Week 42: Friends #52Ancestorsin52Weeks

Almost 40 years ago, it was my friend Allison, who had already started researching her family tree, who sparked off my interest - some might say "obsession" - in genealogy. She shared her findings from the occasional trip through to Edinburgh's New Register House, where Scottish records were held and, if my memory serves me well, we went through together a couple of times. When our children were born, the time we could allocate to researching waned, but our interest still remained and we are both still excited by our research even today.

Although Allison is the only one of my friends to share this passion, I have 'forced' other friends to become interested. I persuaded my friend Margaret and her mother to take DNA tests to see if I could help her discover who her adopted father's birth parents were and trace her paternal roots. It did take me about a year, but through good old fashioned genealogy and tracing the trees of her genetic matches, we discovered her grandparents and their story, tracing her dad's mother's side back to 18th century Donegal and her dad's father's side up to the Highlands of Scotland. My proudest moments were showing her her father's original birth certificate and the graves of her paternal 3 x great grandfather, James Stevens, and her 4 x great grandfather Gavin Rowatt, in Hamilton where she, too, now lives.

Gravestones in Bent Cemetery, Hamilton.

I have helped quite a number of other friends too. I enjoy the research and learning about other people's families. Every one is unique. And every time I take on a new 'project' I feel I am improving my own skills. So it is win - win. So thank you, friends!

Comments

2025 Week 26 : Favourite name #52Ancestorsin52Weeks

As well as researching my own family, one of the other trees I have spent a lot of time on is that of my daughter-in-law, Lucy. Whereas my heritage is Scots and Irish, Lucy's is English and therefore some of the names I came across were quite different to those found in my own tree. One of my first favourites was a Francis Badger who appeared in the 1851 census for England! He wasn't actually a relative, but an apprentice to Lucy's 3 x great grandfather and who also lodged with the family. I did wonder how that surname came about - did the original Badger have a funnily shaped face? or perhaps a white streak through his hair?? Or was he just an annoying person?? I'll never know, but it was fun to find him! Francis Badger's entry at the bottom in the 1851 census for England. Source: Ancestry.co.uk However, my all time favourite name - and character - from Lucy's tree is a man named Golden Bridge ! He is Lucy's 5x great grandfather and he was born in Essex...

2024 Week 19: Preserve #52Ancestorsin52Weeks

A few years ago, I came into the possession of a family bible. It was the family bible of my paternal grandparents, John McAra and Christina Walker. Until her death in 2018, the bible had been in the hands of my Aunt Inez, widow of my Uncle Will McAra. When I started enquiring as to its whereabouts, I found that it was her grandson, John, who now had it. John himself had no real interest in it at all, so he was quite happy to hand it over to me. However, it was, to say the least, in a bit of a state. The front cover was completely detached and there were many loose pages as the spine of the book was also damaged and detached. I had no choice but to take it to a book repairer in Glasgow, where it was repaired as best it could be. The bible itself had been originally published in Glasgow in the late 19th century. In Victorian times it was common for Christian families to have such a large bible in which they could record events such as births, marriages and deaths. The one I have al...

2025 Week 12: Historic Event #52Ancestorsin52Weeks

The Battle of Arbroath, one of Scotland's bloodiest battles, was fought in the summer of 1345 between rival claimants to the post of Baillie of the Regality. The Baillie of the Regality chosen by the monks of Arbroath Abbey at that time was Alexander Lindsay. This post gave Lindsay power and prestige and he was responsible for upholding the law in the lands around the abbey. However, like many men in positions of authority both past and present, he chose to abuse his position of power and his fighting men caused mayhem within the walls of the Abbey. This led to the monks deciding to replace Lindsay with Alexander Ogilvy, who had hereditary claims to the position, but who unfortunately was Lindsay's enemy ... and my 15 x great-uncle! His sister, Isobel had married into Clan Oliphant and, on paper at least, Isobel is my 15 x great grandmother! Of course, the appointment of Ogilvy was not acceptable to Lindsay, who then raised an army of 1000 men and marched to Arbroath Abbey to r...

Roots, shoots and stories

Search This Blog