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Fergus Smith

@oldscotbooks.bsky.social

1.7K followers 1.1K following 670 posts

Legal history, historical data geekery, genealogy. Owner of oldscottish.com. Historical Records Specialist at FindMyPast.co.uk. All views my own, obviously. Lives in St Andrews, Fife

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · Nov 20

My talk for the Open University on Court Records in the National Records of Scotland is now online. #Genealogy #LegalHistory
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rv3...

2 Sources - national archives

YouTube video by The Open University Law School

www.youtube.com

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · Jul 13

I think it's likely taken on the day the paper was released - sunny Sunday makes a lottie sense ...
(I would say ah'll get ma coat but it's too hot.)

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · Jul 13

I think I can date that first photo to 5 June 1949. The headline in the newspaper is about the rail strikes, and if you look carefully you can see it's the same photo. The woman - your granny? - is reading a slightly different edition of this paper (www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer...)

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · Jun 20

bsky.app/profile/olds...

Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · Jun 20

It was hot in St Andrews today, so in response to popular demand, I got in the sea.
To much disappointment, I also got out ...

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · Jun 20

It was hot in St Andrews today, so in response to popular demand, I got in the sea.
To much disappointment, I also got out ...

Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · Jun 15

Here in the UK, one police force justified attacking protestors by the injuries received by officers. Turned out more than half of these injuries were bee stings. Another was caused by an officer slamming his thumb in a car door ...

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · Jun 9

www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Cq...

The Cure - Never Enough

YouTube video by TheCureVEVO

www.youtube.com

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 25

Nothing to see here, just a lawyer, "full of claret", arguing against his client then suddenly reverse ferreting in court after being told he was making the wrong argument ... #LegalHistory #Scotland

Newspaper clipping, Inverness Courier, 21 October 1819

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 20

Random Feg story: I ended up cooking for the Waterboys when they played St Andrews students union ca1988 - a pal was events coordinator and the caterer didn't turn up after not being paid.
19-year-old me was not a good cook ...

Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 18

It's a very odd approach they've taken. They could have been very helpful and recorded parents' names - which are usually given in Scottish death records - but no!

Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 18

Ah yes, in 1855 children's ages were recorded on death certificates, but not those of spouses. After 1855 you won't see children's ages.

Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 18

There are some spouses, parents and even informants indexed, so they may have grabbed every name. For death records, the person should have an age and hence approximate birth year.
It's very odd though.

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 18

They've not got these from FamilySearch, at least not directly. They've received a microfilm from Dunbartonshire archives, and simply scanned and indexed that. They seem to have indexed more than just the deceased's name, but I haven't done a deep enough dive to work out what they have indexed.

Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 18

I've had a dig through and what they seem to have done is simply extract every name from the record and attach that to the death record. It's systematic, and by (very poor) design.
Not sure it's AI - it could just be a classic case of GIGO in terms of keying rules.

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 12

I've been in that house! I bought books from the owner maybe 15 years ago - I recognised the decor so clicked through and checked. I remember it well as my sister was then living round the corner.

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 12

I somehow missed this first time around. Hearty congratulations my friend, and well deserved!

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 12

Rare evidence of Gaelic-speaking dogs in 19th century Dunbartonshire ... #Gaelic @wilsonmcleod.bsky.social

Newspaper clipping, Caledonian Mercury, 3 October 1816
"there was a dog in the house, but it was Highland, and did not understand English"

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 11

Aww yes, the St Andrews ducklings have arrived! Mum and dad are keeping a close eye on them though.

Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 9

I'm a veteran of this truly wonderful event - my first Christian Aid Booksale was 1977, when I was 8 - for myself I got H G Wells and Arthur Conan Doyle - I was a precocious child - and a bunch of early Penguins for our shop.

NDM MacLeod @neildm.bsky.social · May 9

it’s Christian Aid Booksale Eve - and here’s the map of where everything is for the best charity book sale in Britain #Scotland #Edinburgh

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 7

Lecturers: There are only 24 hours in a day.
Management: We're thrilled to announce we've redesignated hour to mean 45 minutes, so there are now 32 hours in the day.

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 6

A big boy done it and run away.

Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 5

"This prisoner's unsteady on his feet and is not fit to stand trial. What do we do?"
"Give him wine, that's bound to help."
Narrator voice: It did not help.
#Scotland #LegalHistory

Newspaper clipping, Caledonian Mercury, 8 May 1815.
Inverness, May 3. The Circuit Court of Justiciary was opened in this place on Wednesday, by the Right Honourable Lord Gillies. William Macdonald, accused of the murder of Mary MacQueen, lately residing at Auchendar, parish of Edinkillie, and county of Moray, was first brought to the bar. The prisoner appeared to be much debilitated from his confinement, and was so much agitated when brought into Court, that he seemed on the point of fainting, and two of the jailors were obliged to support him. A glass of wine was administered, which appeared a little to revive him; but he was still unable to stand. Two medical gentlemen were called in, and it was their opinion that the prisoner was in too weak a state to be put, with any propriety, upon his trial on that day. He was therefore ordered to be removed from the bar, and the jailor was desired to see him properly attended to.

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIXI...

Blondie - One Way Or Another (1978) • TopPop

YouTube video by TopPop

www.youtube.com

Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 4

♫♪♫
Bela Lugosi's Dead
Undead undead undead
♪♫♪

Dr. Bucky Isotope, PhD, BOFA @buckyisotope.bsky.social · May 1

🎵HEAD LIKE A HOLE, BLACK AS YOUR SOUL🎵

Julie Andrews playing guitar and singing to children in the sound of music

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 4

Freed up a fair chunk of floorspace too! Annoyingly, I had to dismantle the shelves and rebuild them *inside* the cupboard as they wouldn't quite fit.

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Fergus Smith @oldscotbooks.bsky.social · May 4

Bookroom upgrade unlocked: I now have a record cupboard. Working on filling it ...

Photograph of shelves in a cupboard with hundreds of vinyl records

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