York Region Ancestors Fall Issue

The fall newsletter of the York Region of the OGS has two articles about the Upper Canada Sundries, New Research opportunities from the Library and Archives Canada, Aliens in the Township of Markham, and the Vaughn Memorial Project.

The first two articles involve land records in Upper Canada, and gives very good advice in finding people within the microfilm.

We are reminded that there are two places to check (FREE) and they are Janice Nickerson’s website at http://www.uppercanadagenealogy.com and Michael Stephenson’s website http://www.ontariogenealogy.com/uppercanadasundries.html for sundries files.

If you have had difficulty finding aliens in the 19th century in the Township of Markham, maybe you should look at the list in this newsletter. There are fifteen names on the list for the year 1815, and they were taken from the sundries list.

The City of Vaughan Archives are putting together a Memory Project and Exhibit, and are asking people who use to live, or are living in the area to collect oral histories, and send them to the archives once finished.

The person in charge of this project is Brenda Hicock and she can be reached by Brenda.hicock@vaughan.ca

If you would like to receive this newsletter four times a year, you can join the York Region by going to the http://www.rootsweb.com/~onyrbogs

Fall 2013 Anglo-Celtic Roots

The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO)has issued the fall edition of its journal the Anglo-Celtic Roots.

There are a number of articles in this issue, and they are –

The Cowley Family Saga: From Sherwood Forest to the NHL – Part I by Christine Jackson which talks about the role that the Crowley family (they arrived in the Ottawa area from England in the 1830s) played in the development of the Ottawa Valley, and of Champlain Park, a housing development in the west end of Ottawa in the 1950s.

Found in a Monastery? by Brian D. Cook is a summary of what happened to tracing his maternal great-grandfather – Cuthbert Baker – from help by the BIFHSGO society, and genetic genealogy. .. and the records of the Benedictine Monastery in Europe.

The Cutler Genealogical Odyssey by Gillian Leitch tells of she successfully traced John Cutler from Eton, England who was employed as a clerk at the Tower of London. It is a fascinating story!

In the From the President message, Glenn Wright, says that they have imitated two projects that will result in two databases – the pre-Confederate immigrants from the British Isles (which will hold important names for researchers), and the second one will concern the First World War. So stayed tuned for developments on that front.

Betty Warburton keeps us up-to-date on the happenings at the library at the Archive of Ottawa, this month she tells us of the books on Ireland; John D. Reid talks about Canadiana.org, and the 1921 Census in The Cream of the Crop, and Ian White writes about The Ottawa City Archives: a Treasure Chest for Genealogists.

The Anglo-Celtic Roots (ACR) is available as a member benefit of BIFHSGO when you join the organization.

To join as a member, go to http://www.bifhsgo.ca

Canada Passenger Lists, 1881-1922

They have added new index records and digital images to the ships' passenger lists (also known as ships' manifests or seaport records of entry) at FamilySearch.

It contains records for the ports of Quebec City, 1900-1921; Halifax, 1881-1922; Saint John, 1900-1912; North Sydney, 1906-1912; Vancouver, 1905-1912; Victoria, 1905-1912; New York, 1906-1912; and Eastern US Ports, 1905-1912.

The lists for United States ports include only those names of passengers with intentions of proceeding directly to Canada

Hint: If you have a surname that you suspect was spelled differently in the immigrant records, this record at FamilySearch is a good way to catch those surnames...

Go to the website at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1823240?ET_CID=45596243&ET_RID=genealogycanada@aol.com

FGS Announces Three-part Webinar Series on Genealogy Society Membership and Communication

Very seldom does this blog mention American genealogy societies, but I must make an exception in this case. The Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) is giving a great Webinar series which is of particular interest to those involved in society membership and communication.

The FGS welcomes George G. Morgan, President of Aha! Seminars, Inc. and VP of Membership for FGS, as he presents a three-part webinar series on genealogy society membership and communication.

• Tuesday, October 22, 2013, 8:00-9:00 pm EDT
The Shape of the 21st Century Genealogical Society
We've come a long way as genealogical and historical societies. New technologies such as blogs, print-on-demand publishing, Facebook, Twitter, mobile phone apps, podcasts, webinars, and others have drastically changed what we can do for our societies. This session discusses how the modern society can provide a rich experience for its members and get its message out to the world. Click on the link to register for the webinar: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/409683718


• Monday, November 4, 2013, 8:00-9:00 pm EST
Harness the Power of Email in Your Society
Email is a powerful tool that, within your society, can build excitement and encourage member participation. Learn the types of email communications that capture attention. Create a professional presence for your organization. Discover strategies for effectively using and managing email. Uncover ways to publicize who you are and what you offer. Attract and keep members! Click on the link to register for the webinar: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/421955302


• Monday, November 18, 2013, 8:00-9:00 pm EST
How to Develop and Implement Affordable Membership Benefits
Genealogical and historical societies are struggling to attract and retain members while striving to stay solvent. It is essential to offer tangible benefits year-round. This session discusses best practices that can be put in place to provide affordable benefits to members. Click on the link to register for the webinar: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/111785582

I have known George personally for the past ten years, and consider him to be one of the top genealogy teachers in North America. He is president of Aha! Seminars, Inc., and an internationally recognized genealogy expert who presents at conferences and on genealogical cruises around the world.

Solving Cemetery Problems

Saturday at 1 pm on 19 October 2013, the Quinte OGS Branch will present
Solving Cemetery Problems by Diane Clendenan & Marjorie Stuart.

These two lovely ladies have devoted their lives to cemeteries. They have co-authored a book Solving Cemetery Problems: How to deal with Vandalism, Abandoned Cemeteries, Registration and Heritage Designation.

They have also co-chaired the joint OGS and OHS Cemetery Preservation Committee, and in particular, the Cemetery Registration Project.

Together they bring a wealth of genealogical experience and expertise, relating to a variety of research areas, especially on the topic of cemeteries.

This event will be one you don't want to miss!

The Quinte OGS Branch will meet at the Quinte West City Hall Library, 7 Creswell Drive, Trenton, Ontario.

