Archives

Censuses

Births and Baptisms

Marriages

Deaths

Immigration

Miscellaneous

Calendar

Test

Resources Used

A number of resources were used to collect information about Alexander Miller's ancestry.  These included family documents, oral history, the National Records of Scotland, and several online websites.  The bulk of the information was found at two sources in particular: Scotlandspeople.gov.uk, which is an online resource of the National Records of Scotland; and Familysearch.org, an online genealogical website.  The Scotlandspeople website is free to browse, but there is a cost of approximately $2 per document to view and download the official document.  The Familysearch website is free of charge, however, in lieu of being able to view the original document, a transcription is provided of the information contained in that record.  Some transcribed records, primarily censuses, were also obtained from the online genealogical services FindMyPast.com and Ancestry.com.  However, each of these are relatively costly subscription services, and the needed information was able to be collected during their two-week free trial periods (the Scots are supposed to be thrifty, correct?).  Other online resources that were used include the FreeReg.org.uk for records from England; Rootspoint.com, a generic genealogical database; Parishregister.co.uk; myfootdeeancestors.co.uk for information specifically about family members from the Footdee area of Aberdeen; Google Maps and Google Earth; and finally, some in-person research was conducted at the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics in Dorchester, MA for more recent historical events.  Where possible, all genealogical data used for this website was cross-checked and verified through multiple sources.

Spelling Variations

Why is "Miller" sometimes spelled as "Millar" with an 'a'?  Why is "Elspet" also spelled as "Elspit" and "Elsbet"?  According to the Sotlandspeople.gov website, "The way surnames were written in different records varied and, when searching for a person in our indexes, the spelling might differ from what you expect. This can be due to one or more of the following factors:
- transcription error during indexing
- misspelling, phonetic spelling or other misinterpretation by registrars and clerks
- deliberate or accidental misrepresentation by informants
- surname variants"
In addition to the reasons listed above for spelling variations with surnames, "forename variations including abbreviation (for example, William, Wm., Willm.), use of diminutives (for example, Margaret, Maggie, Meg, Peggy or Alexander, Alex, Alec, Sandy), nicknames/pet names or middle names as first names."
For more information about variations in the spelling of names, please check out the following links:
Surname spelling
Forename spelling

Documentation

Hundreds of documents and records were individually reviewed to identify and verify Alexander 'Alec' Miller's ancestry going back to the 1700s.  While some of these documents ultimately proved to be false leads or dead-ends, many provided detailed nuggets of information about Alec's lineage that were invaluable in building a robust family tree firmly rooted in documented fact.  Some gaps, question marks, and even errors still remain in the genealogical record, but confidence is high that the information represented on this website is accurate and true.  The links at the top of this page contain copies of the records that were instrumental in reconstructing this family history.