Prison Registers on Scotland’s People

The recent release of around 180,000 records from Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow, covering 1882 to 1899, offers an intriguing glimpse into those who spent time within the walls of Scotland’s largest and most notorious prison. Available on Scotland’s People, these records provide detailed information about prisoners admitted to Barlinnie, including over 2,000 photographs of inmates.

Barlinnie is added to other historical prison records at Scotland’s People.

Edinburgh Bridewell, 1798 to 1840
Edinburgh (Calton) Prison, 1841 to 1851
Largs Prison, 1843 to 1853
Perth convict journals (male), 1867 to 1879
Perth Prison registers (male), 1888 to 1897, 1902 to 1909, 1913 to 1921
Perth Prison registers (female), 1901 to 1916.

Search prison registers use some or all of the following index fields:

• Surname
• Forename
• Sex (Male, Female or Both)
• Age (an age range can be used, for example 20 to 30)
• Year admitted (a year range can be used, for example 1880 to 1890)
• Prison (a drop-down list of all prisons currently included in the index)
• Country of birth (a drop-down list of All, Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, Outside UK/Ireland or Not Recorded)
• Trial court (the court from where the prisoner was committed; a free-text field, ideally not to be used when searching for a named prisoner)

The search form includes tips for each field with links to more detailed research guides where appropriate. You need to be registered with Scotland’s People to search.

A search for the surname Connery surfaces 31 entries, none for the first name Sean.

 

 

Ancestry adds Two Irish Collections: Servicewomen and Workhouse Records

Ancestry.com has added two minor collections that may be of interest to those with 19th—and early 20th-century Irish ancestry.

The first, “Ireland, Women’s Army Auxiliary WWI, 1916-1920,” documents 150 Irish women who served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, detailing their names, birth dates, occupations, and contributions during World War I. The collection, based on the book “Irish Servicewomen in the Great War: From Western Front to the Roaring Twenties” by Barabara Walsh, covers servicewomen primarily from the counties of Northern Ireland (Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, and Tyrone.

The second collection, “Ireland, Paupers in Workhouses Born in England, Wales, or Scotland, 1863,” lists approximately 570 non-Irish individuals in Irish workhouses, noting their names, ages, birthplaces, and poor law unions. About three-quarters were from England, a fifth from Scotland.  The same information is available on the Internet Archive in “Return of Names and Ages of Paupers in Workhouses in Ireland, March 1863, born in England, Wales or Scotland.”

FreeBMD October Update

The partial outage previously reported appears to be resolved.

While unavailable, the FreeBMD Database was updated on Friday, 25 October 2024, to contain 291,727,471 unique records, up from  291,560,221.

The years with more than 10,000 additions are 1993, 1995-96 for births,  1994-95 for marriages, and 1995 for deaths.

British Newspaper Archive Update for October 2024

The collection added 45 new or updated titles in October compared to 69 last month. That includes 5 (6) new titles.

The earliest publication year mentioned is 1854.

29 (13) papers had more than 10,000 pages added.

Title Years Covered
Daily Express 1900-1999
Sunday Express 1918-1999
Field 1977-2009
Belfast News-Letter 1959, 1961, 1995, 1999
Bedfordshire Times and Independent 1996, 2000-2002
Burnley Express 1999-2003
Halifax Evening Courier 1991-1992, 1995, 1997
Lancaster Guardian 1993-1995, 1999-2002
Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette 1990, 1992
Wolverhampton Express and Star 1992-1993
Morecambe Guardian 1992, 1997, 1999-2002
Hastings and St Leonards Observer 1994-1995, 2000-2003
Chorley Guardian 1994-1995, 1999-2002
Shropshire Star 1986, 1988
Sussex Express 1965-1973, 1985, 1992, 1994-1995
Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail 1991, 2001
Shields Daily Gazette 1992, 1999
Epworth Bells, Crowle and Isle of Axholme Messenger 1911-1915, 1935-1939, 1951-1959, 1970-1973, 1994-1995, 1997, 2000-2003
Dewsbury Reporter 1990, 1994-1995, 1999-2002
Harrogate Advertiser and Weekly List of the Visitors 1995-1996, 1999, 2002
Batley News 1994-1996, 2001-2003
Biggleswade Chronicle 1995, 1999, 2001-2002
Leighton Buzzard Observer and Linslade Gazette 1994-1996, 2001-2002
Derry Journal 1998-1999
West Lancashire Evening Gazette 1953, 1974, 1987, 1999
Mid Sussex Times 1979-1980, 1990, 1992
West Sussex County Times 1972, 1988, 1990-1991
Bucks Advertiser & Aylesbury News 1990, 1992, 2000
Whitby Gazette 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000

