LOL! Wouldn't we ALL like it to be easy! :)
I honestly did not know how to proceed. Thank you for informing me!
Adrian
-----Original Message-----
From: Henry1398 <Henry1398@aol.com>
To: sinclair@zilker.net <sinclair@zilker.net>
Date: Sunday, March 22, 1998 2:59 PM
Subject: Re: Researching Genealogy
>Dear Adrian,
>
>Your inquiry suggests that you would like to find an easy way to trace your
>ancestors. I'm sorry to say, it is very unlikely that you will be that
lucky
>unless you find a close relative who has already done the work.
>
>My suggestion is to start with yourself and work backwards as far as you
can.
>Write down dates and places of birth, marriage, & death. As you go back,
you
>will get to some unknown data. Go then to that location and look at the
>certificates of birth, marriage, or death to get other data listed on that
>record. Expect to pay $5 per certificate. Use them to trace earlier
records.
>
>Check again with me to see if I have your earliest ancestor in our Clan
>Sinclair Archives. If I do, then I can give your a great deal of earlier
>data.
>
>If I do not have your ancestors in our records, then you have to dig
further.
>If you get to ancestors in Scotland, then you can persue the following
route.
>
>Scotland is a good place to seek information about your ancestors and your
>family
>history because the country made the central registration of births,
>marriages, and
>deaths compulsory in 1855, much earlier than in many other lands. Even
before
>1855, parishes under the predominant Church of Scotland were just as
>meticulous,
>some keeping records as far back as the 16th century. In general, records
in
>the south and east of Scotland started in the 17th century, followed by the
>northern and western parishes during the 18th century The far-flung
>Gaelic-speaking islands took up the practice during the 19th century.
Though
>mold, mice, fire, and even floods have damaged or destroyed some parish
>records, the details from the bulk of them are now all safely listed in
>Edinburgh at the Scots Ancestry Research Society.
>
>Tom Johnston, then Secretary of State for Scotland, established the society
in
>1945. The society has access to many sources - such as the nearby Official
>Central Records Office - plus census, property and similar records, old
>newspapers, local history archives, and information from graveyard
>researchers.
>
>Using a library of information collected during the past 50 years, the
>society's researchers can eliminate much of the time-consuming groundwork
that
>tracing your ancestry requires. This nonprofit organization charges an
initial
>minimum fee of $60 to conduct a preliminary search, which largely reveals
if
>it is worth searching further. After that, customers pay as they go; the
>society never undertakes more research until a user gives the word. The
cost
>of tracing one's family line typically averages between $150 and $250.
Rarely
>do successful searches exceed $420.
>
>Many visitors find it useful to commission the Society's initial help
before
>they come to Scotland, taking their own part in it once they arrive. The
>society can also, on request from any client outside Scotland, undertake
the
>entire search. The final report it prepares provides an amazing amount of
>detail, including accurate quotations from the original records, plus names
>occupations, addresses, in formation from gravestones, and even maps. It
can
>also suggest relevant back ground reading and other helpful hints.
>
>Many have described the thrilling moment when, at the search's end, they
stood
>in a
>church graveyard and saw their family's name engraved there. The moment I
>learned of the society, I rushed to find out the details that its staff
would
>need from my own family which, though I am a Scot in Scotland, I know of
only
>the past two generations. Like many others, I now cannot wait for the
moment
>when [find myself contacting a family member I did not know existed or
visit a
>place connecled with my family's past.
>
>The Scots Ancestry Research Society is located at 29-A Albany Street,
>Edinburgh,
>EH1 3QN, Scotland. The phone is 44 131 556 4220. It is open to visitors
on
>Mondays through Fridays from 10 am to 4 pm.
>
>Another approach you could take is to employ the services of a professional
>researcher, such as John MacInnes, Highland Heritage, 5 Chapelton Place,
Muir
>of Ord, Rossshire IV6 7TG, Scotland. His phone in 01463-871125, or fax
>01463-715586. Such persons are registered and are familiar with the
>repositories of data. Typically, they charge about $100 per day plus
>expenses. Terms should be quoted before you engage them.
>
>Best wishes!
>
>H. S. "Pete" Cummings, Jr.
>Clan Sinclair Genealogist
>
>
>
>
>