The website is at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs/about_us.htm

Ancestry.ca puts on Canada GenWeb Cemetery Index

Canada GenWeb has been collecting their cemetery data since 2004, and it is on http://cemetery.canadagenweb.org.

Now, Ancestry.ca has taken this data and has put the index only on http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=70668


But to learn about the records, go to the Canada GenWeb site.

The web site says that “It is a volunteer project of CanadaGenWeb and currently offers a free and searchable listing of over 18,000 known Canadian cemeteries.

This volunteer built database offers a variety of information geared towards genealogists:

♦ Names, locations & histories of cemeteries

♦ Links to repositories & genealogy organizations that offer further information and/or assistance

♦ Lookup offers, transcripts, indexes, and photos compiled by volunteers.

On Saturday, October 12, the British Iles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, will present And a Brother Who Went to Australia? at 10:00 am by Chris MacPhail.

Chris MacPhail’s maternal grandfather was a Home Child who immigrated to Canada from Scotland with an elder brother in the 1880s. A family anecdote suggested that there may have been another brother who went to Australia. Chris will describe his efforts to verify the story, and the new challenges raised by some of the things learned.

You can listen to an interview with Chris at http://www.bifhsgo.ca/cpage.php?pt=106

Arrive early and take in Before BIFHSGO from 9:00 - 9:30 am to listen to Exploring the Find My Past Website by Judy Thamas, and from 9:30 - 10:00 am there are the Discovery Tables and Lesley Anderson will be there to help you Get Help with Ancestry.ca.


The BIFHSGO is http://www.bifhsgo.ca/

Canadian Week in Review 07 October 2013

I have come across the following Canadian websites, blogs, Facebook, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too

Websites

Acadian Memorial http://www.acadianmemorial.org/They say that the Acadian Memorial is located in historic St. Martinville, Louisiana. Be sure to visit the Ensemble Encore Database of Acadian Genealogy online if you have Acadian ancestors.

Blogs

No new blogs this week.

Facebook, Videos, You Tube

No new sites this week.

Newspapers Articles of the Week

Museum hires heritage manager http://www.prpeak.com/articles/2013/10/02/community/doc524b66e6c815f716371072.txt
Bert Finnamore, a past administrator from the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, has been appointed as Powell River Historical Museum and Archives Association’s heritage manager.

Shouldn't Digital Access to Our History Be Free? http://www.thetyee.ca/Mediacheck/2013/10/02/Shouldnt-Digital-Access-to-Our-History-Be-Free/ Michael Geist, a Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, gives his view on Canada’s digital future.

Franklin searchers find bones, artifacts but no ships Franklin http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/franklin-searchers-find-bones-artifacts-but-no-ships-1.1862083 The CBC reports that the Parks Canada searching for the boats of the Franklin Expedition in the area of the King William Island has found about 200 small artifacts, “but offered no new hints about the fate of the reinforced wooden vessels.”

Story of the Week

Women's History Month 2013

This year’s theme is Canadian Women Pioneers: Inspiring Change Through Ongoing Leadership

October was declared as Women’s History Month in Canada in 1992, at the hest of a group of women from British Columbia.

October was chosen because it was on October the 18th 1929 that Canadian women were first declared to be legally considered as 'persons'. They were eligible to join the Senate, or the Upper House of the parliament of Canada.

There are a number of sites in Canada which are dedicated to Women's History Month, and they are –

Heroines.ca A Guide to Women in Canadian History http://www.heroines.ca/celebrate/historymonth.html A full page of news, a gallery, biographies, and a special This Month in History.

Women's History Month: Canada http://womenshistory.about.com/od/whmcanada/Womens_History_Month_Canada.htm The site gives the history of The Person’s Case in Canada, and gives, for example, the history of Celebrating Women's Achievements in Sports.

Reminder: Check out Canadian Week in Review every Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country! The next post will be on 14 October, 2013

Hands-On Claesses in Early Ontario Land Records

Gwyneth Pearc, the Secretary of the Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, has sent us this announcement -

“Hands-On Early Ontario Land Records” is a three-session course to be taught by author, educator and long-time OGS member Jane MacNamara. Designed for both family and local historians, this course will provide an introduction to the land granting process and the main types of Crown Lands records. Participants will learn how to use the various finding aids and collections at the Archives of Ontario (including those on microfilm from Library and Archives Canada) to document a person’s acquisition of (or attempt to acquire) land in Upper Canada, and will work in small groups following case histories through the records.

The course fee is $90 ($78 for OGS members), and the schedule is Thursdays November 28, December 5 and 12, 2013, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

The place that this will be held is the Archives of Ontario, 134 Ian MacDonald Blvd., York University, Toronto

Visit their Branch website at www.torontofamilyhistory.org/courses.html for course and registration details.

Postscript: To those who want to see Jane, she will be at the Ottawa Genealogical Society on March 22, 2014 at which she will appear as Guest Speaker.

For more information, go to http://ogsottawa.on.ca/

Preserve the Fegan Home in Toronto

The OGS has been told that the City of Toronto is interested in the site of the former Fegan Boys Distributing Home at 295 George Street in Toronto. The structure was damaged by fire in 2012.

They say that “Many of the boys passing through these walls left their mark by way of inscribing their names and the dates of their stays on the bricks. These names are still visible.

OGS, along with the broader genealogical and heritage community, requests that the City of Toronto seriously consider the historic significance of this treasure and find a way to preserve it and the information it holds”.

Some additional sites for information are -

J. W. C. Fegan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._W._C._Fegan A short, concise history of James William Condell Fegan, an Englisman who was the founder of orphanages for boys.

Young Immigrants to Canada http://jubilation.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/children/Organizations/fegan.html If you had an relative in the Fegan Home in Toronto, you are given the name of a person in England who can search the English history of your relative for you.

BRITISH HOME CHILD http://www.ogs.on.ca/SIG-BHC/index.htm The OGS has a SIG dedicated to the British Home Child.

UPDATE: Nova Scotia 1921 Census

Dwayne Meisner has been hosting the 1921 census transcription on his site. I think that Halifax and Annapolis Counties are now complete, and he is looking for more volunteers to do the other counties in the province.

