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

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Ontario: Then and Now


The Archives of Ontario is offering a new feature and is asking for your help.

Grab your camera and get involved on Flickr! Recreate our fascinating historical photographs of neighbourhoods and landmarks across the province. We’ll provide the “then”… you provide the “now”! 

This is a great idea. It will allow you and others to see how a neighbourhood or landmark use to look years ago, and the way it looks today. Or does it look the same or different? 

You can find out about the new project by going to https://www.flickr.com/groups/ontariothenandnow

Friday, June 6, 2014

D-Day Live: The historic invasion in real time on the CBC

Credit: Lieut. Ken Bell / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-136820

Today is the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, and CBCNews.ca has re-imagined how the events of that historic day would have been reported if Twitter been around at the time. Relive history through a real-time recreation 


Meanwhile, the Library and Archives Canada has an expanded version of the Service Files of the Second World War – War Dead, 1939-1947 Database onsite. 

Thursday, June 5, 2014

100 Years of Loss - The Residential School System in Canada

The Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa is recognition of National Aboriginal History Month, by presenting the travelling exhibition 100 Years of Loss – The Residential School System in Canada.

This exhibition uses reproductions of photographs, artwork and primary documents to tell the story of thousands of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children who were removed from their families and institutionalized in residential schools. It emphasizes the present-day effects of the system, focusing on healing and reconciliation.

Special Activities

Also, as part of National Aboriginal History Month, two Residential School Survivors will share their experiences in Survivor Talks (June 9–11), and Aboriginal dancers and singers will perform in Celebrating Aboriginal Heritage (June 19).

The exhibit will be at the Canadian Museum of History from June 5 to 26, 2014 

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

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Are you new to genealogy?

If you are new to genealogy, Family Search Learning Center has FREE Beginning Genealogy Courses, in which there are 5-minute videos that have been put on their site so that you can watch and listen to them. If you are wondering how to get started, you can learn the very rudimentary way to do research. 

Yesterday, I watched four of them – Quick Start, The Research Process, Records – An Introduction, Using Indexes to Find Records and the videos are quite good. Jesse Davis, the hostess, takes you through setting up the research problem, and brings up good points of where to look for records – at FamilySearch, naturally!

So take a look at the videos, and see what you think.

On the left hand side, there is a library of videos that are divided by a county, by subject, and by level of experience - Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. Of course, none have been done about Canadian records - yet!

The videos are on https://familysearch.org/learningcenter/home.html  

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Wellington County Branch OGS will meet this Saturday

The Wellington County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society is recognizing The 12th Field Regiment R.C.A. (1940-1945) in their meeting on Saturday. The program will consists of two presentations –

Family and Military History

and 

A Remembrance Service for the Honour Roll of 74 Fallen Men

The meeting will be held at Saturday, June 7, 2014 at 1:00 pm at the Ontario Legion, 281 George St. Arthur, Ontario.

In the family history segment, well-known speaker Glenn Wright, a former archivist at Library and Archives Canada and a published author, will speak on locating the military records of veterans who returned to Canada and appear in researchers' family trees. The military part of the session will be presented by Rob Stark, President of the 12th Field Regiment Association and a son of a late veteran of the Regiment

A limited number of compilations of many names will be made available to those interested in both the military and family history of the 12th Field Regiment. The organizing committee requests the assistance of the community in providing service numbers of some of the men listed.

There will be a brief lunch break followed by the Remembrance service conducted by the Arthur Legion.

For more information on this special event, please visit the Wellington County website http://www.ogs.on.ca/wellington/events.html
Contact Info http://www.ogs.on.ca/wellington/index.html  

Friday, May 30, 2014

Ottawa Branch of the OGS meeting will be held tomorrow

Tomorrow Saturday May 31st, at 1 o’clock at the Ottawa City Archives on Tallwood Drive (Room 115), the Ottawa Branch of the OGS meeting will be held.

Are You a "Trust Me" Genealogist? - Citation of Sources: The Why and How will be presented by Heather Oakley who will explore the reasons why genealogists need to provide a citation of their sources of information. Additionally, she will show many examples of how all types of sources should be cited in their family history research.

This meeting will be simulcast for members who can't join us in person. 


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

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Underwater Canada: A Researcher’s Brief Guide to Shipwrecks

If you are researching a shipwreck in your genealogy, the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has released pointers on how to use their records to do the research - 

Shipwrecks, both as historical events and artifacts, have sparked the imagination and an interest in the maritime heritage of Canada. The discovery of the War of 1812 wrecks Hamilton and Scourge, found in Lake Ontario in the 1970s, and the discovery of the Titanic in the 1980s, served to heighten public awareness of underwater archaeology and history. 

