About Chris Paton BA (Hons), HND, PgCert Genealogical Studies
A former television producer and director on BBC history programmes, I now work as a professional Scottish based genealogist and writer. With my wife and two young sons I reside in the picturesque Ayrshire town of Largs, on the Western Scottish coast.
Previous media career
After graduating from the University of Uster in 1991 (HND Design & Communication) and the University of the West of England in 1994 (BA Hons Time Based Media), I spent twelve years working as a documentary maker for both the British Broadcasting Corporation and Scottish Television, primarily working on historical series such as Secret History, Meet the Ancestors, Coast, and the aerial archaeology series Time Flyers (which I created). My television career saw me filming in a variety of locations across the world, from Italy to California, capturing the experiences of many diverse groups and individuals, including Battle of Britain fighter pilots, the modern day Ku Klux Klan, and liver and kidney transplant surgeons at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Genealogy
Having taken voluntary redundancy from BBC Scotland in February 2006, I undertook a Postgraduate Certificate in Genealogical Studies at the University of Strathclyde to further my passion for family history research, with which I have been engaged and fascinated by since 1999. From October 2007 I have been continuing my studies at Strathclyde with the Postgraduate Diploma in Genealogical Studies, whilst continuing to run the country's foremost family history research service, Scotland's Greatest Story.
With over sixteen years experience in historical research and the construction of story telling narratives, I firmly believe that every one of us has a fascinating story to tell, and the greatest story that we can ever discover is that of ourselves. Within my own ancestry, for example, my 3 x great grandmother was the victim of an axe murder, a 2 x great grandfather helped to build the Titanic, and my own father is the survivor of a major submarine collision of the Cold War, as well as of the Ladbroke Grove train crash of 1999. My clients to date have been located as far afield as Egypt and Nova Scotia, and have included the cousin of two tragic murder victims and a current life peer within the House of Lords.
For family history enquiries, please visit the website at Scotland's Greatest Story, or contact us through enquiry@ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk.
And for all the latest Scottish genealogy news, please visit my regularly updated blog at Scottish Genealogy News and Events.
Writing
A regular features writer for the UK's leading family history publications Your Family Tree and Practical Family History, I am also a frequent contributor to many newspapers and magazines such as The Scotsman, The Sunday Herald, Cothrom, True Crime, and others, and am currently writing a novel based on the unsolved brutal axe murder of my great great great grandmother. Along with Matt Barrett and Ann Muir, I have co-written the book accompanying the BBC Scotland/BBC4 religious history series, The Sword and the Cross, which was presented by Richard Holloway, and on which I both scripted and directed.
On the media front, I no longer work in production, but have weirdly found myself recently on the other side of the lens, having been interviewed with regard to my genealogical research on the BBC's Reporting Scotland news programme (December 2007). I have also contributed research to BBC Radio Scotland's Digging Up Your Roots family history series, and will be featured in a programme within the next series, due for broadcast in January 2008.
Graduation day at the University of Strathclyde, with wife Claire and son Calum.
In addition to my professional genealogy service, I also research and maintains two major databases, the first concerning the First World War British civilian internment camp of Ruhleben in Germany (accessible for free at The Ruhleben Story), and the second on the handloom weavers of Perth, with a first volume of these records noe available on CD from Scotland's Greatest Story. The following is one example of the weavers' records currently being uncovered, showing that people 300 years ago were not that different to us really! Perth the ffourth day of August 1703
Whilk day the maister couirt of the weavers of perth
being convened in the burgh all in ane voice inlays
and fynes John Huttsone weaver in perth in fforty shill.
for his abusing the present Deacon and any other of the
laite Deacons abusing and miscalling the said Deacon
Archibald and several times called the sd Deacons Ras-
kells and villainds and often times commanded them to
kiss his airs and thairfor he is fyned in other ffourty
shilling.
Go on John Hutton! 
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