Annette Kerr Genealogy

From Samhain to Guising: Scottish Halloween Traditions

31/10/202631/10/2026akgen

31 Oct 2026 · @Annette

Long before plastic pumpkins and shop-bought costumes, Scots were marking the last night of October with bonfires, carved turnips and children in disguise. Much of what the world now calls Halloween has roots right here, and our ancestors would recognise more of it than you might think.

For family historians, these customs are more than seasonal fun. They are a window into how our forebears saw the world: a place where the line between the living and the dead could grow thin, where the harvest was gathered in before winter, and where a hazelnut on the fire might tell you who you were going to marry.

Samhain: where it all began

Samhain (in Scottish Gaelic, Samhainn, roughly “sow-in”) was the Celtic festival that closed the harvest and split the year into its light and dark halves. In Gaelic Scotland it fell on 1 November, with the celebrations beginning the night before, Oidhche Shamhna.

This was the night when the boundary between our world and the Otherworld was believed to weaken. Fairies and the spirits of the dead could cross over and walk among the living. Great bonfires, called samhnagan, were lit to keep evil at bay. On the islands neighbours competed to build the biggest blaze, while on the mainland fires were set on high ground to be seen for miles.

The Church later folded the festival into its own calendar. All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows, moved to 1 November, which made 31 October All Hallows’ Even: Hallowe’en. Scotland has written evidence of the night from at least the 16th century. In 1584 the poet Alexander Montgomerie described the fairy king and his court riding out on “alhallow even”.

Guising: Scotland’s original trick or treat

If you grew up in Scotland, you didn’t go trick-or-treating, you went guising. The name comes from “disguise”, and the disguise had a purpose. Dressed as spirits, children could blend in with whatever was wandering abroad that night and avoid being carried off by the fairies.

The treat had to be earned. Guisers sang a song, recited a poem or told a joke at the door before anyone handed over nuts, fruit or a few coins. Tradition even says King James V went guising in disguise around the villages near Stirling Castle.

Guising wasn’t always limited to one night. Early 20th-century newspapers suggest it could run for weeks, and that worried the authorities. The Children Act 1908 made it an offence to use children to beg. In 1929 the Aberdeen Press and Journal reported parents charged after their guisers stopped people in the street. The case was dismissed, and National Records of Scotland suggest the sheriff’s advice on when guising was acceptable may help explain why it became tied to 31 October.

Tumshie lanterns: before the pumpkin

Forget pumpkins. A proper Scottish Hallowe’en lantern was carved from a turnip, or tumshie in Scots (neep is just as common). Faces were cut into the skin, the inside scooped out and a candle set within to frighten off fairies and ghosts.

Anyone who has tried it will tell you a turnip fights back. Hollowing one out takes patience, a strong spoon and sore hands. The reward is a wonderfully eerie, wizened glow, and a pot of mashed neeps from the leftovers. Scottish and Irish emigrants are generally credited with carrying the custom across the Atlantic, where the softer, bigger pumpkin took over and later made its way back to us.

Dooking for apples and treacle scones

No Scottish Hallowe’en party was complete without a basin of water and a few apples bobbing on top. In apple dooking, you knelt with your hands behind your back and tried to catch one with your teeth. In some homes you held a fork in your mouth and dropped it from above to spear one. Expect a soaked jumper either way. The origins are hazy, with some links to the apple as a fruit of love and divination.

Then came the treacle scones. Scones were smeared with black treacle and hung from a string, often stretched across the room or from the pulley. With hands behind backs, players tried to take a bite as the scone swung past their faces. It was messy, sticky and enormously good fun, and many of us still remember the treacle in our hair.

Burns, nuts and kale: fortune-telling on Hallowe’en

For young Scots in the past, Hallowe’en was above all a night for discovering who you would marry. Robert Burns captured these customs in his poem Halloween, written in 1785 and published in the 1786 Kilmarnock edition. The 1787 Edinburgh edition added notes explaining the charms for readers who didn’t know them.

