Aberdeen & North-East Scotland Family History Society

A graphic announcing that the February issue of our Journal is now available on our website. It includes the following articles: The Lonely Grave of May Mowatt, Cholera Victim The Schoolmaster's Children The Sangsters of Cruden The Thom Family of Dunnottar A Recipe for Haggis Raspberry Brandy From North-East Scotland to New Jersey The Sleighs of Aberdeenshire—and elsewhere Family Legends: Fyvie Castle, Gerrards and Florences A Spooky Coincidence: Ingrams and Thirds Lion Tamers and Polar Bear Ticklers Loss of the Watt Family and the Fishing Boat, Rose, 1899 Illness and Home Cures of Henrietta Mackenzie North-East Scotland Fishing Villages and the Great Shetland Fishing Notes on Using the British Newspaper Archive

The Society's February Journal is now available to members on our website. If you're not a member of the Society, joining is easy! Full details here: www.anesfhs.org.uk/about-us/mem...

#Aberdeen #Scotland #Genealogy #FamilyHistory

This Saturday (24th January 2026), Ken Nisbet, whose many hats include Chairman of the South of Scotland Branch of the Western Front Association, will show what sources can be used to research your relative taken prisoner during the two major conflicts of the 20th century. The situation prior to the Great War, and the role of the Hague and Geneva Conventions, will also be covered. A consistently popular and engaging speaker, Ken is well regarded for sharing practical insights into a wide range of research resources, along with guidance on how best to access and use them. His talks are informative, accessible, and full of ideas that members can apply immediately to their own family-history research. Our Edinburgh Group in-person meetings take place from 2 pm —4 pm (GMT) at the Royal Scots Club, 29 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh EH3 6QE. We’ll be in the ground-floor Ellesmere Room, as is now usual. If you're planning on attending the in-person meeting, please drop us a quick note at edinburgh@anesfhs.org.uk. The meeting will also be available via Zoom. For the online meeting, pre-registration is required. Members can log on to the website and visit the following link: https://www.anesfhs.org.uk/.../edinb.../event/494-edi2026jan If you're not (yet!) a member and would like to attend, please send a message to edinburgh@anesfhs.org.uk to request an invitation link.

Join our Edinburgh Group this Saturday (24th January 2026) for Ken Nisbet's talk entitled "Researching British Prisoners of War, 1914-1919 and 1939-1946". Full details here: anesfhs.org.uk/meetings-eve...

#Aberdeen #Aberdeenshire #Edinburgh #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #MilitaryRecords

Full details on course and booking information here: bit.ly/3KShvmz

Six weekly sessions, online via Zoom, so you can join from anywhere. Thursday evenings, 7–9 pm (GMT).

The course covers statutory records, census returns, church records, military sources, and an introduction to DNA, showing how they fit together in practice

Designed for complete beginners, those returning to family history after a break, or anyone wanting a clearer understanding of Scottish records.

A graphic advertising our upcoming course entitled "A Beginner's Course to Researching Your Family's Story and History". This is a six-week online course tutored by Ken Nisbet. The course will be on Thursday nights from 7 pm to 9 pm (GMT) from Thursday, 29th January 2026 to Thursday, 5th March 2026 (inclusive). The cost for the course is £46.00 / £42.00 (concession). To register your interest, please contact us at syllabus@anesfhs.org.uk.

Thinking about starting your family history in the New Year?

Our Beginner’s Course offers a clear introduction to Scottish genealogy and how the key records fit together. More details here: bit.ly/3KShvmz

#Aberdeen #Aberdeenshire #Scotland #Genealogy #FamilyHistory

More details here: www.anesfhs.org.uk/meetings-eve...

If you’ve hit a dead end, bring it along. If you’ve had a breakthrough, we’d love to hear that too. And if you simply want a friendly room of fellow researchers to natter with, you’ll fit right in.

Come for the genealogy… stay for the company!

Our London meetings take place at the Crown Court Church of Scotland Hall, Russell St., London WC2 5EZ.

Graphic advertising our London Group Meeting on Saturday, 22nd November 2025 from 12 pm—2pm (GMT) at the Crown Court Church of Scotland Hall, London WC2 5EZ. This is an in-person meeting where we'll discuss brick walls and have a general genealogy chat.

Our London Group is meeting in person on Saturday, 22nd November 2025 from 12 pm—2 pm for a Brick Walls and general genealogy chat. This will be a time to swap stories, share tips, and commiserate over ancestors who refused to be helpful.
#Aberdeen #Aberdeenshire #Scotland #London #Genealogy

www.anesfhs.org.uk/meetings-eve...

If you're not a member of the Society and wish to join the online meeting, please email us at syllabus@anesfhs.org.uk to request an invitation link.

Join us from 2 pm—4 pm (GMT) on Saturday, 22nd November 2025 at the the Fountainhall (formerly Rubislaw) Centre, 1 Beaconsfield Place, Aberdeen AB15 4AB or online via Zoom.

For the past five years, her focus has been on the men and women from the North East of Scotland who volunteered with the Scottish Women’s Hospital during the First World War — exploring who they were and how their lives unfolded before, during, and after the war.

