Trace Family TreeIf your family has past connections with Shimla the old 'summer capital' of India (and many Scots did) then that link takes you to the foot of the page, where there's a recommendation for a guide to the area. Background PreparationIt’s pretty obvious, but in this trace family tree exercise it’s always a good move to start with information from your own family sources. Older and more distant relatives can provide details of generations and family members unknown to you. However, they may also pass down old family stories which tend to get somewhat exaggerated. For example, my wife has Macdonald genes from her mother’s side. These also come with a tale that these Macdonalds were descended from the survivors of the infamous massacre of Glen Coe in 1692. Some day, she’ll check it out.
Johanna knows that her great-grandfather, who was a MacDonald, is buried here, at Bunavullin, in Morvern, by the Sound of Mull. His grave is marked by a ringed cross, right of centre. For my own part, an old uncle once told me the Summers family were descended from fishermen who lived on a bare and exposed part of coastal Aberdeenshire. They were so poor that they had to snare rabbits in order to bait their lobster pots (or creels, as we would call them). They also took to wrecking, that is, shining a light from the coast at night, in order to misguide a ship in the hope it would run aground. Hmm, seems like I inherited the poor gene.
Now mostly just tumbled heaps of stone, if family tradition is right, then my forebears possibly, just possibly, occupied one of the dwellings here in this bleak part of Aberdeenshire. But are family tales to be believed? Other sources of family lore are as basic as inscriptions in inherited books (or even Bibles), plus anything that could be called ‘family memorabilia’ – certificates, medals, newspaper cuttings and so on. The Next StepIf you are in Scotland, or visiting, then your starting point to trace family tree could be General Register House and the adjacent New Register House in Edinburgh, at the east end of Princes Street. The records there are accessible via ScotlandsPeopleCentre, where the latest computer technology at 160 search places allow you to get on with the searching. (You can even hire staff by the hour to assist you in your genealogical research.)The ResourcesAt time of writing, you can access census returns 1841-1901 (They’re working on the 1911 census, available shortly.) The Census with its ten-year cycle is useful as it allows the charting of expanding families. Trade and marital status of individuals are also recorded there. Then there are the old parish registers from 1553 (yes, in some places, that far back) to 1854. These record births, christenings, banns and marriages. (Banns are proclamations of marriage.)Deaths and burials are also shortly to be made available. Other statutory registers an also be accessed – for example, deaths, marriages, divorces etc. Even recorded wills between 1513 and 1901 are here, plus a variety of other records, for example, war registers. Some more resourcesThough ScotlandsPeopleCentre is one option for an Edinburgh visit (and it’s also available online), other libraries in Scotland also have valuable material to help trace family tree.For example, Glasgow’s Mitchell Library is sometimes described as Europe’s largest reference library. They have, for instance, a newspaper collection going back to 1715. (Hmm, reminds me of our sitting room.) They also hold a comprehensive collection of Post Office Trade Directories, first published in 1783 and continuing to 1974. These are especially useful as they list business premises with addresses, with such details as how long a company or individual has operated from that address. Another tool that will help trace family tree are the records of monumental inscriptions – basically, what is written on gravestones. This can be especially valuable in cases where these stones may no longer be readable. Poor Law RecordsWho can say what your researches will turn up? We like to think of our forebears living in comfort but, sadly, in Scotland as elsewhere, this was not always the case. Scotland’s Poor Law Records are one of the most useful insights into past lives because of the amount of detail that is recorded. (The Mitchell Library in Glasgow, for example, holds 5000 volumes.)They are so useful because application for assistance under the Poor Law required an examination of the circumstances of the applicant. This created a dossier that held records such as letters, marriage certificates, birth certificates, religion and sometimes even photographs. These items can on occasion be quite shocking for descendants, as they record events such as prison sentences or illegitimate births. Each time an application was repeated further details were recorded and these included previous addresses. So, be ready, these Poor Law Records are both moving and sad. While the records of family members in these reports are an aid for researchers today, they were originally part of the inspectors’ way of finding out if any other members of the family could contribute to the applicant’s needs. Poor relief was paid out of rates and the authorities, as canny Scots, were always anxious to minimise expenditure. More tips to help trace family treeThe Mitchell Library in Glasgow, Scotland, holds records of many parts of the Church of Scotland – including Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Unitarian, Baptist and Methodist records. The Jewish and Roman Catholic faiths hold their own separate archives. And it’s important to bear in mind that baptismal rolls were not always an integral part of the old parish registers. This should be especially noted if you research on line.The Scottish Kirk session minutes are also fascinating sources of information about what the kirk considered misdemeanours – frequently involving chastising individuals for ‘untimeous drinking’ and fornication. The records of landed families – estate rolls – can also be useful, if ancestors rented a farm on the estate or worked for the well-to-do family. These sources can provide good information especially further back before pre-civil registration documents, such as the Census, are available. The Register of Sasines is another way of fleshing out information, as this recorded property transactions. For example, if an individual with property emigrated, chances are, (s)he would sell up before leaving and this information can be found in these records. School Admission Registers are also useful, as they record details such as which other schools the child attended, who the siblings were and also the parents’ names. Finally, there are records to be accessed that refer to the world of work. For example, Police Force Records, which in Glasgow’s case go back to 1830, not only shed light on the family background of the individual officers but also provide fascinating detail, such as the height of the police officer. The moral is to be persistent and methodical and to take full advantage of Scotland’s record keeping to help create a picture of where you came from. If you are thinking of visiting Edinburgh to trace family tree then click the family tree link to find some suggestions for Edinburgh based day tours. After all, who can tell where your research may lead? For that matter, you may find yourself tracing family roots from the days of the British rule in India. Take a look at the blog of a local guide. Sumit Vashisht is a published author who is very knowledgeable on walks, the local cemeteries and also the narrow gauge railway that links Shimla to the Lowlands - whose locomotives in the days of steam, were built in Glasgow. Return to the Scotland in a Week home page
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