"Tracing Our Roots" Newsletter Archive (A monthly genealogy newsletter written by the late Brenda Kellow, dec'd, for the Plano Star Courier newspaper. We've included all the ones we could recover.)
Proficient investigators of American research can encounter all kinds of pitfalls when beginning Scottish research. How can this be? For many Americans just trying to identify the meaning of such words as Great Britain, the United Kingdom and British Isles can be challenging.
Although Scotland is a country and responsible for legislative control over domestic issues, it is under the control of the UK who legislates Scotland s defense, foreign affairs, and macro economic policy.
There is much to learn before attempting Scottish research. Communicate with living relatives to find out all you can about their forefathers. Foremost is the need to identify the place your ancestors lived; learn the old and new monetary systems and understand the importance of religion and record keeping. In addition, one must learn the typical naming patterns, read the handwriting and understand the languages that were used in earlier times in particular places. A Genealogist s Guide to Discovering Your Scottish Ancestors by Linda Jonas and Paul Milner reminded me of the need to study the locale before jumping into the research. It is different than our American study.
Jonas and Milner explain all the peculiarities associated with successful research. For example: They cover such simple things as hunting for burial records. They explain that burials are not in the Scottish Church indexes or other obvious places. They direct the reader to Bloxham s Key to the Parochial Registers of Scotland or Turnbull s Scottish Parochial Registers for information.
I found it an easy read and most informative without becoming a boring or challenging read. It guides the reader from topic to conclusion without being difficult. After reading this informative book, readers will be ready to begin research for finding the origins of Scottish ancestors. The hunt is indeed the fun part of genealogy.
"A Genealogist s Guide to Discovering Your Scottish Ancestors" is available from Betterway Books by calling 800-448-0915 or online at www.familytreemagazine. It is also available at local bookstores for $19.99.
WHY VISIT ANCESTORS HOME LANDS? University of Plymouth s social anthropology professor Kevin Meethan is conducting a survey to find out why genealogists undertake family history and travel to ancestral lands. He wants to learn things like whether we identify with other online researchers, and whether we adopt characteristics of the old culture such as the language, etc. Meethan has an online, three part Roots Survey that only takes about four minutes to complete. Finding it an interesting and educational project, I answered the survey Sunday night. If you would like to do the same, you can find the survey online at www.sociology.plymouth.ac.uk/~kmeethan/roots.htm or you can write to him in England at: Dr Kevin Meethan, Department of Sociology, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, UK PL4 8AA or phone him at 44(0)1752 233222.
Collin County FACT: Did you know that many Collin county residents, as well as those residing in North Texas went to Oklahoma, to get married to avoid the three-day waiting period in Texas? Sometimes they chose either Arkansas, or Louisiana, for the quick marriage. I know of an eloping couple that rode the train to Oklahoma, to get married before lunch and returned home to their parents houses before dinnertime. TIP: If you don t find the marriage in Collin County, or the contiguous counties, then broaden your search to Oklahoma first, and then try Arkansas and Louisiana.
New in the library: A Research Guide to the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma; Tenant farming in Collin County, 1890-1920; Marriages of Blount County, Tennessee, 1795-1859; How to Write Your Personal and Family History; Denton County, Texas wills (1876-1940); Building an American pedigree: A Study in Genealogy; A Guide to Texas research; Virginia Atlas and Gazetteer; North Carolina Atlas and Gazetteer; and the complete series of the 1930 US census of Texas on microfilm.
Brenda Kellow, dec'd, Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Instructor, had a Bachelor s Degree in history and taught genealogy courses at the local Community College and computer genealogy at the University.
