War of 1812 and Nova Scotia

Ships Duke of Kent, Charles Mary Wentworth and Earl Spencer from a modern drawing by C.H.J. Snider. Medium: drawing Artist: C.H.J. Snider Reference no.: NSARM Photo Collection: Ships: C.M. Wentworth

The War of 1812 began in June 1812, and the remaining British North American colonies — Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island (then separate from Nova Scotia), New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Lower Canada (Quebec) and Upper Canada (Ontario) were automatically at war with the United States.

The role of Nova Scotia during the war was mainly at sea. The Royal Navy from its North Atlantic Squadron base at Halifax, joined by privateer vessels from home ports along the Atlantic coast and Bay of Fundy – like the ports of Halifax and Liverpool.

There are several virtual exhibits –

Spoils of War: Privateering in Nova Scotia – Read about the history of privateering in Nova Scotia. For example, there  are digitized original log-books for the privateers Charles Mary Wentworth (1799), Nelson (1802) and Dart (1813).

Acadian Reporter – This newspaper was published in Halifax beginning in January 1813, and this is four-page weekly newspaper. This newspaper “carried local, provincial, British and international news stories, a weekly almanac, shipping news, marriage and death notices, and a wide range of advertisements”

Black Refugees 1812 – 1834 - This is a virtual exhibit made up of 75 digitized documents, news clippings, documentary art and print items.


Go to http://gov.ns.ca/nsarm/war1812

The Ottawa Genealogist July-September 2013

The latest edition of The Ottawa Genealogists was in my mail box the other day, and it covers such events as Genealogy Research in London, UK and Attending WDYTYAL Conference 2013, Step into History: The 19^th Annual Beechwood Cemetery Historical Walking Tour, and the article Early Bytown Settlers Index.

One thing I have always enjoyed reading has been Edward and Elizabeth Kipp’s research trips. I have always found them informative, news worthy, and entertaining.  

This time, they were in London and went to the WDYTYAL where they saw some fellow Canadians from Ottawa  – Glenn Wright, John D. Reid, and Leslie Anderson – and took in some lectures while there too.

And they did some research too – on the BLAKE, PINCOMBE/PINKHAM, BULLER, BEARD families.

A good report was given of the Beechwood Cemetery Historical Walking Tour that took place on June 9^th, and the theme was the War of 1812.

Some of the people honoured was British Army Officer William Brown Bradley, and his son Edward Sands BRADLEY, Louis-Theodore BESSERAR, and Maria HILL.

It is reported that 300 people were there e to take the walk in good weather, which was led by Kurt Johnson of the Goulburn Museum.  

Jim Stanzell continues with the Early Bytown Settlers Index, and this time he covers the letters J to L.

He gives both the surname, and given name, the reference and page number, and any notes that is included in the Information column.

There is lots of other news in the journal, and you can receive The Ottawa Genealogist by joining the Ontario Genealogical Society at http:// www.ogs.on.ca/membership.php 

UPDATE: New version of the Census of 1851 (1852) database

The Library and Archives Canada has updated the 1851 (1852) census.

  

The 1851 Census marked the second collection of statistics for the Province of Canada (consisting of Canada West and Canada East). Information was also collected for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

In addition to searching by geographical information such as province, district, and sub-district, users can now also search by nominal information such as name, given name(s) and age of an individual.

In Canada East and Canada West, the census was supposed to have been taken in 1851, but was actually take in January 1852. 

So, in the Canada East and Canada West, it will be the age of the person's next birthday in 1852, not in 1851 (Column 6).

Also, in Canada East and Canada West, there was an urban and a rural census, and they asked different questions. 

In Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, the census was taken between June and December 1851.

If you are having difficulty finding the person you are looking for in the 1851-1852 census, not all schedules survived.  

Go to   

www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1851/Pages/about-census.aspx 

Kent Branch, OGS – Meeting & Event Info

Many societies are getting their fall meeting schedule out there for us to post, and I am busy with the November edition of Families, so the fall season is rapidly approaching for us genealogists.

The Kent Branch has speakers for September, October, and November, and the schedule is -

Date: Friday, September 13, 2013, 7:00 p.m.

Meeting: Kent Branch OGS

Location: St. Andrews Residence, 99 Park St., Chatham

Title of Talk: “Dealing with Conflicting Information”

Name of Speaker: Vicki McKay

Brief Info: Vicki McKay will walk us through some of her own family research challenges

Contact Info: www.ogs.on.ca/kent 

Date: Friday, October 11, 2013, 7:00 p.m.

