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We're now half way through the four years of centenaries of the First World War. The scale of the war is in many ways incomprehensible. Every village was affected - every village has its own war memorial. Whittingehame in East Lothian was no exception. Whittingehame's memorial was formally unveiled in 1920 by Arthur Balfour, former Prime Minister. Balfour had himself played a prominent role in the First World War, succeeding Winston Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty on 25 May 1915, then becoming Foreign Secretary on 10 December 1916, a post he held until after the war. Balfour had been born in Whittingehame House, the son of the local MP, so it perhaps was no surprise that he agreed to unveil the war memorial in the parish of his birth. Recently, though, while looking through the records of Whittingehame Kirk Session, we came across war-time copies of the parish magazine. In the January 1915 issue, the parish minister gives a Roll of Honour: Roll of Honour for Whittingehame Parish It's worth bearing in mind that in 1911, there were only 92 men aged 18 to 40 in the whole parish. This would seem to suggest that around one-third of the adult male population had signed up a full year before conscription was introduced by the Military Service Act 1916. A year later, the parish magazine again contained a Roll of Honour Roll of Honour for Whittingehame Parish, January 1916 The number of men in service had increased a little, and five men - Matthew Symington, David Stoddart, George Burgess, James Gray, Matthew Keiller and William Johnston - had been killed and another six injured. The toll continues to rise in the January 1917 issue of the parish magazine: [List of the dead] By this stage, going by the 1911 population figures, roughly half of the adult males in the parish were in the armed forces. The final list is then produced in the 1918 issue of the Parish Magazine I print a Roll of Honour for the Congregation and Parish, which is as complete and up-to-date as I can manage to make it from any information that has been given me. I look forward to making express use of it especially in our meeting for prayer on the first Sunday of 1918, as the King has suggested. First, in a special Roll by themselves, I inscribe those who have died for home and country and for the great cause of righteousness and humanity involved in this War. They were seven in number a year ago; now they are twelve. We shall not see them again in this world, but we cherish their memory; it is a very sacred memory to us; for “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” There is no reason to suppose that Whittingehame was in any way exceptional in this regard. It just goes to show the enormity of World War I that roughly half the men of the village saw action, of whom about a quarter were killed.
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Upcoming family history talks and events in Scotland, 4 - 10 June 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. Saturday, June 4 2016, 10 am - 12 pm Pre-1841 Censuses Bruce Bishop Venue: Scottish Genealogy Society Library, 15 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL Bruce Bishop will talk about where to find these rare records, what they contain and how they can assist your research. Saturday, June 4 2016, 9 am - 4.30 pm South Ayrshire History and Family History Fair
Venue: Walker Halls, Troon, Ayrshire 9.00am – Registration 9.45am – Councillor Bill Grant Chairman – Dauvit Broun 10.00am “The Smuggling Coast from Stranraer to Girvan” Frances Wilkins 11.00am “Ayrshire before history: a personal view of early sites and their archaeology” Tom Barclay Lunch 2.00pm “Men at War: securing Burns’ memory in the West of Scotland, c 1859-c1896 (the race between the towns of the region to have a statue of Robert Burns)” Chris Whatley 3.00pm “A Founder’s Workshop from the Bronze Age? Excavations from the shadow of Hunterston” Thomas Rees Monday, June 6 2016, 10 am - 4 pm Day with Mary Queen of Scots
Venue: John Gray Centre Friends of the John Gray Centre Mary Queen of Scots still fires imagination of many people, and her story is closely interlinked with that of Haddington and East Lothian. Spend a fascinating day listening to talks about Mary and her links with the county viewing original documents and artefacts from the JGC collections and participating in the hands-on workshop. Monday, June 6 2016, 7 pm for 7.30 pm AGM and Members' Night
Venue: Drummond Community High School, Bellevue Place, Edinburgh The following entries are from Athelstaneford Kirk Session minutes, and the minutes of the Presbytery of Haddington. Athelstaneford Kirk Session minutes CH2/18/1 p. 180 Thomas Darling is not mentioned again in the Kirk Session minutes for Athelstaneford. He does appear at West Fortune in the 1841 census, a farmer aged 42. Janet Brook is also found living in Athelstaneford village in 1841, with her 7 year old son, David Darling. Although the child is not named in the Athelstaneford Kirk Session or Presbytery of Haddington records, it seems almost certain that David Darling is in fact Thomas Darling's son.
