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ASAFHS Journal
"Alloway and Southern Ayrshire FHS Journal" issue 22 Nov-2008
Back issue of the full journal. The content is on the 2nd page of the cover.
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"Alloway and Southern Ayrshire FHS Journal" issue 23 May-2009
Back issue of the full journal. The content is on the 2nd page of the cover.
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"Alloway and Southern Ayrshire FHS Journal" issue 24 Nov-2009
Back issue of the full journal. The content is on the 2nd page of the cover.
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"Alloway and Southern Ayrshire FHS Journal" issue 25 May-2010
Back issue of the full journal. The content is on the 2nd page of the cover.
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"Alloway and Southern Ayrshire FHS Journal" issue 26 Nov-2010
Back issue of the full journal. The content is on the 2nd page of the cover.
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"Alloway and Southern Ayrshire FHS Journal" issue 27 May-2011
Back issue of the full journal. The content is on the 2nd page of the cover
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"Alloway and Southern Ayrshire FHS Journal" issue 28 Nov-2011
Back issue of the full journal. The content is on the 2nd page of the cover
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"Alloway and Southern Ayrshire FHS Journal" issue 29 May-2012
Back issue of the full journal. The content is on the 2nd page of the cover
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Buildings
"Carvings at Blairquhan" - Andrew Dinwoodie Nov-2003
Description of the carvings from the old McWhirter's tower now incorporated into the 'new' castle built in the 1820s
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Burial
"Brookwood Cemetery" - Iain Mathieson May-2007
Article about the history of Brookwood Cemetery, 25 miles from London, with its Necropolis train service, in use from 1854 until 1941
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"Old Scottish Burial Customs" - Iain Mathieson May-2009
Article discussing how burial customs have developed over the years.
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Church
"Ayrshire Covenanters" - Dane Love Nov-2005
Report of a talk about the Ayrshire events following the signing of the National Covenant through to its suppression starting with the Pentland Rising in 1666 through to the saving of Rev David Houston in 1688.
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"Lost Art" - Elizabeth McFadzean May-2001
1825 Newspaper obituary of James Ritchie, itinerant preacher of the Gospel.
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"The Effect of the Disruption on Families in South Ayrshire" - Gordon Niven Mar-2000
The movement of the Niven family from Kirkoswald to Kirkcolm, Stranraer because of their support for the United Free Church
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Clothing
"Ayrshire Christening Robe" - Sheila Dinwoodie Nov-1998
Ayrshire embroidery and 'flowering' used in the manufacture of christening robes, and a family heirloom used for five generations.
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Disasters
"1832 Kilmarnock Cholera Epidemic" - Andrew Dinwoodie Mar-1998
Description of the latter stages of the Cholera epidemic, from a contemporary letter.
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Drapers
"William Aitken, born Kilmarnock 1807, died Saltcoats 1883" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2003
A letter written in 1832 by Andrew Harper to William Aitken at the start of his career as a draper followed up through various records to confirm the prediction of a successful life.
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Emigration
"The Wandering Scot" - James Grant Nov-2006
Talk on Scots emigration to all parts of the world.
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Family
"18th century Browns of Kirkoswald " - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2011
Detailed findings from Kirkoswald OPR and Kirk Session records about Robert Burns' mother's family and other Browns
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"18th Century Browns of Kirkoswald - Births" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2011
OPR extracts of 18C Brown births in Kirkoswald
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"18th Century Browns of Kirkoswald - Deaths" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2011
OPR extracts of 18C Brown deaths
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"18th Century Browns of Kirkoswald - Family groups" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2011
Brown 18C family groups in Kirkoswald
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"18th Century Browns of Kirkoswald - Kirk Sessions" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2011
Extracts from the 18C Kirkoswald Kirk Session Minutes
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"18th Century Browns of Kirkoswald - Marriages" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2011
OPR extracts of 18C Brown marriages
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"18th Century Browns of Kirkoswald - Miscellaneous" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2011
Miscellaneous notes about the 18C Brown family
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"Alexander McWhirter of Colmonell (1771-1819)" - Andrew Dinwoodie Dec-2003
Descendent report for Alexander McWhirter (1771-~1819) and Agnes McClymont (?1767-?<1841) of Colmonell as derived from the the 1841, 1851 and 1861 Ayrshire censuses.
