Genealogy classes - some details!

Outline schedule is here in the image.
Please email us to reserve a place - tvfhs@tayvalleyfhs.org.uk - and it will help us if you please put CLASSES in the subject line of your email.

We're working on the details for the Genealogy/Family History classes and these will be available very soon. Beginner class runs on Wednesday evenings, 7-9 p.m., starting 26th March.  Advanced will follow starting in May.

The fee for the Beginner class is £35, the Advanced class is £20, and if you sign up for both that's £50 giving you a wee discount. Email us at the Tay Valley address to sign up. Make sure you put CLASSES in the subject for the email!

We're running our Genealogy/Family History Classes again, at our Centre in Princes Street. These will start on Wednesday 26th March, and we'll have 'Basic' and later 'Advanced' classes.

First, we'll have six weeks of 'Basic' Wednesday-evening classes for people needing a brush up and for beginners - so yes, you can be an absolute beginner and this will get you up and running! Or you can be just a bit rusty or wanting to know a bit more, learn some new techniques, learn more about the kind of documents we use. Something for everyone here.

Then we'll have three weeks of 'Advanced' class, dealing with topics like DNA, reading older writing, and finding more obscure resources. You can enrol for the whole 9 weeks, or for the first 6 or for the Advanced 3.

We'll be giving out the details and the fees very shortly - Watch our 'News' space and Facebook for details.

(Image from ScotlandsPeople. OPR Births 421/0010 0149 Dairsie
Crown Copyright NRS.)

Table of contents here (click 'read more'). A great issue - many congratulations to our Editor and to all the contributors. Members can access the journal (you need to log into the site).

Q&A January 27th - see below for registration details (members only)!
Midwinter has been traditionally a time for telling stories, spooky ones of ghosts and Witches... So here's a midwinter gift from the campaigning group, Remembering the Accused Witches of Scotland. The video first introduces the group and their aims, then discusses some of the history of the 'Witchcrafts Acts' in Scotland and the persecutions of people, mostly but not all women, under these. Then follow the examples of people from Perthshire who were caught up in this, and what's known of their stories.

The first few minutes have a piece of music written especially for RAWS; if you need to, you can skip to 4.40 minutes in to catch up with the talk, but if you do please go back later for the music, which is very beautiful. The video, slides and commentary are copyright © RAWS.

The talk is linked at https://youtu.be/CkEmp02CdOE?si=7MeEEKrvTkciJyE7 and will be added to our Playlist at YouTube. REGISTRATION  details for the Q&A are now at the end of this post!

Question and Answer session is on the last Monday of January (27th) at 8.00 p.m. UK time. This is for MEMBERS of TVFHS. Do please make sure to watch the video-talk before the Q&A, and think about what you most want to know about the period and the people. If you notify your questions to us in advance (at talks@tayvalleyfhs.org.uk) then we'll pass them to RAWS so they are ready with responses - but also we can discuss points as they arise in the Q&A.

Please register for the Q&A here via eventbrite - and the zoom link for the session will be there in the week before the session, and if you've registered you should also get an email giving the link. To register you'll need to give your Membership Number OR the approx. date when you joined us, OR you can add 10,000 to your 'ID number' from the website (that gives your proper Membership Number if you're a fairly new member).

Hoping that you'll like the video, and that we may 'see' you at the Q&A.

Wishing all our members, volunteers and readers a very joyful Holiday season.

The Centre closure this year is from 16.00 Friday 20th December 2024, and we'll be pleased to welcome members and visitors back from 10.00 Monday 6th January 2025.

Just arrived on the Chair’s doorstep from Abertay Historical Society - new book ‘Gleaners of Nature: 150 Years of the Dundee Naturalists’ Society' This joint production of Dundee Naturalists and AHS is authored by Jim Cook, Colin McLeod, and none other than TVFHS’s own Anne Reid!
It’s a different bit of Dundee’s history - the origins and development of the Naturalists’ Society - Dundee's longest-surviving scientific society - and what they’ve done in the last 150 years, their ups and downs, connecting with our local Tay Valley area and further afield, with many mentions of notable people, organisations, and scientific meetings. Very well worth a read. And some of our other TVFHS members, or their recent ancestors, may well be or have been involved with the Dundee Naturalists.

It’s available from either Dundee Nats or Abertay HS - both on Facebook or please google them.  And there’s been a nice display at the central Dundee Museum (the McManus), of this history. For more details about the book and the society please see the Abertay HS site - https://abertay.org.uk/product/gleaners-of-nature-150-years-of-the-dundee-naturalists-society/

Cyber-attacks on computer systems and websites are becoming increasingly common.  The society’s website was recently subjected to repeated attempts to infiltrate our sales and payment systems.  We and our partners took action to minimise the effects on everyone involved and this appears to have been successful.  Despite these measures, some small payments were processed involving people unrelated to the Society.  Although we have been happy to provide a refund for anyone affected, we must highlight that TVFHS was charged an additional fee of around £14 for each repayment.  This incident and its consequences were creating a significant drain for us as a small charity.  We continue to be vigilant and follow the advice of our partners in order to maintain the online security of our members, customers and web visitors.
None of our data or that of our members was compromised - all is secure. And we are glad to now report that most of the ‘chargeback’ fees are being refunded to us - thanks to the efforts of our partners and especially of our Treasurer.

We've a member enquiring about life in Brechin, mid 18th to mid 19th centuries. Any other members with knowledge of the area? - you can respond via the Forum.

Two from our bookshop, together - ideal for Christmas gifts! The two together £10 plus p&p. Email us to order - or drop by our Centre in Princes Street to buy your copies.

From Lamb’s ‘Dundee: its Quaint and Historic Buildings’ 1895

Dundee: its quaint and historic buildings - AC Lamb facsimile - ref. AN-028

More commonly known as Lamb’s Dundee, this book was compiled by Dundee hotelier, Dundee High School FP and Antiquarian Alexander Crawford Lamb and first published in 1895.  Concerned at how many of Dundee’s historic buildings were disappearing, he sought to document their existence.  This book, with fantastic illustrations by William Gibb, is an essential guide to Dundee which existed before the improvement act of 1879 and the subsequent pieces of what has been referred to as civic vandalism, which occurred during the twentieth century.

This is a facsimile produced for Tay Valley FHS. Image on right is of Gardynes Land as drawn for Lamb's volume - this place, in the High Street, is still here, has been renovated and is now part of a backpackers' hostel.

The Lengs - Dundee's Other Publishing Dynasty - ref. D-078

This book by Gordon Small traces the history of John Leng and his family - the ‘other dynasty’ who put Dundee on the map for professional Journalism. It includes fascinating accounts of many of the people connected with this family, and is illustrated by photographs of people and places, also of advertisements and drawings in some of the publications.

The image is of Kinbrae House. When John Leng first came to Dundee in 1851 he had little money, says Small, but by the 1870s he was able to build this mansion of Kinbrae.
Much more to discover in the book!

Email us for orders just now - or phone. Details on our Contact page.