SEARCHING FOR SCOTTISH ANCESTORS

Transcription

1 SEARCHING FOR SCOTTISH ANCESTORS If you are searching for a Scottish ancestor the process is slightly different. To view a birth certificate for a Scottish ancestor, you can search for them in the birth indexes of the Scotlands People website. You can then view an online copy of the actual certificate. 31 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

2 LOGGING ONTO PEOPLE.GOV.UK 1. Open your web browser and type gov.uk into the address bar. Press enter. 2. You need to register on the website to be able to access its records. Click on Register Now. Complete the registration form the fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory. Enter your address and create a Username and click Register your account now. Normally you would have to buy credits to access the records, but for this guide we have created an area on the website where you can view the records for free. You will be able to access this by clicking on the BBC First Click logo on the homepage of the Scotlands People website. 3. You will receive two automated s from Scotlands People confirming your registration, one containing your chosen Username and the other your initial password. The password can later be changed to something more memorable via the My Details section of your account. 4. Return to the homepage and enter your Username and Password and click. FINDING THE BIRTH RECORDS ON THIS WEBSITE The records held on the site are listed on the left of the screen. Find the pink heading Statutory Registers. Statutory registers are the official registers of births, marriages and deaths in Scotland. Click the Births option. BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 32

3 SEARCHING FOR SCOTTISH ANCESTORS PERFORMING THE SEARCH We are going to search for an ancestor called Caroline Geddes. She was born in Banffshire in about 1903 and her parents were Alexander and Elizabeth. 1. Click in the box beneath Surname and type in Geddes. 2. Click in the box beneath Forename and type in Caroline. 3. Select a year range for your search. You think Caroline was born in about 1903, but it is wise to give a margin for error because our ancestors were not always as precise about ages and dates of birth as we are today. Therefore click in the first Year range box, which currently reads 1855, delete this date, and enter instead In the second Year range box, delete 2009 and enter Your search should now pick up everyone called Caroline Geddes born in Scotland between 1901 and Click on near the top of the screen. Geddes Caroline EXAMINING YOUR SEARCH RESULTS AND VIEWING THE DIGITISED IMAGE 1. The results of your search are shown beneath the box. In this case, you will see that Your search has found 1 match. 33 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

4 2. Normally you would click on the View (1 credit) option, but to view the image for free, click instead on the BBC First Click logo on the homepage of the Scotland s People website. 3. The following information (among much else) appears on the certificate: Caroline Geddes was born on 31st May 1903 at Buckie in the county of Banff. Her parents were Alexander Geddes, a house carpenter, and Elizabeth Geddes, whose maiden name was Robertson. MS stands for Maiden Surname. Alexander and Elizabeth married on 22nd August 1902 at Seafield. 4. Close the image when you have finished. BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 34

5 SEARCHING FOR SCOTTISH ANCESTORS FINDING THE MARRIAGE RECORDS ON PEOPLE.GOV.UK Just as for a birth certificate, you can search for your ancestor in the marriage indexes and can then view an online copy of the certificate. We are going to search for the marriage certificate of Caroline s parents, Alexander Geddes and Elizabeth Robertson. Click on Marriages under Statutory Registers. If the search box contains details of your last search, click on the button. PERFORMING THE SEARCH Again, you need to complete the search box with the information that you know. 1. Click in the box beneath Male Surname and enter Geddes. In the same way, enter Alexander under Male Forename, Robertson under Female Surname and Elizabeth under Female Forename. 2. Click on. Geddes Alexander Robertson Elizabeth 35 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

6 EXAMINING YOUR SEARCH RESULTS AND VIEWING THE ORIGINAL IMAGE 1. Again, the results for your search appear beneath the box. You will see that Your search has found 1 match. 2. Normally you would click on the View (5 credit) option, but to view the image for free, click instead on the BBC First Click logo on the homepage of the Scotlands People website. 3 The following information (among much else) appears on the certificate: Alexander Geddes, a joiner and bachelor, aged 24, married Elizabeth Robertson, a shop assistant and spinster, aged 24, on 22nd August 1902 in Seafield in the County of Banff. Alexander s parents were William Geddes, a master joiner, and Jessie Geddes, maiden name Duncan. Elizabeth s parents were Alexander Robertson, a farmer, and Jessie Robertson, maiden surname Auckland. 4. Close the image when you have finished. BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 36

