Last Sunday's programme, the second of the new episodes of 'Digging up Your Roots', which is broadcast on 92-95 FM every Sunday at midday until 21 February was of wide ranging interest about both emigrants and immigrants.
If you missed this, it will also be available as a podcast.
The first article concerned Ludovic Grant, son of William Grant of Creichie (near Fyvie, in Aberdeenshire), who as a Jacobite soldier in 1715 was captured at the Battle of Preston and sent to America, like many other Jacobite prisoners in 1715 (and in 1745). He served 7 years indenture there, became a trader with the Cherokee providing tools, cloth and beads, married a Cherokee and they had a daughter. There were interesting notes on Cherokee marriage customs. However, Ludovic had married in 1710, and his first wife, Margaret, sued in court in 1736 for a process of adherence.
In spite of his father being a laird, he was bankrupt, so Ludovic had no estate to come back to.
Other Scots married into native American Indian tribes.
The next article was about Adam Marr who emigrated to Australia from Leith, sailing in December 1841, as a bounty immigrant, working initially as a servant, becoming a bookseller later.
Apparently, from 1828 onwards, fewer convicts were being transported, so there was a strong need for labour in Australia. If I've understood them correctly, private settlers in Australia sponsored immigrants' passages, and the Government eventually refunded the settlers. 70,000 bounty immigrants left between 1828 and 1842.
Useful sites mentioned were genealogylinks.net/australia, immigrantships.net, pilot.familysearch.org, the Scottish Emigration Database containing 21,000 passengers, and the ubiquitous ancestry.co.uk which has a list of bounty immigrants.
Other articles were about the surname Florence, with the recommendation that if you are interested in a single surname, you should look at the Guild of One-Name Studies, and also at clan sites - there's a list at rampantscotland.com/clans.
Marjory Harper mentioned a report that half the ranch-hands in Montana, USA, in the 1930s were of Scottish descent, and on Saturdays in the bars they talked in Gaelic.
Write to: Digging Up Your Roots, BBC Radio Scotland, Beechgrove Terrace, Aberdeen, AB15 5ZT or email them at diggingupyourroots@bbc.co.uk , or phone them on 0500 92 95 00, for help with your family history.
Next Sunday's talk is on deaths, and a deputy bank governor with 67 illegitimate children. I wonder whether they all got Christmas presents from him ?
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Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
New Book - Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose
Our latest publication, Days of Our Youth - Memories of Melrose, is a snapshot of childhood in Melrose, Scotland, before the First World War.
John Dick, born 1888, was the son of the local ironmonger and had the sort of happy childhood that was the lot of the children of prosperous families in country areas. The text in this memoir is exactly as John Dick wrote it in 1950, and was supplied by his nephew, Ian Dick of Auckland, New Zealand.
The 52 page book discusses life in Melrose, the shops, excursions, church antics, local characters, celebrations, holidays, and school. It's all a fascinating read about Melrose in the late 19th and early 20th century. It's well illustrated by photos, some in colour, many of which even our older citizens won't have seen for years.
Price £3.75 excluding postage. Weight 100g.
You can get a copy at our archive at 52 Overhaugh St, Galashiels, TD1 1DP, or by choosing the appropriate delivery option and pressing the Buy now button below. Please note: World Zone 2 includes Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Oceania. Europe includes Eire and Russia. World Zone 1 comprises all other countries. If there are other publications you want to buy at the same time, please contact Mary Thomson on our Contacts page using the contact type Order for Publications.
To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.
Monday, January 4, 2010
19th Century Ancestors
Yesterday's programme, the first of the new episodes of 'Digging up Your Roots', which is broadcast on 92-95 FM every Sunday at midday until 21 February was very interesting.
You can also listen to it on BBC iPlayer .
If you miss this, it will also be available as a podcast .
It covered weaving, canal work, iron works, Paisley, Robert Tannahill the 'Weaver Poet', why people went to the Transvaal in the 19th century (a lot of work in building and civil engineering as in much of the rest of the British Empire, and better living and working conditions, especially for skilled workers, than available in Scotland).
They also identified archives to help people move further with their research.
I learned that master weavers in the early 19th century were very well paid, which surprised me.
Next week's programme is on migration - and they're looking for questions from people whose ancestors came to Scotland or left Scotland.
Write to: Digging Up Your Roots, BBC Radio Scotland, Beechgrove Terrace, Aberdeen, AB15 5ZT or email them at diggingupyourroots@bbc.co.uk .
They'll also talk about a Jacobite soldier who married a Cherokee woman.
Later programmes will cover women, eastern Europe, and unusual ancestors.
To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.
You can also listen to it on BBC iPlayer .
If you miss this, it will also be available as a podcast .
It covered weaving, canal work, iron works, Paisley, Robert Tannahill the 'Weaver Poet', why people went to the Transvaal in the 19th century (a lot of work in building and civil engineering as in much of the rest of the British Empire, and better living and working conditions, especially for skilled workers, than available in Scotland).
They also identified archives to help people move further with their research.
I learned that master weavers in the early 19th century were very well paid, which surprised me.
Next week's programme is on migration - and they're looking for questions from people whose ancestors came to Scotland or left Scotland.
Write to: Digging Up Your Roots, BBC Radio Scotland, Beechgrove Terrace, Aberdeen, AB15 5ZT or email them at diggingupyourroots@bbc.co.uk .
They'll also talk about a Jacobite soldier who married a Cherokee woman.
Later programmes will cover women, eastern Europe, and unusual ancestors.
To comment on this article, please click the 'comments' link below.
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