Showing posts with label Canadian genealogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canadian genealogy. Show all posts

Saturday, September 3, 2011

OGS Branch Libraries

Do you know that there are seven Branches of the Ontario Genealogical Society that have their libraries onsite?

You can search the holdings of the -

Brant Branch at http://brantcountybranchogs.ca/,

Kinston Branch at http://www.ogs.on.ca/kingston/pages/library.php,

Nipissing Branch at http://www.nipissing.ogs.on.ca/#Branch Library,

Quinte Branch at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs/library.htm,

Halton-Peel Branch at http://www.halinet.on.ca/sigs/ogshp/LIBCOLL.HTM,

Ontario Branch at http://www.ogsottawa.on.ca/library/,

York Branch at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onyrbogs/br_009.htm.

You can go to the Resources Section of the OGS website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/services/library.php, and read about the Resources that are there to help you.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

English Family History Workshop

The English Family History workshop will be co-sponsored by the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, and the Canadiana Department of North York Central Library, and will be held Saturday 5 November 2011.

It will feature speakers John D. Reid, a blooger at http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/, and Lesley Anderson at Ancesrry.ca both are from the Ottawa area. Paul Jones, Jane E. MacNamara and Linda Reid are from Toronto, and will join them in presenting the workshop.

Find out from the experts how to make the most of parish, probate and manorial records, how to track your English ancestors through newspapers, directories and gazetteers and how to use Canadian and British records together to put the puzzle pieces in place.

The early bird registration deadline is 14 October 2011 and OGS members enjoy special rates.

For program and registration details, see http://www.torontofamilyhistory.org/English2011.html.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

FREE Genealogy Workshop in Windsor, Nova Scotia

Members of the West Hants Historical Society are holding a FREE Genealogy Workshop on Saturday, 20 August, 2011 from 10 a.m. until everybody gives up!

The workstations will be -

- Locating and using on-line sources

- Demonstration of a 'typical' genealogy package (Legacy)

- Thinking of writing a book?

- Hants County Cemeteries

- WHHS Library resources (try them)

- Care and storage of photos and documents.

- Lots of handouts.

They ask that you join them at the West Hants Historical Society, 281 King St., Windsor, NS

Their website is at http://www.westhantshistoricalsociety.ca/

Friday, August 12, 2011

Late Summer Reading

The August issue of Families has just out, and in it, five books were reviewed. They are -

Education and Ontario Family History: A Guide to Resources for Genealogists and Historians by Marian Press.

This book is for the person who had ancestors in the educational system in Ontario, from the earliest days to the 1960s.

The six chapters range from Chapter One: "Where the Resources Reside" to Chapter Six, which covers the topic of post-secondary education.

The website is at http://ogs.on.ca/ogscart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=722

Tracing Your English & Scottish Ancestry Moorshead Magazines Ltd.

This is a collection of nineteen articles previously published by the company in their magazines, and include "British WWII Merchant Vessel Cards", "35 Top Sites for Scottish Research", and "Cornish Online Parish Clerks".

Each of the nineteenth subjects are written by such writers as Davis A. Norris, George G. Morgan (one of the Genealogy Guys), and Alan Stewart.

The website is www.moorshead.com

Some Early Scots in Maritime Canada, Volume 1 by Terrence M. Punch.

Here, he follows the history of the emigration of Scots from the mid-1700s to the 1800s.

He even partly reconstitutes passenger lists for the ships William Tell and Harmony.

The website is <www.genealogical.com/products/Some%20Early%20Scots%20in%20Maritime%20Canada%20%20Volume%201/4713.html>.

An Index to the Articles Referred to in Genealogy in Canada 4th Edition by Brenda Dougall Merriman.

This book lists 167 articles about genealogy in Ontario. Among the headings are "Afro-Canadian Ancestry", "Loyalists", and "Vital Statistics".

The website is at http://ogs.on.ca/ogscart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1085

Perseverance, Pranks & Pride by Joy V.C. Forbes.

There are over 1,700 personal names listed in this book about one-room schoolhouses in the Ottawa Valley.

Over 120 schools are listed, and photos are available.

