Talking to one of my neighbours, I was interested to learn that her young son's Christmas wish list contained no mention of iPhone, iPod Touch, Wii, PS3 or XBox, and it's not because he's already got them, he hasn't.
She's a pious woman who frequently visits churches on her days out, and she takes her son with her. About 6 months ago he told her that he was bored and she allowed him to wander around the churchyard.
He became interested in the gravestone inscriptions and symbols, and they have become a major interest. He started off a project to do his family history with the help of his mother, other kids, and a teacher.
Clearly, it's useful for him to have started young, as there are still plenty of the older generations to tell him their stories. So this Christmas, Santa's been asked for family history software, various volumes of monumental inscriptions, and a paper record book.
He hasn't completely ignored modern technology; he's asked for a mobile phone - he says it's so he can let his mother know when he's ready to be collected from a graveyard.
His mother, thinks that Santa will deliver on most of his wishes, though perhaps she'll just lend him a mobile phone for when he's researching in remote places.
Have a great Christmas !
To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
School Attendance Medals
The BBC reported on Monday that Kingston-upon-Thames Council in London has given medals to two boys from New Malden for not missing a day of school for five years.
It goes on to say that medals for good attendance were introduced in London schools in the 1880s (actually 1887) - with special medals for any pupil maintaining a perfect attendance for more than three years.
See the BBC's full article.
Schools all around Britain gave these medallions out and the attraction for family historians that they usually carry the pupil's name and the school's name and the date - surely a treasure if it's one of your ancestors.
Some schools gave them out as prizes for scholastic achievement too.
In most cases they are made of white metal, an alloy of antimony and tin, copper or lead, and they have a silvery colour.
Some schools used copper or bronze, usually getting a die-stamper to strike them a stock of medallions with the school's name and or crest; and then having each winner's details engraved at the time.
Others, particularly, the fee-paying public schools had their stock of medallions struck in silver, or even in gold.
There's one in the National Museums Scotland of a Selkirk Grammar School silver medal awarded to Elizabeth MacKenzie in 1827 for excellence in English composition.
Perfect attendance records for shorter periods were often marked by the issue of a book to the pupil with a suitable inscription. I saw a book relating to a prize given by Ednam school recently. Such books used often to be seen, however, as they were usually of a Christian nature, bibles, Sunday school stories, or accounts of religious figures, they aren't much sought after, and frequently get thrown away.
If you would like to know whether your ancestors received medals or other prizes, the best place to look is in the school's log book, though they are sometimes mentioned in the local press too.
Keep an eye out for them at car boot sales, too.
If you know your ancestor was awarded a prize, and you would like to find it, do let us know in the forum, somebody may be able to help.
To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.
It goes on to say that medals for good attendance were introduced in London schools in the 1880s (actually 1887) - with special medals for any pupil maintaining a perfect attendance for more than three years.
See the BBC's full article.
Schools all around Britain gave these medallions out and the attraction for family historians that they usually carry the pupil's name and the school's name and the date - surely a treasure if it's one of your ancestors.
Some schools gave them out as prizes for scholastic achievement too.
In most cases they are made of white metal, an alloy of antimony and tin, copper or lead, and they have a silvery colour.
Some schools used copper or bronze, usually getting a die-stamper to strike them a stock of medallions with the school's name and or crest; and then having each winner's details engraved at the time.
Others, particularly, the fee-paying public schools had their stock of medallions struck in silver, or even in gold.
There's one in the National Museums Scotland of a Selkirk Grammar School silver medal awarded to Elizabeth MacKenzie in 1827 for excellence in English composition.
Perfect attendance records for shorter periods were often marked by the issue of a book to the pupil with a suitable inscription. I saw a book relating to a prize given by Ednam school recently. Such books used often to be seen, however, as they were usually of a Christian nature, bibles, Sunday school stories, or accounts of religious figures, they aren't much sought after, and frequently get thrown away.
If you would like to know whether your ancestors received medals or other prizes, the best place to look is in the school's log book, though they are sometimes mentioned in the local press too.
Keep an eye out for them at car boot sales, too.
If you know your ancestor was awarded a prize, and you would like to find it, do let us know in the forum, somebody may be able to help.
To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Scott's Selkirk
Yesterday and today, the Scott's Selkirk festival took place in Selkirk.
It's been very good in past years, and previous festivals have included a barrel-organ and monkey outside the Co-op in the High St, as well as stalls lining both sides of the High St, in the Market Square, the front garden of the Southern Reporter office and in the back yard of the County Hotel, as well as decorated shops, people dressed up in period costume and re-enactments, with a finale of fireworks at about 4.30 pm on the Sunday.
This year it was not so good. Admittedly, I didn't go yesterday, but today there seemed to be fewer stalls than there were on the Sunday last year. The shops were decorated, and there were a few people in period costume, but far fewer than last year. The tunnel underneath the main A7 road linking the Court house and the old Gaol (now where the library is), was open, and that's new.
