OGS Conference 2016 Supplementary Call for Presentation Proposals

With the rich program already announced for the Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2016 I wondered whether there would be any space for additional presentations.  Apparently YES.
As promised, a supplementary call for presentation proposals on late-breaking cutting-edge developments in genealogy or on topics not covered in the published program at www.ogs.on.ca/conference/program/ has been issued.

Find it at www.ogs.on.ca/conference/new-call/. The deadline for proposals to be received is Friday, January 29, 2016.

Thanks to contributors for 2015

2015 saw 1043 items posted on the blog, made possible by those who helped and encouraged this year by posting comments, questions, providing information, completing polls and surveys, or publicizing the blog, including;

Agrarian, Alex, Alison, Alona, Ann, Anne, Anonymous, Arlene, Arthur, Audrey,
Bankie, Barbara, Bill, Blaine, Brenda, Bob, Brian, Bruce, Bryan
Cannuk, CeCe, Celia, Chad, Charles, Chris, Christine, Claire, Cliff, Cyndi.
Daniel, Dave, David, Dawn, Debb, Debbie, Del, Dena, Denis, Derek, Devon, Di, Diana, Diane, Dianne, Dick, Don, Donald, Dorothy, Doug, Douglas.
Edward, Elayne, Elizabeth, Ellen, Else.
Gail, Gary, Geoff, Glenn, Gloria, Guy, Gwyneth,
Hazel, Heather, Heidi, Helen, Hilary, Holly, Howard, Hugh,
Ian, Infolass.
Jackie, James, Jana, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jean, Jennifer, Jessica, Jill, Jim, Jo, Joanne, John, Julie
Karen, Kathleen, Ken, Kerryn, Kirsty, Kitty, Kyla
Lamda, Leanne, Leighann, Lesley, Leslie, LDC, Linda, Lorine, Lorri, Louis, Louise, Lucille, Lynn, Lynne,
Malcolm, Mark, Mary, Mary Anne, Maurice, Mike, Miles.
Nancy, Nathen, Neil, Nicka, Norm.
Olga.
Pat, Patti, Paul, Pauleen, Pauline, Peggy, Persephone, Peter.
Randy, Richard, Rick, Robert, Roberta, Rod. Romaine.
Sandra, Saskey, Sharn, Sharon, Shauna, Shirley, Shirley Ann, Sophie, Stephanie, Stephen, Steve, Susan,
Tad, Tamara, Tara, Terry, Tessa, Thomas
Unknown,
Wallace, Wayne, Wendy, William
Yvette.

Included are bloggers, Facebookers and Google+ posters, tweeters and folks who send out information on new resources from various organizations from the family history community.

With apologies to anyone overlooked.

Thank you all, and not forgetting the silent majority of readers:

Happy New Year.

British Newspaper Archive additions for December

The British Newspaper Archive now has 12,588,119 (12,374,965 last month) pages from 556 (545) titles online.
The full list of additions this month is:

