Family History & Genealogy Seminar

Pamela Wile, the editor of the Nova Scotia Genealogist of the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia, writes to say that there are only a few seats left at the Family History & Genealogy Seminar being held by the DesBrisay Museum in Bridgewater. 

As a sponser of the event, GANS will present the following talks -

Every Gravestone Tells a Story - Deborah Trask

Historic Maps a Great Resource - Joan Dawson

Oral History - A Wealth of Information - Barb Cullen

Inter-Generational Research - Joan Parks-Hubley

Turn Your Research Into Artwork - Dawn Josey

The cost is $20.00 for the day, and includes refreshments and lunch.
DesBrisay Museum at 902.543.4033 for further information. They can accept payment by VISA or Mastercard over the phone.

The Seminar will be held from 8:45 am to 5:00 pm, and the day will wrap up with a walking tour of the Brookside Cemetery, a municipal heritage site.

The GANS website is at www.chebucto.ns.ca/recreation/GANS

What is a ‘Reasonably Exhaustive Search? A Webinar

Michael Hait, a very renowned, and respected genealogists from Delaware, gave a Webinar Wednesday (sponsored by Legacy Family Tree) in which he gave a lecture on doing an exhaustive evidence search in using the Genealogical Proof Standard to do genealogy.

Michael discussed what a “reasonably exhaustive search” is, why it is necessary, and how to conduct a search.

He gave a case study of his own family who lived in Stanford, Connecticut, and New York. This is where he used the Genealogical Proof Standard – was his ancestor born in Connecticut or New York.

See how he used “direct evidence” and “indirect evidence” to solve the problem.

He has put three articles on his website that you may like to read http://michaelhait.wordpress.com  

•“How to conduct a ‘reasonably exhaustive search’ for relevant records”

•“Finding what you are not looking for”

•“Does a ‘reasonably exhaustive search’ include online family trees?”

This was the 83rd Webinar that they have given at Legacy Family Tree website. They have been giving them for 2 years, and they had 1,500 participants this time on Wednesday.

I encourage you to take part in these Webinars. He has some of the most important genealogists in the world who participate. They are very informative, and they are FREE!

Go to www.legacyfamilytree.com/webinars

New Digital Family History Books

An update to the list of digital books that FamilySearh.org is putting online has just been released.

They have added 1,200 family history books to the list reports Nathan W. Murphy in his blog, during the month of July. These books are now accessible to everyone for free at Family History Books.

In addition to 700+ family genealogies, right now they have United States and Canada Books, British Isles Books, Compiled Genealogy Books, and International Books.

I checked and there are book on Alberta, and on the Red River Settlement in the United States and Canada Books section.

Go to their website at https://familysearch.org/blog/en/digital-family-history-b

Doors Open Ontario 2012

The Quinte Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, Trenton, ON will thrown open the doors to its library on Saturday September the 15th from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. during Doors Open Ontario 2012.

Their library is housed in the Quinte West Public Library, and it contains traditional printed material and microfilm records, cemetery transcriptions, census data, birth/marriage/death records and searchable databases.”

For more information about Doors Open Ontario 2012 visit www.doorsopenontario.on.ca

New Canadian Websites

I came across these website over the past week, and I thought you might like to know about them too -


Victoria’s Victoria www.victoriasvictoria.ca This website focuses on Victoria, Canada, during the reign of Queen Victoria. Includes an index to Victoria, British Columbia newspapers from 1858 to 1921, including birth, marriages and deaths.

Reaching the Heartwood http://reachingtheheartwood.blogspot.com Linda, from Connecticut, has started a blog (using a leaf background of vibrant colours), in which she follows her New England and Québec ancestors

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

The Compass www.cbncompass.ca/Columnists/Ed-Roberts/2012-09-05/article-3067985/The-Butlers---Newfoundlands-Oldest-Family/1 Read about the article that the family name of Butler could be added to the list of first settlers at Cupids in Newfoundland and Labrador.

A historian's obsession with the Medal of Honor www.oakbaynews.com/news/168017036.html
Read about Bart Armstrong, and his quest to find Canadians who had received the Medal of Honor in the American Civil War.

Cold Creek Stewardship unveils historical signs www.kingsentinel.com/news/2012-08-29/Community/Cold_Creek_Stewardship_unveils_historical_signs.html Read about how the ”The Cold Creek Stewardship Program, and it has completed the second of a series of educational signs for Cold Creek in the commemoration of the Cairns Family who first settled one of the four properties that comprise Cold Creek Conservation Area.”

Ireland Canada Monument

I have been following the news as the people behind The Ireland Canada Monument as they have put their plans before the Vancouver city Council for approval during the past couple of years.

