Some Autumn research help

 

Blaeu's 1654 Map of Britain

It’s autumn in the northern hemisphere, so in this post I share some interesting genealogy resources that will hopefully lend detail and colour to the leaves of your family tree.  I’ve collected some free guides for records of the British Isles.

No matter how many times you’ve used these records, you can always pick up more tips on how to read or use them in a different way, especially by studying the official guides written by their keepers.

Scotland

National Records of Scotland Research Guides: A-Z of record types from adoption to wills & testaments.

And, did you know that you can search for and view historical images on ScotlandsPeople at no cost? These include categories such as aerial photography, historic sites and monuments, social issues, and transport. 

England & Wales

The National Archives: How to look for records of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales.

National Library of Wales: Help with your family history research – including Getting Started, and guides to different record types like tithe maps. 

Ireland

PRONI: Archives for family and local history.  A comprehensive listing of resources for tracing ancestors on the island of Ireland.

National Archives of Ireland: Sources for family & local history.  An introduction to what’s available via the Archives in Dublin and its website.

(Re-posted from September 2020)

Free family history websites to check out

 

These are just a few free genealogy websites that I don’t see referred to very often (if at all) in articles or blogs.

Irish Studies: Digital Collections & Archives  

This university-curated list is made up of government-provided online resources useful for Irish family and local history.

British Newspaper Archive Free-to-View Titles 

A blog from the BNA explaining their recent introduction of selected newspaper titles that are free to search, read, and download.

ScriptTutorial: making sense of old handwriting  

BYU’s introduction to reading and transcribing European documents from the 16^th century onwards.  Languages covered include English, Swedish, Spanish, French, and Latin.

Identifying Photograph Types 

If you’ve got some old family photos with people you don’t know in settings you don’t recognise, dressed in yesteryear’s fashions, what do you do? This quick guide may give you some pointers.

Timetable World

A unique collection of historical transport timetables and maps from all over the world.

Doors Open Festival in Glasgow

 

Knightswood St Margaret's Parish Church, Glasgow

It’s that time of year again, and thankfully in-person visits are starting to return, when buildings across the country are showcasing their architecture, history, and place in the community.

Dates will vary by location, but here in Glasgow what used to be a weekend event has grown into a week-long festival and starts today.  This year, the programme has been divided into three categories: Buildings, Trails, and Activities, Events & Resources.

The buildings open for visits are also split into three: booking essential, bookable tours optional, and no booking necessary.

The trails, activities, and events will take place online and in person. 

Buildings include those not usually open to the public, and are civic, religious, industrial, cultural, and commercial properties.  Some offer guided tours, music and workshops in arts and crafts.

Tours and information are provided by volunteers, and I’m delighted to be taking part as a guide at St. Margaret’s Church in Knightswood.

Curious Fact: the oldest landmarks in the festival are 300 million years old.

Check out when your local Doors Open event will take place at https://www.doorsopendays.org.uk/about/events-in-the-uk/

More upcoming free genealogy events!

 

Whether you've got a spare hour, day, or month, there'll be something to suit you among these imminent free events:

Dublin Festival of History, 20 September – 10 October.  Over 70 free online and in-person events covering a huge range of historical topics.  Check out the programme, which is so extensive I couldn’t hope to do it justice in a summary like this.

Know Your Ancestors, 25 September.  A free online conference organised by the Register of Qualified Genealogists and open to everybody with an interest in family history.  The keynote speakers include Melanie Backe-Hansen, house historian on the BBC series A House Through Time.  She will address the topic of finding your ancestors at home.  The award for the most intriguing presentation title goes to Dave Annal, a professional genealogist and author, who will be speaking about "Lying Bastards".

AncestryHour  This is a weekly family history event which takes place every Tuesday on Twitter, 7-8pm UK time.  Find and follow along with tweets using the hashtag #AncestryHour - you don’t have to contribute, just sit back and watch.  Or you can ask a question; perhaps you have a research brick wall that you’d like some advice on, or you need some help understanding DNA results.  Waiting in the wings for that hour are genealogists of every level and interest, ready and willing to offer support and suggest solutions.