Nut burning: A couple placed two hazelnuts in the fire. If they burned quietly side by side, a happy match lay ahead; if they hissed and jumped apart, trouble.
Pulling kale: Eyes shut, you pulled a kale stalk from the yard after dark. Its height and shape foretold your future partner’s, and earth on the roots meant wealth.
The apple and the mirror: Eat an apple before a looking glass and your future spouse might appear over your shoulder.
Fuarag: In the Highlands, oatmeal and cream was mixed with hidden tokens. A ring meant marriage, a coin wealth, and a thimble another year single.

Finding Hallowe’en in your ancestors’ records

You can still catch glimpses of these customs in the sources we use every day. Here is where to look.

Church court records: The Church of Scotland frowned on Hallowe’en fires. The Assembly of Fife in 1648 and Cupar Presbytery in 1649 told ministers to stop bonfires on the Sabbaths before Midsummer and Hallowe’en. Kirk session minutes, many searchable on ScotlandsPeople, sometimes record parishioners rebuked for “superstitious” practices.
The Statistical Accounts: Parish ministers described local customs in the 1790s and 1830s. In 1793 the minister of Logierait, Perthshire, recorded Hallowe’en bonfires in his parish.
Newspapers: Local papers reported Hallowe’en parties, dances and guising, and the occasional court case like the 1929 Aberdeen one.
Photographs and memories: Family albums, local archives and oral history projects often hold pictures of turnip lanterns and dooking from the 20th century.

Why not ask your older relatives what they remember of Hallowe’en? Their stories of guising songs and treacle scones are family history too, and well worth writing down. Happy Hallowe’en!

References

Historic Environment Scotland, Samhainn and the Scottish traditions of Hallowe’en (2023)
National Records of Scotland, Out guising (2020)
University of St Andrews Special Collections, ‘Alhallow Evin’ in Scotland (2019)
National Trust for Scotland, 6 Scottish Halloween traditions
Robert Burns, Halloween, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (Kilmarnock, 1786)

The Blantyre Colliery Explosion, 22 October 1877

22/10/202622/10/2026akgen

Overview

On the morning of Monday 22 October 1877, an explosion tore through Pits No. 2 and No. 3 of William Dixon’s Blantyre Colliery in Lanarkshire. The official death toll was 207, although local research has since identified at least 215 victims. Among the dead were boys of just eleven and twelve.

It remains Scotland’s worst mining disaster. Almost every household in the surrounding mining rows was affected, and the loss shaped the community for generations.

Scottish Mining Website (n.d.) Blantyre Colliery explosion, 1877 [image]. Available at: http://www.scottishmining.co.uk/Indexes/blantyre1877-1.jpg (Accessed: 16 October 2026).

Genealogy Focus

Behind those numbers were families. Fathers and sons, brothers and cousins went down the pit together that morning. Twelve-year-old James Clyde died alongside his father and his brother William.

If your ancestors came from the Lanarkshire coalfield, a disaster like this can explain a lot: a man who vanishes from the records, a young widow who remarries, a family that suddenly moves away or turns up in the Poor Law registers.

Benjamin Gold, coal miner, aged 24, married to Isabella Crawford, of Auchinraith. He died at 8.45am on 22 October 1877 in No. 3 Pit, Dixon’s Colliery. His sister-in-law Mary Gold was the informant and signed with her mark. His brother John died in the same explosion.
Statutory Registers of Deaths, 1877, Blantyre (624/239), p. 80. © Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland.

Statutory death records: Most victims were registered in Blantyre. Bodies were recovered over several weeks, so registration dates run from late October into November 1877. Check the margin for a link to the Register of Corrected Entries, which may record the Procurator Fiscal’s findings.
The official inquiry report: The government report on the explosion was presented to Parliament in December 1877. It names the colliery staff and witnesses, and explains how the pits were worked.
Poor Law records: Registers of applications for Blantyre parish are held at Glasgow City Archives. Many widows were supported by the relief fund instead, so a gap in the Poor Law records may mean a family was on the fund rather than coping alone.
Relief fund records: A national relief fund raised over £48,000 and paid weekly allowances to widows and children until 1930. Surviving records are scattered, but newspaper reports of its annual meetings can help.
Newspaper reports: The Hamilton Advertiser, Glasgow Herald and Scotsman printed lists of the dead, the injured and survivors, along with funeral reports and later court cases.
Burial grounds: Many victims lie in High Blantyre (Kirkton) Cemetery. Catholic victims, many of them of Irish descent, were often buried at Dalbeth Cemetery in Glasgow.

