Learn about the pre-1855 Parish Registers of the Roman Catholic Church

Donna Maguire, archivist and records manager to the Bishops Conference of Scotland, is giving a talk on ‘The pre-1855 Parish Registers of the Roman Catholic Church'.

The talk takes place at the Corn Exchange and Ormiston Institute, Market Square, Melrose, TD6 9PN at 2.30pm on Sunday, 29th May. Map.

The talk will be preceded by Borders Family History Society's Annual General Meeting but that's usually over quickly.

I’m eagerly looking forward to this talk.
Donna is going to tell us about the Catholic registers for parishes that were founded before 1855, the six Scottish dioceses and the records of the Bishops Conference of Scotland and its agencies.

You may attend the talk and the AGM whether you are a member or not.
Doors open at 2pm; the AGM begins at 2.30pm.

Knowing how to find Catholic records is vital in family history, even if you think you have no Catholics in your family, you may be wrong, as I was, especially if you can’t find the birth of one or more your ancestors.

I suggest you go early to get a good seat.
They'll have a range of family history publications available to buy, and there’ll be light refreshments (donation expected) available after the talk.

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

The talk was previously advertised for last October but did not take place then due to illness.

Berwick 900 Family History Day - Saturday 16th April 2016 at Berwick-upon-Tweed - Updated Programme

Family History Day is almost upon us !

Building on the success of the Berwick 900 Family History Festival held on 3rd and 4th October last year, we’re holding a Family History Day from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 16th April 2016 at Berwick Town Hall, Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed. Map.

Like last year, it’s free and there will be exhibitors, talks, displays about the research carried out, talks, refreshments, one to one family history surgeries where you can find out how to start your family history or overcome a problem.

There’ll be activities for kids and their parents, and the opportunity to see the Burgon family tree – please bring along your research, birth and marriage certificates and see if you’re connected.

Exhibitors
Berwick Freemasons Lodge
Borders Family History Society
Lothians Family History Society
North East War Memorials
Northumberland Archives
Northumberland & Durham Family History Society
Scottish Borders Council Archives (Hawick Heritage Hub)
All the above exhibitors are keen to help you with your family history.

Jura Consultants and Spence & Dower - Proposals for Berwick Barracks

Talks Programme
10am Northumberland & Durham Family History Society – North Northumberland branch
11am Ralph Holmes – My Weird & Wonderful Family
12 noon Paul Jardine and Tina Gough – Berwick Barracks Re-awakened
1pm Linda Bankier – The Berwick 900 Our Families Project
2pm Bill Stewart - A Century of Boatbuilders in Berwick and Eyemouth
3pm David Pye – Berwick War Memorial – personal stories of soldiers

Family History Surgeries
20 minutes with a specific expert in a quiet room to discuss your family history problem or interest.

We now have a fully booked schedule of family history surgeries.
However, there might be a cancellation, so if you need help and none of the exhibitors can help you, please ask at the Welcome Desk.

Maltings Youth Theatre Dramas - A Step Back In Time (to 1911)
11am Part 1 - outside the Town Hall (weather permitting)
11.45am Part 2 inside the Town Hall (upstairs in the Court area)
12.30pm Part 3 - outside the Town Hall (weather permitting)

Berwick 900 Family History Day - Saturday 16th April 2016 at Berwick-upon-Tweed - Revised Programme

Building on the success of the Berwick 900 Family History Festival held on 3rd and 4th October last year, we’re holding a Family History Day from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 16th April 2016 at Berwick Town Hall, Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed. Map.

Like last year, it’s free and there will be exhibitors, talks, displays about the research carried out, talks, refreshments, one to one family history surgeries where you can find out how to start your family history or overcome a problem.

There’ll be activities for kids and their parents, and the opportunity to see the Burgon family tree – please bring along your research, birth and marriage certificates and see if you’re connected.

Exhibitors
Berwick Freemasons Lodge
Borders Family History Society
Lothians Family History Society
North East War Memorials
Northumberland Archives
Northumberland & Durham Family History Society
Scottish Borders Council Archives (Hawick Heritage Hub)
All the above exhibitors are keen to help you with your family history.