He says that “As a lot of you may be aware, I and others have been working on transcribing the 1921 census for Nova Scotia, and I have been uploading the finished transcriptions to my site http://www.dwaynemeisner.com/census/novascotia/index.php .

However, it a HUGE project, and so we are looking for more volunteers. I don't expect anyone to do a whole county; even just one sub-district would be a great
help!"

If you are interested, please visit his site
http://www.dwaynemeisner.com/census/volunteer.php for more information.

Is there anyone out there who can help Dwayne finish the 1921 Nova Scotia census?

The National Institute For Genealogical Studies Announces New Lecturing Course

The following announcement was received yesterday from the National Institute For Genealogical Studies

"Lecturing Skills Including Preparation written by genealogy professional Thomas MacEntee, is the newest course offering at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. Part of the Professional Development Certificate, this course provides practical suggestions for developing, offering and presenting genealogical lectures. Students receive practical real world experience with a final project that involves presenting in a webinar format to a live audience.

Director of The National Institute for Genealogical Studies, Louise St. Denis says of the new course, “Lecturing is such an integral part of a professional genealogist’s life. This course seemed like a natural fit for the Professional Development Certificate. Having Thomas author the course was an easy choice considering his experience in the field.”

Course author Thomas MacEntee stated “Public speaking is not necessarily just a talent one is born with. It has to be cultivated and it is more than just standing up in front of a room and opening your mouth to speak. Good speakers know that it takes not just hard work and practice to succeed; it also requires learning the “how” of speaking about your passion and educating others.”

Whether you enroll in Lecturing as part of the Professional Development Certificate or as a stand-alone course, you will finish it with new skills to prefect your presentations.

Professional Development Certificate

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies offers eleven Certificate Programs including the Professional Development Program. Courses in this new program include, Transcribing, Abstracting, & Extracting - Career Development: Choosing a Niche - Creating Programs for Adults & the Younger Generation - Organizing a One Name Study - Lecturing - Forensic Genealogy - Genealogy and Copyright - Palaeography - Document Analysis - DNA - Marketing - House and Farm Histories - One Place Studies - Analysis and Skills Mentoring - Methodology

To learn more about The National Institute’s Certificate Programs, see their website at http://www.genealogicalstudies.com/.

Enroll Now for a Special Offer

Ongoing professional support is crucial to any career. That’s why The National Institute has teamed up with the Genealogical Speakers Guild to offer students a discount on membership.

Postscript: I am currently enrolled in the Professional Development Certificate program, and start my first course on Monday October 7th.

UPDATE: Register of One-Place Studies is Now Live!

Further to my notice last week that there was a new website online with the Register of One-Place Studies, they are now announcing the following update -

“The new free Register of One-Place Studies went LIVE earlier this week and we’re off to a flying start. So far we h studies from 3 continents covering 7 countries, 33 counties/states and 235 places. From Angmering in Sussex to the Isle of Mull in Argyll, from Drumnaconagher in County Down to Meldreth in Cambridgeshire and from Acton in Massachusetts to Wando Vale in Victoria, to name but a few, we’re helping to put study owners’ efforts on the map!

The studies range from small hamlets and specific districts within a town through to whole regions including multiple towns. Some studies are now dormant but have amassed a wealth of information over the years which continues to benefit researchers. We even have one very active study with no residents living in the study area - they were all forced to leave their homes in 1943 and were not allowed to return. What is clear is the hours of selfless dedication and commitment study owners have spent building up their studies over many years.

The Register’s purpose is to provide a listing of one-place studies currently being undertaken across the UK, and internationally, which is:
• open to all
• free to access
• free to add to
• comprehensive
If you have a one-place study and haven’t yet added it to the Register, don’t delay any more!”

The web site may be found at: http://www.register-of-one-place-studies.org.uk.

Kensington Market Through the Lens of the Ontario Jewish Archives

Dara Solomon, Director of the Ontario Jewish Archives, will present the stories found in the collections of the Ontario Jewish Archives about the families, merchants, and community members who made this neighbourhood home during the 1920s-1940s.

She will also discuss how the OJA has shaped these narratives through their 40-year old walking tour of the neighbourhood and their soon-to-be-launched mobile interactive mapping feature on the new OJA website.

The meeting will take place on October 30th at the Lillian H. Smith Branch, Toronto Public Library, 239 College Street, Toronto.

To visit the Kensington Market site, go to http://www.kmhs.ca/

To visit the Ontario Jewish Archives, go to http://www.ontariojewisharchives.org/

The Ontario Jewish Archives is celebrating their 40th Anniversary this year.

Kitchener Public Library Genealogy Fair

On November 2, 2013, there will be the 3rd Genealogy Fair at the Kitchener Public Library in Kitchener, Ontario.

It starts at 9:30 AM, and the fair will be for beginners and experts alike. There will be workshops, speak with experts and more than 25 exhibits and vendors.

Some of the speakers are –

Genealogy in a Community Cookbook
with Carolyn Blackstock, Historian & Blogger

Genealogy and the Law in Canada
with Professor Margaret Ann Wilkinson, University of Western Ontario

Introduction to Genetic Genealogy
with Sue Fenn, Family History Alive

Finding Your Ancestors in Germany
with Noel Elliot, The Genealogical Research Library

There are many more speakers, and if you want more information , go to http://kpl.org/ref/gsr.html

Friends of the Tecumseh Monuments

The expansion of the site of the Tecumseh Monument is southwesters Ontario has launched a Buy a Brick Program to renovate and expand the existing site.

You can read the plans for expansion at http://www.tecumsehmonument.ca/

Individuals or companies can purchase bricks for $30. Each brick can be inscribed with a message of up to 25 characters

Ancestry.com LLC acquires Find a Grave

On the last day of September, Ancestry.com made the following announcement -

PROVO, Utah, Sept. 30, 2013 -- Ancestry.com LLC announced today it has acquired Find A Grave, Inc., the leading online cemetery database.

With over 100 million memorials and 75 million photos, Find A Grave has amassed an unparalleled collection of burial information. Over the past 18 years, it has grown to become an invaluable resource for genealogists, history buffs and cemetery preservationists. Find A Grave will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Ancestry.com, and will continue to be managed by its founder, Jim Tipton.

