ScotlandsPeople access at Burns Monument Centre

Here's one for my local patch of Ayrshire :)

I had the great pleasure to spend a day doing client research at the Burns Monument Centre (www.burnsmonumentcentre.co.uk) in Kilmarnock on Wednesday. Whilst here I consulted several burgh registers from the 18th century for a particular case, but I was also able to use the newly provided access to the ScotlandsPeople Centre computer system, i.e. that used in Edinburgh, not the online site. I recently blogged that this is now available in the Mitchell Library in Glasgow, but Kilmarnock now also has access.

The set up for computer access in Kilmarnock is much the same as Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a £15 fee for unlimited consultations in the records for a day, though with a few differences. As with Glasgow, there is no online access to the Roman Catholic records that are available at the ScotlandsPeople Centre or online (for licensing reasons), whilst the records of coats of arms are also unavailable - something I had not twigged at Glasgow (which probably says much about how often I use them for genealogical research!).

The opening hours in Kilmarnock are as follows:

Monday – Thursday: 9.15am – 4.45pm
Friday: 9.15am – 3.45pm
Saturday: 10am – 4pm
Sunday: Closed

Print outs are only 10p, and the place was not busy when I was there, providing for a really relaxed research environment. I actually flitted between both the computer suite and the archives a couple of times - in adjoining rooms - and it worked wonderfully.

Just a quick word on the archives also. It is a bit confusing for Ayrshire, as we have three authorities - East Ayrshire (where Kilmarnock is based), South Ayrshire (where Ayr is located) and North Ayrshire (where Saltcoats is based). There are separate archive facilities in each, but Ayrshire Archives (www.ayrshirearchives.org.uk/ArchivesCentre.asp), based in Auchincruive, acts as an umbrella authority for them. There have been all sorts of closures and openings across the county, such as the Vennel in Irvine going and a centre at Saltcoats recently being set up. I spoke to Pamela McIntyre from Ayrshire Archives (who visits the Burns Centre on Wednesdays) and she suggested that basically the best advice if you have Ayrshire connections is to touch base with the Auchincruive centre first, and then be guided to the relevant repositories from there. There is some degree of cataloguing for Ayrshire collections on the SCAN website (www.scan.org.uk) but because of recent changes, and ongoing work to continue cataloguing, not everything may be online or indeed accurate (if relocated from one repository to another, for example) - hence the advice.

But definitely a wonderful facility in Kilmarnock, and as well as to Pamela, thanks also to Heather and Marie for help during the day. And I should add, there were lightning fast production times for document requests! :)

Chris

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

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

National Records of Scotland logo & Titanic news

I spent the day yesterday doing client research in Edinburgh, but also had a chance to catch up with both Dee Williams of ScotlandsPeople (www.scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk) and George Mackenzie, the Registrar General and Keeper of the Records of Scotland (www.nrscotland.gov.uk). There's some interesting and exciting developments ahead at both ScotlandsPeople and the NRS, but here's one to share immediately - the new logo for the National Records of Scotland! The NRS was formed recently by the merger of the General Record Office for Scotland and the National Archives of Scotland - here's the logo:

Quite like it myself!

The NRS is also about to host a new exhibition on the Titanic - here's the blurb from the website:

National Records of Scotland (NRS) will be launching a display of documents relating to a few of the 1,500 people who lost their lives by the foundering of the 'Titanic' on a voyage from Southampton to New York on the 15th April 1912. The documents will be put on display at the ScotlandsPeople Centre, General Register House, Edinburgh to mark the centenary of the sinking of the ship. The free display can be seen from 16 April until late May, Monday to Friday, 9.00 - 4.30.

(With thanks to both George and Dee)

Chris

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

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

Cotswold burial records coming soon

Approximately 20,000 burial records for two cemeteries managed by Cotswold District Council are to be made available on Deceased Online (www.deceasedonline.com) next week.

The cemeteries are Chesterton Cemetery, opened 1872, and Stratton Cemetery (in Stratton, just outside Cirencester), with records from 1888. All records for both cemeteries will be made available. The records will comprise of digital scans of burial registers, details of graves and maps indicating the locations of many of the graves. Cotswold District Council is a large area serving a region that stretches from Chipping Campden in the north down to Tetbury in the south west and covering towns such as Moreton-in-Marsh, Bourton and Stow-on-the-Wold.

