Please note this website is no longer being updated due to personal circumstances. Some links may no longer be available but the entire website is being left in place since even in a restricted capacity it may still be helping people. PLEASE do not email me about changes to this website because this site is no longer being updated!
On the Hints and Tips Page you will find:
In Outlook Express, click on NEW MAIL to start your message.
Insert email address, subject, type your message, etc.
After writing your message, click on INSERT at the top of your message box.
Then click on FILE ATTACHMENT.
This opens a box for you to select your proposed document, file or picture to attach. It may be in Desktop, on your floppy disk, in Briefcase or on one or more of your hard drives.
Scroll to select which one of these you want, e.g. Desktop.
Then click on your file, e.g. Monday.wps or donkey.gif or balloon.jpg.
Click on ATTACH.
This will attach your file and you can check that it has done so. It will be displayed on your email message just under SUBJECT.
Finished! Instant expert!!!!
To insert PICTURES into your actual email message-
Write whatever part of your message you wish, click your insertion point where you want the text or picture to go, then click on INSERT
Click on PICTURE FROM FILE
Click on BROWSE
This opens a box for you to select your proposed picture to attach. It may be in Desktop, on your floppy disk, in Briefcase, My Documents, My Pictures or on one or more of your hard drives.
Scroll to select which one of these you want, e.g. Desktop.
Then click on your file, e.g. donkey.gif or balloon.jpg
Click on OPEN
Then click on O.K. [Leave the setting as Baseline unless you want it right, left or any other variation in the box provided]
Your picture will appear in your message. If you want to remove what you have inserted, click on it then press your Delete key.
Open NEW MAIL MESSAGE, then click in the message area of your email.
Then click on INSERT and select TEXT FROM FILE.
This opens a box for you to select your proposed file to attach. It may be on your Desktop, on your floppy disk, in Briefcase, My Documents, or on one or more of your hard drives.
Scroll to select which one of these you want, e.g. Desktop. Highlight your file.
Click on OPEN.
Your text will be inserted in your email message area.
Note that the only files which can be inserted in this way are those with a .TXT or .HTML extension
Insert the floppy you want copied.
Open Windows Explorer.
Look up top left hand corner to where Floppy Disk is displayed.
RIGHT click on Floppy Disk
Click on COPY DISK
Click on START
Copying will commence.
When finished you will get a message saying "INSERT DISK you want copied."
Do so, then click on O.K.
When finished, click on CLOSE.
Go to FILE then
IMPORT & EXPORT
This will give you a Wizard.
Click NEXT
Select EXPORT FAVOURITES
Click NEXT
Select FAVOURITES then click NEXT
Next, you will need to choose whether to export to an application, or export to a file or address.
Choose EXPORT TO A FILE OR ADDRESS. Whilst still there, click BROWSE....
This will bring up a box, naming your file BOOKMARK [or change it if you wish] and asking where to save your file.
I recommend saving it to Desktop as you can then easily find it afterwards! You can also save directly to a floppy disk or a CD if you have a CD-R/W.
So, click up the top of the box and select "DESKTOP".
Click on NEXT.
And NEXT again. [We WILL get there!!!!]
And then click on FINISH.
When you go to Desktop, your bookmark file should be there.
A reminder, if you save your favourites on a regular basis [always a good idea btw] you may want to change the name of the file as it will overwrite the old one. I like to name my bookmark file including the date...eg. bookmark5january
You can also send these bookmark files in email to friends if you want to share your favourites!
Open up Internet Explorer.
Insert your floppy disk or CD where your Favourite file was stored.
In Internet Explorer, go to FILE, then IMPORT AND EXPORT.
This will give you the Wizard again.
Click NEXT and then highlight IMPORT FAVOURITES.
Click NEXT again.
You now have two choices..Import from an Application or Import from a File or Address.
Select IMPORT FROM A FILE OR ADDRESS.
Then [this is important] click on BROWSE, to select where your favourites file is stored. You may have it on floppy disk, so select A: or if it is on CD, select your CD drive, whatever letter it is on your computer.
Highlight your file wherever you have it stored.
Click SAVE.
Click NEXT.
Next step is to highlight where your importing file is to be placed. Usually it is FAVOURITES.
Click NEXT.
Click on FINISH, and if you and I have both done everything right, you should have your file imported into your Favourites.
Place your Insertion Point over the graphic you wish to copy. RIGHT-CLICK your mouse. Select SAVE PICTURE AS . Follow the prompts to save your graphic depending where you wish to save it.