Research Tips

Start with the death record. It gives age, address, parents and the informant. The informant is often a widow or mother who can then be traced forward.
Use the 1871 and 1881 censuses to place the family in the mining rows before the disaster and to see where survivors went afterwards.
Look for family clusters. Fathers and sons, brothers and in-laws often worked side by side, and one household could lose several members.
Follow widows and children forward. Look for remarriages, moves away from Blantyre and Poor Law claims in later years. Some widows were evicted from company houses within months of the disaster.

Do you have mining ancestors from Blantyre or elsewhere in the Central Belt? Tell me in the comments.

And if you’d like help tracing them,please get in touch.

References

MacLean, R. and Dickinson, J. (1877) Report on the Blantyre Colliery Explosion, 21 December 1877. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. London: HMSO.
Wright, S. (1885) The Annals of Blantyre. Glasgow.
Veverka, P. (n.d.) Blantyre Pit Disaster [list of the dead, survivors, relief fund and inquiry transcriptions]. Blantyre Project.
Blantyre Project (2015) 1877 Ejection of Blantyre Widows.
Blantyre Project (2023) Blantyre Accident Fund 1877–1930.
Gazetteer for Scotland (n.d.) Blantyre Mining Disaster.
Glasgow Family History (n.d.) What records can I find in the Mitchell: Glasgow City Archives? – Poor Law.
ScotlandsPeople: statutory registers of deaths, Blantyre registration district, 1877; Register of Corrected Entries. scotlandspeople.gov.uk

The Battle of Largs (1263): Why This Moment Matters for Scottish Genealogy

02/10/202602/10/2026akgen

On 2 October 1263, a storm‑damaged Norwegian fleet under King Håkon IV clashed with Scottish forces near Largs. Although often described as a “battle,” most historians see it as a series of small, inconclusive skirmishes rather than a decisive military engagement. But its consequences were enormous: it marked the beginning of the end of Norway’s 400‑year influence over the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. This week marks its 763rd anniversary.

What actually happened at Largs?

Håkon’s fleet had sailed from Norway to defend Norse control of the Isles.
A violent storm scattered and damaged his ships, forcing some ashore at Largs.
Alexander III’s forces, traditionally said to have been led by Alexander, High Steward of Scotland, engaged the stranded Norsemen in several brief clashes.
The fighting was not decisive, but the weather and logistical strain forced Håkon to retreat north to Orkney.
He died at the Bishop’s Palace in Kirkwall in December 1263, ending the campaign.

Why this moment changed the map of Scotland

After Håkon’s death:

In 1264, Magnus Olafsson, King of Man, submitted to Alexander III.
In 1266, Håkon’s successor Magnus VI signed the Treaty of Perth, formally ceding the Hebrides and the Isle of Man to Scotland in return for 4,000 merks and an annual payment of 100 merks.
Only Orkney and Shetland remained under Norse control until 1468–69, when they were pledged to Scotland as security for the dowry of Margaret of Denmark, bride of James III.

This transfer ended Norwegian sovereignty over the Western Isles, but it did not erase the Norse past. Gaelicisation had long been underway, and the legacy of centuries of Norse settlement and intermarriage remained.

Why the Battle of Largs Matters for Genealogy Today

Although the battle itself was small, it marks the close of the Norse era in the Isles, and the four centuries of settlement before it left a lasting mark on the ancestry, surnames, DNA patterns, and place‑names of western and northern Scotland.

1. Norse DNA in the Hebrides & Northern Isles

Centuries of Norse settlement left a strong genetic footprint. Place-name evidence once led some scholars to argue that in places like Lewis, Norse settlement was so complete that the earlier Celtic population may have been entirely replaced. Genetic studies do not support total replacement: Norse ancestry is clearly present in the Western Isles, but most islanders’ ancestry remains predominantly local, and the strongest Scandinavian signal is found in Shetland and Orkney. In other islands, Norse–Gaelic intermarriage produced a mixed seafaring population.

