Ever come across conflicting evidence and wonder what to believe?

Sometimes you can come across conflicting evidence when researching family history.

In Scotland, birth, marriage and death certificates give detailed information not only of the person or people registered in the event but also give details of the parents.

Death certificates are a common source of conflicting evidence.  The person registering the death is likely to be upset and can give the wrong information accidentally.  They may not know some of the details or guess at them.  Dependent on the registrar taking the details, they may have been encouraged to provide an answer so that no gaps were left!

However, even in birth and marriage certificates, details can bee recorded incorrectly.

For birth certificates, it is often only one parent who attended to register the birth and they may not know the details of their partner's family or some forget their marriage date!  

With marriage certificates, there may be problems as one person may have filled in the details for both even though each person needs to sign the forms.  

For any documentation, it may simply be that your ancestors could not read or write and they were reliant on someone else recording the details with no way for them to correct any mistakes.

So how do we deal with these types of problems?

Where we can corroborate the evidence then there is much more likelihood that this will be the correct information.  Sometimes of course, when it has been recorded incorrectly once, then it may be repeated if the information is simply copied.  However, what is far more likely is that it will be recorded incorrectly once and correctly on other occasions.

There may only be two pieces of evidence however so how should you deal with this? If you are recording a birth for example and have conflicting dates with no way to choose between the two, then record anything that is certain.  

John Hunter

Using the example of the renowned physician and anatomist John Hunter who was born in 1728, we find that his birth was recorded in the parish records as being 14 July 1728.  However recorded evidence shows he celebrated and believed his birthday to be 13 February 1728. 

On a family tree therefore we can record the year of his birth and the place as neither of these facts are disputed and are corroborated.

Keep a record of the other information and put a note in your files about the disputed date as you do not know what other information may come to light in the future to help clarify this.

If you are writing a family history book then you can record the date but add in the information about the conflicting evidence on the day and month of birth.  This can be an interesting item to include and most of us enjoy the mystery and to think about what might have happened!

For more information on how we can help you sort through conflicting evidence, please get in touch for a no obligation chat.

kintree@ymail.com

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Great Digital Image Resource For Scotland

If you are looking for digital images relating to your Scottish family history then your first stop should be Scran

The Scran Trust hosts around 370,000 images, movies and sounds which come from archives, museums, galleries and the media on its website.  It's funded through the Scottish Government, subscriptions and sales of services.

The site is easy to navigate.  For the family historian there are lots of images available of local towns and cities.  Similarly, there are images of subjects such as occupations, migration and historic maps.  There are many other sections too or you can simply put in a straight forward search into their search engine.

This is only a very small glimpse of what is available on the site.  The best way to find out what is there is to go and look for yourself. Access can be gain in a number of ways. It's free to browse thumbnails of the images but to gain full access there are a number of was in which this can be done.

• If you are a school pupil or student in Scotland, there is a good chance that you will have free access to the whole site. Check with your school, college or university librarian.
• Local libraries often have accesses. This might be within the library itself and many have remote access from home.  Check with your local librarian for details of access.
• Subscription - It is inexpensive to join Scran either for 6 months or a year.
• Buy individual images.

The site has a wealth of material on Scottish life so it is of interest to not only family historians but to anyone with an interest in Scotland.  Why not give it a browse and if your local library does not give you access then why not ask them to subscribe to the site.

For more information on using online sites, please contact us for a free no obligation chat at:

kintree@ymail.com

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Great Resource For Scottish Military Information

The media has been full of details about the forthcoming anniversary of the start of World War 1.  There has been discussion about when and how the centenary of World War 1 should be remembered. As genealogists, what we can all agree on however, is the importance of the individual stories of our ancestors and how their lives were affected by the war.

Kin Tree will be looking at a variety of ways at tracing the military careers of our ancestors over the next few months.  Check back on a regular basis for more information as we build up your knowledge. 

A photo of a panel from the
Denny and Dunipace War Memorial
Photographed by the SMRC

Today we are highlighting a particular group, The Scottish Military Research Group (SMRC) who have been carrying out an amazing project to catalogue the names on the war memorials and war graves in Scotland and in many cases with photographs. There are also photos of many war graves across the world, of those associated with the Scottish military. 

The site can give you the added bonus of information about non military relatives also. There are often details of non family members included in the information the group have collated.

SMRG have also photographed many non military headstones where family members have included a dedication to a member of their family who is buried elsewhere and died during military service.  This can give you the unexpected extra detail of where family members are buried that normally can be hard to track down and corroborate even if the correct names are found.

