Ancestry Update: South African War Land Grants, 1908-1910

Ancestry.ca has added a new historical record -

“During the South African War (or Boer War) of 1899–1902, for the first time, Canada sent troops to fight in a war overseas. About 7,300 Canadian troops and 12 nurses served in South Africa. Veterans of the war were became eligible for 320 acres of Dominion Land (or a payment of $160 in scrip) under the 1908 Volunteer Bounty Act.

This database contains applications for these bounty land grants. Applications typically include the following details:

· name

· gender

· service start date, location

· residence

· death date

· place of death

· age at death

· birth date

· birth place

· regiment

The applications are two pages long, so be sure to page forward to see the entire record.” 

One thing I did notice is that in some applicant’s forms, there are notes that you may finding helpful, and the date range of service is there also. 

You can go to the website at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=9150 

The records are in the Library and Archives Canada, under the citation of Department of Veterans Affairs. Soldiers of the South African War, Land Grant Applications. Record Group 38 (vols. 117-136). Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

Did you index yesterday?

The FamilySearch Indexing project yesterday had over 66,000 individuals who indexed at least one batch, and many did more than one batch of documents. Over 3 million records were indexed, and over 500,000 were arbitrated! That is a fantastic number.

And did you watch some or all of DearMYRTLE’s GeneaSleepOver Hangouts On Air on Google+ and archived at YouTube?

If you didn't watch, you can view the 24-hour session (divided into segments) at https://www.youtube.com/user/DearMYRTLE

So congratulation to everyone who indexed. It is not too late to start indexing today. Go to https://familysearch.org/indexing/.

There are plenty of Canadian records waiting to be indexed.

FamilySearch Indexing Project is waiting for you!

Are you ready? 

FamilySearch would like to have 50,000 indexers and arbitrators to submit at least one batch in a 24-hour period! Do more if you would like, but one batch is all that is required to be counted in the record!

The record-setting begins at 00:00 coordinated universal time (UTC) on July 21, which is 6:00 p.m. mountain daylight time (MDT or Utah time) on Sunday, July 20. It ends 24 hours later, at 23:59 UTC (or 5:59 p.m. MDT) on Monday, July 21. 

Check the FamilySearch Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/722157871184202/ for your local start time and status updates.

Here are the statistics on indexing Canadian projects - 

• There are 67,802 current volunteers 
• There are 15 current projects
• There are 7,832 Images awaiting arbitration 
•  There have been 787,408 Canada records contributed 

Some of the project that still need indexing are –

• British Columbia Marriages 1937
• Newfoundland Vital Records 1840-1949
• Prince Edward Island 1721-1905

Plan now to get involved and add your name to the record-setting event!

The Canadian projects are at https://familysearch.org/indexing/projects/country/ca  

Archives is asking for your help

The Flamborough Heritage Society & Archives, is one of the largest and most active, local heritage groups and archives in Ontario. It is located in the former Wentworth County which was in the city of Hamilton in southwestern Ontario.  

And they are working on three projects -

• The first project is a planned book on the history behind the names of communities that exist, or did exist at one time, in Flamborough
• The second project is a compilation of the businesses in Flamborough, with an emphasis on Waterdown, from around 1850 onwards 
• The third project is an inventory of street names in Waterdown, and the history behind the name

They would like to receive any material which would help with this research - photos, stories, advertisements or flyers etc. They can scan the original photos, or you can send in scanned photos, or documents to flamarch@hpl.ca, or you can phone them for details at 905. 540.5161.

The website is at http://www.wefhs.myhamilton.ca/

Drouin Collection – Quebec Records

The people at the Drouin Collection have put together a 16-page user guide and it’s free to everyone. 

It is divided according to the time periods - 17th century to the 21st century, as well as baptisms/births, marriages, deaths. There is even a 250,000 postcard collection from the personal collection of Jean-Pierre Pepin that covers the years from 1980 and 2002! 

There are also collections from the United States and Canada (outside of Quebec), and they have hundreds of genealogies, and it includes Protestant baptisms/births, marriages, deaths, as well.

The finding aid is here https://www.genealogiequebec.com/documents/keywords.pdf

This is a subscription site, and it is bilingual – French/English. 