"Find A Grave is an amazing phenomenon supported by a passionate and engaged community of volunteers around the world," said Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry.com. "We at Ancestry.com are so excited...honored really...to take on the responsibility of supporting this community. We will maintain Find A Grave as a free website, will retain its existing policies and mode of operation, and look forward to working with Jim Tipton and the entire Find A Grave team to accelerate the development of tools designed to make it even easier for the Find A Grave community to fulfill its original mission to capture every tombstone on Earth."

Ancestry.com plans to bolster the resources dedicated to Find A Grave to launch a new mobile app, improve customer support, introduce an enhanced edit system for submitting updates to memorials, foreign-language support, and other site improvements.

"Ancestry.com has been a long-time supporter of Find A Grave. They have been linking and driving traffic to the site for several years," said Jim Tipton, founder of Find A Grave. "Burial information is a wonderful source for people researching their family history and I look forward to working with Ancestry.com to help continue our growth and accelerate the pace of improvements."

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Canadian Week in Review 30 September 2013

I have come across the following Canadian websites, blogs, Facebook, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too

Websites

No new websites this week.

Blogs

No new blogs this week

Facebook, Videos, You Tube

Upper Canada Genealogy https://www.facebook.com/JaniceCNickerson Janice, a Canadian genealogist, has joined Facebook, and one of the first questions she asks is – “Working on my next talk - about heir tracing and finding living people. I'm collecting a list of the best online sources for Canadian obit and gravestone indexes. Would my genealogist friends care to recommend their favourites?”

Canadian Conservation Institute https://www.facebook.com/cci.conservation?ref=hl They are a year old and have had 1,242 “likes”. They ask - What do you like about our page? What kind of posts do you want to see?

Newspapers Articles of the Week

Fire on historic Lunenburg waterfront now out http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/fire-on-historic-lunenburg-waterfront-now-out-1.1871643 A fire in Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Place, on Friday night, destroyed the historic Scotia Trawler Equipment Ltd. Building. The Bluenose II schooner, currently undergoing sea trials out of Lunenburg, was not involved in the fire.

15 P.E.I. lighthouses receive heritage designation http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/15-p-e-i-lighthouses-receive-heritage-designation-1.1868056 The following 15 lighthouses across the Island receive heritage designation
Leards Front Range Lighthouse, Victoria
Cape Egmont Lighthouse, Cape Egmont
Blockhouse Lighthouse, Rocky Point
Cape Bear Lighthouse, Beach Point
East Point Lighthouse, East Point
Indian Head Lighthouse, Lower Bedeque
New London Range Lighthouse, Park Corner
North Cape Lighthouse, Seacow Pond
North Rustico Lighthouse, North Rustico
Panmure Head Lighthouse, Panmure Island
Point Prim Lighthouse, Point Prim
Seacow Head Lighthouse, Fernwood
Wood Islands Lighthouse, Wood Islands
Souris Historic Lighthouse, Souris
West Point Lighthouse, West Point

Mi’kmaq History Month launching website for 20th anniversary http://www.thevanguard.ca/Living/2013-09-25/article-3406293/-Mi%26rsquo%3Bkmaq-History-Month-launching-website-for-20th-anniversary-/1 October is recognized as the 20th anniversary of Mi’kmaq History Month in Nova Scotia. To commemorate this milestone, a website has been created “to promote awareness, share information, and highlight culturally-related events taking place during Mi’kmaq History Month”.

To go to the website, click www.mikmaqhistorymonth.com. It’s a very nice website, and has lots of information.

Story of the Week

Franco-Ontarian Resource at the Archives of Ontario

September 25th is now Franco-Ontarian Day in Ontario. This date marks the anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag’s unveiling in 1975, and it is the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain and Étienne Brûlé's journeys to what is now Ontario.

There are various family files held at the Archives, including

• Jacques Duperon Baby family fonds 1759-1866, 1946
This family was involved in the fur trade, and public service. “Francois Baby, brother of Jacques Duperon, and his descendants played an important role in Quebec's politics and economy during the late 18th and 19th centuries”
• Max LeMarchant deGodart du Planty collection [194-]-1979
“Collection consists of research notes, genealogies and correspondence on the du Planty family, the Godart family and their branches, as assembled by Max LeMarchant de Godart du Planty. Families mentioned include Dongan (Dungan), Van Buskirk and a large number of other French (continental) families.”
• Jean Baptiste Rousseau family fonds 1774-1953
“Jean Baptiste Rousseau (1758-1812) was an early merchant and mill owner in Ancaster, York and Kingston, Ontario, who died while serving in the War of 1812”.

There are many other topics that you can check, and it should be one of the places that you research if you are doing Franco-Ontarian research.

The website is http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/access/franco-ontarian.aspx

Reminder: Check out Canadian Week in Review every Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country! The next post will be on 07 October, 2013

MacDonald family history

Here is some news from Ron Zinck, who posts to the NSRoots mailing list quite often -

“I spent part of my Friday the Archives of Ontario working my way through
the collection of Rev. Ewen MacDonald. He worked for decades on Scottish
history and the McDonald family history. I have a number of scans that may
be of interest to researchers and I suspect I will have allot more after
every visit. This batch includes letters and a few charts that discusses
Antigonish, Cape Breton, and different septs in Scotland.

I hope that some of the MacDonald researchers will be able to help decipher, interpret and place these scans in context."

I uploaded them onto Google drive at this link
https://drive.google.com/?tab=mo&authuser=0#folders/

The Niagara Peninsula OGS Branch announces new publication

The Niagara Peninsula OGS Branch is starting to take orders of their new book - More Than A Mere Matter Of Marching on October the 1st.

This will be a limited-edition book to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

The press release says that “When Thomas Jefferson made his infamous prediction that "the acquisition of Canada this year... will be a mere matter of marching," he underestimated the courage and determination of the men and women of Upper Canada, including their First Nations allies.

Our book, More Than A Mere Matter of Marching contains the fascinating stories of over 60 families whose experiences during the War of 1812 may never have been in print before. The book is 323 pages, contains both colour and black-and-white images, and an index of over 1700 names.