Grave in St Imoges Churchyard,
Marne France
Photographed by SMRC

Unlike many other projects, all the information and images that they collect is freely available to the public and they carry out all this work as volunteers.  As a professional genealogy company, Kin Tree carries out military research on a regular basis and they are the "go to" site for accurate and in depth information.  We have no connection to them but would urge everyone to support their work.

Researching your family's military connections can give you a fascinating insight into your ancestors' lives.  Kin Tree can help you with this research.  contact us for a no obligation, free chat at kintree@ymail.com 

++Competition Result +Competition Result +Competition Result ++

Thank you to all who entered our competition!  The winner of the competition is 

Mr David Fraser of Lanarkshire  

David was a little camera shy so did not want his photo on our page however he was happy for us to share the details of his prize with everyone.

David is looking for information on some specific ancestors and so we will be spending the day check information in two archives for him.

Remember, you can contact Kin Tree with any queries you have on specific ancestors, not only to have a whole tree researched!

Contact us:  kintree@ymail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kintree       

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/kin_tree   @kin_tree

How Reliable Are Family Stories?

In every family, there are stories of ancestors lives.  Some of these are stories that are interesting or fun to know but which don't change our family's story even if they are embellished over the decades! An example might be an ancestor meeting someone famous.  The ancestor could easily have told the story of the occasion in a straightforward way but it is not to say others who heard it didn't interpret it in their own way but present it to others as fact. Over the years, this could mean the story becomes more "details" that it originally contained however no harm is really done as it does not change the story of your ancestor's life!

However, sometimes stories evolve through a simple mistake and it can give a false impression.  A case in mind was one where we were asked to investigate an ancestor who had reportedly played football for Scotland in the early part of the 20th century. It was part of a bigger family tree that we were tracing but naturally, there was interest in seeing if we could find out more about this footballer's career.   

We had identified that the player had indeed played for a senior team.  He had a full time day job and played football at the weekend. For anyone who knows about Scottish football, the bible of facts and figures is "The Wee Red Book" and his name did appear as a Scotland internationalist.  When we looked further into his career we quickly realised that the Scotland player was actually another person with the same name!

We discussed this with the client and they were surprised as they knew the Scotland player had come from the same small town as their ancestor. We were able to tell them that their ancestor didn't come from the same town but why the mix up? Had someone assumed that it was the same person and passed on the story in the family with the birthplace of the internationalist given without any proof?

The truth was probably more complicated.  It turn our that whilst their ancestor who was on their father's side of the family, had not come from that town, the client's mother's family had originated from the internationalist's home town.  the likelihood is someone mixed the two facts - footballer's name and town - in all innocence.

 Family stories can be a great sources of information but it is important to check them out where they involve facts like the footballer's story.  Family members  pass on this information with a genuine belief that the stories are true so it is important to handle any new information sensitively. Although there might be initial surprise at this change of direction in the family's story, most people are keen to know the new details and are pleased to have an accurate family history.

Kin Tree have the skills and resources to investigate your family stories. Most turn out to be true and we can often add details and images to word of mouth stories so please contact us for for a no obligation chat on how we can help you bring your family's story to life at 

kintree@ymail.com

Why not enter our competition to win some free research.  It's a great way to find out if a professional researcher can help you!

Entries close on 30 June 2013

Click here to enter the competition

So You Thought You Had No Images To Add To Your Family History. Here's How To Find Some!

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono
 www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When we are researching our ancestors, it's not always possible for us to have images of them and their families. 

So how can we make their stories come to life in pictures?

If we are looking for images, we can either look for images that already exist or produce some images for ourself!

The internet produces a wealth of images which can relate to our ancestors. First though, remember copyright! Don't simply copy someone's images!  Most people are happy to let you have a copy of images for personal use or will sell you an image at a low cost but please ask!  Remember they have taken the time to produce the image themselves and it belongs to them. You would not take a photograph from their house without asking permission!

A good way to add images to our ancestors' stories is to look for images from the area in which they lived or worked.  There are many sites which have old photos of towns or buildings.  Facebook too has many groups researching specific towns and other  places of interest.  Even if the images don't always match what you are looking for, then you can often leave a message to see if there is anyone who can help.

It is often possible also, to see images of uniforms, medals, or equipment that your ancestors may have owned.  Once again, the internet is useful but  you can also think about visiting places such as museums and graveyards. Look at how we have added to the information by adding the images.

James joined the Royal Navy in 1916 and served aboard HMS Nonsuch.  The photo shows us the uniform that James would have worn.

