Book Review: The Beginner's Guide to Genealogy

Fraser Dunford, the former executive director of the Ontario Genealogical Society, wrote a small yet delightful and very informative book  a few years ago on what to do as a beginner genealogist. It is to be noted that the book, The Beginner's Guide to Genealogy, is written from the point of view of Ontario records.

In the "Introduction", he says, “This book starts with some of the basic concepts used in genealogy, shows you how to start on your family tree, then looks briefly at two huge topics, evidence and ethics.”

In "How To Do the Basics", he discusses such topics as Family Tree (difference between Ancestor and Descendant trees - with examples), Family Record, BMD, and Dates.

The section, “Where to Find It”, covers Maps, Census, Religious Records, Civil Registration, Municipal Records, Land Records, Newspapers, Immigration/Emigration, and Wills.

Also included is a Glossary, and a Relationship Chart, in addition to other material not mentioned here.

You may also wish to read his companion book, Beginner's Guide to Ontario Genealogy (Toronto: OGS, 2006).

Both books are available from the bookstore at www.ogs.on.ca.

Canadian Webinars

 Although it's has taken awhile, there are now some Canadian Webinars which are coming to the Internet.  

 I came across Lisa Alzo's Webinar Canadian Genealogy for Americans to be given Tuesday, June 5, 2012 at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. Mountain, 5 p.m. Pacific).  

You can register at http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/2012/05/23/CanadianGenealogyForAmericans.aspx.

It is sponsored by Family Tree Magazine, and there is a fee.

 And there are a series of Canadian Webinars given by Canadian genealogist Kathryn Lake Hogan about Mapping Your Ancestors' Footsteps to be given in June, and Canadian Ports of Entry: Ship Passenger Lists, Immigration Records and Border Crossing Records to be given in October.

 The Webinars given by Kathryn will be free.

To register, you can go to http://www.looking4ancestors.com/p/appearances.html

A Genealogical Day in Quebec (Seminar)

On Saturday, June 9, 2012 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Quebec Family History Society Library, 173 Cartier Ave, Pointe-Claire (Montreal), QC H9S 4H9, Lorraine Gosselin and Gary Schroder will present a seminar called A Genealogical Day in Quebec.

This seminar will explain how to find your Irish ancestors in Quebec and Ireland, including Northern Ireland. All the major sources and major genealogical resources for research in Ireland and on the internet will be discussed.

The fee is $30.00 , and reservations necessary. You can call 514.695.1502, or visit their website is

www.qfhs.ca.

2014 Will Be The Centennial of the First World War

One place where Canada is starting to plan commemoration of the First World War in 2014 is Kenora, Ontario.

Canada declared war on Germany August 5, 1914 following Britain who had declared war a day earlier.  

Over the next four years, 620,000 Canadians, and over 400,000 would serve overseas on the battlefields of France. 67,000 Canadian servicemen, and women died, and 173,000 were wounded. There were over a thousand local men from Kenora who joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

The Lake of the Woods Museum, in conjunction with the Kenora Public Library, and local genealogy group Ancestor Seekers of Kenora are undertaking a huge project of producing a data base where they will list every local man and woman who served in the First World War. They will also make biographical sketches on the soldiers, and put any other information that can be supplied by the public for each man and woman.  

Right now, there are over two dozen people who are working on the project, but more are needed.

Tomorrow at 7 p.m. the museum will be hosting an information, and training session for volunteers who would like to help with research.

If you want more information, you can go to the Ancestor Seekers of Kenora webpage at http://askgen.ning.com to read more about the project.

Indexing [Part B] Ontario Marriages, 1869–1927 Now Complete

FamilySearchh.org has told us that the Ontario Marriages 1869-1927 [Part B] is now complete.

The project have been removed from the available online indexing batches, and will now go through a final completion check process. Once this is completed, it will join the regular search feature.

To bring yourself up-to-date with the projects the FamilySeach is indexing, go to

https://indexing.familysearch.org/projtab/current_projects.jsf

30th Anniversary Party – Durham Branch OGS

Garry R. Holland, in charge of the publicity for the Durham Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) http://www.ogs.on.ca/durham/index.htm, writes and tells us that Durham Branch will hold it's 30^th Anniversary party on Tuesday June 5^th at 7:30 pm.

At the Anniversary Celebration there will be Nancy Trimble, the former president of the OGS, and she will talk on "Look to the Future - Social Networking", and Janis Carter who will talk on the history of the branch, and will present a slide-show. And there will be the all important CAKE to celebrate the 30^th Anniversary!!

Bring along your family trees, for you may find unexpected ancestor connections to others while at this meeting/celebration.

The meetings are held at the Main Branch of the Oshawa Library (basement auditorium). They hold meetings on the first Tuesday of each month, in the basement auditorium, 65 Bagot Street, just south of City Hall.

The OGS 2013 Conference will he held in Oshawa next year.

New/Improved Canadian Websites and Blogs Week 25

City of Vancouver Archives http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/archives/digitized/EarlyVan/index.htm All seven volumes of Major Matthews' Early Vancouver photos are now online.

The Children of Fort Langley www.fortlangley.ca Information on the descendants of the Hudson Bay Company employees who worked at Fort Langley between 1827 and 1895.

The First Newspapers on Canada's West Coast: 1858-1863

http://hughdoherty.tripod.com/victoria.htm Newspapers from Victoria, British Columbia in the years 1856-1863.

Prince of Wales: Immigration List 1813 http://tmsnyder.tripod.com/PW_LIST.htm List of Scottish passengers who in 1813 arrived from Stromness, Orkney, Scotland at York Factory. They arrived two months later at York Factory in Manitoba.

War of 1812 History www.1812history.com You can read about such items as period newspapers, military uniforms, weapons and documents, business records, letters, and clothing. There is also a blog at www.1812history.com/blog.html.

Acadia Parish, Louisiana https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Acadia_Parish,_Louisiana Although this is a parish in Louisiana, there are plenty of references made to the Acadians of Nova Scotia.

The Upper St. John River Valley www.upperstjohn.com Transcriptions of early censuses, surveys, land grants, and maps. If you go on the "What's New" webpage, you will see where the author has added many new records.  

Welcome to Al Beagan's "Genealogy Notes" http://members.tripod.com/~Al_Beagan/start.htm

Genealogy Notes of PEI, NFLD, and those that went to the "Boston States".

Nova Scotia Historic Notes... www.twrsoft.com/trivia/hist08.htm Notes from Nova Scotia from 1398 to 1995.

Montcalm Passenger List, July 16, 1936 www.daveobee.com/resources/pilgrim.html The Montcalm sails for Europe, July 16, 1936 on the "Vimy and Battlefields Pilgrimage". Dave Obee has put the passengers' names on this site.