9Jack’s very helpful reminiscences of his days as a Scottish folk-singer formed the backbone—complete with kilt jokes—of this aspect of Roger MacKenzies character.
10“Strawberries,” right?
11A number of readers apparently believed the excerpts to have been taken from an actual book titled The Impetuous Pirate, and inquired as to the author and publisher of this book, as they wished to read the whole story. Ahem. I’m flattered. I think.
12And still in print, which I suppose goes to show something about the durability of Great Literature.
*If not its length; Sir Samuel is one of my personal patron saints, his works tending to run about 1500 pages in the unabridged original editions.
APPENDIX IV
ROOTS
————
A BRIEF PRIMER ON GENEALOGICAL, RESEARCH
You have four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, sixteen great-great-grandparents, and thirty-two great-great-great-grandparents. With an average of twenty-five years between each generation, this means that during the past five hundred years, there were 1,048,576 people—all contributing to the production of you!
I get a great many letters from people newly interested in their Scottish heritage as a result of reading the Outlander novels, and asking either for any information I may have on clan MacLellan, MacLeod, McIver, McEtc, or for advice on beginning an exploration into their own family tree.
I’m really not the person to ask, as I don’t have a great deal of information personally on the clans as such. I poke around in the historical records, pick up interesting personalities, and follow entertaining lines of inquiry—but this tends to be at best a random process. Such organization as there is in my inquiries is along historical lines, not clan or family lines; that is, I’m familiar with the major Jacobite figures active during the period of the ’45, but those activities are what I’m familiar with—the fact that I know who Lochiel (Donald Cameron of Lochiel) was does not indicate that I know anything else about clan Cameron.
Neither am I a genealogist. Given my circumstances, I am happily able simply to make up family trees, rather than being obliged to do tedious research.
However, for the benefit of those who find such interests aroused by the Outlander novels, below is a brief description of some resources that may be of help in beginning an exploration into your own Scottish (or otherwise) heritage. I gratefully acknowledge the assistance of many people in the CompuServe Genealogy Forum in compiling this material.
ONLINE RESOURCES
If you have a modem and communications software, the electronic environment is a good place to start. You will find helpful people who can suggest resources and strategies tailored to your particular interests.
CompuServe has two online forums dedicated to genealogical research.* The libraries of these forums contain a vast array of publications, bibliographies, and software (most of it shareware or freeware) for conducting genealogical research, and the message boards provide a unique source of advice, information, and encouragement.
The North American Genealogy Forum (GO NAROOTS) is dedicated to the topic of genealogy research in the United States and Canada. It also has a new feature: Online Queries, which remain in the database for one year.
The World Wide Genealogy Forum (GO WWROOTs) is dedicated to genealogy research in England, Scotland, Ireland, mainland Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the rest of the world, excluding North America. Both forums feature large message bases, expanded libraries, and many new online chat rooms.
In addition to these two specialized fora, the main genealogy forum has recently been revamped, and renamed as the Genealogy Techniques Forum (GO GENEALOGY). Typing FIND GENEALOGY at a CompuServe menu prompt will also provide you with a list of any other relevant or recently created fora.
America Online (AOL) also has interest groups, chat rooms, and message boards, devoted to genealogical interests. Typing GENEALOGY as a Keyword will provide you with a list of these.
Beyond the two big subscription services, there is a great deal of information available on the Web, but this is well beyond my own scope of knowledge. However, see below, Web Sites of Interest for some Scottish sites that may link to genealogical sources of information.
Mormon temples and community centers are a valuable source of genealogical information. The Mormon church opens their family history centers to the public as a community service, and most of their data are computerized and readily available for search on CD-ROM. Local historical societies are also a valuable resource of reference.
Your local public library likely has the address of every historical society in every county in the country; also many in Europe. See also some of the book and publication listings below.
BOOKS
The following titles were recommended by helpful people in the CompuServe Genealogy Forum as a starting place (complete bibliographic and descriptive information wasn’t given for all titles, but is supplied where available).
G. G. Vandagriff. Voices in Your Blood: The Handy Book for Genealogists, by Everton Publishers Staff. Baltimore, Md: Clearfield Company, 1991.
Includes all the courthouse addresses in the county, very short introductory essays on the resources in each state, prices for services, etc. New editions are published about every five years. It’s published by the same people who publish Genealogical Helper.
A good world atlas
Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1985
Eakle, Arlene H. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, 1984.
