The Scottish Genealogy Society
News & Announcements This section contains SGS news and announcements. For website updates please see the 'What's new on this site' page. 22 March 2008 - Price of downloadable back issues We have had to increase the price of downloadable back issues (available from the on-line shop) from GBP2.00 to GBP2.50 because the Society is charged 50p for credit card sales of GBP5.00 or less. 8 March 2008 - Office of Lord Lyon King of Arms (following Scottish Government announcement of 7 March 2008)
David Sellar, the new Lord Lyon King of Arms Following the retirement of our President, Robin Orr Blair, LVO, WS, from the office of Lord Lyon King of Arms in December 2007, the Queen has been pleased, on the recommendation of the First Minister, to appoint Mr William David Hamilton Sellar, Solicitor, to be Lord Lyon King of Arms. Mr. Sellar was a member of the Council of the Scottish Genealogy Society from 1966 to 1973. Here is the text of the announcement: 'The Queen has been pleased, on the recommendation of the First Minister, to appoint Mr William David Hamilton Sellar, Solicitor, to be Lord Lyon King of Arms. Mr Sellar succeeds Robin Blair, LVO, WS who has held the office of Lord Lyon since 2001. Her Majesty is also to appoint Mr Sellar to be Secretary of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle. Mr Sellar qualified as a solicitor in 1966. After two years with the Scottish Land Court, he joined the Faculty of Law at the University of Edinburgh where he is now an Honorary Fellow. The Lord Lyon has both administrative and judicial functions. The administrative functions include the granting of armorial bearings to individual persons and corporations. The Lord Lyon's judicial functions include ruling on who has the right to bear an existing coat of arms, and the authorisation of matriculations of differenced Arms. The post is part time - three days a week, with a salary range of £56,000 - £78,500 pro rata. The Lord Lyon is appointed by Her Majesty The Queen under section 3 of the Lyon King of Arms (Scotland) Act 1867. The Office of the Lord Lyon is situated in New Register House, Edinburgh. David Sellar, aged 67, is a graduate of the Universities of Oxford (History) and Edinburgh (Law). He qualified as a solicitor in 1966. After two years as a legal assessor with the Scottish Land Court, he taught in the Faculty of Law at the University of Edinburgh. He is now an honorary fellow of the Faculty. He is joint author of the Saltire Society's Scottish Legal Tradition (1991), and has written on the history of various branches of Scots law, including marriage, divorce, incest, homicide and unjust enrichment. He has published on the Lordship of the Isles and on the origins of many Highland families, including the Campbells, MacDonalds, MacDougalls, MacLeods, Lamonts, MacNeills and Nicolsons. He was O'Donnell Lecturer (in Celtic Studies) at Edinburgh in 1985, Stair Society Lecturer in 1997 and a Rhind Lecturer in 2000. He has been a Member of the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland, Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Literary Director of the Stair Society, Chairman of Council of the Scottish History Society and Chairman of the Conference of Scottish Medievalists. He has also served on the Council of the Scottish Genealogy Society and of the Heraldry Society of Scotland. He was appointed Bute Pursuivant of Arms in 2001. The appointment followed public advertisement of the post and a selection board met to interview a short-list of candidates and provide a recommendation to the First Minister.' 18 February 2008 - Annual General Meeting 2008 This year’s Annual General Meeting, on 18th February, was well-attended as usual. Thank you to everyone who attended and ensured that it was quorate. The Chair, Jim Cranstoun, thanked particular members for their efforts during 2007 on the Society’s behalf: Dorothy Tweedie for her painstaking work as Treasurer; Moira Stevenson and Richard Torrance for their patience and technical know-how with the new computer system; Rhona Stevenson, Alison Moffat and Nancy Douglas for their constant and efficient efforts as the Sales Team. Our sales of publications generate a very considerable income every year. The following members were re-elected: Dr James Cranstoun as Chairman of Council and Hon. Librarian; Kenneth Nisbet as Hon. Secretary; Caroline Gerard as Hon. Editor. Mrs Kirstine Baxter was elected as a new member of Council. Miss Barbara Revolta’s two consecutive terms were completed, but, under the new Constitution which came into effect at the close of the meeting, the compulsory “sabbatical” was abolished and Council had the authority to co-opt her at its next meeting. The Society’s new Constitution (enclosed with the Journal of December 2007) was adopted. From the floor a discussion was started regarding annual membership fees. The Chairman promised that this would be duly considered and discussed by Council, although no increase could be implemented at this AGM. Afterwards members were invited to show and explain some “Prized Family Objects”. These ranged from a wooden box carved and painted in the late 18thC to exquisite embroidery to a tinted print of a naval base in Russia to a small notebook recording family events to a lemonade bottle and to a splinter of a shoulder-blade! As ever, refreshments were organised by our volunteers. 