Without the Kirk Session records, it might not otherwise have been possible to identify David's father. These entries also illustrate how individual Kirk Sessions could refer cases to their Presbytery for a ruling. As well as revealing the likely father of David Darling, the entries also reveal something of the character of Thomas Darling. You can see what other records are available for Athelstaneford here.
Upcoming family history talks and events in Scotland, 14 - 20 March 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. 
Monday, March 14 2016, 6.00 pm - 7.00 pm Living and dying at Auldhame, East Lothian Dr Anne Crone, Project Manager, AOC Archaeology Venue: Auditorium, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Excavations on the headland at Auldhame have uncovered a millennium of burial activity, from the 7th century to the 17th century AD. The earliest phase saw the establishment of a monastic settlement probably associated with the Anglian saint, Balthere. A grave with Hiberno-Norse connections signaled the end of this settlement, possibly violently, and the site subsequently became a parish church and graveyard, finally ending up as a family burial aisle or mortuary chapel for Adam Otterburn, four times provost of Edinburgh. Monday, March 14 2016, 7 pm The Old Turkey Red Textile Industry in West Dunbartonshire Katy West, Glasgow Venue: Newton Lounge Cumbrae Historical Society Monday, March 14 2016, 7.30 pm The Innocent Railway Jim Waugh Venue: Dalkeith Baptist Church, North Wynd, Dalkeith Monday, March 14 2016, 7.30 pm Open Evening
Venue: Luncarty Church Centre West Stormont Historical Society Non-members: adults £3, concessions £2. (Open discussion meetings at Luncarty are free) Monday, March 14 2016, 7.30 pm Reflections on 45 Years of Making Pots Archie McCall Venue: Partick Burgh Hall, room 1, 3-9a Burgh Hall Street, Glasgow, G11 5LN Monday, March 14 2016, 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Underground with Jules Verne in Scotland and Iceland Julian Ward Venue: Alloa Town Hall (Tommy Downs Room) Clackmannanshire Field Studies Society Tuesday, March 15 2016, 7.30 pm Great Wall of China Dr Raymond Shaw Venue: West Kilbride Community Centre, Corse Street, West Kilbride, KA23 9AX Under the reign of Emperor Qin, China was united. In about 217BC in an attempt to keep out the invaders from the north he ordered the different regions to build a wall from the coast in the east to the Gobi desert in the west, some 21,196 kilometres long. Hear the fascinating stories of the materials used, life in the forts, and its use as a supply route along difficult terrain, and the rebuilding in subsequent dynasties. Tuesday, March 15 2016, 7.30 pm History of Brewing in Scotland Forbes Gibb Venue: Kilmarnock College, Holehouse Rd, Kilmarnock Kilmarnock & District History Group Tuesday, March 15 2016, 7.30 pm The Archaeology of Leith Fort
Venue: Leith Community Education Centre in the New Kirkgate Tuesday, March 15 2016, 7.30 pm - 8.30 pm Living and dying at Auldhame, East Lothian Dr Anne Crone, Project Manager, AOC Archaeology Venue: Regent Building Lecture Theatre, Regent Walk, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Excavations on the headland at Auldhame have uncovered a millennium of burial activity, from the 7th century to the 17th century AD. The earliest phase saw the establishment of a monastic settlement probably associated with the Anglian saint, Balthere. A grave with Hiberno-Norse connections signaled the end of this settlement, possibly violently, and the site subsequently became a parish church and graveyard, finally ending up as a family burial aisle or mortuary chapel for Adam Otterburn, four times provost of Edinburgh. Wednesday, March 16 2016, 7.00 pm St Mary's Cathedral and Giles Gilbert Scott Dr Eleanor Harris Venue: Augustine Church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh Wednesday, March 16 2016, 7.30 pm The Celtic Monastry of Old Melrose - St Cuthbert's First Monastic Homey Dr Margaret Collin Venue: Selkirk Parish Church Hall Selkirkshire Antiquarian Society Wednesday, March 16 2016, 7.30 pm The Glory of Stained Glass Ros Mitchell Venue: Falkirk Old and St Modan's Parish Church Wednesday, March 16 2016, 7.30 pm The Flemish in Scotland John Irvine Venue: Acredale House, Mid Street, Bathgate West Lothian History and Amenity Society Wednesday, March 16 2016, 7.30 pm Local Lawyers in Early Modern Scotland John Finlay Venue: Supper Room, Town House, Haddington East Lothian Antiquarian & Field Naturalists' Society John Finlay, Professor of Scots Law, Glasgow University, will introduce us to local lawyers in early modern Scotland. Thursday, March 17 2016 Pilgrims and Fife Nick Cooke Elie & Earlsferry History Society Nick Cooke of Scottish Pilgrim Routes Federation presents developments of the Fife Routes Thursday, March 17 2016, 2.30pm Simply a Jacobite Heroine Margaret, Lady Nairne 1673-1747 Dr Nicola Cowmeadow Venue: Moulin Hall, Moulin North Perthshire Family History Group £3 for visitors Thursday, March 17 2016, 7 pm Ayrshire Place Names Ian McVey Venue: Rothesay House, Cumnock Thursday, March 17 2016, 7.30 pm Broken sword: The excavation of a ritual deposit of Bronze Age metalwork on the Isle of Coll Natasha Ferguson and Trevor Cowie, National Museums of Scotland Venue: Lecture Theatre 2, Boyd Orr Building, University of Glasgow University Avenue Glasgow Archaeological Society Thursday, March 17 2016, 7.30 pm My Early Working Life on the Highland Railways John MacDonald, Rogart Heritage Society Venue: Brora Community Centre Also AGM Thursday, March 17 2016, 7.30 pm Evidence of Prehistoric People In & Around Kirkcaldy Steve Liscoe Venue: Kirkcaldy Old Kirk, Kirk Wynd Thursday, March 17 2016, 7.30 pm Glasgow City Archives – Family History Dr Irene O'Brien Venue: Paisley Museum, High Street, Paisley Renfrewshire Family History Society Thursday, March 17 2016, 7.30 pm Skibo and The Great War Victoria Connor Venue: Council Chamber, Carnegie Building, Dornoch Thursday, March 17 2016, 7.30 pm Place-names of the original John Muir Way: a journey through time Liz Curtis Venue: Haddington Town House Friday, March 18 2016, 7.30 pm New Life for an Old Place, Falkland Palace Estate Trust Ninian Stuart, Chairman, Falkland Palace Estate Trust Venue: Aytoun Hall, High Street, Auchterarder Auchterarder and District Local History Association Saturday, March 19 2016, 2.00 pm Family Search Brian McKechnie, Patron Services Manager LDS Venue: Manchester Central Library Anglo-Scottish Family History Society Saturday, March 19 2016, 2.00pm-4.30pm Characters Associated With Taranty Ha Albert Thomson Venue: Unitarian Church Centre Aberdeen and North East Scotland Family History Society Preceded by AGM
Upcoming family history talks and events in Scotland, 8 - 14 February 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. Monday, February 8 2016, 7 pm The History of the Victoria Cross Alex Hall, Glengarnock Venue: Newton Lounge Cumbrae Historical Society Monday, February 8 2016, 7 pm for 7.30 pm BBC Scotland: Early Years and the Edinburgh Connection Mike Shaw Venue: Drummond Community High School, Bellevue Place, Edinburgh Monday, February 8 2016, 7.30 pm Midlothian Castles Then and Now and Peebles Town History Andrew Stewart Venue: Dalkeith Baptist Church, North Wynd, Dalkeith Monday, February 8 2016, 7.30 pm Open Evening
Venue: Luncarty Church Centre West Stormont Historical Society Non-members: adults £3, concessions £2. (Open discussion meetings at Luncarty are free) Monday, February 8 2016, 7.30 pm National Trust of Scotland Archives Ian Riches, NTS Archivist Venue: Gibson Craig Memorial Hall, Lanark Road West, Currie Currie & District Local History Society As we wander and delight in the gardens, the properties and the landscape who knows what else is held? Ian Richies, NTS Archivist, leads us on a visual trip into the vast archives of the NTS. Monday, February 8 2016, 7.30 pm TBA George Haggarty Venue: Partick Burgh Hall, room 1, 3-9a Burgh Hall Street, Glasgow, G11 5LN Monday, February 8 2016, 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Uncovering a Medieval Transport Hub: Cambuskenneth and its lost causeway and harbour Dr Murray Cook Venue: Alloa Town Hall (Tommy Downs Room) Clackmannanshire Field Studies Society Speaker is Archaeologist, Stirling & Clackmannanshire Councils Tuesday, February 9 2016, 2.00 pm St. Athernase Church & Scottish Churches Trust Roma Roy Venue: Kirkcaldy Old Kirk, Kirk Wynd Tuesday, February 9 2016, 2.00 pm Genealogy of Fishermen Iain Murray Venue: Fife Fisheries Museum, Anstruther Speaker from Fife Fisheries Museum Tuesday, February 9 2016, 6 pm Focus on Built Heritage for Communities: Scotland’s canal buildings, Scotland's Sporting Buildings Nick Haynes Venue: Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill, University of Dundee, DD1 4EN Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland Tuesday, February 9 2016, 6.00 pm - 7.00 pm The origin of the Picts? Excavations at Dunnicaer sea stack Dr Gordon Noble Venue: Regent Building Lecture Theatre, Regent Walk, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Dr Gordon Noble, University of Aberdeen, will present this lecture at the Regent Building Lecture Theatre, University of Aberdeen, hosted by the Aberdeen and North East Section of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Tuesday, February 9 2016, 7.30 pm One Small Step for Amphibians, but a Giant Leap for Life on Earth Dr Nick Fraser Venue: Auditorium, Eastgate Theatre and Arts Centre, Peebles The evolution of vertebrates from water to land some 350 million years ago is a major step in the history of life on earth. Until recently, there was a worldwide gap in the fossil record but discoveries in the Borders have filled this gap. Dr. Fraser, Keeper of Natural Sciences at the National Museum of Scotland, will explain the significance of these finds and how they provide a fascinating insight into the development of land-living vertebrates. Tuesday, February 9 2016, 7.30 pm The Sixth Earl of Mar Murray Dickie, local historian Venue: Dining Hall, Dollar Academy Tuesday, February 9 2016, 7.30 pm Birdie Bowers of Scott's Antarctic Expedition Drew McKenzie Venue: Largs Library Community Room Largs and North Ayrshire Family History Society Tuesday, February 9 2016, 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Dugald Semple (1884-1964): The Hermit of Linwood Moss and the Idea of Life Reform in the Early 20th Century Steven Sutcliffe Venue: Masonic Halls, Collier Street, Johnstone Wednesday, February 10 2016 Travellers in East Lothian Jess Smith , author and traditional storyteller Venue: Coastal Communities Museum, School Road, North Berwick, East Lothian EH39 4JU Wednesday, February 10 2016, 2.00 pm - 4.00 pm Sir Edward Elgar’s Life and Work Paul Bassett Venue: Kincardine Community Centre - Hepburn Room Kincardine-on-Forth Local History Group Wednesday, February 10 2016, 2.15 pm Dundee Afternoon Lecture: ‘Independent and Individualist’ – Art in Dundee 1867-1924
Venue: D’Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre, Tower Building, University of Dundee Wednesday, February 10 2016, 7.30 pm Little Ross Lighthouse: How it came to be built David Collin Venue: Parish Church Hall, St Mary Street, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4DN Kirkcudbright History Society Wednesday, February 10 2016, 7.30 pm Someone to Watch Over Me: Kirk and Community Margaret Fox Venue: Volunteer Hall, Galashiels Wednesday, February 10 2016, 7.30 pm Kolkota, Scots Cemetery Ian Stein Venue: Smith Museum and Art Gallery, Dumbarton Road, Stirling Central Scotland Family History Society Wednesday, February 10 2016, 7.30 pm Arthurian links with Dumbarton, the Rock and the local area Hugh McArthur Venue: Concord Community Centre (next to the Denny Theatre), Dumbarton, G82 1LJ There is tantalising evidence of King Arthur across Scotland, even at Dumbarton Rock. Hugh has studied the subject for many years and has published his findings. Thursday, February 11 2016 Members' Night