Go to https://www.genealogiequebec.com

Call for Presenters: OGS Conference 2015 – “Tracks Through Time”

The Ontario Genealogical Society will host the Society’s annual conference on 29-31 May 2015 at Georgian College Campus, Barrie, ON, Canada. The conference theme — Tracks through Time – originates from the 130th Anniversary of the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway across Canada.

Many family historians have their roots in the immigrant laborers who built this railway across our vast country. Other ancestors were tempted by the transportation routes and migration opportunities allowed by its completion. Still others worked for the railway company itself over the years to follow. As researchers, we track our family history through time in many ways, always attempting to ensure we are tracking the right people from the right line. The variations on Tracks through Time are endless. 

The subject of presentations should preferably fall within one of the following categories:

1.Impact of the development of the railway in Canada
2. Tracking various cultural and ethnic ancestor groups to and within Canada (e.g., Aboriginal, African American, Chinese, Scandinavian, Quaker, Polish, Jewish, etc.)
3. Tracking ancestors through various record groups (land, company, religious, civil, etc.)
4. Tracking the right people (sorting out same-name research, One-Name Studies, etc.)
5. Technological advancements in tracking our ancestors

Saturday and Sunday lectures will be one hour long, including time for questions. Friday workshops offering a more in-depth exploration should be 2.5 to 3 hours in length, including time for questions. Consideration will also be given to distance presentations – “streamed in” from a presenter’s location and/or “streamed out” to a distance audience.

Each one-page proposal should include:

Presentation Title

Abstract – no more than 200 words

Presentation Description – one or two sentences for program brochure• Full Contact Information – name, postal address, telephone number, e-mail address, and website (if applicable)

Brief Biography

Target Audience – beginner, intermediate or advanced level family historians; general or specialist audience.

If your proposal is accepted, you will be requested to provide a 2- to 4-page summary of your lecture or workshop for our Conference Syllabus. This may include a brief overview, references and web addresses mentioned, sample screen shots, etc. It will be submitted electronically no later than 1 March 2015 as a word processing file or in rich text for ease of formatting our Program Syllabus. Speakers should also bear in mind that PowerPoint presentations must be clearly readable from a minimum distance of 20 metres/65 feet and should employ fonts no smaller than 32 points.

Please include your approximate travel costs, economy class, to Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Remuneration will normally include reimbursement of transportation expenses, free conference registration, free accommodation, meals on the day(s) of your talk(s), free social activities, plus honorarium. Workshop fees may be negotiated.

Contact Info: Conference 2015 website: http://www.ogs.on.ca/conference/

Email address: program.conference@ogs.on.ca

The deadline is 12 September 2014 

LAC: Soundex - How to find spelling variations of a surname

The Library and Archives Canada explains how to use the JOS Soundex code to find information on names that are difficult to find because of the way that they are spelled. 

They say that “Many American archival records have been indexed using this system. It’s a way to search surnames while ignoring minor differences in spelling. The code uses the first letter of the surname, followed by three numbers associated with the sound of the name. 

Letters of the alphabet are assigned a number (0 to 9). Vowels (A, E, I, O, U and Y) and the letters H and W are not considered. Also, if the same letter occurs twice in a row in the name, it is counted only once (e.g., Lloyd becomes Loyd). If there are fewer than 3 letters in the name, 0 is used for the last digit.” 

To help you identify different spellings of surnames, we suggest that you use the following Soundex indexing site: Avotaynu Consolidated Jewish Surname Index at http://www.avotaynu.com/csi/csi-home.htm. It can also be used for non-Jewish surnames. To help you identify the Soundex code, you can use the JOS Soundex calculator found at http://www.jewishgen.org/JOS/jossound.htm.

So, speaking of ways to make genealogy research easier for you, have you entered the Canada Day Brick Wall Contest? This is the second year that I have had the contest and it closes at 6:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday, July 15th.

You can go to the website and get the details http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/07/happy-canada-day.html and get the details.

GOOD LUCK!  

Archives of Ontario - First World War Exhibit

The Archives of Ontario (AO), in Toronto, has put on an exhibit of a First World War family where six brothers enlisted. The exhibit is called The McLean Brothers of Sunderland,Ontario Real Genealogy Stories WWI Exhibit in the Archives Reading Room on the main floor, just to the left of the reception desk.