Jura Consultants and Spence & Dower - Proposals for Berwick Barracks


Talks Programme
10am Northumberland & Durham Family History Society – North Northumberland branch
11am Ralph Holmes – My Weird & Wonderful Family
12 noon Paul Jardine and Tina Gough – Berwick Barracks Re-awakened
1pm Linda Bankier – The Berwick 900 Our Families Project
2pm Bill Stewart - A Century of Boatbuilders
3pm David Pye – Berwick War Memorial – personal stories of soldiers

Family History Surgeries
20 minutes with a specific expert in a quiet room to discuss your family history problem or interest.

Surgeries are currently available starting at 10.30, 11.00, 12.00, 12.30, 13,00, 13.30, 14.30, 15.00.
Book your preferred starting time now by email to

Please state brief details of your problem or interest, whether it’s English or Scottish and preferred time slot and provide your landline phone number.

Maltings Youth Theatre Dramas - A Step Back In Time (to 1911)
11am Part 1 - outside the Town Hall (weather permitting)
11.45am Part 2 inside the Town Hall (upstairs in the Court area)
12.30pm Part 3 - outside the Town Hall (weather permitting)

Are you a Riddell and Interested in Your Family Tree ?

A lady in New Zealand named Gail Riddell and an apparently unrelated Jim Riddell in America are joint administrators for the Riddell/Riddle/Ridley/Ruddell DNA project with an American based firm called FamilyTree DNA. .

Gail's family were mostly from the Roxburghshire area but were also in Berwickshire and Lanarkshire (not to mention all through the Lothian area), depending on the lands they purchased/versus where their money was "made". Jim's forebears were from Lanarkshire in the late 16th Century and are thought to have left at the time of the Covenanters.

Gail wrote "I have many men from New Zealand, Australia, USA, one from South Africa and a few from UK who have been excited by what they have learned as a result of testing their Y-Chromosome.  They have worked hard in order to raise sufficient funds for me to be able to offer totally free, a number of  Y-37 tests for any man living in Northumberland, the Scottish Borders, Yorkshire or lowland Scotland who has this surname and who has a family tree of his paternal ancestry back to around 1800 or earlier.

The bottom line is to extend and "prove" our genealogy in a way that paper trails have been unable.  By that, I mean if we go back into history, especially the 1600s (as an example) and look at the deaths, followed by pestilence, followed by famines and we soon begin to realise that not everyone who bears a particular surname is actually of that stock.  I say this because many young women with wee ones to feed were made widows and frequently joined up with a "protector" who thus gave his name to those
wee ones.

For those who are anxious about DNA testing - the medical genes are not considered in the test that I am offering as a "freebie".  The test itself needs just two separate cheek swabs.  "

If you're a Riddle (whatever the spelling), and you've got a family tree on the paternal side back to 1800, and you would be willing to take the test, please contact Gail at the email address below.

If you want help building your family tree, there are still a few family history surgeries available (booking essential) on our Berwick 900 Family History Day on Saturday 16th April 2016 at Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Free Access to FindMyPast's Irish Records till 7 March

Perhaps it's the thought of St Patrick's Day or perhaps more of us have ancestors that came from Ireland than we thought.

Anyway, FindMyPast claims to have the largest collection of Irish Records and they're offering free access until 7 March.

Start your search of Irish Records.

If you need help with an English or Scottish family history problem, there are still some free family history surgeries available (you need to book in advance) on Berwick Family History Day on 16 April.

Berwick 900 Family History Day - Saturday 16th April 2016 at Berwick-upon-Tweed

Please note that this has been superseded by Berwick 900 Family History Day - Saturday 16th April 2016 at Berwick-upon-Tweed - Revised Programme.

Building on the success of the Berwick 900 Family History Festival held on 3rd and 4th October last year, we’re holding a Family History Day from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 16th April 2016 at Berwick Guildhall, Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed. Map.

Like last year, it’s free and there will be exhibitors, talks, displays about the research carried out, talks, one to one family history surgeries where you can find out how to start your family history or overcome a problem.

There’ll be activities for kids and their parents, and the opportunity to see the Burgon family tree – bring along your research, birth and marriage certificates and see if you’re connected.

Exhibitors
Berwick Freemasons Lodge
Borders Family History Society
Lothians Family History Society
North East War Memorials
Northumberland Archives
Northumberland & Durham Family History Society
Scottish Borders Council Archives (Hawick Heritage Hub)
All the exhibitors are keen to help you with your family history.