7 SEARCHING FOR SCOTTISH ANCESTORS NEXT STEPS The information on the marriage certificate would allow you to search for birth certificates for both marriage partners. For example, if Alexander Geddes was 24 in 1902, he was probably born around You might therefore continue by searching the birth records for 1876 to However we are going to pursue other records just now. SEARCHING THE CENSUS The Scottish census contains similar information to the England and Wales census and is available for the same years, We are going to continue using the Geddes example as we search the 1911 census. FINDING THE 1911 CENSUS ON PEOPLE.GOV.UK Look for the green heading Census records on the left of the screen, and click on the particular census you want to search bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

8 PERFORMING THE SEARCH We are going to search for Caroline Geddes. We know from her birth certificate that Caroline was born in Buckie in 1903 and her parents were Alexander and Elizabeth. This information should enable us to identify her correctly on the 1911 census. 1. If the names of the previous search are still in the search box, delete them. 2. Click in the box beneath Surname and enter Geddes. In the same way, enter Caroline under Forename. 3. Enter an approximate age for Caroline. If she was born in 1903 she should be about 8 in It is helpful to leave a margin for error when searching the census, as the information given by our ancestors was not always absolutely accurate. Therefore in the Age Range boxes enter 6 to Click on. Geddes Caroline 6 10 EXAMINING YOUR SEARCH RESULTS AND VIEWING THE DIGITISED IMAGE 1. Again, a line of text has appeared beneath the box, telling you that one census return matches the information you provided. 2. To see a digitised image of the result, click instead on the BBC First Click logo on the homepage of the Scotlands People website. Normally you would click on the View (1 credit) option. 3. You are now viewing the 1911 census return showing Caroline Geddes and her parents. They are near the bottom of the page. BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 38

9 SEARCHING FOR SCOTTISH ANCESTORS EXAMINING YOUR SEARCH RESULTS AND VIEWING THE DIGITISED IMAGE 4. How much information about the Geddes family can you read? What is Alexander Geddes doing for a living? Were both parents born in Banffshire? Examine the whole census return. 5. Close the image when you have finished. This is the last record we are going to look at on Scotlands People, so when you have finished, click on the box at the top right hand corner of the screen. 39 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

10 NEXT STEPS There are plenty of other records relating to Scottish ancestors, including the First World War Service Records you have already explored. Notes BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 40

11 SEARCHING FOR IRISH ANCESTORS In this part of the guide we are going to focus on searching the Irish census records which can be found on the National Archives of Ireland website. Only two complete censuses, 1901 and 1911 survive and both are free on this site. Both censuses cover the whole of Ireland. Logging on to THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF IRELAND website Open your web browser and type into the address bar. Press enter. 41 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

12 FINDING THE 1911 CENSUS ON THIS WEBSITE There is a lot of information and many links available on this site but half way down the homepage is the option Search the census records for Ireland 1901 and These words form a link. Move your cursor to anywhere on the words and you will see the option light up in red. Click on the link and you will be taken to the relevant search page. PERFORMING THE SEARCH We are going to search for Francis Henry Doherty. Imagine that Francis is your grandfather. You know that he was born in about 1910 in Belfast, and that his parents were Alexander and Annie. 1. Examine the search box. The first option Census year is already set to 1911, so there are no changes to make there. 2. Click in the Surname box and type in the name Doherty. 3. Click in the Forename box and type in the name Francis Henry. 4. Click the box. Doherty Francis Henry BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 42

13 SEARCHING FOR IRISH ANCESTORS EXAMINING YOUR SEARCH RESULTS AND VIEWING THE TRANSCRIPT Only one option has appeared for Francis Henry Doherty in the 1911 census, and it is displayed above the search box: he is living in Mervue Street in Co Antrim and is one year old. This information is a short summary of the information actually contained in the census return. The words Francis Henry and Doherty in your results appear in blue, indicating that they are links. Move your cursor and click on any of these words, and you will be taken to a transcript of the original census return. The various members of Francis Henry Doherty s household are listed here. Alexander, the father, comes first. Next comes his wife, Annie. After them are several children of various ages, and last of all the child you are looking for, Francis Henry Doherty. The transcript also gives you a precise address for the family: 101 Mervue Street in Duncairn, Antrim. 43 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