28 November 2007 - University of Strathclyde Genealogy Lecture Series 2007-2008 To complement its Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma in Genealogical Studies, the Centre for Lifelong Learning is organising a series of public lectures on Genealogy, Family History and Related Subjects. On Tuesday 4 December 2007 at 6.30 p.m. at the Livingstone Tower L410, 6 Richmond Street, Glasgow G1 1XH - 'Imaging, digitising and indexing genealogical records procedures and pitfalls', presented by Laryn Brown BA, MBA of The Generations Network and Ancestry.co.uk. On Tuesday 8 January 2008 at 6.30 p.m. at the Collins Suite, Richmond Street, Glasgow G1 1XH - 'The Law of Arms and Heraldic Practice in the new Russia', presented by Michael Yurievich Medvedev of the Heraldic Council to the President of the Russian Federation. The cost per lecture is £3. Further information: www.cll.strath.ac.uk/genealogy 26 November 2007 - Library closure on Saturday 1 December Please note that the Library will be closed on Saturday 1 December 2007 while work is being carried out on the computer system. 20 November 2007 - Society website In the year to date the Society's website has had around 105,000 visitors who have accessed over 500,000 pages. Apparently, 1% of visitors spend over 1 hour on our website and it is estimated that 60% of visitors add the site to their favourites list. 16 November 2007 - SGS Christmas Party Please note that the Society's Christmas Party will be held at 15 Victoria Terrace at 3 p.m. on Saturday 8th December. 13 November 2007 - Christmas Closure of Library Please note that the Library will be closed on Saturday 22 December 2007 and will re-open on Monday 7th January 2008. 27 July 2007 - Looking for Joy Benson of Glasgow Greetings from the United States. I am submitting this letter with the hope that you might be able to help me locate a dear young lady or members of her family who I met in 1955-1956 in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France. Her name is/was Joy Benson. Her address was: 43 Aberfeldy Street At the time I was a member of the US Navy on board the USS Des Moines. We met on a small beach at Villefranche and spent many quiet peaceful afternoons together enjoying the seaside and eachothers company . We did not have a love affair although I was very fond of this lovely Scottish girl, a real beauty to be proud of. We had to leave port for a while and when we returned I tried to locate my friend Joy. I was told that her father had passed away and she had returned to Glasgow; as I recall, he was a carpeting merchant. Over these past fifty years I have often wondered about Joy, her life, her family etc. I can never forget the good times we had together and I would like to know that she has had a good and full life. She has been and will always be very dear and special to me and above all a great and special friend. I am sure that my days are growing short and it would mean a great deal to me if I could contact her or her family in order to renew our friendship even if only by E-Mail or other means, or at least learn her destiny. Would you please be able to publish this letter in the hope that my dear friend Joy or a family member might see it and contact me? I will be forever in your debt and you will have my eternal thanks. Thank you in advance for your kind attention and hopefully your assistance. You will make this old man very happy and even more so should I be able to contact my dear friend of 50 years past. Very sincerely, RONALD F. HOVIS Tel: 301 733 8561 28 February 2007 - Society website and on-line forum
The website had over 11,000 unique visitors (16,000 visits, 141,000 hits) in January 2007 and over 12,000 unique visitors (17,000 visits, 160,000 hits) in February 2007, serving over 105,000 pages of information in total. In the year ended 31 December 2006 the website had over 145,000 unique visitors, about 400 a day. The majority of these visitors were from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Europe. These figures do not include the on-line forum, which can have over 1,000 visitors per day (both members and non-members) and which now has over 1,000 members. Full statistics for the on-line forum are not available but it would seem likely that the main website, the on-line forum and the on-line shop are receiving somewhere approaching 400,000 to 500,000 visitors a year. 19 February 2007 - Annual General Meeting
Sir Malcom Innes of Edingight, KCVO, WS Sir Malcom Innes of Edingight, KCVO, WS, former Lord Lyon King of Arms, retired as the Society's long-standing Honorary President at this meeting, and was thanked by Dr. James Cranstoun on behalf of the Society for his many years of service. Sir Malcolm was presented with a gift from the society and spoke in reply. Robin Orr Blair, LVO, WS, Lord Lyon King of Arms, who has graciously consented to act as Honorary President, was duly elected.