PRE-PUBLICATION PRICE (available Oct. 1 - Oct. 31, 2013): $25.00 shipping and handling
PUBLICATION PRICE: $30.00 shipping and handling”.

For further information, please visit the Niagara Peninsula OGS Branch website: http://www.ogs.on.ca/niagara/. Just click on to the button which says War of 1812.

Gene-O-Rama returns to Ottawa

After a year’s absence, the Ottawa Branch of the OGS, will be having a Gene-O-Rama 2014 at the Confederation Education Centre, 1645 Woodroffe Av., Ottawa.

It will be held on the 21 and the 22 March, 2014, and the featured speaker will be Toronto genealogist Jane E. MacNamara.

So mark your calendar.

For more information, go http://ogsottawa/geneorama/

Sudbury District (OGS) Branch Meeting

On Monday, October 21, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a meeting at the Parkside Ctr, 140 Durham Street in Sudbury of the Sudbury District (OGS) Branch.

The topic will be The Shouldering of Arms by Gary Peck. He will discuss what led to the First World War, with the intent to help better appreciate ancestors in the context of the times.

For more info, go to http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onogs/ogs.htm

Ancestry.ca UPDATE: Historical records of passengers travelling the St. Lawrence from 1819 to 1838

I just received word this morning about a new database, and this one will interest people if they have ancestor's who immigrated to Canada 1819 to 1838.

TORONTO (Sept. 26, 2013) – Ancestry.ca, Canada’s largest family history website, announced today the launch of almost 200,000 passenger records dating from 1819 to 1836, documenting passengers travelling between Quebec City and Montreal on the ships of the St. Lawrence Steamboat Company.

The St. Lawrence River is one of the world's great waterways and has played a vital role in the history of Canada, serving as the main route into the continent for French explorers in the 17th century. Throughout the 19th century and well into the 20th, the river carried hundreds of thousands of immigrants to Canada in search of a new life in a new land. For this reason, the St. Lawrence Steamboat Company passenger lists are significant source of information for genealogists and family historians.

“The passenger lists can offer Canadians rich information about their ancestors but also help paint a picture of the changing face of Canada through one of our most significant bodies of water,” says Lesley Anderson, a genealogist and Content Manager for Ancestry.ca. “The St. Lawrence River is an important part of our history, and we are proud we can offer the only known surviving historical records of the ships that operated on the river in the 1800s. This collection is truly a national treasure.”

The history of the St. Lawrence Steamboat Company is an important part of Canada’s history. Following the successful launch of his brewing company in the 1780s, John Molson and his sons expanded into the shipping industry by creating the St. Lawrence Steamboat Company. The vessels transported passengers and freight along the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec City.

Travellers during this time, who were mostly English speaking, often used the vibrant thoroughfare as a stepping stone to make their way into the United States. One method of entering the U.S. from Canada was to take a steamer from Quebec City to Montreal and proceed south by sleigh, foot or horse and buggy.

In this new collection of historical records, users can find the name of a passenger departure city and the amount paid for a ticket. Members can also see whether a passenger travelled in steerage or cabin, travel dates and if they travelled with family. The collection will help provide users with context for when their ancestors arrived in Canada or the U.S. This new collection supplements Ancestry.ca’s vast database of millions of historical passenger and immigration records, which also includes:

· Canadian Passenger Lists and Ocean Arrivals – These collections consist of all records of immigration to Canada by ship or overland between 1865 and 1935, a period of 70 years that saw the largest influx of immigration into Canada ever, from all parts of the world.

· Pre-Confederation Passenger Lists – These lists contain correspondence and dispatches regarding emigration from the British Isles from 1758 to 1851. The collection also includes letters from many people requesting information and assistance to immigrate to Canada. It showcases the waves of immigration to Canada in the century before Canada became a nation.

. U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists – These collections relate to immigration for the U.S. and Canada prior to the 1820s. Housing more than four million records of individuals who arrived on U.S. and Canadian ports from the 1500s through the 1900s.

To check out the new St. Lawrence Steamboat Company records please visit http:www. ancestry.ca.

1911 Census Updated

Ancestry.ca has updated the 1911 Census database.

There are now over 7-million names on the database.

This database is an every name index, and it covers the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, and two territories - the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories.

Go to the website at http://search.ancestry.ca/search/db.aspx?dbid=8947

The New Acadia Project

Warren Perrin, of the Acadian Museum in Louisiana, says that “The New Acadia Project is an archaeological/historical initiative that aims to locate the original mid-eighteenth-century settlements of the first group of Acadian exiles in the Louisiana territory.

Their descendants today comprise over 500,000 Cajuns in Louisiana and throughout the world.

The New Acadia Project seeks to locate artifacts which will help establish the locations of these Acadian settlements, evidenced to be near the Teche Ridge/Teche River, as early as 1765.”

Their goal is to raise $100,000 by private donation. If you would like a detailed summary of the project, you can go to www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~mar4160/nap.html

Canadian Week in Review 23 September 2013

I have come across the following Canadian websites, blogs, Facebook, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too

Websites

No new websites this week.

Blogs

Family Tree Knots http://familytreeknots.blogspot.ca Ken, a cousin of mine (related through the Chipman – Webster family of Kentville, Nova Scotia) has a new blog in which he tackles brick walls in his family tree.

Facebook, Videos, You Tube

No new sites this week

Newspapers Articles of the Week

Lac-Mégantic library to get Maine donations after explosion Farmington Public Library raises funds to help rebuild destroyed library in Quebec town http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/lac-m%C3%A9gantic-library-to-get-maine-donations-after-explosion-1.1363080 Libraries across Maine have been busy collecting donations to help the people in Lac-Mégantic, Que. rebuild their library which was totally destroyed in the train derailment and explosion in June.

Plaque honours Angus MacLean - war hero, politician, farmer and family man http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/News/Local/2013-09-15/article-3390983/Plaque-honours-Angus-MacLean---war-hero,-politician,-farmer-and-family-man/1 The late Angus MacLean, a member of parliament and then as premier of Prince Edward Island was honoured with a plaque placed at the Lord Selkirk Park by the The Clan Maclean Heritage Heritage Trust, Clan Maclean Atlantic Canada, the Caledonian Club of P.E.I and the Belfast Historical Society.

