I've been researching my family history for over thirty years. Along this genealogy journey I have been supported by hundreds of books, many of which I have listed on my Librarything page.
During the 2021 #AtoZChallenge I will be writing about two of my passions, books and family history. I'll be taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting some of those books that have enriched my genealogy experience.
After discovering from Census Records that Mr GeniAus' ancestor, James Gowans, was a clockmaker in East Linton then Galashiels we wanted to confirm this from other sources. James the Clock (as he is known in the family) wasn't famous by any means, he was just a man plying his trade in rural towns in Scotland.
I can't remember where I found a reference to Old Scottish Clockmakers from 1453 to 1850, but once I heard of its existence I went in search of a copy. The Internet Archive pointed me to a copy in The California Digital Library Collection. I have downloaded a copy of this book and have firmly saved and backed it up in my genealogy files.
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| Old Scottish Clockmakers from 1453 to 1850 |
On page 169 I found a one line entry for James Gowans that confirmed that he was a Clockmaker in East Linton. I'd have loved more detail but I was more than satisfied with what I found.
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| Page 169 - Old Scottish Clockmakers |
On a visit to Scotland in 2018 or 2019 we visited the John Gray Centre where we were able to see a physical copy of the book. I can't believe that didn't take a photo of Mr GeniAus holding the book!
Trade directories or books about occupations are very useful resources for tracking down ancestors. If only there were such resources for our Ag Labs.