14 VIEWING THE DIGITISED IMAGE 1. Scroll down the page until you see the heading View Census Images and click the link beneath it, Household Return (Form A). 2. You are now viewing a copy of the actual census image. Have a lookand see how much you can read. 3. Once again, there is a toolbar containing a round icon, and another with a icon. Use these to zoom in and out of the image. 4. Can you read the information about each family member? Which family members can read and write? What do they do for a living? How many years have Alexander and Annie been married? How old is Alexander Doherty in 1911? 5. Remember to write down the information contained in the census return. You will want to refer to it later when you are searching for the same family on the 1901 census. 6. When you have finished with the census image, click the back arrow at the top left of the screen to return to the previous page. BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 44

15 SEARCHING FOR IRISH ANCESTORS SEARCHING THE 1901 CENSUS We are now going to try and find the same family ten years earlier, on the 1901 census. The family members should be ten years younger than in 1911 and some of the children, including Francis Henry Doherty, will not yet have been born. Scroll down the page and you will find a fresh search box at the bottom of the page. PERFORMING THE SEARCH 1. The Census year option is currently set to You need to change it to Click on this box, and a drop-down menu will appear, containing the options 1911 and Move your cursor down until 1901 is highlighted and click. The Census year box should change to Once again, you need to enter a Surname and Forename into the search box. It would be no good searching for Francis Henry Doherty in 1901 as he was not born until several years later. Instead, we will search for his father, Alexander. 2. Type Doherty into the Surname box and Alexander into the Forename box. Then click. 45 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

16 EXAMINING YOUR SEARCH RESULTS AND VIEWING THE TRANSCRIPT AND DIGITISED IMAGE This time there is more than one possible result: you have a list of Alexander Dohertys. The second option looks promising. This Alexander lives in Mervue Street and is 30 years old. We know that the correct Alexander was at Marvue Street in 1911 and listed as 41 years old, so he should have been about 31 ten years earlier in Might Mervue Street and Marvue Street be the same place? We may well be on the right track, but need to examine the full census return to be sure. MIGHT MERVUE STREET AND MARVUE STREET BE THE SAME PLACE? 3. Just as you did for 1911, click on the links Alexander or Doherty to see a transcript of his household s census return. The members of the household are not listed in the order we might expect, but Alexander s wife and several of his children are present and correct. The younger children from 1911 have not yet been born, and there is one Robert John Doherty who was not with the family in BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 46

17 SEARCHING FOR IRISH ANCESTORS EXAMINING YOUR SEARCH RESULTS AND VIEWING THE TRANSCRIPT AND DIGITISED IMAGE 4. Look at the digitised image by clicking on Household Return (Form A). How much of the information can you read? Are you sure that this is the same family that appeared in 1911? 5. Zoom in. Scroll up and down and side to side to help you read the return. What does Alexander Doherty do for a living? What is the family s religion? 6. Close the website by clicking on the cross at the top right hand corner of the screen. Birth Marriage and Death certificates are also vital when researching your Irish Ancestors. The website Family Search has many of the relevant indexes. Certificates can be ordered from The General Register Office of Ireland and the General Register Office of Northern Ireland. 47 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

18 Notes BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 48

19 TIPS FOR RESEARCHING YOUR OWN FAMILY TREE We have introduced you to some of the most important resources for researching family trees. The next step is to search for your own ancestors. Why not ask a family member or friend who s already online to do it with you? WANT TO LEARN MORE? LAYING THE GROUND- WORK FOR YOUR OWN FAMILY TREE Before you start it is helpful to lay some groundwork for your family history investigation. This is a good opportunity to practise some other computer skills you have acquired. You might talk to relatives about their family memories, asking about names, dates, occupations and family stories, and type up the things you learn in a document. For those relatives who live too far away to talk to face-to-face, you might send s asking what they know about your mutual ancestors. You could also use a search engine to find some online guides to researching your family tree. Some of the records explored in this guide also apply to other countries. If your ancestors came from abroad, you may be able to find them in birth, marriage and death records, census returns and other records in their country of origin. There is plenty of advice online about researching your overseas ancestors, and the website is well worth a look. SUBSCRIBING TO OR BUYING CREDITS FOR A FAMILY HISTORY WEBSITE Many people choose to subscribe to or buy credits for a family history website in order to access its records. Others make use of subscriptions taken out by libraries or archives. Many websites work in much the same way. Here are some things to look out for when subscribing to or buying credits for your chosen site. You need an address to subscribe to or buy credits for most family history websites. Many websites have a subscribe or buy credits option on their homepage. If there is no such option, you may need to register first. You will have to register your name, address and some other details with the website. You also choose a password which you can use to access your account in the future. 49 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

