War of 1812 items

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is using the bicentennial of the War of 1812 to promote flag-waving nationalism. That suspicion is one of the reasons some historians are debating whether the War of 1812 is worth commemorating, as summarized in a post Nasty, Brutish, Short — and Not Worth Commemorating.

Meanwhile I received notice, via Glenn Wright, of the Fort La Présentation Association’s fourth annual War of 1812 Symposium in Ogdensburg, NY April 27-28, 2012. There will be "eight authoritative speakers coming from Ottawa, Kingston, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Plattsburgh, Canton, Potsdam and Chicago to present seminars on strategy, campaigns and battles, Indian allies, archaeology, artifact conservation, medical practices, research challenges and teaching the War of 1812." There's additional information here.

Genealogy Rock Stars: USA

With 433 out of the 676 voters in the complete survey stating their residence as the USA it would be surprising if the results were very different from those overall (international). There are some differences shown in this ranking of those who received at least half the votes of the leader.

1. Elizabeth Shown Mills (258)
2. Megan Smolenyak (196)
3. Dick Eastman (176)
4. Thomas W. Jones (168)
5. Thomas MacEntee (161)
6. John Philip Colletta (143)
7. J. Mark Lowe (142)
8. Stephen P. Morse (136)
9. Cyndi Howells (129)

The results demonstrate the impact of having an international profile, mostly through web activity:

• Megan Smolenyak has a five vote lead over Dick Eastman in the international results but a 20 vote lead when non-US votes are removed. 
• Thomas MacEntee who enjoyed a 22 vote lead over Thomas W. Jones in the international results falls 7 votes behind for the US only result. 
• Cyndi Howells, 6th internationally falls to 9th. 
• J. Mark Lowe rises from 10th to 7th.

Return tomorrow to read the text of all 124 comments posted on the survey. 

Genealogy Rock Stars: UK and Ireland

These survey results must be prefaced with a caution; with only 51 responses from people who gave their residence as UK or Ireland I wouldn't characterize the results as anything but interesting. With the vote so close they don't merit ranking so below are  the raw results for the top ten with number of votes received indicated in brackets.

Else Churchill (16)
Chris Paton (16)Nick Barrett (15)
John Grenham (15)Audrey Collins (14)
Cyndi Howells (14)Dick Eastman (13)
Megan Smolenyak (13)
Jane Lyons (12)
Michael Gandy (10)

A greater percentage of men (31%) voted than in the survey overall (20%).  More people age 34 and younger (24%) voted compared to (7%) overall.

Return tomorrow to read the text of all 124 comments posted on the survey.

How will your library serve you?

It must be a rare family historian who isn't interested in books and libraries. We all know that technological change is imposing tremendous stress on the businesses and institutions involved the magnitude of which clients may only have an inkling.

The December 2011 issue of IFLA Journal includes an article which takes a philosophical approach to the future of libraries and librarianship, "As for the
future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it"  by Derek Law of the University of Strathclyde. As summarized in a lead editorial in the issue

"..libraries run the risk of becoming obsolete unless they develop a new and digitally relevant philosophy based on the unique selling point that means we are not competing with Google or Microsoft. Such a philosophy would determine our approach to users, services, content and our own skill set. For many people today reading and writing are becoming optional lifestyle choices and not the normal requirement of the intelligent individual. Libraries must provide services and collections relevant to their needs rather than expect them to change to fit our preconceptions."

The article also contains some interesting links. Are you up to the challenge of defining genealogy or genealogist for the Ten Word Wiki (http://www.tenwordwiki.com/)?

 A second article in the issue "65+: Engaging underserved patrons - a success story!" appealed even though some of the issues at the Belgrade City Library are not applicable. I do wonder when I get down on my knees trying to read the title or catalogue number on the spine of a book I'm searching for on the lowest shelf of the bookcase; are the needs of seniors, with impaired eyesight and less agility that previously ever a consideration?

Read the issue as a free pdf from http://www.ifla.org/en/news/out-now-december-2011-issue-of-ifla-journal

Genealogy Rock Stars: Canada

These survey results are based on the votes of 113 people who gave their residence as Canada, not necessarily Canadians. Everyone who received at least half as many votes as the overall winner is listed, which puts 13 people on the list. The number of votes received is indicated in brackets.

1. Dick Eastman (50) ranks higher in Canada than internationally or his native US. Like many New Englanders, he has some Canadian roots. Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter is appreciated for its news and especially Dick's particular forte, technology developments relevant to genealogy. He has spoken several times in Canada. Find a very short YouTube clip of a presentation to the Alberta Family History Society here.