You can go to her website to see more about one-room schoolhouses at www.oneroomschoolhouses.ca

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Death Notice in the "Island Register"

Dave Hunter keeps a website at http://www.islandregister.com/ about Prince Edward Island genealogy. As part of the website, he also issues a weekly free e-newsletter called the Island Register for over ten years. To subscribe, go to http://www.islandregister.com/whatsnew.html#newsletter

Since 2005, Eldon Sentner has put weekly obits on the newsletter, and you can read them at
http://www.islandregister.com/2005obits.html. His email is daleandeldon@eastlink.ca

There is also "Centenarians in the Death Notices Listings" at http://www.islandregister.com/eldoncentenarians.html

Monday, August 8, 2011

Saint John Branch Genealogical Fair

On October 1, 2011, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, at The St. Joachim’s Church Hall, 603 Loch Lomond Road, Saint John, New Brunswick the Saint John Branch of the NBGS Inc. will be hosting a Genealogical Fair.

Several exhibitors will be in attendance, and it will feature the NB Archives Road Show which includes research material from the New Brunswick Provincial Archives.

I understand that Dave Obee, genealogist from Victoris, British Columbia will be there giving talks.

This fair will be of interest from the beginner to the experienced researcher.

They say that you will be able to "Learn the first steps in the lifetime journey of family research, perhaps find that small piece of information that chinks away at that brick wall you've encountered or make connections with researchers that are on the same trail as you are".

There will be a small entrance fee, and refreshments will be available to purchase.

Plenty of free parking is available.

Their site is http://www.nbgssj.ca/GenealogicalFair_October12011.asp

Saturday, August 6, 2011

The Tracer



The August edition of The Tracer from the Oxford County Branch of the OGS arrived this week, and as usual, is a very "newsy" newsletter.

In "Governor's House or Turnkey's House?", an article written by D. Gregory in which he explores the question about the original destination of the house, was it either the governor's house of the jail, or did it belong to the jailer (turnkey) himself? This question is still up in the air. But as the article points out, it will soon be the home to the Oxford County OGS, the Oxford County Historical Society, and the top floor will be the home to the Oxford County Archives.

Another article, "Margo Kidder – The Oxford Connection"wonders when the episode of "Who Do You Think You Are?" (Canadian version) program aired a couple of years ago featured Margot Kidder. They followed her maternal grandparents, John "Jack" Wilson and Ruth Pyne Wilson, but the writer wonder why they didn't follow her great-grandfather, Charles A. Pyne and Ruth Helen Pyne, for they would have led the viewers to Oxford County, instead of to British Columbia.

Conference 2011 are covered in pictures, Fall Meetings are in the newsletter, and they are starting a new feature called "The Treasure Chest: A look at the family heirlooms of our members". The first person which brought in pictures of her family was Marilyn Whyley.

The website is http://www.oxford.ogs.on.ca, and the email is oxford@ogs.on.ca.

The Ontario Genealogical Society is offering a half-year membership for $35.00 until the end of 2011. You can find out more by going to http://www.ogs.on.ca/membership/types.php

Friday, August 5, 2011

Ottawa Genealogical Society Changes It's Meeting Place

As a result of the opening of the new City of Ottawa Central Archives, the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will now hold their meetings at the new location starting this fall.

The meeting will take place at 7:00 pm, 3rd Tuesday monthly except July and August at the City of Ottawa Central Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive, Ottawa.

The library of the OGS can be accessed at the Resource Centre, City of Ottawa Central Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive, Ottawa. The hours are 9:00 to 4:00 Tues to Fri, 10:00 to 5:00 Sat (Sep to May, closed holiday weekends)

There has also been an expansion to the coverage of the Region. It now includes Prescott & Russell Counties.

The first meeting will be Tuesday, 20 September 2011 at 7:00 p.m. The topic will be "The Eyes That Shone: From Ireland to Canada" and the speaker will be Phil Donnelly, an author who will speak about his book, and a program titled Heritage Tierworker which encourages, and helps people write their stories

The website is http://ogsottawa.on.ca/

Canadian Vital Records Databases - Updated

FamilySearch Records has just released a summary of updates since they started to report the program in April, 2010. Two of the records have been updated since July,2011, and they are -

British Columbia Birth Registrations, 1854-1903 https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://hr-search-api:8080/searchapi/search/collection/1307731 – These are birth registrations, delayed birth registrations, and delayed registrations of Indian births. 38,340 Records as of 23 July 2010

New Brunswick, Death Certificates, 1920-1934 https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://hr-search-api:8080/searchapi/search/collection/1840145 Browsable Images of death certificates from the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. 76,812 images as of 29 July 2010

Thursday, August 4, 2011

New version - Canadian Naturalization Database Online

Just received this press release -

(Ottawa, August 4, 2011) Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the release of a new version of the online database Canadian Naturalization 1915–1951.

The nominal index has been extended with the addition of more than 91,000 names and now covers the years from 1915 to 1936, inclusively. Work is ongoing to extend the nominal index to 1951, and volunteers are welcome to help. Those interested should write to Cdn-Nat-Coord@jgs-montreal.org.

