Blairgowrie, Rattray and District Local History Trust
The aim of the trust is to promote the study of local history in the Blairgowrie - Rattray district. It acts as a forum for its members who have wide ranging interests in such fields as local genealogy, the history of the Blairgowrie mills, the development of the town and the berry industry. The trust supports local authors, organises historical displays, collects artefacts and lobbies to preserve and protect features of historical interest in the local area.
The Trust holds four business meetings per year to which all interested persons are welcome.
The Trust publishes the excellent Social History of Blairgowrie and Rattray copies of which are available from the secretary or from outlets in the town.
The Trust has made arrangements with the Blairgowrie Library to retain a dedicated Genealogy Centre to enable local residents and visitors to research their family histories. Volunteers from the Trust are available daily from 2pm to 4pm to assist those carrying out such research by helping them to locate records and to provide them with local background information.
Through the use of one of the Library’s computers which is reserved for the Trust’s use, researchers may have access to “Ancestry.com.uk” and browse this normally pay-per-view site at no cost other than a nominal charge should paper print-outs be requested. Other on-line sites are accessible including Scotland’s People”, the official government source of genealogical data for Scotland. Vouchers for use on this site are available at reduced rates from the librarian.
Old Parish Registers for Blairgowrie, Rattray and the surrounding parishes (Blairgowrie’s dating back to 1647) are held on film strip as well as the International Genealogical Index (IGI) on microfische. School registers from 1869 to 1902 for Perthshire may also be accessed. An unique record, the issues of the Blairgowrie Advertiser from 1863 to the present day may be consulted in hard copy or on microfilm and these form an invaluable resource for those wishing to elaborate on their family histories.
For further information please contact the Trust secretary:
Email: Jeanmcintyre @ aol.com