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"Also David Kennedy their son died Union Station, Victoria, 20 Mar 1885 aged 69 yrs" - Andrew Dinwoodie Mar-2000
Tracing the emigration of David Kennedy who married Elizabeth Carmichael, originally from Crawfordjohn, and farmed the 5000 acre Union Station.
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"An Ayrshire Sword" - Sheila Dinwoodie May-2004
Establishing the provenance of a sword inscribed "Presented to Ensign A. D. McIlraith of the Sinchar Rifles by a few of his friends in Girvan 1860" owned by Paul Leadley.
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"An Ayrshire Victoria Cross" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2009
An article detailing the life of Sir W. J. M. Cunninghame who was awarded the Victoria Cross at the first investiture in 1857.
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"Ayrshire Emigrant - Matthew Eaglsome" - Alisoun Butt Nov-2000
Kirkoswald-born Matthew's shipboard diary of London-New Zealand voyage in 1856, to join the Deans and Graham families in the Christchurch area.
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"Beginner's Luck!!!" - Robert McLean Dec-2001
Finding information about the emigration of Robert Wallace McLean to Salt Lake City, Utah in the 1880s.
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"Behind the Scenes - The Background to the McWhirter Clan Gathering" - Ronald McWhirter Nov-2003
The organisation of an event attended by 162 McWhirters from Australia, Canada, England, Germany, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the U.S.A. In June 2003.
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"Burns Connection in Wellington Square" - Shiela Dinwoodie May-2010
Article showing the link between John Wilson, who printed the Burns Kilmanock Edition and 23 Wellington Square, Ayr
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"Campbell Family" - Mrs Jane Douglas Boswell Kerr, nee Campbell Nov-2005
Article on the Campbell family from Ayrshire, covering Patrick Campbell of Queenshill (1764-1836) and his descendants.
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"Coincidences in my Family History" - Barbara Towle Mar-1998
Barbara's Aitcheson ancestral graves in Bolton churchyard, East Lothian, are near the graves of Robert Burns' brother, mother & sister.
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"Cumming from Ayrshire - A Family Mystery Solved?" - Dr John Cumming Nov-2005
Research on the origin of John's father's name; "Archibald David Findlay Cumming", refutes family legends.
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"Family Shipwreck - A Tourist Attraction" - Bill Gibb Dec-2001
Report of a talk about Bill's gt.grandfather and the "Loch Ard" wrecked on the South coast of Australia.
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"Fenwick Death Date from Canada" - Elizabeth McFadzean Dec-2001
An extract from "Annals of Fenwick" sent from Canada led to the discovery of dates of death of members of the Sym and Frazer families 1814-1857.
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"First steps in Family History" - John & Margaret MacPhail Mar-1999
Realising he knew little of his Grant grandparents and earlier generations, John joined us and soon had information going back 200 years.
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"James Crosbie's Family" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2006
Researching the family history of James Crosbie after proof reading the "Annals of Alloway", has identified several inconsistencies in the diary entries.
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"Jock Tamson's Bairns" - Sheena Harling Mar-1998
Researching the Kerr's of Dalry, and Kersland Farm.
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"John McWhirter of Colmonell (1776-1857)" - Andrew Dinwoodie Nov-2003
Descendent report for John McWhirter (1776-1857) and Margaret Forgie (1782-1863) of Colmonell as derived from the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses.
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"John Strathern (1849 - 1943)" - Sheila Dinwoodie May-2005
A short history of John Strathern, born in Ayrshire, who left for New Zealand in 1876.
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"Maybole West Church Dunlop Window Mystery Solved" - From the Maybole Website Nov-2002
The window was erected by James and A.F.Dunlop, Concord, Mass., in memory of their sister Margaret. The family emigrated from Maybole to the U.S.A. about 1879.
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"McWhirters of Ballantrae" - Andrew Dinwoodie Jan-2004
Transcription report showing all the Ballantrae McWhirters recorded in the Ballantrae OPRs and in the 1841, 1851 and 1861 Ayrshire censuses.
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"McWhirters of Colmonell" - Andrew Dinwoodie Jan-2004
Transcription report showing all the Colmonell McWhirters recorded in the Colmonell OPRs and in the 1841, 1851 and 1861 Ayrshire censuses.
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"McWhirters of Dailly" - Peter McWhirter Nov-2002
Extracts from the Dailly OPRs of McWhirter and McMorland birth records
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"McWhirters of Maybole" - Andrew Dinwoodie Jan-2004
Transcription report showing all the Maybole McWhirters recorded in the Maybole OPRs and in the 1841, 1851 and 1861 Ayrshire censuses.