Deceased Online recently added all records for Cheshire West and Chester City. For details of all data available on the site, see the ‘database coverage’ section at www.deceasedonline.com.

(With thanks to Richard at Deceased Online)

Chris

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

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

Maritime records released by FindmyPast

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

FINDMYPAST.CO.UK PUBLISHES NEW TITANIC RECORDS

· Over a million Maritime birth, marriage and death records published in association with The National Archives

· White Star Line Officers’ books that were due to be destroyed made available online for the first time

Leading family history website findmypast.co.uk has published two new fascinating sets of records, which include information about the passengers and crew aboard the Titanic’s ill-fated maiden voyage. The Maritime birth, marriage and death records and White Star Line Officers' books are both available from today.

Debra Chatfield, family historian at findmypast.co.uk, said: “These fantastic new additions to findmypast.co.uk will be of immense value not only to people with ancestors who were employed at sea, but also to anyone who has been struggling to find a record of an ancestor’s birth, marriage or death. There has never been a single centralised register of births, marriages and deaths at sea, so many of the names listed in these records will not appear in the information already available online.”

Maritime births, marriages and deaths

Search for your ancestors in vivid full colour scans of the original documents recording births, marriages and deaths at sea. In addition to these, births, marriages and deaths associated with seafaring occupations are recorded – not just events that took place at sea. The Maritime death records include a list of the Titanic crew members and passengers who died at sea.

Our new online collection is published in association with The National Archives and brings together 30 different record types from 10 different record series held at The National Archives.

Types of records, number and date range:

• Births – 38,990 records covering the years 1867-1960
• Marriages – 37,538 records covering the years 1854-1972
• Deaths – 949,890 records covering the years 1794-1964

The information the records contain will vary, but they will usually include a combination of the following:

Births: Child’s name, date of birth, place of birth (could be a ship name), father’s name, father’s rank, father’s place of birth, father’s last address, mother’s name, mother’s place of birth, mother’s last address.

Marriages: Name, rank, age, last address, spouse’s name, father’s name, date of marriage, place of marriage (could be a ship name), names of children.

Deaths: Name, rank, age, date of death, place of death (could be a ship name), cause of death, last address, place of birth.

White Star Line Officers' books

View full colour scans of the original service records of White Star Line officers and commanders, including all the officers on board the Titanic.

The collection comprises 1,042 records covering the years 1868 – 1934. Ron Warwick, a now-retired former employee (and former ship's captain) of White Star Line, rescued the books when they were being thrown out by the company.

The information for each officer includes date and place of birth, address, details of his apprenticeship, the names and dates of the ships served upon and the date he left the company.

The White Star Line Officers’ books include an original colour scan of the Titanic’s Captain Edward Smith's employment record, listing all the ships he served on and when. You can also see the note in red ink which tells us he was 'Lost in "Titanic" Apl 15th, 1912'.

Search other Titanic records at findmypast.co.uk

As well as these two new collections, you can also search for your Titanic ancestors in our passenger lists leaving the UK 1890-1960 and our Merchant Navy seamen records, both published in association with The National Archives. You won't find a more comprehensive set of Titanic records anywhere else.

Visit www.findmypast.co.uk to find out more about our Titanic records and discover your own connection to the infamous ship today.

(With thanks to Amy Sell)

Chris

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

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

MyHeritage uploads full US 1940 census

1940 Census wars!!!! From My Heritage (www.myheritage.com):

PROVO, Utah & LONDON & TEL AVIV, Israel – April 4, 2012: To satisfy the great demand for the 1940 U.S Census, MyHeritage, the most popular family network on the web, today announced that it has successfully published all 3.8 million images of the 1940 U.S. Census, available to search for free on www.myheritage.com/1940census. MyHeritage is the first commercial provider to successfully upload the entire 1940 Census image collection. MyHeritage was also first to provide an initial collection of indexed records from the 1940 US Census, searchable for free by names, facts and other criteria.

