SCOTTISH RESEARCH on L.A.R.F.H.C. Site .....

[DavidWW]

There you go using that 'EXPERT' word again

Quote-----
"I'm knowledgable in my subject, but no expert." Unquote......

Ouch

I think I've bought a few more days to get this put together.
I finally finished with the NAS site at CH3/ 1619, so I just need to get it into my CH3 INVENTORY CHART to tack on at the end of Part I as a Supplement.

I've always wanted to help people when it comes to doing Scottish Research, pass on what I've learned, KISS--Keep It Simple Stupid.
Now, I sometimes see myself turning into a monster because of all this.
Before I started teaching classes, I watched other Consultants at the Centre and how they conducted their classes. They turned out to be one prolonged sleep session on how they found their families, little of value to the atendees as to how they could use the records, or even what records there were and where they were located. I didn't want to turn into them, so putting everything down in charts was my non-verbal response to giving the patrons all the information they would need to find the records, that would lead them to their families. Now, I've overcome my stage fright. When I go out to speak to groups, they can't shut me up. Still having my cute Scottish accent wins over a lot of the female audience.

I just throw things at the audience if they fall asleep on me, but always hope that my PowerPoint presentations will be of sufficient interest to keep them awake

My charts will survive me , my legacy perhaps. As to having a numbering system named in my honour, get real.

How many other people are there in the world who have a better knowledge of the subject than you do? In which case, if your conclusion is that some adaptation or modification or even basic change in the system is the best route, then I'll go with that

Anyway, if I'm to get this out for you folks to have and to disect, I've a lot of work yet to do. Trying to work in the heat and humnidity out here isn't helping my mood either. Oh to be back home in The Shotts, with her rain and wind blowin' aff the moors.

SAM

At some times in the year, maybe, but just now, with the high temperatures, and, in the last couple of days, very high humidity, you may wish to rethink

David

[sam gibson]

Hi Dave,
Shotts doesn't sound too bad right now.

A friend in Washinbton State e-mailed me last week and asked if there was anything in particular that reminded me of home. I wrote back and told her the wind, especially when it blew through the wire fences. It made a spectacular humming sound. There was a particular block of 4 houses on Dyfrig St. that had a wire fence along the front. Walking past there when the wind was blowing off the moors made you feel like you were in some sceince fiction movie with the wierd tunes the wind played.

It's strange what we miss when we don't have it any more.

SAM

[DavidWW]

.....much snipped...................
It's strange what we miss when we don't have it any more.

SAM

Now there's a very insightful comment

David

[sam gibson]

Hi Dave,
Just a quick update. I finished the Inventory on the CH3 Reportory and came up with 2,711 churches, which is at least 400 more than I had on my original list. I now have to go through and double check as it appears than some church records were catalogued under more than one CH3/ number.

I've put the information on to my Inventory Chart and added 56 pages to the manuscript, so I think I'll be ready to go by next weekend.

SAM

[sam gibson]

Hi Dave,

Just a quick update in what has been happening.
The First Print of the Book was supposed to take place on Monday, but I won't see it until Saturday, I asked the Publisher to leave the copy at the Centre for me and I'd get when I go in this weekend.
Can you contact me at e-mail flyingshottsmanATyahoo.com regarding the above.

The "GIBSON LIST" on NON-CONFORMIST CHURCHES as of last night stood at 3,849. I still have to go through the Reportories for the Congregational and Methodist Churches and add those. I also need to re-check the Roman Catholic Reportory and make sure I have the right locations on them.

SAM

e-mail edited AT = @

[karenc]

Hi Sam,

just thought i would say hello. i noticed you originally come from shotts and that is where i live ! What a small world we live in! Sadly i cant help you with any of your research though.

KAren

[sam gibson]

Hi Karen,
Where abouts do you live in the Auld Toon.
I lived in Bon Accord Crescent, but we started up in Southfield Ave. in Torbothie. Went to STANE, DYKEHEAD and CALDERHEAD, plus a year at GARRION in Overtown. Worked for the old TIMPO TOYS before moving to Norflok and then California.

SAM

[karenc]

Hi Sam,

I live in Shottskirk Road in Dykehead. I've lived there all my life but then i'm only in my twenties! I went to dykehead and Calderhead too though.

Always nice to see someone else from Shotts kicking about, most of the time when you say you live in shotts people look at you as if your an alien

Karen

[sam gibson]

Hi Karen,
When we went from Calderhead down to Garrion Academy to do our 'Higher' , all the other Wishaw kids thought we were from another planet. The teachers would look at us funny when we showed up late during the Winter, they wouldn't believe Shotts had been snowed in and it was as dry as a bone down in Wishaw.
It didn't help matter that on our Introductory tour of the School, before we moved, some teachers had drawn up a large map showing the location of Shotts, and had pictures of dinosuars living in Allanton Woods. The Geography teacher maintained that he had fielded several inquiries from other pupils as to what was a "Shotts" or where was 'It'.
We played along. we'd use the Dinosaur Hunting Season gag as being as reason for our lateness some days, maintaining that we had been up all night in the hunt. We all had to take our turn hunting for meat for the whole town.

No one laughs about us now.

SAM

[sam gibson]

Good Morning Dave,

I have just previewed the first print of my book on Non-Conformist Church Records and it looks passable and readable. The Publisher copied straight from the Munuscript and it came out better than I expected. Nothing elaborate, soft cover, 190 pages. Stacked with information and details from front to back. Very simply laid out and a breeze to understand. The Main Chart turned out very well.

The Supplement with the Complete CH3 Reportory Inventory will be a great help in correcting a lot of the mistakes I had made on the main chart. So this book alone, will identify most of all the known Non-Conformist Churches.

I found a few more names to add to my so-called "GIBSON LIST" and it now stands at 3,902 Churches, with more than 2/3's referenced by a NAS Call Number. Now that I have what I think is a complete list, I can start laying out Part II of the Non-Conformist Church Records from RENFREW through WIGTOWN. But having seen what other material was available in my little "Discovery", I'll be expanding the contents information on each viable church. In this Part I, I limited myself to Birth, Marriage and Death Information. I'll now be adding Minutes, Communion Rolls and Membership Rolls, anything that might give names and dates.

At some point I'll re-do Part I with the same additional information and correct the mistakes I had made before my wee "Discovery'.

I've been in contact with Barbara Baker of the British Reference Unit at the Salt Lake Library and she is checking if the Church is doing any more filming of Non-Conformist Records in Scotland. Right now, the Catalogue of Filmed material stands at 150 Films and 107 Microfiche. I'll also be checking to see if there are other Films and Fiche I overlooked. How the Church have their Catalogue set up now, isn't very user friendly in retrieving all specific information on particular subjects, you have to do it piece by piece.

This is a holiday weekend here in the States, so I won't be able to get your copy in the mail until at least Tuesday.

SAM