Register

Bonnie Olde Scotland – Researching Your Kilted Ancestors

Join us for a FREE virtual program on April 28 at 6:30 p.m. ET!

Have you ever wondered about the stories hidden within your Scottish surname or the history of the glen your ancestors once called home? As interest in genealogy continues to surge, many researchers find themselves hitting "brick walls" when crossing the Atlantic. This presentation is designed to provide both novice and more experienced family historians with the specific tools and cultural context necessary to navigate Scotland's unique record-keeping system.
Key Highlights:
· Understanding Scottish History and Record-Keeping: Discover how historical events—from the Jacobite Risings to the Highland Clearances—impacted how and where records were kept.
· Core Genealogical Sources: Old Parish Registers (OPRs), Civil Registers of births, deaths, and marriages (post-1855), and census records.
· Major Online Databases: Learn about Scotland’s People, the official government resource, as well as the National Library of Scotland’s digital map and directory collections.

Rhonda is a native of Defiance, Ohio. Her interest in Genealogy and History was stirred as a teenager listening to stories from her grandfather and father. Rhonda’s father also collected historic photos and created original artwork of historically significant places and people of Northwest Ohio.

At the age of 14 she convinced her parents to take her to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. to look up her Confederate great-great grandfather in the 1850 Census. While searching, Rhonda met a professional genealogist who gave her a tour of the Library of Congress and then mailed her a beginner’s guide to genealogy. This chance interaction sparked a lifelong interest in genealogy, history, and libraries.

Rhonda was an exchange student in Scotland and loves all things Scottish, Irish, and English. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Minor in Anthropology/Archaeology. Rhonda took a position with the Defiance Public Library, eventually managing the Local History and Genealogy Department. After marrying and having children, Rhonda took a position as the Archivist and Records Manager for the County of Defiance, and later became the Defiance County Law Librarian.

Rhonda is the current President of the Defiance County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. She is the creator of the chapter’s Facebook page and their weekly Time Travel Tuesday article. She is also a former instructor at the Defiance College, researching and teaching about genealogy and Irish immigration to Northwest Ohio. Rhonda regularly speaks on various genealogy topics, has written booklets on local history and genealogy, and takes private clients for genealogy research through her business, Buckeyeroots Genealogy Services.