data remains safe and secure.

"All other services including the ScotlandsPeople website continue to operate normally. Members of the public can also continue to obtain extracts of births, marriages and deaths online or in person. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank our customers for their patience."



The centre will again be closed tomorrow, Friday 1st April.

(With thanks to Anne Slater)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Wednesday 30 March 2016

ScotlandsPeople Centre dealing with computer virus

Some major updates from my earlier post on the ScotlandsPeople Centre (see http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/scotlandspeople-centre-computer-system.html).

The Scotsman newspaper story has reported at http://www.scotsman.com/future-scotland/tech/hacking-fears-at-national-records-of-scotland-1-4086146 that the centre has been closed due to a possible attempt to hack into birth, marriage and death information last week from the system. The BBC has run a much more comprehensive story, noting that a ransomware computer virus has in fact shut down the system - see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-35928037.

Quite what the repercussions might be for future access are as yet unknown, but the centre has again announced a further closure tomorrow (Thursday) - see http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2016/customer-notice


As previously noted, the online ScotlandsPeople website at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk is unaffected.

(With thanks to Kirsty Wilkinson via Facebook)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Cornwall records released on Ancestry

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has released the following collections for Cornwall:

Cornwall, England, Bodmin Gaol Records, 1821-1899
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60963

Cornwall, England, Penzance Dispensary Admissions, 1828-1841
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61016

Bodmin, Cornwall, England, Inmates at St. Lawrence's Asylum, 1840-1900
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61185

Cornwall, England, Workhouse Admission and Discharge Records, 1839-1872
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61121

Truro, Cornwall, England, Police Charge Books, 1846-1896
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61018

Falmouth, Cornwall, England, Congregational and Baptist Church Registers, 1763-1923
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61004

Cornwall, England, Militia and Sea Fencibles Index, 1780 - 1831
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61015

The source for the collections is Cornwall Record Office, Truro, Cornwall. Full details for each set are available via the links.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

ScotlandsPeople Centre computer system - ongoing issues

The National Records of Scotland is again advising that it's ScotlandsPeople Centre search rooms are closed in Edinburgh, and will advise later today if they will be opened tomorrow - see http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2016/customer-notice.

However, having just got off the phone from the Glasgow Genealogy Centre, one of the regional hubs taking a feed from the system across the country, it has advised that it is not taking any bookings for the rest of this week, and will review this again next week. I presume all ScotlandsPeople outlets are experiencing the same issue, but it may be best to contact any that you might be intending to visit before you set off.


The online ScotlandsPeople website is unaffected at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Saturday 26 March 2016

Robert Burns' birthplace in Alloway

Yesterday (Good Friday), my wife Claire, youngest son Jamie and I made a journey to Alloway in south Ayrshire, to do the Robert Burns birthplace tour, visiting the new birthplace museum, the cottage where the national bard was born, Alloway Auld Kirk (where the poem Tam o' Shanter was set), and the famous Brig o' Doon.

To find out how we got on, to see some pictures, to discover what we made of it all - and to find how I finally made peace with the bard! - please visit my other blog at https://scotlandsgreateststory.wordpress.com/2016/03/26/robert-burns-birthplace-alloway-ayrshire/.



Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Irish Lives Remembered Easter Rising 1916 special

From Eneclann (www.eneclann.ie):

The latest issue of Irish Lives Remembered is now available

We are also delighted to announce that this excellent magazine is joining Eneclann, who many of you will already know. We are an independent company based in Dublin who have been providing excellence in family history since our foundation in Trinity College in 1998. Our research team are well known through their work for popular TV series like Who Do You Think You Are? and Finding Our Roots.

Many of you will know Fiona Fitzsimons, Research Director of Eneclann and a columnist at Irish Lives since the early issues. Many other columnists will be familiar, some from previous issues and we also have some welcome new additions.

Eileen Munnelly who established this magazine in 2012 has provided a wonderful service to the family history community, not least by her professionalism, inclusivity, good nature and dedication to quality. She is joined by a new co-editor, Shane Fitzsimons, who brings a wealth of experience from mainstream newspaper publishing.

The Eneclann team have worked hard to get this issue out in time for the Centenary Commemorations of the 1916 Rising. No doubt there will be teething pains as we learn the ropes, so please bear with us. We have some exciting plans too that we'd love to share with you.

Now without further ado, here is the new issue: Irish Lives Remembered Spring 2016

I hope you enjoy,

Brian Donovan

(With thanks to Brian Donovan)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Free access to Ancestry for Easter

From Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk):

FREE ACCESS—BIGGER THAN EVER*

Bring your family closer together this Easter with our extra-special, bumper free access. For four full days, until 28 March, you can hunt through billions of records from all over the UK and the British Commonwealth—from Australia to Canada—and uncover even more of your unique family story.

*Access to the records in the featured collections will be free until 28 March, 2016 at 23:59 GMT. After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using an Ancestry.co.uk paid membership. To see a full list of the records in the featured collections please click here.

To gain access visit http://www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/free-access.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

FindmyPast adds Royal Naval records and London censuses

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com) has added the following record sets:

British Royal Navy Seamen, 1899-1924
Learn fascinating details about your Naval relatives including the ships on which they served, physical descriptions and their occupation before joining the Navy with over 20,900 new records.