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"More Relatives Abroad - Lake Bluff Illinois" - Andrew Dinwoodie Nov-1999
Emigration of Kennedys from Dumfries-shire to Illinois in the 1890s, followed by visit in 1999.
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"My Introduction to Family History" - Iain Mathieson Nov-2003
Abridged version of Iain's research of the Mathieson family that was started with the discovery of a journal written by William J Mathieson at Baicos Bay on the Bospherous in 1854.
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"Old Whiskers" - Tom Brown May-2001
David Murray Lyon, 1819-1903, printer and authority on the Masons, and his family in the medical profession.
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"Peter Nicolini" - Bob Foulkes Mar-2000
Researching his wife's ancestors led to the discovery of Peter Nicolini, born in Genoa, Italy, in 1829 or 1830.
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"Peter Stevenson (1788-1861) and his family" - Andrew Dinwoodie Nov-2008
A transcript of Peter Stevenson's letter to his daughter in New Zealand in 17 Mar 1848 and the details of his family born in Straiton and Tairlaw (Also see "Peter Stevenson - Homecoming")
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"Peter Stevenson - Homecoming" - Andrew Dinwoodie Nov-2009
A follow up to the letter from Peter Stevenson in 1848 joining several ancestral lines down to the current date in Maidens and New Zealand.
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"Recent Memories - John Douglas McCallum" - Kate McCallum Mar-1999
Article describing the recording of Kate's memories of her father-in-law John McCallum, Belleisle Golf Professional.
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"Researching my Ancestors" - Iain Mathieson Nov-2007
Article describing how Iain researched his family tree in Ireland, Berkshire, Berwickshire and overseas.
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"Researching the McVeys - Misfortunes Seldom Single" - Bob Foulkes Nov-1999
Researching his wife's gt.gt.grandfather, Edward McVey, uncovered links to the deaths reported in the "Misfortunes Seldom Single" item in the Ayr Advertiser of 10 Apr 1851.
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"Seventy Years Ago - A Pioneer's Story" May-2010
A follow-up to the letter from Peter Stevenson describing the life of Mary Quigley, formally Maxwell, nee Stevenson of New Zealand.
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"Smugglers who Saved a Language" - Sheila Dinwoodie May-2008
Report on a talk given by John Millar about the saving of the Lithuanian language by smuggling books into the country by the "Book carriers"
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"Snippets from the Wyvill Family Archives" - Ken Wyvill Nov-1998
The effigy of Sir William Wyvill, d.1332, in the Church of All Saints, Slingsby, Yorkshire.
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"Stanley Charles Sawyer" - Sheila Murray Nov-2004
Born in London in 1886, he emigrated to Australia and joined the Australian Imperial Force, sent initially to Egypt then to France, where he was killed at Poziers in 1916.
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"Tennant - an Ayrshire Name" - Dr. Peter Hull Nov-1998
The Tennant family of the Barons Glenconner, and the links with Robert Burns.
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"The Curious Life of Euphemia Simpson" - John McCurdie Nov-2002
Searching for details of the illegitimate children of Euphemia Simpson (1850-1909), James Cunningham and James McCurdie.
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"The Fruits of Modern Technology" - Ronald Milroy McWhirter Nov-2004
90 minutes on the internet and the telephone resulted in the tracing of descendants of Peter Milroy through WW1 photos, leading to the discovery of a Milroy Family Bible and Family Tree going back to the 17th century.
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"The McKennas" - Dr William Russell May-2002
The movement of the sons of a family from Colmonell to the West Highlands, where they married Mackays.
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"The Parkers of Broomlands, Irvine" - Sheena Harling Mar-1999
Study confirming the Parker family claim to have been associated with Broomlands Farm for a number of generations.
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"The Pitfalls of a Common Family Name" - Evelyn Drake Nov-2004
The difficulties of tracing back the family of John Brown, married to Mary Boyle/Brock, back to Samuel Brown and Ann Jamieson of Colmonell.
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"The Robertsons - the Ham-Curing family" - Sheena Harling Nov-1998
The Robertson family of Dunlop, Stewarton and Kilwinning in the 18th & 19th centuries.