• Aberdeen Herald and General Advertiser 1844 - 1862
• Ballymena Observer 1857 - 1871, 1949 - 1950
• Belfast Commercial Chronicle 1820
• Chichester Express and West Sussex Journal 1863 - 1874
• Croydon Advertiser and East Surrey Reporter 1910
• Daily Record 1939
• Derbyshire Courier 1870
• Drogheda Argus and Leinster Journal 1838 - 1839, 1841, 1844 - 1850
• Dublin Daily Express 1867
• Dublin Intelligence 1708, 1711
• Dublin Weekly Nation 1854 - 1857, 1859, 1868, 1891, 1896 - 1900
• Dumfries and Galloway Standard 1914
• Dundalk Democrat, and People's Journal 1849 - 1860
• Dundee, Perth, Forfar, and Fife's People's Journal 1865
• Enniskillen Chronicle and Erne Packet 1878 - 1880, 1882, 1884 - 1885, 1887, 1889, 1891 - 1893
• Evening Despatch 1939, 1941 - 1945
• Falkirk Herald 1886
• Flag of Ireland 1868 - 1871, 1874 - 1876
• Glasgow Evening Post 1867, 1870
• Gloucester Journal 1898
• Gloucestershire Echo 1892, 1917, 1919
• Gravesend Reporter, North Kent and South Essex Advertiser 1856 - 1861
• Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette 1870
• Hampshire Advertiser 1823, 1827
• Hampshire Chronicle 1831, 1833
• Hartland and West Country Chronicle 1906 - 1907
• Herts Guardian, Agricultural Journal, and General Advertiser 1857 - 1858
• Illustrated Berwick Journal 1855, 1862, 1864, 1869 - 1871
• Ipswich Journal, The 1901 - 1902
• Irish Ecclesiastical Gazette 1857 - 1858, 1860 - 1861, 1866
• Irishman, The 1883 - 1884
• Kentish Independent 1868
• Kentish Mercury 1839
• Leeds Mercury 1897, 1910
• Lincolnshire Chronicle 1905, 1908 - 1909, 1915, 1924 - 1930, 1932, 1934 - 1937, 1939
• Lincolnshire Standard and Boston Guardian 1928
• London Courier and Evening Gazette 1801, 1804 - 1806, 1814 - 1817
• London Daily News 1906 - 1907
• Londonderry Sentinel 1829 - 1835, 1840 - 1848, 1851 - 1852, 1854, 1860 - 1861
• Maidstone Journal and Kentish Advertiser 1830 - 1832, 1834 - 1856, 1870, 1889 - 1896, 1898 - 1902
• Man of Ross, and General Advertiser 1897
• Manchester Evening News 1939 - 1943
• Morning Advertiser 1852 - 1854, 1859 - 1860
• Newcastle Evening Chronicle 1914, 1917
• Newcastle Journal 1918
• Penny Despatch and Irish Weekly Newspaper 1861 - 1867
• Peterhead Sentinel and General Advertiser for Buchan District 1858 - 1861, 1866 - 1872
• Portobello Advertiser 1876 - 1877, 1884, 1886, 1888 - 1890
• Saunders's News-Letter 1828
• Sheffield Independent 1905, 1917, 1938
• Shields Daily Gazette 1916
• Shoreditch Observer 1904 - 1913
• Sidmouth Journal and Directory 1862 - 1866
• Sunday Post 1928
• Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette 1923, 1926
• Sussex Advertiser 1793, 1830, 1843
• Tower Hamlets Independent and East End Local Advertiser 1866 - 1870
• Warder and Dublin Weekly Mail 1856 - 1866, 1870 - 1871
• Weekly Freeman's Journal 1850 - 1855, 1857 - 1863, 1881 - 1888, 1890 - 1892
• Wiltshire Independent 1850 - 1851, 1853 - 1854

Findmypast New British and Irish Titles in 2015

Undoubtedly the premier title for findmypast in 2015 has been the 1939 National Register. It's not listed below as it appeared as an extra cost, pay-per-view item. Crippled shortly after release by the deletion of TNA reference numbers it is arguably the most valuable resource released in 2015.
Also not listed, although available with a regular FMP subscription, and in an enhanced version by subscription to the British Newspaper Archive, is an increasing number of British and Irish newspapers digitised and searchable.
Here, in alphabetical order of title is the list of new database titles for Britain:

Title	Month released
Anglo-Boer War update	July
Berkshire, Eton College Register 1441-1698	Oct
Bradford FHS burials	Nov
Britain School & University Memorial Rolls 1914-1918	Apr
Britain Trade Union Members, Service and Casualties 1914-1918	Mar
Britain Trade Union Membership registers Browse	Feb
Britain, Absent Voters Lists 1918-1921	Oct
Britain, Country Apprentices 1710-1808	May
Britain, Directories & Almanacs	Sept
British Army Bond of Sacrifice: Officers Died in the Great War 1914-1916	Jan
British Army Muster Rolls, 84th Foot 1808-1818 and 60th Foot 1879-1882	Dec
British Army schoolchildren and schoolmasters 1803-1932	July
British Army, Casualty Index War of 1812	Aug
British Army, Deserters and Absentees in Police Gazette 1914-1919	Aug
British Army, List of Half-pay Officers 1714	July
British Army, Northumberland Fusiliers 1881-1920	July
British Army, Royal Artillery Officer Deaths 1850-2011	Mar
British Army, Royal Artillery Officers 1716-1899	Mar
British Army, Royal Artillery War Commemoration Book 1914-1918	Mar
British Army, Royal Artillery, 80th Field Regiment, WW2	Mar
British Army, Women's Army Auxiliary Corps Service Records 1917-1920 (WO 398)	Mar
British Civil Service Evidence of Age	Mar
British in Argentina 1914-1919	Nov
British in India	Dec
British India Office Assistant Surgeons	Dec
British India Office Births & Baptisms	Dec
British India Office Marriages	Dec
British India Office Wills & Probate	Dec
British Jewry Book of Honor 1914-1920	Aug
British Mariners, Trinity House Calendars 1787-1854	Mar
British Merchant Navy, First World War Medal Index Cards 1914-1925	Feb
British Royal Navy, Foreign Awards to Officers Index 1914-1922	May
British Women's Royal Air Force Service Records 1918-1920 (AIR 80)	Mar
British Women's Royal Naval Service Officer Files 1917-1919 (ADM 318)	Mar
British Women's Royal Naval Service Ratings' Service Registers 1918-1919 (ADM 336)	Mar
Cambridge baptisms	June
Cambridge burials	June
Cambridgeshire, Ely Diocese Marriage Licences 1684-1811	Nov
Channel Islands, Births and Baptisms, 1820-1907	Jan
City of London, Haberdashers, Apprentices and Freemen 1526-1933	May
City of London, Ironmongers, Apprentices and Freemen 1511-1923	May
De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour	Apr
Derbyshire Baptism Index 1538-1910	Apr
Derbyshire Burials Index 1538-1910	Apr
Derbyshire Hospital Admissions & Deaths	Aug
Derbyshire Marriage Index 1538-1910	Apr
Derbyshire, Derby Railway Servants’ Orphanage registers 1875-1912	Jan
Devon Social & Institutional records	Nov
Dorset Baptism Index 1538-1912	Feb
Dorset Burial Index 1538-1986	Feb
Dorset Marriage Index 1541-1937	Feb
England & Wales Merchant Navy Crew Lists 1861-1913	May
England & Wales, Crime, Prisons and Punishment	July
England & Wales, Electoral Registers 1832-1932	Oct
England & Wales, electoral registers 1832-1932 Browse	Nov
England & Wales, Society of Friends (Quaker) Births	Apr
England & Wales, Society of Friends (Quaker) Burials	Apr
England & Wales, Society of Friends (Quaker) Marriages	Apr
England BillionGraves Cemetery Index	May
Essex banns Index 1754-1950	Jan
Essex baptisms Index 1538-1900	Jan
Essex burial Index 1538-1900	Jan
Essex marriage index 1538-1900	Jan
Essex Wills Beneficiaries Index, 1505-1916	Apr
Essex, Clacton Roll of Honour 1914-1918	Mar
Gloucestershire Baptisms, Marriages and Burials	Feb
Greater London Burial Index	June
Hampshire, Portsmouth electoral rolls 1835-1873	Dec
Hertfordshire baptisms	Aug
Hertfordshire burials	Aug
Hertfordshire marriages	Aug
Home Office and Prison Commission: Male Licences 1853-1887	July
Home Office and Prison Commission: Prisons records (PCOM 2)	July
Home Office: Convict Hulks, Convict Prisons and Criminal Lunatic Asylums: Quarterly Returns of Prisoners 1824-1876	July
Home Office: Criminal Entry Books 1782-1871	July
Home Office: Newgate Prison Calendar 1782-1853	July
Home Office: Old Captions and Transfer Papers 1843-1871	July
Hue & Cry Index 1797-1810	June
Isle of Man, Births and Baptisms, 1821-1911	Jan
Isle of Man, Deaths and Burials, 1844-1911	Jan
Isle of Man, Marriages, 1849-1911	Jan
Judges Report on Criminals (HO47)	July
Kent Banns	June
Kent Baptisms	June