Lately, they seem to be making good process, and the other day Brendan Flynn, the Executive Director of The Ireland Canada Monument sent out a progress report.

She reports, along other things, that all 120 names (100 on the Monument website) and 20 (Honourary Mention category) will be include on the Monument; that The Brian Ború Harp (The Harp of Ireland), the Celtic Cross and the Map of Ireland will feature on the Central Column of the Monument (how the Map of Ireland is to be included on the central Column requires review); and the drawing of Irish Music and Irish Dancing will feature on the Monument.

Once these issues are addressed in the very near future, The Monument Society will proceed with estimating the outstanding items to finalize the overall budget.

She says that fundraising to raise the required funds to build the Monument will begin as soon as possible. If you can help in anyway please do not hesitate to contact me.

To read more about this monument, go to their website at http://irelandmonumentvancouver.com

Promoting Canadian History through Horticulture

Doug Grant who is the editor of Loyalist Trails, the weekly newsletter of the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada, and this week he had an interesting article that showcased the use of gardening to promote Canadian history.

When the Branch was asked by District 9 of the Ontario Horticultural Association to set up a display for the 2012 Ontario Horticultural Association  Convention in Niagara on the Lake, the proposed theme was "Gardening Then & Now 1812-2012" .

Doug says ‘It was the effort of Ann Huffman, Membership Chair of the Branch, that lead to a more successful promotion of the observation of 200 years of peace between Canada and the United States. Through her initiative, the City of Welland created a War o f 1812 garden at one of the prominent sites in town. Ann's description of the process as well as a picture of the final work of horticultural design is visible here. Perhaps she will be equally lucky with her plans to observe the centennial of UELAC in 2014”

Go to www.uelac.org/PDF/Floral-Design-Welland-1812.pdf to see the wonderful display "Gardening Then and Now 1812 – 2012".

The website of the UELAC is www.uelac.org

A Toronto Trust Cemeteries Indexing Project Milestone

The Toronto Family History Society of the OGS has a blog, and the other day they posted that their partnership with Salt Lake City has yielded yet another milestone concering the index of Toronto Trust Cemeteries.

The following will be online at FamilySearch.org

» York General Burying Ground (Potter’s Field) 1826 to 1855

» Toronto Necropolis 1877 to 1935 (1850 to 1877 were already available)

» Mount Pleasant Cemetery 1876 to 1903

The recent records includes plot owners, next of kin names, full addresses, and all have been indexed.

They are asking for more indexers. There are more records in progress: Mount Pleasant Cemetery 1904 to 1935, and Prospect Cemetery 1890 to 1935.

They would welcome your help. Please contact Jane MacNamara at fsi@torontofamilyhistory.org if you would like to participate. Their blog is at http://torontofamilyhistory.org/projects

Spirit Walk to be Held in Puslinch

Betty Andersen has sent me the following notice -

“Celebrate the 175th anniversary of Duff's Church with a SPIRIT WALK to be held Monday September 17 at 7 pm

Come with us to visit the resting places of five of Duff's Church's first members - early pioneers in Puslinch Township, Ontario. Hear the stories of their lives as presented by some of their descendants -

Kerr

Meldrum

McCaig

McLean

McRobbie

Meet at Crown Cemetery REAR entrance which is off Nicholas Beaver Road (at Tim Horton's on Brock Road, Aberfoyle).

The SPIRIT WALK is sponsored by Puslinch Historical Society http://puslinchhistorical.ca

GenWeb Monday Sept 3 2012

I came across these website, and newspaper articles over the past week, and I thought you might like to know about them too -

Canadian Vietnam Veterans Information Website www.canadianvietnamveterans.ca There is a Memorial Wall, News and Events page, and other Veterans organizations in Canada.

The Art of Genealogy www.theartofgenealogy.com Karin Hadden is a family historian and genealogy student at St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. She has researched such areas as New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Canada, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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

Casey family returns to Ireland www.thechronicle-online.com/2012/08/30/casey-family-returns-to-ireland This story in The Chronicle Online and recounts that the Casey family has been reunited with their Irish counterparts by visiting their relative in Ireland this summer. (Accessed 31 August 2012)

Rob Ford's ancestor landed in Canada for being 'unruly' http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2012/07/31/20049106.html Read the story written by Don Peat, City Hall Bureau Chief of the Canadian online publication The Canoe.  He has done a story on Ancestry.ca's finding in their records that Rob Ford’s grandfather was sent to Canada as a child for being ‘unruly’. Looks like his grandfather was a Hone Child. (accessed 31 August 2012)

Fitz-Geralds visit their roots www.thecoaster.ca/News/2012-08-20/article-3056239/Fitz-Geralds-visit-their-roots/1 Read how three descendants of Dr. Conrad Fitz-Gerald were in the St. Jacques, Newfoundland area during the 2012 Come Home Year to research their family history in the The Coaster newspaper. (accessed 31 August 2012)

“Tracing Your Family Tree” Course

Interested in tracing your family tree?

