Borders ancestral research company unlocks key to past
Annan – This week sees the launch of brand-new ancestral research company Scottish Indexes. Set up by Annan couple Graham and Emma Maxwell, the company will index old Scottish records, including birth, marriage, death, prison and asylum records. People curious about their ancestors will be able to simply search online to discover snippets about their past. Beyond the online indexes is a whole wealth of further information which can really help researchers to build up a picture of their family tree.
Graham and Emma are far from new to the world of ancestral research. Inspired by his Great Aunt Mary, Graham Maxwell started researching his own family history in his teens. He made his first foray into Edinburgh’s General Register Office in 1989 with his mother, as the pair worked together to create a family tree for Graham’s grandparents. Aged only 19 he set up his own ancestral research company. Ancestral research has come a very long way since those early days spent poring over old records and Graham was quick to move with the times – from microfiches to the internet. Graham’s wife Emma joined Maxwell Ancestry in 2001. In the same year the pair started transcribing census records because they had to reference the physical copies so often. Recognising that other people would also find these records useful, they decided to make the indexes available to both amateur and professional genealogists. This decision and refocusing led to the conception of Scottish Indexes.
‘Many people nowadays prefer to do their own ancestral research,’ explains Emma (pictured below). ‘By making the records available online we are opening up indexes to many who would be unable to visit the National Records in Edinburgh.’ She’s enthusiastic about the new business and delighted with feedback on the site so far, which has been applauded for its simplicity and intuitive design. Scottish Indexes will continue to focus upon the South of Scotland but will also index records which cover the whole of Scotland. Family history enthusiasts can follow Scottish Indexes on Facebook or Twitter for tips, competitions and genealogy news.
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