Friday, April 22, 2011

Easter Treats from Ancestry.ca


Have you seen this notice from Ancestry.ca? All Canadian marriages look-ups are free from today until April 30!

So busy yourself with research over the next few days to see if you have all the marriage records which are available on Ancestry.ca. Here are the ones which are available, free!

Just go to http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/group/Canada_Marriages
  • Acadia, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1670-1946
  • Births-deaths-marriages, Christian messenger
  • British Columbia Marriage Index: 1872 to 1924
  • Canada Parliamentary Marriage and Divorces, 1867-1919
  • Mariages de l'Enfant-Jesus de la Pointe-aux-Trembles, 1674-1975
  • Marriage Notices of Ontario 1813-1854
  • Ontario Marriage Notices [1830-1856]
  • Ontario People: 1796-1803
  • Ontario, Canada Marriage Registers by Clergy, 1896-1948
  • Ontario, Canada Marriages, 1801-1928
  • Ontario, Canada, Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1747-1967
  • Ontario, Canada, County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869
  • Ontario, Canada: Civil Marriage Registrations, 1869-73
  • Ontario, Canada: Roman Catholic Marriages, 1827-1870
  • Quebec Notarial Records (Drouin Collection), 1647-1942
  • Quebec Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1967
  • Repertoire des mariages de Sainte-Ccile-de-Masham, comt de Gatineau : 1853-1963
  • Repertoire des mariages du Lac-Sainte-Marie (Comt de Gatineau) : (1881-1963)
  • Repertoire des mariages, Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade, 1684-1900
  • Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Genealogies
Enjoy!

Anglo-Celtic Roots


The Spring issue of Anglo-Celtic Roots (a quarterly publication of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa) is here, and in it is an article by Naomi Ridout "Shearton Godfrey Bird and Amoi Chun: From Colonial Hong Kong to Pioneer Barrie, Ontario" in which she recounts the story of a British Army Officer who marries a Hun Chinese woman in 1859, and they eventually settled in Barrie. They were her great-great-grandparents.

In the second article "A Mother for Albert Edward Weir" the author Patty McGregor uses the census reports from 1861, 1871, 1881, and 1891 to try to find out who the mother was for Edward Weir. Was she successful? You will have to read the article to find the answer.

Besides giving a report of the last AGM (held last June, 2010), the issue also has a history of "The Brian O'Regan Memorial Library" written by Betty Warburton, who has been a librarian there from the beginning.

Scattered throughout this issue is reminders of the BIFHSGO Conference which will be held this year on Sept 16 to the 18th.

This year it will feature Wales and England with a focus on London and Home Countries.

You can go to www.bifhsgo.ca for more information.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

New British Home Child SIG

Over 100,000 children were sent to Canada between the 1860s and 1930s. Many Ontario genealogists have found they have a family connection with a Home Child, and many more will learn this as they continue their research.

A SIG has been formed by the Ontario Genealogical Society, and they are looking for all interested people to join and share their skills and enthusiasm to continue the growth of the group.

Right now, the goals are to

- bring together genealogy researchers who have like interests in British Home Children (BHC) to share their research experiences.
- encourage possible descendants of BHC to investigate their ancestry.
- raise awareness of the history and contribution of the BHC in Canada.
- identify resources for research on individual BHC.
- identify resources for research into the social conditions in the UK and Canada which influenced the lives of the BHC.

If you are interested in meeting others who share your interest in Home Children, or if you have ideas to shape this group further, please contact OGS Vice President Shirley Sturdevant at vp@ogs.on.ca to find out how to get involved.

Mischief, mayhem, manslaughter & murder!

This sounds like it will be a most delightful way to spend an afternoon. The press release was sent in by Scott Gillies, Curator/Manager, of the Eva Brook Donly Museum & Archives -

"Mischief, mayhem, manslaughter & murder!

Join me on Tuesday May 24th for a presentation on crime and criminal activities in Norfolk County.

Presented as part of the monthly lecture series "Coffee With The Curator", admission is just $2 per person and includes coffee and light refreshments plus the presentation, and of course the chance to tour the Museum and see the newest display 'Memories of Mom - a tribute to Jeanette Hamilton'

"Just the Facts Ma'am"

What is this? – a special lecture on the topic of local crime in Norfolk County

Who done it? – the Museum Curator did it

When? – Tuesday May 24th at 2:00pm

Why? – so you can enjoy an afternoon outing with light refreshments, and learn about new research on old crimes

Where? – the Eva Brook Donly Museum & Archives

How Much will this cost me? – only $2/person (what a steal!)

Need more clues? Got questions?

Notorious Norfolk is presented as part of the new monthly lecture series, "Coffee with the Curator, at the Eva Brook Donly Museum & Archives generally held on the 3rd Tuesday of every month."