Whether you are a wreck hunter on the trail of a lost vessel, or a new shipwreck enthusiast eager to explore images and documents that preserve the epic tales of Canadian waters, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has something for you.

Starting your research 

First, gather as much information as possible about the shipwreck(s) you are researching. Specifically, you will ideally want to obtain the following information (in order of importance):

· Name of Vessel

· Location of accident

· Date of accident

· Ship’s port of registry

· Ship’s official number

· Year of vessel’s construction 

The Ship Registration Index at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/ship-registration/index-e.html?PHPSESSID=7g9h5km4d9l7l0krorlhh9n9s5 is a helpful resource. The database includes basic information about more than 78,000 ships registered in ports of Canada between 1787 and 1966. 

Can’t locate all of the information listed? There’s no cause for concern! Not all of the information is necessary, but it is essential that you know the name of the vessel. All Government records relating to shipwrecks are organized according to the ship’s name.

What is Available?

Using Archives Search at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/search/arch , you can locate the following types of material:

Photographs

· Consult the How to Find Photographs Online article for more help.

Maps

· In Archives Search, under “Type of material”, select “Maps and cartographic material” to narrow your results.
Government Records 

All records listed are found in the documents of the Marine Branch (Record Group 42) and/or Transport Canada (Record Group 24). Official Wreck Registers, 1870‒1975

· Wreck Reports, 1907‒1974

· Register of Investigations into Wrecks, 1911‒1960

· Marine Casualty Investigation Records, 1887‒1980

Important: Government records contain information about shipwrecks that occurred in Canadian waters, and include all accidents involving foreign vessels in Canadian waters.

Please note: this is not an exhaustive list of resources, but rather a compilation of some of the major sources of documentation available on shipwrecks held at LAC.

Helpful Hints 

You can find a number of digitized photographs, maps and documents on the Shipwreck Investigations virtual exhibition at http://www.lac-bac.gc.ca/sos/shipwrecks/index-e.html. More specifically, check out the collection of digitized Official Wreck Registers in the Shipwreck Investigations Database. Simply check if the name of the vessel you are researching is listed.

Another excellent source of information on shipwrecks is local public libraries. There are many maritime histories and bibliographies that offer reference points to begin your shipwreck research.


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

2014 Eastern European Family History Conference

The Foundation for East European Family History Studies is presenting The Eastern European Family History Conference which will be held from August 11-15, 2014 at the Plaza Hotel, Salt Lake City, in Utah.

This year’s program will provide two and one-half days of presentations, preceded by optional workshops, and followed by time to research in the nearby Family History Library. The presentations will be Wednesday through Friday, August 12-15, and the pre-conference workshops will be Monday and Tuesday, August 10-11.

Some of the speakers will be Canadian genealogist Dave Obee, in addition to Thomas K. Edlund, Joe Everett and Nathan Murphy, just to name a few of the top-notch speakers that will be at Salt Lake City. .

To see the full program, go to http://feefhsworkshop.org

There is also a blog at http://feefhsworkshop.org/blog






Saturday, May 24, 2014

The Empress of Ireland - May 29, 1914

The sinking of the RMS Empress of Ireland at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River in 1914 had a great affect on the people of Canada, as more than 1,000 people lost their lives when the ship was stuck by the SS Storstad on that fateful foggy morning.

While I was at a Canada Post kiosk the other day, I picked up their May 2014 magazine called Details with a photograph of the Empress of Ireland on the front, as shown in the picture above. The story of the sinking is on pages 12 to 14, and you should pick up this excellent pocket-sized magazine the next time you are in the post office.

The story of the Empress of Ireland is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Empress_of_Ireland

Gail Dever of the Genealogy à la carte blog from Montreal has sent me articles about the Empress of Ireland from Canadian newspapers, such as -

The Empress of Ireland: Remembering ‘Canada’s Titanic’ http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2014/05/16/the_empress_of_ireland_remembering_canadas_titanic.html

Doomed liner to be commemorated in coming days with stamp, coins, monuments and more
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/national/Empress+Ireland+sinking+Canada+Titanic+finally+getting/9870408/story.html

Friday, May 23, 2014

British Columbia Birth Registrations, 1854-1903

The LDS has updated the registration of births for British Columbia. . .

