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Z is for Zetland and Zuill (wait, what?)

30/4/2016

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You might be reading this and asking what? Zetland -where’s that? It’s actually the traditional spelling for Shetland (to this day, Shetland postcodes all begin with ZE). And Zuill? It’s a variant rendering of Yuill. And the famous Scottish surname Menzies is not pronounced, as you might think, “men-zays”, but “ming-is”.

What is going on?, you might ask. Scots pronunciation can be notoriously unpredictable on occasion, particularly when it comes to placenames. To get an idea, how would you pronounce the following:
  • Milngavie
  • Anstruther
  • Footdee
  • Kilconquhar
  • Culzean
Unless you’re Scottish or familiar with these places, chances are fairly good you’ll have got at least one of them wrong. The last, though, is actually effectively a consequence of a misreading. Scots used a letter – yogh, Ȝ – no longer in use in modern English. In Middle Scots, the written letter was often indistinguishable from a cursive z, and early Scots printers often used a z in its place. The yogh was akin to the effect of i in onion, or billion (when pronounced with two syllables). By the start of the Modern Scots period (roughly from 1700 on), the yogh had been replaced by a z in written Scots, and the –nz– had taken on the pronunciation roughly akin to –ng (as in “ring” in English).

This is just one of the many features of Scots that English-speakers will find unusual. There are many other peculiarities of spelling, pronunciation and vocabulary that you may come across when researching your family history. Should you find a word you don’t recognise, and think might be Scots, the best place to look is the Dictionary of the Scots Language.

​Footnote: In case you were wondering, the placenames listed above are pronounced
Mill-guy, Enster (or Ainster), Fittie, Kin-uch-er, and Cull-ain
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Y is for Young Communicants

29/4/2016

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We’ve briefly touched upon young communicants in a previous post. In most parishes, they’re listed either in Kirk Session minutes, or in Communion Rolls. Occasionally there are separate registers of Young Communicants, and these can sometimes be more informative. An example of such a register can be found in Ardler Quoad Sacra parish.

As there aren’t all that many entries in the register, we thought we’d simply transcribe it for you.

List of Young Communicants with notes of what is known of them in after life commencing from 1st Communion at Ardler Church 9th August 1885
1885 Communicated for 1st time 9th August
  1. Isabella Leslie, village, serv[an]t. Left parish at Whitsunday 1886. Attended Bible Class. Recd disjunction certificate for Steeple Church Dundee 14th Ap 1887
  2. Catharine Leslie. Sister of above, village. Both stepdaughters of William Stewart & left parish with him on his removal at Whitsunday 1885. Taught for some time in Sabbath School & attended Bible Class. Received disjunction certificate for Steeple Church, Dundee 14th Ap 1887.
  3. Elisabeth Stewart. Servant at Arthurbank. Left Arthurbank at Whitsunday 1886 & went to be cook at a Hotel in Alyth. Communicated here in Augt 1886 & yearly afterwards to
  4. Joanna Stratton daughter of Alexander Stratton, Railway House
  5. Christina Miller, Daughter of Alexander Miller, roadman, village. Left the parish for service at Whitsunday 1886, but communicated in Augt 1886 & Augt 1887, & onwards to
  6. Mary Houston. Servant, E Ardler. In the end of the year married Robert Steel, see below no. 8. Both guilty of antenuptial fornication. Were absolved from discipline by this Kirk Session & admitted to Communion in August 1886. Dead.
  7. Alexander Turnbull, son of Stewart Turnbull, Mill of Cammo
  8. Robert Steel, servt at E Ardler. Married Mary Houston, see No 6. Went with his wife at Martinmas 1885 to be serv[an]t at Keillor & resided at Keillor Cottages. Received with his wife disjunction certificate for Kettins 28th Octr 1886.
  9. James Anderson, railway porter, village. Went end of 1885 to Almondbank Station, communicated here in Augt 1886. Recd disjunction certificate 11th Feb 1887.
  10. James  Fenwick, serv[an]t at Mains of Arthurstone. Left the parish at Martinmas 1885. Enlisted beginning of 1887.
  11. James Dargie, carpenter son of William Dargie at East Church Lands. Left parish about end of 1888. Guilty of fornication
  12. John Mackintosh, ironmonger’s apprentice, son of W Mackintosh, village. Went to Dundee summer of 1887, but still a comm.[unican]t here. Recd disjunction cert to Dundee 14th Octr 1889.
  13. Martin Mackintosh, carpenter. Son of W Mackintosh, village, twin with the above.
  14. John Milne, apprentice millwright at Welltown Millyards. Left parish in end of 1885, but communicated here at Spriing Communion 1886. Recd disjunction certificate Dundee 30th Mar 1887
  15. Isaac Chalmers. Same as above. Communicated here at Spring Communion. Recd disjunction certificate to Dundee 30th Mar 1887.
  16. Thomas Halley, app[rentice] gardner, Arthurstone, son of John Halley, Railway House. Dided 4th April 1889, & is buried in Ardler Churchyard.
  17. David Millar, serv[an]t at Arthurstone. Son of Alexander Millar, village. Received disjunction certificate on leaving for Mackay, Queensland. 10th Novr 1886.
  18. Thomas Dalziell, serv[an]t at East Cammo, parish of Meigle. Communicated here at Spring & Autumn Communions 1886 & in Mar 1888
Young Communicants in 1886
Spring Communion 1886
  1. Susan Arthurs, serv[an]t. Mains of Arthurstone. Had an illegitimate child in end of 1884. Was absolved in course of spring of 1886 & had her child baptized 30th June same year. Again guilty of fornication, but left the parish at Martinmas 1889.
  2. Margaret Halley. Daughter of John Halley, Railway House
  3. Jane Brown, serv[an]t, Ardler. Left East Ardler about 6 weeks before November term 1887 & is now married to Barnet. Died at C[oupar] Angus about 27th January 1889
  4. George McLeish. Servant E Ardler. Left for Brisbane, Australia, 26 Nov 1887. Now at Botanic Gardens, Toowoomba, Queensland
  5. Charles Soutar, Junr. Railway Clerk, son of Charles Soutar, village. Transferred to Abercairnie Station, middle of March 1886. Communicated here August 1886, Mar 1887, both times 1889 & 1890
  6. David Bisset, farmer, Mains of Arthurstone. Admitted as a Comm[unican]t first time Spring Communion
  7. Alexander McLaren, ship captain, admitted as above
Autumn Communion
  1. Robert Stewart, Groom, Arthurstone. Left Arthurstone Whitsunday 1887. Recd disjunction certificate to Broughty Ferry.
  2. James Paterson, Carpenter, son of David Paterson, Arthurbank Cottage. Left for [space]. Certificated to Forfar Novr 1887
Young Communicants in 1887
Spring Communion
  1. George Donaldson, serv[an]t at E Ardler. Left E Ardler Martinmas 1887. Communicated here Mar 1889, Aug 1890.
  2. David & Mrs Lawrie, Railway House
  3. Peter Robb (married). Cattleman at Bankhead. Left with Certif for Nevay, Martinmas 1887
Autumn Communion
  1. Elsie Jane Milne, Manse
Young Communicants in 1888
Spring Communion
  1. Isabella Ross, village
  2. Jane Lawson, Welltown Cottage
  3. William Main, Mill of Cammo. Left parish soon after communion. Residence unknown. Certificated to Dundee, 26th Decr 1888
  4. William Gall, Mains of Arthurstone. Left parish at Whitsunday 1888. Left at Whitsunday 1888. But communicated August same year.
  5. David Fairweather, servant W Ardler. Left & went to Newtyle parish, Martinmas 1888, but communicated here March 1889 & 1890.
Autumn Communion
  1. Elisabeth Stewart, Balbroggie Cottages.. Left parish, but continued in communion.
1889
Spring Communion
  1. Elizabeth Dargie, village
  2. Jane Dargie, village
  3. Isabella Wilson, Longleys Smithy
  4. Jessie McFeat, Serv[an]t, Welltown. Left parish at Martinmas 1889
  5. Mary M Ewan, Cammo Muir. Left along with family in spring of 1890 for Dundee & certificated there.
  6. Andrew Dargie, village
  7. John Young, Arthurstone Gardens. Certificated to England, where engaged as gardener, March 1890.
  8. Duncan Stewart, groom, Arthurstone. Certificated to Broughty Ferry, 25th May 1889. Coachman to Major Ferguson, Buchties there
  9. James Ford, serv[an]t, W Ardler. Under discipline in 1890.
  10. Alfred Turnbull, Mill of Cammo
  11. James Wilson, deaf & dumb. Longleys Smithy. Left for Dundee but still in membership
Young Communicants 1889
  1. Helen Mackintosh, village
  2. Mary Ross, village
  3. Mitchell, Downham
  4. James Dargie, Wellinton Row
  5. Charles Mackintosh, village
  6. Thomas Soutar, Arthurbank Cottage
  7. Charles Lindsay, Arthurstone House
1890
Spring Communion
  1. James McRae Junr, village croft
  2. Edward Cummings, Mains of Arthurstone
Autumn Communion
  1. Jessie Lindsay, Cronan
  2. George Jackson, Stripeside
  3. William Milne, West Ardler
  4. Robert Whyte, Keillor
  5. James Easton, Keillor