During World War 2, Henry was too old to join the services. He played a vital role in the war effort as part of  the Casualty Service.  Henry would have had to carry an Identity Card which would include details of his name, address and date of birth along with a description of his appearance.

If it's possible to visit places yourself then this is great!  Although you may feel that the present day image is not representative of the time in which your ancestors lived, it still adds to the story.  Look at  our example of present day image that we took and how it can be woven into the story.

David and Mary were married on 21 January 1905 at Example Church, Anytown. This is the view that Mary would have had as she came over the bridge towards the church.  We do not know if there was snow on that day but the bridge and the surrounding buildings were built in the 19th century so the view is largely unchanged. 

It is also possible to alter photos to give a more "old fashioned" feel. 

David and Mary were married on 21 January 1905 at Example Church, Anytown. This is the view that Mary would have had as she came over the bridge towards the church.  We do not know if there was snow on that day but the bridge and the surrounding buildings were built in the 19th century so the view is largely unchanged. 

Kin Tree can help you with images and writing relevant information.  We can produce these for you or offer further tips for you to do it yourself. We can also supply images, either ones we have ourselves or by visiting places on your behalf.  Getting in touch with us costs nothing so please don't hesitate!

Contact us at kintree@ymail.com

Have you entered our free competition yet?

Click here for details!

The 1918/19 Flu Pandemic And Your Ancestors

Measles has been in the news recently with alerts to a possible epidemic and advice on how to protect children. How does this compare with how our ancestors coped with one of the deadliest pandemics - the flu of 1918/19?

Throughout the world it is estimated that as many as 100 million people may have died of the flu during the 1918/19 pandemic.  In Europe, it is thought that the flu was introduced by members of the armed services from the USA who were sent to the Western Front.  The flu then swept through the trenches.

US Soldiers suffering from flu are
thought to have brought it to Europe

Experts are unsure where the flu originated however they know that troops movements during and after the First World War helped to spread the flu to all corners of the globe.

The pandemic lasted from May 1918 until April 1919 although an increase in cases of flu was to continue into late 1919.  In Scotland nearly 1 million people caught the flu out of a total population of 4.8 million and around 70,000 died from it.  There were three waves of the pandemic. The first case in Scotland is thought to have been in Glasgow in May 1918.  

Today we associate flu deaths with those who are vulnerable through age or illness but during the pandemic in Scotland and throughout the world, the most likely age of death from this flu was in people aged between 20 - 40.  These people were often catching the flu in the morning and were dead by the same evening. 

So why were so many healthy people affected so badly by this version of the flu?  Doctors who have since studied this strain of flu, have discovered that when the flu came up against the immune system, it caused the immune system to overreact. This overreaction caused excess fluid to build up in their lungs and people became unable to cope.  People who were the healthiest had the strongest immune systems so were most likely to be affected by a strong reaction.  

There was little that doctors could do for people struck down by the flu though several possible remedies were suggested.  There was also a problem on the home front as there were very few doctors as many were away in the armed forces.  Those left including doctors coming out of retirement, were overwhelmed with the numbers.

The flu pandemic did not
 start in Spain

The flu is commonly referred to as Spanish flu but it did not originate in Spain.  During World War 1, Spain was a neutral country so unlike many other countries, it did not have an advanced use of news control.  

Spain openly reported the flu pandemic, however in many other countries governments and newspapers hid the extent of the pandemic as they were afraid of the effect on the general population on hearing about so much death so soon after the First World War  

As Spain had widely publicised the flu, it came to be thought that it had originated there because the earliest indications of its devastation were reported from that area. 

In Scotland, most families were not left untouched by the flu pandemic.  Many people will find flu as a cause of death for an ancestor but it has to be remembered that people sometimes died of related conditions so flu is not always listed as the cause of death.  

The suicide rate also increased greatly during the pandemic as the flu also attacked the nervous system.  If you find relations who died during 1918/19 of these related causes of death, it is worth looking further to find out if the death may have been a complication of flu.

For advice on how to identify possible flu victims, please get in touch for a free chat at kintree@ymail.com

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Win A Day's Scottish Family History Research!

Kin Tree is pleased to announce a free to enter competition to win a day's Scottish family research from one of our researchers!

Whether you have yet to start any family history research or you need help with an aspect with which you are stuck, this is a great opportunity to get a day's help from an experienced researcher.

To take part, read our Kin Tree blog and answer the following question:

What is the title of tip number 10 in "Ten Tops Tips For Family History Research"

• Answers should be sent by email to kintree@ymail.com
• In the subject line of the email please write "May/June Competition"
• Along with the answer, please include your name, address and a contact telephone number

Please read our competition rules below before entering!