This is why:

People from Lewis, Harris, the Uists, Skye, and
People from Orkney and Shetland

often show higher proportions of Scandinavian DNA compared to mainland Scots.

2. Norse‑origin surnames

Many surnames in the Isles and the far north have Norse roots, including:

MacLeod (from Ljótr)
MacAulay (from Óláfr; this applies to the Lewis MacAulays, as the Dunbartonshire MacAulays have a separate Gaelic origin)
MacAskill (from Ásketill)
MacIver (from Ívarr)
MacCorquodale (from Þorketill)
MacManus (from Magnús)
Gunn (from Gunni, in Caithness and Sutherland)
Manson (from Magnús) in Orkney and Shetland
Isbister, Linklater, Flett: Orkney surnames taken from Norse farm-names
Shetland patronymics: surnames stayed fluid into the 18th and 19th centuries, so Thomas Johnson’s son might be recorded as John Thomason. This matters when searching the records.

These surnames often appear in areas once under Norse rule.

3. Norse place‑names

Place‑name evidence is one of the strongest indicators of Norse settlement.

A scholarly analysis shows:[C1]

Lewis: approx. 4 Norse names for every 1 Gaelic name
Islay: 1 Norse to 2 Gaelic
Arran: 1 Norse to 8 Gaelic
Kintyre: 1 Norse to 4 Gaelic

Common Norse elements include:

-staðir / -sta → “farm” (e.g., Tolsta and Mangersta in Lewis, Hosta in North Uist)
-bólstaðr / -bost → “farm” (e.g., Shawbost, Leurbost, Carbost)
-vik / -wick → “bay” (e.g., Lerwick, Wick)
-fjord / -firth → “sea inlet”
ey / ay → “island” (e.g., Orkney, Colonsay, Taransay, Pabbay, Barra)

These linguistic clues help genealogists map ancestral origins.

4. Clan histories shaped by Norse rule

Many clans trace their origins to Norse settlers or Norse‑Gaelic families, including:

Clan MacLeod (traditionally linked to Norse ancestry)
Clan MacDonald (Norse‑Gaelic Lords of the Isles; their ancestor Somerled bore the Norse name Sumarliði)
Clan Gunn (Norse roots in Caithness)
Clan Nicolson / MacNicol (claims Norse origins, Skye)

Understanding Norse influence helps genealogists interpret:

migration patterns
naming traditions
clan territories
DNA matches with Scandinavian clusters

How to Use This History in Your Genealogy Research

Check DNA ethnicity estimates

Look for:

Norwegian
Danish
Swedish
“Scandinavian”
“Orkney/Shetland” clusters
“Hebrides” clusters

These can reflect Norse ancestry, but treat them with caution. An ethnicity estimate can’t be dated to the Viking Age: a “Danish” or “Scandinavian” result may equally reflect Anglo-Saxon or Danelaw ancestry, or much older shared ancestry. Norway is the most relevant source for Scotland’s Vikings. For a direct paternal or maternal line, Y-DNA and mtDNA tests are more informative; a Y-DNA haplogroup such as R1a or I1 can hint at, but never prove, a Norse paternal line.

Study local place‑names

If your ancestors lived in areas with heavy Norse naming patterns, it is consistent with Norse heritage, though place-names show where Norse speakers settled rather than who your own ancestors were.

Explore clan histories

Many clans have documented Norse origins or Norse‑Gaelic founders.

Search medieval and early modern records

Be realistic: ordinary Hebridean families can rarely be traced on paper before the 1700s, and many island Old Parish Registers only begin in the late 1700s or early 1800s. Start with the OPRs, estate rentals, the 1841 census and Gaelic patronymic naming, then use these sources for wider context:

Saga references (e.g., Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar and Orkneyinga saga)
Chronicles (Melrose, Man, Lanercost)
Later clan genealogies
Land charters and territorial histories

These sources give valuable historical context, though they rarely name ordinary families.

