The centre and all its associated works will now be known as Hebrides People. The website will also move under this banner, so the meaning of what is offered is ‘clear, concise and representative of the work undertaken by expert genealogist Bill Lawson and his team’. Cò Leis Thu? will be retained as the name of the genealogy service.
The website has undergone a refurbishment by Isle Develop CIC with assistance from the Heritage Fund and features a searchable genealogical database.
Both the centre and the website were born from a love of Harris and its people by Bill and his late wife, Chris. The couple started off the genealogical service Co Leis Thu? over 40 years ago, initially in the School House in Northton. The rebrand comes at a time of ‘significant change’ for the service, with Bill now keen to hand over his life’s work having donated the entire genealogical record of the Outer Hebrides to Northton Heritage Trust.