Home
Hi all
Recently, we contacted David Webster, a professional genealogist with a view to doing a Q&A session. He has been kind enough to come back with some interesting stuff. His website is http://www.rossgenealogy.co.uk/ and he specialises in Scottish genealogy, foreign records and UK military records. David is now a member on the board and will be more than happy to answer any further questions you may have. Enjoy!
How did you become interested in genealogy?
In 1976, when I came back from 15 years outside Scotland. I knew my grandfather's name but not where he was born.
Where is the best place to start when tracing your family tree?
Starting from your own birth certificate and working back from there. Initially collect all certificates and all possible documents and info from family members; and get to know elderly relatives while they are still alive.
Don't ignore living descendants of your ancestors from several generations ago, even if they are quite distant cousins. In the Scottish records it is particularly straightforward to carry out forward searches for such cousins.
Is this the same for people tracing their Scottish ancestors?
Yes
Why is it more difficult for people to trace their Scottish roots?
It's not more difficult! It's actually easier due to the better info in Scottish BMD records, and the much easier access, in particular on-line. To see the digitised image of the original register entry for a Scottish birth in 1912 or earlier, a marriage in 1937 or earlier and a death in 1962 or earlier, it costs just over £1 on the Scotlands People website, and only takes a few minutes. Later images of the original register entries are available for a small fee on a walk-in basis in Edinburgh and various places around Scotland.
To see an English BMD record costs £9.25 and can take a couple of weeks.
What advice would you give people who are interested in tracing their family tree?
Start as soon as possible before elderly relatives pass away.
What has been the most challenging family history case you have worked on?
A couple of years ago, tracking the living descendants of a family of 12 born in Glasgow in the late 1800s and early 1900s all but one of whom emigrated, to the USA, Canada, South Africa, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand.
What are the biggest challenges people face when researching their family tree?
In particular, understanding that prior to the very early 1900s most people didn't really care how their name was spelt. The more unusual the surname, the more the "ear of the hearer" effect came into play, i.e. the registrar, census enumerator, session clerk, etc., often wrote down they thought that they heard!
What have you found are the most useful tools in family history research?
Scottish on-line records, the Mormon www.familysearch.org website.
When you traced your family tree did you find out anything that surprised you?
No skeletons but a couple of military ancestors whose records were fascinating, in particular a great uncle who served in the Sudan and South Africa, before being killed in WW1, - he was awarded the DCM; and a great-great-great-great uncle who serve right through the Peninsular campaign under Wellington, 1808 - 1814, and who was also present at Waterloo in 1815.
What do you feel are the biggest challenges in family history research?
Getting beyond the 1700s.
Where would be the best place to find military records?
The National Archives records at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/. A number of commercial websites such as Ancestry.co.uk and FindmyPast.co.uk are adding more and more useful military data.
Why do you think family history research has become so popular in the past few years?
Mostly because it has become so much easier in the last decade or so. In particular the ever increasing amount of info available on the internet.
Why should people trace their family tree?
To understand where they come from and it's surprising how often one can learn from a mistake an ancestor made!
Thank you David and we look forward to hearing more from you in the future.
Recently, we contacted David Webster, a professional genealogist with a view to doing a Q&A session. He has been kind enough to come back with some interesting stuff. His website is http://www.rossgenealogy.co.uk/ and he specialises in Scottish genealogy, foreign records and UK military records. David is now a member on the board and will be more than happy to answer any further questions you may have. Enjoy!
How did you become interested in genealogy?
In 1976, when I came back from 15 years outside Scotland. I knew my grandfather's name but not where he was born.
Where is the best place to start when tracing your family tree?
Starting from your own birth certificate and working back from there. Initially collect all certificates and all possible documents and info from family members; and get to know elderly relatives while they are still alive.
Don't ignore living descendants of your ancestors from several generations ago, even if they are quite distant cousins. In the Scottish records it is particularly straightforward to carry out forward searches for such cousins.
Is this the same for people tracing their Scottish ancestors?
Yes
Why is it more difficult for people to trace their Scottish roots?
It's not more difficult! It's actually easier due to the better info in Scottish BMD records, and the much easier access, in particular on-line. To see the digitised image of the original register entry for a Scottish birth in 1912 or earlier, a marriage in 1937 or earlier and a death in 1962 or earlier, it costs just over £1 on the Scotlands People website, and only takes a few minutes. Later images of the original register entries are available for a small fee on a walk-in basis in Edinburgh and various places around Scotland.
To see an English BMD record costs £9.25 and can take a couple of weeks.
What advice would you give people who are interested in tracing their family tree?
Start as soon as possible before elderly relatives pass away.
What has been the most challenging family history case you have worked on?
A couple of years ago, tracking the living descendants of a family of 12 born in Glasgow in the late 1800s and early 1900s all but one of whom emigrated, to the USA, Canada, South Africa, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand.
What are the biggest challenges people face when researching their family tree?
In particular, understanding that prior to the very early 1900s most people didn't really care how their name was spelt. The more unusual the surname, the more the "ear of the hearer" effect came into play, i.e. the registrar, census enumerator, session clerk, etc., often wrote down they thought that they heard!
What have you found are the most useful tools in family history research?
Scottish on-line records, the Mormon www.familysearch.org website.
When you traced your family tree did you find out anything that surprised you?
No skeletons but a couple of military ancestors whose records were fascinating, in particular a great uncle who served in the Sudan and South Africa, before being killed in WW1, - he was awarded the DCM; and a great-great-great-great uncle who serve right through the Peninsular campaign under Wellington, 1808 - 1814, and who was also present at Waterloo in 1815.
What do you feel are the biggest challenges in family history research?
Getting beyond the 1700s.
Where would be the best place to find military records?
The National Archives records at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/. A number of commercial websites such as Ancestry.co.uk and FindmyPast.co.uk are adding more and more useful military data.
Why do you think family history research has become so popular in the past few years?
Mostly because it has become so much easier in the last decade or so. In particular the ever increasing amount of info available on the internet.
Why should people trace their family tree?
To understand where they come from and it's surprising how often one can learn from a mistake an ancestor made!
Thank you David and we look forward to hearing more from you in the future.