London, Westminster Marylebone Census, 1821 & 1831
Search more than 22,500 census returns to reveal your relative's address and occupation, as well as the number of people living in the home.

The site has also updated its Billion Graves Cemeteries indexes from around the world.

For further details please visit https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/fridays/.


Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

My next Scottish Research Online course starts April 5th

My next Scottish Research Online course starts on April 5th, and there are still a fair few spaces available if you want to hone your Caledonian directed genie skills!

Taught entirely online, the course is 5 weeks long and costs £49.99 - full details on what it covers are available at http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102, and also in the following video (recorded two year ago, so please ignore me noting the cost as £45.99 - it is now £49.99!):



Hopefully I might see a few of you there!

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Friday 25 March 2016

PRONI public consultation on services and fees changes begins

As I have been reporting from recent stakeholder forum meetings of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni), the Belfast based national archive has been planning to run a consultation on proposals to update existing legislation which deal with admission to PRONI, the amounts of fees to be laid by the Office, and security of the documents. Amongst the positive developments that are envisaged and proposed are the ability to do self-service photography at the facility in the reading rooms (without the use of flash), as well as several revisions to currents fees order, and T&Cs for users.


These changes will entail some changes, not least a code of conduct form to be signed recognising responsibilities as a PRONI user on visits. The suggested wording for this is as follows:

Code of Conduct
This code has been issued under rule 4.
Principles of Conduct
I declare that:
(1) I will display my Visitor Pass at all times, and produce it when requested by a designated officer.
(2) I will undertake instruction as required by the Deputy Keeper in how to handle documents.
(3) I will safeguard the documents issued to me and handle them carefully.
(4) I may bring any of the following items when using the search room or reading room:
i. one clear plastic bag or document wallet;
ii. pencils;
iii. paper or a notepad; iv. a laptop or tablet;
v. a mobile phone; and
vi. medication required for emergency use.
(5) I will not use flash photography in the search room or reading room.
(6) I will avoid making unnecessary noise in the search room or reading room. My mobile phone(s) will be switched off or set to silent mode before entering the search room or reading room.
(7) I will not remove any original documents from the reading room.
(8) I will extend respect and courtesy to others in the Office.
(9) I will follow the health and safety requirements of the Office.


To facilitate the ability to use self-service photography, a copyright disclaimer form is also being proposed, placing the burden of awareness of copyright issues on the user:

Copying and Copyright Declaration
This declaration has been issued under rule 5(4).
I declare that:
a) Materials made available by the Office are governed by UK Copyright Law (Copyright, Design & Patents Act 1988).
b) I understand that ‘the copy’ as designated below relates to a copy made by me or supplied to me, whether hard-copy or digital, of the material or part thereof referenced; and that a copy supplied to me will be treated as if I had made the copy myself.
c) I will not use the copy except for private study or research for a non-commercial purpose and will not supply a copy of it to any other person. I understand that should I, at a later date, wish to reproduce or publish the copy in print, online or via any other media, I will first seek the permission of the Deputy Keeper; and that it is my responsibility to ensure copyright is not infringed.
d) I will not make or request a copy of a work which has been published prior to deposit in the archive and where copying would be in breach of copyright, or where copying has been prohibited by the depositor or copyright owner, without first obtaining the necessary permissions.
I understand that if the declaration is false in a material particular, the copy shall be an infringing copy and that I shall be liable for infringement of copyright.


Self-service copying looks to be reduced to 25p per page (I think it is 30p at present), and various new fees and revisions for other services are also discussed.

PRONI already has an excellent scanner in the reading room which wonderfully resembles something out of Star Trek (and which thankfully no longer imposes a garish watermark that used to obscure documents being copied!). Self-service photography, however, will bring the institution into line with other UK national archives, namely The National Archives at Kew, and the National Records of Scotland (although there are some exemptions there on private deposits which cannot be photographed by users, only staff).

The consultation document or this is now available online at https://www.dcalni.gov.uk/consultations/proni-public-use-records-management-and-fees-rules-ni-2016. The consultation began at noon on Thursday March 24th 2016 and will run until 9.00am Monday May 23rd 2016. If you are a PRONI user, please do respond to the consultation.

(With thanks to Stephen Scarth at PRONI)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Thursday 24 March 2016

West Yorkshire records added to DeceasedOnline

From Deceased Online (www.deceasedonline.com):

Halifax and Brighouse - first of the Calderdale cemeteries now on Deceased Online


Over the next few weeks, all records for seven cemeteries and the crematorium managed by Calderdale Council in West Yorkshire, will be added to www.deceasedonline.com.

Immediately available are records for two historic sites in the region, Brighouse Cemetery and Lister Lane (aka Halifax General) Cemetery in Halifax. This first batch of records dates back to 1842 and features some excellent register scans that include fascinating personal and social history, which will be very useful for family history hunters.

The fields recorded in these registers include not just full names, ages and other burial information but also the “rank, trade or profession” and, in many instances, the names of the parents.

As well as digital scans of registers, the records available on Deceased Online also include grave details, indicating all those buried in each grave. There are also section maps for Brighouse Cemetery indicating the section of the cemetery where each grave is located.

