John O'Groats Journal

[DSinc39156@aol.com]

Hi cousins, here are a few snippets from the local paper in Wick, Caithness.
Donald Sinclair (Indianapolis)

Mother and Father of family trees
A group set up to help people track down their ancestors in Caithness has 
heard how an amateur geneologist came to compile a massive index of local 
families stretching back three centuries. Retired civil servant Ian Aitchison 
had no connection with Caithness when he started to research his family tree 
in 1982. He told a meeting of Caithness Family History Society that his 
interest had been stirred by the discovery in Leith of family records left by 
his wife Christian's late mother. Mr Aitchison's search took him back to 1751 
and the marriage in Wick parish of David Nicholson to Mary Coghill, from whom 
his own mother had descended. He became so captivated by his Caithness roots 
- and the help and support of local people whom he contacted for more 
information - that the project soon branched out. The records of tens of 
thousands of people who were born, married or buried in Caithness have been 
transcribed and joined together in family trees. They have been compiled from 
painstaking examination of the statutory records of births, deaths and 
marriages since 1855, census returns from 1841 onwards and parish and burial 
records prior to that. Now, 18 years after he started, Mr Aitchison's 
methodical research has produced 75 family trees for the Swanson's alone, and 
another 150 trees for surnames such as Coghill, Nicolson, Bremner, Rosie, 
Shearer and Gunn. An index giving details of each person has been created and 
a copy deposited in the North Highland Archive at Wick, where it is 
accessible to members of the public searching for information about their 
ancestors.

BABY SINCLAIR, 
Colin and Susan (nee Brooke)
Are proud to announce the safe arrival of their precious son, Arran Brooke, 
on 13 June 2000, at Caithness General Hosptial. Grateful thanks to all 
community and hospital midwives and staff for all their help and support.


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