 

New from Global Heritage Press – Home Children

This just-published book from Gloria Tubman is a deeply personal look at the British Home Children immigration program through the lens of her own family history. “British Home Children to Canada – Three Sisters from Kensington and Chelsea Union” traces the lives of three sisters, Florence, Caroline and Annie Bond,  who came to Canada as child migrants in the late 19th/early 20th century.

Beyond being an engaging true story, the book is case study for others researching their British Home Child ancestors. Gloria’s 30 years of research experience uncovers a wealth of records – from a London Union workhouse to a Canadian receiving home – that shed light on the sisters’ experiences before, during, and after their emigration. By weaving together these disparate sources, she is able to document the sisters’ lives well beyond the typical 16 years of age that most records cover.

Gloria’s own family connection brings together the elements covered in the extensive bibliography and research appendix which are a valuable reference for fellow genealogists and historians.

https://globalgenealogy.com/countries/canada/home-children/resources/101321.htm

Wikitree Symposium 2024

An interesting opportunity! Not to be missed.

This three-day program, organized by Wikitree,  is free online and runs from 1 to 3 November 2024. It features an impressive lineup of experts presenting topics ranging from traditional research methods to the cutting-edge use of artificial intelligence in family history research.

To highlight just a couple of speakers.

Of particular interest to those starting to research Canadian ancestors, Kathryn Lake Hogan will present “So, Your Ancestor Was Canadian, Eh?” – a comprehensive overview of essential records and resources, including censuses, provincial archives, and historical newspapers. She will share a case study, “What Happened to Mean Old Mr. Simons?” which uncovers a shocking discovery in Norfolk County, Ontario.

David Ryan’s two presentations focus on Irish genealogy. His talk “A Terrible Beauty: Researching Irish Revolutionary Ancestors” explores records related to Irish independence movements from the late 1700s through the 1916-1922 period, while “Tracing Your Irish Surname History” delves into the origins and meanings of Irish family names.

Learn about AI tools, social media strategies, copyright issues, and specialized research techniques. All sessions include Q&A opportunities, and many speakers provide downloadable handouts to supplement their presentations. The event is free and accessible online.

Check out the symposium schedule for registration and complete program details. Anyone can watch the presentations. Register to receive updates and reminders and be eligible for any door prizes.

Malcolm Moody RIP

Malcolm Henry Moody passed away on 24 October 2024, at the age of 81.

Malcolm and his partner Chris have run Archive CD Books Canada since 2004, making digital reproductions of old books and documents available to genealogists and historians. They were frequent exhibitors supporting genealogical events in Ottawa and Ontario.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, 1 November 2024, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Capital Funeral Home and Cemetery (3700 Prince of Wales Dr, Ottawa, ON K2C3H2).

https://www.echovita.com/ca/obituaries/on/ottawa/malcolm-henry-moody-18794260

This Week’s Online Genealogy Events

Choose from selected free online events in the next five days. All times are ET except as noted. Assume registration in advance is required; check so you’re not disappointed. Find out about many more, mainly US events, at Conference Keeper.

Tuesday, 29 October

2 pm: Ottawa Virtual Genealogy Drop-In, for OGS Ottawa Branch.
https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/virtual-genealogy-drop-in-2-2024-10-29/

2:30 pm: The Lincoln Family Album, by Abbie Meek for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/11773882

Wednesday, 30 October

2 pm: 10 Essential Philadelphia Repositories for Genealogists, by Katy Bodenhorn Barnes for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/10-essential-philadelphia-repositories-for-genealogists/

2 pm: Wednesdays With Witcher: Telling the Stories of Our Lives, by Curt Witcher for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/11775223

Thursday, 31 October

6:30 pm: Who Walked These Streets? How to Build an Online Platform for Historic Neighborhood Research, by Elizabeth Hodges for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/11775273