[NRS Reference ​CH2/884/6 p. 13-29]
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X Marks the Spot

28/4/2016

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It was clear when I decided to attempt the A to Z Challenge that some letters were going to prove awkward. X was always going to be one of them. So hopefully you’ll forgive me for the slight cheat in this post. There is however a Scottish connection – albeit a rather tenuous one – to this phrase. Although he never used the phrase in Treasure Island, didn’t invent the idea of using X on a map to mark a specific location (which according to the OED dates back to at least 1813), and wasn’t even the first to use a pirate treasure map as a literary device (James Fenimore Cooper’s The Sea Lions used a similar plot device more than 30 years earlier), Robert Louis Stevenson is popularly associated with the idea of X marks the spot.

However, huge fan as I am of RLS, the real topic of this post is not literature but rather cartography – maps.
Growing up, I was always fascinated by maps. My family owned a secondhand bookshop, and my parents would regularly bring home books for me. One day, though, my mum brought home a huge box of maps that she’d bought. Pretty soon, the walls of my bedroom were covered with maps of all sorts of places I’d never been – there was even one of the moon!

The best maps, as well as being functional, were truly beautiful. One of my favourite collection of maps – a first edition of which I had the great privilege of owning when I was a bookdealer, albeit for a very brief period of time – is volume V of Joan Blaeu’s Theatrum orbis terrarum sive Atlas novus, known as Blaeu’s Atlas (or simply Blaeu in the book trade), originally published in 1654. Today, though, you don’t have to spend upwards of £5000 (!) for an original Blaeu to enjoy his work. You can view a digital version of it on the website of the National Library of Scotland.

Beautiful as Blaeu’s maps are – and I still regret having to sell my copy – they are not terribly practical for family-history purposes. The lack of detailed, accurate maps of Scotland was officially recognised in the aftermath of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745-6. George II ordered Lt-Col David Watson to produce a military survey of the Highlands of Scotland to assist with the suppression of the clans. One of Watson’s assistants was William Roy. The resultant work, known as Roy’s Military Survey of Scotland, is a landmark in cartography. For many parts of the Highlands it provides the only accurate map from the 18th century, at a time of massive change. Fortunately for us, the National Library have also digitised Roy’s masterpiece.

The Ordnance Survey – the official mapping organisation in the United Kingdom – eventually emerged in part from the work of William Roy and his colleagues. The OS was a pioneer in cartography, and produced some incredibly detailed maps. They are usually referred to in terms of inches – one inch, six inch, twenty-five inch, quarter-inch. These figures refer to the scale used – the number of inches per mile – the largest the number, the greater the detail.

These maps can be extremely useful when trying to identify particular places where your ancestors lived. Many small settlements, hamlets and farms no longer exist, or their names have changed beyond all recognition over the years. But consider this: the first edition of the 25-inch Ordnance Survey maps – dating from 1855-1882 – consists of 13,045 sheets. Even if you could find and afford to buy copies of them all, most people would find it highly impractical to keep them. Fortunately, the amazing staff of the NLS have digitised tens of thousands of Ordnance Survey maps. Even more usefully, they have georeferenced them, so that you can view maps of the same area from different periods. This makes it much easier to find maps of the particular district you’re interested in.

You can find a list of the Ordnance Survey maps available on the NLS map site here, or you can search the map collection by placename using an interactive map, starting here.

The Ordnance Survey itself provides tools to allow you to use maps to display information. We have produced a few examples for you. The first shows the people listed in the 1911 census for Kinclaven, in Perthshire. A number of the farms inhabited in 1911 are no longer to be found on modern maps, so we used the 19th century OS maps provided by the NLS to identify the precise locations where Kinclavenites lived.

Our second example uses a modern map to show the locations of hundreds of archives and local libraries all over Scotland, very useful for finding where records of your ancestors might be held.

Our third example involved mapping a client's ancestors. It's a useful illustration of just how detailed mapping can be. Contact us if you would like us to map your ancestors.
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W is for World War One

27/4/2016

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We are in the middle of four years of centenaries of World War I, the war to end all wars which, sadly, was no such thing. Many people are naturally interested in the part their forebears played in the devastating conflict. I grew up knowing that my granny’s brother had been gassed in the war, and was give a one-way ticket to Australia, with the assumption that he wouldn’t live long. (He got his revenge by surviving long enough to raise a large family, many of whom I met when I visited Australia some years back.)