2. Elizabeth Shown Mills (46), number one ranked internationally, has been referred to by Dick Eastman as "one of the most respected genealogy authors, teachers, and lecturers of today." She has lectured in Canada, including in Toronto last April. Elizabeth is perhaps better known in Canada for  her books, including Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, and Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians, widely regarded as classics, and also her contributions to online mailing lists. See her website here, and a YouTube item here.

3. Lesley Anderson (41) is partnership development and content specialist for Ancestry.ca, instructor for genealogy courses, director of education for the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, and volunteer at the Ottawa Family History Centre. Lesley has been becoming better known by taking on more speaking engagements and TV appearances across Canada in recent years. For transparency, Lesley and I were featured at two such events.

4. Megan Smolenyak (38)
5. Dave Obee (37)
6. Marion Press (35) (Comment: Great to see a LIS professional in the list)
7. Brenda Dougall Merriman (33)
7. Glenn Wright (33)
9. Chris Paton (31)
10. Colleen Fitzpatrick (30)
10. Brian Gilchrist (30)
10. Sherry Irvine (30)
13. Alison Hare (28)

Remember that 113 voters is a small sample. Three votes separate 7th and 10th rank so don't place much emphasis on the rankings. Getting out the vote makes a difference too. Lesley Anderson leapt up the rankings on Saturday when during the last hours of voting 13 ballots were cast for her exclusively.

Even the mildly astute will have recognized that the two Canadians at the end of the ballot, out of alphabetical order, were placed in nomination as a bit of fun. They each received just one vote from Canadians.

Genealogy Rock Stars: Australia and New Zealand

There are several hundred thousand estimated family and local historians in Australia and maybe 2 to 3 times that number with a casual interest in the subject. That's information from Unlock the Past. The survey results are based on the votes of 63 people who gave their residence as Australia or New Zealand.

There was a tie for the person with the most votes, 30 votes each:

1. Shauna Hicks is based near Melbourne,Victoria, and runs Shauna Hicks History Enterprises, described at her website as "a small personal part time business specialising in local and family history research. Established in August 2009, it seeks to assist people in researching their own family and community histories. One of the primary projects I am involved with, as lead presenter, is Unlock the Past which is a series of history and genealogy events in Australia and New Zealand."

and


1. Judy Webster, Grad.Dip. Local and Applied History, is an accredited researcher with many years of experience in genealogy / family history research, especially at Queensland State Archives.
Judy Webster's Genealogy Advice website is crammed with content, especially for those researching in Queensland. It includes a name index to various sources at Queensland State Archives.
Judy is perhaps best known on the larger stage for developing the Genealogists for Families project, which makes $25 loans that enable borrowers without access to traditional banks to expand their businesses, support their families, save for the future and raise themselves out of poverty. The project received the 2011 GeneaBlog Award for Best New Community Project having gained more than 135 members in 9 countries helping over 290 individuals or groups.

3. Chris Paton (28), although based in Scotland, has gained profile recently visiting Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. That's in addition to being well known through his widely read British GENES (GEnealogy News and EventS) blog and teaching online Scottish courses through Pharos Teaching and Tutoring Ltd.

Others who gained at least half as many votes as the winners were:
4. Heather Garnsey (22)
5. Kerry Farmer (20)
5. Martyn Killion (20)
7. Nick Barratt (19)
8. Dan Lynch (16)
8. Dick Eastman (16)
10. Michael Gandy (17)
11.Thomas MacEntee (15)

New Zealand's Jan Gow, recently awarded the Queen’s Service Medal "For services to genealogical research," attracted 10 votes, especially notable considering the ratio of population between Australia and New Zealand.

Remember that 63 is a small sample. Three votes separate 5th and 10th rank so don't place much emphasis on the rankings.

Call for 2012 BIFHSGO conference presentation proposals: final reminder

The end of January is the closing date for presentation proposals for the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa 18th annual conference, this year being held 14-16 September 2012.

This year's focus is on Scotland. In addition to presentations on the theme the organizers are open to proposals for other presentations  including:

• writing and preserving family history
• social networking
• technology and genetics/DNA discoveries
• case studies that illuminate social trends and illustrate good genealogical practice

Please submit a brief outline of your proposed talk(s) to conference@bifhsgo.ca no later than 31 January 2012.

