This summer my wife and I will be journeying to Scotland to do a little family research. As near as I can tell, my gg-grandfather, Thomas Patrick, was born in Campbeltown in 1780, of Jacob Patrick and Mary Taylor. That is as far as I can go. Would anyone be willing to provide me with some tips on genealogy research in the Argyll area? I have never done any research of any sort in Scotland, altho' we have visited several times. Should I start in the National Archieves? Is there a genealogy center for Argyll that would have data? There is so much I don't know it would fill a book. We will be flying into Glascow from Dubln, Ireland. What is the best mode of transport to the Argyll area? With the thought that research is my primary goal, where would be the best place to establish our "base camp"? We will only have a few days (maybe three or four) in which to do our studies. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. And worth a pint or two if you would be willing to meet with us, my wife and me, during our stay. Allison Patrick Things I learned in Ireland: Two make the road short.

Al Patrick wrote: > This summer my wife and I will be journeying to Scotland to do a > little family research. As near as I can tell, my gg-grandfather, > Thomas Patrick, was born in Campbeltown in 1780, of Jacob Patrick and > Mary Taylor. That is as far as I can go. Have you harvested everything you can from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk and of www.nas.gov.uk [www.ancestry.co.uk / www.freecen.org.uk] that you can? Its a long way to come and takes a lot of time to transcribe the details from records you could have got online when there might be goodies that you can only get in the archives that you don't get time for! The National Archives in Edinburgh are the most comprehensive resource The Mitchell Library in Glasgow has some more West Coast things There is only the local archive in Lochgilphead with no archivist and its hours are short. [Jill kicks her soap box out of reach - but we should have a genealogical centre for folks like yourself here - we don't and won't while our council remains so blinkered and broke -- oops it did not go far enough ;)] > > Would anyone be willing to provide me with some tips on genealogy > research in the Argyll area? I have never done any research of any > sort in Scotland, altho' we have visited several times. Should I > start in the National Archieves? Is there a genealogy center for > Argyll that would have data? There is so much I don't know it would > fill a book. If you can let us know what you DO have then its easier for folks to guide you to the most efficient resources > > We will be flying into Glascow from Dubln, Ireland. What is the best > mode of transport to the Argyll area? CAR !!!! - Easycar hire from the airport Public transport is diabolical With the thought that research > is my primary goal, where would be the best place to establish our > "base camp"? We will only have a few days (maybe three or four) in > which to do our studies. eeekk Urm -- difficult in such a short space of time What is your real goal -- getting as much information as possible? -- in which case go to Edinburgh and spend all your time there -- getting a feel of where your ancestors lived and worked but getting little info in the time -- in which case go to Campbeltown and mooch about. I know that sounds hard some places that might help http://www.libcat.glasgow.gov.uk/cgi-bin/cat-contents.sh?enqtype=MITCHELL http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Libraries/Collections/ArchivesandSpecialCollections/ http://www.nas.gov.uk/doingResearch/default.asp It would be really helpful if others here lurking who have used the NAS and the Mitchell recently could give us all some insights as to how to make time there most efficient. I too hope to get to NAS this spring [although its looking more doubtful now ;( ] and I have only had a chance to spend a day in the Mitchell some years ago so any tales of peoples real experiences would be really really useful > > Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. And worth a pint or two > if you would be willing to meet with us, my wife and me, during our > stay. That would be wonderful but I fear you are going to be too far south or east to get to us in such limited time regards Jill Bowis www.benderloch.org.uk/forum - Ardchattan history, geology, ecology, genealogy, weather, webcam, local forum www.kintaline.co.uk - where we are, what we do: Kintaline Plant and Poultry Centre

Hello Al Great advice from Jill there. My hands on experience of the archives will be of no help, but I second what Jill says about finding out as much as you can before arriving in Argyll. Beyond that, I've found I most appreciated the time I spent, indeed, 'mooching around' the areas where my ancestors must have lived in Scotland. To me, that is wonderful, worth its weight in gold, never long enough and I yearn for more time there. The paper trail is marvellous and I've filled in lots about how their lives would have been, but 'being there' is best and you may find the odd living descendant there as well. In comparison, my husband's family for generations back came from one area here in Holland which is now built up and unrecognisable. Very sad and, admittedly, this does happen to the occasional street in Scottish towns as well but, beyond the urban areas, there is much to be found to echo our past. OK, it's not exactly how it was 200 years ago, but there are places where you have a sense of treading the same tracks along the same shorelines as they did - even the odd building they lived in... I would add a couple of things about the paper trail. If you already have all this, then my apologies. I don't know how much you have on the Patricks, but what may well be their marriage banns in 1775 and a whole load of their babies' baptisms appear to be online at the Scotland's People site www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk It's a pay site but well worth all it turns up. The banns record is for 4th February 1775 - if it is them, then you have something to celebrate this week! The banns may or may not tell you anything useful, but there's a fair chance the baptism of what would seem to be their eldest daughter, Katherin, in December 1775, can tell you where in Campbeltown Parish they were living at the time of her birth. As I say, maybe you know all this, but if not, you can explore online before ever leaving for Argyll. Having found these records in the index at 20 p sterling for the index, it is then possible to download and print them yourself for 1 pound sterling, or send off for a fine paper copy at ten pounds sterling a time. These old parish records themselves have only been online for a matter of days, so now is a good time to start. Finding out all this beforehand, you'll have more time to explore when you arrive in Argyll. I've also found a few books there in Argyll that I'd not seen online and these have also been helpful in making amazing new discoveries. I still want to explore the archives further in Lochgilphead, Glasgow and Ediburgh but, for me, 'BEING THERE' has to take precedence when time and resources are limited. Good luck in your trail and I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it all as I have. Greetings from Holland Katie de Haan MCVEAN SINCLAIR MCKELLAR CLARK & MCINTYRE Argyll, Renfrew > LKS Scotland MCCALLUM MUNRO BEATON BETHUNE: Sutherland, Ross & Cromarty > LKS MCCALLUM Perthshire pre 1780 BEATON BETHUNE Skye pre 1670 KING PALMER LANGSTONE CARR HUTT Oxon/Berks UK KING JACKSON WEEDON Middlesex/London City/East End UK ----- Original Message ----- From: "Al Patrick" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 10:34 PM Subject: [ARGYLL] Genealogy in Scotland > This summer my wife and I will be journeying to Scotland to do a little > family research. As near as I can tell, my gg-grandfather, Thomas Patrick, > was born in Campbeltown in 1780, of Jacob Patrick and Mary Taylor. That is > as far as I can go. > > Would anyone be willing to provide me with some tips on genealogy research > in the Argyll area? I have never done any research of any sort in > Scotland, altho' we have visited several times. Should I start in the > National Archieves? Is there a genealogy center for Argyll that would have > data? There is so much I don't know it would fill a book. > > We will be flying into Glascow from Dubln, Ireland. What is the best mode > of transport to the Argyll area? With the thought that research is my > primary goal, where would be the best place to establish our "base camp"? > We will only have a few days (maybe three or four) in which to do our > studies. > > Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. And worth a pint or two if > you would be willing to meet with us, my wife and me, during our stay. > > Allison Patrick > Things I learned in Ireland: Two make the > road short. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message