The Calderdale area – recently seen as the setting for the critically-acclaimed BBC drama series Happy Valley - has strong links with the industrial revolution and, in particular, the cotton and textiles industry with numerous mills throughout the region. Emma Jolly's latest blog explores this in some detail and looks at the tough conditions endured by many textile workers in the mid 19th century.

Other West Yorkshire records available on Deceased Online include The National Archives collection for many sites across West Yorkshire and Wakefield Metropolitan Council.

Who Do You Think You Are Live April 7-9, NEC, Birmingham
Deceased Online will be on stand 288 at the up-coming Who Do You Think You Are Live exhibition at the NEC Birmingham, April 7-9. Hope to see you there!

(With thanks to DeceasedOnline)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Forthcoming events at The National Archives in England

Forthcoming talks and events at the National Archives (www.nationalarchives.gov.uk) in England:

Tuesday 29 March 2016, 4:00 pm
Making the most of The National Archives' Library
FREE

Tuesday 29 March 2016, 6:00 pm
Writer of the Month - Heidi Thomas: Researching Call the Midwife
PAID

Wednesday 13 April 2016, 2:00 pm
First World War Mesopotamia and the Siege of Kut-al-Amara
FREE

Friday 15 April 2016, 11:00 am
Behind the scenes tour
PAID

Friday 15 April 2016, 2:00 pm
Archaeology and espionage: The secret political life of Professor Vere Gordon Childe
FREE

Tuesday 19 April 2016, 2:00 pm
Researching 'Artist and Empire'
PAID

Wednesday 20 April 2016, 5:15 pm
The individual in conflict
FREE

Thursday 21 April 2016, 2:00 pm
The Battle of Culloden
FREE

Tuesday 26 April 2016, 2:00 pm
Easter 1916: Revising the rising
FREE

Thursday 28 April 2016, 2:00 pm
BFI presents films from the Archives
FREE

Thursday 5 May 2016, 2:00 pm
In conversation with Sarah Kogan: Her art and the First World War
FREE

Friday 13 May 2016, 6:00 pm
Archives at Night: The Art of War
PAID

Full details at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/about/visit-us/whats-on/events/

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Irish Lives Remembered magazine purchased by Eneclann

Claire Santry is reporting that the popular free online genealogy magazine Irish Lives Remembered (www.irishlivesremembered.ie) has been purchased by Dublin based genealogy firm Eneclann (www.eneclann.ie), as part of its new brand identity as the Irish Family History Centre.

For further details visit Claire's story at http://www.irishgenealogynews.com/2016/03/eneclann-buys-irish-lives-remembered.html.


(With thanks to Claire Santry)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Update on temporary ScotlandsPeople Centre search room closure

A further update today from the National Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk) on its sudden unexpected temporary closure due to technical problems, as announced yesterday (see http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/tech-issues-force-reduced-service-at.html):

Technical problems mean our ScotlandsPeople search rooms will be closed on Thursday 24 March and Tuesday 29 March, as well as being closed for the public holidays on Friday 25 and Monday 28 March, and we are offering a reduced service in our other search rooms. Please call 0131 535 1334 to check what is available before travelling to us.

We are currently working hard to resolve the problem so please check this website for further updates - we will post an update on these pages on Tuesday 29 March about whether we will be able to open on Wednesday 30. We apologise for the inconvenience.


(Source: http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2016/customer-notice)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

19th century Irish Ordnance Survey maps uploaded by UCD

I've just been notified of a great resource on the University College Dublin website - a massive range of Ordnance Survey Ireland supplied maps for cities, towns and villages in what is now the Republic of Ireland, as recorded in the 19th century between 1837 and 1896. Here's part of the description:

The collection contains maps for almost 150 cities, towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland. Most are Town Plans which were surveyed at either five or ten foot to one mile scale between 1837 and 1896. The remainder were produced by enlargement of the 1/2500 maps between 1892 and 1911. The large scale at which they were surveyed means that details, such as the ground floor interior plans of public buildings from churches and banks to hospitals and railway terminals, can be viewed on the maps. At street level, features include benchmarks, pillar boxes, public water pumps, troughs, hydrants, and lamp posts. Other useful information includes the parish, barony, townland, ward and municipal boundaries which are all clearly marked. Building types, such as mills, foundries, dye works, barracks, billiard rooms, galleries, tea houses, bull rings and Turkish baths, give an indication of the industrial and social activities of the population of the time. Please note that modern place names are used in the subject headings in the records. For example, to search or filter by subject for Queenstown maps, use the modern place name Cobh.

I've just been having a look at one of the maps for Carrick-on-Suir and was surprised to note that a modern pay and display car park that I've regularly used in the past was once the site of the town's military barracks!



To access the maps please visit http://digital.ucd.ie/view/ucdlib:40377.

(With thanks to Nancy MacQueen via Twitter)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Wednesday 23 March 2016

Tech issues force ScotlandsPeople centre closure and NRS reduced service

From the National Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk):

Technical problems mean our ScotlandsPeople search rooms will be closed until further notice, and we are offering a reduced service in our other search rooms. Please call 0131 535 1334 to check what is available before travelling to us. We are currently working to resolve the problem so please check this website for further updates. We apologise for the inconvenience. Please note that we are closed for the public holidays on Friday 25 and Monday 28 March.