For more details visit the conference page at www.bifhsgo.ca

Rock Star Genealogists Results

Genealogists and family historians, professional or casual, 676 in number from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the UK and Ireland, Mexico, Spain and Sweden voted to select "rock star genealogists, women and men who give 'must attend' presentations at genealogy conferences and/or write 'must read' family history articles or publications." In diverse ways they go beyond genealogical competence to leadership and inspiration.

Everyone in the "international" list below is from the US, reflecting the dominance of US residents among voters. Those outside the US should not fret; separate listings of top picks by folks in Australia and New Zealand, Canada, UK and Ireland, and USA will be posted here in the coming days.

The order among the first three was close for most of the week, then switched when a spurt of voting on Friday afternoon pushed the eventual winner to a clear lead. The number of votes received is indicated.

The winner is:

Elizabeth Shown Mills (325), best known in the US, has been called "arguably the most influential genealogist of our time" and "one of the most respected genealogy authors, teachers, and lecturers of today."  She was editor of the (US) National Genealogical Society Quarterly for many years, was president and trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, and has given more than 500 presentations. Her books, including Evidence Explained:  Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, and Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians, are widely regarded as classics. See her website here, and a YouTube item here.

2. Megan Smolenyak (266) describes herself as genealogist, author, speaker, and genealogical adventurer who loves to solve mysteries and dream up new ways to play with family history. Her infectious enthusiasm, willingness to help others, and penchant for discovering the unanticipated, especially with "well known" personalities, have made Megan a frequent media guest and helped to popularize family history. Megan's most recent book, “Hey, America, Your Roots Are Showing,” is profiled in this promo video.

3. Dick Eastman (261) is a long-time blogger since before the days of blogs. While Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter brings news with a US emphasis, Dick's particular forte, which makes his blog a must read for many internationally, is technology developments relevant to genealogy. He is also a frequent conference speaker, including internationally. On YouTube you'll find videos of him in Canada and the UK as well as in the USA.

Others in the top ten are:

4. Thomas MacEntee (209)
5. Thomas W. Jones (187)
6. Cyndi Howells (181)
7. John Philip Colletta (172)
8. Stephen P. Morse (161)
9. Lisa Louise Cooke (151)
10. J. Mark Lowe (148)

There are many respected family historians further down the list, often with narrower geographic or specialist appeal, some likely to emerge to become top-ranked genealogy rock stars of tomorrow.


Please leave any additional thoughts in the comments.

British & Irish Genealogy

British & Irish Genealogy (BI-Gen) is added to the links list in the left hand column. It's one I check daily. Mick Southwick from northeast England covers a good range of material and has other useful information on offer. Worth a look.

On his CV web page I noticed, only because of the last name, an item "England’s First Football Captain: A Biography of Cuthbert Ottaway, 1850-1878"

Midwinter R&R

For those new to the site, I just occasionally go a bit off-topic.

It's close to meteorological mid-winter. Ground Hog Day is around the corner. Here comes the sun, and the ice is slowly melting (maybe). Try this.

OGS Toronto Branch January Meeting

30 January 2012 - 7:30 p.m

Origins of Funeral Customs

Susan Smart
Have you ever wondered why it’s customary to wear black at a funeral? Or why a coffin looks the way it does? The rituals around burying the dead have very ancient roots and have developed over the centuries in different ways depending on religion and geographic area. This talk will describe the origins of some of the funeral customs found in nineteenth-century Ontario and explain how they evolved through the century. Wakes, hearses, flowers and food, clothing, coffins and tombstones will all be discussed.

Mini-presentation: Stephen Low: A Little Latin for Genealogists

The meeting is in the Burgundy Room, North York Memorial Hall, Concourse Level, North York Centre (North York Centre Subway Station)

Canada promoted at FamilySearch

AudreyCollins in Great Improvement at Familysearch and Chris Paton in FamilySearch kicks British Isles out of Europe both comment on the British Isles regaining independent status in the FamilySearch Browse by Location`menu. You no longer have to sort through a morass of data from other European nations to find the British stuff.
I notice there's also a Canada category. I don't search the Canada records to know for sure if that's a new change, but certainly at one time there was just a combined USA, Canada and Mexico category. Now there are three separate categories. Well done FamilySearch.

Last call for genealogy rock star votes

Thanks to the more than 530 people who have already voted for a selection of people who give "must attend" presentations at genealogy conferences and/or write "must read" family history articles or publications.