Birth registrations usually include the following information -

  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Name of child
  • Gender of child
  • Name of father
  • Name of mother, including maiden name
  • Residence of parents
  • Occupation of father
  • Birthplace of parents
  • Age of parents
  • Date and number of registration

Native birth records generally contain the following information:

  • Name of child
  • Place of birth
  • Gender of child
  • Date of birth
  • Single, twin, triplet, or other
  • Marital status of parents
  • Name of parents
  • Tribe of parents
  • Age of parents
  • Occupation of father
  • Birthplace of parents
  • Number of children
  • Residence
  • Name of doctor and date of registration

To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the names of parents, and the approximate year of birth for the child.

For more information, go to https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1307731?ET_CID=46886537&ET_RID=genealogycanada@aol.com

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Southern California Genealogy Jamboree will be offering FREE Lectures



Southern California Genealogy Jamboree will be held from June 6th to the 8th, 2014 and there is going to be 14 streamed sessions over three days, and these sessions will be FREE! Like they say "All Class. No Travel"

The cost of doing this is partially underwritten by Diamond Sponsor Ancestry.com, but they will be free to people like myself who don’t go to the conference. Many sessions will be available in the SCGS webinar archive for viewing by members of the SCGS. 

Here are the sessions - 

Friday, June 6 - 1:00 pm to 6:30 pm PDT

· Judy G. Russell JD, CG, CGL - "Dowered or Bound Out: Records of Widows and Orphans"

· Blaine Bettinger PhD, JD - "DNA and the Genealogical Proof Standard"

· Paula Stuart-Warren, CG, FUGA - "Manuscript Finding Aids: Locating Migrating Family Records"

· F. Warren Bittner, CG - "Proof Arguments: How and Why" 

Saturday, June 7 - 8:30 am to 6:00 pm PDT

· F. Warren Bittner, CG - "Elusive Immigrant!"

· Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL - "Staying out of Trouble: The Rights and Responsibilities of Today's Genealogist"

· Michael Leclerc - "Researching Your New England Ancestors"

· Bennett Greenspan - "The Future of Genetic Genealogy"

· Dr. Maurice Gleeson - "Researching Your Irish Ancestry"

· Cyndi Ingle - "The Internet: A Genealogist's Printing Press" 

Sunday, June 8 - 8:30 am to 3:30 pm PDT 

· D. Joshua Taylor - "Resources of the DAR: Beyond Revolutionary War Soldiers"

· Dawn Thurston - "How to Write a Personal History that Captures your Interesting Life"

· Dr. Maurice Gleeson - "Ireland and the Slave Trade"

· Denise Levenick - "Dirty Pictures: Save Your Family Photos from Ruin"

So I am going to read the pre-conference handout list, and then I will decide which ones I will watch. 

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Family History Libraries offers FREE scanning

You can now take your photos and other documents to your nearest Family History Library and scan them for FREE

They have recently installed a customized Lexmark multifunction product (MFPs) which quickly scan photos or significant documents and transfer them online to your personal genealogical space. The scanning system produces high-quality digital images in both .jpg and .png file formats and will accommodate up to 5 MB in size. Items may also be scanned and saved to a thumb drive, all FREE of charge.  

You can then identify people in the photos and connect them to respective ancestors in your FamilySearch Family Tree, and you can post links and share the information with other family members and encourage them to share as well. 

To see if there is a Family History Library in your area, go to https://familysearch.org/locations/centerlocator

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

First Annual Unreadables Tombstone Challenge

Here is a project started by Canada GenWeb that we can all help with -

Canada GenWeb is looking for people to help decipher tombstones that have been photographed but are unreadable due to being weathered, for example.

And unfortunately there are many photos that are unsearchable because they are difficult, or impossible, to decipher. That means that those named on the stone cannot be found.

To change that,Canada GenWeb are starting the First Annual Unreadables Challenge! The goal is to decipher as many headstones as possible. And they are all across Canada.

Can you help put a name to some of our unreadable stones and possibly help someone find their long-lost relation?

Go to http://geneofun.on.ca/query/?table=NAMES&template=query_challenge&search=FIRST&search=SURNAME&find=(u&smode=S&sort=ASSIGNED,SURNAME,FIRST to see the unreadable tombstones. 