(Original source: http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/news/2016/customer-notice)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

New Irish landing page on Ancestry

I was surprised to see that Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk), in its press release on its latest Easter Rising and War of Independence files for Ireland, had noted a web address for access at www.ancestry.ie. I queried this with Ancestry, and have been told that it is a working address that simply redirects to the UK site for the company. In due course, however, the www.ancestry.ie address will become more important, with the firm noting that "for those accessing the site from Ireland (as opposed to the UK) we are working on ways in which the experience will be adapted accordingly (e.g. local offers for Ireland)".

I've also taken the opportunity to look into where the Irish records landing page has gone that used to exist at www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/uk/ireland, which now simply redirects to the main UK home page. It seems that this has now been revamped and given a slightly tweaked URL - the records are now accessible at www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/uk/irish.





(With thanks to Bryony Partridge)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Tuesday 22 March 2016

Ancestry releases Irish independence struggle files

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has released two major collections of files from the national Archives in England that detail courts martial and intelligence profiles of many involved in the Irish republican struggle for independence in the aftermath of the Easter Rising. The collections are as follows:

Ireland, Courts Martial Files, 1916-1922
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61055

The Easter Rising of 1916 took place on Easter Monday, the 24th of April 1916.

Martial Law was declared in on the 25th of April 1916 in an attempt to maintain order on the streets of Dublin. This was later extended to the whole country. During the aftermath of the Easter Rising, and during the years of the Irish War of
Independence individuals were arrested under Martial Law if suspected of being pro-independence and committing treason to the Crown.

Under Martial Law individuals were tried without a defence council, without a jury and the trials took place in private chambers. Members of the public and members of the press were not allowed to be present at the trial.

This collection covers Field General Courts Martial Records, with nearly 2,000 searchable names and additional names found within the images. Each record contains evidence against the defendants, their statements and proclamations.

Original data: The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England.
Source: War Office: Army of Ireland: Administrative and Easter Rising Records. WO 35/68,96-119,143.
Judge Advocate General's Office: Courts Martial Proceedings and Board of General Officers' Minutes. WO 71/344-358.


Ireland, Intelligence Profiles, 1914-1922
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61054

As nationalists in Ireland struggled for independence, the British Intelligence Forces were keeping a close eye on their movements. The Dublin Metropolitan Police, as well as the Royal Irish Constabulary, recorded the known daily movements of those suspected of being disloyal to the Crown.

Included in this collection are photographs, newspaper clippings and notes recording Sinn Fein meetings as well as the everyday movements of those deemed to be suspects in the eyes of the British forces.

The records in this collection date mainly from 1917 but include some people who were involved in the nationalist movement prior to 1917.

The records relate to activities all across the island of Ireland and with close to 800 names searchable within, they shed light on major events happening at this time. There are over 22,000 images within the collection available to browse.

Original data: The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England.
Colonial Office: Ireland: Dublin Castle Records. CO 904/193-216.
War Office: Army of Ireland: Administrative and Easter Rising Records. WO 35/206-207.


For more information on these and other records relevant for family history from the period, please see my book A Decade of Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923 (further details on how to purchase are available in the Books tab at the top of this page).



UPDATE: the following is the official press release (with thanks to Bryony Partridge):

1916 EASTER RISING FILES LAUNCHED ONLINE TODAY

Over 60,000 images telling story of 1916 Easter Rising now online at Ancestry.ie
· Collection dates from 1916 – 1922 and includes 2,600 records and 60,000 images
· Records include court proceedings, notes confirming executions had taken place, surveillance notes, hand drawn sketch maps, letters, photographs
· Collection will be free to view forever on Ancestry

For the first time in history these significant intelligence files regarding key figures in the 1916 Rising are being made available online to the Irish public. Over 2,600 Courts Martial Records, Intelligence Profiles and Prison Records from 1916-1922 are now available online for free, forever at Ancestry.ie, the world’s leading family history resource.

This rare collection includes the execution orders for the seven signatories of the Easter Rising Proclamation as well as 60,000 images, hand drawn maps, personal letters and photos concerning key figures involved in the events of 1916.

Rhona Murray, Family Historian at Ancestry comments: “These papers were deposited in the National Archives in Kew in 1922 so they are virtually unseen by most Irish people. They are a very significant part of Ireland’s history containing some crucial and fascinating information about the events of the 1916 Easter Rising and the people involved. We have digitised intelligence profiles, Courts Martial records, personal letters and photos which gives a very comprehensive picture of what happened during one of the most important events in the history of Ireland”.

Included in the collection are the following records:

Courts Martial Records

The Courts Martial Records ordering the execution of the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation – Padraig Henry Pearse, Eamon Ceannt, Thomas James Clarke, James Connolly, Sean MacDiarmada, Joseph Mary Plunkett and Thomas MacDonagh - as well as the orders for eight other executions held between 3rd-12th May 1916.

Their guilty pleas, evidence brought against them and their sentences of ‘death by shooting’ are also included.

Personal Letters

Many personal letters from concerned family are in the files, including the letter written by Padraig Henry Pearse to his mother Margaret. In the letter Pearse describes his movements between the GPO and Moore Street during his last surviving days before surrendering “in order to prevent further slaughter of the civil population and in the hope of saving the lives of our followers”.