7 pm: Update on Canada, by Dave Obee for BYU Family History Library.
https://familyhistory.lib.byu.edu/learning/webinars

Friday, 1 November

8 am: First presentation of the Wikitree Symposium.
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:WikiTree_Week_Symposium

2 pm: Researching Your Buckinghamshire Ancestors, by Richard Holt for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/researching-your-buckinghamshire-ancestors/

Saturday 2 November
10 am: “Bringing the First World War Home: The
Generations of 1914 and 2024 Come Together”, by Jonathan Vance for OGS London and Middlesex Branch.
https://londonmiddlesex.ogs.on.ca/events/

MyHeritage Opens “Dispatch” Records

From 29 October to 1 November 2024, MyHeritage offers free access to its vast collection of “dispatches” (death, burial, cemetery, and obituary records.) That’s nearly 1.2 billion records in 435 collections.

Just a reminder that Ottawa Public Library cardholders and Ontario Genealogical Society members have free at-home access year-round to the MyHeritage Library Edition.

New at Newspapers.com

“We are pleased to announce the addition of more than 600 new papers from 20 states and six countries, including Australia, Canada, England, Wales, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines. Have a paper you’d like to see added to our archives? Please let us know here. Explore these new newspapers today on Newspapers.com.”

That’s from the Newspapers/com Fishwrap blog post.

Let’s dig deeper:

New Brunswick:
Telegraph-Journal: The most extensive collection from New Brunswick, with 943,895 pages spanning 1874-2024, providing a rich archive for Saint John and provincial history.

Saint John Times Globe and The Moncton Transcript:  Substantial additions with 609,730 and 438,884 pages, respectively, covering over a century.

The Kings County Record and The Northern Light: These more recent additions offer insights into Sussex and Bathurst from 2010 to 2024.

Ontario
Etobicoke Guardian and The Scarborough Mirror: These suburban papers are notable, with over 100,000 pages each, covering mid-20th-century to early 21st-century local news.
The Willowdale Mirror: 37,496 pages capture Toronto area developments from 1960–1984.

Quebec:
Le Nationaliste: With 5,824 pages (1904-1922), this Montreal newspaper offers early 20th-century French-language news.

England
Gazette and Herald editions in Yorkshire and Wiltshire: Largest collection in England with over 22,000 pages, providing local historical coverage for 2014-2019.
The Press (York ed.): A significant addition with 87,086 pages from York (2014-2019).
Other notable entries include The Cumberland News and various local Darlington and Stockton Times editions for northern England.

Wales
Powys County Times and Gazette and Powys County Times and Express: Covering Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire with over 10,000 pages each and focusing on recent years (2017-2019).
Tivy-Side Advertiser: With 10,678 pages from 2014-2019, it covers the Cardigan area in Dyfed, providing a snapshot of Welsh local news.

Financial Health of Canadian Genealogical Societies 2023 – update

This is an update to the post Financial Health of Canadian Genealogical Societies 2023 to incorporate the three societies whose financial results were unavailable then. The amounts are for the reporting and two preceding years.

Alberta Genealogical Society

For the reporting period ending 2023-12-31, total assets of $284,133 ($1,041,398, $590,395) and liabilities of $14,952 ($212,232, $175,854.) The total revenue was $103,689 ($614,488, $188,456.) Expenditures totalled $57,130 ($199,863, $183,798). The individual annual membership fee remains $50 for digital journal subscription. 

Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia

For the reporting period ending 2023-12-31, total assets were $273,107 ($280,554, 277,896) and liabilities $76,541 ($75,206, $48,520.) The total revenue was $57,910  ($75,204, $66,629.) Expenditures totalled $72,603 ($66,232, $65,885.) The individual annual new membership fee is $59.

Saskatchewan Genealogical Society

For the reporting period ending 2023-12-31, total assets were $151,851 ($220,754, $232,273), liabilities (33,104, $116,355, $117,868), total revenues $240,136, ($222,338, $240,443), and total expenditures $225,788, ($232,345, $227,656). Individual basic annual membership remains $70.

Of the 13 societies surveyed, eight were in a surplus position for the year, and five were in deficit.

 

https://childthemewp.com