Download the Course Brochure - University of Dundee

Beyond the Internet
Study online at home
I thought the amount of
material covered was
really excellent and it did
defi nitely encourage me
to look further and have
confi dence doing that.
Beyond the Internet student, UK

What is Beyond the Internet?
Beyond the Internet comprises two six week courses in family and local history.
They will give you the skills to develop your research and provide more details
about how your ancestors lived their lives. They are aimed at those who are
interested in expanding their skills and knowledge in a relatively short period
of time.
• Are you interested in fi nding out more about your family or local history?
• Have you looked at some of the online websites, sources and indexes that are
available but want to know where to go next?
• Do you want to start using original sources and records but are not sure how
to go about this?
• Would you like to know more about the historical context in which your
ancestors lived?
The courses are online, easy to use and fully supported. You can
do them wherever you live and can log onto the site at
whatever time you wish to study. You will work your
way through the courses with other students and
will be able to discuss the topics on a discussion
forum. Your tutor will provide support and
guidance throughout.
If you want to go further with your
family and local history research
and to learn in a supportive,
enjoyable and interactive
environment, these courses
are for you.

Key Features
• Online fully supported distance learning
• Introductory and advanced courses, each lasting six weeks
• Expert tutors who are professional archivists and experienced genealogists
• A range of exciting records, not just registers and census data
• A discussion forum to exchange views and information
• Online tasks to aid self study and reinforce learning
All students will receive a Certifi cate of Completion from the University of Dundee.
Apply online at: www.dundee.ac.uk/cais/beyondtheinternet.htm
Course Content
Beyond the Internet 1:
• Introduction and key records (birth, marriage, death registers and the census)
• Church records
• Wills and testaments
• Poor law records
• Military records
• Palaeography
Beyond the Internet 2:
• Civil and criminal courts and police force records
• Education records
• Church court records
• Manorial records and estate papers
• Title deeds, maps and plans
• Emigration, burgesses and apprentices and printed materials
On completion of Beyond the Internet you might be interested in taking your studies
further with the Postgraduate Certifi cate in Family & Local History. More information
is available from the CAIS website and from your tutor.

Beyond the Internet 1
Introduction and key records: this unit will build on your existing knowledge
of the core sources with which all family and local historians should be familiar. It
will explain what information can – and, more importantly, cannot - be gained from
the civil registration records: the indexes of birth, marriage and death registers,
along with associated records such as those relating to adoption. Websites
allowing access to the indexes tend to minimise the diffi culties involved in fi nding
information from this source. The background to the decennial census will be
discussed and the various pitfalls explained. Programmes such as ‘Who do you think
you are?’ do not make it clear that the census, although a wonderful source, has a
number of defi ciencies. The rest of the module will point you to sources that can
make up for this.
Church records: records of baptisms, marriages and burials (not births, marriages
and deaths) can be found as early as 1538 although it is rare for them to survive
in an unbroken series from this date for any given parish. The earliest
records relate to the established churches in the UK as,
although some nonconformist denominations existed from
as early as the 16 th century they often worshipped
in secret and there was no requirement for
them to keep records. The Disruption of
1843 in Scotland, when many Church
of Scotland ministers left the Church
and established new denominations,
impacted on the records produced.
Someone once summed up
many of the frustrations felt by
family historians – ‘nomadic
nonconformist’ and there will
be few people who have not
encountered this problem!