Ancestry’s Redbook: State, County and Town Sources. Alice Eichholz. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, 1992.
For more in-depth research:
GENEALOGICAL BOOKS IN PRINT.
Stratton, Eugene. Applied Genealogy.
The Rand McNally Commercial Atlas.
Published as a marketing tool for distribution-oriented businesses—but many genealogy libraries have one, too. A very large book, with one state per page, listing even the tiniest of towns and unincotporated communities. No highways—just railway lines, watercourses, county lines, township lines where they exist. A complete index of town names is included for each state. Much more complete than the Zip Code Directory or the official List of Post Offices. Costs roughly $250 per yearly edition, and weighs about 30 lbs. Check your local library.
Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1992.
Rubincam, Milton. Genealogical Research: Methods and Sources, vols. I and II.
Kennedy, Imogene Kinard. Genealogical Records in Texas.
Szucs, Loretta Dennis. The Archives: A Guide to the National Archives Field Branches.
Building an American Pedigree. Author unknown.
Torrey. New England Marriage Prior to 1700.
Savage. Genealogical Dictionary of New England, vols. I-IV.
Book Loan Catalog of the New England Historical and Genealogical Society.
Hammond. The Whole Earth Atlas.
It has counties for all the United States, as well as counties or provinces for other countries. There is a small gazeteer and topo map next to each map. The book is about 8 inches by 11 inches and weighs a couple of pounds.
MAGAZINES AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS
The Genealogical Helper
The Everton Publishers
P.O. Box 368
Logan, UT 84321
$17.00/year (6 issues)
Heritage Quest
Drawer 40
Orting, WA 98360-0040
$25/year ($35 Canadian or foreign)
Genealogical Computing
P.O. Box 476
Salt Lake City, UT 84110
$25/year (4 issues)
NGS/CIG Digest (National Genealogical
Society’s Computer Interest Group Digest)
4527 Seventeenth Street
Arlington, VA 22207-2363
$5/year (6 issues), membership in NGS is
NOT required (See National Genealogical
Society below)
The Genealogical Computer Pioneer
Posey International
P.O. Box 338
Orem, UT 84057
$30/year (6 issues)
Genealogy Digest
P.O. Box 15681
25 North 200 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
The Quarterly
National Genealogical Society
4527 Seventeenth Street
Arlington, VA 22207-2363
(The National Genealogical Society also publishes
a newsletter and has a separate computer
interest group that publishes the
NGS/CIG Digest.)
The Register
101 Newberry Street
Boston, MA 02116
(This society also publishes a bimonthly
newsletter called Nexus.)
The American Genealogist
128 Massasoit Drive
Warwick, RI 02888
The New York Genealogical and Biographical
Record
The New York Genealogical and Biographical
Society
122 E. 58th Street
New York, NY 10022-1939
Membership is $50/year, which includes the
magazine subscription.
The Mayflower Descendant
Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants
101 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
REGIONAL AND SPECIALIST NEWSLETTERS
“Pathways and Passages”
Polish Genealogical Society of Connecticut
c/o Jonathan Shea
8 Lyle Road
New Britain, CT 06053
Journal of the Afro-American Historical
and Genealogical Society
Box 13086
T Street Station
Washington, DC 20009
$25.00/year (four issues)
Intercom
Afro-Americans Communicating and Preserving
Legacies
P.O. Box 13607
Atlanta, GA 30324-0607
AVOTAYNU
(International Review of Jewish
Genealogy)
P.O. Box 1134
Teaneck, NJ 07666
Trails
Birmingham Genealogical Society
Box 2432
Birmingham, AL 35801
Alabama Family History Geneal.
North Central Alabama Genealogical Soc.
P.O. Box 13
Cullman, AL 35056-0013
Bulletin
Alabama Genealogical Society
Box 35
Epes, AL 35460
Arkansas Genealogical Register
Northeast Arkansas Genealogical Association
314 Vine Street
Newport, AR 73112
The Backtracker
Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society
BoxK
Rogers, AR 72756
Copper State Bulletin
Southern Arizona Genealogical Society
Box 6027
Tucson, AZ 85716
Kern-Gen
Kern County Genealogical Society
Box 2214
Bakersfield, GA 93303
Redwood Researcher
Redding Genealogical Society
Box 606
Fortuna, CA 95540
The Searcher
Southern California Genealogical Society
Box 7665
Bixby Knolls Station
Long Beach, CA 90807
Bulletin
California Central Coast Genealogical Society
Box 832
Morro Bay, 93442
Lifeliner
Genealogical Society of Riverside
Box 2664
Riverside, CA 92506
Leaves and Saplings
San Diego Genealogical Society
Studio 30, Spanish Vill.
