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New Scottish Records in Celebration of Burns Night 2019

New Scottish Records in Celebration of Burns Night 2019

Genealogy Giant Findmypast just published 700,000 new Scottish records online! This major update commemorates the 260th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland. Many of these records are available online for the first time. If you have Scottish ancestors, you’ll definitely want to check out these wonderful additions to Findmypast’s vast database of U.K. records!

Findmypast publishes 700,000 new Scottish records in celebration of Burns Night 2019

From Findmypast’s announcement made today: “Leading British & Irish family history website, Findmypast, is marking the 260th Anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland, with the release of almost 700,000 new Scottish records.

Many of these new additions have been made available online for the first time and cement Findmypast’s place as the home of the fastest growing online collection of Scottish Records.

Scotland, Jacobite Rebellions 1715 and 1745

“Discover more about the Jacobites and the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745. Findmypast has digitized this expansive collection of records from The National Archives which includes lists of prisoners and those banished or pardoned along with correspondence, commission records, and briefs evidence. The rebellions had the aim of returning James II of England and VII of Scotland, the last Catholic British monarch, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne of Great Britain after they had been deposed by Parliament during the 1688 Revolution.

Each result will include both a transcript and scanned color image of the original document. The collection comprises of 193 pieces from 9 National Archives series so the amount of information listed will vary depending on the type and nature of the documents. Predominately covering the years 1701-1719 and 1740-1767, there are almost 76,000 in this collection of records from a significant time in Scotland’s history.”

Scotland, Glasgow Anderson’s College Anatomy Students 1860-1874

“Did any of your ancestors study at the Anderson College of Medicine, Glasgow? Discover details of their class dates. Anderson College was founded in 1796 following the will of John Anderson, Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow from 1757. Initially known as Anderson’s Institution, it changed its name to Anderson’s University in 1828 and finally to Anderson’s College in 1877. The Institution’s medical school was founded in 1800 when Dr. John Burns began lectures on anatomy and surgery. The medical school of Anderson’s College became a separate and distinct institution known as Anderson’s College Medical School in 1887.

The records consist of class rolls of those who studied under Professor George Buchanan. Each record includes a transcript and original image of the class roll that will list the names of students and the day they attended class.”

Scotland, Glasgow Smallpox Vaccination Registers 1801-1854

Explore these Glasgow smallpox vaccination registers to find out when your Glasgow ancestors received their inoculation to help fight the smallpox disease. “Smallpox was caused by the variola virus, there are two types of the virus. The more deadly form of the disease is the variola major which killed about 30% of people who were infected. The smallpox vaccine, introduced by Edward Jenner in 1796, was the first successful vaccine to be developed.

The collection consists of ten volumes of registers recording the inoculation program that was carried out in Glasgow between 1801 and 1854. Each result will include a transcript of the original register entry that lists the name of the individual being inoculated, the date of their inoculation, their birth year, address, the name of their parent or guardian, the name of the inoculator and the results of the inoculation.”

Scotland, Glasgow & Lanarkshire Death & Burial Index 1642-1855

“Over 283,000 additional records spanning the years 1636 to 2001 have been added to the Scotland, Glasgow & Lanarkshire Death & Burial Index 1642-1855. This index of deaths and burials consists of transcripts of original documents covering the years of 1642 to 1855. From the index, you may learn your ancestors’ birth year, death and burial dates, age at death, burial place, and mortcloth price. These new additions have been provided by the Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society.”

Scotland Roman Catholic Parish Registers

“Over 223,000 new baptisms, marriages, and burials have been added to our collections of Scotland Roman Catholic Parish Registers. The New additions cover 471 parishes across the country and span the years 1800 to 1966. Each result will include both a transcript and image of the original register entry.

Our collection of Scotland Roman Catholic Sacramental registers covers all eight Scottish dioceses: Aberdeen, Argyll & The Isles, Dunkeld, Galloway, Glasgow, Motherwell, St Andrews & Edinburgh, and Paisley, and date back to the early 17th century. The records form part of our wider Catholic Heritage Archive, a groundbreaking project that aims to digitize the historic records of the Catholic Church in Britain, Ireland and North America, and additional new records will be added to these collections later in the year.”

Scotland Roman Catholic Congregational Records

“Over 55,000 new records have been added to the Scotland Roman Catholic Congregational Records collection. Congregational records can help you get a better understanding of your ancestors’ relationship with the church and include registers of confirmations and communion recipients, as well as parish lists, seat rentals, lists of people who converted to Catholicism and more.

Congregational registers incorporate sacramental records other than those pertaining to baptisms, marriages, and burials, such as communicants (those who received Holy Communion), confirmations (those who received Holy Confirmation), sick calls (those who received the Anointing of the Sick), and first confessions (those who received Holy Reconciliation). You will also find records of people who converted to Catholicism. In many parishes, you could rent seats in the chapel for your family. The seat rental records will list the individual names, the cost of the rental, and the location of the seat. Another register type you will discover is status animarum, Latin for ‘status of the souls’. These records noted the names of all the Catholics in the area. Many include the names of head of households and the individual’s residence.”