He notes his struggle between the majority’s will to surrender versus his own personal desire to rally the troops one final time. He expresses his hopes that the British Forces will spare the lives of the followers of the Rising but does not believe that the lives of the leaders would be spared. Pearse’s letter was dated 1st May, he was executed by shooting two days later on 3rd May. His letter to his mother was never posted.

Sketch Maps

The collection also features hand drawn sketches recording the order in which the bodies of the leaders were buried. The bodies of the leaders of the 1916 Rising were interred in Arbour Hill and covered in quick lime and the order in which the bodies were buried remained a secret for many years.

Intelligence Profiles

Gathered by British intelligence against a large group of nationalists, the Dublin Metropolitan Police and the Royal Irish Constabulary kept daily records of the movements of those suspected of being disloyal to the Crown. Figures include Éamon De Valera who was the only leader of the Rising not to be executed.

Courts Martials of Civilians

Martial Law was declared in Ireland on the 25th of April 1916 in an attempt to maintain order on the streets of Dublin. During the aftermath of the Easter Rising, and during the years of the Irish War of Independence, civilians were arrested under Courts Martial if suspected of being pro-independence and committing treason against the Crown.

These records include details of arrests made for conspiracy, murder, treason, and securing and publishing secret government information. Also contained in these files is an alphabetical roll of prisoners and detailed individual prisoner cases imprisoned as a result of Court Martial Proceedings.

The new Easter Rising collection is available to view free and forever at www.ancestry.ie

The history of this collection:

The original paper records of this collection are held at The National Archives at Kew. The National Archives of Ireland has a portion of the collection - covering the period 29 May 1915 to 20 April 1916 - ending four days before the Easter Rising. The collection Ancestry has worked on with The National Archives records the intelligence gathered and the Courts Martial proceedings recording the handling of the aftermath following the Easter Rising.

COMMENT: Ancestry.ie does not seem to work for me, nor the previous Irish platform www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/uk/ireland - I've asked for an update as to what has happened with Ireland's previous dedicated platform on the site.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Monday 21 March 2016

Yorkshire record sets added to Ancestry

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added three new record sets for Yorkshire, England:

Yorkshire, England, Quarter Session Records, 1637-1914
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=6065

Quarter Sessions were so-called because they met four times each year. The court was presided over by the Justices of the Peace, the most important officers in local government. They had both a civil and a criminal jurisdiction, and before 1888 they also had an administrative function. Civil cases usually appear in the court’s order books and criminal cases in the indictment books. The West Riding Quarter Sessions was a peripatetic court which moved around the county. Cases for Wakefield, Halifax, Huddersfield and Bradford were heard at the West Riding Quarter Sessions. Leeds, as a large town, had its own Court of Quarter Sessions which was separate from the main county court. Due to boundary changes, some areas now covered by Leeds Metropolitan District will have been heard in the West Riding Quarter Sessions.

Source: West Riding Quarter Sessions, Indictment Books, West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield, England.


West Yorkshire, Roman Catholic Oath Records, 1714-1787, 1829
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=8632

This collection contains lists and certificates of Roman Catholics failing to take the oaths of abjuration, allegiance and supremacy which were a part of an act passed by parliament in 1715.

Source: Roman Catholic Oath Records. West Yorkshire Archive Service, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.


Yorkshire, England, Probate Records, 1521-1858
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=5246

This database contains a collection of wills, letters of administration, and inventories from Yorkshire, England, for the years 1521 through 1858. Prior to the 1857 Court of Probate Act, which took effect in January 1858, wills were proved in ecclesiastical courts.

Source: West Yorkshire Wills and Probate. Archdeaconry of Richmond: Probate Records. RD/AP1. West Yorkshire Archive Service, Morley, Leeds, England.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Video introduction to my latest Unlock the Past genealogy books

A wee primer for my latest Unlock the Past (www.unlockthepast.com.au) genealogy books:



(Also available via https://youtu.be/ubnY0BKrnYw)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Friday 18 March 2016

FindmyPast adds Royal Irish Constabulary records

FindmyPast (www.findmypast.co.uk) has added the following collections:

Irish Revenue Police, 1830-1857
Search over 37,000 records to find out if any of your forebears served with the Irish Revenue Police and worked to prohibit the illegal distillation of liquors and spirits. Discover when your ancestor joined the force and where they were stationed

Royal Irish Constabulary pensions 1873-1925
Find out if your relatives served with the Royal Irish Constabulary with over 125,000 pension records that will reveal their rank, number and discharge date as well as the names of their wives and children. Was your ancestor paid extra for outstanding service?

Royal Irish Constabulary History & Directories
Explore the history of the RIC by poring over 1,670 pages from 6 different publications printed between 1871 and 1920. Gain rare insights into their daily operations and the development of the force. Discover your family's place in the history of the RIC.

Also added are Western Australia birth, marriage and death indexes.

For further details visit https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/fridays/

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Wednesday 16 March 2016

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day everyone!

To work out just how Irish you are* these books may well help you, and are available from Gould Genealogy (www.gouldgenealogy.com) in Australia, Global Genealogy (http://globalgenealogy.com) in Canada, and My History (www.my-history.co.uk) in the United Kingdom. Ebook editions are also available via www.gen-ebooks.com.

 

 


(*Please note that how Irish you are does affect your ability to down a pint of Guinness.)

