It’s Local History Month and from 1 to 31 May Perth & Kinross Archives, Local & Family History is bringing you a packed programme of events to celebrate.
We kick things off with an Open Day on Saturday 4 May. Everyone is invited to come along and get a behind the scenes sneak peek at our collection stores in the AK Bell Library, Perth as well as an insight into what we do and some of the projects that we are working on.
Did you know that you can access Ancestry.com for free in your local library? Our Local History Officer will be out and about providing introductory taster sessions for anyone who would like to learn more about using this fantastic resource. These will be held at Auchterarder Library on 10 May, Strathearn Community Library on 17 May and Breadalbane Community Library on 24 May.
There are four fascinating talks taking place at the AK Bell Library throughout the month beginning on 7 May with No Vote – No Census: the 1911 census suffrage protests by historian Ruth Boreham. In this talk, Ruth will share her most interesting discoveries, including some entertaining stories that reveal the irreverence and the determination of the women’s suffrage movement in Scotland. Following this, on 9 May Robin Campbell will present a talk on The Life of Hugh T. Munro, (1856-1919). This talk complements the tremendously popular Munro Legacy Exhibition that is on display in the AK Bell Library until 18 May, celebrating the life and legacy of the mountaineer who gave his name to Scotland’s highest peaks. On 23 May the Friends of Perth & Kinross Archive close their 2018/19 season of talks with a look at The Perth Charterhouse Project: the story so far. Dr Lucy Dean, of the University of the Highlands and Islands, joins us to provide an insightful update on the search for the lost Carthusian Charterhouse of Perth and will look at the role Perth played in the governance of Scotland in the 14th and 15th centuries. Last but by no means least, on 28 May Craig Statham from the National Library of Scotland will introduce us to Maps for Local and Family History using examples from the NLS’s 2 million-strong collection as well as looking at the evolution of mapping and demonstrating the fantastic NLS map website. Be sure not to miss out book now!
For any local history enthusiasts out there who would like to get some more practical, hands-on knowledge of how to go about researching their local area our Local History Workshops at the AK Bell Library are not to be missed. Join us on the 14 May for an Introduction to Local History Research where our Assistant Archivist and Local History Officer will provide an in-depth look at the range of resources available for local history research in our collections and how to access them. This is followed on the 25 May with a workshop on How to Read Historic Documents. In this session, Dr Lucy Dean and our Assistant Archivist will look at the different tools required to analyse historical documents with practical examples of transcribing secretary hand, interpreting seals and using the diplomatic of a document to find the information we need. A further two related workshops will take place in June and July.
So come along and help us celebrate Local History Month 2019!
Follow the links for more info and full booking details.