More to discover at Findmypast

These newly released additions sit alongside millions of other records from family history societies, archives and repositories holding records that cover the whole length and breadth of the country. If you have Scottish heritage, Findmypast is an indispensable tool for discovering your ancestors. You can start exploring right now with a 14-day free trial! Click here to sign up and start using Findmypast for free. 

Lacey Cooke

Lacey Cooke

Lacey has been working with Genealogy Gems since the company’s inception in 2007. Now, as the full-time manager of Genealogy Gems, she creates the free weekly newsletter, writes blogs, coordinates live events, and collaborates on new product development. No stranger to working with dead people, Lacey holds a degree in Forensic Anthropology, and is passionate about criminal justice and investigative techniques. She is the proud dog mom of Renly the corgi. 

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Genealogy Gems!

Travel Back in Time with Genealogy Records Newly Online

Travel Back in Time with Genealogy Records Newly Online

This week’s roundup features rare, unique, and just plain fun new collections available online or coming soon. Go back in time to 1923 with new public domain additions, explore San Francisco as it was in 1940 online and in Google Earth, keep an eye out for rare Caribbean newspapers, a free database of Washington State newspapers, and a new collection from the Digital Library of Georgia. Get ready to time-travel and find your ancestors!

A Peek Into 1923

For the first time in 20 years, new works are entering the public domain in the United States and those works were all published in 1923.  From the Internet Archive’s recent announcement, “Settle in with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, a Butterfinger, or a refreshing Popsicle (all invented in 1923!)” and explore the films, popular music, and entertainment from 1923. This update also includes 20,000 texts like newspapers, books, and poetry. You can browse fashion magazines, sheet music, and so much more. Get a glimpse into life in 1923, and your ancestor might just be hiding in plain sight!

San Francisco: David Rumsey Maps

Recently recovered after decades of dusty storage, and immense 42- by 38-foot wooden replica of the city of San Francisco as it was in 1940 has been cleaned and photographed by a dedicated team of individuals as part of the SFMOMA and San Francisco Public Library project called Public Knowledge: Take Part. The model is comprised of 158 pieces at a scale of 1 inch to 100 feet.

From David Rumsey’s website announcement: “The model pieces were expertly photographed by Beth LaBerge. David Rumsey created the large Composite image [right] of the 158 pieces, as well as the image and metadata database of all the images, which he hosts. Rumsey also georeferenced the large Composite image and placed it in Google Earth.”

[Image right courtesy of www.DavidRumsey.com]

Caribbean Newspapers

The University of Florida has received a grant to digitize Caribbean newspapers. From the announcement (scroll to second article on the link page): “The grant award will support a continuing partnership between the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida and the University of Puerto Rico (UPR)-Rio Piedras Campus Libraries to digitize each institution’s unique, hidden holdings of Caribbean newspapers on master microfilm. The team, partners of the Digital Library of the Caribbean, will digitize and make freely available 800,000 pages of pre-1923 Caribbean newspapers.”

Washington State Newspapers

From the Washington Secretary of State: Browse and search historical publications with new Washington Digital Newspapers website. “The site features new titles in the State Library’s digital newspaper collection, with full-text article search of more than 400,000 pages from the State Library’s collection of historic Washington newspapers. Visitors can interact with the site with the help of text correction features to improve search results on dark or damaged pages, by attaching subject tags to articles, and saving their search history for larger research projects.”

Visit https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/ to start browsing now!

Digital Library of Georgia

The Digital Library of Georgia has recently announced a new collection for Atlanta’s Interdenominational Theological Center and Morehouse, Morris Brown, and Spelman Colleges. “As part of the CLIR-funded, ‘Our Story’ project, Atlanta University Center, Spelman College, and the DLG are happy to announce additional content documenting the largest consortium of African American private institutions of higher education.” In this collection, you’ll find scholarly journals, yearbooks, photographs, course catalogs, and more. 

Additional “Our Story” updates are available through the DLG blog.

More genealogy time-travel

Time travel technology may not be available yet, but Lisa’s Premium eLearning Video is the next best thing! You’ll discover ways to find content that can immerse you in the past to explore the cultural and historical events, places, and people that affected your ancestors’ lives. You’ll explore interactive timelines, advances in video, and geographic tools that can dramatically impact your understanding of your family history. Plus a downloadable handout is included. Available now to all Premium eLearning Members! (Not a member? Sign up today!)

Lacey Cooke

Lacey Cooke

Lacey has been working with Genealogy Gems since the company’s inception in 2007. Now, as the full-time manager of Genealogy Gems, she creates the free weekly newsletter, writes blogs, coordinates live events, and collaborates on new product development. No stranger to working with dead people, Lacey holds a degree in Forensic Anthropology, and is passionate about criminal justice and investigative techniques. She is the proud dog mom of Renly the corgi. 

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Genealogy Gems!

Big Genealogy Records Updates for England & the U.S.

Big Genealogy Records Updates for England & the U.S.

