An online talk is offering people in County Durham the chance to find out more about their Scottish ancestors.
The Story, which brings together Durham County Council’s archive, historic registration records, the Historic Environment Record, local studies collection and the DLI collection, is hosting two online talks this week as part of the popular Branching Out programme.
The series of monthly talks on family history is aimed at those who have more experience at research and are keen to know more about particular topics.
This month’s talk on Scottish ancestors gives a broad overview of family history in Scotland and explores the differences in the Scottish legal system and naming traditions, which can sometimes create confusion.
As well as explaining how and why records differ, it also advises people how to trace any ancestors from north of the border.
To find out more, participants can attend a morning or evening session on Thursday (13 October), from 10am to 11am or from 6pm to 7pm.
Each session costs £5 and can be booked at https://recordofficeshop.durham.gov.uk/pgEventResult
Dawn Layland, Durham County Council’s education and outreach archivist, said: “Being relatively close to the Scottish border, it is only natural that many Durham families will have Scottish roots. However, researching those ancestors can be challenging with the records differing in unexpected ways. Hopefully, by shining a light on these differences, we can help residents to unearth more information about their family tree.”
Durham’s new history centre, The Story at Mount Oswald, is currently under construction and is due to open to the public next year.
The project brings the Grade II listed Mount Oswald Manor House back into use, with the addition of a high-quality, visually appealing extension. This will complement the existing building and provide a secure future for more than five miles of county archives, charting almost 900 years of history.
A key new cultural venue, it will transform the way the history of County Durham is told, helping people to discover the past, celebrate the present and create the future of Durham.
The Story is just one of the many cultural projects taking place in the county this year, demonstrating the council’s ongoing commitment to culture-led regeneration. This includes delivering key projects within the county’s shortlisted UK City of Culture bid and raising the county’s profile as a fantastic place to live, work, visit and invest. It also includes progressing major capital projects, such as the redevelopment of the former DLI Museum and Durham Art Gallery into a stunning new creative centre showcasing national and international contemporary art alongside collections that celebrate the county’s heritage.
To stay up to date with the latest developments, visit www.durham.gov.uk/thestory
