Category Archives: Scottish

Scottish registers of aliens

Posted on by
1

Although the various registers of aliens held by The National Archives in Kew have been fairly well covered in family history magazines, I’ve never heard of any similar records held in Scottish archives…. until today.

As usual, I was looking for something else, and came across a mention that the Edinburgh City Archives (ECA) catalogue had gone online at the Scottish Archives Network site SCAN. There was also a link to their website and it was when exploring this that I came across a mention of a register of aliens in Edinburgh dating back to 1794.

It appears that the register is in 2 volumes:

  • The first is declarations given by foreigners about their place of birth or country they came from, their occupation, the length of time they have been in the country and how long they intend to stay in Edinburgh. Most of these declarations date from 1794. (ECA Ref: SL115/1/1)
  • The second consists of forms asking a series of questions about the alien’s name, origins, status, occupation and age. They also include the port of arrival and their current address. These forms date from 1798-1825. (ECA Ref: SL115/2/1)

Best of all – there’s an index which you can download in PDF format from

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Council/Council_Business/City_archives/Collections_and_indexes/CEC_collections_indexes

However, it’s not an alphabetical index. Bear in mind I haven’t actually seen the registers, but from the format of the index I’m assuming that the names are in the same order as they appear in the register. There are almost 70 names in the first register and about 130 names in the second.

I had a further dig in the SCAN and NAS online catalogues…

and it appears that there are some further registers of aliens scattered around archives across Scotland:

(I’m not sure if these 2 are the same register catalogued twice)

I didn’t come across anything described as a register of aliens in the NAS catalogue, but there are some items that might be interesting:

  • Deaths of Enemy Aliens in Internment Camps; Transmission of Special Certificates of Death GRO5/1208 (covering 1916-1917) and GRO5/1209 (covering 1918-1944)
  • Edinburgh (Saughton) Prison registers Male Aliens 1939-1943; Female Aliens 1939-1941 (class HH21/71/44)
  • and a series of papers in class HH31 which include statistical returns and case papers on enemy aliens in WWI

Who knows what else is out there in archives which don’t have their catalogues online?

And just to top things off, Polish Residents in Scotland: A Statistical Sourcebook based on the Census of Scotland, 1861-2001 Edited by Jim Lipka is online at http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/ntstar/scotpolesintro.htm

Sheena

It’s all his fault

Posted on by
Reply

I got interested in family history because of this man.

Robert Dunlop

Robert Dunlop

His name is Robert Dunlop, he was born in Ayrshire in 1848, the oldest of seven children born to a colliery engineman and his wife, and he was my great-grandfather on my father’s side of the family.

I never met him (he died in 1921 – long before I was born!) but I’d always been aware of him because a portrait of him was propped against a wall in my parents’ bedroom and he was the only member of the family I’d ever seen who shared my red hair.

In 1988 my mum received a letter from someone who was researching for a PhD and had come across his papers in the National Museum of Scotland. She had written an article about Robert and thought that his family might be interested in reading it before it was published. My father had died two years before this and we realised that we knew very little about that side of the family, so that letter was the trigger that set me off.

Apparently Robert’s mother didn’t want him to follow family tradition and go down the mines so, when he was 14 she had him apprenticed as an iron moulder in Kilmarnock. Five years later in 1867, the iron master had the existing apprentices locked out and took on some new ones. A disgruntled Robert persuaded the foundry clerk to show him his indentures and promptly burnt them. He must have run away then to the big city, because a couple of months later when his new foreman in Glasgow told him that “a lame man with a tall had and a policeman” were waiting to see him, Robert jumped over the wall and fled.

Ann Hunter

Ann Hunter

He moved to Airdire and on 1 March 1870 he married my great-grandmother, Ann Hunter.

Robert seems to have settled down then as he took up photography and fossil collecting, started going to chemistry evening classes and even won the Queen’s Prize for Scotland, later teaching evening classes himself. By 1884 Robert had been appointed manager of the Stanrigg Oil Works in Airdrie.

Between 1872 and 1882 Robert and Ann had had nine children, including a set of twins, unfortunately only three of these children survived to adulthood.

In 1899, Robert was employed by the Pumpherston Oil Company – a forerunner of BP – to set up a new oil shale plant in New Zealand. Some time round about then, this family photo was taken.

The Dunlop family about 1899

The Dunlop family about 1899 Robert and Ann (seated centre-left), daughter Elizabeth (left), sons David and Walter (right), Walter's wife Janet and their three children - Robert, Agnes and Annie. The youngest child in this photo - Annie - was born on 31 January 1898.

Robert was to set up this oil shale plant in Orepuki, in New Zealand’s Southland and on 8 February 1899 the family left London aboard the SS Kaikoura for the 90-day trip to New Zealand.