It is often a good idea to save it to your Desktop so you will find it easily and from there you can drag-and-drop [ click and drag using your left mouse] it to the Rubbish Bin when finished or else place it in another location for storage. My Briefcase is another handy place to store small items so they won't get lost!
To sort "Favourites" alphabetically--go to Start/ Favourites/ Channels/ Sort by name, easy!
The same effect can be obtained in Address Book by going to View/ Sort By/ Names.
Outlook Express users....do you you want to save your address book on a floppy, or alternatively, somewhere on your hard drive?
Open Windows Explorer and click on your C Drive, go to Windows then Application Data then Microsoft then Address Book and right-click on your Address Book entry you want to copy [e.g. address Book for Juliette ], send the copy to floppy disk.
It sounds complicated but it isn't so difficult. Then when you want to restore your address book in your computer or in another computer,put your floppy in the machine and open Outlook Express, go to File and then follow the prompts there for importing Address Book.
There may well be other ways but this works for me!
To Print Colour Text to Black:
MS Word/Tools/Options/Compatibility--Select Print Colours in Black on Non-Colour Printers.
To make default: click Default.
Submitted by David Parsons.
May I recommend Colin D. Rogers' "The Family Tree Detective" for all beginners? This helped me enormously when I was starting out 5-6 years ago, and should be an essential library item for all who are researching their UK family history. It costs around £10.00 and is available from the bookshop Society of Genealogists' bookshop The only more detailed guide is over three times the price.
The SOG bookshop stocks about the widest range of books and booklets on UK genealogy available -- recent publications include one on how to make the most of Genuki. Eve McLaughlin's little guides are very wide-ranging (the IGI, censuses, deciphering old handwriting), very inexpensive, and highly recommended.
Sent in by Mick Bruff from London.
Frustrated with those sticky labels purchased to go on your floppy disks, that never peel off easily when you want to replace them?
Try masking tape! You can purchase a large roll of it for $2 AU, 15 mm wide, and it will last ages. Just cut off a slice large enough to go on your disk. It is easy to write on and will peel off easily, leaving no sticky residue, when you want to replace the label. Masking tape is also useful to label CD cases and other items.
A tip submitted by Juliette.
Most of the time, we save stuff to the Desktop...right? Then we may want to save it on a floppy. Here's an easy way, once you have it set up.
Open your Windows Explorer...an easy way is to hold down your Windows Key..just at the right of your space bar, and press the keyboard letter E.
Now, with Windows Explorer open, right-click on where it says Floppy Drive.
This opens up a dialog box and one of the options is CREATE SHORTCUT. Click on that.
Click on YES, to have a shortcut to your floppy placed on Desktop.
Now, whenever you have files, etc saved to your Desktop, just click and drag them over to the Floppy disk shortcut and they will be saved to your floppy.
P.S....don't forget to put your floppy disk in the drive! You can set up shortcuts to your other drives, using the same method. I find it a helpful shortcut for using my CD burner, too.
Another tip from Juliette.
Want to save your Favourites in a file so they won't get lost? It is a good idea to do this on a regular basis. Here's how to Save Favourites in another location.
Open Internet Explorer.
Click on FILE
Click on IMPORT and EXPORT
Click on NEXT
Select EXPORT FAVOURITES
Click on NEXT
Highlight FAVOURITES at the top of the list
Click on NEXT
Select EXPORT TO A FILE OR ADDRESS -then click on BROWSE to select a place to save them. I like to use Desktop as they are easy to find afterwards!
You will need to name the file. Bookmark is the usual name, however if you save these on a regular basis, you will overwrite the file unless you change the file name each time. I like to add the date each time.
Click on save, when you have named the file.
Click on NEXT
Click on FINISH.
Your favourites will be saved on your Desktop or wherever you decided to save them.
It is also possible to email these files to a friend, sending them as attachments.
Book review sent in by Val Ivory.
The convicts of the Marquis Cornwallis, Ireland to Botany Bay, 1796. Written by Barbara Hall.
A contemporary source called them the “refuse and sweepings of the Irish jails”. The Marquis Cornwallis transported 244 Irish male and female prisoners aged from 12 to 65 to Botany Bay in 1796, effectively exiling most of them from their homeland for the term of their natural lives.
With extensive use of archival records and Irish newspapers, Barbara Hall has chronicled their lives. From James Don Butler, “alias Captain Fearnought” to Thomas Henry, “the quondam turnkey”, to Catherine Kearney, “a very seditious, troublesome character”, each story is as authentic and colourful as it is compelling. Many original crimes and trials have been traced. Their colonial biographies have been reconstructed, giving fascinating insight into their character, physical appearance, family life, friendships and the social structure that was the early penal colony of New South Wales.
