George, Thank you for your information, and perspective on the area. You say that you live in Carluke, and that your family has lived in the area for a long time. I wonder whether they may be connected with my own Russells, who I have found in Carstairs and area in the mid 1600s: William Russell (father & son), the son married Susanna Stark in 1679 and they had at least 3 children: James, Janet & Marion. Marion is in my line; she married John Selchrig, and one of their 5 children, Susanna, married James Smellie. Ken Harrison North Vancouver, Canada -----Original Message----- From: lanark-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:lanark-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of G Russell Sent: August 7, 2010 4:03 AM To: lanark@rootsweb.com Subject: [Lanark] Lanarkshire Topography and Historical References ... Hello Folks, Many thanks for the compliments and comments received which are completely undeserved. I am fortunate to be able to live in the southern part of the County, and only just on the edge of the Industrial belt whose economy radically changed the lives of many thousands of people and the landscape around them. My own forebears were involved in that 'industrial boom time' but unlike others, were not (wholly) driven to leave here in the worst times. Now that we are in a 'post Industrial age' here, I can watch nature reclaiming the areas damaged in the last 200 years, but I am concerned that the present generations do not realise that they only 'stand on the shoulders' of many previous generations whose life struggles made the place , and indeed the people, what they are today. To work against that, I have read and collected widely the fragments of those past lives and livings and if I can assist anyone to complete the jigsaw of their own experience, I shall do so. There are a few standard sources of 'historical sketches' of Lanarkshire life. I can heartily recommend the several Victorian Parish histories that were written in the mid to late 19th century (though they were written from completely different social viewpoints to those of the mass of the population) . The production of the Ordnance Survey maps produced a stream of commentaries and descriptive work (some not quite accurate in parts) and even the 'railway guides' such as Murray's can be useful. Trade and other Directories do exist ( commonly from the 1830's ) which were the 'Yellow Pages' of the times but don't expect them to be comprehensive .... payment was required for entries and some traders / places do not appear. Newspapers are also archived in national and local collections - but many are fragmentary and definitely not available 'online'. Searching microfilmed copies is whiles possible ( in Edinburgh and Glasgow ) The Public (and University) libraries have massive, but not omniscient, collections. The Mitchell ( in Glasgow ) and the National Library of Scotland ( in Edinburgh ) are invaluable, if understaffed, sources. Some indexes are online ( but most not ) ; do not overlook the National Archive of Scotland whose general Catalogue is freely available online and whose Map collection is unsurpassed ( and online !). Local History and Family History societies are often contactable online, and have members (like me) collecting and researching in areas. The Local Authorities maintain Archives - sometimes of just their own material, sometimes of locally made collections, and may do limited research for those who can't turn up and do it themselves. We all owe a planetary sized debt to the dedication and packrat tendencies of countless Librarians who maintain, cross reference and expand ( with little or no funding ) the collections of Towns, Trades, Counties and Industries. Without our past, we have no future ... Here endeth the Sermon for today !!! (Mr G)eorge Russell Carluke, South Lanarkshire, Scotland ------------------------------- LANARK, SCOTLAND MAILING LIST LIST TOPIC: The discussion and research of genealogy or history information pertaining to Lanark, Scotland at any point in its history. WHEN REPLYING to any list post please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post any reply LIST INFORMATION PAGE: Contact the List Admin at lanark-admin@rootsweb.com; or to search the list archives, get information on subscribing or unsubscribing, or to obtain other useful information to help you use the list more effectively, please click on the following link to the list information page online: http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/SCT/LANARK.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LANARK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message