Kent Burials	June
Kent Marriages	June
Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry Banns 1754-1928	Sept
Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry Baptisms 1538-1912	Sept
Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry Burials 1538-1988	Sept
Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry Marriages 1538-1928	Sept
Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry Parish Registers Browse, 1538-1913	Sept
Kindertransport	Jan
Kindertransport browse	Jan
Lancashire, Manchester Cholera Victims 1832	Feb
Leicestershire Baptisms	Dec
Leicestershire Burials	Dec
Lincolnshire, Parish Registers Surname Search, 1695-1911	Mar
Lloyds of London Memorial Roll 1914-1918	Nov
Lloyd's Register of Merchant Ships Index 1843	Nov
London, Bethlem Hospital Patient Admission Registers and Casebooks 1683-1932 browse	Mar
London, Bethlem Hospital Patient Admission Registers and Casebooks 1683-1932 search	Mar
London, Docklands and East End Marriages 1558-1859	Jan
London, Dulwich College Register 1619-1926	Oct
London, Watermen in Royal Navy, 1803-1809	Nov
London, Watermen, Admiralty muster of the Port of London, 1628	Nov
London, Watermen, birth register of contracted men, 1865-1921	Nov
London, Watermen, list of free watermen, 1827	Nov
London, Watermen's petition for the King Charles I, 1648	Nov
Manchester Electoral Registers Browse 1832-1900	Aug
Metropolitan Police: Criminal Record Office: habitual criminals' registers and miscellaneous papers	July
Mid Norfolk Monumental Inscriptions 1471-2012	Jan
National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870-1914	Apr
National School Admission Registers 1870-1914	Sept
Norfolk parish registers browse	July
North West Kent Baptisms	June
North West Kent Baptisms	May
North West Kent Baptisms	Feb
North West Kent Burials	June
North West Kent Burials	May
North West Kent Burials	Feb
North West Kent Marriages	June
North West Kent Marriages	Feb
Northumberland Baptisms	Aug
Nottinghamshire baptisms	May
Nottinghamshire baptisms 1538 -1980	Jan
Nottinghamshire burials	May
Nottinghamshire burials - 1539-1905	Jan
Nottinghamshire marriages 1528-1929	Jan
Plymouth Plague Rate 1627-1629	Dec
Prisoners of War 1715-1945	June
Prisoners of War 1914-1920	Apr
Prisoners Of War 1939-1945	Sept
Probate Calendars of England & Wales 1858-1959	Aug
Probate Calendars of England & Wales 1858-1959 Browse	Aug
Registers of Criminal Petitions (HO18)	July
Registers of Criminal Petitions (HO19)	July
Royal Artillery Honours & Awards	Feb
Royal Hibernian Military School admissions 1847-1932	July
Scotland BillionGraves Cemetery Index	May
Scotland, Linlithgowshire (West Lothian), Electoral Registers 1864-1931	Oct
Scottish Covenanters 1679-1688	Aug
Shropshire, Shrewsbury St Julian's parish, 1831 census	July
South Africa Roll of Honour 1914-1918	Apr
Staffordshire Banns	Aug
Staffordshire Baptisms	Aug
Staffordshire Burials	Aug
Staffordshire Dioceses of Lichfield & Coventry wills and probate 1521-1858	Dec
Staffordshire Marriages	Aug
Staffordshire, Parish Registers Browse, 1538-1900	Aug
Staffordshire, Parish Registers Browse, 1538-1900	June
Stock Exchange Memorial Roll 1914-1918	Nov
Surrey, military tribunals 1915-1918	Nov
Surrey, Southwark St George the Martyr Workhouse records	Apr
Surrey, Southwark, St George the Martyr Mortuary Register 1880-1891	May
Surrey, Southwark, St Saviour Poor Relief 1818-1821	June
Surrey, Southwark, St Saviour's Grammar School Admissions 1690-1895	Sept
Sussex, Eastbourne Gazette newspaper notices 1858-1931	Jan
Sussex, Lancing College Register 1901-1954	Oct
Treasury Departmental Accounts Convict Hulks (TNA Ref: T 38/310-338)	July
Wales BillionGraves Cemetery Index	May
Warwickshire baptism Index 1538-1900	Jan
Warwickshire burial Index 1538-1900	Jan
Warwickshire marriage Index 1538-1900	Jan
Wiltshire Baptisms	Feb
Wiltshire, Salisbury Wills Index, 1464-1858	Mar
Yorkshire Banns	Apr
Yorkshire Baptisms	Apr
Yorkshire Burials	Apr
Yorkshire Marriages	Apr
Yorkshire, Bishop's Transcripts of Baptisms	Apr
Yorkshire, Bishop's Transcripts of Burials	Apr
Yorkshire, Bishop's Transcripts of Marriages	Apr
Yorkshire, Craven's Part in the Great War	Apr