While a great deal of interest has been focused in recent years on the early English convicts, little has been known about their Irish counterparts. Seven years in the making, A Desperate Set of Villains provides a valuable resource for social historians, genealogists and those interested in early colonial history. A Desperate Set of Villains is to be published in May 2000 and will be approximately 280pp (210mm x 140mm) with illustrations and index. Cost is $35 AU plus postage. For further information or to order a copy contact Barbara Hall at 8/35 Byron Street, Coogee, 2034 (please include a SSAE if possible); Tel: 02 9664 6938; Email: beehall@hotlinks.net.au
Dear Beginners & Researchers
The first thing to do is to ask as many older people in your family questions about their parents and grandparents. Write all this down and keep it, even if it does not make sense ...it may be useful in 20 years time. Borrow and copy as many certificates of births deaths and marriages, and photographs of the older generation as you can. Modern scanners and colour photocopiers make great copies of the old black and white prints.
Then you need to get a book about Scottish ancestor tracing. Kathleen Cory's "Tracing your Scottish Ancestry" ISBN 0-7486-6054-2. The other superb place for finding genealogical information is the Mormon Church family history centres. You should find your nearest one and go along to see what they have (try under Church of the Latter Day Saints in your phone book).
In Scotland statutory registration started in 1855. In that first year the certificates recorded a great deal of information, from 1856 - 60 less was called for and then from 1861 to the present day the certificates are almost unchanged.
From a birth certificate you should get the names of the baby, parents, father's occupation, an address ( a street if in a town, but sometimes just the name of the village) name of the informant, and (except from 1856-60) the date and place of the marriage of the parents.
From a marriage certificate you should get the ages, addresses and occupations of the bride and groom, the names of both their parents and fathers' occupations, the date and place of marriage, and the names of the witnesses.
From a death certificate you should get the name, age, address and occupation of the deceased, and the name of their spouse (except from 1856-60), the deceased's parents' names, cause of death and the informant's name and relationship to the deceased (if any).
If you find an ancestor with a birth, death or marriage occurring in 1855 then it is worth looking at the certificate. The 1855 death certificate for example gives the names and ages of all the deceased's children as well as the deceased's birthplace and how long he had lived in the area. An 1855 marriage certificate will give you the birthplaces of the couple. The 1855 birth certificate will give you the ages of the parents and the number of other children they'd had (but not their names).
From the present day back to 1898 (1922 for deaths) you can get copies of certificates from the GRO at New Register House in Edinburgh. They cost £13 each and you can pay by credit card. If you need more than one certificate it is probably more cost effective to pay an Edinburgh based researcher to copy them for you. The snail mail address is;
General Register Office
New Register House
Edinburgh
EH1 3YT
e-mail: nrh.gros@gtnet.gov.uk
From 1898 back (but death certificates are available up to 1922) the indexes to the records are available on line from Scots Origins ..... this is a fee paying site. £6 to look at the indexes [for 30 searches with 15 entries per page to be used within 24hrs] and another £10 per certificate ordered. However for the years 1855 - 1875, and 1881 and 1891 the Mormon Church family history centres have got microfilms of the books of certificates available to hire. They also have films of the indexes of birth deaths and marriages for these years and more, (but nothing later than 1898) In the USA it is possible to order photocopies of certificates for these years (1855 - 1875 and 1881 and 1891 from Salt Lake City much more cheaply than from Edinburgh. The 1891 Census is searchable from Origins.
The LDS family history centres also have films of all the available Scottish censuses. They were taken every 10 years from 1841 to 1891. One census, that of 1881 for the whole of England Wales and Scotland, has been transcribed and indexed..it is available on a set of CDs and a lot of listers have them and are willing to do look-ups. The census gives ages occupations relationships and birthplaces, apart from the 1841 which just gives a list of people in the house their approximate ages (rounded down to the nearest 5 years for those over 15), the occupation of the head of household and whether or not each person was born in the county (a much bigger area than the parish). The 1851 searchable census covers all of Ayrshire. It is only available at the Dick Institute in Kilmarnock [East Ayrshire].
WARNING
Pre-1855 'certificates' from the Scots Origins site are just photocopies of the entries in the parish records ...they give very little information. Much cheaper to look at the film at your LDS centre if possible.