Balboa Park
San Diego, CA 92101
Colorado Genealogist
7244 S. Platte Canyon Dr.
Littleton, CO 80123
Connecticut Ancestry
Stamford Genealogical Society
Box 249
Stamford, CT 06904
The Virginia Genealogist
Box 4883
Washington, D.C. 20008
The Lost Palatine (bimonthly newsletter)
c/o Gail Breitbard
Route 1 Box 1160
Estero, FL 33928
South Florida Pioneers
Box 166
Fort Ogden, FL 33842
Ancestry
Palm Beach County Genealogical Society
Box 1745
W. Palm Beach, FL 33402
Swedish-American Genealogist
P.O. Box 2186
Winter Park, FL 32790
Georgia Pioneers
Genealogical Magazine
Box 1028
Albany, GA 31702
Family Puzzlers
Heritage Papers
Danielsville, GA 30633
Newsletter:
Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois
c/o Logan College
Carterville, IL 62818
Central Illinois Genealogical
Decatur Genealogical Society
Box 2068
Decatur, IL 62526
Quarterly
Knox County Genealogical Society
Box 13
Galesburg, IL 61404
Happy Hunter
Cumberland County Genealogical Society
Box 676
Greenup, IL 62428
Michiana Roots
225 W Colfax
South Bend, IN 46626
The Descender
Montgomery County Genealogical Society
Box 444
Coffeyville, KS 67337
The Treesearcher
Kansas Genealogical Society
Box 103
Dodge City, KS 67801
Kansas Kin
Riley County Kansas Genealogical Society
908 Kearney Street
Manhattan, KS 66502
Quarterly
Heritage Genealogical Society
W. A. Rankin Mem. Library
Neodeska, KS 66756
Midwest Genealogical Register
2911 Rivera
Wichita, KS 67611
Bluegrass Roots
Central Kentucky Genealogical Society
Box 153
Frankfort, KY 40601
Kentucky Ancestors
Kentucky Historical Society
BoxH
Frankfort, KY 40601
Kentucky Family Records
West-Central Kentucky Family resrch. Asso.
Box 1465
Owensboro, KY 42301
Box 107
Stanville, KY 41659
Register
Louisiana Genealogical Society
Box 3454
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
New Orleans Genesis
Genealogical Research Soc. of New Orleans
Box 51791
New Orleans, LA 70151
Western Maryland Genealogy
Catoctin Press
709 East Main Street
Middletown, MD 21769
Maryland and Delaware Genealogist
Box 352
St. Michaels, MD 21663
Downeast Ancestry
P.O. Box 191
Biddeford Pool, ME 04006-0191
Maine Genealogical Enquirer
Box 253
165 Main Street
Oakland, ME 04963
The Second Boat
P.O. Box 398
Machias, ME 04654
Resear
ch Magazine
Detroit Society for Genealogical Research
c/o Detroit Pub. Library
5201 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48202
Eaglet
Polish Genealogical Society of Michigan
c/o Burton Hist. Collect
5201 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48202
Michigana
Western Michigan Genealogical Society
603 Greenbrier Dr., S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
Kalamazoo Valley Family Newsletter
315 S. Rose Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
Family Trails
Michigan Dept. of Education
State Library
735 E. Michigan Avenue
Lansing, MI 48913
Family Tree Talk
Muskegon County Genealogical Society
3301 Highland
Muskegon Hts, MI 49444
Timbertown Log
Saginaw Genealogical Society
c/o Saginaw Pub. Library
505 Janes Avenue
Saginaw, MI 48607
Northland Newsletter
Range Genealogical Society
Box 726
Buhl, MN 55713
Research
Box 206
Chillicothe, MO 64601
Kansas City Genealogist
The Heart of America Genealogical Society
Kansas City Pub. Library
311 E. 21st Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
The Prairie Gleaner
West Central Missouri Genealogical Society
Box 102A, No. 3
Warrensburg, MO 64093
The Bulletin
Johnson County Historical Society
Warrensburg, MO 64093
Newsletter
North Platte Genealogical Society
820 W. 4th Street
North Platte, NE 69101
The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey
Genealogical Society of New Jersey
P.O. Box 1291