Conclusion: Why Largs Still Matters

The Battle of Largs wasn’t a dramatic clash — but it marked the turning point that ended Norway’s long overlordship of the Western Isles. For genealogists, it closes the four-century era that explains why Norse DNA, surnames, and place‑names remain so strong in the Hebrides and Northern Isles today.

If your family comes from the Hebrides, the Northern Isles, or Scotland’s western seaboard, the legacy of Norse settlement may be woven through your DNA, your surname, or the very place‑names your ancestors lived among. The Battle of Largs was a turning point — and understanding it can help you understand them. If you’d like help exploring possible Norse roots, interpreting DNA results, or tracing families through the Isles’ complex medieval and early‑modern history, I’d be honoured to guide you. Get in touch and let’s uncover the Norse chapter of your Scottish story.

Sources and further reading

Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar and Orkneyinga saga (both available in English translation)
R. Andrew McDonald, The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland’s Western Seaboard c.1100–c.1336 (1997)
Barbara E. Crawford, Scandinavian Scotland (1987)
George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (1946)
Gilbert et al., “The genetic landscape of Scotland and the Isles”, PNAS (2019)
ScotlandsPeople, for Old Parish Registers and census records

What Is Hogmanay? Scotland’s Fiery, Joyful New Year Tradition

27/12/202527/12/2025akgen

Hogmanay isn’t just Scotland’s version of New Year’s Eve — it’s a celebration with centuries of history, shaped by fire, folklore, and the deep Scottish instinct to mark endings and beginnings with meaning.

For generations, Christmas in Scotland was a quiet, almost unobserved day. But Hogmanay? That was the real celebration. The night when neighbours gathered, debts were settled, houses were scrubbed, and the old year was swept out to make space for the new.

Fire, Folklore, and Fresh Starts

Many Hogmanay customs have ancient roots. Fire festivals — from the Stonehaven Fireballs to the torchlit processions in Edinburgh — symbolise protection, purification, and the turning of the year. Long before fireworks, Scots believed flame carried away misfortune and lit the path into the future.

Even today, lighting a candle or watching the bells with a dram in hand carries that same sense of renewal.

Abstract colorful firework display for celebration anniversary background

“Redding” the House

One of the most important traditions was the “redding” — a full house clean before midnight. Ashes were cleared from the hearth, debts were paid, and quarrels were settled. The idea was simple: don’t carry last year’s mess into the new one.

It’s a beautiful reminder that Hogmanay isn’t just about celebration — it’s about intention.

First-Footing

After the bells, the first person to cross your threshold — the “first-footer” — was believed to set the tone for the year ahead. Traditionally, a tall, dark-haired man was considered the luckiest visitor, often bringing symbolic gifts:

Coal for warmth
Shortbread or black bun for food
Whisky for good cheer

Scottish male, wearing a kilt and carrying whisky. ai generated

Even if you don’t follow the superstition, the spirit of it remains: Hogmanay is about hospitality, connection, and community.

Why Hogmanay Still Matters

In a world that moves fast, Hogmanay gives us a moment to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the people and traditions that shape us. Whether you’re celebrating with fireworks, a quiet dram, or a family gathering, you’re part of a long line of Scots who’ve marked this night with meaning.

Beautiful colourful firework display at night for celebrating Hogmanay

🎄 A Scottish Christmas: Traditions, Folklore & Festive Life Through the Generations

15/12/202515/12/2025akgen

🎄 A Scottish Christmas: How Our Ancestors Celebrated the Festive Season

Christmas in Scotland has always carried its own unique blend of folklore, faith, winter magic and community spirit. While today we think of twinkling lights, mince pies and cosy gatherings, our ancestors experienced Christmas very differently — shaped by parish life, local customs, and the rhythms of winter.

Whether your family came from a Highland glen, a fishing village, or a bustling industrial town, Scottish Christmas traditions offer a beautiful window into their world.

🕯️Christmas Wasn’t Always a Holiday in Scotland

For centuries, Christmas was not a public holiday in Scotland. After the Reformation, the Kirk discouraged Christmas celebrations, viewing them as too closely tied to Catholic ritual. Many Scots simply worked as normal on the 25th of December.

