Genealogical Society Study Groups

Some genealogical groups in Canada have study groups, and Brant County Branch has two such groups -

The British Isles Study Group meets at the Brant County OGS library, 114-118 Powerline Road, Brantford at 7:30pm on the 1st Tuesday of each month.

There is also The Family History Study Group meets at the Brant County OGS library at 10:00am on the 3rd Thursday of each month.

Bring what you have, and the groups will be glad to assist you. The groups are a great place to meet fellow researchers and to obtain valuable assistance in your pursuits of elusive ancestors.

The website is http://brantcountybranchogs.ca

Books

I have just published two booklets - The War of 1812: Canada and the United States, and Migration: Canada and the United States.

They are available for purchase through Global Genealogy at http://globalgenealogy.com, and the National Institute of Genealogical Studies at www.genealogicalstudies.com.

For more on the booklets, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-1-war-of-1812-canada-and-united.html
and http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-2-migration-canada-and-united.html

Are You Listening to RootsTech 2012?

All keynote speakers, and people who are giving lectures in Room 155 in the Salt Palace are having their talks live streamed to us at RootsTech 2012. Are you listening to them? Lots of interesting things are being said with many new features being introduced now at the conference.

I have heard from Louis Kressler, a Canadian from Winnipeg, and founder of Behold Genealogy (who is at the conference), and have read three posts on his blog already at
www.beholdgenealogy.com/blog/?p=915. 

Follow him and his posts. He is giving a demo of his product on Saturday at 12:30 at the conference. So if you know someone there, be sure to tell them about it.

To go to the conference, click on www.rootstech.org

Remember GeneaBloggers Radio Birthday Bash tonight. It's been a year since Thomas MacEntee started the radio program, and sounds like it is going to be fun with everything that is going on at the conference.

Check www.geneabloggers.com to see the time in your area.

Books 

I have just published two booklets - The War of 1812: Canada and the United States, and Migration: Canada and the United States.

They are available for purchase through Global Genealogy at http://globalgenealogy.com, and the National Institute of Genealogical Studies at www.genealogicalstudies.com.

For more on the booklets, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-1-war-of-1812-canada-and-united.html and http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-2-migration-canada-and-united.html

2012 Bruce & Grey Branch Family Story Contest

For the second year, the KEN YOUNG FAMILY STORY FOR GREY COUNTY and the BETTY WILSON FAMILY STORY FOR BRUCE COUNTY is being sponsored by the Bruce & Grey County Branch of the OGS. 

The story must be a previously unpublished work in essay form, 800 to 1500 words in length telling of the arrival, the life, or other interesting detail of your family in Bruce or Grey County.

The entrants must be a member of BGOGS or another branch of OGS., and the winner will be announced at the Bruce Grey Annual Fall Event in September 2012

Please submit your entry by e-mail to rdclark@sympatico.ca or by regular mail to BGOGS, Box 66, Owen Sound, Ontario, N4K 5P1.

The winners will receive a Certificate of Achievement and the Township CD of their choice. The winning stories will be published in the Branch Newsletter with the author retaining the copyright. 

The Branch is also inviting members to a fall trip for research to Salt Lake City on August 12-18, 2012.

For details, go to http://tiffanyweb.bmts.com/~bgogs/calofevent.html

Books


I have just published two booklets - The War of 1812: Canada and the United States, and Migration: Canada and the United States.

They are available for purchase through Global Genealogy at http://globalgenealogy.com, and the National Institute of Genealogical Studies at www.genealogicalstudies.com.

For more on the booklets, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-1-war-of-1812-canada-and-united.html and http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-2-migration-canada-and-united.html

Spring Meetings for Toronto Branch OGS

The Branch will be presenting five courses in April and May 2012. Three are co-sponsored by the Toronto Public Library, and two are being held at the Archives of Ontario:

Going Back to Basics – A Refresher

This course will cover the basic resources used to find your family history – it will be centred on Ontario records, but can be expanded to cover participants’ areas of interest. Instructor: Ruth Burkholder

Hands-On Ontario Estate Records

Participants will follow assigned case histories to learn hands-on at the Archives of Ontario how to find estate files and land registry records. Instructor: Jane E. MacNamara

Advanced English Family History

This course will focus on the 1700-1837 period – topics will include vital events, parish research, population listings, poor relief, apprenticeship, land tenancy and inheritance records. Instructors: James F.S. Thomson and Joan Read

A Day of Technology for Family Historians

Spend a full day finding out how technology can assist family historians in finding and organizing information, and in editing and sharing photographs and other images. Instructor: Carol Nichols

Hands-On Early Ontario Land Records

Participants will learn through hands-on practice how to use the collections at the Archives of Ontario to trace ancestors’ attempts to acquire land in Upper Canada. Instructor: Jane E. MacNamara

For program details, course dates, speaker biographies and information on how to register for Toronto Branch courses, visit www.torontofamilyhistory.org/courses.html.