Partly in response to the centenary, many organisations have release records relating to World War I. Many of these are available free of charge, so we thought we’d list some of them.

One of the most useful sites is the Scottish War Memorial Project, organised by the Scottish Military Research Group. Designed as a discussion forum, the site is arranged into geographical sections, with a remarkable amount of detail on war memorials, and the individuals commemorated on them. It is an ongoing, collaborative project, and is created entirely by volunteers.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was established by Royal Charter in 1917, and is the official body responsible for maintaining cemeteries and memorials at 23,000 locations in 154 countries, honouring the 1,700,000 Commonwealth soldiers who died in World War I and World War II. The website includes a searchable database of memorials, which often include additional information to help identify your ancestors.

Many Scots served in the armed forces of other countries, notably Australia and Canada. Library and Archives Canada have an excellent site with a searchable database of the service records of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Many Scottish-born soldiers served with the Australian and New Zealand armed forces. The National Archives of Australia and Archives New Zealand have built a dedicated website to help you find your Anzac ancestors, containing digitised service records.

Unfortunately, a large proportion of the British service records from WWI were lost in a fire. And unlike Canada and Australia, the records are not available for free. Here at Old Scottish, we have developed innovative software to match records across a variety of free and subscription databases to help provide a fuller picture of Scottish servicemen, both those who died and those who survived. Some examples of how our systems can help join the dots are shown on our Auchterarder in World War I page. To mark the ongoing centenary commemorations, we are pleased to offer a special discounted rate for WWI research services – get in touch for a free initial consultation.
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History talks and events 2 - 8 May 2016

26/4/2016

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Upcoming family history talks and events in Scotland, 2 - 8 May 2016

Note that there may be a small charge for some of these events, and some may be for members only. We will be publishing lists of upcoming talks and events regularly - if you are organising a talk or event relating to Scottish genealogy or history, please let us know and we will be happy to add your events to our list.

Tuesday, May 3 2016, 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm

How to get the best from Scotlands People, Ancestry Website and Register House visits

Venue: Lanthorn Community Education Complex, Kenilworth Rise, Livingston EH54 6JL

West Lothian Family History Society


Wednesday, May 4 2016, 7.30 pm

Whaling in the North East

Tony Barrow

Venue: Crookham Village Hall

Coldstream and District Local History Society

Entry £4


Wednesday, May 4 2016, 7.30 pm

AGM

Venue: Smith Museum and Art Gallery, Dumbarton Road, Stirling

Central Scotland Family History Society


Friday, May 6 2016, 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm

Rhind Lectures: Antiquaries, archaeologists and the invention of the historic town c 1700-1860

Professor Roey Sweet, Professor of Urban History, University of Leicester

Venue: Auditorium, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

The historic town today is a clichéd mainstay of tourism and place-branding; its credentials go back to the eighteenth century when antiquaries first began seriously to study the physical remains of the past and to single out towns as of particular historical interest. These lectures will explore how the antiquaries and archaeologists of the 18th and 19th century developed their understanding of the material and textual remains of the urban past and in the process both invented the familiar category of the historic town and contributed to a distinctively urban narrative of British history.

Roey Sweet is Professor of Urban History at the University of Leicester and is currently Director of the Centre for Urban History and co-editor of Urban History. Her research has focused upon antiquarianism and the reception of the past in the long eighteenth century and upon urban history during the same period. She is currently extending these interests into the nineteenth century. Her principal publications include The Writing of Urban Histories in Eighteenth Century England (Oxford, 1997); The English Town 1680-1840 (Harlow, 1999); Antiquaries: the Discovery of the Past in Eighteenth-Century Britain (London, 2004) and Cities and the Grand Tour: the British in Italy, 1690-1820 (Cambridge, 2012).


Saturday, May 7 2016, 10 am - 12 pm

Beginners Class

Ken Nisbet

Venue: Scottish Genealogy Society Library, 15 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL

Scottish Genealogy Society

This module is just what it says - for beginners. Ken Nisbet, who has many years experience in researching family history will take this class.


Saturday, May 7 2016, 11.00 am - 5.00 pm

Rhind Lectures: Antiquaries, archaeologists and the invention of the historic town c 1700-1860

Professor Roey Sweet, Professor of Urban History, University of Leicester

Venue: Auditorium, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

The historic town today is a clichéd mainstay of tourism and place-branding; its credentials go back to the eighteenth century when antiquaries first began seriously to study the physical remains of the past and to single out towns as of particular historical interest. These lectures will explore how the antiquaries and archaeologists of the 18th and 19th century developed their understanding of the material and textual remains of the urban past and in the process both invented the familiar category of the historic town and contributed to a distinctively urban narrative of British history.

Roey Sweet is Professor of Urban History at the University of Leicester and is currently Director of the Centre for Urban History and co-editor of Urban History. Her research has focused upon antiquarianism and the reception of the past in the long eighteenth century and upon urban history during the same period. She is currently extending these interests into the nineteenth century. Her principal publications include The Writing of Urban Histories in Eighteenth Century England (Oxford, 1997); The English Town 1680-1840 (Harlow, 1999); Antiquaries: the Discovery of the Past in Eighteenth-Century Britain (London, 2004) and Cities and the Grand Tour: the British in Italy, 1690-1820 (Cambridge, 2012).


Sunday, May 8 2016, 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm

Rhind Lectures: Antiquaries, archaeologists and the invention of the historic town c 1700-1860

Professor Roey Sweet, Professor of Urban History, University of Leicester

Venue: Auditorium, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

The historic town today is a clichéd mainstay of tourism and place-branding; its credentials go back to the eighteenth century when antiquaries first began seriously to study the physical remains of the past and to single out towns as of particular historical interest. These lectures will explore how the antiquaries and archaeologists of the 18th and 19th century developed their understanding of the material and textual remains of the urban past and in the process both invented the familiar category of the historic town and contributed to a distinctively urban narrative of British history.

Roey Sweet is Professor of Urban History at the University of Leicester and is currently Director of the Centre for Urban History and co-editor of Urban History. Her research has focused upon antiquarianism and the reception of the past in the long eighteenth century and upon urban history during the same period. She is currently extending these interests into the nineteenth century. Her principal publications include The Writing of Urban Histories in Eighteenth Century England (Oxford, 1997); The English Town 1680-1840 (Harlow, 1999); Antiquaries: the Discovery of the Past in Eighteenth-Century Britain (London, 2004) and Cities and the Grand Tour: the British in Italy, 1690-1820 (Cambridge, 2012).


