Centre for Lifelong LearningGenealogy Online Classes

The Centre for Lifelong Learning has a unique range of learning opportunities in the field of genealogy. Whether you intend to take up genealogy for personal interest or are already undertaking some genealogical research and need to know how to progress we have something for you throughout the year. Our online versions of our successful classroom based genealogy classes, means that you can study from your own home wherever that may be and at whatever time you choose.

These classes also put you in an online community of budding genealogists, which will allow you to share resources and further your own research.

You can accumulate 30 credits in Genealogy classes and gain an Open Studies Certificate in Genealogical Studies. Visit our Open Studies web page to find out more.

Successful completion of one or more of these classes may be also used to demonstrate appropriate study skills and / or genealogical experience for progression onto the Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogical Studies. Further information on postgraduate study entry requirements can be found in the Advice and FAQ document in the Genealogy section of the website.

Currently scheduled classes can be viewed on MyCLL. Class topics include:

10 credits (at Level SCQF 7)

In this class, you will discover sources useful for tracing your own family history.

This will include indexes, original records and a range of online sources with a focus on Scottish records though other areas of the UK are covered. These will include:

  • a discussion of the civil registration of births, marriages and deaths and the census returns of 1841-1911 in Scotland, England and Wales
  • an introduction to the Scottish Old Parish Registers (OPR) and English Parish Records (PR) and the registers of nonconformist churches
  • a brief introduction to the use of records relating to occupations, including the professions, trades, businesses and the armed forces
  • an introduction to map and geographical resources.

Although we will focus on Scottish records, we will illustrate how these strategies can be used to search for records in other countries.

Using case histories, we will provide you with ideas and strategies to help you to use these sources to produce a genealogical record of your family.

We will use a range of technologies available through Myplace to share and discuss how we can apply strategies to build your family history.

Class text

The text for this class is ‘Discover Your Scottish Ancestry: Internet and Traditional Resources’, G Holton and J Winch, 2nd revised ed. 2009, (Edinburgh University Press).

10 credits (at Level SCQF 7)

This class will explore the vast range of online sources which can be utilised to research your family history.

It will therefore be necessary for you to have a subscription to an online service, and a discussion of what is available through a variety of service providers will be held at the beginning of the class.

This will help to assist you in making some decisions about the most appropriate service for your own needs.

Although we will focus on Scottish records, we will illustrate how these strategies can be used to search for records in other countries. We will discuss a range of strategies to assist you in making the most effective use of online resources.

The class will also introduce you to a range of genealogy software. We will discuss a range of sources beyond those for births, marriages and censuses and will also explore ongoing developments in technologies which are of relevance to genealogists.

The tools available in Myplace will be used to share and discuss many of these ideas.

This class was previously entitled ‘Family History, the Internet and More’ and has been renamed to reflect the growing number of online resources which are available to budding family historians.

10 credits (at Level SCQF 7)

This class will focus on sources beyond birth, marriage, death and census records.

The records used will be relevant in the main to Scottish based research, although some aspects will be of relevance to those undertaking research in other countries.

This will include wills, testaments, inventories, valuation rolls, poor law records, and court documentation.

There will also be work on the interpretation of old documents and an introduction to palaeography.

Students should be familiar with basic records.

Class text

The text for this class is ‘Scottish Genealogy’, Bruce Durie. 3rd ed. 2012, (The History Press).