This is the story about of six brothers of the same family who enlisted together to take part in the Canadian war efforts. In partnership with guest curator Paul Hector this exhibit uses AO genealogical records to bring a very unique First World War family story to life.

I made my yearly trek to the AO in April of this year, and spent two days there, and accomplished a lot of client research. It is a fantastic facility, with a friendly, helpful staff. And it has a manuscript holdings that you can loose yourself in – I was impressed!

At that time they were busy gathering material for the exhibit, and I am glad that they were able to put it together. So if you are in Toronto, you should plan to visit.

The website is http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/index.aspx 

They also have another exhibit online that you can visit - Dear Sadie – Loves, Lives, and Remembrance from Ontario’s First World War.

In this exhibit, you can read about four different families and what happened to them during the First World War. This exhibit “highlights the impact that the war had on individual lives”. 

The website is http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/ww1/index.aspx

I plan to return next June to do more research.

Ireland Canada Monument Project

Every so often, I hear from the Ireland Canada Monument Project in Vancouver, British Columbia by receiving their newsletter.

The Monument project is an historic endeavour to give recognition to those of Irish birth or descent who have given or continue to give to Canada, its provinces and the City of Vancouver.

They say that “The core work for the project is basically complete and general agreement has been reached between the Monument Society and Vancouver Parks Board on site details. Once a new site is agreed upon, the Monument Society looks forward to finalizing the site layout with Parks Board staff.”

They have a blog at http://irelandmonumentvancouver.com and you can be placed on the newsletter distribution list by writing to irelandmonumentcanada@gmail.com 

Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ireland-Canada-Monument/103460626418488

I Love London, Ontario

London, Ontario has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vintage-London-Ontario/256233541169617

It covers many local towns in the area from their beginnings to the 1990s. Old pictures, memories, adverts....anything you might consider Vintage London or surrounding villages. You can also follow Vintage London on Twitter - https://twitter.com/VintageLondonOn 

While there you can go to the London-Middlesex Genealogical Society, and check out two websites – 

Early Settlers Project 

They have 184 pages of settlers listed who settled in Middlesex County prior to 1900. This collection, begun over 30 years ago, includes family information submitted by branch members. This list is FREE!

Family History Index

They also have a 33 page Family History Index to the family history books they have in their Resource Centre. The index covers only the most frequent surnames found in each book This list is FREE!

You can check their homepage at http://londonmiddlesex.ogs.on.ca

Update: Canadian GenWeb Cemeteries

 

The updates to Ontario cemeteries are out by the people from Canada GenWeb, and they are –

Brant County

- Farringdon Cemetery
- Harrisburg United Church Cemetery
- Mount Hope Cemetery

Bruce County

- Invermay Methodist / Aarold Methodist / Old Methodist Cemetery
- Langside Mennonite Cemetery
- Salem Evangelical United Brethren Cemetery
- South Kinloss Cemetery

Dundas County

- Dixons Corners South / Wesleyan Methodist 1825 Cemetery
- Spruce Haven Cemetery

Elgin County

- Trinity Anglican Cemetery

Essex County

- Fairbairn Union Cemetery
- St Francis Xavier Cemetery

Grey County

- Greenwood Cemetery

Halton County

- Ashgrove United Church / Mount Pleasant Canadian Wesleyan Methodist New Connexion Cemetery
- Churchill Cemetery
- Merton Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Hastings County

- Sine's Burying Ground

Huron County
- Hope Church Cemetery

Kent County
- St Philippe RC Cemetery

Lambton County

- Beechwood Cemetery
- Blackwell United Church Cemetery
- Lakeview Cemetery
- St James Cemetery
- St John's Roman Catholic Cemetery
- Watford Cemetery
- Wilkesport Cemetery
- Wyoming Cemetery

Lincoln County

- Boyd / Turney / Christie Cemetery
- Grace United Church Cemetery
- McCombs Family Cemetery
- Nicholas Smith Family Cemetery
- St Anne's Church Cemetery
- The May Family Burying Ground
- Victoria Lawn / St Catharines Cemetery

Norfolk County

- Newkirk Cemetery

Perth County

- Hampstead Cemetery
- North Easthope Presbyterian Cemetery
- St Joseph's Cemetery

Peterborough County
-Update: Canadian GenWeb Cemeteries

Russell County
- Update: Canadian GenWeb Cemeteries

Waterloo County

- Mount Hope Cemetery
-Update: Canadian GenWeb Cemeteries

Wellington County

- Greenfield Cemetery
- Hillsburgh Pioneer / God's Acre Cemetery
- Zion United Church Cemetery

Wentworth County

- Binkley Private Cemetery
- Henry Brinkley Cemetery
- Woodland Cemetery

We must say ‘Thank You’ to all of the people who work on the cemetery updates and take photos of the headstones.