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V is for Visitations

26/4/2016

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As mentioned in a previous post, for many years Kirk Sessions had responsibility for maintaining the poor of their parish. As well as administering financial support – often referred to as outdoor relief, in the sense of providing support outwith a poorhouse – some sessions also maintained records of visitations. These involved representatives of the Kirk Session periodically visiting the poor of the parish. Not many of these records survive, but where they do, they can be extremely interesting.

One parish where they do survive is Scone, in Perthshire. Included at the end of the Parochial Board letter book are a series of Notes on visits to the poor. There are 93 entries, so we thought we'd index them.
Visits to the Poor, Scone [NRS Reference CH2/803/3
Forename Surname Address
Margt Alison New Scone
Jean Banks
John Barnet New Scone
Mary Bett
Elizabeth Blair New Scone
Euphemia Blair Quarreymill
James Blair
Margaret Blair New Scone
James Campbell
Widow Campbell Balbeggie
Janet Carmichael New Scone
Ann Christie
Widow Cochrane New Scone
Widow George Cochrane New Scone
Isabella Cock
Widow Cock
Jn Dewar
Peter Douglas New Scone
Widow Dow New Scone
Widow Dow New Scone
John Fenwick
William Fisher
James Foundling
Widow Fraser New Scone
Wid Gairns Perth
Widow Gall New Scone
David Galletly New Scone
James Galletly New Scone
Mary Galletly
Widow Galletly
Widow Galletly
John Gardiner New Scone
Robert Garvie
Robert Gillespie New Scone
Janet Halket New Scone
Andrew Hill near Perth
Widow Hill New Scone
Thomas Huchan Stormontfield
Eliz Innes
Margt Jackson New Scone
Alexander Lamb New Scone
Alfred Lawrence New Scone
Margt Mackay New Scone
James Marshall New Scone
James Martin Perth
Widow Mcdonald Balthayock
Widow Mcdonald Perth
David Mcfarlane
Janet Mcfarlane New Scone
James Mcgregor New Scone
Jean Mcgregor New Scone
Alexr Mckenzie New Scone
Daniel Mckenzie New Scone
Jane Mclaggan
John Mclaren New Scone
Janet Mcnaughton Morningside
Widow Mcpherson
Jane Menzies
Orphans Menzies New Scone
Widow Menzies New Scone
Alexr Milne
Agnes Mitchell
Donald Munrae
Ebenezer Munrae New Scone
Andrew Noble New Scone
Widow Ogilvie New Scone
Margt Ower Bridgend
Widow Pairnie Balboughty
Charles Patullo New Scone
Robt Peddie
Eliz Peebles
James Robb
Widow Robertson
Widow Robertson
Ann Rogers Perth
Widow Roup
Widow Shepherd New Scone
William Sime
Widow Small New Scone
Widow Peter Small
Thomas Smith Balgarire
Widow Stewart Lethendy
William Strang
Widow Turnbull
Widow Waddel New Scone
Widow Wallace Calenden
Cath Watt New Scone
Mary West
Isabella Whitelaw Lethendy
Janet Whitelaw
Rachel Whitelaw Lethendy
Peter Young
Thomas Young
​One entry – or rather series of entries – in particular, caught our attention. The entries start in 1846:
Isabella Whitelaw’s children, Lethendy Moar
1846
24 July Admitted 4 May 1846 – on imprisonment of mother
24 December – seem tolerably attended to by grandfather
1847
13 July – Removed from Roll 3rd August on release of mother
[NRS Reference CH2/803/3 p. 235]
​Isabella Whitelaw had been arrested and brought before the Police Court, as reported on 23 April 1846 in the Northern Warder and General Advertiser for the Counties of Fife, Perth and Forfar:
​Janet Gall or Cochrane, and Isabella Whitelaw, charged with several separate acts of theft some of which were committed beyond the bounds of Police, were handed over to the Sheriff.
​Her conviction was reported a few months later:
Sheriff Court
Tuesday July 14
Janet Gall or Cochrane, wife of John Cochrane, porter, Perth, and Isabella Whitelaw, Muir of Lethendy; Cochrane and Whitelaw charged with theft of clothes from the person of a girl of weak intellect, and Whitelaw of several acts of falsehood, fraud and wilful imposition; both have been previously convicted of both charges, and Cochrane has been eight months in the general prison; sentenced to twelve months each in general prison.

​[Northern Warder and General Advertiser for the Counties of Fife, Perth and Forfar 16 July 1846]
All seemingly goes quiet for the Whitelaw children for a couple of years, but then we find some more entries in the poor visitations:
Isabella Whitelaw’s two children
1849
17 July. Have been sometime with Aunt, now with Margt Jackson. Well.
1850
3 January. Are well kept with Margt and regularly at school
17 July – both well, mother in Jail
1851
11 January – Both well, and at School. Mother sentenced to 7 year’s banishment
7 August. Ditto
29 December – Nothing particular.
1852
21 July – Oldest girl from school with a slightly burned hand
27 Decr – Both well, and at school
1853
9 July – Much as usual
1854
4 January – Both well, and apparently comfortable.
21 July – Both well and at school
1855
3 Jany – Both well and at school
[NRS Reference CH2/803/3 p. 208]
This time, Isabella’s conviction is reported in the Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review
Isabella Whitelaw, Perth, accused of theft – aggravated by previous convictions, was sentenced to seven years’ transportation.
The National Records of Scotland’s 19th century solemn database adds a few more details: that Isabella also went by the name of Helen Panton, that her address was c/o Robert Mills, cadger, Coupar Angus, Perthshire, that she could not write.

We next hear of Isabella as she is transported to Tasmania on board the Aurora, on 22 April 1851. Her arrival in Tasmania is recorded in the Register of Convicts, on 10 August 1851. She is described as a Country Servant, 5 feet 4 inches, age 31, with a ruddy complexion, dark brown hair, brown eyebrows, hazel eyes, and medium facial features. She was a wart on her left arm at the bleeding place.

Her conduct record suggests she wasn’t entirely a reformed character. She was charged for being drunk on October 25 1852. On November 2nd, she was sentenced to 6 months hard labour for being absent without leave. On December 3rd 1852 she was “delivered of an illegitimate child (Mary) at the Cascade Factory”. On 2 October 1854 she was sentenced to 12 months hard labour for absconding. 11 August 1855 saw her being sentenced to 3 months hard labour for being drunk on her master’s premises. A few months later, on 5 November, she was sentenced to another 12 months hard labour for absconding when on a pass. Once more, on 29 June 1857, she was sentenced to one month’s hard labour for being out after hours and absconding.

Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Isabella was granted permission to marry Michael McDermott on 14 December 1852. We have not however been able to find a record of them actually marrying. Things however do appear to have eventually improved for Isabella, as she was again granted permission to marry on 2 December 1856, to William Way, a freeman. They were married at the All Saints Schoolroom on 23 December 1856. William was a cabinetmaker. We have not found any more records of Isabella Whitelaw, and do not know if she ever returned to Scotland or saw her children again.

