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Who do you think you are? Aberdeenshire archives featured in BBC magazine

Finding out about your ancestors has become hugely popular in recent years, especially since the advent of the BBC television series “Who do you think you are?” where celebrities explore their family history.

Most people who follow the series are aware of archives, parish records and library records they can use to research their own family history, but not many are aware that museums also hold unique manuscripts and documents.

Aberdeenshire Council’s Museums Service was invited to contribute to the CD-Rom for the June issue of the BBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?” Magazine that accompanies the series.

The service holds records, including:

• Whaler’s logs from Peterhead

• A charge book from the Royal Marines, logging crimes and their punishment, from withholding grog to 48 lashes for assaulting an officer

• School exemption books, detailing requests from a parent to withdraw their children from school to be put to work fishing or farming

• Farm records

• Apprenticeship lists and a 17th century rent book belonging to the Earl Marischal.

The subject matter available from the Museum Service is broad, covering a range of subjects, including: land ownership, family circumstances, emigration, farming, whaling, Friendly Societies, registers of deserters from vessels and much more.

Principal Museums & Heritage Officer for Aberdeenshire Council, Liz Ritchie, said: “Contributing to the magazine CD-Rom is a really exciting development which has brought our important archives collection to the notice of a nation-wide audience.

“We have a fantastic range of documents available from the Museum Service for residents to review when researching their own family history.

“Family history research has become increasingly popular and we look forward to welcoming many more new visitors to the Discovery Centre in Mintlaw.”

Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s Education, Learning and Leisure Committee, Cllr Richard Stroud, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our Museums Service and being featured on the magazine’s CD is a great way of showcasing the resources we have for family history research.

”This is becoming increasingly popular and staff at the Discovery Centre do a great job helping people to learn more about their family’s history.”

The archives at Aberdeenshire Council’s Museum Service Discovery Centre are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4.30pm.

For a list of records and to make an appointment to view the archives please contact documentation assistant, Helen Chavez, on (01771) 622807.

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