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Getting Started With Your Scottish Research: Difference between revisions
Getting Started With Your Scottish Research (view source)
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== Introduction == | == Introduction == | ||
As you begin your research into a new country's records, you may find your task difficult and frustrating at first, but if you persist you will be rewarded. Beginning to do family history is like learning to do any other exercise: it takes time, study, patience and perseverance. You don’t know all the answers. Maybe you don’t know any answers, or even know what to ask so you can get an answer! Everyone starts at the same place. Be willing to ask questions. | |||
A major point that will be helpful when you start tracing your Scottish ancestry is what you know or think you know about your ancestors. What do you need from this site, how much do you know about Scotland, and where do you fit in the experience? Here is a chart that will steer you in the right direction: | |||
{| width="607" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" border="2" style="width: 607px; height: 366px" | |||
|- | |||
| '''Not Experienced''' | |||
| | |||
| '''Experienced''' | |||
|- | |||
| May Own Family Memorabilia | |||
| | |||
| Knows What To Do Next | |||
|- | |||
| May Know Family History | |||
| | |||
| Knows specific record types | |||
|- | |||
| Needs to Know What to Search and Why | |||
| | |||
| Knows Where Records Are Located | |||
|- | |||
| Relies On Local Libraries, FHL, Wikis, etc. | |||
| | |||
| Knows How To Access Record In Person and Online | |||
|- | |||
| Usually Uses Free Websites | |||
| | |||
| Needs Minimal Links to Locate Records | |||
|- | |||
| Unsure of Record Locations | |||
| | |||
| Has Paid Subscription Websites | |||
|- | |||
| Needs Guidance and/or In-Depth Help | |||
| | |||
| Knows How To Order Records | |||
|- | |||
| May Need Strategic Assistance | |||
| | |||
| Knows Migration Patterns And History | |||
|- | |||
| Unable To Read or Intrepret Old Records | |||
| | |||
| Able to Read and Interpret Most Record Sets | |||
|} | |||
<br>As you begin your research into a new country's records, you may find your task difficult and frustrating at first, but if you persist you will be rewarded. Beginning to do family history is like learning to do any other exercise: it takes time, study, patience and perseverance. You don’t know all the answers. Maybe you don’t know any answers, or even know what to ask so you can get an answer! Everyone starts at the same place. Be willing to ask questions. | |||
Your success in researching your Scottish family history will depend on a number of factors including: | Your success in researching your Scottish family history will depend on a number of factors including: | ||
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However, there are several general things to learn about Scotland before you begin research. The following information can help you be prepared and increase your chances for success. | However, there are several general things to learn about Scotland before you begin research. The following information can help you be prepared and increase your chances for success. | ||
== | == Jurisdictions, Gazetteers and Maps <br> == | ||
Scotland is organized into counties, parishes, and towns, villages, or hamlets. Ecclesiastical (church) boundaries for parishes are similar to civil (government) boundaries for the same. Parishes were the basic unit of society for life and for record keeping. | |||
Gazetteers and maps help you to understand the relationship between places. Since the 1500’s (and until 1974), place name spellings and jurisdictions have not changed in major ways. Start with a gazetteer first to learn about your place of interest then find the place on a map and see where it lies in relation to other places in the area. | |||
Gazetteers vary, but they generally state brief information about the civil and ecclesiastical jurisdictions of a place, where it is located in relation to a larger place, and historical facts. Consider looking in several gazetteers and comparing information given. One published in 1837 may state different information than one published in 1865, though both are correct for that time. | |||
Maps also vary in size and content. The size of your place, creation date, and the purpose for which a map was made are factors in whether or not you will find your place on a map. In general, most Scottish places did not change names or have major jurisdictional changes, until 1974 when the counties were changed. | |||
Topographical maps show the elevation of the terrain by the coloring, to indicate the elevation of the terrain. Study a map to see how your place relates to the surrounding area. Parish maps are available for each county and show the relationship between parishes. How does the parish boundary correspond to the topographical area? Is your place near the border by the sea, another county or country? Where are the hills, rivers, canals or main roads? Is it an urban or rural area? All of these factors influenced your family and their movements. | |||
For more information, go to the pages for [[Scotland Gazetteers|gazetteers]] and [[Scotland Maps|maps]]. | |||
== Definition of Terms == | |||
In the course of your research you will find new words with which you are not familiar. Use dictionaries to learn their meanings. | |||
*''The Oxford English Dictionary'' is a very complete dictionary that includes unusual and country-specific terms. | *''The Oxford English Dictionary'' is a very complete dictionary that includes unusual and country-specific terms. | ||
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*''The Dictionary of Genealogy ''shows the genealogical usage for many terms, with the emphasis toward ecclesiastical matters. | *''The Dictionary of Genealogy ''shows the genealogical usage for many terms, with the emphasis toward ecclesiastical matters. | ||
= | Other reference sources are mentioned in the Read More section below. You may find that two books are similar, but slightly different in their context. All of these dictionaries are available at the [https://familysearch.org/search/#form=catalog Family History Library] and may be available at other libraries near you. | ||
It's important to start learning the definitions of new words, since the exercise will aid you in getting more involved in your research. Today you may be unsure about the definition of 'christening' or 'census,' but later your list may include words like 'heritor', 'reeve', and 'gaol'. Learning these new terms can be like learning a new language. | |||
For more information, go to the [[Scotland Glossary of Genealogical Terms|Glossary of Terms]]. | |||
Another source for definitions of terms is the Glossary available online on the [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/glossary ScotlandsPeople]($) website. | |||
== Use a Handbook <br> == | |||
A 'handbook' is a narrative explanation about how to conduct research, how to understand a given set of records, a summary of what records are available in a specific place, or a combination of all three. Reading a handbook is similar to taking a class--it helps you to learn more. | |||
Handbooks that discuss records are most helpful when they tell the time period in which the record existed, the content and value to a researcher, and where the record is currently housed. You will find a list of suggested handbooks in the Read More section below. | |||
== The Internet == | == The Internet == | ||
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In Scotland, every county has a family history society. To find a society for your region of interest, go online to the website of the [http://www.safhs.org.uk/ Scottish Association of Family History Societies], and look in the 'Membership Lists.' In addition, links to other genealogical societies are found on the [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ ScotlandsPeople]($) website. | In Scotland, every county has a family history society. To find a society for your region of interest, go online to the website of the [http://www.safhs.org.uk/ Scottish Association of Family History Societies], and look in the 'Membership Lists.' In addition, links to other genealogical societies are found on the [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ ScotlandsPeople]($) website. | ||
== Basic Records == | |||
There are four primary record types for Scottish research: | |||
*[[Scotland Civil Registration- Vital Records|Civil Registration]] - government records of births, deaths, and marriages, beginning in 1855. | |||
*[[Scotland Census|Census records]] - a list of people who lived in a household on a specific night, taken every ten years beginning in 1841. | |||
*[[Scotland Church Records|Church records]] - registers of ecclesiastical ordinances of baptism, marriage and burial, beginning in the 1500's. | |||
*[[Scotland Probate Records|Probate records]] - a written statement of a deceased person’s wishes regarding the disposal of his or her property. | |||
These are the records that provide the information most family history researchers seek, and they are easily accessible. | |||
In addition, there are many other record types of value for family history research. To learn more about other record types, see [[Scotland Genealogy|Scotland]] Click on the links for the various topics. | |||
As you proceed to the [[Scotland Strategies for Locating Births, Marriages and Deaths|Research Strategies]] pages, you will learn how to use the records to find your ancestors. | |||
== Read More <br> == | == Read More <br> == | ||