To go to the website, please go to http://canadacems.blogspot.com/2014/06/ontario-update.html

Postscript: To enter the Canada Day Contest, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/07/happy-canada-day.html

Join the Worldwide Indexing Event

FamilySearch is looking for new indexers to meet a specific goal that they have set for this month -  

"Join volunteers from around the world on July 20 and 21 for an international history-making event! The goal? For 50,000 indexers and arbitrators to submit at least one batch in a 24-hour period! Do more if you would like, but one batch is all that is required to be counted in the record!

This remarkable goal will require help from every current indexer and arbitrator out there, plus many new volunteers,* but it can be achieved if generous volunteers like you commit to participate. So mark your calendar and spread the word! Invite friends and family to join you. Organize an indexing party; create a fun family challenge or a society or church service project. Everyone is needed. Everyone can make a difference!

The record-setting begins at 00:00 coordinated universal time (UTC) on July 21, which is 6:00 p.m. mountain daylight time (MDT or Utah time) on Sunday, July 20. It ends 24 hours later, at 23:59 UTC (or 5:59 p.m. MDT) on Monday, July 21."

Example of some of the records that are waiting to be indexed are -

• Canada, British Columbia—Marriages, 1937
• Canada, Newfoundland—Vital Records, 1840–1949
• Canada, Newfoundland—Vital Statistics Collection, 1753–1893 

Check the FamilySearch Indexing Page at https://familysearch.org/indexing.

Check the FamilySearch Facebook Events page at https://www.facebook.com/events/722157871184202 for your local start time and status updates.

Postscript: The Canada Day Contest is on until July 15th. To enter the contest, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2014/07/happy-canada-day.html

Annual Accrual of Historical Vital Statistics Now Available

My father (Harold Arthur Barclay) and myself (Elizabeth Anne Barclay) in the Public Gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was a favorite place to go on Sunday afternoons. 

I have been reminded by one of my readers that the Nova Scotia Archives has put on an additional 25,589 historical vital statistics on www.novascotiagenealogy.com! 

These records were released on 31 December 2013 and since then have been digitized, fully indexed, and checked for quality control. This year's accruals include 14,974 births (1913), 4,233 marriages (1938), and 6,382 deaths (1963). As usual, the birth records include some 'delayed' entries for individuals born in 1913 (or earlier) but not registered until a later date.

My surnames of interest are -

BARCLAY - Shelburne County and Yarmouth County  

BLADES - Shelburne County and Yarmouth County 

WEBSTER - Kings County

Ledgers of CEF Officers Transferring to Royal Flying Corps, 1915-1919

Credit: Lecture on rigging, School of Aviation, Royal Flying Corps Canada, University of Toronto

Acestry.ca says the following - 

“Canada did not have its own air force until late in the First World War, but 22,000 men from the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) were welcomed into the growing British Royal Air Force, which was formerly known as the Royal Flying Corps. 

The British Air Ministry maintained these ledgers of CEF members who transferred to the Royal Air Force. The records were later transferred to the Department of National Defence.

The records include name, address, date of birth, next of kin, the officer’s movements from unit to unit, appointments and promotions, decorations and honours, medical information, and civilian employment. Dates and notations on the ledger pages indicate records were filled out between 1918 and 1919. The activities and movements recorded in the ledgers took place between 1915 and 1919”. 

To get more information, you can go to the Ancestry.ca site at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=9148 

To get more information on the Royal Flying Corps Canada 

at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Flying_Corps_Canada 

Toronto in Time

Toronto In Time is a free mobile app created by the Historica-Dominion Institute/The Canadian Encyclopedia for iOS and Android that highlights the history of Toronto through "then and now" photos, slideshows, trails, and historical stories for more than 150 sites!