20 You may need to choose between buying a subscription to the website and buying credits. A subscription usually means that you can look at as many records as you like within a certain period of time. There may be options for different lengths of time or for certain records only. Credits allow you to look at records on a pay-per-view basis: you buy a certain number of credits and spend some each time you look at a record. You may be asked to accept the terms and conditions and privacy policy of the website. The phrases terms and conditions and privacy policy are often links, so clicking on them takes you to a page where they are laid out in full. You may have the option to tick or un-tick various boxes, for example agreeing (or not) to receive s advertising new features of the website. Often boxes may already be ticked for you. Read carefully and click your cursor inside the box to tick or un-tick. When a website asks for information, you may have a choice of whether or not to provide it. Often compulsory questions such as name and select a password have an asterisk * next to them or are highlighted in red. Less important questions, for example How much do you know about your family history? are not always compulsory. If you choose to purchase a subscription of credits, you will have to enter your payment details usually details from a credit or debit card. When you have completed your subscription, an may be sent to the address you provided, confirming your login name and password. Keep this , so you can refer to it if you forget your details. BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 50

21 TIPS FOR RESEARCHING YOUR OWN FAMILY TREE The examples in this guide work very smoothly. Researching your real ancestors isn t always this easy! What if there are dozens of options for your ancestor in the records, or no options at all? HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU OVER SOME COMMON HURDLES If you don t find your ancestor straight away, try a different spelling. Our ancestors were not always as precise as we are today. Using an example, if Edward Lear doesn t appear, try Leare or Leere. Leave a margin for error in your searches. Details in the census are not always accurate; for example Edward Lear might be recorded by his pet name of Teddy Lear. If there is more than one option for your ancestor in the birth records, look at the registration districts recorded. If generations of your ancestors came from Truro, for example, it is likely that the correct birth will be registered there. Sometimes people will have to order more than one birth certificate to be sure they have found the right ancestor. It is a good idea to gather as much information as possible about your ancestors ages and other details from as many different records as possible. It was not unusual for people to put the wrong age on marriage certificates. Perhaps they claimed to be over 21, so that they could marry without their parents permission, or perhaps the bride preferred to appear younger than the groom. Enter as little information as you can into search boxes. If you are searching the census for your ancestor Jonathan Grayson, aged 22 and born in Bradford, and you enter all of this information exactly, you will miss him if he has recorded himself as John Grayson, aged 21 or born in Yorkshire. Many search pages allow you to be flexible with dates and spellings. Always ask yourself whether you are dealing with the right people.you don t want to spend time and money researching someone with the same name as your ancestor, but who isn t related to your family at all! 51 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

22 Notes BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 52

23 FURTHER INFORMATION Many public libraries and archives have a range of information and resources to help you discover more about your family history. A large number of libraries and archives have free access to family history websites and some may also offer family history workshops for beginners. Contact your local library where you can discover what is available in your area. The National Archives is the UK government s official archive. Many of their files are of particular interest to family historians and many of our ancestors will be among them. The National Archives website features a number of research signposts and guides which explain where to find relevant records and how to use them. The guides also explain which records are available from other archives and relevant organisations and give details of which records are available to search and download online (either on The National Archives own website or elsewhere). Type into your web browser and scroll down. Move your cursor to the titles under the subject you are interested in and click the link you want. Links have small red arrows next to them. Local archives and record offices hold many records which may help you when you have researched a bit more of your family history, such as parish records, workhouse and school records. Find contact details for your local archive by searching ARCHON, a directory of archives and record offices: YOU MIGHT ALSO TRY THE FOLLOWING: Learn the basics you ll need to get started on your own research, from drawing up your family tree to exploring the archives. The National Archives is the UK government s official archive, containing records of over 1,000 years of history. This website offers you support every step of the way in your hunt for your ancestors, with personalised family trees, collaborative message boards and an impressive range of records. 53 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