Windsor Historical Society’s Veterans’ Memories Project http://www.examiner.com/article/windsor-historical-society-s-veterans-memories-project Corinne Frontiero writes a piece about Matthew Pritchard, a young historian involved with the Windsor Historical Society’s Veterans Memories Projects

Story of the Week

Some very sad news for Ottawa as news slowly came out that two of the six people in the train – bus accident Thursday had indirect ties to the genealogy community in Ottawa.

Robb More, the son of vice-president Mike More of the Ontario Genealogical Society, and former chair of the Ottawa Genealogical Branch, and Karen Krzyzewski, an employee at Library and Archives Canada both passed away in the accident.

Our prayers are with the families at this time.

All flags in Ottawa are at half mast this week, and if you wish to learn more about this symbol of the county’s grief, you can go to http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1311704914994/1311705010488


Reminder: Check out Canadian Week in Review every Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country! The next post will be on 30 September, 2013

Strengthening Ontario’s Heritage Network

The Ontario History Society, which was established in 1888, now has a series of FREE Webinars about Ontario’s history.

They say that “These webinars are the first in a new series of online training sessions held by The Ontario Historical Society, and as such, we would like to offer a complimentary registration to OHS members and friends!

Please spread the word to colleagues and friends”

The next webinar is Professional Development for Teachers Using Ontario's New History and Social Studies Curriculum and it will be on Tuesday September 24th

To read more about the Webinars, go to http://www.ontariohistoricalsociety.ca

Kent County Branch Meeting

On Friday, October 11, 2013 at 7:00 pm at the St. Andrews Residence, 99 Park St., Chatham, ON, the Kent County Branch of the OGS will hold their monthly meeting at which Reg Johnston will speak on 150 YEARS! THE CHATHAM GRANITE CLUB.

Mr. Johnston with share the history and the people involved with building the curling club.
Contact http://ogs.on.ca/kent

If you can’t make it to the meeting, there is a short history of the Chatham Granite Club on their website at http://chathamgraniteclub.com/club

Grande Prairie and District Branch - Fall Workshop

The Grande Prairie and District Branch of the Alberta Genealogical Society is offering a workshop this weekend to help you find your ancestors in Canada. The workshop is offered in partnership with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

The workshop will take place on Friday and Saturday (Sept 20 and 21st), at the Family History Centre at 11212-102 Street and Grande Prairie Public Library at 9839-103 Avenue in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

Quebec Family History Society President Gary Schroder, and John Althouse will headline the weekend with discussion on searching census records, birth, marriage and death records, and passenger lists. More than 60 people have already registered for the event, and they welcome all walk-ins.

There is no cost associated with the event, but a lunch will be available on Sept. 21, for a pre-ordered price of $15.

Sign-up begins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, to save your seat call 780-766-2920 or 780-538-9464.

For more information and a complete schedule, visit http://gp.abgensoc.ca

Many volunteers make blog postings

If you are a society having problems keeping up with blog postings, then a number of societies have a solution for you!

Why don’t you do what the Alberta Family History Society and the Ottawa Genealogical Society have done – designate a number of people to write blog posts, instead of just one person doing all of the work? Spread the responsibility around to a number of potential bloggers in the society.

Here are the websites of the two blogs -

The Alberta Family History Society blog at http://afhs.ab.ca/blog

The Ottawa Genealogical Society blog at http://ogsottawa.blogspot.com

Region One Annual Meeting

The Region One Annual Meeting of the Ontario Genealogical Society hosted by Lambton County Branch OGS will be held on October 19th, 2013 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the John Knox Christian School at 4738 Confederation Road, Wyoming, Ontario.

The title of the one-day conference will be On and Off the Internet Strategies for Effective Genealogical Research.

Steve Fulton, Technical Support and Innovations Committee Chair, OGS/Chair, Niagara Peninsula Branch OGS will talk on Searching the Past with the help of the .com

Alan Campbell, Newsletter Editor and Past Chair, Lambton County Branch OGS will talk about Going Totally Off-line-Almost/On-Site Researching in Libraries and Archives

Heather Lavallee, Archivist -Lambton County Archives, Wyoming, Ontario will talk about Finding the Secrets of the Archives

Advance Registration [Includes Lunch] OGS Members $30.00 CDN Non Members $35.00 CDN Registration at the Door $35.00

Register on-line at http://www.lambton.ogs.on.ca/Bulletinboard.html

One-Place Studies to expand world-wide

News come to us that the One-Place Studies, a charitable organisation founded in 2013 by dedicated family and local historians, is looking for members world-wide.

Members will have an interest in one particular place, whether it is a street, village, hamlet or town.

Is anyone in Canada is involved with One-Place Studies? If you are, can you let us know of the place that you are studying?

To go to their site, please click http://one-place-studies.org/studies

To go to this site, please click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-place_study

Nuit Blanche Ottawa-Gatineau

The Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa has announced its first-time partnership with Nuit Blanche Ottawa-Gatineau.

It will be held this weekend on September 21, from 6:21 p.m. to 4:22 a.m., and it is Free!

Come enjoy the pop-up lounge, a temporary art installation and special exhibitions.

Too see what available, go to http://www.civilization.ca/event/nuit-blanche

OGS Webinars for Members Only

American genealogist blogger and speaker Judy G. Russell, the Legal Genealogist, will give the first OGS Webinar - Genealogy in Your Genes on Saturday October 5, 2013 at 4:00 pm EDT via Adobe Connect. This Webinar is for Members Only.

They say that “The key to so many genealogical secrets may be locked inside your genes -- but today those secrets can be unlocked through DNA testing. Learn about the three major test types -- YDNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the new autosomal DNA testing -- and what each offers to the genealogist.

The Legal Genealogist Judy G. Russell, JD, CG, CGL, is a lecturer, educator and writer who enjoys helping others understand a wide variety of genealogical issues, ranging from the interplay between genealogy and the law to the way DNA tests can be used in genealogy.