Robin Orr Blair, LVO, WS, Lord Lyon King of Arms
Gregory Lauder-Frost, BA (Hons), FSA (Scot.) After three years as Editor of The Scottish Genealogist Gregory Lauder-Frost is to be replaced by Miss Caroline Jane Gerard. During his tenure in office full use of colour was achieved in the journal, within the existing budget, the quality of the paper was upgraded, as was the font enabling easier reading and better quality pictures. The journal was the first printed publication to carry colour photos of the Society's involvement and presence at the International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences held at St Andrews in August 2006, of which the Society was co-sponsor. Gregory also introduced, with Council consent, some advertising in the journal which also assisted in offsetting costs. He continued the traditions of the journal in publishing academic articles which otherwise had not (and might not have) appeared in print, as well as carrying numerous articles of general interest and assistance to ordinary genealogists. Gregory also organised the Society's very successful 50th Anniversary Dinner in September 2003, and remains on the Council. September 2006 - Book review
'Scotland's Historic Heraldry', a new book by Bruce McAndrew, was reviewed in the September 2006 issue of 'The Scottish Genealogist', where it was described as 'undoubtedly the most important work in the field of Scots heraldry to be published in the last 300 years'. The book can be bought on-line here. For those who wish to consult the book, a copy has been donated to the Library by Council member, Gregory Lauder-Frost. Annual Report of the Council for the period 1 October 2005 – 30th September 2006 Society Meetings One of the strengths of the society has been its ability to attract speakers to give useful and informative lectures to the members. In November 2005 a very well attended meeting saw the author and historian Jack Alexander tell The Story of the 16th Royal Scots. This lecture enthralled those attending and a large number of questions were taken by Mr Alexander . The first meeting of 2006 was by Helga Chart on My Artistic Forebears. Following the Annual General Meeting in February 2007, the editor of the society’s Magazine, Gregory Lauder-Frost, gave a very interesting talk on the ancestry of his great-uncle, the famous Scottish entertainer Sir Harry Lauder. In March Ruari Halford-Macleod talked on The Genealogy of the Clan Macleod. April saw Catherine Doman lecture on Sunday Best in the 19th Century. On an evening in May, a group of society members enjoyed a guided visit to Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh. In September, the society was fortunate that Mr Peter Stubbs was able to stand in at the last minute to present a well-illustrated talk on Edinburgh Shops. This year the society’s new Syllabus Secretary Miss Barbara Revolta deserves thanks for arranging the meetings and in particular, for dealing with an unexpected change in the catering at the venue the society used. Council The Annual General Meeting held in February was presided over by our Hon. President Sir Malcolm Innes of Edingight. Miss Joan Ferguson, M.B.E. who had served as secretary of the society for many years was elected a Hon. Vice-President. Mr James Herbert, who had held the position of Hon. Treasurer for a number of years and had given good service to the society, intimated his desire to retire from office, and we were very fortunate to have acquired the services of Mrs Dorothy Tweedie who has succeeded to the post. The remaining Office Bearers were re-elected to their current positions. Mrs Joy Dodd, Caroline Jane Gerard, Leslie Hume, Graham Marshall, and Mrs Rhona Stevenson (Sales Secretary) filled vacancies as Ordinary Members of Council. The Council has regular meetings where the management of the society is discussed and future projects and plans are considered. Family History Fairs The society has had a presence at a number of fairs this year. Attendance at these fairs is of benefit to the society both in advertising ourselves and in selling the society’s genealogical products. Those attended were the Scottish Association of Family History Society’s 17th Annual Conference at New Lanark; in May, we were the only Scottish society to attend the Society of Genealogists’ Family History Fair held in London; the same month saw us attending the Family History Fair held at Fochabers in Morayshire, where our Secretary also gave a lecture on the use of newspapers in family history; in September, the society attended the Family History Fair at Gateshead, co. Durham, which we have now attended for a number of years. From the 21st to 26th August the 27th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences was held at St. Andrews University. The opening day saw a number of the society’s office bearers present, including our Hon. President Sir Malcolm Innes, and three Vice Presidents Miss Joan Ferguson, Ivor Guild and Richard Torrance, who took part in the opening procession. Richard Torrance also held the post of Secretary of the Congress. The Wednesday of that week saw a family history fair at which the society had a very successful