SCOTLAND-GENWEB-L Archives

Archiver > SCOTLAND-GENWEB > 1998-07 > 0899622253


From: Elizabeth Win <>
Subject: Re: SCOTLAND-GENWEB-D Digest V98 #256
Date: Sun, 5 Jul 1998 19:04:13 +1200 (NZST)


To:Jimmy Jackson
Hi Jim,
>
>I am trying to trace my genealogy. My grandparents were
>from Aberdeenshire Scotland. They had moved to Stretford,
>Manchester England sometime before 1927 as that is where
>my mother was born in 1927. Shortly are that they emmigrated to
>Toronto Canada.
>My Grandfather's name was John Begg. He was born Aug 12, 1903
>in Aberdeenshire. My grandmother was born in Scotland (I'm not sure where,
>but imagine Aberdeenshire). Her name was Marjorie Jean Montgomery Gibb.
>She was born Dec 30, 1906. She had a sister named Annie who married James
>MacKay. Marjorie's father's name was James Gibb. I don't know his wife's
>name.
>As you can see, there are some holes in my information that I want to fill in.

It should be relatively easy to work your way back using civil registration
birth, marriage and death certificates. Civil registration for England
started in 1837, and for Scotland in 1855. The Scottish certificates are
particularly informative.
My first suggestion would be (if you haven't done so already) to join your
local genealogy group. The only one I have listed for Alabama is: Mobile
Genealogical Society Inc, PO Box 6224, Mobile, AL 36660-6224, USA. Their
membership fee is $20.00. Their secretary is David Wilkerson. They have
meetings on the 2nd Saturday of each month. There are probably other local
groups -get the secretary to give you the details for the one closest to you.
Also find out who they use as a certificate ordering service. Here in New
Zealand, we have at least 3 services that I know of, that you can pay your
money to in New Zealand money, and they have a British bank account that
they pay for them with in the UK.
Get your local genealogy group to recommend a more experienced member who
would be prepared to sit down with you and see where to go next, and also
show you how to use your nearest LDS Family History Centre. You can do most
of your research at their facility for a minimal financial outlay (once you
have got back before about 1890).
Next I would find out who has a good collection of GRDs (your genealogy
group or public library should) so you can find out who else is researching
your families, and get in touch with them. If you don't know what a GRD is,
let me know and I will explain further.
Also invest in a good book on Scottish genealogy. My favourites are:

Scotland: A genealogical research guide. Pub LDS 1987 (might have a more
recent edition out now). Series A, no.60.

Introducing Scottish genealogical research by Donald Whyte. 5th ed pub 1984
(probably up-dated since then) by Scottish Genealogy Society, Edinburgh.
ISBN 0-901061-26-3.

The Scots overseas: a selected bibliography by Donald Whyte. Pub 1988 by
FFHS, England. ISBN 0-907099-53-X.

Tracing your Scottish ancestry by Kathleen Cory. Pub 1990 by Polygon,
Edinburgh. ISBN 0-7486-6054-2.

These books are all quite inexpensive, and easy to read. They have good maps
and examples of certificates etc. Your local genealogy group should be able
to recommend a genealogical book dealer you can purchase them through.

Regards,

Elizabeth Win.
Hamilton, New Zealand.

This thread: