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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