Isabella Whitelaw's story is an interesting illustration of how one record can lead to another, and can end up telling a fascinating story.
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U is for Universities

25/4/2016

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Scotland has a long and proud education tradition. This is often traced back to the Scottish Reformation, which espoused the principle of universal education, with the call for a school in every parish. In practice this didn’t necessarily happen, but at the time it was a fairly radical idea.

But the roots of Scottish education reach back much further than 1560. Several schools still in existence today can trace their origins to the twelfth century (Dunfermline High School, High School of Glasgow, Royal High School Edinburgh, Stirling High School and Lanark Grammar School). Higher education also has a long history in Scotland. Before 1410, Scots had to leave Scotland to obtain a higher education. The most common destinations were England (Oxford and Cambridge), France (Paris and Orleans), and Italy (Bologna), although doubtless some Scots studied elsewhere. An excellent source for these early Scottish students is Donald Watt’s A Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Graduates to AD 1410 (Oxford, 1977).

By 1410, the division of the Catholic Church with two rival Popes made it essential to found a seat of higher learning in Scotland itself. A group of masters, mostly graduates from the University of Paris, set about founding an institution in St Andrews, in Fife. Henry Wardlaw, Bishop of St Andrews, granted the school a charter in May 1411. At the time, only the Pope or the Emperor could grant university status, so Bishop Wardlaw wrote to Pope Benedict XIII seeking confirmation. On 28 August 1413, Benedict granted university status to what was now the University of St Andrews in the Bull of Foundation.

St Andrews was to remain the only university in Scotland until Pope Nicholas V granted a papal bull to Bishop William Turnbull (a St Andrews graduate), authorising him to establish the University of Glasgow. In February 1495, Pope Alexander VI granted a bull to William Elphinstone, Bishop of Aberdeen and a Glasgow graduate, establishing King’s College in Aberdeen.

The last of the four ancient universities of Scotland to be founded, the University of Edinburgh, had a different start in life. Unusually for the time, it was established as a civic institution, by Royal Charter of James VI, in 1582 as the Tounis College. They were to remain the only universities in Scotland for hundreds of years.

These days, when around half of school-leavers go on to higher education, it’s easy to forget that for most of their history, universities were for a very few only. My own alma mater, the University of St Andrews, has doubled in size in the 25 years since I graduated. So it’s likely that few of your ancestors would have gone to university. If they did, however, there are records to be found, although they may not provide much information.

One very useful source for identifying people who studied at St Andrews is James Maitland Anderson’s The Matriculation Roll of the University of St Andrews 1747-1897 (Edinburgh, 1905). This has been digitised by the Internet Archive and can be found here. The information included is very limited, but it can offer some confirmation that your ancestor studied at the finest university in the world. (That last sentence may contain some personal bias …) For students before 1747, there is Robert N Smart’s Alphabetical Register of the Students, Graduates and Officials of the University of St Andrews 1579-1747 (St Andrews, 2012), although this is not available online.

The University of Glasgow has an excellent site dedicated to the history of the University. As well as background information, it includes a database of nearly 20,000 graduates to 1915. Many of these entries contain additional information about the lives and careers of Glasgow graduates. This is an ongoing project and is regularly updated by the University Archive Services, who welcome any contributions of photographs and information about individual graduates.

The University of Edinburgh Library and University Collections maintains a database of Alumni. As the site itself acknowledges, it is far from complete. The Special Collections department holds the University archive which includes many other records of university life. There are also some printed registers of graduates which can also help track ancestral students. Several of them are available in digitised versions online:

Alphabetical List of Graduates of the University of Edinburgh from 1859 to 1888

A Catalogue of the Graduates in the Faculties of Arts, Divinity, and Law, Of the University of Edinburgh, Since Its Foundation (Edinburgh, 1858)

There are also a number of graduate rolls for the University of Aberdeen:

Officers and Graduates of University and King's College, Aberdeen, 1495-1860 edited by Peter John Anderson (Aberdeen, 1893).

Roll of the Graduates of the University of Aberdeen, 1860-1900 edited by William Johnston (Aberdeen, 1906)

Roll of Graduates of the University of Aberdeen : 1901-1925 : with supplement 1860-1900 by Theodore Watt (Aberdeen, 1935) [We are unaware of any online version of this]

Roll of Graduates of the University of Aberdeen : 1926-1955 ; with supplement 1860-1925 compiled by John Mackintosh (Aberdeen, 1960) [We are unaware of any online version of this]

The individual universities may have additional information on some of their graduates, and it is always worth contacting their alumnus relations departments or libraries/archives to check, although you should always bear in mind that sometimes they may be unable to search their records due to a lack of resources, and that often the records themselves may contain limited information about your ancestors.
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T is for Temperance in Thornhill

23/4/2016

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Scotland has long had a complicated relationship with alcohol. It is of course home to one of the most popular and prestigious alcoholic drinks in the world - whisky (uisge beatha). Brewing also has a long history in Scotland. Growing up in Edinburgh, I was always familiar with the distinctive smells emanating from the many breweries in town.

Scots also have a reputation - perhaps a little unfair, but also not entirely unwarranted - as a nation of drinkers. Official Scotland - or quasi-official Scotland, in the form of the Church - has long sought to regulate and control the temptations of alcohol. Kirk Session records are full of disapproving references to drunkenness and the evils of alcohol.

Awareness of the hazards of excess alcohol consumption was widespread in the 18th century. William Hogarth's famous prints Beer Street and Gin Lane served to graphically illustrate the social ills associated with the Gin Craze. Production of alcohol was in many cases subjected to licences and taxation - although alcohol taxes were often lower in Scotland than in England.

The nineteenth century saw the rise of the temperance movement. The founding figure in Scotland is generally considered to be John Dunlop of Maryhill, who established a society to campaign against "ardent spirits", advocating the consumption of less alcoholic drinks instead. Others - notably publisher William Collins - took a stricter view, calling for total abstinence from alcohol. The Scottish Temperance League was formed in Falkirk in 1844. Local groups sprang up in many parts of Scotland. One such was the Thornhill Total Abstinence Society, established in 1846 in Thornhill, not far from Falkirk.

The minutes of the Society survive among the records of Norrieston Free Church. The records start with a statement of the Rules of the Society:
Rules of the Thornhill Total Abstinence Society

I
That this Society shall be designated The Thornhill Total Abstinence Society, and its sole object shall be to prevent drunkenness and reclaim the intemperate by inculcating Abstinence from all intoxicating liquors.