To see what is needed in the way of volunteers, go to http://cemetery.canadagenweb.org/volunteer/index.html

Saturday, May 10, 2014

The Ottawa Genealogist April-June 2014


   
                                     
First of all, congratulations to Edward Kipp, editor of the The Ottawa Genealogist, the newsletter of the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, for they won this year’s Dr. Don Brearley Newsletter Award. It was announced at the OGS conference held in Brock University in St. Catharines this year.

 Since I live in the Ottawa area, it is my ‘home’ newsletter, and I particularly like the articles in it each issue. I never miss the genealogical travels that Edward and Elizabeth Kipp make to Salt Lake City, down to New York State, and other places because I enjoy them so much. Well done!

In this issue, some of the articles are –

Merrill Allan Clay A Veteran of World War I and World War II by Marilyn Adair. She tells of her father’s service in the First World War as a Sapper with the Canadian Division , Corps of Engineers, Signal Company in France, and Belgium.

The Rathbun Family and the Town of Deseronto by Joyce Fingland where she writes about the Rathbun Company in Deseronto, a company that built its fortune on prepared lumber for the American and overseas market, the railway which ran through the town, and the Portland cement company.

Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy 2014 by Ellen Paul. Ellen tells of her experience at the Salt Lake City Institute and how the instructor helped her along the path of trying to breaking down her brick walls.

Ottawa Heritage Day Celebration 2014 was well-attended, and received a good review in this issue, and there is the Early Bytown Settlers Index as well in this issue which covers surnames beginning with N, O, P, and Q.

Plus, there are many more news items to read. There is the library branch news, special interest group news, historic plaques, and a message from the Chair.

In order to receive this newsletter, you must be a member of the Ontario Genealogical Society, and the Ottawa Branch of the OGS.

They have a special right now where you can join for half of the year for $35.00. Go http://www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php for more information.

The local Ottawa Genealogical society site is http://ogsottawa.on.ca

Thursday, May 8, 2014

The United Empire Loyalists – Finding their Records

The statue of UEL in Hamilton, Ontario

The Library and Archives of Canada has prepared the following material on the United Empire Loyalists records which the LAC holds - 

The term “United Empire Loyalists” (often referred to as UEL) refers to the American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution, and many of which fought for Britain during that conflict. They fled the United States and settled in what are now the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Ontario. All the archives in these provinces hold records relating to Loyalists, some of which are searchable online.

Here are the records held at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) - 

Loyalists in the Maritimes – Ward Chipman Muster Master’s Office 1777-1785 
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/loyalists/loyalists-ward-chipman/Pages/loyalist-maritimes-ward-chipman.aspx
These references include business records and papers relating to the Loyalists and to boundary commissions.

Land Records
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/land/Pages/land-records.aspx
Many Loyalists and their descendants submitted petitions for land for their service in the war or as compensation for lands lost during the American Revolution. Databases on this subject:

· Land Petitions of Upper Canada, 1763-1865

· Land Boards of Upper Canada, 1765-1804

Sir Frederick Haldimand Fonds
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c1475/1?r=0&s=1
The collection contains some provision lists and muster rolls relating mostly to Loyalists, disbanded soldiers and their families in the province of Quebec. It includes a nominal index.

Black Loyalist Refugees, 1782-1807 - Port Roseway Associates
http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/loyalists/loyalist-port-roseway/Pages/port-roseway-associates-loyalists.aspx
Many black Loyalists served and were affected by the evacuation of New York which led to their resettlement in the Port Roseway, now Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

British Headquarters papers
http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=105117
The records known as the Carleton Papers or the American Manuscripts contain lists of refugees in New York, lists of persons who were evacuated from New York, lists of refugees from Massachusetts and Rhode Island who were evacuated through the port of New York and numerous references to Port Roseway in Nova Scotia.

British military and naval series
http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&lang=eng&rec_nbr=105012
These records cover the period from the American Revolution to the mid-1800s. Thenominal/subject card index (provide a brief description of the document, date, C Series volume number and a page number)

Also discover-

· Fort Howe (Flickr Album)

Lieutenant Governor's Historical Preservation and Promotion Award

  

Standard of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba  

The Lieutenant Governor's Historical Preservation and Promotion Award was established in 2010 by the Honourable Philip S. Lee, and it consists of five awards which will presented today to people who have “rendered prolonged, meritorious service in the preservation and promotion of Manitoba's history and heritage”. 

