Celebrate National Women's History Month with a Remarkable Scottish Heroine

March, with its promise of growth and rebirth, is exactly the right time for National Women’s History Month and the celebration of International Women’s Day this week on March 8th. We genealogists know how difficult it often is to learn more about our female ancestors, largely because for most of recorded history, they were treated as second-class citizens. Historically, women have lost their maiden names when they marry; they have usually not been heads of household; they have been under-educated and undervalued, all leading to their “disappearance” from public records. As far back as 400 years B.C., the Greek statesman Pericles stated, “A woman’s greatest glory is to be little talked about, whether for good or ill.” That mindset persisted for centuries.

Autumn Traditions are in the Air

Although it's still very warm in parts of the United States, those of us in the Midwest are enjoying some cool, comfortable weather this week. In fact, the nights are feeling downright autumnal! Stores are filled with the bright colors of Halloween decorations, and those of us who need our yearly fix of pumpkin doughnuts, pumpkin muffins, and the ever-popular pumpkin spice lattes, are blissfully eating and drinking our way into the season. Did you know that pumpkins have a long, interesting history? If your ancestors were in this country or in South or Central America, they likely ate, cooked, and/or carved pumpkins throughout their lives. Read on for more!

A New Tool to Find UK Archives and Records Worldwide

Finding an archive for the area in which you are researching is always a challenging task. Finding one in another country can be even more daunting. The National Archives of the United Kingdom has created a website that may help you in your genealogical search throughout Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), and even beyond. This easy-to-navigate website lets you narrow your search to a specific region in a specific country and even includes many other countries that appear to have little or no bearing on the UK but actually hold UK records. In addition, a comprehensive pull-down menu offers you many other options for British-based research. Here is how to use the site.