Westray Connections is a new genealogy research service for people wanting to find out more about their connections to the Isle of Westray (one of the North Isles of Orkney).
I’ve had a very long history of genealogy researching – starting more than 40 years ago as a teenager (yes, I know I’m showing my age, but lets call it “experience”) when I began helping my mother investigate my paternal ancestry. That was in the days when visiting libraries and record centres, peering at microfilm and microfiche, and laboriously hand copying information was the only option. We have come a long way with genealogical reference material being available online now, including a lot of original images of records, but there are still times when being able to get information from local sources makes a huge difference.
I am privileged to have been able to be a resident of the beautiful Isle of Westray for ten years now, and have a good sense of the complex family networks and histories, and the local built and natural environment. Alongside that, I have spent considerable time and effort building up an integrated database of birth, marriage and death, census (1841-1911), and cemetery records, as well as developing a good understanding of the many resources available in the Westray Heritage Centre Archives. I will never be a “local” but my understanding of genealogical research methods and documents means that I believe I can provide a valuable service assisting people to track down and document their own family history.
This is a bespoke research service, where I will do as much or as little as you require, whether you are intending to visit Westray or not. I welcome your email contact at any time (westrayconnections@gmail.com) to discuss possibilities. Corinne Curtis