Provisional Talks Programme
10am Northumberland & Durham Family History Society
11am Ralph Homes – My Weird & Wonderful Family
12 noon Linda Bankier – The Berwick 900 Our Families Project
1pm Fred Kennington – Cross-Border Marriages
2pm Bill Stewart - A Century of Boatbuilders
3pm Peter Munro – Scottish Borders Poor Law Records

Family History Surgeries
20 minutes with a specific expert in a quiet room to discuss your family history problem or interest.

Surgeries are currently available starting at 10.30, 11.00, 11.30, 12.00, 12.30, 13,00, 13.30, 14.00, 14.30, 15.00.
Book your preferred starting time now by email to

Please state brief details of your problem or interest, whether it’s English or Scottish and preferred time slot and provide your landline phone number.

Getting Started in Family History

As part of the Berwick 900 Our Families project, we are running a free workshop on Getting Started in Family History on Friday 13 November between 10.30 and 12.30 in Berwick Town Hall, Marygate, Berwick-Upon-Tweed,TD15 1BN. Map.

This is aimed at people who would like to start researching but don't know what to do or how to go about it. The workshop will give some pointers on how to get started.

If you are interested in attending, please book by email to berwickarchives@woodhorn.org.uk or phone (01289) 301865.

Johnson Patterson's Family Story and Other Stories from the Berwick 900 Family History Festival

A major part of Berwick 900 has been the many family stories discovered during the festival.

An unusual start to the video about the Berwick 900 Family History Festival weekend has two volunteers, Trevor Bird and his son, Andrew Bird, talking about Northern Spirit, Berwick, a peer support group for people suffering from health problems like depression and anxiety issues.

Hear Gordon Elliot, born in Spittal, Peter Guthrie, Carol White and Terry White, glimpses of the exhibition in Berwick Town Hall and a couple of speakers (Fred Kennington about researching family history across the England/Scotland border and I about harnessing search engines for family history research), Derek Sharman talking about the legacy of the Berwick 900 Festival, Linda Bankier talking in detail about family history research and using Berwick Archives.

You'll see Linda Bankier in the graveyard of Holy Trinity Church talking about the gravestone of Charles Younghusband Patterson, son of Johnson Patterson, born 1763 and Isabella Patterson; about checking the burial registers and the parish registers. Using church records, Linda discovered that Johnson and Isabella had 7 sons and 2 daughters, but that Johnson had an earlier wife, Ann Dumble. The 1841 census showed a son from that marriage. The Freemen of Berwick Guild records showed that Johnson was a Freeman and several of his sons became Freemen, too. Linda established that Johnson had 15 children in total.

You can also see a small boy helping artist, Carl von Weiler, making part of the Great Performing Rope.

A Gallery of Photos from the Berwick 900 Family History Festival

These images are of the Berwick 900 Family History Festival held on 3 and 4 October.

Davina on the Borders FHS stall

John Murray talking to Alan Turnbull about family history

Berwick Record Office Display about the Brown and Willoby Families

Northumberland Archives Display

Berwick Record Office Display about Dr Philp MacLagan

Berwick Record Office Display about Thomas Grey, the Railway Poet

Northumberland & Durham Family History Society

Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Display

Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Display

Telling a Family Story on the Great Performing Rope stand

Berwick Stamp Club Display

New Book: The Postal History of Berwick-upon-Tweed

Refreshments

Scottish Genealogical Society Display

Scottish Genealogical Society Display

Borders Family History Society Display about the 
former Peel Hospital, near Clovenfords

John Murray talking to Alan Turnbull about family history

Berwick Record Office Display

Gregory Lauder-Frost providing advice (by courtesy of Valerie Glass)

(by courtesy of Valerie Glass)

Having a Chat on the Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Stand 
(by courtesy of Valerie Glass)

Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Display 
(by courtesy of Valerie Glass)

Free Access Weekend to Ancestry UK

It seems doubtful that Ancestry have announced their free weekend just for the Berwick 900 Family History Festival but let's make good use of it.

Free access is until midnight British Summer Time.

I'm puzzled that the Ancestry page says "UK Records Free Access" but lists only immigration and emigration records.