It wasn’t until 1958 that Christmas Day became an official public holiday across Scotland.

But that doesn’t mean Scots didn’t celebrate. They simply did it in their own way — quietly, locally, and often within the family home.

🍞 Traditional Scottish Christmas Foods

Even when Christmas wasn’t widely celebrated, winter feasting certainly was. Your ancestors might have enjoyed:

🧈 Black Bun

A dense, spiced fruit cake wrapped in pastry — traditionally eaten at Hogmanay but often baked earlier in December.

🥣 Yule Brose

A warming dish of oatmeal and whisky poured over boiling water or broth — simple, hearty, and perfect for cold nights.

🍖 Roast Goose or Beef

In rural areas, families often saved their best meat for the darkest days of winter.

🍬 Tablet & Shortbread

Sweet treats were a luxury, but many families made shortbread as part of their winter traditions. Food was a way of marking the season even when the day itself wasn’t a holiday.

🌌 Winter Folklore & Yuletide Beliefs

Scotland’s winter folklore is rich, ancient, and deeply tied to the land.

🔥 The Yule Log

Burning a large log through the darkest nights symbolised protection and good fortune. Ashes were sometimes kept to bless the home.

👻 The Dead of Winter

Many Scots believed the veil between worlds was thin during the long nights. Families lit candles to guide wandering spirits — a tradition echoing older Celtic beliefs.

🌬️ Weather Omens

A clear Christmas meant a stormy New Year
A green Christmas foretold illness
A robin near the house was a sign of protection

These beliefs shaped how families understood the season.

🎁 Gifts, Games & Family Life

Before Victorian influence, gift‑giving was rare. Instead, families focused on:

Storytelling by the fire
Winter games like draughts or cards
Visiting neighbours with small tokens
Singing and music — especially in Gaelic‑speaking areas

Children might receive an orange, a sweet, or a small handmade toy — simple but treasured.

🏘️ Christmas in Towns vs Rural Scotland

🏞️ Rural Scotland

Life revolved around the farm, croft or fishing community. Celebrations were modest but meaningful — a good meal, a warm fire, and time with family.

🏙️ Urban Scotland

By the late 1800s, Victorian influence brought:

decorated shop windows
Christmas cards
church services
charity events
Christmas markets

Industrial towns embraced Christmas earlier than rural areas.

🎉 Hogmanay: Scotland’s True Winter Celebration

While Christmas was quiet, Hogmanay was — and still is — Scotland’s biggest winter celebration.

Your ancestors likely took part in:

First‑footing
Fire festivals
House cleaning rituals (redding the house)
Sharing black bun and whisky
Singing “Auld Lang Syne”

Hogmanay was the moment when communities truly came alive.

🪦 How Christmas Traditions Help Your Genealogy Research

Understanding Scottish Christmas customs can help you:

interpret winter entries in parish records
understand why some families didn’t mark Christmas
identify seasonal migration patterns
connect family stories to historical context
enrich your storytelling with cultural detail

It’s not just about dates — it’s about atmosphere, emotion, and lived experience.

🎄 Conclusion: A Season of Light in the Darkest Days

Scottish Christmas traditions remind us that even in the darkest months, our ancestors found ways to create warmth, connection and meaning. Whether through a simple meal, a candle in the window, or a quiet moment by the fire, they carried forward a spirit of resilience and community that still shapes Scotland today.

And when you explore your own family history, these traditions help you step into their world — one winter night at a time.

The Importance of Family Tree Record Keeping for Future Generations

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Discovering family histories and creating a family tree is certainly fulfilling, but perhaps the greatest benefit of family trees is the ability to pass them on to future generations. What a priceless gift! Believe me, your descendants will be grateful for your hard work and determination. So what’s the best way to store those records?

Storing Your Family Tree

It is ideal if you have a record of all your notes and documentation gathered during your genealogy research. This information is an asset, and should be duplicated in case of disaster, such as fire, flood, or theft. Copying and storage can be done offsite. The information can also be scanned and stored on your computer, on disks, and possibly an external storage place.

If your information is stored on a computer program, consider backing it up online with an external storage site. It is also possible to back up the data to an external hard drive and make copies of it on disc.