She is a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, a member of the National Genealogical Society, the Association of Professional Genealogists and numerous state societies, and on the faculty of the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University, and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh.

OGS Webinars allow you to expand your genealogy knowledge from the comfort of your own home.

This event is open to OGS members only and is free as a benefit of your membership. For more information about Webinars, visit the Webinars link in the OGS Members Only area.

The OGS website is www.ogs.on.ca

Canadian Week in Review 16 September 2013

I have come across the following Canadian websites, blogs, Facebook, and newspaper articles this past week that were of interest to me, and I thought you might be interested in them, too

Websites
No new websites this week.

Blogs
It has been since 1775 that the ship, the Hector arrived at Brown's Point, near Pictou, N.S. carrying 178 Scottish immigrants to Canada.

The first large wave of immigration that made Scots the predominant ethnic group in Nova Scotia. A replica ship was later built to commemorate the voyage and is on display in Pictou harbour.

You can read about the trip that Phil Neville took to The Hector Exhibit Centre & Archives in Pictou at http://www.novascotiablogs.com/2011/11/the-hector-exhibit-centre-archives-in-pictou.html.

Facebook, Videos, You Tube
Terry Copp Presents “Italy: Normandy’s Long Left Flank” A Video Lecture http://www.canadianmilitaryhistory.ca/terry-copp-presents-italy-normandys-long-left-flank-a-video-lecture If you are interested in Canadian military history, this video will interest you.

Newspapers Articles of the Week
Historical Nameshttp://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Historical+Names/8912481/story.html The Star Phoenix of Saskatoon has a Op-Ed piece in which are discussed the new names that the city council has for streets in the city. The writer wonders if they are dismissing the city’s past?

Banff pavilion highlights WWI internment camps http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/banff-pavilion-highlights-wwi-internment-camps-1.1829468 Did you know the Canada had internment camps during the First World War? Parks Canada unveiled a new pavilion Friday in Banff that hopes to shed light on internment camps built across Canada during the First World War.

New Initiative to Document History of Canada’s Greek Immigrants http://canada.greekreporter.com/2013/09/13/new-initiative-to-document-history-of-canadas-greek-immigrants The Greek Reporter has an article in which they report that the Canadian Greek community will be setting up the Greek Canadian History Project (GCHP). It will be “an initiative designed and committed to identifying, acquiring, digitizing, preserving, and providing access to primary source materials which reflect the experiences of Canada’s Greek immigrants and their descendants. The collected sources, currently in the hands of private individuals and organizations in the Greek-Canadian community, will be placed in the care of the Clara Thomas Archives & Special Collections of York University Libraries in Toronto.”

Sarnia man searches for roots – in his genes http://www.sarniathisweek.com/2013/07/25/sarnia-man-searches-for-roots--in-his-genes Thanks to Gail Dever in bringing this newspaper article to my attention. It is the story about Alan Campbell, of the Lambton County Branch of the OGS, and the many hours he has spent in tracing his own family.

Canadian Army Commemorates the 20th Anniversary of the Battle of Medak Pockethttp://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1466825#ixzz2eyFx88TTIt has been 20 years since Canada sent peacekeepers over the Bosnia. The Battle of Medak Pocket, which occurred in September 1993, which Canadian and French peacekeepers defended their position against Croatian forces, making it possible to stop the escalation of violence in the region.

Story of the Week
More Powerful Free Genealogy Search
Word has been received from GenealogyInTime Magazine, an Ottawa business, that they have enhanced their search engine.

The press release reads that “the world’s most popular online genealogy magazine, and one of the world’s largest free genealogy websites, is announcing a very significant upgrade to our free Genealogy Search Engine. It continues to become even more powerful:

• An additional 532 million free genealogy records from around the world are now searchable. In total, the Genealogy Search Engine indexes 2.7 billion records from over 1,000 websites.

• In a first for a genealogy website, the entire Google Newspaper Archive can now be searched by the Genealogy Search Engine. This extremely valuable archive covers over 2,000 historic newspapers going back as far as the 1700s.

• The massive Australian Trove archive can now be completely searched with the Genealogy Search Engine.
To learn more about the latest upgrades to the free Genealogy Search Engine, read http://www.genealogyintime.com
I use their news service at the end of every day, just to see what has happened during the day. It is at http://www.genealogyintime.com/genealogy-news.html
Reminder: Check out Canadian Week in Review every Monday for the latest in Genealogy, Heritage, and History news in Canada. It’s the ONLY news blog of its kind in country! The next post will be on 23 September, 2013

Common Mistakes Often Made With Family Tree Data

Do you use the Family Tree option of FamilySearch?

If you do, you may be interested in this blog post by Kristi Etherington.

It answers some of the questions that have been asked over the past couple of months about Family Tree. Is it helpful?

Te post is at http://www.sarniathisweek.com/2013/07/25/sarnia-man-searches-for-roots--in-his-genes

The Future of Canada's Libraries and Archives

The Royal Society of Canada has establishing an Expert Panel on “The Status and Future of Canada’s Libraries and Archives" to help Canadian institutions find their way through the 21st century.

These are the founding principles of the Expert Panel of the Royal Society of Canada, which has as its mandate

1. To investigate what services Canadians, including Aboriginal Canadians and new Canadians, are currently receiving from libraries and archives.

2. To explore what Canadian society expects of libraries and archives in the 21st century.

3. To identify the necessary changes in resources, structures, and competencies to ensure libraries and archives serve the Canadian public good in the 21st century.

4. To listen to and consult the multiple voices that contribute to community building and memory building.

5. To demonstrate how deeply the knowledge universe has been and will continue to be revolutionized by digital technology.

6. To conceptualize the integration of the physical and the digital in library and archive spaces.
Public consultations are being planned to take place in: Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary/Edmonton, Vancouver, and Yellowknife in the coming months.

To read more about the The Status and Future of Canada's Libraries and Archives go to http://rsc-src.ca/en/expert-panels/rsc-reports/status-and-future-canadas-libraries-and-archives

Join Italians and Italian Fans for a Record-Setting Weekend!