You can check out the Toronto In Time on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TorontoInTime and it in on the website http://citiesintime.ca/toronto

And there is also a Vancouver In Time app at https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/vancouver-in-time/id480547811?mt=8

These apps are free!

British Home Children deaths database

Barnardo boy ploughing C 1900 Credit: Unknown 

The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) is always adding to their databases, and this time, I see where BIFHSGO has put on another database - the names of 2,284 British Home Children who died after they had immigrated to Canada. 

They give the name, date of death, the name of the society (eg Barnardo's) and (this is important) they also give the reference source with each record. 

By going through the list, I see where some of the young men died of injuries during the First World War. 

The database is accessible at http://bifhsgo.ca/cstm_homeChildrenDeaths.php 

They also have the Fegan Index, and the Middlemore Homes Index on the Home Children Site at http://www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=4 

Postscript: There will be a panel discussion on the Home Children at the conference of BIFHSGO held Friday September 19 to Sunday September 21st. 

As part of the panel, there will be three experts on the subject – Patricia Roberts-Pichette, Marjorie Kohli, and Gloria Tubman.

Go to http://www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=126

Only 11 more days left to join Ontario Genealogical Society for ½ price!

Yes, that’s right – membership for half-price!

With the half-price fee, you will be entitled to a half-year membership at $35.70 CDN and you will receive all the benefits of Individual membership including their quarterly mailing for August and November – the journal Families, the newsletter Newsleaf, and e-Newsleaf, and weekly updates.

This offer is also available to those who have not been an OGS member since 2011 and would like to rejoin the OGS family. 

To take advantage of the half-year membership, please visit the OGS website at: http://www.ogs.on.ca/integrated/integrated_account_new_step1.php

Canada GenWeb: Prince Edward Island & Quebec cemetery update

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Queen's County:

QUEBEC

Arthabaska County:

Bellechasse County:

Charlevoix County:

Dorchester County:

Drummond County:

Levis County:

L'Islet County:

Lotbiniere County:

Megantic County:

Montmorancy County:

Quebec County

The “Thanks” of the genealogy community go to Kate Ford for her help indexing, and to Albert Riezebos, Angela M. Clatworthy, Heather Mathis and Sonia Godin for taking photos of the cemeteries.

The website us at http://canadacems.blogspot.ca/2014/05/prince-edward-island-quebec-update.html

Library and Archives Canada releases an updated version of the Immigrants from China database

Credit: Library and Archives Canada

Last month was Asian Heritage Month, and the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) updated their database to include references to the C.I.9 certificates issued to people of Chinese origin born in Canada and wanting to leave Canada for a limited time without losing their Canadian status.

If your ancestors are from China, you may want to view the adjusted database.

Here is the press release that was released by the LAC at the end of May -

“May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, during which we acknowledge the long and rich history of Asian Canadians and their contributions to Canada. Asian Heritage Month also provides an opportunity for Canadians across the country to reflect on and celebrate the contributions of Canadians of Asian heritage to the growth and prosperity of Canada.

To celebrate Asian culture, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the addition of references to its Immigrants from China database. It now includes references to the C.I.9 certificates issued to people of Chinese origin born in Canada and wanting to leave Canada for a limited time without losing their Canadian status. The actual records include a photograph and provide information such as the individual’s name, age and place of birth, as well as the port and date of departure, and the ship’s name.”

Chinese immigrants who arrived in Canada between 1885 and 1949 are in the database is fully explained on the website at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/immigrants-china-1885-1949/Pages/introduction.aspx

Print Your Family History Book at the Toronto Public Library

This is a press release from the Toronto Public Library -

“Toronto Public Library’s newest offering is Asquith Press, a book printing service that enables customers to design and print bookstore-quality paperback books. The library is offering information sessions and classes open to all: from authors and aspiring writers to anyone who would like to create a book for their own personal interest.

Located on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library in the recently opened Digital Innovation Hub, Asquith Press is available to people of all ages and skill levels.

With the help of workshops, print and online resources, knowledgeable library staff and guest mentors, customers will be able to develop, design and publish books."

There are two upcoming classes. The first class will be Tuesday June 17, 2014 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, and the second class will be Mon Jul 14, 2014| 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm.

The Toronto Public Library website is at www.torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131