Presenting Your Family Tree

Creating a family tree is one of the best gifts you can give future generations. The family tree can be made into an elaborate work of art, framed and printed on glossy colour paper. They can also be as simple as a binder that contains charts of each family branch. Other options include reports and maybe even a book. Several genealogy software products also offer the option to print a beautiful book. It too would be a marvellous gift to future generations.

Sharing Your Family Tree

In addition to presenting your family tree in the form of a book, report, chart and as a work of art you can also share your family tree information by recording the information, and some of the family stories you’ve learned along the way, by creating an audio or video for your family. There are software products that allow you to upload family photos, which means you can display photos you’ve found and share and record certificates like birth, death and marriage certificates.

Software products often include sharing capabilities, so you can simply email or connect with other family members online and share your research. In this digital era, this is one of the most convenient ways to share your family tree, and it can be accessed by your family and descendants with ease.

Genealogy and researching your family tree can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can be a long and complicated process. Even after you have created a comprehensive family tree, your journey is not over. One of the most important aspects of a family tree is that it can be shared among generations. Wouldn’t it have been great to have all this information done for you when you were a child? An amazing connection to your family and history! Sharing your research and maintaining good records for future generations is one of the joys of genealogy research.

Genealogy: What Is It and How Does It Work?

17/08/202120/08/2021akgen

Genealogy is the study of a family’s ancestry. It is derived from the Greek word “generation” and is a great way to connect with your family, history, and genetic records all the way back to the dawn of record keeping.

What are the sources of information used by genealogists?

Genealogists use a variety of resources to research genealogy. Prior to the advent of written documents, people recorded information by telling stories. Interestingly, much of your family history may still be passed down orally from generation to generation. So, talking directly to family members may be one of the best sources of genealogy information.

However, genealogy researchers consider record keeping essential for their research. Some families have a family bible, which is passed from one generation to the next. There is usually a record of who has owned the bible at the front, and this can be a valuable source of information. Additionally, birth certificates, obituaries, wedding announcements, and census information are all useful.

Genealogy Information: How is it presented?

The family tree is the most common way to display a family’s lineage. It is a flowchart that starts with the ancestors who went the furthest back at the top. The branches of the family tree are then the children, marriages, and so on. Often, child-friendly family trees are presented as trees, with the trunk representing the family’s core and each branch and leaf representing an extension of that family.

family tree, family, ancestors-297812.jpg

A family’s lineage can also be documented in a book, through a software program, or by using a spreadsheet.

What Are the Benefits of Genealogy?

Most people use genealogy simply because they want to learn about their family history. Perhaps they heard about a famous relative and are curious about whether they are related. Genealogy can also be used to track genetics and health concerns. It is possible to discover if your family has a history of cancer, mental illness, birth defects, etc.

Finally, one of the greatest benefits of genealogy is that future generations will be able to trace their roots. This is an amazing way to connect to not only your family, but also to history. Getting to know your genealogy helps you figure out your place in the world.

Getting started.

The first step in genealogical research is talking with family members. It can be a great way to learn about your family history and point you in the right direction once the information stops. From there, you can search for a birth, death, or marriage certificate. You can also look up census data and property records. The practice of genealogy involves detective work as well as meticulous record keeping.

Using genealogy as a means of connecting with the world can be extremely rewarding. It conveys a sense of history and connection. Would you like to learn more about your family tree? Find out where you came from by contacting your living relatives.

Genealogist, Family Historian and History Fanatic

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My name is Annette Kerr and I am a genealogist and family historian, with over 16 years family history research experience. I specialise in Scottish records, but I have experience of researching a wide variety of records from across the UK, Ireland and North America.

Annette Kerr BA PgCert Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies (Strath)

I have a Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogical Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies from the University of Strathclyde and I am a Student Member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists (RQG), and several other genealogical organisations and family history societies.

I have studied Latin and Palaeography and can transcribe Medieval records and decipher old handwriting.

I live in Central Scotland, with easy access to archives at Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as access to the fabulous castles, stately homes, lochs and historical landmarks that Scotland is famous for.

You can find out more about the services I offer here.