Have a great day all! :)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

SAFHS 2016 conference at New Lanark

From Lanarkshire Family History Society (www.lanarkshirefhs.org.uk):

SAFHS 2016 AT NEW LANARK

The Scottish Association of Family History Societies will hold its 2016 Annual Conference and Family History Fair at New Lanark on Saturday 23rd April. The event is being hosted in the World Heritage Site village by Lanarkshire Family History Society.

The theme is “Heritage Along the Clyde”, and there will be four keynote speakers, as well as exhibitors from throughout Scotland and further afield. Family history societies from all parts of Scotland will attend, as well as major online genealogy companies FindMyPast and FamilySearch. Other exhibitors include the Scottish Genealogy Society, Guild of One-Name Studies, Scottish Monumental Inscriptions and the University of Strathclyde’s Genealogical Studies Postgraduate Programme.

FamilySearch and ASGRA (the Association of Scottish Genealogists and Researchers in Archives) will offer free one-to-one help and advice to anyone trying to overcome a family history “brick wall”, or needing advice on starting out on their research.

Jane Masters, Heritage Manager at New Lanark, will open the event with a talk on New Lanark Mill Village and its People; Dr Irene O’Brien, City Archivist for Glasgow will outline the Mitchell Library’s holdings on Shipbuilding and other industries on the River Clyde. After lunch, Emma Maxwell of Scottish Indexes will advise on Understanding Our Ancestors - A Look at Prison Registers and Mental Health Records; and the day will be rounded off by Dr Stephen Mullan who will speak about Runaway Slaves in Britain: Bondage, Race and Freedom in the 18th Century.

Entry to the four talks costs £16, or £20 with a buffet lunch; entry to the family history fair is free. Throughout the day, a free shuttle bus will run between the New Lanark car park and the village. The event is open between 9.30am and 4.45pm. Up to date information is available on the dedicated website at http://safhs2016.weebly.com/ where bookings can also be made.

COMMENT: Unfortunately I'll be overseas and will miss this, but with such a great venue, and with a great talks programme, this definitely looks like one not to miss!

(With thanks to Liz Irving)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

New address for County Sutherland genealogy site

Thanks to Judith Meibusch for letting me know that Chris Stokes' County Sutherland website has now been relocated from CountySutherland.co.uk to http://cosuthfamhistory.blogspot.co.uk.

The site has many useful sections on various settlements found within Sutherland, including many transcribed records.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Tuesday 15 March 2016

University of Strathclyde’s Summer Institute of Genealogical Studies

From the University of Strathclyde's genealogical studies department (https://www.strath.ac.uk/cll/cpd/genealogicalstudies/):

University of Strathclyde’s Summer Institute of Genealogical Studies
27 June-1 July 2016

Join us at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow for this annual event aimed at intermediate to advanced level family history researchers. There are three main course topics, with sessions on each topic running every day over one week. You can choose to do one topic in-depth over the five days or take just one day from a course or two. Learn new skills, experience something different and enjoy meeting fellow genealogists.

Courses are:

· British Military Research
· Irish Resources and Research Techniques
· Practical Application of Genetic Genealogy

Day to day timetables are available on our website. Courses will be taught by well-known and respected genealogical lecturers and experts from around the UK.

Registration is ongoing. The standard fee per course day is £90 but for bookings before 01 May 2016 each course day fee is £80. University of Strathclyde postgraduate genealogy programme alumni discounts are also available.

For more information and to register, see:
http://www.strath.ac.uk/cll/cpd/genealogicalstudies/summerinstitute/ or call 0141 548 2392

(With thanks to Tahitia McCabe)

NB: The Irish part of this institute will be handled by the Ulster Historical Foundation (www.ancestryireland.com), and will also include a couple of lectures from your truly on Friday 1st July. The main page on this is located at http://www.strath.ac.uk/cll/cpd/genealogicalstudies/summerinstitute/irishresourcesandresearchtechniques/

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Power loss forces yet another closure at National Archives

The National Archives based in Kew, England, has been forced to close once again due to another power supply issue, having previously been forced to do so earlier this month (see http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/national-archives-in-england-closed.html).

The archive has advised those seeking to visit today not to - if planning to go tomorrow, it might be best to keep an eye out for updates at the archive's website at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

PRONI launches its new website

The new Public Record Office of Northern Ireland website has now gone live at www.nidirect.gov.uk/proni. As revealed on this blog two weeks ago (http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/proni-user-forum-meeting-march-report.html), the new site has been substantially redesigned from its predecessor platform, following PRONI's integration into the new Department of Communities, although it retains most of its key features.



To help quickly navigate to the key areas needed for your research, here are some direct links:

Search the archives online (includes catalogue)
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/public-record-office-northern-ireland-proni/search-archives-online

Information leaflets (includes PRONI's guide to church records)
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/information-leaflets

PRONI on YouTube
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/proni-youtube

Image Gallery (PRONI's Flickr page)
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/image-gallery

Decade of Centenaries resources
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/public-record-office-northern-ireland-proni/decade-centenaries

Having had an initial play with the site, so far all seems to be in order, with most resources that I have looked for easily found.