The records include

• 19th-Century Emigration from Kreis Simmern (Hunsrueck), Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany to Brazil, England, Russian Poland, and USA
• A List of Emigrants from England to America, 1682-1692 and 1718-1759
• American Migrations 1765-1799
• An Alphabetical Index to Ulster Emigration to Philadelphia, 1803-1850

Please note you'll need to login (and register if you haven't logged in before.

The Mysterious Berwick Lady on the Poster for the Berwick Family History Festival on 3 and 4 October

People have been asking if we know who the enigmatic lady on our poster is or if we know her name.

She's Ellen McKay known as Nellie, aged 25, born about 1878 in Ireland.

Descending under her chin, there are 4 other photos:

A family photo taken in Easter 1902 - see The McKay Family of Berwick-Upon-Tweed.

We think the other photos are of

• Constance (Connie ) McKay
• Nellie and Maud McKay in a group of females
• Nellie McKay and Winnie McKay

and are described on More Berwick-Upon-Tweed McKay Pictures.

Did you know the family ?

Are you related to them ?

If you can help us in any way to help track down descendants, please do get in touch on 01289 301865 or leave a comment below.  

Bookings for our family history surgeries are trickling in.

The surgery sessions are on Saturday 3 October and Sunday 4 October at 11.30 am, 12 noon, 12.30, 1pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 2.30pm and 3pm each day with local experts, to help you start your family history, identify records for you to look at, help you scale that brick wall or solve a knotty family history problem.

We have only 16 sessions on offer, and already two are taken.

Booking for these surgery slots is essential (first come, first served), please email us at the address below stating which day and time you prefer and if possible, whether your query is about Scottish or English family history.

Use FindMyPast for Free this Weekend

From 12pm BST on Friday, 18 September  to 12pm BST on Monday, 21 September, you can access lots of family history records and historic newspaper pages at FindMyPast for free.

Access includes:

• Ireland census records from 1821, 1831, 1841, 1851 and 1911
• Poverty relief loan records that give an insight into the darkest days of Irish history
• Military records from conflicts such as the Battle of Waterloo, Crimean War and World War 1
• Travel and migration records
• 7 million historical Irish newspaper articles
• Over 11 million British newspaper pages from 1710 onwards

Extend your family history with FindMyPast's free weekend offer.

Learn More about Family History and Local History

Are you interested in improving your family history and local history knowledge and skills ?

The University of Dundee Centre for Archive and Information Studies offers courses to develop your skills in particular areas.

They're offering a webinar on 16 July from 12.30pm to 1.30pm so you can find out what's on offer and ask questions.

It's hosted by #AncestryHour.

To take part, you need to register.

Get Help with your Family History at Berwick Guildhall, This Weekend, 27 and 28 June

The next event in the Berwick 900 Festival is Berwick’s Garrison Through The Ages, which is on at the weekend, 27 and 28 June.

There'll be an exhibition in the Guildhall about soldiers and their lives, as well as a stand for family history enquiries.

So if you're wondering how to start your family history, need some help with the records, you've hit a brick wall, come along between 1pm and 3pm and let us help you.

If you;d like to share your family stories on our blog or need help with researching them, come and see us.

Don't ignore what's happening outside; the Armed Forces Day Parade starts at 12 noon on Saturday 27 June and includes a pipe band, cadets, and former servicemen and women.
Just a few minutes walk away are Berwick’s historic ramparts and this weekend there’ll be authentic period soldiers’ encampments beside the ramparts.

More details on the Our Garrison Story & Armed Forces Day Parade programme.

The Guildhall is in Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed. Map.

Free Easter Weekend Access to Ancestry's UK and Canadian Records

To celebrate Easter, Ancestry UK and Ancestry Canada are offering free access to more than one billion UK family history records and images and more than 235 million Canadian family history records and images over the Easter weekend.

Their advert pages say the offer ends at 23.59 on 6 April in the UK and 23.59 ET on 6 April in Canada.

As with other Ancestry offers, you'll presumably need to log in, so if you haven't already done so, register free and log in.

Come to our Easter Family History Surgeries at Berwick-upon-Tweed

This weekend is the start of the Berwick 900 Festival that celebrates 900 years of Berwick’s history.

The theme of the Easter weekend, 3  to 6 April is “Our Christian Story” that celebrates Christian institutions, religious life and a few of the great Christian leaders in the town.

