Adam Smith and Helen Bell

Adam SMITH and Helen BELL

When I am working with another researcher, I find that making this simple but messy clip from my tree at Ancestry.com and putting it on my desk so that it motivates me to record all what I have learned. It also helps to find the RIGHT vital records at Scotland's People and make sure that I remember WHERE I got everything. I have three great books that I am using to learn about Scotland Records. The numbering system for records in explained in one of my books.

I've put a lot of time and quite a bit of money in on working on my Scots. Sometimes, I have to keep going back to maps to see where the parish and towns are located. That's why this takes so long. 

Notice that Helen Bell's parents must have already been related. It says very clearly that her maiden surname was also BELL. 

The name Jane or Jean predominates in later generations of this family. I think my family must have known some genealogy or they wouldn't have kept doing this. I was surprised to learn that the old lady I knew as "Great Aunt Jeannie" was really Jane Smith Broadfoot.