The British Columbia Genealogist started their summer edition with a 14-page story by Burt McCalab Bryan, a Texan who moved to Edmonton and later to Rolla, BC at the turn of the 20th century.
He later returned to Texas.
But his story while he lived in Canada's Western Provinces is interesting indeed.
He tells about starting his homestead in Rolla, and of working on helping to build the Canadian Telegraph Line from Grand Prairie, Alberta to Hudson Hope, British Columbia.
The family names he mentions in his story are BRYAN, CLAY, FINNS, TAYLOR, TREMBLEY, and WILLIAMS.
In this issue, they also have a story of the Reverend Arthur Browning entitled, "Cornwall to Canada".
His great-grandchild, Colin Lyne, came across a story that the Genealogist recently did on Reverend E. W. White, a Methodist minister who came over in the mid-19th century, along with Reverend Browning.
The family names are BROWNING, DYER, EVANS, GODWARD, LYNE, ORCHARD, and WHITE. Colin is looking for LYNE and BROWNING relatives.
The third story they have in this publication is about a name - UDELL - the spelling that has changed at least a least two dozen times since the 12th century.
The most common spellings have been UDALL and UDELL, and this started in the 16th century.
It is an interesting history of the changes in the spelling of a name, and one that deserves a close reading, for you may have changed in your surname, too - and changes that you may not be aware of - so check.
And the BCGS Cemetery Committee is busy doing the recordings from the monuments of the Fraser Cemetery in New Westminster.
They are taking digital photographs of all the monuments, and there will be a story in the September issue of this newsletter.
If any of you live handy to the cemetery and would like to help, email Valerie Hooper at <Vjhooper@aol.com>. The website of the British Columbia Genealogical Society is <www.bcgs.ca>.
A daily blog about Canadian genealogy, heritage, and history
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Stirling-Rawdon Genealogy Fair 2009
Are you ready to track your ancestors?
It's time for another genealogy fair!
This time. I'm going to the fair which will be held Saturday, August 22nd in Stirling-Rawdon (near Trenton and Peterborough in Ontario) at the Stirling Senior School on St. James Street.
I knew that the fair was quite old and had been held a number of summers in this quaint little village, but this will be the first year that I am going.
It is an all-day affair, and will feature Fawne-Stratford Devai (who works on the television series, “Ancestors in the Attic”) and her talk entitled, “Leaving Ontario: Resources of Tracking Ontario Migrants”, as well as Dr. David R. Elliott’s two lectures, “Digital Techniques for Reading Difficult Tombstones” and “Treasure in the Family Bible: Methodologies for Discovering Family History”.
I can’t wait to hear both of them because I have a few questions of my own that I would be love to get answers to.
The fee is very reasonable, and you can register online before August 1st by downloading the registration form at <www.stirling-rawdon.com/2009_files/genealogy_fair_form09.pdf> or you can register at the door on the day of the conference. But be there early because doors open at 8:30!
Also, visit <www.stirling-rawdon.com/stirling_rawdon_genealogy.html> and take a look at their historical society, where they keep a genealogy room.
The contact person to get in touch with, if you wish to register, is Pat Marshall of Stirling. Her email address is <oldcrone@sympatico.ca>.
If you come to the fair, please take a moment to say “Hi!” - I would love to meet you.
It's time for another genealogy fair!
This time. I'm going to the fair which will be held Saturday, August 22nd in Stirling-Rawdon (near Trenton and Peterborough in Ontario) at the Stirling Senior School on St. James Street.
I knew that the fair was quite old and had been held a number of summers in this quaint little village, but this will be the first year that I am going.
It is an all-day affair, and will feature Fawne-Stratford Devai (who works on the television series, “Ancestors in the Attic”) and her talk entitled, “Leaving Ontario: Resources of Tracking Ontario Migrants”, as well as Dr. David R. Elliott’s two lectures, “Digital Techniques for Reading Difficult Tombstones” and “Treasure in the Family Bible: Methodologies for Discovering Family History”.
I can’t wait to hear both of them because I have a few questions of my own that I would be love to get answers to.
The fee is very reasonable, and you can register online before August 1st by downloading the registration form at <www.stirling-rawdon.com/2009_files/genealogy_fair_form09.pdf> or you can register at the door on the day of the conference. But be there early because doors open at 8:30!