It would be sad if this festival had had its day, because it's a nice celebration of Sir Walter Scott and other famous local people. In the past, I've felt it's brightened up a drab and dreich cold December weekend and been something to which to look forward, and an opportunity to buy last minute Christmas presents, particularly for people that seem to have everything.
And why has Borders Family History Society not had a stall ?
I don't know the answer to that question, and it's something to think about for next year, which will be our Silver Jubilee year.
To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.
It's been very good in past years, and previous festivals have included a barrel-organ and monkey outside the Co-op in the High St, as well as stalls lining both sides of the High St, in the Market Square, the front garden of the Southern Reporter office and in the back yard of the County Hotel, as well as decorated shops, people dressed up in period costume and re-enactments, with a finale of fireworks at about 4.30 pm on the Sunday.
This year it was not so good. Admittedly, I didn't go yesterday, but today there seemed to be fewer stalls than there were on the Sunday last year. The shops were decorated, and there were a few people in period costume, but far fewer than last year. The tunnel underneath the main A7 road linking the Court house and the old Gaol (now where the library is), was open, and that's new.
It would be sad if this festival had had its day, because it's a nice celebration of Sir Walter Scott and other famous local people. In the past, I've felt it's brightened up a drab and dreich cold December weekend and been something to which to look forward, and an opportunity to buy last minute Christmas presents, particularly for people that seem to have everything.
And why has Borders Family History Society not had a stall ?
I don't know the answer to that question, and it's something to think about for next year, which will be our Silver Jubilee year.
To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Irish Roots Magazine
Just seen the latest issue of Irish Roots.
Like the majority of Scots, I, too, have Irish ancestors somewhere in my family tree, so this looks like a useful magazine.
The magazine has 30 pages, plus covers, and is generally well laid out on glossy paper, and most of the text is black on white, which makes it easier to read. The front cover has a picture of Angela Lansbury, who stars in the popular TV crime drama, 'Murder She Wrote' and there's an article about her Irish connections inside.
There's a lot of fascinating articles in this magazine.
Most of interest to me is the article about adoption before the 1952 Adoption Act.
It discusses the records at different areas back to 1842, after Irish Poor Law was reorganised. I hadn't realised that Poor Law Unions crossed county boundaries, the article identifies the records to look for, and there's an interesting case study illustrating the difficulties.
There's an interesting article connecting an emigrant to the USA with the 1901 Irish Census, however the image of the 1901 census entry and land and building return is too small to read comfortably. There's unused space on that page, and the images would have been readable if that space had been used.
I found the article about the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the Irish equivalent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, quite absorbing.
Other interesting articles are about stereo view photographs of Ireland; curiosities in Roscommon, and a female hangman; a review of a Family History Diploma course, the (English) National Archives at Kew and their usefulness for Irish records, and a page about the O'Toole clan.
There are also reports from family history societies, a conference in Wellington, New Zealand, an article on DNA, queries, correspondence, and adverts.
Will this magazine help me with my Irish forebears ?
Yes, and in this issue, I've seen several things to follow up.
At a price of 4.50 euros, it is on the expensive side, although that's probably due to the weakness of the pound sterling; however there's a lot of useful information between the covers, and I certainly feel that it's one of the better family history magazines I've seen.
More information at www.irishrootsmagazine.com .
To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.
Like the majority of Scots, I, too, have Irish ancestors somewhere in my family tree, so this looks like a useful magazine.
The magazine has 30 pages, plus covers, and is generally well laid out on glossy paper, and most of the text is black on white, which makes it easier to read. The front cover has a picture of Angela Lansbury, who stars in the popular TV crime drama, 'Murder She Wrote' and there's an article about her Irish connections inside.
There's a lot of fascinating articles in this magazine.
Most of interest to me is the article about adoption before the 1952 Adoption Act.
It discusses the records at different areas back to 1842, after Irish Poor Law was reorganised. I hadn't realised that Poor Law Unions crossed county boundaries, the article identifies the records to look for, and there's an interesting case study illustrating the difficulties.
There's an interesting article connecting an emigrant to the USA with the 1901 Irish Census, however the image of the 1901 census entry and land and building return is too small to read comfortably. There's unused space on that page, and the images would have been readable if that space had been used.
I found the article about the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the Irish equivalent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, quite absorbing.
Other interesting articles are about stereo view photographs of Ireland; curiosities in Roscommon, and a female hangman; a review of a Family History Diploma course, the (English) National Archives at Kew and their usefulness for Irish records, and a page about the O'Toole clan.
There are also reports from family history societies, a conference in Wellington, New Zealand, an article on DNA, queries, correspondence, and adverts.
Will this magazine help me with my Irish forebears ?
Yes, and in this issue, I've seen several things to follow up.
At a price of 4.50 euros, it is on the expensive side, although that's probably due to the weakness of the pound sterling; however there's a lot of useful information between the covers, and I certainly feel that it's one of the better family history magazines I've seen.
More information at www.irishrootsmagazine.com .
To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.
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