II
That the Society shall consist of all who agree to the following pledge: “I hereby promise to abstain from Ale, Porter, Cyder, Shrub, Wine, Ginger Cordial & all other Intoxicating Liquors except as a Medicine, or in a Religious Ordinance, that I will neither give nor offer them to others and that I will discontinue all the Causes and Practices of Intemperance.”

III
That no sectarian peculiarities in religion, or party opinions in politics, shall be introduced into tracts, or by speakers at the Society’s meetings.

IV
That the affairs of this Society shall be conducted by a President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Secretary, and a Committee of not less than twenty four Members, or less if found convenient, who shall remain in office for one year.

V
That the Annual Meeting of the Society shall be held in January, when a Report of the Committees transactions shall be laid before the Meeting.

[Thornhill Total Abstinence society minutes 1851-1909, NRS Reference CH3/1224/7 p. 1]
Shrub was a form of alcoholic fruit liqueur, usually made with rum or brandy mixed with sugar and citrus juice or rinds. An exception was to be made for the consumption of alcohol in religious ordinances (such as wine during communion), or as medicine!

The records continue with a list of members from 1846 up to 1851. I have found family members in a similar record set in Edinburgh, where a subscription scheme was set up, and members who remained teetotal after 10 years were paid a share of the subscription proceeds. Were any of your ancestors teetotallers in Thornhill?
Date of Entry Forename Surname Residence
29 Aug 1846 Alexander BRUCE Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Mrs GARRETT Boquhapple
29 Aug 1846 Miss STIRLING Boquhapple
29 Aug 1846 Mary Ann GARRETT Boquhapple
29 Aug 1846 Mary Ann STIRLING Boquhapple
29 Aug 1846 Thomas STEWART Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 James DUNCANSON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Agnes THEXTON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Margaret STEWART Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Cathrine BLACK Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 James JOHNSON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Robert THOMSON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Peter DOIG Frew
29 Aug 1846 William KEMP Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 James WRIGHT Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Robert ANDREW Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Andrew FISHER Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 David IMRIE Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Thomas LAMB Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Janet MCARTHUR Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Charles DOEG Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Nancy FISHER Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Isabella JENKIN Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 John DOEG Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Jane DOEG Frew
29 Aug 1846 Peter STEWART Little Mill
29 Aug 1846 John MCGREGOR Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 John BUCHANAN Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 William THEXTON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 John MACFARLANE Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Cathrine LAMB Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Sarah MCPHERSON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 James MCPHERSON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Jane STEWART Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Janet MAXWELL Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Agnes MAXWELL Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Cathrine BUCHANAN Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Isobella BUCHANAN Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Mary MCGREGOR Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Elizabeth CONNEL Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Mary SCOTT Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Peter SCOTT Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Janet CAMERON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Robert MCEWAN Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Peter MCARTHUR Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Robert PEARSON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 William MURDOCH Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Jane RODGER Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Agnes PEARSON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Eliza PEARSON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Janet PEARSON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Fanny THEXTON Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Jesse WELSH Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Mary WELSH Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Mary CLARK Thornhill
29 Aug 1846 Margaret MCNAB Thornhill
31 Aug 1846 Thomas STEWART Thornhill
31 Aug 1846 James DUNCANSON Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 Mrs HORN Glasgow
7 Dec 1846 Robert STIRLING Sydney
7 Dec 1846 Robert BAILLIE Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 Thomas WELSH Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 Margaret FERGUSON Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 Agnes WELSH Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 Jane STEWART Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 Anne DUNCANSON Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 Alexander CLARK Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 Margaret MCFARLANE Cardona
7 Dec 1846 Grace BELL Mckinston
7 Dec 1846 Duncan STEWART Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 Archibald MURDOCH Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 James LAMB Thornhill
7 Dec 1846 Peter Grant MCFARLANE Cardona
25 Jan 1847 Thomas FOUNTAIN Dunblane
25 Jan 1847 James TROTTER Hillhead
25 Jan 1847 Robert GIBB Thornhill
25 Jan 1847 John MACADAM Thornhill
25 Jan 1847 Daniel FISHER Thornhill
25 Jan 1847 Duncan FERGUSON Thornhill
25 Jan 1847 Robert CONNEL Thornhill
25 Jan 1847 James STEWART Paisley
25 Jan 1847 Margaret THOMSON Thornhill
25 Jan 1847 William HOLMES Frew
4 Feb 1847 Cathrine MACALLUM Thornhill
4 Feb 1847 Margaret MACALLUM Thornhill
4 Feb 1847 Archibald MENZIES Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Alexander STEWART Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 P SCOTT Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Mary MCALLUM Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Jane DRUMMOND Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Anne MCQUEEN Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Mary FERGUSON Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Isabella LOTHIAN Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 James STEWART Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Robert FISHER Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Mary MCQUEEN Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Isabella GIBB Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Jane WOODROF Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Mary STEWART Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Margt FISHER Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 John MCFARLANE Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 John MCDONALD Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Ann CARR Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Mary FERGUSON Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Robert ANDREW Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Cathrine FERGUSON Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Christian Jane JENKIN Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Ann DUNCANSON Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Janet MCDERMID Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 Cathrine MCGREGOR Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 John BANKS Thornhill
