Thursday, April 24, 2008

BIGRA's Annual Tea is Saturday 4/26

The British Isles Genealogical Research Association (BIGRA) is meeting this Saturday, 26 April from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The program announcement includes:

BIGRA's annual tea will feature Sam Gibson, speaking on "The Lost Scottish Church Records". He was born in Baillieston, Scotland and raised in Shotts, his father’s hometown and parish; his mother’s village of Allanton was in the neighboring parish. A mechanical engineer, he came to California in 1979 on a two-year contract and never went back. He began compiling information on his family as a boy and continued his research in California. He has taught and consulted on Scottish Research at the Los Angeles Family History Center for over 13 years and for the past five years has been in charge of the Scottish Film & Fiche Collection, the largest in North America outside of Salt Lake’s Main Library.

The Collection also ranks as one of the major collections in the World--5th in size outside of Register House in Edinburgh. For the past few years he has been building a catalog of as many of the Scottish Non-Conformist Church Records as he could find (Non-Presbyterian Churches). Bits and pieces have been identified through the LDS filming of Scottish Church Records in Edinburgh in the 1950s and 1970s. In some respects these are considered lost records, because many researchers presumed they were lost or destroyed during all the religious upheaval in Scotland; however, most of them are in the Scottish National Archives. Sam’s catalogue now lists around 4,400 churches and some of their records.

The Tea will feature favorite foods from our members. Reservations are required. Fee: $5. Guests welcome.

Location: Joyce Beers Community Center, Vermont St. north of University Ave., in Uptown District Shopping Center, North Park. Please use underground parking.

Contact: June Hanson, 619-583-8352, june92115@yahoo.com

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