As millions of people rush to satisfy their curiosity and access one of the most significant and meaningful sets of historical records ever to be released, MyHeritage is the only destination on the web currently offering both a complete set of images from all US states and a preliminary searchable index, all on www.myheritage.com/1940census. Access is free and no registration is required. The first indexed records come from Bristol County in Rhode Island, with a deluge of additional records to be added by MyHeritage each day.

MyHeritage is also the only provider to make the 1940 U.S. census searchable in 38 languages, enabling family history lovers all over the world to discover more about the lives of their American relatives during this transformative period in history. All census images are also currently available on the additional historical content sites owned by MyHeritage on www.worldvitalrecords.com/1940census and www.familylink.com/1940census - with initial searchable indexes expected to be live soon on these websites, and to grow throughout 2012.

With the industry’s fastest and most powerful family history search engine and a sophisticated system for automatically matching records to family trees on the site, MyHeritage aims to provide an easy, hassle-free and enjoyable way of discovering more about a family’s American legacy through the 1940 U.S. Census. MyHeritage will also enable a search of the 1940 U.S. Census on-the-go with a new version of the MyHeritage Mobile App for iPhone, iPad and Android, to be launched this week.

With more than 62 million registered users, billions of historical records, 22 million family trees and close to 1 billion profiles, MyHeritage has become the trusted home on the web for families wishing to explore their family history, share memories and stay connected.

(With thanks to Laurence Harris)

COMMENT: I had a play for the first time with the US 1940 census using this site - very much like the search interface. Haven't had a chance yet to play with the other online presentations - but this one is definitely a player.

Chris

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

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

West Yorkshire archive new facility plans

The Yorkshire Evening Post has a piece on plans to produce a new £3 million archive base for West Yorkshire Archives, following apparent criticism from the National Archives over the current facilities at the current Registry of Deeds building on Newstead Road, Wakefield.

For more on the story visit www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/latest-news/top-stories/plans-for-new-west-yorkshire-historic-archives-home-1-4415970

(With thanks to @Howson_Halifax via Twitter)

Chris

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

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

OldMapsOnline portal

The National Library of Scotland (www.nls.uk) has news of a new maps portal in its latest newsletter, which may be of interest:

"A new search portal, OldMapsOnline, has just been launched, allowing anyone to search for online historical maps across five major collections.

"Scotland is well-covered by the initial partners, and the National Library of Scotland's maps can now be searched with a growing number of international map collections. Geographical searching is very easy and intuitive, using a place name or by just zooming in on a map, and it is possible to easily refine the search by date too.

"The OldMapsOnline project is funded by JISC, and as other libraries join, many more online maps will be added during the course of this year."

(With thanks to the NLS)

Chris

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

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

TNA podcast - business archives developments

The latest National Archives podcast is on the latest developments and initiatives with business archives, from a talk given by Alex Ritchie, Business Archives Advice Manager at The National Archives. It is accessible at http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/business-archives-new-initiatives-and-developments/ or via iTunes.

Chris

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

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

Ancestry adds Titanic records

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added a few collections concerning the Titanic to its database:

UK, RMS Titanic, Outward Passenger List, 1912 (1062)
UK, RMS Titanic, Crew Records, 1912 (5605)
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, RMS Titanic Fatality Reports, 1912 (328)
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, RMS Titanic Graves, 1912 (114)
UK, RMS Titanic, Deaths at Sea, 1912 (1507)

Chris

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

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

Date Finder app

A press release from Chris Padgham in Victoria, Australia, about a new iPhone/iPad app which might be of interest.

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA: Date Finder, a new iPhone/iPad app, will provide valuable assistance to people researching their family history. A common problem in genealogy research is to determine if two historic documents refer to the same individual. Date Finder allows you to quickly cross-reference a person’s age at a date from one document to their age at a date on another document to see if they align. http://www.solsup.com.au/DateFinder Available from App Store http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/date-finder/id511832753?ls=1&mt=8. Cost: $0.99

Not a hundred per cent sure how much of a problem this actually is for people - but it's there to have a look at!

Chris

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

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