She recently launched her own website, Hame and Hearth, and has previously contributed articles to our Journal and given talks on her research.

Karen Shaw has had a long-standing interest in local history and genealogy With a background in secondary and higher education as a librarian, she also holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogy from the University of Strathclyde

Graphic advertising talk on Saturday, 22nd November from 2 pm—4 pm (GMT) at the Fountainhall (formerly Rubislaw) Church Centre, Aberdeen and online via Zoom. Karen Shaw will give a talk on Aberdeen artist and explorer, William Smith.

At our Aberdeen meeting, Karen Shaw will introduce William Smith — an Aberdeen-born artist and explorer whose remarkable life included connections with royalty, tall ships, and the Scottish Women’s Hospital.
#Aberdeen #Aberdeenshire #Scotland #Genealogy #FamilyHistory #ScottishArtists

Poster advertising an open day at St. Fittick's Church (Coast Road, AB11 8TJ) on Friday, 28 November 2025 Come along between 11 am and 3 pm to find out about the history of this fascinating little medieval church and learn to read memorial inscriptions on the gravestones in the kirkyard with volunteers from Aberdeen & North-East Scotland Family History Society.

This open day is part of the ETZ Community & Coast programme, in partnership with Cameron Archaeology and ANESFHS.
It’s a great chance to explore this historic site and meet others with a shared curiosity about Aberdeen’s past.

Location: Saint Fittick’s Road / Coast Road, AB11 8TJ
Date: Friday 28 November
Time: 11 am – 3 pm
What3Words: cigar.pirate.aura

Join us between 11 am and 3 pm on Friday 28 November to explore the story of St Fittick’s Church.
Volunteers from ANESFHS will be there to demonstrate how to read/record gravestone inscriptions in the churchyard and share insights into the lives commemorated there.

#Aberdeen #Scotland #genealogy

Graphic advertising upcoming course "Researching your Relatives' Service in WWII", tutored by Ken Nisbet (SGS/SAFHS). This is a five-week online course from Thursday, 6th November 2025—Thursday, 4th December 2025 from 7 pm—9 pm (GMT). The course costs £46 / £42 (concession). To register your interest, contact us at syllabus@anesfhs.org.uk.

There’s still time to join our popular five-week online evening course, “Researching Your Relatives’ Service in WWII,” but be quick — only a few spaces remain! Details here: www.anesfhs.org.uk/about-us/new...

#Aberdeen #Aberdeenshire #Scotland #Genealogy #WWII #FamilyHistory

Our Research Centre is once again open on Friday afternoons. After a temporary reduction in hours due to staffing and illness, we’re delighted to return to our full schedule. Thank you for your patience and understanding. www.anesfhs.org.uk/about-us/res...

#Genealogy #Aberdeen #Scotland

Graphic advertising our upcoming Southern Ontario Group meeting on Saturday, 20th September 2025 from 1 pm to 3 pm (EST) / 6 pm to 8 pm (BST). Presenter Jamie Lees will share the remarkable true story behind Left at The Wellgate: The Untold Story of Mary Petrie Smith. It begins in Dundee, Scotland in 1911, when a young woman left two small boys in a pram at the Wellgate before disappearing from their lives. Through historical records, photographs, and personal archives, Jamie traces the path of this woman across continents and generations, uncovering the hidden threads that connect past to present. This talk follows the acclaimed Left at The Wellgate exhibition in Dundee and precedes an upcoming book and theatrical production based on the story.

Presenter Jamie Lees will share the remarkable true story behind Left at The Wellgate: The Untold Story of Mary Petrie Smith at our Southern Ontario Group meeting on 20th September 2025.

More details here:
www.anesfhs.org.uk/about-us/new...

#Genealogy #Aberdeen #Dundee #Scotland

Not a member yet? 🤔 Now’s the perfect time to join! Membership is easy to set up on our website, and you’ll get instant access to the new Journal plus our full archive of past issues, Click here: www.anesfhs.org.uk/about-us/mem...

Image of the cover of Journal 175 featuring a sailing ship and the title "Drama on the High Seas"

Our August edition of our quarterly Journal is now available for members to read online through our website. It’s packed with fascinating articles, research tips, and Society news – perfect for an afternoon’s reading with a cup of tea! ☕📖
#Genealogy #Aberdeen #Scotland

Due to a combination of illness and summer holidays, we currently do not have enough volunteers to keep our Research Centre open on Friday afternoons.

As a result, the Centre will be closed on Fridays from 1pm onwards until further notice.

#Genealogy #Aberdeen #Scotland

Case studies will include the presenter's paternal ancestry from Aberdeenshire and his maternal ancestry from Ireland. GEPro should be installed on the participant’s personal device in advance if interested in trying its features during the workshop.

Participants will learn how to add informative placemarks and lines on a map, use polygons to highlight regions of interest, run automated tours of mapped points, include image overlays to give context to family history, and more!

This online workshop will demonstrate how family history details can be mapped using Google Earth Pro for desktop (GEPro). GEPro is a free downloadable application with many useful features for genealogy and digital mapping.