Family Trees

Looking up your ancestors

Every line of strength in American history is a line coloured with Scottish blood

- Woodrow Wilson

"Ancestral research can uncover curious relations"

Many people come to Scotland in search of their ancestors. This seems odd as most of them are probably dead. I spoke to leading Scottish gynaecologist Dr. Bryan Docherty who suggested I approach a genealogist instead. An easy mistake to make. So, I spoke to leading Scottish genealogist Stuart Reid who passed on to me a myriad of useless information - the type of data ideal for this sober publication.

To show that my mistake was plausible, I understand that the following intriguing question was once asked, "I'm looking for a gynaecologist to look up my ancestors". There's no answer to that, although a spurious operator would be tempted to take on such a challenge. Genealogy is the fastest growing hobby in the western world. This can only be good news for Stuart's company - Scottish Roots

I asked my captive audience to name a famous Scot. The names given were an interesting mix from the past and the present.

Braveheart (William Wallace). Sir Sean Connery. Bonnie Prince Charlie. Mary Queen of Scots. Ewan McGregor. Rob Roy. Billy Connelly. Tam the Gun. Sir Walter Scott. Robert Burns. (In Scotland he's called Rabbie, in England - Robert and in Israel - Rabbi.)

Did You Know? Russia was the first place in the world to commemorate Robert Burns on a postage stamp. The adhesive stamp itself was invented in Dundee by James Chalmers.

Established in 1984, Scottish Roots have researched over ten thousand 'family trees'. In that time, they've uncovered numerous illegitimacies, incestuous marriages, two bigamists, one poisoner and a few suicides. They've been asked to research "family trunks". In 1827 a certain Andrew Wood married a certain Agnes Twig, putting a new perspective on tracing your family tree and the subsequent branches.

Did You Know? The first statue of an American President erected outside the USA was unveiled in Edinburgh's Old Calton Cemetery in 1893. The statue to Abraham Lincoln was erected in memory of Scottish Americans who died during the American Civil War.

Stuart tells me that he once received a phone call from a man claiming to be dead. This man wanted Stuart to find his death certificate. When it was suggested that this may be a difficult task to undertake due to the fact he was still alive, the man became very upset, slammed down the phone, and spent the next two weeks sending ripped beer mats through the post.

"Abraham Lincoln statue, Edinburgh"

Apparently everyone hopes they might be related to someone famous or infamous. In the majority of cases the search will reveal a fairly ordinary list of past family members. If you're wise with the web that's world wide, and intend to look for pre-1855 records, check out this site. www.familysearch.org

Meanwhile, New Register House, Edinburgh, houses all statutory (i.e. post-1855) birth, marriage and death certificates for the whole of Scotland. In other words the hatches, matches and dispatches. They also hold, amongst their other historical materials, the Old Parish Registers (earliest entry 1553) and countless census returns.

Their web site is a family tree in full bloom. www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

On this site they have a brief selection from the Old Parish Records called 'genealogical gems'.

Deskford, 1740 - 'Alexander Machattie in Ardoch had a child by his first wife who was born with a wooden leg'.

Shetland 1848 - 'James Robertson died 16th June 1848 aged 63 years. His death was caused by stupidity of Laurence Tulloch in Clotharter who sold him nitre instead of Epsom salts by which he was killed in the space of three hours after a dose of it'.

In reality you can only track your Scottish relations so far back. Stuart did however have a cheery client claiming to have successfully traced her family tree back to Adam and Eve! Why she therefore required further ancestral help is anyone's guess.