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From: Philip Bell <>
Subject: RE: [SHETLAND] SFHS Edinburgh trip + other useful sources
Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 09:46:26 +0100


Hello Robyn,
You mention the intriguing sounding Meal Distribution Lists for Unst! Where
and what on earth are they? Does anyone have the address for the NAS website
please?
Philip

-----Original Message-----
From: Robyn Hukin [mailto:]
Sent: 04 May 2005 07:20
To:
Subject: RE: [SHETLAND] SFHS Edinburgh trip + other useful sources


Thanks for the feedback Alan, more things to add to the wish list for my
next visit! I'd be most interested to hear of the successes of others who
went on the Edinburgh trip. Are there any others on the list?

Whilst I didn't go, I did get to do a lot of research in various Scottish
repositories when in Scotland at about this time last year. One of the
greatest gems (apart from the Meal Distribution Lists for Unst of course!) I
found was the Admission Registers and other material for the Sunnyside
Lunatic Asylum in Montrose. I knew one of my Winwick folk was incarcerated
in there during the 1881 census and I was curious as to why he was there.
Flappy ears and a big nose later I learnt from another researcher that these
registers were to be found in the Dundee University Archives. I therefore
spent two wonderful days there poking into all sorts of thing. There were a
great many Shetlanders in this institution, for a variety of reasons. I only
scratched the surface, having looked at about three volumes covering about
10 years. Enough to learn my lad was in their later in the 1890s, and all
about his bodily functions!

The staff at the DUA were fantastic and extremely helpful and I'd encourage
anyone to visit the place. Pretty easy to find, though it was closed on
Wednesdays from memory. They also had a lot of stuff for the Epicopalian
congregations around the Angus area.

Robyn

-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Beattie [mailto:]
Sent: Saturday, 30 April 2005 3:47 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [SHETLAND] SFHS Edinburgh trip


Hi Robyn,

Now I have got my breath back after a very hectic five days in Edinburgh I
have time to reply to your queries. You had asked us to check two separate
lots of records there.

Firstly the Farm Horse tax, reference number E326/10/12.

Sadly the full catalgoue entry makes the whole thing clear. The box covers a
range of listed counties then at the bottom adds "Except Shetland" although
it was in the original list! So that was that.

You also asked about Herring Buss Records in NAS - E508, which apparently
contain lists of crew. Well, maybe. I was in West Regsiter House and checked
with the duty archivist. He was very knowledgeable and helpful.

NAS-E508 is a large group of receipts. They vary from items with little more
than a sum of money on to signed receipts. When we checked the catalogue,
each individual year is divided into nine or ten boxes (the period was
roughly 1750-1800 give or take). One box was whaling receipts and another
fishing receipts, and they keep the same suffix number for every different
year. Each box then contains 250 or more items. Obviously it will take some
time to check even one box, let alone run through a large number.

I could not check any of them as they are not kept in the search areas but
have to be ordered 24 hours in advance and then seen at the "other office".
I was not sure where he meant, but it was clearly not the West Register
House. Sadly I did not have another day.

I wonder whether any of the list are in, or going to, Edinburgh and could
order ahead to check some of this out for us?

Finally to say that the whole NAS catalogue can be checked on line. It is
sometimes detailed, so that surnames can be checked, but in other areas is
very vague.

Regards,

Alan

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