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"Three Little Orphans" - Margaret S Smith Nov-2003
Robert MCMurtrie died in 1895 leaving three children by his second marriage, entered Quarrier's Orphanage in 1900, and subsequently were sent to Canada in 1909 where they prospered.
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"Timothy Pont, Cartographer" - Sheila Dinwoodie May-2001
Article on Timothy Pont and his 16th century manuscript maps of Scotland that provide a window on Ayrshire of 400 years ago.
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"Treasured Bible" - Robert Stewart Mar-1999
A family Bible, presented in 1886 to Robert Stewart's great grandfather.
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"View of the Union" - Ken Wyvill Mar-1999
Following the Union of Parliaments in 1707, Christopher Wyvill was appointed Commissioner of the Excise in Scotland.
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"Why should I write an article for the Society Journal?" - Bob Foulkes May-2001
Following publication of an article on the McVeys, contact was made with previously unknown 3rd and 4th cousins.
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"Why write for the Journal" - Sheila Dinwoodie May-2003
Contacts established by Tom Brown, Douglas McWhirter, Andrew Dinwoodie and Robert McLean after publication of articles in the Journal.
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"William Cumming 1853 - 1919" - Ian Cumming May-2010
Article outlining the family history of Ian's grandfather, William Cumming.
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"William Kirkland (1768-1836) - His Ayrshire Roots" - Andrew Dinwoodie Sep-2010
A study of the family history of William Kirkland of Ayr who emigrated to North America where he built Ayr Mount around 1815.
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Farming
"Was your ancestor a Bower?" - Sheena Harling Nov-2000
Article which gives the origin of the word and details about this type of tenancy common with dairy farmers in South West of Scotland.
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History
"400 Years of Care - Hospitals in Ayr 1604-2004" - Prof. Gordon Wilson May-2006
Report of a talk based on research for an exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the building of Ayr's first hospital.
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"Family Tree With a Difference" - Sheila Dinwoodie Mar-2000
The Herbig family started married life in Australia in 1758 within an old gum tree, had 2 children before moving to a house and having 11 more, leading to 323 living descendants in 1968.
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"He Fell Gloriously at the Relief of Lucknow" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2001
The story behind the statue to James George Smith Neill C.B. in Wellington Square, Ayr
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"Tam - Douglas Graham or Thomas Reid?" - Andrew Dinwoodie Mar-2000
Member Gordon Niven's research into the Graham family shows the 1837 Pigot Directory entry suggesting doubt about who Burns' "Tam O'Shanter" was based on is incorrect.
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"Two Barhills and John Cathcart Watson" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2005
History of the family behind the foundation of Barrhill, in the Ashburton area of New Zealand.
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"William Wallace-Saint or Sinner?" - John McGill Nov-2005
Report of a talk about the influence of William Wallace on Ayr resulting in the building of Barnweil tower and other local artefacts of his life including the provenance of his sword.
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Industry
"Alexander Jack and Sons" - Elizabeth McFadzean Nov-1999
A history of Alexander Jack, Agricultural Engineers, Maybole from where Elizabeth's father retired with over 60 years service.
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"Ayrshire Handloom Weavers (Cotton)" - Donald Elding & Etta Nespie May-2004
The discovery that Donald's gt.gt.grandfather was a handloom weaver fuelled an interest in the weaving industry in Ayrshire.
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"The Ironmasters resident in or near Alloway" - J. Percival Agnew Mar-1998
Summary of the Baird, Houldsworth, Dixon and Neilson connections.
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Ireland
"The Irish Connection" - Netta Espie Mar-2000
The Gillespie, Moore, Espie families originally from Ireland, lived in Lethanhill in the 19th century, and memories of life on the 'Hill.
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Migration
"Dalrymple Churchyard and Emigrants from Maybole" - Elizabeth McFadzean May-2004
A short paper looking at the migration of people from rural Ayrshire parishes as recorded in Monumental Inscriptions.
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"Relatives Abroad - Cape Town, South Africa" - Andrew Dinwoodie Mar-1998
Tracing a Parker relative in Cape Town.
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"The Rewards of Research" - The Editor & Ken Unwin Nov-1998
Tracing relatives of Ken's gt.gt.grandfather who emigrated from Maybole to Australia in 1850, and a contemporary letter describing farm life.
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Military
"Alexander Hendry of Alloway and the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders" - Stuart Laing Nov-2000
The 18 year military career of Alexander Henry from 1843 to 1861, including time in Canada and India.
