Genealogy
Blairgowrie Genealogy Centre
If you are searching for your roots in the area, you might consider getting started by making contact with the Blairgowrie Genealogy Centre, which is based at Blairgowrie Library in the town's Leslie Street. Run by The Blairgowrie and Rattray Local History Trust, the Centre provides a range of study materials including:
- the International Genealogy Index fiches covering England, Scotland, and Wales and some of Ireland
- film strips of the Old Partish Registers of Blairgowrie, Rattray and the neighbouring parishes
- copies of all the Census Returns for the years 1841 to 1901 for the local parishes (and partial cover for 62 other parishes in Perthshire)
Visitors can also access other materials in the Library including copies of the Blairgowrie Advertiser (the local paper) and local interest books.
The volunteer staff are enthusiasts who are well versed in search procedures and who can call on a number of older local people whose knowledge of local families is extensive. The staff show visitors how to use the equipment and help them find the people they are looking for.
Special study arrangements can be made for visitors who need an extended search period, and this can be linked to visits to kirkyards and other points of historical interest.
The service is free to residents in the Perth and Kinross area, but a nominal charge is made to others.
Opening times
From April to October, the Centre is open 2pm to 4pm, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
From November to March, the Centre is open 2pm to 4pm, Fridays only.
Contact
Further information can be obtained from Mrs Isobel C. Taylor, 30 Manor Gardens, Blairgowrie. Tel: 01250-873733 E-mail: joiscar@yahoo.com
Scotland's People
The official government source of genealogical data for Scotland:
Familia
Familia is a web-based directory of family history resources held in public libraries in the UK and Ireland and is the on-line starting-place to find information about materials in public libraries which will help you trace your family history.
Often sources available in libraries will not be available from record offices, and record offices hold many sources libraries do not - Familia's aim is to guide you to what you want quickly, and to provide contact information and other relevant advice to help you.
For the Familia web-site, go to http://www.familia.org.uk/about.html
Other websites that maybe useful:
Family Tree Creator, which is free to use.
