An afternoon in the library

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Yesterday afternoon I was on duty at the QFHS Library together with Ken and Judith.  The lovely Lyn was there too, beavering away checking duplicate microfiche.  It was very quiet - just a couple (allright, three) other members doing their research.

 The library looks really great now.  There's been a bit of a re-shuffle and things look much more open.

 The front desk has been moved around to face you as you walk in the door giving library assistants much more room to sit together and more of a profile so you know who is on duty.  

There are new lockers for members to use for their bags et al.  They look a bit scary at first but a friendly library assistant will show you how to use them.  Just choose a four digit code and away you go.


As part of the cleanup, there is a display of enticing journals that are being given away for FREE in the kitchen!


And of course all the recent additions to the library are on display so you can see what's new.


What more inducement do you need to come and check out the library? Opening hours are as follows:

 Monday: 7.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m.
Tuesday to Thursday: 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Saturday: 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Sunday: (1st, 2nd, and 3rd of the month) 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.
Sunday:  (4th and 5th of the month) 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m.

Closed Fridays except for Special Interest Group meetings.

 And of course, if you are a member of the library and have been prevaricating over whether or not to become a library assistant, please consider volunteering. Don't worry about whether or not you know the facilities well enough...how else are you going to learn unless someone asks you?  

 But if I can't convince you to be a library assistant then at least let me tell you how quiet it is on a Sunday. It's perfect for research.

 The recent issue of Your Family Tree magazine had an article on Research Routes in Stirlingshire, which inspired me to check out what resources the QFHS Library had on Stirling in Scotland.  I found the following books in the print room..


There are microfiche too (Directory of Stirlingshire Scotland 1820, 1837 and the 1891 Census of Scotland) but I ran out of time to look at them.  You can check QFHS Catalogue here.

I was researching my Forfar line who originated from Bannockburn in Stirling Scotland.  I am really looking for Robert Forfar.  He and Lucy Smart or Swait were parents of George Forfar (my great-grandfather) who was christened 23 October 1848 at St Ninian's in Stirling.  

 Robert, according to George's marriage certificate, was a mason.  Most of the Forfars were actually weavers.  

 I didn't find any Forfars in the Stirling Parish Burials book.  But I did find some in the Burgess lists.  I found Thomas Forfar was admitted (ad) as a Burgess and Weaver 15 February 1802.  I think Thomas was an uncle of Robert's according to a family descendant chart I have that Edward W. Shaw compiled in Glasgow in 1973.  There was also a Robert admitted 10 June 1815 as a Burgess and a Weaver but given that I think my Robert was born in 1817 (according to Edward Shaw's chart), I think this is another uncle.  Then there is another Thomas Forfar (2nd son of Thomas) admitted as a Burgess as Guildbrother (ad B qua Weaver) on 13 January 1864.  

 I didn't find anything in the pink book but looking back I now realize that I missed finding the Burials book for 1800-1854, so I'll have to go back and check that out.  

 There's much more to tell you but I'll have to stop now and go to work.  Another time....

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