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"Girvan Boer War Connection" - Andrew & Sheila Dinwoodie May-2011
A report of research into the names on the Girvan Boer War memorial, including visits to the battlefields in South Africa where the men fell.
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"Scottish Military Ancestors" - Regiments & using Military records - David W. Webster Nov-2010
A history of Scottish regiments and how to obtain information about ancestors who may have served with the Scottish Military.
This is a content-only copy of some of the slides used during the presentation at the Society meeting on 16 Nov 2010. Please note these pages are copyright © David Webster.
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Records
"Arenberg" - Bob Foulkes Nov-2000
Story of trawling records and walking streets to find the house where Bob's mother was born.
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"Ayrshire Roots" - Sheena Harling Nov-2004
Description of www.ayrshire-roots.com website containing the Ayrshire Surname Index, Ayrshire Poor Relief, Ayrshire World Wars Casualty and Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald BMD databases.
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"Crime Scene Investigation Scotland" - Janice Menzies May-2009
Article about an investigation of an 1817 axe murder in East Lothian and other early misdemeanors recorded in Kirk Sessions.
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"Descriptive Reporting from The Scottish Farmer" Dec-2001
Report of the Golden Wedding in 1924 of Mr & Mrs (nee Blair) David Mair of Knockjarder, mentioning other Dalrymple worthies.
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"Family History at the Mitchell Library" - Elizabeth Carmichael Nov-2006
Report on a talk about the records held at the Mitchell Library.
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"Golden Wedding in 1904" - William McNeill May-2006
Press reports of the Golden Wedding of Mr and Mrs Thomas Kerr of Beith, William's gt.grandparents.
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"Graveyarding - The Process" - Bob Foulkes May-2003
How the Monumental Inscription booklets are prepared.
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"James Crosbie's Diary" - Sheila Murray May-2004
Background to the diary of James Crosbie (1806-1893) describing events in and around Alloway, extracts being published by the Society in a separate booklet.
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"Kilmarnock - Miscellaneous Records" - Andrew Dinwoodie May-2002
The Kilmarnock Midwives Register 1777-1825 (OPR Index ref.FRMR82-1) provides information additional to that in the Kilmarnock OPR, e.g. 52 Fleming, 45 Harper and 27 Parker entries.
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"Kirkoswald (Langsyne)" - Sheila Dinwoodie Dec-2001
A poem by Ivie Bowie (1866-1943) describing his memories of Kirkoswald, and the characters he knew.
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"Scottish Maritime Museum's Family History Fact Sheet" Nov-2006
Useful information and sources for those researching those involved in shipbuilding, shipyard work or were merchant seamen.
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"The Changing Face of Family History Research" - Iain Mathieson Nov-2006
Article on the differences between using the Internet and searching microfiche/census records where it is necessary to travel to do the search.
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"What do we do about Errors" - Bob Foulkes Mar-1999
Discussion about the discovery of an error in the 1881 census for Girvan, confusing McHardy and McVey families.
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"William Niven of Maybole, or, Don't Believe Every Inscription You Read" - Gordon Niven Mar-1999
The gravestone of William Niven, friend of Robert Burns, records his age incorrectly, leading to most reference books citing the wrong parents.
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School
"The Ramsay Medal, Ladyland School, Maybole" - Elizabeth McFadzean Nov-2004
History of the Ramsay Medal, awarded for practical chemistry, free-hand drawing, arithmetic and English, and of one of the recipients, Elizabeth's Aunt Bessie.
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Scottish Association of FHSs
"SAFHS Bulletin" - April 2011 Apr-2011
Contains reports of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies and their associated organisations' work during the past six months.
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"SAFHS Bulletin" - April 2013 Apr-2013
This publication contains reports of the Scottish Association of Family History Societies and their associated organisations' work during the past six months.
Note, this document is on an external site. Please use your browser's Back button to return.
Shipping
"The Banker's Daughter" - Andrew Dinwoodie Nov-1999
"The Banker's Daughter" was built in 1852. James Ramage and wife, Jane Kelly, from Maybole, journeyed in her to Australia in 1853.
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Transcription
"Variants of the Spelling of the name of McWhirter" - Peter McWhirter Nov-2004
2276 O.P.R. Birth and marriage entries surveyed, finding over 100 different spellings; 49% are McWhirter, two thirds of which are from Carrick.
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