By participating in the competition you agree to the following Terms and Conditions.

• A Kin Tree researcher will research Scottish based records however at their own discretion, they may widen the search. 
• The research to be carried out will be decided after consultation with the competition winner.  The Kn Tree researcher will decide what research will be undertaken.
• Along with the research, the winner will receive a report of the work carried out and further possible research suggestions.
• The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 except Kin Tree researchers and their immediate families. Kin Tree reserves the right to request proof of identity or to verify eligibility conditions.
• Maximum one entry per person unless otherwise stated. Entries via agents or third parties or the use of multiple identities and email addresses are not permitted.
• Entries must be by email to kintree@ymail.com. Use of automated entries or programs is prohibited and all such entries will be disqualified.
• The competition will close on 30 June 2013 and the winner will be selected in a random draw within 5 days of the closing date from all correct entries received. The winner will be announced on our facebook and twitter pages. All entrants will also receive an email from Kin Tree announcing the winner's name.
• Kin Tree reserves the right to disqualify late, misdirected, incomplete, corrupted, lost, illegible or invalid entries.
• Kin Tree is not responsible for any disruption to the competition or Kin Tree's blog due to technical problems or otherwise due to events outside of its reasonable control.
• To enter we will ask you to supply contact details with us. These will be used to administer the competition and award the prize. 
• If the prize cannot be distributed, Kin Tree reserves the right to select an alternative winner. We require a response before we award the prize and if no response is received after we have made reasonable efforts to make contact, we reserves the right to withdraw the prize entitlement and award the prize to someone else. Kin Tree has no responsibility to anyone who has not responded.
• No cash or other alternative prizes is available. The prize cannot be transferred or sold by the winner.
• Kin Tree has arranged this competition in good faith but, to the fullest extent allowed by law, accepts no responsibility for loss or damages as a result of anyone participating in the competition or any aspect of any prize awarded. Your legal rights as a consumer are not affected.
• Kin Tree reserves the right to modify, suspend, cancel or terminate the competition or extend or resume the entry period or disqualify any participant at any time without giving advance notice and will do so if it cannot be guaranteed that the competition can be carried out fairly or correctly for technical, legal or other reasons or if Kin Tree suspects that any person has been manipulating entries or the results or has acted unethically in any other way.
• The winner agrees to take part in publicity in connection with the prize draw.
• By entering this prize draw, entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
• Kin Tree’s decision is final and we reserve the right not to correspond on any matter.
• The laws of Scotland apply and any disputes will be dealt with in the Scottish courts only.

Are Siblings Important To Family History Research?

Brothers and sisters can prove to be life long friends or alternatively squabble their whole lives but they may not seem a significant part of family history.

Research is generally aimed at looking at your direct ancestors so your relatives' brothers and sisters may seem of little importance.  They do play a vital role in your investigations however!

Image:debspoons www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Elderly relations often move in with their children and you may find that elusive ancestor residing with a sibling of your direct ancestor.  If this is a female then she may have married so if you get stuck with where an ancestor ended up, it is worth looking at what happens to other family members such as siblings and checking out possible marriage records.

If you hit a brick wall with your research, siblings can be a great way of trying to get over your genealogical barrier. Looking at the family history of a sibling might bring clues to your own direct ancestry. Often, one person inherits all the significant documents or photos in a family and by looking at other people who share some of your family history, you may find information that is important for you also.

Siblings can also help add to the family story.  Although not direct line ancestors to your family, they were the children of your ancestors so have a great significance to the lives that your ancestors led.  

Often migration for example, was to give their families a better life and it can be interesting to look at how people fared.  Circumstances can often change quickly for these people.  Lack of opportunity or education often meant poverty but  a change of country could open up previously unimaginable ways to improve their  situation.

At Kin Tree recently, we had a case where we unexpectedly discovered a whole new part of a family story as a result of looking at a sibling.  We had the death certificate for someone and noticed that the person who had registered the death was the son-in-law of the deceased.  We had no record of a daughter as we only had  sons showing up on census records.  

It turned out there was a daughter who had left home by the time that the family had moved to Scotland.. We found her marriage and her death certificates which confirmed her parents' names.  The family had originally come from Ireland and we were able to track down a birth certificate for her in Ireland which gave us a start on the family's Irish roots.  From that, we were able to trace back two more generations of the family, taking us back to around 1804.

For a free and friendly chat about your family history, email us at kintree@ymail.com

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