At St Andrews Church, Wallace Green, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1ED as well as the “Moments in Time” Flower Festival, inspired by the church’s history, there will be display panels about Robert Balmer, an inspirational minister at Golden Square, Dr John Cairns and Berwick’s well known physician, Philip MacLagan, a church elder.

Although all these men were born in Scotland and at times lived elsewhere, they all had strong links with Berwick. Like them, John Hamilton Hall, a freeman, was born in Coldstream, moved to Berwick as a child where his father was a doctor, left the town to fight in India, returned when he retired from the army, aged 40, got married and then moved to Edinburgh.

Did your family move into or out of Berwick ?
Why did they do that ?
If your family is associated with Berwick, Tweedmouth or Spittal, the Berwick 900 Our Families Project would love to hear your family stories.

Normally you need to visit Berwick Record Office to consult the transcripts of church registers of baptisms, marriages and burials for Berwick and Tweedmouth. However, over the Easter weekend, you can look at some of the registers in the churches where the events took place – Berwick Parish; St Andrews and Berwick Roman Catholic churches and Tweedmouth Parish Church. Look on the Berwick 900 website for opening times.

Are you wondering how to start your family history ? Perhaps you’ve started researching your family but have hit a brick wall.

If you need any help why not come along to our Family History surgeries in St Andrews Church from 12 to 2pm each day from Good Friday to Easter Monday and speak to experienced genealogists.

Family History Volunteers Needed, Please Help !

The Our Families Project is looking for volunteers to help research families and their stories for displays as part of the other themed weekends for the Berwick 900 Festival in Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth this year.

If you are an experienced Family Historian, we’ll provide you with advanced training on specific resources.

If you are a complete novice, we’ll train you in basic family history and provide you with resources.

We are holding an initial meeting for Beginners on Tuesday 7th April at 10am in the Berwick Record Office, Council Offices, Wallace Green, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1ED.

Do come along if you want to find out more and are keen to help us. Researching family history is fun and interesting.

For further information please contact Linda Bankier at berwickarchives@woodhorn.org.uk or tweet @Berwick900.

Free Access to Swedish Records on 21 and 22 March

Considering that Berwick was a major port for hundreds of years, it's fairly likely that some of the sailors would have been Swedish, whether on Swedish ships or on ships from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia participating in the Baltic Trade.

Perhaps some of those sailors decided to drop anchor and stay in Berwick, Tweedmouth or Spittal or were stranded when their ship sailed off without them.

Perhaps one of them was your ancestor.

Also, many Scots (including one of my ancestors) went to fight as mercenaries for the King of Sweden, so perhaps they married and had a family there.

To celebrate Genealogy Day in Sweden, which is on 21 March, ArkivDigital is offering free access to Swedish records in their collection at the weekend.
Sweden is one hour ahead of us so the free period is from 11pm on 20 March to 11pm on 22 March.

You'll need to register and download the ArkivDigital program.

There's also a useful guide to Swedish Genealogical records.
If this helps you to widen your family history, please let us know.

Attend Free Family History Workshops

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who most of us know and refer to as "the Mormons", are running a free family history days from 9am to 4pm on 15 November 2014 at Queen Alexandra Road, Sunderland and 30A Colinton Road, Edinburgh.

The program for Edinburgh is that registration starts at 9am and orientation at 9.30 am.

Between 10am and 4pm there will be 4 workshops:
How to Use Family Search
How to Use Family Tree
Scottish Research
Irish Research

The program for Sunderland hasn't been finalised but it starts at 12.30 and goes on to 4pm.
There will be a lunch break but you have to provide your own lunch.

Registration is essential for Edinburgh Family History Day and Sunderland Family History Day, which is followed by 2 subsequent emails.

If that date or those locations aren't convenient, there are fairs in other towns and cities and dates planned - search for your family history day location.

Ancestry Canada Offers Free Access until 2 September

To celebrate Canadian Labour Day, Ancestry Canada appears to be offering free access to worldwide family history records and images for a limited period.

Their advert page says the offer ends at midnight on 1 September and assuming that's in the westernmost part of Camada, that's 8am British time.

As with other Ancestry offers, you'll presumably need to log in, so if you haven't already done so, register free and log in.

Search Ancestry Canada.