Free Ancestry.com

Ancestry.ca is offering free access to its complete collection of Historic US Censuses to Ancestry.ca members, including the new 1940 Census, from August 29th to September the 3rd. 

I  will be checking on my ancestors on both sides of my family. Will you?

Go to www.ancestry.ca/uscensus

War of 1812 Project

Niagara Peninsula Branch of the OGS would like to announce that the deadline for their War of 1812 Project has been extended until September 30, 2012.

In recognition of the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812, the Niagara Peninsula Branch, the members of the Branch is compiling a commemorative book of family stories about Ancestors who fought in or were affected by the War of 1812 (i.e. house burned, claim for losses, provided supplies to the army).

If you have an Ancestor who falls into this category and you would like their story to be included in this book please go to the Branch website www.ogs.on.ca/niagara or contact niagaraogs1812@gmail.com for more instructions. Guidelines are included on www.ogs.on.ca/niagara

The book will be published in 2013.

All submissions must be received on or before midnight September 30, 2012

New Canadian Genealogy Websites

I came across these websites this week, and they are -

Treasured Legacies www.treasured-legacies.com/home.html This is a pay site, and it is based in Calgary, Alberta. Joan Fraser is the president of the company, and she offers research services, and write Storybooks which can tell about your family heritage.

Yvonne's Genealogy Blog: A blog about my French-Canadian ancestry and my husband's Russian roots www.yvonnesgenealogyblog.blogspot.com Yuvonne writes a  refreshing blog about the French roots and her Russian husband. She explores the history of "dit names" (with her name being Belair dit Janvry), and I am sure she will tackle her Russian names in the near future.

Some items that made the newspapers this past week in Canada were -

MacLean clan gathering a show of Gaelic heritage, famed Scottish weather www.edmontonjournal.com/travel/MacLean+clan+gathering+show+Gaelic+heritage+famed+Scottish+weather/7129124/story.html Edmonton Journal journalist, Mairi MacLean, was over to Scotland this summer to attend a reunion of people with the old Scottish surname Maclean, and then travelled around southern Scotland, and visited such places as Perthshire. (accessed 26 August 2012)

Celebrating heritage on Peter Robinson Day www.emcperth.ca/20120823/news/Celebrating+heritage+on+Peter+Robinson+Day Karen Prytula, a local freelance writer, tells us about Peter Robinson, and how in 1823, he brought over to Lanark County people from Ireland to help settle this wild land of wilderness Ontario. They settled in Peterborough, which recently celebrated Peter Robinson Day. (accessed 27 August 2012)

'Memory band' features incorrect name: City may need to make a correction to permanent feature at new Pier Park www.royalcityrecord.com/news/Memory+band+features+incorrect+name/7126762/story.html

Theresa McManus, of The Record, reports that the city of New Westminster, BC will have to make a correction to a name they have put in a Memory Band at Pier Park. The name that is mistaken is that of a former mayor Beth Wood. (accessed 27 August 2012)

Lucille Campey Will Be at The BIFHSGO Conference

Just got a note from Geoff Campey, the husband of Lucille Campey, a lecturer at the BIFHSGO conference in September, and a special speaker at Toronto, also in September.

She will be in Canada to talk about her latest book in her series "The English in Canada" with title Seeking a Better Future - The English Pioneers of Ontario and Québec published recently by the Dundurn Group, Toronto.

In Toronto, she will be giving a public lecture about English emigration to Ontario and Quebec on Thursday 20th September at 7.30 pm at the Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall, 24 Cheritan Avenue, Toronto. For more information,call 416.482.4909 or info@crht.ca

John D. Reid at www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=62 has just interviewed Lucille, and I listened to it this morning.

She talked about her three lectures at the BIFHSGO Conference next month www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=22, and one of the lectures will be about the 200th Anniversary of the Red River Settlement in Manitoba, and it sound interesting.

Another lecture that she will give will be on the Highlanders who settled in Glengarry County in Eastern Ontario, and in other parts of Ontario.

Her website has been updated www.englishtocanada.com

See Two Exhibits for the Price of One

If you purchase a special museum pass before Sept 3 at Smith’s Falls, Ontario, you will be entitled to see two exhibits for the price of one!

The tour called the Rails to Bales Tour will let you go to the Heritage House Museum and the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario in Smiths Falls .

The Legend of Frost & Wood: Outstanding in Their Field at the Heritage House Museum and A Social History of the Railway in Smiths Falls at the Railway Museum documents the development of Smiths Falls over 150 years, the people and the lasting legacy of these industries.

Heritage House Museum is open daily from 10:30 am to 4:30 p.m. until December, at 11 Old Slys Rd., Smiths Falls. Call 613.283.6311 or visit www.smithsfalls.ca/heritagehouse for more information.

The Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario is open daily from 10 am to 4 p.m. until Labour Day, and weekends until December at 90 William St. W., Smiths Falls. Call 613.283.5696 or visit www.rmeo.org for more information

North American Indexing Volunteers Invited to Join New US Immigration & Naturalization Community Project

As many of you know, people who immigrated to North America often went to the United States first, and then proceeded to Canada, and many who went to Canada first, often crossed the border to go to the United States.

