BBC Special…Tracing Your Roots

Post by **Anne H** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 8:31 pm

A special Homecoming Scotland Edition with some very interesting ancestral tales… examining why people with Scottish ancestry are passionate about tracing their roots….I think we all fit into this category!

Being discussed…
A Mull family
A Scottish Mormon Pioneer
A Cree ancestor from Orkney…and more with Bruce Durie

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lxy2z#synopsis
Only four days left to listen to the programme!

Regards,
Anne H

Andrew C. · Post by **Andrew C.** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:20 am

Do you know who the Scottish mormon pioneer was?

Maisie · Post by **Maisie** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:05 pm

This is what Radio 4 says:

Scottish Mormon pioneer

A trek of 1300 miles, pushing a handcart, with two children in tow, is a staggering journey by any standards. In 1857 Heather Bain’s ancestor, William Knox Aitken, made the pilgrimage from Edinburgh to Iowa and onwards to Salt Lake in Utah in the company of fellow Mormons. Heather describes the harrowing expedition with the help of letters home.

Maisie

Andrew C. · Post by **Andrew C.** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 4:08 pm

Thanks for that, not mine. I believe one of my ancestors was involved with bringing methodism to Glasgow before becomming a mormon and going on the same trek across to Salt Lake City

Post by **joette** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 5:19 pm

Andrew if you contact any LDS Family History Centre they should have the Mormon Emigration disc which should contain details of your ancestor.
I am so familar with the Handcart Trek-there is even a children's hymn about
"Some must push & some must pull as we go marching up the hill
Merrilly on our way we go until we reach the valley oh"
I think a bit of artistic license there as I suspect there was more sorrow & suffering than merriment.
The Harris Handcart crossing which is mentioned in the radio programme is a very interesting story they suffered greatly but on reaching the Valley the survivors all prospered & many of the subsuquent leadership of the Church came from these families.In fact most of the Leadership of the Church came from the British Isles or are descendants of Brits.

35Tweed · Post by **35Tweed** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:23 pm

Members might like to know that just because 19th century emigrants went to Salt Lake City doesn't automatically mean there is a Mormon connection.
In tracing my brother in laws family from London to the USA in the 1880's I discovered one branch who settled in Ogden City, Utah just north of SLC whether they assisted in promoting and running the early Episcopal church there.
I don't know how the family travelled. It is just possible they took the train because the east and west coast connection had just been made. Still it was an immense journey to undertake in the hope of finding a better life.

By the way the LDS staff in the London Family History Centre couldn't have been more kind and helpful even if at the early stage of my investigation we got nowhere in the search (for the obvious reason that they didn't convert to the Mormon Church!).

Post by **joette** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 1:57 pm

Oh & the Golden Spike was struck at Ogden-connecting the two sides of the US together coast to coast.
I lived close to Ogden in Logan & if you got stuck at the crosiing waiting for a train to pass you could be waiting a time-those trains are long!

35Tweed · Post by **35Tweed** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:00 pm

Joette

The photo from Promontory Summit of the final spike is an all time classic image. Brings history to life.

Denis