We have received this exciting news from FamilySearch

“FamilySearch International, Salt Lake City Italian natives and those with Italian language skills, Italian ancestors, or a love of all things Italian are invited to help index (transcribe) historic Italian records this weekend (Sept. 13-15) to make them freely searchable on FamilySearch.org.

The event, part of the ongoing Italian Ancestors Project sponsored by the National Archives of Italy and FamilySearch, will unite participants from around the world in an attempt to set a new two-day volunteer mark of 35,000 records (approximately 100,000 ancestor names) indexed.

The event will start Friday, September 13 at 6:00 p.m. (MDT) and end Sunday, September 15, at 6:00 p.m. (MDT). To volunteer, or for details and status updates throughout the event, visit the Italian Ancestors Facebook event page.

About the Italian Ancestors Project

The Italian Ancestors Project, jointly sponsored by the National Archives of Italy and FamilySearch, is the largest historic Italian records preservation and access initiative ever.

Through this unprecedented effort, more than 115 million historic birth, marriage, and death records from Italy’s civil registration (1802 to 1942) containing some 500 million names of Italian ancestors, will be digitized, indexed (transcribed) and made freely searchable online.
Indexing of these valuable records is being provided by thousands of volunteers worldwide. Working from their homes at their own pace, volunteers have already made more than two million records available. Thousands more volunteers are needed”.

For more information or to volunteer, visit www.familysearch.org/italian-ancestors.

The BCGS Bring-A-Friend Membership Contest

I read about the Bring-A-Friend Membership Contest this morning, and think it’s a really good idea. What do you think?

The notice says that “All current BCGS members are eligible for one entry for each full membership (not associate memberships) they sign up from August 2013 to January 9, 2014.

Three Prize Baskets will be awarded at the June 2014 meeting by draw.

New memberships taken out now will run from September 2013 to December 2014 so this is a nice bonus for the new members too!”

Go to http://www.bcgs.ca/?page_id=1885 for the Contest Membership Application Form.

Call for speakers

The Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has issued a Call for Speakers for a spring 2014 workshop titled Scotland and its People.

This full-day workshop for family historians, to be held on Saturday 12 April 2014, will explore the social, economic and cultural history of Scotland.

We are seeking proposals for presentations at this workshop from professional genealogists, historians, family historians, librarians and archivists.

The deadline for proposals is Monday 18 November 2013.

You can contact Gwyneth Pearce, Secretary, Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society at
publicity@toronto familyhistory.org or contact them at www.torontofamilyhistory.org.

Recent changes at the FHL, Salt Lake City

Have you heard about the recent changes made to the FHL library in Salt Lake City?

Apparently, the research consultants have been moved from behind their walls and desks, and now they will be on the floors to be more accessible to the library patrons.

In the FamilySearch blog it says that “We have moved our consultants out from behind staff doors to assist at research counters and out on the patron floor.”

At the time of writing, the change had only been made, so they are asking “for patience and understanding as we implement and refine the new patron service model.”

They say that “The Family History Library is open more hours, provides more computers, printing options, and professional help than any other genealogical library, society, or archive in the world. We remain committed to providing all of these services free of charge to patrons from all over the world.”

So, do you think that these changes will be beneficial to the patrons? If anyone is going there this fall, on your return,tell us how you found it.

TONI database tops 2,400,000

The Ontario Name Index (TONI) has just recorded its 2,401,406 name, and it keeps on growing.

When I am asked to research a name in Ontario, one of the first places I check is TONI, to see if the name is there. One aspect of TONI which I find is really helpful is that often TONI also gives the county in which the name is found.

So what does TONI do?

• TONI is an indexing program and NOT a digitization program. Unlike some of our commercial and non-commercial colleagues, we are not limiting TONI to digitized sources and indexing them

• 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

• Indexes, particularly name indexes. These are the most valuable thing a genealogical society can produce

• The index will point people to the location of the information about that name. The location may be a Branch document, a web site, a microfilm, a family history, an archive, etc

• TONI will be on the public part of the OGS website so that anyone can access it

TONI is all of these things.

Go to TONI at http://www.ogs.on.ca/integrated/toni_database1.php

LAC UPDATE: Access to 15 databases in one stop

Some positive news from Library and Archives Canada, in that you can now search the nominal indexes of the censuses from 1825 to 1916 online. That is a total of more than 32 million documents, and they are FREE!

I have used them, and they are very helpful. Especially, when it comes to finding people of the same names in a particular county.

In the press release, the LAC says “This massive undertaking required continuous cooperation from members of a number of LAC teams, as well as highly organized operations, over a number of months.

What is the final result?

• A clear presentation that is consistent with the Government of Canada’s Internet accessibility standards.

• The ability to perform a search using nominal or geographical criteria.

• Standardized geographic metadata that is now available in both official languages.

• The ability to choose between images in JPG or PDF formats.

• Weekly automatic updates.

And, ultimately, for you, valued users, a much simpler and easier way to trace your ancestors”!

To go to the website, click on to http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/census/Pages/census.aspx

Toronto school memorials database

Gwyneth Pearce, Secretary,Toronto Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, sent us this notice –

More than 32,000 names now in Toronto school memorials database

It’s that time again… when children, parents and teachers launch into a new school year!

And to mark the start of classes for 2013, the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has added more than 2,700 new names and eight more schools to its on-line database of school memorials commemorating Toronto students and staff who volunteered for active service in the two World Wars and other military conflicts.

The newest schools in the For King and Country database include Essex Street, John English, Rose Avenue, Lambton Mills, Lansdowne, Humewood Public and Runnymede Collegiate Institute.

We’ve also added our first independent school – St. Michael’s College School – a Catholic middle and high school with a rich history dating back to 1852. The database now contains more than 32,000 names and 88 schools, with transcriptions and photographs of school war memorials, historical background and links to other useful school and community websites.

Explore this growing collection now at www.torontofamilyhistory.org/kingandcountry/.

To find out more about the For King and Country project, and how you can help, contact co-ordinator Martha Jackson at kingandcountry@torontofamilyhistory.org.

And if you happen to be one of the many heading back to school this month, take a moment to remember the past generations of students and staff who went to war.