The five people who will receive the award are –

Ernest Braun from Niverville 

Diane Haglund from Winnipeg

Frieda Jorheim from Inwood 

John Francis Mavins from Springfield 

and Gary Wowchuk from Swan River 

In a press release, Lt.-Gov. Lee said “Manitobans care greatly about their history. For proof of that, consider the more than 150 museums, located in communities from the 49th parallel to the Hudson Bay, and more than 2,000 community history books covering cities, towns, villages and rural municipalities." 

Congratulations to everyone! 

The website is http://www.manitobalg.ca

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Local expert to lead discussion on Scottish immigration

Genealogy expert Christine Woodcock will lead a discussion on the history of Scottish immigration to Canada. In addition, she will show residents with Scottish heritage how to learn more about their family past on Saturday, May 24 at 2 pm at the Windsor’s Community Museum. Her presentation is entitled Tracking Your Scots Immigrant Ancestors 

She will cover such subjects as
  • the difference between emigration, immigration and migration
  • reasons for leaving Scotland
  • Jacobite Rebellion ships lists
  • and Selkirk Settler ships lists
If you want to learn more about Christine’s website Genealogy Tours of Scotland https://www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca/Home_Page.html

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

It’s all about the DNA



The British Isles Family History of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) will present an all DNA meeting this Saturday morning starting at 9 am.

Saturday, May 10

Six Thoughts About Autosomal DNA Tests (Before BIFHSGO Education Talks)

9:00 am to 9:30 am

Autosomal DNA tests for genetic genealogy have been available for a few years, and the experiences of those tested range from very disappointing to very satisfying. James F. S. Thomson and Elizabeth A. R. Kaegi, who are two founding members of the Toronto Branch OGS Genetic Genealogy Special Interest Group, have been exploring and thinking about autosomal tests for some time, and in this presentation offer for consideration six thoughts about these tests. The session will also set the stage for the following main Monthly Meeting presentation — a genetic genealogy success story.

Also

DNA Items (Discovery Tables)

9:30 am to 10:00 am

Bill Arthurs will host the Discovery Table.

Brian Glenn will host the Discovery Computer to explain the online registration process for the conference.

And

What Really Happened? A Genetic Genealogy Success Story (Monthly Meeting)

10:00 am to 11:30 am

Using several traditional genealogical techniques in conjunction with new genetic genealogy tests, Elizabeth A.R. Kaegi and James F.S. Thomson have been able to solve a six-decade old mystery, and have the findings conclusively confirmed. The drama and its resolution ranged across seven countries and finding the answers consumed many hours, especially in the last five years. The end result was very satisfying and Elizabeth acquired seven close family members, including two very new ones.

Will you be there? Visitors are invited to join us, as there is Free admission. The meeting will be held at the Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario.

The website is at http://www.bifhsgo.ca


                 

Friday, May 2, 2014

Reminder: Social Media Hangout On Air


Just a reminder to watch the Google+ Hangout on Air tomorrow morning at 8:00 EDT when members at the Ontario Genealogical Society will be on a panel discussion about Social Media.

The members of the panel will be Tony Bandy, Kirsty Gray, Daniel Horowitz, Chris Paton, Marian Press, and John D Reid.

Go to https://support.google.com/plus/answer/2459411?hl=en to see how you join Google +, and to get to the site on Saturday morning, go to https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cgkbikrmmec7hi1irnenf5jmqbc?cfem=1 you must be a Google member.

See you there!

Royal Tour of Canada this month

Personal Flag of the Prince of Wales for use in Canada

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will tour Canada from May 18 to May 21, 2014. They will make four official stops in three provinces – Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Manitoba. 

In Nova Scotia, they will visit 

Halifax, Nova Scotia (May 18 and 19) 

Pictou, Nova Scotia (May 19) 

In Prince Edward Island, they will visit 

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, (May 19 and 20) 

Official Welcome to Canada and Nova Scotia at the Grand Parade in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Victoria Day on May 19

Tour of Hector Heritage Quay—A Celebration of Celtic Appreciation Month in Pictou, Nova Scotia, on May 19 

Fireworks, music, and performances to celebrate Victoria Day and the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference, which paved the way to Confederation in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on May 19 

Visit to Cornwall United Church in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, on May 20 

In Manitoba, they will visit 

The children at the Stevenson Hangar as they learn about the principles of flight, rockets, satellites and more in Winnipeg Manitoba on May 21 

Visit to the International Polar Bear Conservation Centre at the new “Journey to Churchill” exhibit at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg on May 21 

Taking part in the Order of Manitoba Investiture at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg on May 21