Scotland and genealogy tourism: I'll volunteer

The Scotsman.com from Edinburgh, Scotland carried an article today titled "Scotland Urged to Refocus on Genealogy Tourism."

"By BRIAN FERGUSON
Published on Sunday 25 November 2012 00:00

WHOEVER they think they are they deserve the red carpet treatment for a new study estimates people searching for their roots will be worth ­­­£2.4 billion to Scotland over the next five years.

The potential of so-called ancestral tourism has been outlined in a report by consultants TNS, which estimates a potential market of 50 million people of Scottish ancestry.

But services need to be improved if Scotland is to cash in, including promoting existing research facilities, specialist tour operators and the creation of budget “genealogy packages”."


Here's my offer: I will volunteer to be a test research tourist for this effort. My Stuart, Grant, and Forbes connections are from the area of Strathdon in Aberdeen. Robert and Mary (Grant) Stuart are my great great great grandparents. Their son James born about 1815 in that area and was later a jailer in several places in Angus. He married Helenor Edwards and had children in several places there including Arbroath. The Edwards tie into Allardyce, Leighton, and other families. Then James and Helenor came to Wisconsin with their children and descendants ended up in Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, California, Colorado, Florida, and other places. I really need to visit both counties in Scotland and the National Archives in Edinburgh.

I need to consult some original records to make up for gaps in microfilmed records, need to visit the old "home towns" and take pictures to share, and figure out where my Stuart ancestors originated. 

Just think of all the publicity I could help them with here in the United States. I could mention my trip everywhere I lecture, in my blog, in articles in genealogy publications, on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter, in the popular press, and to my fellow family historians. I would distribute brochures every place I went. All I would require is the plane and train tickets, hotels, and of course, a guide in all the places. It could be a Christmas present to me. I am sure it will happen. Right?

Now, back to reality.

To read the full article, click here.

National Tartan Day: my roots in Scotland

April 6th is National Tartan Day in the U.S. I have some proud Scottish ancestry.

Among the names I find in my ancestry in Scotland are
Stuart: Strathdon, Aberdeen; Abroath, Angus;
Grant: Strathdon, Aberdeen
Leighton/Lighton: Farnell, Angus
Niddrie/Nedry: Farnell and Kinnell, Angus
Allardice/Allardyce: Kinnell, Angus
Edward/s: Brechin, Forfar, and Abroath, Angus
Cowie: Brechin and Forfar, Angus

In the U.S. the Edward/s and Stuart families and descendants are in Fond du Lac, Ripon, Beaver Dam, Rhinelander, Sheboygan, Omro, Berlin, Fort Atkinson, and Oshkosh Wisconsin; Rutland, Vermont; Chicago and Elgin, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Salina and Marysville, Kansas; and St. Paul and Roseville, Minnesota. Some descendants have lived in New Mexico, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Colorado later in the 20-21st centuries.

Scotland: Three public record keeping entities might merge

Three entities that are charged with keeping public records in Scotland are being asked to merge. This includes "the General Register Office for Scotland, National Archives of Scotland and Registers of Scotland."

This is being suggested as a cost savings measure. "The General Registry Office is responsible for births, deaths and marriages as well as historic census data , making its ScotlandsPeople website an asset during the genealogy boom. The National Archives gather historical documents, while the Registers of Scotland compile property and other legal documents."

Read the full story in today's Herald Scotland online. It will be interesting to see if and how this comes to fruition. When I win the lottery (if I ever remember to purchase a ticket) you will find me researching on-site in Scotland and visiting all the places my frequent moving ancestors resided. Among the places my Stuart, Grant, Edwards, Allardyce, and other forebears lived are Strathdon, Arbroath, Farnell, Kinnell, Lunan, and Brechin.

RIP Donald Whyte

I just learned that Donald Whyte passed away on 23 April 2010 in Scotland. When I began research on my Scottish Stuart ancestry I found many of his books. Yes, there was info on my family. Years later, I used his compilations to help clients, especially one whose Scottish ancestors immigrated to Canada.

I found my family in his Dictionary of Scottish Emigrants to the USA (pre 1855) and corresponded with him about the source of the information. If you go to Worldcat.org and type in Donald Whyte you can see page after page of genealogical publications that he authored. 

An extensive obituary for him can be found in the Scotsman.com under the date of 3 May 2010. The first paragraph states: "His fascination with family and Scottish history sparked a lifelong interest in his craft and left an extraordinary legacy for genealogists and those researching their family history worldwide." Oh, do I ever agree with this.