The table below indicates the months for which handouts and/or videos are available.
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These resources are not to be shared with non-members. |
10 January 2026
Who Pays the Piper? Wills and Testaments of Scottish Musicians 1513-1800
Presenter: Robert Urquhart
Family historians sometimes think wills and testaments were only made by the wealthy, but many were registered in Scottish courts for people of “small estate,” including pipers and other musicians. This presentation used such examples to explain the terminology of wills and testaments and show how these records reveal details of the lives and families of pipers, drummers, trumpeters, minstrels, and others.
“It All Started with Some Buttons… Looking for a Stewart Piper”
Presenter: Susan Reany Iskra
While visiting family in England some years ago, Susan Reany Iskra was shown a set of buttons and told of a connection to a Stewart piper at Drummond Castle. These buttons were the starting point for a research journey that Susan shared in her presentation as she spoke about her search, the processes and some of the resources she used, and what she was able to learn about this piper in 19th century Scotland.
14 February 2026
Exploring Pictures with AI: the Good and the Bad
Presenter: Paul Cripwell
You’ve acquired a picture of an object, scene, or ancestor but have no idea of its location or timeframe. How do you find out? Ask AI! That seems to be the answer to everything these days. But how do you know if the information you get back is accurate? Paul Cripwell walked us through the explorations he conducted on some of his own pictures—what AI got right, what it got wrong, and how he figured it out.
Rain-Soaked Roots: Weather Shaped the Lives of Our British Isles Ancestors
Presenter: John Reid
Weather touched every part of our ancestors’ lives—from daily chores under rainy skies to celebrations on sunny summer days, from mild seasons that brought good harvests to the storms that forced people to adapt or move on. This talk explored how both ordinary and extreme weather shaped life across the UK, Ireland and beyond. Drawing on official records, newspapers, and personal diaries, John traced how weather influenced work, health, migration, and memory, revealing a layer of family history often overlooked.