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Genealogy/memories

Scotland's People

(9 Posts)
FountainPen Sun 27-Jan-19 12:36:59

I'm researching the Scottish ancestry of a friend and very impressed with how much information can be obtained from a single statutory event registration.

I had found her ancestor in a census listed as a widow. Finding the subsequent death registration, I was able to discover:

• the date (and precise time) of her death, age and cause
• name and occupation of her late husband,
• her parents' names, occupations and whether they were still alive or dead
• her mother's maiden name
• the name, address, relationship and occupation of the informant (her son in this case).

That's impressive.

paddyann Sun 27-Jan-19 12:45:41

its a brilliant site .I managed to trace my dads maternal GM;s side back to the 1740's with hardly any info to begin.The site is easy to navigate and not too expensive.I recommend it to folk all the time.Now if only the Irish sites were as good!

mcem Sun 27-Jan-19 13:46:28

As someone who only started my family research at Christmas I'm delighted with what I've found already thanks to Scotland's People and Find my Past. This is an old photograph unearthed when my aunt died a few years ago. We knew it was of my GF's large family but little else. I've been able to find all the names and ages plus a link to my GGGmother! I have also had very kind offers from GN members to help if they can. I will certainly call on that advice but am so pleased I followed a couple of their pointers to get to where I am now. It was wonderful to discover that 3 of our boys have names of 3 brothers in the picture. Several have my father's name as middle names and it turns out that Dad was named after his Gdad (in the picture)!!

paddyann Sun 27-Jan-19 15:24:40

mcem Have you used Genes Reunited ? I did my OH's tree and found a whole family in Devon that he knew very little about .I'm in touch with my MIL's GGF's G nephew and get updated on their lives on a weekly basis.MIL knew her GGF came from a village in Devon but only because the house he built was given the same name as the village so its been great for her to see photographs of the area and even the house he was born in ..She always tells us she loved her wee Grandad but she didn't know his story

mcem Sun 27-Jan-19 16:15:12

Paddy we had a patchy outline and I've enjoyed filling gaps.
Several years ago I joined Friends and Genes Reunited but only recorded what I knew at the time.
Lost interest as I got caught up in present day family stuff. I thought that Genes R was no longer functioning so this time didn't even try!
It's the Irish part of the family I'm looking at now and finding the census reports really useful. Amused to find a Johnson marrying a Johnstone!

mcem Sun 27-Jan-19 16:16:42

Ps too quick to press!
I find it hard to access marriage records even with accurate information so planning a trip to Register House!

paddyann Sun 27-Jan-19 17:36:51

My Irish are hard to find when they left here in the 18th century they were apparently McGregors ,they changed their name to Browne and its only recently I've been told that many families did this taking as their name the prominent colour of their clan tartan.Whether its true or not I dont know as it was an Irishman who told me .lol.Great at stories the Irish.

I did get free acess to an Irish site a few years back and found my GGGp's.On the court records ,she for rent arrears for her pub in Letterkenny ,he on the same court list on the same day for selling alcohol without a license .
I couldn't find any trace of their parents though even though I had an address for one beside the Cemetary at Conwal .
I will go back when time permits and have a go at finding them in Donegal .Problem is it becomes obsessive .

EllanVannin Sun 27-Jan-19 17:56:02

I love tracing my ancestors. My cousin who did the tracing over the years sadly died suddenly last August and had produced some marvellous results including a treasured photo-copy of our grannie and great grannie together. We never knew either and the pic came from a new found cousin in New York, who also had a photo of my own mother in her youth ! Pics of my mother that I hadn't seen, amazing.

BradfordLass72 Mon 28-Jan-19 05:49:21

My grandfather was in the King's Own Scottish Borderers but my eyes began playing up before I found my other Scottish relatives. I remember with great joy the holidays we had in Rothesay. So many years ago now.....