Get Started Researching Your Scottish Ancestors​​​
​Learn the basics to start finding your Scottish ancestors
 
Navigating the ScotlandsPeople Website
​Genealogy researchers have become accustomed to subscription websites and find navigating the ScotlandsPeople website to be too steep of a learning curve. Given that this is the ONLY place where you can access images of the actual documents held by the Registrar,

it is critical that Scottish researchers are comfortable using the website. This presentation will make your searches more successful. ** please note this is a live walk through of the website and there is no accompanying handout **
 
​Breaking Through Brick Walls in Scottish Research
Learn strategies for moving your research forward
 
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
 
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
 
​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
 
Scottish Immigrants in Ontario
In this session we will cover the various crown settlements in Ontario such as Glengarry, Baldoon, the Huron Tract, the settlements along the south shore of Lake Huron and the Lewis Settlers. As part of this, we will look at some of the people who owned or managed these settlements and the Scottish Alliance that was formed as part of these settlements
 
Canada - Land and Opportunity
Land was abundant in the new colony of Canada. Many Scots left their home in hopes of finding new opportunities through enticements to settle in Canada
 
​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.
 
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
 
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
 
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​
 
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
 
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. 

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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?  

Join us as we look at a number of gifts that can be created that will be meaningful to the receiver and will be treasured for many years, perhaps generations, to come. 

 

Using Family History Software to Create a Family History Book

In this talk, we will look at the built in features of two specific software programs to help you to get your family history into a book format that will allow you to share your research and discoveries with others. 

WORKSHOP/SEMINAR PACKAGES
 

GETTING STARTED ESSENTIALS - 4 TALKS: Getting Started, Navigating the SP Website, Brick Walls and Online Sources

EMIGRATION/IMMIGRATION - 3 TALKS: From Scotland to America, Finding Your Scottish Ancestor in Canada

FROM SCOTLAND TO CANADA - 4 TALKS: Selkirk & His Settlers, HBC Ancestors, Scots in Atlantic Canada, Scots in Ontario

CREATING A FAMILY HISTORY BOOK - 2 hour interactive workshop

DOCUMENTING YOUR OWN LIFE STORY - 3 hour interactive workshop

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