20 Feb 1847 James MOIR Thornhill
13 Mar 1847 Margaret ROBERTSON Thornhill
13 Mar 1847 Eliza STEWART Thornhill
13 Mar 1847 James STRANG Thornhill
13 Mar 1847 Anne ROBERTSON Borland
13 Mar 1847 Christian FISHER Borland
13 Mar 1847 Alex DUNCANSON Thornhill
13 Mar 1847 James MACPHERSON Crosshill
13 Mar 1847 Mrs J MACPHERSON Crosshill
13 Mar 1847 Angus MACPHERSON Crosshill
13 Mar 1847 Thomas MACPHERSON Crosshill
13 Mar 1847 John MACPHERSON Crosshill
13 Mar 1847 Agnes MACPHERSON Crosshill
14 Apr 1847 William Graham MCFARLANE Mime
4 May 1847 John IMRIE Norrieston
4 May 1847 William STRANG Ruskie
4 May 1847 Margaret STRANG Ruskie
4 May 1847 Isobella STRANG Ruskie
4 May 1847 Peter STEWART Thornhill
4 May 1847 John MACFARLANE
4 May 1847 Alex CARMICHAEL Thornhill
10 Jun 1847 Catherine NEILSON Thornhill
30 Jun 1847 Francis MCDIARMID Thornhill
30 Jun 1847 Alexr CARMICHAEL
4 Aug 1847 Duncan STEWART Thornhill
4 Aug 1847 Robert MILLAR Thornhill
12 Aug 1850 George CRAIG Thornhill
14 Aug 1850 Peter MCPHERSON Thornhill
23 Oct 1850 John MCLURE Thornhill
11 Dec 1850 James RAMSAY Thornhill
11 Dec 1850 Alexander MONTGOMERY Thornhill
11 Dec 1850 John BURNS Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 John MACFARLANE Whirriston
4 Mar 1851 Isabella MACFARLANE Whirriston
4 Mar 1851 Janet Ann MACFARLANE Whirriston
4 Mar 1851 John DUNCANSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Jane DUNCANSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Ann DUNCANSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 James DUNCANSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Alexander MACALLUM Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Thomas STEWART Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Mrs STEWART Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Jean STEWART Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Thomas STEWART Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Margaret STEWART Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Mrs MAXWELL Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Elisabeth MAXWELL Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Jane MAXWELL Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Ronald CAMERON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Charles DOIG Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 James WILLIAMSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Agnes THIXTON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Fanny THIXTON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 William THIXTON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 John THIXTON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 James GRAHAM Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Mrs GARRETT Boquhapple
4 Mar 1851 Mary GARRETT Boquhapple
4 Mar 1851 Mary Ann STIRLING Boquhapple
4 Mar 1851 David MCGREGOR Boquhapple
4 Mar 1851 Thomas WELSH Norrieston
4 Mar 1851 Mary WELSH Norrieston
4 Mar 1851 Janet WELSH Norrieston
4 Mar 1851 Alexander MCGREGOR Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Duncan WILLIAMSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Andrew MCDIARMID Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 James BREMNER Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Dr JAMIESON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 John MCDIARMID Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 George WILSON Rednock
4 Mar 1851 John MACLAREN Middleton
4 Mar 1851 Mrs MACLAREN Middleton
4 Mar 1851 Elisabeth DOWNIE Middleton
4 Mar 1851 William DRUMMOND Middleton
4 Mar 1851 Ann KING Middleton
4 Mar 1851 Robert MCCULLOCH Middleton
4 Mar 1851 Janet FERGUSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Helen FERGUSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Mary FERGUSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Peter MCPHERSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 James MACKISON Balangrew
4 Mar 1851 Donald MCINTYRE Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 George CRAIG Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Flora MCINTYRE Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Donald MCDIARMID Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Ann MCDIARMID Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Fanny MCCALLUM Ash Mitchell
4 Mar 1851 Janet MCCALLUM Ash Mitchell
4 Mar 1851 Donald MCCALLUM Ash Mitchell
4 Mar 1851 Donald MCNAUGHTON Ash Mitchell
4 Mar 1851 John FISHER Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Mrs FISHER Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 James DOUGAL Breandam
4 Mar 1851 Susan DUNCANSON Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Alexander CARMICHAEL Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Amelia MITCHELL Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Mary MITCHELL Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Margaret SIM Mosside
4 Mar 1851 Helen SIM Mosside
4 Mar 1851 Janet MCCULLOCH Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 Mary SPITTAL Thornhill
4 Mar 1851 James RAMSAY Boquhapple
4 Mar 1851 John BURNS Thornhill
21 Mar 1851 John MCINTYRE Munnieston
26 Mar 1851 Agnes DOWNIE Ashentrie
26 Mar 1851 Duncan MCFARLANE Whirriston
3 Apr 1851 Daniel MCFARLANE Cardona
3 Apr 1851 Innes Grant MCFARLANE Cardona
7 Apr 1851 John FERGUSON Muir Cottage
7 Apr 1851 Jean FERGUSON Muir Cottage
7 Apr 1851 John MCADAM Norrieston
7 Apr 1851 John LITTLE Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 Duncan FERGUSON Muir Cottage
14 Apr 1851 Colin FERGUSON Muir Cottage
14 Apr 1851 Alexander FERGUSON Muir Cottage
14 Apr 1851 Peter FORSYTH
14 Apr 1851 Agnes BAIN Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 John MARJORIBANKS Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 Archibald MACARTHUR Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 Jessie MACARTHUR Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 John D CHRISTISON Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 Peter KERR Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 John THOMSON Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 Mrs James BREMNER Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 Robert BUCHANAN Hill
14 Apr 1851 Donald MCDIARMID Ruskie
14 Apr 1851 William MCNEE Ruskie
14 Apr 1851 James WRIGHT Tar
14 Apr 1851 Alexander MACKIECH Ruskie
14 Apr 1851 George MCFARLANE Whirrieston
14 Apr 1851 Margaret MACNAB Crosshill
14 Apr 1851 Betsy MACNAB Crosshill
14 Apr 1851 Sarah MCPHERSON Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 George WATT Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 James WATT Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 Elisabeth FORRESTER Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 Elisabeth ANDREW Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 Peter JENKIN Thornhill
14 Apr 1851 Alexander MONTGOMERY Boquhapple
14 Apr 1851 James MACFARLANE Norrieston
14 Apr 1851 John MACFARLANE Norrieston
22 Apr 1851 Robert CAMERON Thornhill
22 Apr 1851 Mrs Janet CAMERON Thornhill
22 Apr 1851 Mrs Alex ROBERTSON Thornhill
22 Apr 1851 Jean JOLLIE Thornhill
5 May 1851 Duncan MCNICOL Earn
5 May 1851 Daniel WRIGHT Earn
5 May 1851 William MCLEAN Ruskie
5 May 1851 Thomas MCLEAN Ruskie
5 May 1851 John WYLIE Ruskie
5 May 1851 Andrew BROOKS Ruskie
5 May 1851 Alexander MCNIE Ruskie
5 May 1851 William MACKISON Balangrew
5 May 1851 Thomas MACKISON Balangrew
5 May 1851 James MCNEE Ruskie
5 May 1851 Margaret JENKIN Thornhill
6 May 1851 Duncan MCNEE Hammersmith
6 May 1851 Mrs MCNEE Hammersmith
6 May 1851 Helen PATERSON Wester Frew
9 May 1851 John THOMSON Leitchtown
17 May 1851 Peter STEWART Thornhill
17 May 1851 John MCFARLANE Torry
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S is for Surnames