So even though this is a FamilySearch Community Project, it should be of interest to Canadians indexers.

FamilySearch says that “It will be an indexing effort to make passenger lists, naturalization records, and other immigration related records freely searchable online. Hundreds of thousands of North American volunteers are expected to contribute over the next 18-24 months, focusing initially on passenger lists from the major US ports”.

To find out more about the project, Individuals, societies and other groups that want to participate should visit From Sea to Shining Sea: Helping Everyone Find US Immigration Ancestors at https://familysearch.org/immigration

More Photos of the Dieppe Raid on Flickr

The Library and Archives Canada has put on more images of the Dieppe Raid on Flickr. 

I didn’t know that the Dieppe Raid was also called “Operation Jubilee” and it was supported by over 5000 Canadian troops.

There are photos showing advertisements in newspaper about Victory Bonds, a striking photo showing men from the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry kneeling at the graves of Canadian soldiers killed at Dieppe, and an unidentified infantrymen of the Essex Scottish Regiment.

The images are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/sets/72157630512532280/with/7556117254


You can also see other photos at Through a Lens: Dieppe in Photographs and Film at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/dieppe/index-e.html

Library Hours at QFHS

This has just come in from Jackie Billingham of the Quebec Family History Society –

Attention: All Members of the Quebec Family History Society, and other Researchers

The Library and Office of the Quebec Family History Society will be closed Thursday, August 23, 2012 to Monday, September 3, 2012.

On Tuesday, September 4, 2012 the QFHS will re-open and resume our regular opening hours.

The web page will remain active during the library closure at www.qfhs.ca

Genealogy Workshop

The Halton-Peel Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and Heritage Mississauga invite you to attend a Genealogy Workshop featuring co-star of television’s "Ancestors in the Attic," Fawne Stratford-Devai on Saturday, September 8th, 2012 at The Grange, 1921 Dundas Street West, Mississauga.

The workshop will cover two sessions:

• Early Ontario Birth Marriage and Death Records

• Leaving Ontario – Resources for Tracking Migrants

Time: 10 am to 3 pm; Registration fee: $25. Space is limited. You must make your own accommodations for lunch.

For more information or to reserve space, please contact Heritage Mississauga at 905.828.8411 ext. 0 or email info@heritagemississauga.org.

Ontario’s British Home Child Day

Upper Canada Village in Morristown will hold the First Anniversary of Ontario’s British Home Child Day on Friday, September 28th.

This day will recognize the accomplishments of the more than 100,000 children sent to Canada from Great Britain from the 1860s to the 1930s. They worked as farm labourers and domestics in homes in Ontario and across Canada. A special emphasis will be placed on the Quarrier’s Homes, and a travelling museum exhibit from Ontario and Quebec will be showcased at this event.

A British Home Child Symposium/Information Session will also be held at the South Stormont Township Hall in Long Sault (close to Cornwall) on Saturday, September 29th from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

This event will present a full day of exhibits, displays, speakers, and research information. Cost for attendance at this event is $10.00, which includes refreshments and attendance at the event.

If you wish more information, go to www.uppercanadavillage.com/index.cfm/en/home, or drop by their Ontario East British Home Child Family Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Ontario-East-British-Home-Child-Family/122254607880910.

I will be at both events, so I will see you there!

The Ottawa Genealogist

The summer issue of The Ottawa Genealogist has been published, and it is chock full of the latest news about the Ottawa Branch.

There are articles on "Frederick Alfred Weedmark and Susan (DeLorge) Fraser: The Mystery is Debunked", and "Your Introduction to GOONS!".

Photos and a write-up of "The Eighteenth Annual Historical Walking Tour of Beechwood " which was given to Edward Kipp, the editor of the newsletter.

The War of 1812 Timeline is in The Ottawa Genealogist, and an OGS Conference 2012 report which was held in Kingston this year is in the newsletter, as well as photos.

This newsletter is for members only, but if you want to become an member, go to www.ogs.on.ca, and click on Membership.

A Genealogical Day in Quebec: 1621-2012

A seminar will be held on Saturday, September 29 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the QFHS Heritage Centre and Library, 173 Cartier Avenue, Pointe-Claire. It will be presented by Sharon Callaghan and Gary Schroder.

This seminar will examine the main sources used in Quebec genealogical research regardless of whether your ancestors originated from France, the British Isles, or any other part of the world.

They will explain church records, civil registration records, censuses, notarial records, ship lists, newspapers, land and judicial records. There will also be emphasis on the most important websites used in Quebec genealogical research and how to use the website and databases of the Bibliotheque et Archives nationales du Québec.

The registration fee is $30.00 members, and $40.00 for non-members. Reservations are required.

Call 514.695.1502 or contact Jackie Billingham at qfhs.communications@bellnet.ca.

For more information, go to www.qfhs.ca

Toronto Family History Courses

Gwyneth Pearce has written to tell me that the Toronto Family History Branch of the OGS will have two new courses in October and November.