There was a welcome spike of US votes on Friday afternoon following a mailing list discussion. Apparently a small minority of APG members are humour challenged; that would be humor for those who insist on being non-U.

Voting will end on Saturday so you only have a few more hours to participate. First results, the most popular overall (internationally), should be posted at midnight EST on Sunday. More detailed analysis, including by region, will be posted over the next few days.
Ready to take the survey?  Start here.

Deceasedonline.com adds West Ham Cemetery burial records

A major new cemetery is now at Deceasedonline.com from the London Borough of Newham, where most of the 2012 Olympics will be held.

West Ham Cemetery, situated in Forest Gate opened in 1857 and has continued to provide burials in 22 acres of grounds. Approximately 180,000 burial records are available. The data available comprise computerised index records, details of graves including names of all those buried in each grave, and cemetery section maps to locate graves.

Only the index records are available, and not the full burial register records, as regrettably these were irrecoverably damaged due to flooding.

Although there appear to be no especially well known people buried in the cemetery it is the resting place of two firemen killed in the 1917 Silvertown munitions factory explosion, which killed 69 and injured 390. There are also over 200 Commonwealth war graves.

FindMyPast.co.uk to publish Canterbury Cathedral records

Here is a notice received from Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager - family history at brightsolid online publishing. 

o       Project announced to increase access to over a million baptism, marriage and burial records dating back to 1538o       First time that images of the original parish records from East Kent churches will appear online 

Today leading UK family history websitefindmypast.co.uk has announced that it has been awarded a contract by Canterbury Cathedral Archives to publish online for the very first time historic records from the archive. The first phase of the Canterbury Collection project will see a browsable version of the parish registers of the historic Archdeaconry of Canterbury go online in the coming weeks atfindmypast.co.uk.
An estimated 270,000 images containing over a million entries will be published on the website, covering parish churches from a wide expanse of East Kent, including:o       the city of Canterburyo       the towns of Faversham, Wye and Elhamo       Thaneto       towns along the east Kent coast stretching from Whitstable in the north round to Hythe in the south
The launch has been timed to coincide with the temporary closure of Canterbury Cathedral Archives for refurbishment, so that family historians and local historians can continue to enjoy access to these fascinating records until the Archives reopens in autumn 2012.
From the initial online launch in February, visitors to the findmypast.co.uk website will be able to browse through the scanned pages of the parish records to search for their ancestors. At the same time,findmypast.co.uk will start to transcribe the records, with a view to creating an index and making them fully searchable on the website later this year.
Paul Nixon, Content Licensing Manager forfindmypast.co.uk, said: "We're really looking forward to seeing these invaluable records from Canterbury Cathedral Archives go live on findmypast.co.uk, strengthening the site's position as the natural home for UK parish records."
Canterbury Cathedral Archivist Cressida Williams, added:  "Working with findmypast has provided us with a wonderful opportunity to expand access to these records to a worldwide audience. This resource will be a great asset for anyone with an interest in the history of this part of Kent."
The Canterbury Collection will join an impressive array of UK parish records at findmypast.co.uk, including records from Manchester Archives, Cheshire Archives, Plymouth & West Devon Record Office and Welsh Archives, in addition to over 40 million parish records from family history societies throughout the UK in partnership with the Federation of Family History Societies.
Anyone wishing to be notified when the Canterbury Collection becomes available can register online atfindmypast.co.uk to receive a newsletter.

Ordering materials at LAC

Many people seem not to know that you can order materials, both from the archival and library collection prior to a visit to Library and Archives Canada. Order from Request For Retrieval of Documents, that's http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/the-public/005-3040-e.php. The instruction is that you must submit your request at least five working days prior to your visit so planning is needed.

I've found the system works quite well, although I'm told of people receiving the wrong box and having to wait extra days for remote retrieval

You may also need a sixth sense. Take a look at the anti-spamming code in the image to the left. What is the penultimate character in the string?  Is it a letter or a number, not always easy to determine if it's out of context? Guess wrong and your request will be rejected.

OGS Ottawa Branch January meeting

The meeting on Saturday, 28 January is especially for members as the session will deal with Branch strategic planning. Here are the details.

Location City of Ottawa Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive

 1:00p Networking (AKA Juice and Cookies)
 1:25p Upcoming Events and Announcements
 1:30p Strategic Planning Session:  Facilitated discussion about the core activities of the Branch, new directions and how to proceed.  Members opinions required!!
Contact http://ogsottawa.on.ca