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.

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.