A-Z of Family History Sources & Stories
Join
me on this A-Z journey to explore the fascinating records
that can enhance your family history research and writing.
MORTCLOTH RECORDS -
A mortcloth was a funeral pall, draped over the coffin during the service. The payment of a fee to hire one from the church was sometimes recorded in old parish or kirk session records. Prior to
compulsory registration of deaths in 1855, It can often be the only evidence that a death
has occurred. I must admit I am unsure whether this was just a Scottish
custom or more widespread. 
MEDICAL TERMS - are you stuck to understand a cause of death on a certificate? Then take a look at http://rmhh.co.uk/medical.html which explains medical terms.
MILITIA LISTS - Was your male ancestor aged around 20-30 in the period of the
Napoleonic Wars (1790's-1815)? Then he might well appear on the Militia Lists,
whereby each parish was charged with setting up a volunteer force in
the event of a French invasion. The lists may give little more than a
name, address and occupation but, as with all archives, there is a
fascination in seeing actual handwriting relating to an ancestor,
written during his lifetime. They are also particularly noteworthy in
pre-dating the first published census of 1841, so may be the only
record of an ordinary man.
 |
| Militia List, Castleon Parish, Roxburghshire, 1797. Other lists can be more informative with details of age and occupation |
MIDDLE NAMES - I like middle names as they can often be a big clue, not only in
confirming that you've found the right person, but also in alighting
on the possible maiden name of a mother or grandmother. For instance I
was once looking on the internet for a George Hogarth from Scotland
who emigrated to Canada. I found him amongst many George Hogarths,
because of his mother's distinctive surname used as his middle name.
In my own family, my uncle Harry Danson had his grandmother's maiden
name Rawcliffe. as his middle name.
MAPS - Are you wanting to find a map of where your ancestor lived in Scotland? Then take a look at the website of the National Library of Scotland at http://www.nls.uk/collections/maps. Its map collection is the largest in Scotland with over 2 million items, many of which you can download.
MONEY VALUES - I like to find out how respective money values over the centuries have changed and use http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency/.
Prior to the Act of Union in 1707, Scotland had its own currency, so for more information see http://www.scan.org.uk/researchrtools/scots_currency.htm
PLUS SO MUCH MORE such as: Marriage Bonds and Marriage Certificates, Message Boards, Monumental Inscriptions, Military Records - I could go on and on,,,,,,,,,
Mortcloth.....now there's a new word for me. To my knowledge it's not used in America, but it does seem possible immigrants would have brought it over. So many of our words were derived that way. Thanks for visiting my blog, Susan. Be sure to stop back :)
ReplyDeleteInventions by Women A-Z
Shells–Tales–Sails
Mortcloths - that's a new source I would never have thought of. I wonder if that's more common according to the particular religion.
ReplyDelete