24 This section gives you a substantial collection of how-to documents to help you get started in family history. This is the Irish version of the website. Another family history website offering both records and help and advice. Offers you a way to build your family tree online and join an online community. Contains major records for researching your Scottish ancestors as well as research advice. This free website contains Irish civil registration records , parish records and all kinds of other records from all over the world. Lots of advice to help you research your family tree. This website offers a range of family history records. Contain useful information for those researching ancestors in Ireland. The Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS) an educational charity which represents, advises and supports its membership of family history societies and other genealogical organisations world-wide. It provides a wealth of information, resources and expertise and can provide contact with experts from your own local area. The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) holds many valuable sources for family history research. A free online resource for birth, marriage and death indexes for England & Wales. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. All websites correct at time of publication. BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 54

25 FURTHER INFORMATION BOOK LIST We have listed below a selection of guides and books which will give you more detailed help with your research. There are many books available on the subject. How to Trace Ancestors Using a Computer for the Older Generation by Jim Gatenby. Family History for the Older & Wiser; Find Your Roots with Online Tools by Susan Fifer. How to Trace Your Family History on the Internet by Reader s Digest. Family History for Beginners by Karen Foy. Family History on the Net by Colin Waters. Family Tree Detective (4th Edition): A Manual For Tracing Your Ancestors in England and Wales by Colin D Rogers. Researching Your Family History Online in Simple Steps by Heather Morris. You might also visit the online bookshop of The National Archives. They have lots of guides to Family History research, 55 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

26 GETTING ONLINE Feeling inspired but need more practice using computers and the internet before you tackle Family History online? Call the First Click advice line to find a local beginner s computer course. FREEPHONE am to 10pm, 7 days a week. People with hearing impairments can call: Text relay Minicom Calls are free from most landlines. Some networks and mobile operators may charge for these calls. STAYING SAFE ONLINE Refer to the First Click Beginner s Guide for advice about how to stay safe online. Tips include: Choosing a password that is not easy to guess and contains a mixture of letters and numbers. Logging off a website when you have finished using it. If entering payment details on a website, remember to check that it is a secure site: the letters at the beginning of the web address in the address bar should read https. The s standing for secure. BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 56

27 FURTHER INFORMATION JARGON BUSTER Digitised Image An image of something photographed and put into a computer. Electronic mail. Messages sent over the internet from one address to another. Forum An internet forum is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. Homepage The first or main web page of a website, sometimes called the front page. Icon A small picture which, when you click on it starts a program, computer software or a link on the internet. Indexes Lists of documents or records. For example lists of Birth, Marriage or Death records. Internet Explorer A web browser. There are many others. June Quarter Birth, marriage and death records were compiled four times a year: events registered in January, February and March appear in the March quarter of that year; those registered in April, May and June appear in the June quarter; and so on. Links Words or pictures you can click on which take you from somewhere (an internet page, address etc) to somewhere else (another page, a picture etc). Login, Logging in, Signing in Using a name or password to prove your identity so that you can enter your computer or internet account. Offline Describes when your computer is not connected to the internet. Password A series of letters, numbers and characters that you type to get into your computer, internet connection, or websites that you register with. Refresh/Reload Button The button that you click to download a web page again if it appears not to have loaded correctly. In Internet Explorer it s called refresh and in Mozilla Firefox reload. 57 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

28 JARGON BUSTER Search Engine A search engine is usually a website which allows you to search the internet for information. The search engine lists results that relate to your key words. Terms & Conditions Website terms & conditions are conditions that a website requires that you agree to before you use a website. Toolbar A row of icons on a computer screen that activate commands or functions when clicked. Transcript A written, typewritten, or printed copy. URL The technical term for the address of a website or document on the web (e.g. Username A series of letters and numbers you type into your computer; account or other computer network service to tell it who you are. Web Browser Software which allows you to surf the internet. Zoom in and out To increase or decrease the magnification of an image rapidly. BBC FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY 58

29 Notes 59 bbc FIRST CLICK FAMILY HISTORY

30 Notes

31 The BBC has created First Click materials to help support local partners to run beginners courses to using computers and the internet. The course where these materials will be used will not be run or delivered by the BBC. Published in September 2011 by BBC Learning. BBC 2011 The BBC would like to thank: Jenny Thomas Genealogist Wall to Wall A Shedmedia Company