Meeting: Kent Branch OGS

Location: St. Andrews Residence, 99 Park St., Chatham

Title of Talk: 150 YEARS! THE HISTORY OF THE CHATHAM GRANITE CLUB

Name of Speaker: Reg Johnson

Brief Info: Learn the history and the people involved in this 150 year old organization. .

Contact Info: www.ogs.on.ca/kent

Date: Friday, November 8, 2013, 7:00 p.m.

Meeting: Kent Branch OGS                                                            

Location: St. Andrews Residence, 99 Park St., Chatham

Title of Talk: “Major Telford Steele – WWII”

Name of Speaker: Ted Steele

Brief Info: Ted Steele will share the adventures of his uncle in WWll.

Contact Info: www.ogs.on.ca/kent 

What will happen to Barnardo’s Home photos?

Barnardo’s Homes is going to start digitizing their photos (of children), and then has plans to destroy the originals.  Some 30,000 of these photos are Home Children that came to Canada.

There's more at http://britishphotohistory.ning.com/profiles/blogs/barnardo-s-archive-up-for-grabs

You can help find a home for the collection by signing an e-petition; it's quick, simple and free. Here is the link

www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/save-barnardo-s-photographic-archive-find-a-new-home-for-the-original-photographs?share_id=cwjMybIulb&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

UPDATE: Prince Edward Island/Ontario Cemeteries

The following cemeteries have been upgraded on the GenWeb site as of July 22, 2013 – 

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Queen's County:

- Hyde & Crosby Pioneer Cemetery

ONTARIO

Brant County:

- Bethany Mission Cemetery

- Hatchley Cemetery

Bruce County:

- Chesley Cemetery

Carleton County:

- Beechwood Cemetery

Essex County:

- Annunciation Roman Catholic / L'Annonciation Cemetery

- Irwin Cemetery

- St William's RC Church Cemetery

- Tecumseh Historical Museum Cemetery

Frontenac County:

- Christ Church Anglican Cemetery

- Point Alexandria United / Horne Cemetery

- St Lawrence United / Foot Cemetery

- Trinity Anglican Cemetery

Grey County:

- Boyd Cemetery

- Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Halton County:

- Colling Cemetery

Hastings County:

- Abandoned (Purchase Farm) Cemetery

Huron County:

- Maitland Bank Cemetery

Kent County:

- Christ Church Anglican Cemetery

- Duart Cemetery

- Hyatt Cemetery

- Ridgetown (Old) Cemetery

- Smith & Hopper Burying Ground

- St Thomas Anglican Cemetery

Lambton County:

- Alvinston Cemetery

- St Matthew's Cemetery

- Thedford Baptist Cemetery

Lennox & Addington County:

- Glenwood Cemetery

- Pentland Cemetery

Middlesex County:

- Dorchester Union Cemetery

- Woodland Cemetery

Norfolk County:

- McQueen Cemetery

Oxford County:

- Tillsonburg Cemetery

Perth County:

- South Easthope / Shakespeare Cemetery

Waterloo County:

- Oswald / Hoffer / St Paul's Lutheran Cemetery

- Pioneer Tower / Doon Pioneer Cemetery

- Zion United Cemetery

Wellington County:

- St Martin's Roman Catholic Cemetery

Wentworth County:

- Christ's Church Cathedral Columbarium

These updates were not be possible if not for the volunteers, such as Alison Mitchell-Reid, Elizabeth Warwick, Kate Ford, Lorna Eggert, Marilyn Whiting, Robert Gevaert, Sharon Mattiuz, and William Cooke for indexing.

Thanks to Michael Stephens, Robert Gevaert & Ed McKeon, Doug Smith, Ron Spurr, Angela M. Clatworthy, Corinna Rumble, Alison Mitchell-Reid, Sharon Mattiuz, William Cooke, Carolyn Nordin, Lanny Robinson, Lorna Eggert, Beverly Fern McKenzie, Bonnie Philbin & Patt Preston, Bruce Nuckowski, Elizabeth Warwick, Ken Monk, and Doug & Donna Gammon for photos of the cemeteries.

