Scots Genes - the Complete Internet Resource for Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors

SCOTS GENES is conducting an eight week tutorial programme to help your learn more about tracing your Scottish ancestors. The programme will be conducted for 1 1/2 hours at the same time each week through the SCOTS GENES Chat Room.

The course will be hosted by Susan Cromarty, FSA Scot, editor of SCOTS magazine, and Beth Gay, FSA Scot, editor of the Family Tree Genealogy newspaper. Each class will be limited to 10 participants and Susan will ensure that every one has the same opportunity to ask questions and receive assistance from Beth and herself.

The purpose of the course is to assist you undertake your own research, not to do the research for you, so please bear that in mind when joining. Its value is in allowing you to communicate directly with Beth Gay and the other members of the group, to share you own experiences and to learn from theirs. On-line summary notes will be available after each lesson. Each week you will be able to report back on progress and problems and take your research that bit further.

Topics covered over the eight weeks include:

Week One: Where to begin, finding out how much has already been done by someone else, keeping track of information, proven systems for tracing ancestors, the value and pitfalls of the internet, the value of professionals. Traditional methods of naming children in Scotland, a general overview of the history of Scotland with particular relevance to regional changes and patterns of migration.

Week Two: Your own national and regional resources. What they are, where they are and how to access them.

Week Three: Scotland based resources - Births, Deaths and Marriage Records & Census Returns.

Week Four: Old Parish Records. Sources before 1855. Other church records. Research strategies.

Week Five: Land Ownership, Tenancy & Court records.

Week Six: Migration - Records both in Scotland and at destination.

Week Seven: War and other national service records.

Week Eight: Other useful sources.

This programme is flexible and can be adapted to suit the particular needs of the group.

The cost of the programme is £18, US$50, A$75, C$70, NZ$90 for the eight lessons.

If you are interested please e-mail Susan Cromarty to be kept advised of programme details.

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