From local accounts, the oil shale work seems to have had a huge impact on the area. Robert obviously had faith in the new works as he bought 260 shares in the New Zealand Oil & Coal company which had been set up to finance the enterprise.

However the oil works was not a commercial success; and in 1902 it closed suddenly with very little notice. The official reason given for the closure was the government’s removal of the import duty on kerosene – locals blamed it on a conspiracy by the American oil companies.

Robert and his family returned to Scotland in 1903.

In 1911, when he was 63, Robert was appointed caretaker of the Pittencrief House Museum in Dunfermline. He died on 21 April 1921 and his will shows that he had kept his shares in the New Zealand Oil & Coal Company until his death.

Robert Dunlop after his return to Scotland

Robert Dunlop after his return to Scotland

This is the last photo I have of Robert and we don’t know when it was taken. If anyone knows anything about old scooters – I’d be grateful if you could help.

Sheena

Mitchell Library lectures

Posted on by
1
The Mitchell Library in Glasgow

The Mitchell Library in Glasgow

The Mitchell Library in Glasgow is running a series of family history lectures starting on 14 November and running through into December as part of the Archive Awareness Campaign.

The lecture subjects are:

  • An introduction to Irish family history
  • Census substitutes
  • School archives
  • Family and estate records
  • Poor law archives
  • Archive sources for family history
  • Church archives

To find out more, go to http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Library_Services/The_Mitchell/Archives/familyhistorytalksworkshops.htm

We will remember them: William McKenzie Combe

Posted on by
Reply

Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium

Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium

William McKenzie Combe, son of Angus McDonald Miller Combe and Mary Ann McKenzie; husband to Isabella Rankine and father of Mary McKenzie Combe.

Born on 12 March 1895 at 11 St John Street, Edinburgh.

Enlisted on 19 July 1915 in Edinburgh  Private 251006, 5/6th Battalion Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment).

First entered active service on 21 September 1915 in the Balkans. Transferred to France and Flanders on 15 March 1916.

Wounded on 12 July 1917, France & Flanders.

Died of wounds on 14 July 1917, aged 22.

Buried in Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium.  Awarded 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Summary of WWI records available online

Posted on by
6
Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

Since Remembrance Sunday is tomorrow, now seems a good time to pull together a summary of the World War One records that are available online.

Medal Roll Index Cards

These were generated by the Army and list a man’s entitlement to campaign medals. There are over 5 million cards and they are the nearest approximation to a nominal roll of those who served in the army in WWI. Generally everyone who served overseas was entitled to a campaign medal. The rolls include RAF personnel who, before 1918, were members of the Royal Flying Corps. Royal Navy and Royal Naval Air Service personnel are not included.

Available online from http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/ (pay-per-view) and from http://www.ancestry.co.uk (subscription or pay-per-view).

Descriptions of the various formats & abbreviations used at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/medals.asp?WT.hp=Campaign%20Medals%20-%20%C2%A32

A small proportion of cards have additional information on the back. This can only be viewed at http://www.ancestry.co.uk

Service Records

ARMY

  • About 60% of the service records of those soldiers (not officers) who served in the army during WWI were destroyed by bombing during WWII. The remaining records have been digitised and are available at http://www.ancestry.co.uk
  • Pension records for soldiers who claimed a disability pension for service in WWI are also available at http://www.ancestry.co.uk They are unlikely to include records for soldiers who had no dependants or who re-enlisted for service in WWII.
  • Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps
  • Service records for more than 7,000 women who joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (1917-1918), later Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps (1918-1920) are available at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/

ROYAL NAVY

  • Royal Marines Service Records
    Service records of those who joined the Royal Marines, 1842 -1936.
  • Registers of Seamen’s Services
    Service registers of more than 600,000 seamen in the Royal Navy, 1853 -1923.
  • Royal Naval Division service records
    Service records of more than 50,000 officers and men who joined the RND, 1914 -1919.
  • Royal Naval Officers’ Service Records
    Service records of officers who joined the Royal Navy, 1756 -1917.
  • Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Service Records from WW1
    Service records of those who served in the RNVR during the First World War.
  • Women’s Royal Naval Service
    Service records of more than 7,000 women who joined the WRNS (1917-1919).

These are all available from http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/

ROYAL AIR FORCE

  • Royal Air Force Officers’ Service Records
    Service records of officers who served in the RAF during the First World War.
  • Women’s Royal Air Force
    Service records of women who joined the WRAF, 1914-1919.