(With thanks to PRONI)

UPDATE: Upon further investigation, one very handy section that I use a lot that does seem to have disappeared is that showing the location of Northern Irish townlands per parish. A cached version of this from the old site, with working links, is available on the Internet Archive at https://web.archive.org/web/20150710021231/http://www.proni.gov.uk/index/local_history/geographical_index/parishes.htm.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Monday 14 March 2016

Culture Perth and Kinross trust formed

From Perth and Kinross Archives (http://www.pkc.gov.uk/archives):

Culture Perth and Kinross

From 1 April 2016 Libraries, Archives, Local and Family History, Museums and Galleries, and Arts Development services will be transferred from Perth & Kinross Council into a new Culture Trust - Culture Perth and Kinross.


Moving to a new Trust will not mean any changes to the service you currently receive from the Council Archive. Services and opening hours will stay as they are now and you are unlikely to notice any difference when you use Libraries, Archives or Local and Family History services. The permanent collections held in the Council Archive and Local & Family History will remain in the ownership of the Council and arrangements for material held on loan will be with the Council, but administered on its behalf by Culture Perth and Kinross.

You can continue to contact us in all the ways you do now, phone numbers will not change and service details will still be available on the Council website.

(With thanks to Stephen Connelly at Perth and Kinross Archives)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

GRONI fees changes confirmed in Northern Ireland

The fees charged by the General Register Office for Northern Ireland (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/family-history-heritage-and-museums/research-family-history-general) are set to change from April 4th, with some good news and some bad. The good news is that the cost of certificates will remain unchanged, and the search room fee of £7 is set to be removed for use of GRONI's facility in Belfast. The bad news is that the cost of online historic certificate images, as hosted on the GENI platform at https://geni.nidirect.gov.uk is set to rise - credits will increase from 40p to 50p, meaning that a historic certificate image will rise to £2.50 from £2.

For full details on the changes - and how to save a bit of money on GENI by buying credits up quickly! - please visit the North of Ireland Family History Society's Facebook post at https://www.facebook.com/notes/north-of-ireland-family-history-society/groni-fee-changes-confirmed/1053396834719070

(With thanks to the NIFHS)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Friday 11 March 2016

Fife Family History and Local History Fair 2016

From Fife Family History Society (www.fifefhs.org):

FIFE FAMILY HISTORY AND LOCAL HISTORY FAIR 2016

In a new departure for the society, Fife Family History Society will be sole organisers of the 2016 Fife Family History and Local History Fair. As in previous years the event will focus on Family History. However this year its scope will be widened to include coverage of Local History in general – Fife can boast many local history groups across the towns and villages of the county who are all active in exploring and promoting the history of their own localities.

The Fair will include a series of talks from key speakers on a range of subjects, and a Fair with stalls run by a number of family history societies and local history groups, both from Fife and from wider afield. In addition, the event will include some new features such as ‘Ask the Expert’ with specialists on hand to assist visitors to overcome brick walls in their researches.

The event will be taking place on Saturday 8 October, in the Carnegie Conference Centre in Dunfermline.

Further details of speakers, stallholders, experts, ticketing, etc. will be available soon. In the meantime, please keep an eye on our website – www.fifefhs.org - where information will be posted as it becomes available.

(With thanks to Hugh Hoffman and Frances Black of Fife FHS, and Emma Maxwell of the Scottish Genealogy Network)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Thursday 10 March 2016

Guild of One Name Studies Members' Website Project

From the Guild of One Name Studies (http://one-name.org):

The Members’ Website Project

The Guild of One-Name Studies has implemented a major new project.– The Guild’s Members’ Website Project. The main purpose of the Members’ Websites Project is to enable the website of each participating member to continue indefinitely as a publicly accessible website after the member has died or ceased to be a member of the Guild. This is a ground-breaking project for the Guild and goes to the heart of the objectives of the Guild’s Constitution which are "to advance the education of the public in one-name studies, and. to promote the preservation and publication of the resultant data, and to maximize its accessibility to interested members of the public. The project and its infrastructure have been through some extensive pilot running and have been thoroughly and successfully tested. The project is planned to go live on the 1st April 2016.

In September 2014 the Guild Committee approved in principle a project to host members’ one-name study websites and gave full support in the following November to a detailed implementation plan. At the end of February 2016, the Guild Committee gave approval for the project to go live.

The Members' Websites Project, which is to be launched on 1st April after an extensive trial period, is designed to provide a safe haven for Guild members' one-name study websites. A member who has registered the surname concerned with the Guild can now copy an existing one-name study website or upload a newly created website to the Project's hosting facility. It will then be accessible to viewers the world over via the address yourstudysurname.one-name.net, although existing personal domain names can still also be used.

After uploading their website, a member will still be able to edit, delete and add to its pages. When they pass away or cease membership, it will be preserved by the Guild and available to public to view just as they left it. Research data, surname trees, images, histories, hypotheses, conclusions - all will thus be available to future generations.

By displaying excellence in one-name study websites the Members' Websites Project has specifically addressed the Guild Vision that the Guild should “strengthen its position as the centre of excellence for surname studies.” It will also increase the visibility of individual members’ websites since the Guild’s main website will act as a portal to the Project. The Project aims to get existing members to make effective use of current technology whatever their computer skill level are whilst, at the same time, encourage new members to join the Guild.

