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| Zetland Family Histories, at University College London, May 2026 |
They pointed me toward this volume, widely considered “the” source (but also widely acknowledged as having errors too): Zetland Family Histories (1), an out-of-print volume from 1907. I checked online for a scanned version; looked for a copy at online book-sellers (including eBay); then realized that I might be able to find a copy at a library. Eureka! The University College London (UCL) had a copy - just a couple miles from our UK home. (Finding an accessible volume while living in California would have been much more challenging!)
On a clear May morning, I ventured to the UCL main library, and with my day pass in hand, I could view this resource. I carefully held this book close to my chest as I wandered from room to room in the library, trying to find an empty desk to spread out my papers and really immerse myself. It was exam time for the university students, so the library was packed. But I finally found a space.
And wow! As I was turning the pages of this 120-year-old record, I had this moment, thinking of Grandma Kate Findlay (Ella’s mother, Ursula Katherine Bruce Beattie (1904-1990)), who did such extensive family history research before she emigrated from Scotland to the US in the 1940s. This volume was in circulation at the time Kate would have been doing her research, with her own mother (Ursilla Katherine Bruce (1862-1937) born in the Shetland Islands) listed in the record. Would Kate have consulted this reference as well? It’s certainly possible, and such a wild thing to think about.
I found chapters for the Bruces of Burravoe, Symbister, and Sumburgh, as well as the Hunters of Lunna, and took photos of the pages that seemed relevant. Looking forward to comparing this with our family records!
Remember how thrilled Ella was to discover her “lost” cousins in Shetland?(2) It makes sense how the extended family could become “lost,” as this history only includes the generations through marriages, but does include, for example, the posterity through non-marriage relationships (such as the children that our ancestor Robert Bruce of Burravoe (1827-1865) had with 5 other women.) If Grandma Kate was consulting only this volume, her sources were limited. What would she discover with the records so easily available to us now?
Notes:
(1) Zetland, as the islands were known until about the mid 19th century, though officially that name wasn’t retired until 1974.
(2) See this related post, "Our Family Lost and Found": https://greatflyingscots.blogspot.com/2014/10/our-family-lost-and-found.html
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| The approach to UCL's main library May 2026 |
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| Kate Findlay with husband George and daughters Ella (L) and Ina (R), abt 1948 Image source: Ella's personal files |
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| My notes for the library that day, and imaging Kate looking over my shoulder, double checking my work - May 2026     |
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