McFadyens Part 8: Some Answers

A recent trip to the main Vancouver Public Library on Georgia Street produced an answer about one of my McFadyens. What an architecturally stunning building! They thought of providing a café, a news agent, and a few other shops in the rotunda where serious readers can take a break, stretch their legs and fortify themselves. As my granddaughter-assistant and I munched on panini and wraps, we could observe carrels in use on the floors above. These glass fish bowls were pointed out for granddaughter's encouragement into the exciting world of learning, not to mention genealogy. Wouldn’t you know it? The most prominent corner featured a student busily sleeping on his stack of books. He probably created a slight dip in my curve as granny-the-educator. The only possible drawback in the whole experience might be this city’s curious lack of Tim Horton’s. Nevertheless, when in Rome, do as the Romans ...

My aforementioned (novice) assistant was forthwith plunged into the intricacies of correlating website printouts with microfilm numbers and proved herself adept at reading tiny print on 8mm film boxes. She also shined at quickly catching on to document numbers on the reels, and instantly catching the death date on each frame. I don’t know if this is a good way to train a new generation, but it worked for me.

One of my Hector McFadyens (oh yes, there’s more than one Hector, what did you expect?!) died in Kamloops, BC, in 1944. This Hector is a black-ish sheep and will have a separate post if I can ever uncover the last 20 years before his death. Maybe even if I can’t.

I’m grateful for some answers to my Questions in “McFadyens Part 7” thanks to fellow McFadyenite Ian Scott in OZ. Many interesting Coll projects have bloomed from Australia and are a boon to descendants around the world. Keith Dash maintains the twin websites, Isle of Coll Genealogy and Isle of Tiree Genealogy. Ian Scott is a big contributor to the transcribing and indexing projects on these sites. Not to take away from the many volunteers who also contribute, but these OZ guys have been particularly helpful and patient with me. I am at a disadvantage, probably lamented before, because I don’t have the microfilm parish register at hand.

My Q #1: Were the lists of babies and marriages in the Kirk Sessions then recorded in the Old Parish Register (OPR) for Coll & Tiree?
A: The Kirk Session entries, at least up to 1813, were copied into a (new) parish register at some point when legislation required it. The minister wrote in the parish (of Coll and Tiree) book:
"What is contained in this and fifty three preceding pages is a true copy of the Register of Marriages and baptisms for this part of the Parish of Tyree, being the period for Marriages from 23rd July 1776 to 1st June 1813 and for Baptisms from 14th April 1776 to 26th April 1813 inclusive, copied out in terms of the Act of Parliament, this Register being mixed up with Sessional matters."
Presumably from then on all baptisms and marriages were recorded in a parish book rather than Kirk Session minutes. Or both. Thank you, Ian Scott, for clarifying this.

My Q #2: Are Coll & Tiree OPRs actually included on the IGI (International Genealogical Index)?
A: The answer to this question follows from the above. Yes, we know the LDS microfilm crew did film all the Scotland OPRs. There must be a reason why I can’t find MY five alleged McFadyen baptisms on the IGI. I promise I will not continue this dithering unless some solution penetrates the fog.

Regarding the work of the wonderful OZ guys, on the same library trip we found a Hector from Tiree born about 1819 who died in BC. Oh that he would be mine, sigh, but I’ll get right on it and post it to the Tiree mail list. Let it be known that I consider OZ a term of affection, just in case it has any local unpleasant connotations I don’t know about.