Go to http://canadacems.blogspot.com/2013/07/prince-edward-island-ontario-update.html

Photo Contest at The Armchair Genealogist

  

Received this news release from fellow Canadian blogger Lynn Palermo yesterday -

“Family reunions are a great summer time activity that enables family historians the opportunity to gather family together to capture stories, travel to ancestral hometowns and reconnect with family. Share your family history summer adventure in the form of a photo of a recent or past family reunion. Tell us briefly about your photo. Open for entries from Monday July 22nd 8 am EST, closed at 12 pm Sunday July 28th EST. On Monday morning July 29th Week 2, photo theme will be announced for another chance to win.

Head over to our Contest Page on Facebook and submit your family reunion photo now!  One entry, per person, per week. One winner will be randomly drawn each week and will receive a 1-year subscription to FindMyPast.com. On Monday July 29th we will announce another photo theme for week 2 and you'll have another chance to win!

Week 1- July 22nd 8 am - July 28th midnight EST - Family Reunion Summer Adventure

Week 2- July 29th 8 am- Aug 4th midnight EST.

Week 3 - Aug 5th 8 am- Aug 11th midnight EST.

Open to U.S. and Canadian residents. One entry per person per week. Check the Contest Rules for all the details".

You can also post your photo using Twitter or Instagram use hashtag #outofmyarmchair

Go to www.thearmchairgenealogist.com

UPDATE: 1842 Census of Canada East and Canada West

On Friday, I posted that the LAC had released the 1842 Census of Canada East (Quebec) and Canada West (Ontario), but I did not say that only certain areas (districts and sub-districts) were enumerated.

The following districts are available in Canada West -

Bathurst

Gore

Johnstown

London

Newcastle

Niagara

Ottawa

Toronto (City)

1842 Census for Canada West: Districts and Sub-districts is at www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1842-canada-west/Pages/census-districts-sub-districts.aspx

The following areas are complete in Canada East -

Beauharnois

Berthier

Chambly

Champlain

Deux-Montagnes

Dorchester

Dorchester-Bellechasse

Drummond

Huntingdon

Huntingdon-Chambly

Lotbinière

Missisquoi

Montréal

Ottawa

Portneuf

Québec

Richelieu

Rimouski

Rouville

Saguenay

Shefford

Sherbrooke

Terrebonne

1842 Census for Canada East Districts and Sub-districts is at www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1842-canada-east/Pages/census-districts-sub-districts.aspx

Muskoka Parry Sound Genealogy Group

On Thursday August the 15, 2013, there will be a meeting held by the Muskoka Parry Sound Genealogy Group from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Huntsville Public Library, Huntsville, Ontario.

The topic will be British Home Children, and the speakers will be Bernardo Homes by Carol Black and Quarrier Homes by Dona Crawford.

The Muskoka Parry Sound Genealogy Group was formed in 1985, and it covers  both the Muskoka and Parry Sound Districts of Ontario, Canada .

On their site they have maps of Muskoka Townships, and Parry Sound Townships,

Cemetery Databases online.

Their website is www.mpsgg.com

Censuses of Canada West and Canada East, 1842

In this notice received yesterday, here are the 1842 Canadian Census for Canada West and Canada West -

“Library and Archives Canada is pleased to announce that Canadians can now access the Census of Canada West, 1842 as well as the Census of Canada East, 1842 online. In 1841, Upper Canada was renamed Canada West, whereas Lower Canada became Canada East. These two jurisdictions are now known as the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

Each census is partly nominal and contains the names of heads of family, their occupation and the number of residents for each family.

For the Canada West (Ontario) Census, go to

www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1842-canada-west/Pages/1842-canada-west.aspx

For the Canada East (Quebec) census, go to www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/1842-Canada-East/Pages/about-census.aspx

Special Interest Groups

The Ontario Genealogical Society has, at present, four Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

A SIG is a permanent group of OGS Members with an interest in some other topic, such as a geographic location outside Ontario (e.g. immigrants from a particular country), an ethnic or cultural group (e.g. natives or a particular fraternal organization), or an event (e.g. a particular emigration scheme).

Currently, the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are

Irish Palatines - http://www.ogs.on.ca/ip-sig

Ireland - www.ireland.ogs.on.ca

Scottish  - Currently, there isn’t a website for the Scottish SIG, but you can contact scottishsig@ogs.on.ca

British Home Child - www.ogs.on.ca/SIG-BHC/index.htm

If you are interested in joining this SIG or taking on a role of responsibility, please contact OGS President, Shirley Sturdevant president@ogs.on.ca.

There is an interest in establishing a Huguenot SIG and a Métis SIG; both are currently seeking the necessary 25 Members.