These are all available from http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/

Casualties

Other records

  • Selected First World War and Army of Occupation War Diaries
    Selected War Diaries of British and colonial units serving in theatres of operations between 1914- 22.
  • Prisoner of War interviews and reports, First World War
    Interviews and reports of over 3000 individuals from the papers of the Committee on the Treatment of British Prisoners of War.
  • The Victoria Cross Registers
    The Victoria Cross was instituted by Royal Warrant on 29 January 1856 for award to members of the Royal Navy and the Army who ‘shall have performed some signal act of valour…’
  • Aliens Registration Cards
    Aliens registration cards of those living in the London area from 1914.

These are all available from http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/

Gallantry awards and officers’ promotions

The award of a gallantry award, an honour and the promotion of military officers was gazetted, or listed, in the London Gazette. It’s also possible to trace an officer’s career in the armed forces through promotions listings. Once you’ve found the relevant service number it’s easier to search using that rather than the name of the officer. Available from http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/ (free).

I’ve tried to cover all the major sources for the British armed forces which give details of large numbers of men rather than individuals, but I’m sure to have missed some. If you know of other sources, do add them in the comments.

Sheena

Stirling ancestors?

Posted on by
Reply

If you’ve ancestors from Stirling you might find this useful.

The Old Town Cemetery in Stirling has just undergone a £1.7 million refurbishment. The Old Town Cemetery is at the Top of the Town in Stirling, just below the castle and the Esplanade of Stirling Castle forms its Eastern boundary.

The cemetery expanded outwards from the old Holy Rude Kirkyard between 1857-1859 and, unusually, it is laid out as a pleasure ground for the locals as well as a burial ground. The full story is in the Stirling Observer and there’s also a website for the cemetery which includes a map and details of some of the monuments and gravestones at http://www.oldtowncemetery.co.uk/index.html

Sheena
www.setait.co.uk

Scottish OPR burials due online on 1 April

Posted on by
Reply

I was looking at the Glasgow-based newspaper The Herald for a Scottish take on the new London records released on Ancestry (covered in my previous post) when I came across this throwaway comment:

On April 1, the final tranche of the old parish registers, death records for the period 1553-1854, will go online.
Hurrah! Guess what I’ll be doing on Wednesday!
Sheena

New Year ….. New Data

Posted on by
Reply

London is currently shivering under a thick layer of snow

which, according to the news, is the heaviest for 18 years. So this seems like a good time for an update on some of the new data that’s appeared online since Christmas.

First of all was the addition of Counties Antrim, Down and Kerry to the 1911 census for Ireland at http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ which were added to the existing records for Dublin on 23 December 2008.

Next came the annual upload of new data on Scotlandspeople. We can now view the images of the registers of births for 1855-1908, marriages 1855-1933 and deaths 1855-1958 at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

The current big excitement is the 1911 census for England and Wales which went live on 14 January at http://www.1911census.co.uk/. They have gradually added to the number of counties available and currently the whole of England except for Cumberland, Westmorland, Northumberland, Durham and the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire are available. Wales has still to be added. To check on progress and find out about enhancements to the search facilities as they are added, read the blog at http://blog.1911census.co.uk/

A less well publicised launch was the addition of the civil registration indexes for Ireland which are available on the Familysearch Record Search pilot site at http://pilot.familysearch.org. Irish civil registration indexes begin in 1845 for Protestant marriages. Civil registration indexes for births, deaths and all marriages begin in 1864. The available indexes cover all of Ireland from 1845/1864 to 1922 and the Republic of Ireland from 1923-1958. As the General Register Office for Northern Ireland has an online certificate ordering facility at http://www.groni.gov.uk/index/order_certificates.htm and the General Register office for Ireland has downloadable order forms at http://www.groireland.ie/apply_for_a_cert.htm ordering Irish certificates has now become much easier.

Sheena

http://www.setait.co.uk/

Glasgow Police Museum to close

Posted on by
2
The Glasgow Police Museum which is based in the old District Court in St Andrew’s Square is due to close on 8 December.  The Scottish Courts Service is taking over the District Courts from Glasgow Council but does not want the old court building, so the museum has been given notice to quit.  The full story is on the Evening Times website at http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.2468550.0.curators_anguish_as_glasgow_police_museum_is_axed.php
The Glasgow Police were Britain’s oldest police force.
The first attempts to establish a police force for Glasgow were made as far back as 1779 but it wasn’t until the Glasgow Police Act was passed in 1800 that a permanent force was established.  The newly formed force, consisting of three sergeants, six police officers and 68 watchmen mustered for the first time in the Laigh Church, Trongate on 15 November 1800.
For the following 175 years the City of Glasgow Police served the city.
The force was finally disbanded on 15 May 1975 when it was amalgamated with other forces to form Strathclyde Police.
The Police Museum has a website at http://www.policemuseum.org.uk/ where you can read about the history of the force.
Sheena