Memories and Memory - how good are yours ?

The first meeting of our new programme is this Sunday, 29th September, at 2.30pm in the Corn Exchange & Ormiston Institute, Market Square, Melrose, TD6 0PN (see map) when Anne Reid of SpeakingLives will give a talk titled 'Memories and Memory - how good are yours ?'

Anne is an oral historian who has travelled all over the UK helping folk record their family histories and life stories. She will share anecdotes and tips about how to find the missing pieces and record the stories behind your family tree.

Often we rely on written detail and photographs while the memories of those around us may be the real key to unlocking the tree for future generations. Come to the meeting and gain a fascinating insight into the process for recording the stories behind your family tree.

I warmly invite you to attend the talk whether you are a member or not.

Doors open at 2pm; the meeting begins at 2.30pm.
There is no admission charge.



We'll have a range of family history publications available to buy, and there’ll be light refreshments available after the talk (donation expected).

If you have a problem with your family history, please discuss it (no charge) with one of our volunteers.


Speakers at meetings occasionally need to be changed at the last minute, due to circumstances beyond our control.

Trades & Crafts in Scotland, Medieval to Modern

The theme of the next Scottish Local History Forum conference is Trades & Crafts in Scotland, Medieval to Modern.

It's being held in Scottish Local History Forum at Glasgow Trades Hall,  85 Glassford Street, Glasgow on Thursday, 31 October 2013.
The cost is £30 including morning tea & coffee & sandwich lunch, with a £4 reduction for members.  

 It's an interesting programme:    

10.15-12.30 

• Murray Blair- The Trades House and Hall of Glasgow                       
• Dr Bruce Durie - Finding records of trades, crafts, burgess guilds and apprentices. 
• Olive Geddes -Wielding the hammer : the record books of the Hammermen of Perth 
• Dr Douglas Lockhart - New homes in the suburbs and the countryside: developing  trade guilds’ land
• Don Martin - Scottish trade symbols  

14.00-16.30

• Dan Coughlan - Pirns, patterns and poetry - a look at the life and culture of the Paisley weavers
• Lorna Dey - Flour power: Aberdeen’s baxters          
• Heather Jack - Industry, and the schools of art and design
• John Donaldson - Carvers are starvers

More information.

40 Free Credits on FindMyPast (ends 29 September)

To celebrate the addition of more than 300,000 new records to their Royal Household staff collection, FindMyPast are offering 40 free credits for their online databases. That’s enough to get you 4 staff records, 8 birth, marriage and death records, or 2 merchant navy seamen.

The Royal Household staff collection covers most staff employed at royal residences across the UK as far back as the 16th century and they include the reigns of King Charles I, Queen Victoria and King George V.

As well as census records, births, marriages and deaths, records about the armed forces, education, employment, migration and  travel, FindMyPast also has criminal records and newspapers.

You'll need to be quick to get your credits - the offer ends at midnight on Sunday 29 September and you’ll need to register and enter the offer code 'YOURMAJESTY' too but you get 30 days in which to use the credits.
Full details of the offer. Search FindMyPast.

I don’t think any of my ancestors were employed by the royal family, so if any of yours were, please let me know what you found out.