Foreword

There was a lad was born in Kyle, [central Ayr]
But whatna day o'whatna style,
I doubt it's hardly worth the while,
To be sae nice wi' Robin.

Robin was a rovin' boy—
Rantin' rovin', rantin' rovin'
Rantin' rovin' Robin!

Our monarch's hindmost year but ane
Was five-and-twenty days begun,
'Twas then a blast o' Jan'war' win'
Blew hansel in on Robin. [a first gift]

In these opening stanzas of his autobiographical song—which admirers of the National Bard all over the world sing with fervor—Burns has indicated just when he was born: in effect, 25 January 1759 (the last year of George II's reign). He also draws attention to a factor which genealogists may at times have to consider: the "style" or method of reckoning dates—in ths case because of the differences between the Julian ("Old Style") and Gregorian ("New Style") calendars.

Introduction

Can there really be a need for another book on Scottish genealogical research? The answer is yes. I can repeat here what I stated in the introduction to my first book (Your English Ancestry: A Guide for North Americans), " . . . none of the books I have read focuses on a logical research routine for family historian based in North America."

1 ● Prudent Preliminaries

A young Scotsman of your ability let loose upon the world with £300, what could he not do? It's almost appalling to think of; especially if he went among the English. (J. M. Barrie, What Every Woman Knows)

A scan through the volumes of national biography for the United States, Canada, and many other nations reveals a high proportion of entries for men and women whose origins were in Scotland. Many of them started with a good deal less than £300. If some measure of determination, thrift, and ambition is lurking in the character of all of you of Scottish descent, then you have the essential qualifications for genealogical research. Add a thirst for knowledge and a dose of common sense and you will do even better.