Black History Month in Canada

This year, the government of Canada will celebrate Black History Month (February) by recognizing the bicentennial anniversary of the War of 1812. It will honour the contributions of Black soldiers in the fight for Canada.

Black History Canada: War of 1812 http://blackhistorycanada.ca/events.php?themeid=21&id=5 This site gives the history of Black volunteers (Canadian) who fought for the British in the War of 1812.

Toronto Celebrates Black History Month www.toronto.ca/blackhistory As the website says, “Each year, the City of Toronto is proud to support events and exhibits scheduled for Black History Month, inviting members of the public to explore and celebrate the heritage, traditions and culture of African-Canadians”.

Black History Month www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/black-history/index-e.html Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has a list of resources as well as related Internet links on their website.

Books

I have just published two booklets with references to Blacks in Canada -

• The War of 1812: Canada and the United States includes a section on Blacks who fought both on the Canadian and American sides during the War of 1812, and

• Migration: Canada and the United States has a section on the migration of Blacks to Canada

They are available for purchase through Global Genealogy at http://globalgenealogy.com, and the National Institute of Genealogical Studies at www.genealogicalstudies.com

For more on the booklets, please visit these links -

War of 1812 - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-1-war-of-1812-canada-and-united.html, and

Migration - http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-2-migration-canada-and-united.html

Upper Canada Land Petitions (1763-1865)

The Library and Archives Canada has put the Upper Canada Land Petitions.

They say that “Before the arrival of the Loyalists and British military settlers, the present-day Province of Ontario was an extension of the Province of Quebec. Following the Constitutional Act of 1791, the colony of Quebec was divided to create Upper Canada (today Ontario) and Lower Canada (today Quebec). Many early settlers, both military and civilian, submitted petitions to the Governor to obtain Crown land. Sons and daughters of Loyalists were also entitled to free lands.

The Upper Canada Land Petitions contain petitions for grants or leases of land and other administrative records. This research tool provides access to more than 82,000 references to individuals who lived in present-day Ontario between 1783 and 1865”.

For example, there is a Thomas Barclay in the database. 

The information an him was that he was from New York, the year was 1819, Volume 43, Bundle B 12, Petition 273, Microfilm C-1625, Reference RG 1 L3.

To check out the database, go to www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/upper-canada-land/index-e.html?PHPSESSID=9ukhscr15duaokeg7j3vk5qtf6

Books 

I have just published two booklets - The War of 1812: Canada and the United States, and Migration: Canada and the United States.

They are available for purchase through Global Genealogy at http://globalgenealogy.com, and the National Institute of Genealogical Studies at www.genealogicalstudies.com.

 For more on the booklets, go to http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-1-war-of-1812-canada-and-united.html and http://genealogycanada.blogspot.com/2012/01/booklet-2-migration-canada-and-united.html

Canadian Bloggers will be at RootsTech 2012

I have deviated from the usual New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs for the week, so that I can wish our Canadian Official Bloggers the very best at the RootsTech 2012 in Salt Lake City starting Thursday.

We have two Official Bloggers going to RootTech (that I know of right now), and they are -

Olive Tree Genealogy Blog

http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/01/rootstech-presentation-international.html Lorine McGinnis Schulze is subbing for Joan Miller, and will be present at an International Panel slated to present a discussion of Social Media at Rootstech 2012.

It will be her second year at RootsTech, and usually does interviews – so watch for her!


^{Lynn Palermo The Armchair Genealogist http://www.thearmchairgenealogist.com/ This will be Lynn's first RootsTech, and she is planning great things at the conference. She has carried a number of posts already on RootTech. So check out her site.}

As for me, as many of you know, I am a great RootsTech follower, and this year there will be streaming videos of all the keynote speakers at http://rootstech.org/downloads, and there will sessions that will be covered. 

The site at http://rootstech.org.