The Laidlaws are an accepted sept of Clan Scott. The Australian Clan Scott Association went defunct, and the current one is not very active (their Secretary died in Feb 2021,) but I have been accepted for membership.
[NOTE: I am starting to re-write this profile, but major depression hampers most of my activities.]
I was born in Richmond, Victoria in 1943, married 50 years in October 2021, with 3 married daughters. I was a first baby, and a breech birth resulted in neurological deficiencies. As well, I inherited major depression from my Boykett ancestors, (descended from [Boykett-4].) Depression makes me feel "different," like a child looking in a shop window, even in my primary school days. Many people with depression sit around waiting for a cure. Since my illness was genetic, I treat it like a disability. The Paralympics show what disabled people can achieve. At almost 80, I am becoming steadily more confused and forgetful. If anything looks wrong, please speak up.
I didn't expect to marry. I was sent to a boys-only private school, and I regarded girls as almost alien. But I got tired of asking at every function for an unattached girl to be my partner. For my sister's proposed wedding, I decided to bring along a partner of my choice. My sister's wedding was cancelled, but I wasn't so lucky. Immediately, every woman I knew saw us as a couple, so here I am. Like Henry Higgins, "I was serenely independent and content before we met; Surely I could be that way again --and yet" neither he nor I could argue with the march of time. Forget about achieving anything; just marry. Either way, you lose.
'John Bernie (living) is my wife's first cousin. Initially, genealogically speaking, his mother was my gateway to the world outside Australia. Now I have several closer relatives of my own as links.
At about age 8, moved to Geelong, Vic. with my family. Sent to Geelong College, where I was Dux of the College and a school house captain in 1961, my final year. Was accepted by Melbourne University Law School, obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree, and in due course, was admitted to practice as a legal practitioner.
Depression kills motivation. As a result I "ran out of steam" quickly, and stayed in one job for about 5 years., but I kept finding a new job. That and the fact that my wife stayed beside me have been blessings. (Revised to here.)
I seem to have added as many as possible from my own trees. Many were created by others, when the site's requirements were different. I need to revise as many trees as possible.
There are "Golden Rules" of genealogy. There are many sets available by a Web search. I still use the 10 Rules published every month in Australian Family Tree Connections (now defunct.)
The fundamental rule is: "Never accept another genealogist's work implicitly." Any genuine researcher will thank you for alternative info, with evidence to support it. Ancestry.com will give you the results with the largest "copy and paste" brigade, regardless of accuracy. familysearch.org has records, which are reliable, and family trees, which are contributed and not verified. The latter are no more reliable than trees found elsewhere. Euclid told the King of Syracuse that there is no "royal road" to geometry. The same is true of genealogy.
Another Rule is "Never believe everything in a BDM certificate." They are not certified as accurate. Some of the people mentioned were unable to write. Birth and death information is only the best belief of the informant. Even in a court of law, certificates are only "evidence," alongside other evidence.
To believe, either (a) that there is no country in the world besides the USA; or (b) that connections can be established within 100 degrees between all the people in the world, many of whom don't speak English, and many of whom have no or inadequate documentation; or even (c) that the population is not in a constant state of flux is no more than an American fantasy.
Personal knowledge.
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
Doug is 23 degrees from Isaac Asimov, 25 degrees from David Attenborough, 26 degrees from Bill Bryson, 21 degrees from Richard Dawkins, 35 degrees from Bengt Feldreich, 33 degrees from Ruth Gates, 28 degrees from Stephen Hawking, 34 degrees from Julius Miller, 22 degrees from Bill Nye, 17 degrees from Magnus Pyke, 30 degrees from Carl Sagan and 21 degrees from David Randall on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Categories: Clan Scott
The Australia Project leadership team are carrying out our annual check-in to see how you are going in the project. We'd really like to thank you for all your work on Australian profiles over the past year! We think we've made great progress in 2020/21 with your assistance.
Please could you reply to this message, to let us know if you would like to stay on in the project and if you are happy with your current role and team involvement. If you would like to do something additional or different, take a look on the Australia Project page to see what other options there are.
It would also be great to get any feedback or suggestions that you have to improve the project.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Margaret Haining Membership Coordinator
Regards, Margaret
I'll let you know if there's anyone on the list I need help with -- once I get back to them instead of "my" Turner family. Thanks so much for the offer! :)
edited by Doug Laidlaw
Cheers, Margaret
edited by Doug Laidlaw
The Australia Project leadership team are carrying out a check-in to see how you are going in the project and especially to thank you for all your work on Australian profiles on WikiTree. We really value your participation.
Please could you get back to me by private message to let me know if you are happy with your current role and team involvement within the project or if you would like to do something additional or different. Currently we have you down as a member of the South Australia team, although you don't seem to be listed on the page. I can fix that up for you. If you would like a change, you can check on the Australia Project page to see what other options there are.
It would also be great to hear any feedback and any suggestions that you have to improve the project.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Gillian, co-Leader, Australia Project
The ships added page is working well, thanks for adding your requests. Stay safe, regards, Margaret
Edited to add link to Trove article.
edited by Margaret (Gale) Haining
If you are happy to continue using the ships added page, I will continue to put my requests there. I want to save you as much work as possible.
Doug
Cheers, Margaret
Wilson-35952 is not matched up with anyone now
I don't know who suggested it or who set them as a reject match but it wasn't Ancestry.
I have no idea what you mean by
"Whoever matched the two Wilsons? Since one was in the USA and one in Scotland, only Ancestry.com could have suggested it."
Which Wilson in USA is matched to what Wilson in Scotland?
I refer to your recent comment on the Australia Project and Convicts after the Third Fleet. It is my understanding and experience of Wiki Tree and DNA Genealogy is that all and any participation is completely voluntary. Take care, Shoshanah
Plus: an answer is provided here from the Wikitree GtoG forum that I see you have been an active participant of in the past.
https://www.wikitree.com/g2g/863193/how-do-i-add-categories-to-a-profile
I hope that this helps
Wikitree suggests that I prove that my parents really are my parents by further testing. That sounds like trying to prove that DNA has a use, even an unnecessary one. One woman did just that, and it backfired: her mother's husband wasn't her biological father!.
I have sent off my DNA sample, not because I believe in it, but because everybody wants me to. DNA can confirm the paper trail, but it can never be a replacement, as some seem to think. According to DNA research, no men existed before the 18th cent. It is a bit like the Mad Hatter's watch: "I told you butter wouldn't suit the works." March Hare: "But it was the _best_butter!" Or more accurately: "If the data doesn't support the hypothesis, discard the data."
On behalf of the Australia Project leadership team, we're carrying out a Project Members Check-in to see if you are still interested in being involved as an active member of the project. In particular, we are ready to launch our new teams for the project. Please could you let me know what team/s you would like to contribute to. A list of teams is on the Australia Project page. Please respond by private message.
We really appreciate your enthusiasm in working on Australian profiles on WikiTree, and thank you for all the work you have been doing. We look forward to hearing back from you and that you will decide to be part of the project as we move forward with the new teams for the project. Regards, Gillian