The Alberta Genealogical Society Edmonton Branch will offer a course on Saturdays in the fall of 2012, and they will be -

October 13: Orientation to gathering, recording and organizing information.

October 27: Sources for genealogical research

November 3: Searching Government Records, using libraries, archives

and internet resources for genealogy research.

The sessions will run from 10 am to 3 pm with a half hour lunch break. Bring your own lunch; coffee, tea & juice provided.

The cost will be Members $75 Non-members $90 for the package of 3 workshops.

The classes will be held our facility in Nexus Business Park, #162, 14315 - 118 Avenue, Edmonton. Parking available.

To dowload a registration form, please go to www.abgensoc.ca/events.html

A New Article in the Canadian History Magazine

Paul Jones, a Toronto genealogical researcher and volunteer, has written the article Roots: Genealogy can be child’s play in the August issue of Canadian History Magazine.

The article is devoted to things that you can use to make it cool for kids to become involved with family history.

For example, you can use age appropriate activities such as looking through and discussing grandmother’s photo albums and heirlooms.

He explores other ideas, and this article should be read by people at genealogical societies because he has some interesting ideas. Any society could use these idea in their quest of getting younger people involved in family history.

To read the complete article, go to http://canadashistory.ca/Magazine/Online-Extension/Articles/Roots--Genealogy-can-be-child%E2%80%99s-play.aspx

Legacy Family Tree Webinars

On Wednesday afternoon, I had the pleasure of listening to a Webinar given by Judy G. Russell CG called “Building a Family from Circumstantial Evidence” put on by Legacy Family Tree.

The Webinar (which lasted almost 2 wonderful hours!) concentrated on using indirect evidence to construct a family tree.

She used a case study to show how finding all records and citing the sources of evidence, analyzing all the data, and resolving conflicts as they arise was the way to solve the particular problem she had – how to construct a family tree with a group of dates from a family Bible.

Obviously, Webinars are becoming more popular now with 1,700 people worldwide checking in to view this Webinar. And these Webinars are FREE! (for a certain amount of time after after their initial date of viewing).

It looks like I will be reserving Wednesday afternoons now so that I can take in future Webinars.

Next Wednesday, they will have Lisa Alzo (familiar to OGS people because she has talked here at different conferences), and she will talk on September 5th. The topic will be “Beyond the Arrival Date: Extracting More from Passenger Lists”.

To see which one you will want to listen to, go to www.legacyfamilytree.com/webinars.asp

Dwyers/O’Dwyers Reunion

I have received the following press release from Marilyn Dwyert concerning the Dwyers/O’Dwyers reunion. She told me that the Clan meet every 3 years and has always been in Tipperary, Ireland in the past, but this year it takes place in Williamsburg, VA in the States.

‘The reunion will gather once more in 2012, this time in the U.S. at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia from Thurs-Sat Sept 20-22nd inclusive.

The setting is indeed historic. Williamsburg, together with sister towns Jamestown and Yorktown, form the Historic Triangle and is probably the most-visited historic site in the States. The epicenter at Colonial Williamsburg comprises a fully restored town with many surviving original buildings as well as newly reconstructed replicas on over 300 acres, and claims to be the “largest outdoor museum in the world”. With period costumes and the occasional re-enactment, the visitor gets a real feel for life in the days of the American Revolution.

It promises to be a great weekend for young and old, and all those associated with the O’Dwyer name are very welcome to attend. It will be an ideal opportunity to meet new friends, and who knows, maybe find a long-lost cousin or two.

We hope to see you there”.

You can go to www.dwyerclan.com

Korean and Second World War Veterans Share their Stories with The Memory Project

This past week in Ottawa, local military veterans of the Second World War and Korean War participated in a national-wide digital and oral history initiative called The Memory Project. 

In a press release received last week, it said that “With more than 2,500 Second World War veteran testimonials recorded to date, The Memory Project Archive recently received new funding to collect and preserve the experiences of Canada’s Korean War veterans so that may never be forgotten.

An initiative of The Historica-Dominion Institute, The Memory Project Archive is creating an unprecedented record of Canada’s participation in the Second World War and Korean War as seen through the eyes of thousands of men and women who were there. It is providing every living veteran with the opportunity to preserve their memories through recorded interviews and digitized memorabilia".

Their stories are available, in both official languages, at www.thememoryproject.com

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.