day. Graham Senior-Milne of Mordington should also be thanked for taking a number of excellent photographs on behalf of the society, some of which appeared in the September edition of The Scottish Genealogist. Those voluntarily attending fairs on behalf of the society include the Chairman, Secretary, Mr Craig Ellery, Miss Barbara Revolta, Mrs Joy Dodds, Mrs Alison Moffat, Caroline Gerrard and Catriona Stirling. The Secretary also gave talks on the society, its facilities and resources, to the Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society and Central Scotland Family History Societies. Library Over the past year, work has continued on the re-classification of the library stock, thanks to the efforts of many volunteers. A guide to the new classification scheme is available in the library for consultation. We have now well over 8000 catalogued books, booklets and pamphlets. We also have several hundred CDs, some of which are now installed on the library computers, grouped under broad headings such as Census, Directories, Graves and Graveyards, Military, etc. A new list has been put together of Monumental Inscriptions and Death Records held in the library. The published Monumental Inscriptions have now been moved upstairs beside the rest of the books. Two further consignments of books were sent for re-binding this year, and we are grateful for the excellent and reasonable services which Remploy, introduced to us by our Editor, provide us with in this respect. My Ain Folk- the heading under which community groups visit the library to learn about Family History has continued with great success this year, and has resulted in new members for the Society. Bob Staratt’s classes have also paid us a visit this year. We have welcomed several new library volunteers during 2006, and we hope they will enjoy there time here. Our sincere thanks go to all who have given their time and expertise to the library during the past year Publication/Printing Craig Ellery, Chairman of the Publications Committee, reports that during 2006 the following new publication was printed: East Lothian Hearth Tax 1691. Fourteen of our previous publications have also been reprinted. Forthcoming publications are Warriston Cemetery M.I.’s (CD), Comely Bank Cemetery MI’s (CD & book) A group of volunteers continues recording the inscriptions in Grange Cemetery, and individual members of the society are involved in recording Rosebank Cemetery, Dalry Cemetery and updating Dean Cemetery Monumental Inscriptions in Edinburgh. The Society is also involved in the Burial Place Location Project being, run by the Scottish Association of Family History Societies. Volunteers have also commenced work on indexing the burials within St. Cuthbert’s and Greyfriars parish records. The society’s website, which is maintained by Graham Senior-Milne as Webmaster, continues to be of great benefit to the society as large numbers of new members join by this method and a very considerable volume of our sales take place through this facility. The council would like to thank Mrs Rhona Stevenson, our Sales Secretary, as well as Mrs Nancy Douglas and Mrs Alison Moffat, who have been of great assistance to her in this very demanding task. Advertising During 2005/2006 the society advertised in a large variety of publications including The Scottish Genealogical Directory 2005, Directory of Irish Family History Research, History Scotland magazine, Genealogical Research Directory 2006, The Clan Donnachaidh Society magazine, Scottish Memories, The Scotsman, The Daily Mail, The Complete Scotland, and Yell. The Society also continues to advertise in the main family history magazines: Family History Monthly, Family Tree Magazine, Ancestors, and Your Family Tree. This advertising helps with the sales of the society’s products and in addition they have received good reviews. New Register House Visits During 2006, 29 evening visits were arranged. However due to declining numbers a few of these were cancelled towards the end of this year. Acknowledgments The council would like to thank the office-bearers and all our library volunteers whose invaluable contributions make the work of the Society successful. 21 August 2006 - The 27th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences, St. Andrews - Opening Procession and Civic Reception From the 21st to 26th August the 27th International Congress of Genealogical and Heraldic Sciences was held at St. Andrews University. The opening day saw a number of the society’s office bearers present, including our Hon. President Sir Malcolm Innes, and three Vice Presidents Miss Joan Ferguson, Ivor Guild and Richard Torrance, who took part in the opening procession. Richard Torrance also held the post of Secretary of the Congress. The Wednesday of that week saw a family history fair at which the society had a very successful day. Those voluntarily attending fairs on behalf of the society include the Chairman, Secretary, Mr Craig Ellery, Miss Barbara Revolta, Mrs Joy Dodds Mrs Alison Moffat, Caroline Gerrard and Catriona Stirling.
Our new Hon. President, Robin Orr Blair, LVO, WS, Lord Lyon King of Arms, at the reception on 21 August 2006. |