Wills and testaments: Wills and Inventories are among some of the most
interesting documents a family or local historian will encounter and provide a
wonderful picture of the lives of our forbears. Other similar documents include
letters of administration and probate accounts. Increasingly, access to these are
available online, for example, over 600,000 of Scotland’s wills and testaments have
been indexed and digitised.
Old and new poor laws: the system of poor relief can provide some of the most
fascinating and poignant documents for a study of the past. The ‘old’ and ‘new’ poor
laws in Scotland and England generated one of the best sources most family and
local historians will use. Documents such as poor law applications and poorhouse
and workhouse admission and discharge registers are gems which – while they do
not survive as well as one might wish – give unrivalled information.
Military records: before the First World War few of us will have had ancestors
who fought for their country, but the Great War involved thousands of ordinary
men (and women). Although some First World War records were destroyed by
enemy action in the Second World War, the personal fi les of many combatants
survive in The National Archives and are being made available online.
Institutions such as regimental museums are also good sources
of information.
Palaeography: before very long, and certainly
as you go back to the 18 th century and earlier,
you will need some help in reading the
documents! Styles of writing such as
the elegant ‘Secretary Hand’ are
actually much easier to read than
something written now, but
students will have to learn the
‘code’ in order to understand
them. Palaeography is a skill
that most people learn
easily, and in which they
take great pride.

Beyond the Internet 2
Civil and criminal courts and police forces: these can be key records for the
family historian even if your ancestor, wherever they were in the UK, wasn’t a criminal.
In England and Wales, the only form of ‘local government’ before the advent of county
councils in 1889 was the Court of Quarter Sessions. Although it was primarily a body
set up to deal with criminal offences, the fact that it existed in every corner of the land
meant that it became the body used to administer state business. The records of the
court can be wide-ranging and extensive, although like many other sources the picture
varies from area to area; they include alehouse recognizance registers (for those
ancestors who kept a pub), lists of pauper lunatics, Land Tax returns and much much
more. In Scotland sheriff courts had similar responsibilities and we look at the wealth
of material in these records as well as sources relating to the police force.
Education: most of our ancestors did not receive any sort of education much before
the 19 th century, although there were exceptions like the major public schools and
some church provision. It seems hard to believe that the behemoth of the modern
education system has only been in existence for just over 100 years.
Records such as log books provide a marvellous picture not just of
the school but often of the wider community.
Church court records: church courts dealt with
‘moral’ offences, as well as probate. These include
such offences as non-attendance at church as
well as sexual peccadilloes. People who chose
to marry by special licence, rather than by
having their banns read, required a bond
and allegation and these documents
provide more information than the
record of the marriage.

Manorial records and estate papers: before the modern period many
people’s lives were regulated by the manor and the records generated can be very
informative. Although mainly dealing with land holding, items such as court records
can shine a light on a long-forgotten system of farming. Individuals may feature
in the court registers or in documents such as admittances and surrenders. In
Scotland estate papers are a major source for genealogists and local historians.
Title deeds, maps and plans: these often represent the largest percentage
of material in a record offi ce and, until the system was simplifi ed in the early
20 th century, can be very complex. The transfer of property often took the form
of a fi ctitious legal action to provide a greater degree of protection for the vendor
and purchaser. Although few of our ancestors would have held land, nevertheless
these documents can be very valuable, especially at a period when little else
survives. Great Britain has a long and distinguished history of producing accurate
maps, especially since the Ordnance Survey was formed in 1791. Early maps
were more ‘representational’ and can often be works of art. This unit will look
at estate maps, enclosure and tithe records and maps and plans connected with
public utilities.
Emigration, burgesses and apprentices and printed
material: many individuals and families emigrated
from the UK or came to the UK from other
countries. The Highland Clearances of the
19 th century are one of the most famous
examples of this trend. One of the key
sources for researching emigration
are passenger lists. This unit will
look at these and other registers
or printed sources which may
mention your ancestors such
as burgess and apprenticeship
lists, local directories and
newspapers.

Being able to take a program
like this when one lives
thousands of miles away
from the school and fellow
classmates is an incredible
feeling. I have really enjoyed
my time at Dundee.
Beyond the Internet student, USA
To book your course,
contact us now at:
Centre for Archive and
Information Studies
University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 4HN, Scotland UK
t: 01382 385543 f: 01382 385523
e: armtraining@dundee.ac.uk
www.dundee.ac.uk/cais