Ian Walker Genealogist Q&A

• What made you start researching your own family history?

As a child and teenager, I spend a lot of time with my paternal grandfather. My grandfather told me stories about his childhood and talked about various family members and relatives. Sadly, my grandfather died when I was fourteen, and however, even at that age, I realised that I had to record what I had been told for future generations. My grandfather sparked an interest in ancestry and social history that has become a lifelong passion for me. I have now successfully researched the family lines of my 64 four times great grandparents, along with finding all 128 of my five-times great grandparents. 

• Where do you begin researching a person’s genealogy?

Firstly, I encourage clients to speak to living relatives to obtain as much ancestral information as possible. From the information provided by clients I search the Births, Deaths, Marriage and Census records for Scotland at the Scotland’s People Centre in Edinburgh, this way I begin to building a family tree. The next step is to search the pre-1855 Parish Registers (Civil Registration began in Scotland in 1855) along with visiting national and local archives. Often, I visit local Family History Centres along with churchyards to search for headstones. 

•  What reaction do you get from people when you reveal their ancestry?

The reaction is always positive. There is a desire, especially in the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand for people to discover their Scottish ancestry. Generally, following my research, clients decide to visit Scotland and take an ancestral tour with me. During an ancestral tour, I reveal additional information by taking clients to places associated with their ancestors, including former homes, churches and headstones. For most clients, discovering their ancestry a very emotional experience, as it is often the first time for many generations that their family have visited their ancestors’ headstones. It is very humbling to organise and participate in an ancestral tour where I link a client with their ancestral heritage. 

• Have you discovered that you or any of your clients are relatives of well-known Scottish figures from history?

Working with my colleague Ali, we discovered that a client was connected to the Scottish historical novelist, Sir Walter Scott. On completion of the research, I organised an ancestral tour to visit places associated with Sir Walter Scott and the client’s ancestors – Abbotsford House (Scott’s home), Dryburgh Abbey (burial place of 

Scott), Smailholm Tower (ancestral home of the Scott family) and Bowhill House (home of the Duke of Buccleuch & Queensberry, Chief of Clan Scott). 

I’m still researching why a female ancestor of mine was gifted land by the Earl of Selkirk, son of the Duke of Hamilton, in the 18th century. The land was mentioned in many family Wills as “land gifted to Margaret Baillie by the Earl of Selkirk”. 

• What’s the most shocking or surprising discovery you’ve ever made?

I discovered that a female cousin of my great grandfather had been murdered in 1926 by a colleague following a work picnic. After the murder trial in Glasgow, the murderer was found guilty and subsequently hanged.