E-mail the Provincial Office http://provoffice@ogs.on.ca if you would like to see one of these formed.

The website is www.ogs.on.ca/branches/sig.php

New Minister for Department of Heritage

The now-former Heritage Minister, James Moore, was replaced with Shelly Glover as the new Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages during yesterday’s federal government cabinet shuffle.

Minister Glover, a Métis, is the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Boniface in Manitoba.

Her profile says that “Prior to entering federal politics, Mrs. Glover served as a member of the Winnipeg Police Service for almost 19 years. She had a diverse career in a variety of positions including undercover work, child abuse investigations, youth crime and gang investigations, and general patrol. Mrs. Glover has a high level of proficiency in the French language and was the first female and bilingual spokesperson appointed by her department”.

While we welcome Minister Glover to her new post, you will notice that there is nothing in her profile which would lead anyone to believe that she will be sympathetic to the genealogy community, the Library and Archives Canada, or the 1921 Canadian Census (and its release), as was the impression given by her predecessor Minister Moore, who is now the new Minister of Industry.

But time will tell ...

Toronto Heritage Lecture

The 2013 Toronto History Lecture, titled Mary Mink: The Making of a Myth, will explore the sometimes blurred line between historical fact and historical fiction. James Mink was a successful Black businessman in Toronto in the 1840s and 1850s. His story is one of the best known tales of Black Torontonians in the 19th century, told and retold many times in newspapers and books.

In the 1990s, his story was made into a TV movie, Captive Heart: the James Mink Story, which was broadcast in Canada and the United States. In the screen version of events, Mink arranges for a white man to marry his daughter Mary and then stages a daring rescue when her husband whisks her off to the American South and sells her into slavery. The movie is said to be “based on historical records”, but as Guylaine Pétrin found out through her research, records can lie.

Admission is free, but reservation is required.

Please join us again this year in spreading the word about the Toronto History Lecture. It will be held on August 7th at 7:30 pm at the City of Toronto Archives and is presented jointly by the Archives and the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.

For further details, including a map and driving directions to the Archives at 255 Spadina Road, visit http://conta.cc/187ZUcY. Questions may be directed to info@torontofamilyhistory.org  or Paul Sharkey (City of Toronto Archives) at 416-392-5561.

We look forward to unravelling the true story of Mary Mink with you on August 7th.

OGS Conference 2014

The OGS Conference 2014 will be held at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario (near Niagara Falls) May 1^st to May 4^th. It will be sponsored by the Niagara  Peninsula Branch OGS.

And already there is a video on the site www.ogs.on.ca/conference2014/index.php, and you can see what is available in the immediate area.

Watch for more news on the conference. It sounds as if it is going to be exciting! 

Canadian Week in Review

Reminder: Check out Canadian Week in Review every Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. The next post will be Monday 15 July, 2013

First military draft of the Second World War

On July 13, 1940, the Canadian government announced the first conscription of the Second World War for 40 days' compulsory military training on or before September 15 by the first draft under the National Mobilization Bill.

The National Mobilization Bill arose because of the stunning German victories in Belgium and France, and we felt, that as a nation, we should get ready to repel the German Forces, if they ever decided to invade out shores. The act enabled the government to requisition the property and services of Canadians for home defence.

Single men between 21 and 34 would be called up first for training. This would affect approximately 800,000 Canadians.

It was modified in August 1942 to permit the government to send conscripts overseas via an order in council after a plebiscite in April 1942. In 1944, the government passed such an order.

To read about the National Mobilization Bill in the newspapers of the day, go to www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/newspapers/canadawar/conscription_e.shtml

The individual forms are available but they cannot be released until the person has been dead for 20 years. It will cost $40.00 to get access to the record. You also need a death certificate, or an obituary notice can be accepted.

You can send inquiries to Census Pension Searches Unit, Census Operation  Division, Statistics Canada, B1E-34 Jean Talon Bldg, Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, ON K1A 0T6  

Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics

An additional 25,120 historical vital statistics have been added to the Nova Scotia Vital Statistics website. 

These records were released on 31 December 2012 and since then have been digitized, fully indexed and checked for quality control. 

This year's accruals include 14,378 births (1912), 4,359 marriages (1937) and 6,383 deaths (1962).

As usual, the birth records include some 'delayed' entries for individuals born in 1912 (or earlier) but not registered until a later date.

To search the records, go to https://novascotiagenealogy.com/Start.aspx