Scanning of Kirk Session Records

[Russell]

What I'm worried about is the fate of the credit card if they start charging these things by the page... how do you decide when you really MUST stop reading

Initially it is the heavy tread of the approaching Financial Advisor melted plastic in hand, with the Psychiatrist at his shoulder (rubbing his hands gleefully!)
When you turn round they look square and monitor shaped

Don't worry though We'll have a whip round and use the money to pay off your overdraft then we'll all talk to the shrink simultaneously about our ancestors until he's forced to take up genealogy and discovers what the word 'addiction' really means.

Russell

[DavidWW]

Hi David,
Thanks for the explanation of what's going on. Although it would be wonderful to have an every name index, I suspect that most of us would rather just have a place and time index, than wait 15 years for anything at all...! Do you see this as a reality in the coming couple of years, or is it not a priority at NAS?

Probably not in the next couple of years, but give it 4 or 5 years .......

In the meantime, if I understand correctly, one can actually trawl through the images oneself at General Register House? If so, I will certainly come prepared to do so next time I'm over there-- sounds exciting!
Regards,
Sarah

Yes, indeed !!, so please come prepared in terms of the time allocation in your programme

David

[DavidWW]

Sarah!!! Don't you dare venture into the same room as the Kirk Session minutes. We would need to send out a rescue party to drag you out kicking and screaming After we allowed you three days of non-stop reading

If you see me heading the same direction please turn me round and point me towards home - and if they come on-line just send up sandwiches to my computer. It won't matter what the filling is ! I won't notice

Russell

Truly, guid folk, be warned about reading the sessional records !!

The very first time that I visited NAS many years ago, my objective was to familiarise myself with the main record classes.

However, I spent most of the day reading the quite fascinating sessional records for a particular parish, - the sort of situation where time passes without it being realised that it was several hours since the volume had been delivered to your desk, so fascinating were the details involved.....

David

[SarahND]

Yes, indeed !!, so please come prepared in terms of the time allocation in your programme

Any suggestions for a way to distract my husband with antique porcelain long enough give me the opportunity for a good read? I think there are a few more museums he hasn't checked yet...

Sarah, doing neck and shoulder exercises in anticipation of long hours in front of the computer monitor...

[sheilajim]

Hi All

If I got near them I would be joining Sarah. I hope that they won't charge as much as they charge for the wills. If they do, I would have to sell the house, which would upset my husband a bit.



Sheila

[DavidWW]

Yes, indeed !!, so please come prepared in terms of the time allocation in your programme

Any suggestions for a way to distract my husband with antique porcelain long enough give me the opportunity for a good read? I think there are a few more museums he hasn't checked yet...

Sarah, doing neck and shoulder exercises in anticipation of long hours in front of the computer monitor...

I'd have thought that you know him better than I do

There's several good auction houses in Edinburgh, so sounds like some research required to find out when they have sales planned involving a decent amount of porcelain

David

[SarahND]

I'd have thought that you know him better than I do

Well, I trust I do And hence the porcelain angle. But I was hoping someone would know of some brilliant collection in Edinburgh that he hadn't heard about yet Or, better yet, some specialist in Chinese porcelain who he could spend several days (or several weeks ) comparing notes with (I snuck out to the SOG when he was doing that in London )
Regards,
Sarah

[DavidWW]

I'd have thought that you know him better than I do

Well, I trust I do And hence the porcelain angle. But I was hoping someone would know of some brilliant collection in Edinburgh that he hadn't heard about yet Or, better yet, some specialist in Chinese porcelain who he could spend several days (or several weeks ) comparing notes with (I snuck out to the SOG when he was doing that in London )
Regards,
Sarah

Now here's a thought Send him across to the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, - http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=1 , - I'm next to certain there's Chinese porcelain there; that plus Kelvingrove, - http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=4 , should keep him fully occupied for at least a couple of days ............ , not least the "highly reliable" rail travel possibilities from Embra tae Glesca, - let's put it this way, - on a scale of 1 to 10, where Swiss Rail rates at the top mark of 10, with Swedish Rail, German Rail, and French Rail not far behind at 9½, ScotRail is about 1½ as regards reliability, cost, lack of modern rolling stock, cleanliness, the Embra-Glesca link still not electrified, etc., etc ..........

And there just has to be one or more Chinese porcelain experts in either/or
Edinburgh and Glasgow , - ask the auction houses in Embra and Glesca

It would be better to get him to hire a car but that might be too efficient in terms of the time saved compared to rail travel.

If he's in any way a railway fan, you could even persuade him to travel to Glasgow via Inverness, Kyle of Lochalsh, and Mallaig. Scenically, given the weather, of course, there's nowhere with better scenery in the world than Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, and Mallaig to Glasgow.

The Kyle of Lochalsh to Mallaig connection can either be done, in the summer by a wee boat that connects with the train and sails down the Sound of Sleat to Mallaig, or all year round by a bus across to Skye and down to Calligarry to connect with the ferry across to Mallaig, - that will give you two solid days.

It's goes without saying that the scenery on the sail down the Sound of Sleat or the bus to Calligary involve scenery that can't be bettered anywhere else in the world, including the latter passing close by to two locations where Gavin Maxwell lived, with his otters.

An overnight in Mallaig is required, but could be prolonged by staying for 2 or 3 nights and taking a trip or two out to the The Small Isles - Rum, Eigg, Muck, Canna, - see http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/small-is.htm .

David

[SarahND]

He did go see the Burrell collection while I was at the Mitchell last October-- and was "happy as a clam" as my mother would say (are clams particularly joyful? ) and I'm sure wouldn't mind going there again. He hasn't been to Kelvingrove, though Will keep that one up my sleeve...

Sarah

[Archiver]

I would guess it would be about 4 or 5 years since I was last in General Register House (home of NAS). At that point, most of the Established Church of Scotland Kirk Session books had not been digitised. A few were available on microfilm. The rest, you got the original books to look through.

While the books made it feel so real, it had to be respected that many of these books were in the area of 150 to 300 years old. They were absolutely irreplaceable, so had to be handled with care and respect, for them to remain in good condition for future generations. Now they are being digitised, the original books are being vacuum sealed and placed in NAS's temperature and humidity controlled storage facility at Thomas Thomson House on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

All the best,

AndrewP

Depending on the area, some of the original books are held in local archives - the ones for St Nicholas Kirk Session in Aberdeen are held by Aberdeen City Archives on behalf of the NAS. These date to just before the Reformation, then there is a slight gap, before they continue pretty much in an unbroken run up to the 1920s.

I love Kirk Session records! They are so underused as a source because they're not indexed and some are difficult to find and access, but they can contain some fascinating information in them. The St Nicholas Kirk Session Accounts for the early 1600s has an entry where a man is fined for fornicating in the south door of the church!