Big updates to UK records king Findmypast are new this week. Discover your ancestors in updated collections for Kent and Norfolk, along with an update to a fascinating collection for Devon, England. Also new and updated this week are US records including marriage licenses for New Jersey, Boston Pilot newspaper ads, Ohio County naturalization records, and historic Georgia newspapers. 

Featured: Updates at Findmypast

Genealogy giant subscription website Findmypast has kicked off the new year with big updates to their collections for Kent and Norfolk. Findmypast is our favorite records website for finding your ancestors in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Click here to learn more about why they should be at the top of your list for your UK research.

Updates to Kent

Kent Baptisms: “Over 23,000 new records covering Anglican and Wesleyan baptisms in Dover, Gravesend, Higham, Nettlestead and Maidstone have been added to our collection of Kent parish baptisms. The new additions span the years 1736-1917.”

Kent Marriages: Explore more than “22,000 new records covering 9 Anglican parishes in Aylesford, Boxley, Higham and Nettlestead…Parish marriage registers will provide you with birth years, father’s names, occupations, and residences for both the bride and groom as well as the date and location of their marriage.”

Kent Burials: “Over 203,000 additional records covering the former Grange Road Cemetery in Gillingham, now a public open space, Fort Pitt Military Cemetery and the cemetery in Robin Hood Lane, Chatham have been added to the collection.”

Updates to Norfolk

Norfolk Baptisms: Check out the 76,000 additional records that have been added, spanning 1777 to 1990. This update covers the parishes of North Creake, Ringland, Southwood, Thornham and Worstead.

Norfolk Banns: Banns of marriage are the public announcement in a Christian parish church of a forthcoming marriage. In this update are 33,000 new Norfolk Banns covering the parishes of Rockland All Saints & St Andrew, Roughton, Snetterton and Yaxham. 

Norfolk Marriages: “Over 27,000 new records covering the parishes of North Creake, Rockland All Saints & St Andrew, Snetterton, Somerleyton, Southwood, Wacton, Wells next the Sea, Westacre and Worstead. The new additions span the years 1777 to 1984 and will reveal a combination of names, dates and locations related to both the bride and groom.”

Norfolk Burials: “Search over 15,000 recent additions to our collection of Norfolk Burials covering the parishes of North Creake, Rockland All Saints & St Andrew, Southwood, Wells next the Sea and Worstead. The transcripts and images will list a combination of your ancestors’ burial dates, ages and residences at time of death, and their birth years.”

Devon Social & Institutional Records

From Findmypast: “Over 76,000 new records have been added to our collection of Devon Social & Institutional Records. Search this extraordinarily rich set of records to find paupers and vagrants, apprentices, peddlers and tradesmen. Find out if they got married, were vaccinated against smallpox or got Christmas presents while their father was fighting WW1. Explore more than two centuries of social history to find rare details of the lives of ordinary people.”

New U.S. Records & Collections

New Jersey: MyHeritage has recently added a new collection: New Jersey Marriage License Index, 1915-2016. With over 11 million records, “this collection is an index to marriage licenses filed at the New Jersey State Clerk Offices from 1915 to 2016. The index contains the given names and surnames of both the bride and the groom, the year of the license application, and the state file number. The images in this collection have been obtained through the outstanding work and efforts of Reclaim the Records.”

Boston, Massachusettes: Did any of your Irish ancestors emigrate to the United States? Search this unique collection of Boston Pilot Newspaper Information Wanted Ads from Findmypast. These ads were placed in the Boston Pilot newspaper by family members and others looking for lost friends and relatives from 1831 to 1920. From the description: “These records provide an insight into Irish immigration and reflect the tumultuous times that led to the Irish diaspora such as the Great Irish Famine and the United States Civil War.”

Ohio County: Free records website FamilySearch has added new records to their Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 collection. “Index and images of naturalization records from county courthouses in Ohio. The record content and available years vary by county, though most content falls between 1818 and 1954.”

Georgia: Lastly, we love this new collection from the Digital Library of Georgia. They have digitized approximately 53,930 pages of Georgia newspaper titles published prior to 1861 from microfilm held by the Georgia Newspaper Project (http://www.libs.uga.edu/gnp/). The project creates full-text searchable versions of the newspapers and presents them online for free in its Georgia Historic Newspapers database at http://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu. 

Try Findmypast FREE for 14 Days

We know there are a lot of records websites out there, and each with their own subscription costs. So why not make a game plan of what you want to research and set aside dedicated time during a 14-day free trial? Findmypast offers incredible collections and resources for those seeking their ancestors in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. You can take our word for it or try it out for yourself with a free trial that you can cancel any time. Click here to get started.

Lacey Cooke

Lacey Cooke

Lacey has been working with Genealogy Gems since the company’s inception in 2007. Now, as the full-time manager of Genealogy Gems, she creates the free weekly newsletter, writes blogs, coordinates live events, and collaborates on new product development. No stranger to working with dead people, Lacey holds a degree in Forensic Anthropology, and is passionate about criminal justice and investigative techniques. She is the proud dog mom of Renly the corgi. 

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links and Genealogy Gems will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Genealogy Gems!

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