GENEALOGY TOURS OF SCOTLAND
Scottish Genealogy Research Presentations:
In Search of Your Scottish Ancestors​​​
​Learn the basics to start finding your Scottish ancestors. We will learn about using the ScotlandsPeople website, gleaning information from the documents, the importance of understanding the Scottish Naming Pattern, Irregular Marriages and so much more.
​Breaking Through Brick Walls in Scottish Research
Learn strategies for moving your research forward using the information on documents, and learning what your next steps might be.
Online Sources for Scottish Research
Have you exhausted the many online resources for finding your Scottish ancestors? Here are some websites to consider for filling in the details of your ancestor’s life
Genealogy Gems in Scottish Libraries and Archives
This talk will help you to discover the wealth of records available in Scotland's libraries and archives both at the National and Municipal levels.
Preparing for a Genealogy Research Trip to Scotland
Being prepared ahead of time will increase your success. Let me help you get ready for the trip of a lifetime
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Scottish Customs, Traditions and Superstitions
“Legends and Myths are wrapped around Scotland like a cloak” ~ Alisdair Irvine. In Scotland, Faeries existed in an alternate, parallel universe. People were always acutely aware of them and the understanding was that so long as you didn’t intrude or disturb them, all would be well. Trying to avoid upsetting the faeries led to Scots being one of the most superstitious groups of people on the planet. In this presentation, we will look at both Celtic Calendar Customs and Life Cycle Customs that were strongly adhered to in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and mention those that still exist today.
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Emigration/Immigration Presentations:
Early Scottish Settlers in Ontario
Following the Revolutionary War, many British subjects were eager to get onto British soil and Canada was the nearest colony. Land was granted to soldiers who had remained loyal to the Crown and with the success of settlements such as Glengarry, colonizers soon realized that there was success to be had in getting Scots to settle in the huge swath of untapped land in Upper Canada.
Finding Your Scottish Ancestors in Canada
Scotland has had a long history with Canada, from the early Orcadians who worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company, to the settlers in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Ontario, to the colonizers such as Lord Selkirk and John Galt. We will look at the various records that might help you to know more about your Scottish immigrant ancestor in Canada
From Scotland to America
This talk looks at the historic events that led to Scots leaving Scotland and settling in America. This talk focuses pre revolutionary war
Emigration from Scotland to North America
It has been said that perhaps one of Scotland’s greatest exports has been its people. Scots have been leaving their homeland and coming to North America since the mid 1600s. In this presentation, we will look at some of the historic events that may have led to your Scottish ancestor emigrating to North America.
​From Township to Ownership: Scottish Immigrants in Atlantic Canada
In this session we will cover the merchants and professionals that emigrated to Nfld, those who came with the Timber Merchants, the groups of Highlander and Islanders who were ousted from their homes for religious reasons or who were cleared from estates and came to Canada to make a better life for themselves and their families. (PEI, NS and Cape Breton)
Selkirk and His Settlers
Tommy Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk organized three large settlements in Canada, settling Scottish highlanders on them. The first was in Belfast, PEI, the second was in Baldoon, ON and the largest was the Red River Settlement in MB
The Colonizers of Canada
Canada was once a vast wilderness which, after 1763, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, belonged to the British Crown. In an attempt to settle their new colony and keep the French and Spanish at bay, the crown began selling large lots of land to colonizers who then settled the land with emigrants from Britain. The selling of land to colonizers allowed vast opportunities for settlement within Canada. In this presentation we will learn about John MacDonald, Lord Selkirk, the Crown (Loyalist Settlers), Thomas Talbot, John Galt, Peter Robinson and the Emigration Act of 1869
Researching HBC Ancestors
​​Scotland has had a long history with the Hudson's Bay Company. Beginning in about 1702, men from Orkney began being recruited by the Hudson's Bay Company to work in their settlement at York Factory. Many of these men had families with the Native women, creating the Metis Nation in Canada. In this presentation we will look at available records for the men who worked for the HBC
Researching Métis Ancestors
In the late 18th century, Scotsmen traveled to York Factory to work with the HBC. Being indentured for 3-5 years, these men often coupled with Cree women, creating the Métis Nation. HBC’s rival, the Northwest Company, sent their men to the Red River area to winter trap over the winter months. These men also coupled with the Cree women, adding French blood to the Métis
On the Backs of Babes: Researching British Home Children
Between 1869 and the Great Depression, over 100,000 children were sent to Canada from Great Britain. The idea behind this scheme was to alleviate the number of poor and destitute children who were living in workhouses where they were separated from their families. These youngsters were sent to Canada to work on farms as indentured servants​
For the Salvation of Destitute and Neglected Children: BHC from Scotland
In this presentation we will look at the sending homes in Scotland that were involved in the British Home Child scheme. We will also discuss Reformatories, Industrial Schools and Orphanages.
