David Dobson has been one of the most prolific authors on the subject of migration from Scotland.
He holds a Ph.D. and is an honorary research fellow with the University of Saint Andrews. One of his major focal points is Scotland’s link to North and South America. “Scottish Trade with Colonial Charleston, 1683-1783” is his latest book. In it, he discusses the various trades that Scots were involved in, like cabinetmaker, and in some cases he lists the names. He includes the slave trade and those involved in it. There’s a list of merchants in Scotland who traded with Charleston, as well as legal cases in Edinburgh with links to South Carolina, a list of the members of the St. Andrews Society in Charleston 1732-1776, and, most importantly, a list of “Scottish Merchants, Craftsmen, and Professionals in Colonial Charleston, 1675-1775.” This is an important book by a well-known author and is well worth checking out.
His second new book, “The People of Fife, 1600-1799,” is the latest addition to a long-running series he has written about different Scottish counties. The book contains an alphabetical list of residents and gives basic facts about occupation. It is certainly good documentation for anyone with a link to the County of Fife.
These soft-cover books are available from the Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore. The Charleston book is $43.50; the Fife one, $25. See genealogical.com to order or call 1-800-296-6687. Dobson has published more than 100 books on Scotland and its people with links to the U.S. Many libraries have his works.
City of Atlanta’s Historic Preservation Efforts is Lunch and Learn Topic
Douglas Young, assistant director for historic preservation for the City of Atlanta, will speak May 11 at the Georgia Archives Lunch and Learn Lecture Series. The event is at noon and is free, but you should bring your own lunch. He will discuss what is considered historic in the city, the Atlanta City Design project and challenges to historic preservation in Atlanta. For information, call 678-364-3710 or check GeorgiaArchives.org.
Chronicling America
Chronicling America, operated by the Library of Congress, is the place to check to see if a local newspaper survives, where its located, if digitized, and by whom. Check https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/.
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