This database is one of the few Canadian genealogical resources specifically designed to benefit researchers having roots other than British. The reference numbers indicated in the database can be used to request copies of the original naturalization records, which are held by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

The database is available at the following address:
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/naturalization-1915-1932/index-e.html

Library and Archives Canada would like to thank the Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal [http://jgs-montreal.org/] and its volunteers, especially Mrs. Ruth Diamond, without whom this project would not have happened.

For more information, please contact webservices@bac-lac.gc.ca.

Resources for Discovering First Nations Heritage

Back in May, the British Columbia Genealogy Society http://www.bcgs.ca/Index.htm had a special speaker Laura Cooke, and she spoke about "Resources for Discovering First Nations Heritage".

In her talk she noted that "First Nations ancestors is not something covered in most genealogy books. Whether you are exploring your heritage, you need to prove your genealogy for First Nations status, or you are following up on an aboriginal ancestor in your family story, finding out about specialized resources can be a good first step".

I just checked the BCGS "What's New" http://www.bcgs.ca/news.htm website, and found that on July 19th, they put the handout of Laura's talk on the Internet at http://www.bcgs.ca/Documents/Metis%20Research.pdf

It is a 5-page handout with websites, books, and other information available to you if you have First Nations ancestors.

Stirling-Rawdon Genealogical Fair

Lewis Zandbergen, President of the Stirling-Rawdon Historical Society of Stirling, Ontario told me yesterday that the Genealogy Fair which is usually held towards the end of August has been cancelled this year.

Scheduling conflict of both the vendors, and speakers necessitated the cancellation. But Lewis tells me that we can check the local newspapers in Stirling-Rawdon next year for the 2012 Genealogy Fair.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Scottish Immigrants to Canada

I have just received permission to repost this notice by Caitlin McNally of PBS in New York -

"My name is Caitlin McNally, and I'm doing research for an American public
television genealogical program. I'm trying to learn about Scottish
immigrants to Canada, particularly the McLauchlen and Murray families. I
have a few names and dates, and was wondering if someone could help me fill
out these family trees a bit. Most importantly, I'm trying to discover if
and when these families came to Canada from Scotland, what their livelihoods
were in Canada, and why they left Scotland.

Also, any larger context about Scottish immigration to Canada during the
generations when these families immigrated would be much appreciated!

Here are the individuals and the little information I have:

John Robert McLauchlen
born 1851 (?) in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick
married June 18 1875 in Boston, MA

and
James McLauchlen
born in Scotland??
and Sarah McLauchlen
born in New Brunswick?

wife of John Robert McLauchlen: Jesse Murray
born January 1854 in Pictou (?), Nova Scotia
--daughter of--
John and Mary Murray
born in Nova Scotia?

If you know of anyone I could speak with about these families as well as
Scottish immigration to Nova Scotia, I'd appreciate it greatly. Many thanks
in advance and I look forward to hearing from you -- I can be reached at
this email caitlinarkmedia@gmail.com, or at my office in New York: (718) 935-9745".

All the best,

Caitlin
--
Caitlin McNally | Producer/Director | Ark Media for PBS-WNET
office 718.935.9745 | mobile 917.981.5541

Monday, July 25, 2011

Cemetery Transcriptions Updating

In July, and August, the Lambton County Ontario Genealogical Society has been, and will be involved with Cemetery Transcriptions Updating.

If you can help, please e-mail lambtonogs@ebtech.net, and ask for either Robert or Karen.

The website is http://www.lambton.ogs.on.ca

Saturday, July 23, 2011

CousinsConnect – Canadian

As the opening webpage says "The place to post your genealogy questions"

It has 18, 461 queries so far, and they range from a person looking for their birth mother to a person looking for their four brothers.

The website, which has been on since 2001, says that "If you are looking to contact other genealogists, discover distant relatives, or find a missing person, CousinConnect offers you the best chance for success".

They have a "Frequently Asked Questions" that can tell you how to start using the website, how to post a query for best results, or how to change a query. It is located at http://www.cousinconnect.com/faqs.htm

On the main pages, at the bottom of the right column, you can check for new queries on a daily, weekly or a monthly basis. And the queries can be from Canada, or any country you chose.