Basic Genealogy and Family History (3 Oct – 21 Nov)

This 8-session course is aimed at those just beginning to research or looking to upgrade basic research skills and will cover terminology, types of sources, the use of on-line resources, libraries and archives, including LDS Family History Centres, and record-keeping – to help you “think like a genealogist”.

Instructor: Jane E. MacNamara

Coming in Waves: British and Irish Emigration to Canada (7 Nov – 28 Nov)

Set within the context of an overview of British and Irish emigration to Canada in different eras, this new 4-session course will offer strategies for identifying and using emigration records from different periods effectively in genealogical research.

Instructor: James F.S. Thomson

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

And she says that they are planning an Irish Family History Workshop on Saturday 17 November 2012.

Sge says this will be a full-day workshop covering a comprehensive range of topics of interest to family historians with Irish research interests – details to come soon.

Ottawa Chapter has Fundraiser

The Bytown Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will be hosting a fundraiser dinner on Sept 8 at 6:30 pm at the Museum of Civilization with Mr. Victor Suthren, who is the former Director General of the Canadian War Museum.

The topic of his talk will be “A Peaceful Place: The Wartime Origins of an Unwarlike Capitol”.

It will be $100.00 per ticket, and you can call Dorothy Meyerhof at 613.822.2946.

The deadline for registration is August 27, or until tickets are sold.

The proceeds from the dinner will go towards the DAR Bytown Chapter History Award given at Carleton University annually.

TONI Is Growing Everyday!

One of the best resources that a genealogist should check is the Ontario Genealogical Society’s TONI – The Ontario Name Index.

The Ontario Name Index (TONI) is a mega-index of names with the goal of including every name found in any publication relating to Ontario

Started in 2011 TONI is growing with new resources added every day!

There are already many names on the index. There is a low cost to download the information on the name(s) you have found,but the index itself is free to use!

To see how to use TONI, go to www.ogs.on.ca/integrated/toni_database1.php

Hint: I still use the Ontario Genealogical Provincial Index at www.ogs.on.ca/ogspi/welcome.htm to compare information with TONI to make sure that I have all the information that I need.

Families Who Came Through Pier 21

Anne Renaud, a writer of children’s book, want to talk to people who emigrated to Canada, and came through Pier 21 in Halifax in the years 1928 to 1971.

Anyone willing to share their family history with young readers is invited to contact her at earenaud@yahoo.com.

Should you wish to obtain additional information regarding her writing background, she encourages you to visit her website at http://annerenaud.net

OGS Families - August 2012

The August Families has just been published, and this issue contains six  papers, and they are –

Dealing with Documents – This is excerpt from the book by Althea Douglas called Time Travellors Handbook: A Guide to the Past. A review of the book is available on page 33.

How An old Handkerchief Helped Me Discover my Kinston Roots – This paper was by the 1st place winner of the Keffer Writing Contest Virginia Reid.

She tells the story about how her great-grandfather Thomas James Reid was wounded by a shell that left holes in a handkerchief in his back pocket.

A Mystery Like No Other – This paper was written by William Vollmer, the winner of the 2011 Dr. Don Brearley Genealogical Essay Prize, and it is about his ancestor Charles Vollmer who disappeared from Maryhill, Ontario.

Life of a Guyanese in Canada – by Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh in which he follows the life of Hector Lachmansingh, an Indian- Caribbean.

The Family of Jacob Phillips and Sarah “Sally” Kaake of Etobicoke: An Overview – by David Phillips in which he traces the life of the Kaake and Phillips family in Etobicoke.

The Search for Auntie Hutton – by Donald R. McLaughlin in which he discovers who Auntie Hutton of Ross Township, Renfrew County really is – Almeda Rosanna Fuller Palmer Hutton.

In order to receive this magazine you must be a members of the Ontario Genealogical Society at www.ogs.on.ca.

BIFHSGO Conference in September

I have just registered for the 17th annual BIFHSGO conference tobe held in Ottawa from September 14th to the 16th. This year’s theme is Scotland.

On Day 1 I plan to attend 4 lectures –

Session 1

An Introduction to Researching Scottish Family History – presented by Chris Paton

Session 2

Lord Selkirk and the Settlement of Scottish Highlanders in Canada – presented by Lucille Campey

After the lunch break, I will take in two more lectures, and they are –

Session 3

Scottish House and Land History – presented by Chris Paton

Session 4

Online Books: Are they Really Good Resources? – presented by Tony Bandy

And I will top off the day by having a “get together” supper held at the Bay Street Bistro where my husband and myself usually have good food and conversation with fellow genealogists.

Then on Sunday, I will attend –

Session 5

Seeking a Better Future; The English Pioneers of Ontario and Quebec – presented by Lucille Campey

Session 6

The Good Commonwealth – presented by Chris Paton

I will enjoy lunch, and then I will attend the following sessions in the afternoon -

Session 7

The Scots in Ontario – a New Look at the Data – presented by Lucille Campey

Session 8

The Mount Stewart Murder – presented by Chris Paton

All of the lecture abstracts are at www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=98.

The biographies of each of the speakers is at www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=94

I will post my reactions to the different lectures that I plan to attend on Monday, September 17th.