For more information, go to www.norfolklore.com.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Ottawa Genealogist

The Spring/Summer edition of The Ottawa Genealogist came in the mail today, and it has some interesting articles in it for those who have ancestors in the Ottawa Valley area.


The "Ottawa Ladies College and the 1961 Address Book" by Ken Godfrey gives a brief history of the Ladies College that was established in 1869, and the address book which was made as a yearbook for Rose Gammons around 1904. There are places for 50 names and addresses in the book. A typical name/address is "Fern Kerr - Farraus (?) Point, Ontario. Be sure and write."

Another article is from Lynn Mathison entitled, "Letter Written 1916 by Military Bandsman: Describing Arnprior, Carleton Place, and Pakerham".

Her grandfather - Jack Cookson - described the three settlements as he travelled the countryside during WW I as a member of a military band.

Two smaller articles are also in the issue, and they are a description of "The Township Papers - Osgoode Township" by Guylaine Pétrin, and "Ontario Vital Statistics 1869" by Diane Walker Burnett in which she reprints an article found in the Toronto Globe (1869) which talks about the problem encountered in researching the BMDs.

If you wish further information, please contact the Branch at www.ogsottawa.on.ca, or the editor at editor@ogsottawa.on.ca.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Call For Speakers

ENGLISH FAMILY HISTORY WORKSHOP

Jusr received this press release from the Toronto Branch of the OGS -

"Saturday, November 5, 2011
North York Central Library Auditorium
5120 Yonge Street, Toronto

The Ontario Genealogical Society, Toronto Branch and the Canadiana Department of the North York Central Library will be co-hosting a one-day workshop for family historians with English ancestors.

This workshop was originally planned to feature popular speakers, John D. Reid and Lesley Anderson from Ottawa. John and Lesley developed a very interesting plenary-style program for us and we were all set to announce it when it became necessary to reschedule the event. In so doing we have acquired a larger venue, making it possible to expand upon John and Lesley’s program.

You are invited to submit proposals for lectures on any aspect of English genealogical or social history research. Workshop attendees will be most interested in lectures emphasizing sources and research techniques that might prove useful in their own research.

Each session will be one hour long, including five or ten minutes for questions. Presentations should be illustrated—we can provide a computer projector or an overhead projector. Speakers will also be expected to provide a handout of supporting material (up to four pages) which we will photocopy for all registrants.

Speakers will be paid an honorarium of $100 per lecture, plus $25 to cover incidental expenses.

Please submit your lecture proposals by e-mail. Before you start developing your proposals we recommend that you request a copy of the outline of John and Lesley’s program so that you can avoid duplicating their presentations. Please keep your proposals brief and informal, at this point. (We may ask for more details later.) Be sure to include your mailing address, phone number, and a brief bio.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2011

For more information about the Ontario Genealogical Society, Toronto Branch, please see: CALL FOR SPEAKERS.

To submit proposals or ask a question about the event, please contact the Education Committee, c/o Chair, Diana Thomson at courses@torontofamilyhistory.org".

Monday, April 18, 2011

Destination Canada

One of the best books published in 2010—and which I use as my "go to" book on immigration, citizenship, and naturalization—is Dave Obee's book, Destination Canada: A Genealogical Guide to Immigration Records.

It's made up of 15 chapters -

Chapter 1 - The immigration experience
Chapter 2 - Four centuries of immigration
Chapter 3 - A timetable of migration to Canada
Chapter 4 - The key resources
Chapter 5 - The early years
Chapter 6 - Atlantic ports 1865-1935
Chapter 7 - Pacific ports 1858-1935
Chapter 8 - Through the United States
Chapter 9 - Arrivals since 1935
Chapter 10 - Outbound records
Chapter 11 - Immigration Branch (RG76)
Chapter 12 - Naturalization and citizenship
Chapter 13 - Just passing through?
Chapter 14 - Migration museums
Chapter 15 - Additional sources

I have found the book to be inclusive of all of the records, and where they can be found. There are very helpful maps which explain where the people have come from, and where they were going. And there is a very good chapter on migration museums around the world.

For any questions that I am asked about immigration, I always include Obee's book in my searching for the answer because I want to make sure that I am aware of all of the facts surrounding immigration to Canada.

For example, a question recently arose concerning immigration to Canada from Britain in 1927 - Is a passenger list the same as Immigration Records? Where did this person land? What port did he leave from in England? How did he get from the port to Central Canada?

By reading this book, and looking at the records at the Library and Archives Canada (LAC), as well as the records at Ancestry.ca, I was able to answer these questions.

To order a book, visit Dave's website at www.daveobee.com/index.html.