The website is at http://www.cousinconnect.com/p/a/3/. If you want to contact them, email them at
info@cousinconnect.com

Friday, July 22, 2011

CLANS AND SCOTTISH SOCIETIES OF CANADA

The CASSC is an organization that is "the link between various Clans and Scottish Societies. We encourage the celebration of our Scottish Cultural Heritage and the promotion of this Scottish Culture in all its aspects. We seek to be the assembly of all groups who are pursuing Scottish interests".

There are over 50 Scottish Festivals taking place in Canada this year, and if you haven't gone to one of them, you should go. They are great fun, and educational too.

The organization supports the National Tartan Day in Canada. There is also a "Photo Galley", and a genealogical section in the "Notice" part of the website.

If you wish further information, please see their website at http://www.cassoc.ca/frameset.htm

Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Archives of Ontario Releases BMDs

Back in May, 2011, The Archives of Ontario released the Ontario Vital Statistics records (the BMDs) - the 1914 births, the 1929 marriages, and the 1939 deaths..

This release involves the following records:

Indexes to Births and Stillbirths, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-4, MS 931, Reels 28)

Indexes to Marriages, 1929 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-7, MS 934, Reel 27)

Indexes to Deaths, 1939 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-10, MS 937, Reel 28)

Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-2, MS 929, Reels 246-255)

Delayed Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, "50" Series, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-3-1, MS 930, Reels 75-76)

Delayed Registrations of Births and Stillbirths, "90" Series, 1914 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-3-2, MS 933, Reels 69-70)

Registrations of Marriages, 1929 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-5, MS 932, Reels 881-908)

Registrations of Deaths, 1939 (Archives of Ontario Series RG 80-8, MS 935, Reels 616-635)

They say that "This most recent release is all on 16mm microfilm stock, resulting in a total issue of 74 reels. These records are available for consultation in the Archives Reading Room at 134 Ian Macdonald Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario. They may also be borrowed through the Archives of Ontario's Microfilm Interloan Service".

For more information see their website at http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/archival-records/interloan/vsmain.aspx

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Library and Archives Canada - New Digitized Reels

The latest attempt by the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to bring their records to the general public was sent out in press release last week which said they had digitized more records on their site for viewing.

It said that the " Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the addition of 484 digitized microfilm reels representing 1,125,141 new images regarding British military and naval records (RG 8, "C" Series) to its website. These records include a wide range of documents related to the British army in Canada, Loyalist regiments, the War of 1812, the Canadian militia, and more. Both microfilm reels for the nominal card index and the archival documents have been digitized and are now accessible online. Through the research tool "microform digitization," you can browse the microfilm reels page by page".

It isn't as easy as it sounds, because you have to have the record number before you start, or else you will be hunting every record, and if you have not done this before by microfilm, it can be very tiring, and frustrating.

They have put a "Search Help" feature on http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/microform-digitization/006003-130-0005-e.html?PHPSESSID=bmihtd5h6irlfrkn8ihv61apj0, and I had to look at it because I wanted to check an immigrant who came to Saint John, New Brunswick in April, 1927. At least it gave me the the right place to search, although once again, it was a long process, and many pages were turned before I got to the right spot.

They have placed a "Brouse by Title", and have included 17 titles from Form 30, Border Entry Records, 1919-1924, to Passenger Lists: Saint John (1925 – 1935) to British Military and Naval Records (RG 8, C Series) - INDEX ONLY.

You can contact them at webservices@bac-lac.gc.ca.

They have given you a place to send your comments. They say "It is our hope to expand the selection of microform records available online. Please use the "Comments" form to provide feedback on this type of access".

Monday, July 18, 2011

New Canadian Blog

Kate Tivoli is a Canadian librarian who has started a blog called Genealogical Resource Reviews at http://ktivoli.blogspot.com/2011/07/welcome.html.

She says in her first post on July 10th that "I will be reviewing resources for genealogical research.Over the past few years, I have been researching family history, using different resources, many of which may be found online. The scope of content, technological ease of use and accessibility of these tools will be examined, along with specific examples of queries they may help to answer".

I am really excited, and interested to see what resources she will list, and review.

Gene-O-Rama 2012 Cancelled

The Ottawa Genealogical Society has put a note on it's site at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/ that they will not hold a Gene-O-Rama in 2012. The reason is because the Ottawa Branch will be co-hosting the annual OGS Conference 2012 in Kingston on 1-3 June 2012.

They also say that "Ottawa Branch will also be hosting the 2012 Region VIII Genealogy Day. It’s on a smaller scale with three lectures, the Regional Annual General Meeting and a small Marketplace on a Saturday in March or April 2012. We’ll start planning it later this year and details will be available on the website."

The Conference 2012 site is at http://www.ogs.on.ca/seminar/conference2012.php