Also, visit <www.stirling-rawdon.com/stirling_rawdon_genealogy.html> and take a look at their historical society, where they keep a genealogy room.
The contact person to get in touch with, if you wish to register, is Pat Marshall of Stirling. Her email address is <oldcrone@sympatico.ca>.
If you come to the fair, please take a moment to say “Hi!” - I would love to meet you.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Canadian Naturalization Database
Back in 2002, a partnership between the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and both the Ottawa and Montreal Jewish Genealogical Societies <http://jgs-montreal.org> resulted in the LAC's very first database. It was the 1915 to 1932 Canadian Naturalization Database.
Now, seven years later, they have added names to the database so that there are now 206,731 individuals who applied for, and received, status as naturalized Canadians from 1915 to 1932.
This database is one of the few Canadian genealogical resources specifically designed to benefit those researchers with roots outside of the British Commonwealth.
You can request the actual record from the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship, P.O. Box 7000, Sydney, Nova Scotia, B1P 6V6. (There is a fee involved.)
The database was made possible by the staff and volunteers of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Ottawa <www.jgso.org> and the staff of the LAC.
The database is available at <www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/naturalization-1915-1932/index-e.html>.
Now, seven years later, they have added names to the database so that there are now 206,731 individuals who applied for, and received, status as naturalized Canadians from 1915 to 1932.
This database is one of the few Canadian genealogical resources specifically designed to benefit those researchers with roots outside of the British Commonwealth.
You can request the actual record from the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship, P.O. Box 7000, Sydney, Nova Scotia, B1P 6V6. (There is a fee involved.)
The database was made possible by the staff and volunteers of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Ottawa <www.jgso.org> and the staff of the LAC.
The database is available at <www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/naturalization-1915-1932/index-e.html>.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
United Church Archives Now Online!
I received a press release this morning from the United Church Archives, advising that their archives and graphics databases are now online.
If you go to the archives database at <http://archives.united-church.ca/dbtw-wpd/textbase/ucc%20archives/archives.htm>, you will see a search engine where you can put in the record that you are searching for in the Bay of Quinte, Hamilton, London, Manitou, and Toronto Conferences.
The United Church of Canada Archives is located on the ground floor for the General Council Office of the United Church, Suite 300, 3250 Bloor Street West in Toronto.
They are offering tours from August 4th to August 6th at 2:00 p.m..
The hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..
Their phone number is 416.231.7680 ext. 3123, or toll-free 1.800.268.3103 ext. 3123.
Their email address is <archives@united-church.ca>.
If you go to the archives database at <http://archives.united-church.ca/dbtw-wpd/textbase/ucc%20archives/archives.htm>, you will see a search engine where you can put in the record that you are searching for in the Bay of Quinte, Hamilton, London, Manitou, and Toronto Conferences.
The United Church of Canada Archives is located on the ground floor for the General Council Office of the United Church, Suite 300, 3250 Bloor Street West in Toronto.
They are offering tours from August 4th to August 6th at 2:00 p.m..
The hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..
Their phone number is 416.231.7680 ext. 3123, or toll-free 1.800.268.3103 ext. 3123.
Their email address is <archives@united-church.ca>.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Genealogy Week in Ottawa
For those who don't know, July 19th to the 24th is the first-ever Genealogy Week in Ottawa. It's sort of like a boot camp for genealogy enthusiasts.
Mike More, the Chairman of the Ottawa Branch <www.ogsottawa.on.ca> of the Ontario Genealogical Society put the programme together and enlisted the help of several city resources such as the Canadian Genealogy Centre <www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/index-e.html>, the Ottawa Public Library <www.biblioottawalibrary.ca/index_e.html>, the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa Archives <www.ottawa.anglican.ca/Archives.html>, Le Centre de l'Outaouais of BAnQ <www.banq.qc.ca/portal/dt/genealogie/ressources_documentaires_salle/centre_archive/centre_outaouais.jsp>, the City of Ottawa Archives <www.ottawa.ca/residents/heritage/archives/index_en.html>, the United Church Archives <www.united-church.ca/local/archives/mo/ottawa>, the Sir Guy Carleton Branch, United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada <www.carletonuel.ca>, and the Société de généalogie de l'Outaouais .