22/4/2016

4 Comments

 
These days we often take surnames for granted, and it’s not always obvious that they were in fact invented. The earliest surnames in Scotland date back only to the 12th century, and in some parts of Scotland, they did not become fixed until much later.

Broadly speaking, surnames can be grouped into five categories

Patronyms (and occasionally matronyms)
A patronym is literally a name derived from the name of the father (or more generally male ancestor). Similarly, a matronym is a name derived from the name of the mother. Originally, a patronym would have been used to distinguish between two different people with the same forename. The most stereotypically Scottish names – the Macs – are of course patronymic. Mac is Gaelic meaning “son of”. There are a few matronymic Mac names – an example would be MacJanet, of whom there were 20 in the 1841 census. Originally patronyms would have changed with each generation – as they still do in for example Iceland – but over time they slowly became fixed, first in Lowland Scotland, then later in the Highlands. Single-generation patronymics were still being used in Shetland as late as the early nineteenth century.

Occupational names
Many surnames are occupational in origin. The meanings of some are very obvious to modern readers – Farmer, Smith, Shepherd to name but three. Others are perhaps less obvious, as the occupations have largely disappeared (Fletcher means maker or seller of arrows), or because the modern occupation terms are spelled differently (Baxter means baker).

Topographical names
My great-great-grand grandmother was Margaret Carstairs, from Largo in Fife. Ultimately her name derives from Carstairs in Lanarkshire. The surname first appears in Fife, with the earliest record being of a John de Castiltarris (i.e. “of Carstairs”) appearing in 14th century Vatican records after being granted a benefice in north-east Fife. This is not as paradoxical as it may seem – the earliest progenitor of the name came from what is now Carstairs in Lanarkshire and moved to Fife. It’s worth bearing in mind that the earliest appearance of a topographical surname was probably not in the place in question. If you think about it, this is logical, as it makes no sense to refer to John of Carstairs in Carstairs itself – the surname only becomes meaningful outwith the place of origin.

Nicknames or bynames
Some of the most common surnames are nicknames or descriptive names. Some of them are obvious to English-speakers – Little, White for instance. Others are derived from Scots (such as Meikle meaning large) or Gaelic (Campbell, from Gaelic caimbeul meaning crooked mouthed).

Ethnic names
There are a number of ethnic names to be found in Scotland. Some are obvious – French, for instance. One of the most common names in Scotland is Fleming, a term originally applied to people from Flanders. Many settlers from Flanders came to Scotland in the 12th century, and today Flemings are to be found all over Scotland. Another common Scottish surname is Inglis, which means English. Even Scotland’s most famous novelist, Sir Walter Scott, bore an ethnic surname.

There are many surnames and spelling variants to be found in Scotland. In our research over the last few years, we have recorded more than 8000 of them (a figure which grows on a daily basis). We have been carrying out a project in an attempt to understand the distribution of these surnames. Many surnames are fairly evenly spread around Scotland, while others are very heavily concentrated in particular areas. This can provide a useful hint if you’re not sure where your ancestor came from, although obviously it can only ever be a guide.

At present, our algorithm involves looking at the number of times a given surname occurs in each county in Scotland (as well as in the cities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow), and compares the frequency of the surname in each county with the frequency of the surname in the Scottish population as a whole. At present we are looking only at the 1841 census. In future, we hope to extend this technique to later census years, and also perhaps to individual parishes rather than counties as a whole. As you might imagine, this involves a lot of number crunching, and as such takes some time. We are gradually working our way through the alphabet, and you can see the results here.
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R is for (Communion) Rolls

21/4/2016

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Communion is a sacrament recognised by most Christian denominations in remembrance of the Last Supper. In Scotland it was generally held twice a year. Parishioners were expected to attend, and repeated failure to do so could result in parishioners being removed from parish membership.

In preparation for the sacrament, the Kirk Session would distribute communion tokens to would-be communicants. Without these tokens, parishioners were unable to take part in communion. Sometimes records were kept of the distribution of these tokens, but more commonly records were kept of attendance at communion itself. These records are generally referred to as Communion Rolls.

Within the Church of Scotland, when people moved and sought to join the parish in their new place of residence, they generally had to produce a certificate (sometimes referred to as a testificate) from their home parish, confirming that they were communicants. To qualify for such certification, they had to have attended communion at least once in the previous three years.

At their simplest, communion rolls are just lists of parishioners who attended communion. The earliest surviving rolls are merely lists of names. The oldest we have found is from St Madoes in Perthshire and covers the period 1596 to 1611. We have not found many surviving Church of Scotland communion rolls before the nineteenth century (5 in the 17th century, 7 more before 1750 and only 25 before 1800).

​They really start to become more common – and more useful – around the middle of the nineteenth century. We have identified around 3000 nineteenth-century communion rolls from the Church of Scotland. By the mid-1800s they were sufficiently widespread that two separate church stationers were producing printed forms to simplify the job of clerks in recording communicants.
Picture
Printed Communion Roll [Kinclaven Parish, Church of Scotland, Communion Roll 1880-1894, held privately]
By this time, communion rolls were also becoming more detailed. In addition to recording names, they regularly include occupations and addresses, and crucially information on admission to communion and disjunction.

There were several ways for an individual to be admitted to communion. They could be admitted as Young Communicants (sometimes referred to as Catechumens). This involved someone, usually the Minister or sometimes an Elder, testing their knowledge of scripture and religious doctrine, often after a series of lessons. The term Young Communicant may in some cases be somewhat misleading – in most cases, Young Communicants would be around 18 to 21, but we have found a few instances of individuals significantly older being admitted for the first time. Indeed some clerks recorded this form of admission as “First Time” or “By Examination”.

The other main form of admission is by certificate. On moving to a new parish, church members would present certificates from their previous parish indicating that they were in communion with the church and not subject to scandal for misbehaviour. Some communion rolls only record the fact that an individual was certified, but others record the date and – more usefully – the parish that issued the certificate. This can help identify where an individual came from.

Disjunction information can also be very useful. Sometimes clerks would simply record that an individual “Left” or was “Certified”. In some cases, the fact that an individual died was also recorded – in many cases the date or year of death is given. Disjunction information becomes much more useful when the clerk records the place the parishioner moved to. Usually it’s just a parish, but sometimes a full address is given, and other times the clerk will record that the individual emigrated. This can be very useful as sometimes it can be the only confirmation of the identity of a Scottish emigrant to for instance the United States.

The completeness of information varies from parish to parish – and over time within the same parish. Even so, communion rolls can prove very useful in tracking individuals.

An example is James Wilson, a farm servant. He was recorded with his wife Catherine Methven at Lochton in Abernyte, Perthshire. The communion roll notes that he had been admitted by certificate from Kilspindie in 1881. They were then certificated to Kinnaird in 1882, where they were found living at Kinnaird in the communion roll. They were then again certificated to Longforgan in 1883. The Longforgan communion roll describes James as a ploughman at The Mains and shows that the family were certificated onwards to Perth in 1885.

If you look at census records for this couple, they were at Nether Durdie in Kilspindie in 1881 with 9 children. The second youngest, Jemima, aged 2, was born at Longforgan and the youngest, David, just a month old, was born at Kilspindie. By 1891, James was a farmer at Old Gallows Road in Perth (where he’d moved in 1885). Any attempt to track this couple relying solely on census and birth records would have missed their short stay in Kinnaird. Without the communion roll, this sojourn would have likely been unidentifiable.

We are working on a project to extract and publish information from Communion Rolls. We have so far transcribed around 50 rolls from Perthshire. You can see an example of the sort of information contained in the communion roll for Kinclaven 1880-1894. (Note that this particular communion roll is held privately, and is not recorded in any archive catalogue.) You can also browse the communion rolls that we have transcribed so far here.
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