Since the proposal to develop a trial Members’ Website Project was approved in September 2014, extensive test have been on going to ensure that a significant variety of website could be maintained and hosted on a Guild website. During the trial period the Guild have signed up 96 one-name study websites, of which 76 are now live, covering around a half a million names. Full details of the Project are now available on the Members' Websites Project pages at http://one-name.org/the-members-websites-project-mwp

NB: The Guild will also be at Who Do You Think You Are Live event at Birmingham NEC from April 7th-9th 2016. Sign up to the Guild at the event for a £1 discount on the normal rate and receive a special “show time only” goody bag. Visit NEC Stand T97-T99.

(With thanks to Cliff Kemball)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Wednesday 9 March 2016

My Decade of Centenaries book is now available to buy in Canada

My book A Decade of Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, published by Unlock the Past, is my third new book to be made available this week in Canada from Global Genealogy (http://globalgenealogy.com), having already been made available for purchase in Australia and the UK.

The book is priced CAN $17, and can be purchased via Global at http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/ireland/resources/2590288.htm - full details of the book's contents are also listed on that page.

Global also sells the following additional UTP books that I have written:

* Irish Family History Resources Online (2nd edition)
* Discover Scottish Land Records
* Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records
* British and Irish Newspapers
* Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis
* Discover Irish Land Records


Non UTP published books:
* Researching Scottish Family History (Family History Partnership, 2010)
* Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (Pen and Sword, 2013)

For further details on my books available in Canada, please visit www.globalgenealogy.com/Chris-Paton

(With thanks to Rick Roberts)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Tuesday 8 March 2016

Latest additions to Durham Records Online

What's new at Durham Records Online (www.durhamrecordsonline.com):

Durham St. Margaret baptisms, marriages, burials: 1558-1700
4,407 baptisms
1,118 marriages
4,586 burials

Barnard Castle Wesleyan Methodist Circuit registers 
1,174 baptisms from 1854 to 1894. These come from 3 registers with overlapping time frames. This Methodist circuit covered the County Durham and Yorkshire towns of Barnard Castle, Barningham, Bowes, Cotherstone, Cleatlam, Eggleston, Ingleton, Lunedale, Mickleton, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Newbiggin, Romaldkirk, Shildon, Staindrop, and Woodland.

Sunderland Cemetery burials 1935-1947
6,561 burials at Sunderland Cemetery (Stockton Rd, Grangetown, Sunderland) covering 1935 through 11 Feb 1947. As is usual for this cemetery, most records include a parent, spouse, or occupation, and some list the cause of death. A number of people buried here were killed in the German bombings of Sunderland during WWII, and are usually noted as "civilian war death”.

Coming Soon:
Tynemouth burials 1851 and baptisms 1850-52
Mere Knolls Cemetery (Western Extension) 1905-1939
Ferryhill baptisms 1843-64 and burials 1846-64
early Witton-le-Wear records
1851 Gateshead census

Further down the queue: 
Sherburn Hospital baptisms, Durham St. Nicholas marriages, Southwick baptisms, Darlington Friends Burial Ground, early Great Stainton

(With thanks to Durham Records Online)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Monday 7 March 2016

Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd ed) available in Canada

My Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition) book, published by Unlock the Past, is also now available to purchase in Canada from Global Genealogy (http://globalgenealogy.com), having already been made available to purchase in Australia and the UK.

The book is priced CAN $28, and can be purchased via Global at http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/ireland/resources/2590287.htm - full details of the book's contents are also listed on that page.

Global also sells the following additional UTP books that I have written:

  • Irish Family History Resources Online (2nd edition)
  • Discover Scottish Land Records
  • Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records
  • British and Irish Newspapers
  • Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis
  • Discover Irish Land Records 


Non UTP published books:
  • Researching Scottish Family History (Family History Partnership, 2010)
  • Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (Pen and Sword, 2013)

For further details on my books available in Canada, please visit http://www.globalgenealogy.com/authors/paton-chris/chris-paton.htm.

(With thanks to Rick Roberts)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

British Library training session on India Office records

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

Asian and African Studies Reference Services are again offering free 75-minute introductions to the Department's family history sources on 15 March, 20 April, 17 May and 16 June. 2016 at 11am. Anyone is welcome to attend - participants do not have to be holders of a Library Reader Pass. The emphasis is on explaining the background to their holding returns of baptisms, marriages and burials of European Christians from all over South Asia, and providing practical guidance on how to use the name indexes.

To book email hrs-training@bl.uk

For more on the India Office Records, visit http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/asia/india/indiaofficerecordsfamilyhistory/familyresearch.html

(With thanks to Valmay)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.

Sunday 6 March 2016

Discover Irish Land Records now available in Canada

My Discover Irish Land Records book, published by Unlock the Past, is now available to purchase in Canada from Global Genealogy (http://globalgenealogy.com), having already been made available to purchase in Australia and the UK.

The book is priced CAN $19, and can be purchased via Global at http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/ireland/resources/2590287.htm - full details of the book's contents are also listed on that page.

Global also sells the following additional UTP books that I have written:

  • Irish Family History Resources Online (2nd edition)
  • Discover Scottish Land Records
  • Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records
  • British and Irish Newspapers
  • Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis
  • Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition)


Non UTP published books:
  • Researching Scottish Family History (Family History Partnership, 2010)
  • Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (Pen and Sword, 2013)


(With thanks to Rick Roberts)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923Discover 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/.