All this week, the people are going to the diverse venues to take lectures from the various people at these places. In addition, they have an hour or two of research time on their own to delve into the records.
Group shot of Genealogy Week participants, speakers, organizers, and members of supporting organizations.
I spent some time with them Sunday evening at the welcoming ceremonies to see what they would be researching, what family names were of interest to them, and what they hoped to accomplish in the week that they have available to them.
(There will be more about Ottawa Genealogy Week in the November issue of NewsLeaf).
Meanwhile, on Monday evening, my husband and I rushed over to Jacques Cartier Park in Gatineau to hear Marie Careau, Karine Maisonneuve, and Marc Saint-Jacques of La Société de généalogie de l’Outaouais <www.genealogieoutaouais.com> speak on the history of the communities of Aylmer, Hull, Gatineau, Templeton, Ange-Gardien, Buckingham, Cantley, and Chelsea in the Outaouais region of Quebec.
There were about 50 people there (the crowd was so large, the overflow sat in a room in the back, or sat outside and listened through open windows) at the meeting in the historic Maison Charron, located right inside the park, which itself is found next to the Museum of Civilization, across the river from Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
They gave a very informative talk on the history of the area, and how it was transformed from an English settlement to a French settlement in the late 1800s, including immigration patterns and politics.
One of the results was the many 'mixed marriages' between the French- and English-speaking residents during this time, and it is not unusual to hear many people with an English first name and a French family name, even today.
They also talked about the industries that were once there—lumber, mining, and manufacturing, for example-but today, a lot of the people work in government offices in Gatineau and Ottawa.
Mike More, the Chairman of the Ottawa Branch <www.ogsottawa.on.ca> of the Ontario Genealogical Society
All this week, the people are going to the diverse venues to take lectures from the various people at these places. In addition, they have an hour or two of research time on their own to delve into the records.
Group shot of Genealogy Week participants, speakers, organizers, and members of supporting organizations.I spent some time with them Sunday evening at the welcoming ceremonies to see what they would be researching, what family names were of interest to them, and what they hoped to accomplish in the week that they have available to them.
(There will be more about Ottawa Genealogy Week in the November issue of NewsLeaf).
Meanwhile, on Monday evening, my husband and I rushed over to Jacques Cartier Park in Gatineau to hear Marie Careau, Karine Maisonneuve, and Marc Saint-Jacques of La Société de généalogie de l’Outaouais <www.genealogieoutaouais.com> speak on the history of the communities of Aylmer, Hull, Gatineau, Templeton, Ange-Gardien, Buckingham, Cantley, and Chelsea in the Outaouais region of Quebec.
There were about 50 people there (the crowd was so large, the overflow sat in a room in the back, or sat outside and listened through open windows) at the meeting in the historic Maison Charron, located right inside the park, which itself is found next to the Museum of Civilization, across the river from Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
They gave a very informative talk on the history of the area, and how it was transformed from an English settlement to a French settlement in the late 1800s, including immigration patterns and politics.
One of the results was the many 'mixed marriages' between the French- and English-speaking residents during this time, and it is not unusual to hear many people with an English first name and a French family name, even today.
They also talked about the industries that were once there—lumber, mining, and manufacturing, for example-but today, a lot of the people work in government offices in Gatineau and Ottawa.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Lennox & Addington County Archives
The Archives' Reading Room is now open to the public on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in addition to being open from Tuesday to Friday, at the same hours.
The building, located on Thomas Street in Napanee in Ontario (to the west of Kingston), was—until 1971—a county jail.
Now, you can go to the restored building and research their genealogical holdings, which include reference works, microfilm sources, card indices, and family files.
They also have an historical collection which includes newspapers (microfilmed up to 1977) such as the Napanee Standard, Napanee Express, Napanee Beaver, and The Heritage. As well, they carry municipal papers from the County of Lennox and Addington, the old town of Napanee, the villages of Newburgh and Bath, and the townships within the County.
They also have a photograph collection of over 10,000 original images, with close to 5,000 of them indexed by subject matter or sitter.
The Archives are online at <www.lennox-addington.on.ca/government/Info/arch.html>.
The building, located on Thomas Street in Napanee in Ontario (to the west of Kingston), was—until 1971—a county jail.
Now, you can go to the restored building and research their genealogical holdings, which include reference works, microfilm sources, card indices, and family files.
