From Oliver Cromwell to DNA

This is the time of year when local family history and heritage organisations start to hold open days and exhibitions.  Today, I was able to combine a trip to the seaside with a few hours browsing stalls and hearing from experts, at the South Ayrshire Local & Family History Fair.

For a comparatively small (and free) event, there were plenty of family history societies promoting their interests, their volunteers happy to share their knowledge and suggest useful publications from their stalls.  Other local heritage groups represented archaeology, some individual Ayrshire towns, and Ayr’s historic Gaiety Theatre.  

This annual genealogy event has moved from its usual venue in Troon to the county town of Ayr and the venerable Carnegie Library.  Unlike other family history fairs, the stalls weren’t restricted to one hall but were scattered throughout the library itself.  I managed to pick up plenty of free literature (as evidenced in the photo!), including some magazines, public library genealogy leaflets, and flyers advertising forthcoming fairs.  

A programme of speakers addressed an intriguing range of topics, from Oliver Cromwell to DNA in genealogy.  I attended the latter of these, presented by DNA expert and professional genealogist Michelle Leonard, coming away with lots to think about and put into practice.  The talk was well attended and held everyone’s attention, including Robbie the Border Collie therapet, who was so well-behaved I didn’t realise he was there until I spotted him on my way out!  

In a future post I’ll share some of the online tools Michelle suggested to help make sense of DNA testing in genealogy, its pros and cons (more pro than con, certainly). 

Definitely an afternoon well spent!