From Pelts to Profits: Researching Fur Trade Ancestors
Beaver pelts were much sought after on the European market where they were needed to make gentlemen’s felt hats. The source in Europe was seriously depleted so traders and entrepreneurs turned their sights to Canada’s wilderness. This vast untapped land offered a seemingly endless source of not only beaver pelts but other pelts as well. In this presentation, we will look at the relationship between the early Europeans and Indigenous traders, Independent traders like Courier du Bois and Voyageurs, The Hudson’s Bay Company, The NorthWest Company and several of its offshoots and John Astor’s American Fur Company.
Researching Selkirk's Red River Settlement
Lord Selkirk was a successful colonizer. He had long had his sights on the Red River Valley. He negotiated with the HBC to purchase a large tract of land in return for providing the company with both money and a workforce. However, his settlement was not without difficulty. In this presentation, we will discuss the Settlement, the conflicts with the two fur trading companies and we will look at records for researching ancestors from the Red River Settlement.
Selkirk and His Settlers
Tommy Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk organized three large settlements in Canada, settling Scottish highlanders on them. The first was in Belfast, PEI, the second was Baldoon in Southern Ontario and the largest was the Red River Settlement in Manitoba.
Soldiers Squatters and Settlers in Upper Canada
Following the Revolutionary War, many British subjects were eager to get onto British soil and Canada was the nearest colony. Land was granted to soldiers who had remained loyal to the Crown and with the success of settlements such as Glengarry, colonizers soon realized that there was success to be had in getting immigrants to settle in the huge swath of untapped land in Upper Canada.
In this presentation we will discuss: Military Settlements, Crown & Clergy Reserves, Queen’s Bush Settlement & Wilberforce Colony, Quaker Settlements, Mennonite Settlements, Talbot Settlement, Peter Robinson Settlement and the Huron Tract
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Removing the Rebels: Peter Robinson’s Settlement Scheme
The South of Ireland was in dire straits at the end of the 18th century and on several occasions was on the verge of civil war. The Whiteboys developed as a secret oath-bound society among the poor.
Their operations were chiefly in the counties of Waterford, Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary and were not directed against the government, but rather against local landlords.
No amount of legislation seemed to tame the anger which had led to many “disturbances” As a means of removing some of the rebels, offering them a new life and free land in Upper Canada, and hopefully settling the anger back home in Ireland, the government decide to pay for families to be resettled at the expense of the government. Peter Robinson, brother of John Beverley Robinson, was tasked with finding and settling the emigrants.
In this presentation we will look at the history and politics that led to what has become known as the Peter Robinson’s Settlement Scheme. We will also take an in-depth look at the various resources available for researching your Peter Robinson Settler ancestors.​
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From Scotland to Canada
Thousands of Scots left their homeland and emigrated to Canada, many seeking a better life. Scots began coming to Canada in the mid 1600s, first as entrepreneurs – men on the make, and then as a means to an end – ways to enjoy a better life and to have the opportunity to own their own land. Others were sent to Canada in hopes of them having a better life than the one they left behind.
Writing Your Family History Presentations:
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Sharing the Stories
As family historians, we have an obligation to honour our ancestors and to share their stories with others. In tonight's webinar we will look at various ways to do just that. In this talk we will look at creating family history books, newsletters and blogs. We will discuss what to include in books, newsletters or on blogs as well as interviewing older relatives
Creating a Life Story Book
Take the time to honour the life of an ancestor by creating a book about their life. This presentation will walk you through the process and will give you ideas of what to include in the book. ​
Five Simple Steps to Creating a Family History Book
We have years of research sitting in files, boxes, envelopes. Accumulating this information has helped us to better understand the lives of our ancestors but it won’t make much sense to the next generation. It is important to get the information we know into a book so that our legacy can be preserved, our ancestors can be remembered, and our work won’t all have been for naught.
In this webinar, we will walk through five easy steps to getting the genealogical research out of files and boxes and into a book that can be enjoyed by future generations. We will look at various formats for creating the book, what to include, how to lay out the information and more.​​
Miscellaneous Presentation Topics:
Meaningful Gift Giving
As the keeper of the family history, many of us are also the keeper of the family photos. But how can we share these photos in ways that will be meaningful and treasured by others? This presentation will give you ideas for creating personalized gifts that will be meaningful to the receiver and will be treasured for many years, perhaps generations, to come.
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Leaving Your Genealogy Footprint – A Guide to Succession Planning for Genealogists
You have spent years tracing your family tree, digitizing old photographs, writing down ancestral stories, collecting certificates and piecing together lost generations. These deserve to be preserved. It is important to make a plan for your genealogical legacy.
There is an art in letting go. Not so much for yourself but to simplify life for your succession managers. If you weed out the unnecessary, determine where research documents, photographs, books and artefacts should go, you leave a guilt free legacy for your succession manager.
Preserving your family’s story is one of the most meaningful gifts you can offer the next generation. Thoughtful succession planning ensures that your voice, values, and heritage live on.
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Understanding Cemetery Symbolism
Often we come across the headstones of our ancestors and wish we if the various carvings were trying to tell us something about their lives. In this webinar, we will look at a number of common headstone symbols and what those symbols mean. Understanding these symbols will give us a glimpse into the lives that they led. ​
For the Love of Scotland
Join me on a personal journey as I share some of the places and unique experiences I have enjoyed in my homeland