Elie & Earlsferry History Society Thursday, February 11 2016, 4.00pm-6.00pm The Journey to the District Asylum: Royal Asylums, Private Madhouses, and Stirling District Asylum Dr Iain Hutchison, University of Glasgow Venue: A96, Pathfoot Building, University of Stirling The surviving records of Stirling District Asylum, opened in 1869, and known locally as Bellsdyke, were recently deposited with the University of Stirling's archive collection where they have been cleaned, repaired and catalogued in readiness for their use as a valuable research resource. Institutional confinement of people with mental troubles prior to the opening of Bellsdyke and other district asylums was made by "the Royals" - a network of seven asylums that catered for both pauper and private (i.e. fee-paying) patients - in accommodation that befitted their social stations and economic circumstances. The modest fees for lowly paupers were nonetheless too high and "extravagant" in the eyes of some parochial boards administering the Poor Law and this enabled privately-run "madhouses" to offer an alternative. This structure of dual provision began to change following probing investigations in 1855 and the implementation of the Lunacy (Scotland) Act in 1857. The Act resulted in the gradually construction of district asylums, such as Bellsdyke, for pauper lunatics - a development that was to see the Royals direct attention solely towards private patients, and the closure of private madhouses. This paper will trace the roles of the Royals, private madhouses, and district asylums in nineteenth-century Scotland. It will endeavour to gauge inmate experience, with particular reference to Stirling's Bellsdyke Asylum. Iain Hutchison is Research Associate in Economic and Social History at the University of Glasgow. He is on the Board of the worldwide Disability History Association and, more locally, he is a member of the board of trustees of Disability History Scotland. He is reviews editor for H-Disability. He has recently been working on the history of Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Sick Children, funded by Wellcome and other bodies; and on the Leverhulme-funded "Matrons to Microbes" project where he has been investigating the history of infection control at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Glasgow Royal Infirmary. However, he is primarily an historian of disability and most recently was the research historian for the HLF-funded "Seeing Our History" project for RNIB Scotland. This event is free and is open to staff, students and members of the public. Thursday, February 11 2016, 7.30 pm Raised from the Ashes - the Levenhall Story Nick Aitken, ranger, East Lothian Council Venue: St Peter's Church Hall, High Street, Musselburgh Musselburgh Conservation Society Thursday, February 11 2016, 7.30 pm Forth Estuary Forum Christopher Cutts Venue: Queens Hall, Charlestown, KY11 3EG The North Queensferry Heritage Trust is a long established group that has been dedicated to preserving and promoting the history and beauty of North Queensferry and the immediate surroundings. It aims to encourage, preserve, develop and improve features of historic, architectural or environmental value. Their role in the future development of the town’s tourist industry is vital. The Trust was originally constituted on 4th May 1988 as a charity, registered in Scotland and is a member of Scottish Civic Trust, Scottish wildlife Trust and the Forth Estuary Forum. James Lawson is Chairman of the trust and will be telling you all about the recent attractions and activities that the Trust have actively been involved with. Thursday, February 11 2016, 7.30 pm Your Local Archive
Venue: MacRobert Hall, The Square, Tarland The Archive Team will be launching the Cromar History Group archive web-site which will give public access to all the material categorised to date. Full of fascinating items – pictures, postcards and artefacts – come and see what we hold and how you can access details and photos of the material in the archive. Thursday, February 11 2016, 7.30 pm Waterloo Uncovered: The archaeology of Europe’s most famous battle Tony Pollard (University of Glasgow) Venue: The Shawl Gallery, Paisley Museum, High Street, Paisley Renfrewshire Local History Forum Speaker is Director, Centre of Battlefield Archaeology, University of Glasgow Thursday, February 11 2016, 7.30 pm - 9.00 pm History of Lanark Visitors Centre Ainsley Gough Venue: Johnnie Walker Bond, Strand Street Kilmarnock East Ayrshire Family History Society |
Old ScottishGenealogy and Family History - A mix of our news, curious and intriguing discoveries. Research hints and resources to grow your family tree in Scotland from our team. 
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