They also have an historical collection which includes newspapers (microfilmed up to 1977) such as the Napanee Standard, Napanee Express, Napanee Beaver, and The Heritage. As well, they carry municipal papers from the County of Lennox and Addington, the old town of Napanee, the villages of Newburgh and Bath, and the townships within the County.
They also have a photograph collection of over 10,000 original images, with close to 5,000 of them indexed by subject matter or sitter.
The Archives are online at <www.lennox-addington.on.ca/government/Info/arch.html>.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Eastern Ontario Countryside
About noontime, we arrived in the town of Hawkesbury.
Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2009, this town of 10,000 is situated right on the Ottawa River.
This is the Long-Sault Bridge, which we crossed over between Grenville, Quebec and Hawkesbury.
But the main site I wanted to see on this trip was the Higginson Observation Tower at Vankleek Hill.
The tower was originally built be Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Higginson, an Irishman who settled in Vankleek Hill in 1829.
The tower was first built by him as a windmill about 1830 so that he could grind wheat and corn, but it failed due to inconsistent wind power.
He then turned it into the first private observatory in Eastern Ontario.
In 2003, it was decided by the business people of Vankleek Hill to restore the tower to its former glory, and now you can visit it by walking up the stairs inside to the top of the tower, and take in the wonderful view of the village and the hills of Quebec to the north.
To the right of the tower is the Anglican Church, and in the back of the tower is the home of William Higginson, the son of Thomas, the builder of the tower.
At the foot of the tower, going all around it in a circle, are bricks of stone with the businesses and people who contributed to the restoration of the tower.
After spending an hour there, we took old Highway 17 back to Ottawa and passed through the villages of Alfred, L'Orignal, Plantagenet, Riceville, Treadville, and Wendover.
We stopped in at L'Orignal to take the Jailhouse Tour, but it was raining, and since there was a tour underway, we decided not to wait. Instead, we took a tour around town, and took pictures of various buildings, including this one of the land office.
Hawkesbury and the subsequent villages we visited on our way back to Ottawa are located in Prescott County, and they have an excellent genealogy site at <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onpresco>.
Here, you will find Prescott County Families; Maps; Cemetery and Vital Records; and Lovell's Canadian Directory.
After an enjoyable ride through this part of Ontario, we stopped into Orleans (Ottawa East) for a lovely supper, took a ride into downtown Ottawa, and then went home.
Facing west, here is a picture of Ottawa's skyline at dusk (taken several miles away).
Celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2009, this town of 10,000 is situated right on the Ottawa River.
This is the Long-Sault Bridge, which we crossed over between Grenville, Quebec and Hawkesbury.But the main site I wanted to see on this trip was the Higginson Observation Tower at Vankleek Hill.
The tower was originally built be Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Higginson, an Irishman who settled in Vankleek Hill in 1829.
The tower was first built by him as a windmill about 1830 so that he could grind wheat and corn, but it failed due to inconsistent wind power.
He then turned it into the first private observatory in Eastern Ontario.
In 2003, it was decided by the business people of Vankleek Hill to restore the tower to its former glory, and now you can visit it by walking up the stairs inside to the top of the tower, and take in the wonderful view of the village and the hills of Quebec to the north.
To the right of the tower is the Anglican Church, and in the back of the tower is the home of William Higginson, the son of Thomas, the builder of the tower.
At the foot of the tower, going all around it in a circle, are bricks of stone with the businesses and people who contributed to the restoration of the tower.
After spending an hour there, we took old Highway 17 back to Ottawa and passed through the villages of Alfred, L'Orignal, Plantagenet, Riceville, Treadville, and Wendover.
We stopped in at L'Orignal to take the Jailhouse Tour, but it was raining, and since there was a tour underway, we decided not to wait. Instead, we took a tour around town, and took pictures of various buildings, including this one of the land office.
Hawkesbury and the subsequent villages we visited on our way back to Ottawa are located in Prescott County, and they have an excellent genealogy site at <www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onpresco>.
Here, you will find Prescott County Families; Maps; Cemetery and Vital Records; and Lovell's Canadian Directory.
After an enjoyable ride through this part of Ontario, we stopped into Orleans (Ottawa East) for a lovely supper, took a ride into downtown Ottawa, and then went home.
Facing west, here is a picture of Ottawa's skyline at dusk (taken several miles away).
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