Here's the similar table for new Irish releases

Title	Month released
Church of Ireland parish record search forms	Aug
Clare Electoral Registers 1858-1989	Jan
Clare Poor Law Unions Board Of Guardians Minute Books	June
Dublin Poor Law Unions Board of Guardians Minute Books	May
Dublin Poor Law Unions Board of Guardians Minute Books Browse	May
Dublin Workhouses Admission & Discharge Registers 1840-1919	May
Ireland 1901 Census	Mar
Ireland 1911 Census Search	Jan
Ireland BillionGraves Cemetery Index	May
Ireland Diocesan and Prerogative Marriage Licence Bonds Indexes 1623-1866	Mar
Ireland Diocesan and Prerogative Wills & Administration Indexes 1595-1858	Mar
Ireland Marriages 1619-1898	Jan
Ireland National Roll of Honour 1914-1921	Feb
Ireland National School Registers	Sept
Ireland, Clare County Government Proceedings 1732 – 1882	Apr
Ireland, Electoral Registers 1885-1886	Oct
Ireland, Poverty Relief Loans 1821-1874	Jan
Irish Army Census 1922	July
Sligo Workhouse Admission and Discharge Registers 1848-1859	June

For further information check the FMP Friday blog posts at https://blog.findmypast.com/fridays/
Unfortunately FMP does not provide a catalogue giving the number of records. The titles can be misleading; if interested in Kent be sure to check listings for North West Kent.

There are also records for Australia, New Zealand, Gibraltar, and the USA not listed here. FMP added nothing new for Canada which it appears to have abandoned.

Ancestry New Canadian Titles in 2015

15 new titles with nearly 2.4 million records were added to the Ancestry collection in 2015. The largest was Canada, Selected School Yearbooks, 1908-2010 with over 1.3 million records.

Title	Records
U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970	52,945
U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970	210,144
Web: Alberta, Newspaper BMD Index, 1889 - 2012	37,572
Web: Montreal, Canada, non-Catholic Burial Index, 1767-1899 (in French)	55,896
Web: Montreal, Canada, non-Catholic Marriage Index, 1766-1899 (in French)	64,274
Canada, WWII Service Files of War Dead, 1939-1947	29,126
Web: Montreal, Canada, non-Catholic Baptism Index, 1766-1835 (in French)	13,246
Web: Alberta, Index to Cemeteries, 1823-2013	174,244
Web: Quebec, Canada, Marriage Contract Index, 1761-1941 (in French)	71,098
Canada and U.S., Dutch Emigrants, 1946-1963	19,083
Canada, Selected School Yearbooks, 1908-2010	1,355,141
U.S., Passenger and Crew Lists for U.S.-Bound Vessels Arriving in Canada, 1912-1939 and 1953-1962	93,258
Canada, Imperial War Service Gratuities, 1919-1921	17,702
U.S., Residents Serving in Canadian Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1918	23,291
Canada, Quaker Meeting Records, 1786-1988	148,443

Yuletide R&R: Major .. Elements

The many visits to the "Very Model of a . . ." post, and never fearing to over to a good thing, prompts posting this video of the Tom Lehrer song The Elements.


Daniel Radcliffe shows his magic in this version


For those tired of the tune but who can can stand another version!

Ancestry New UK and Ireland Titles in 2015

Nearly 24.8 million records were added 43 new titles for the Ancestry UK collection in 2015. Gloucestershire was particularly well served with 10.3 million records from that county.  Another 2.6 million were bishops transcripts from Norfolk. The table below does not include updates, of which there were many, notably Poor Law records from the London Metropolitan Archives.

Title	Records
Norfolk, England, Bishop's Transcripts, 1685-1941	2,614,408
Web: Gloucestershire, England, Non-Conformist Baptisms Index, 1739-1987	24,206
England, United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751-1921	1,713,246
Surrey, England, Regimental Rolls, 1914-1947	114,251
UK, WWII Civil Defence Gallantry Awards, 1940-1949	5,763
Perth and Kinross, Scotland, Electoral Registers, 1832-1961	2,464,817
Scotland, National Probate Index (Calendar of Confirmations and Inventories), 1876-1936	654,826
England, Suffragettes Arrested, 1906-1914	1,339
Leeds, England, Beckett Street Cemetery, 1845-1987	187,851
West Yorkshire, England, Select Removal and Settlement Records, 1689-1866	14,195
UK, City, Town and Village Photos, 1857-2005	220,149
UK, Apprentices Indentured in Merchant Navy, 1824-1910	342,282
UK, British Army Muster Books and Pay Lists, 1812-1817	467,370
Surrey, England, Mental Hospital Admissions, 1867-1900	11,670
Surrey, England, Calendar of Prisoners, 1848-1902	25,846
Web: United Kingdom, Royal Naval Officers' Service Records Index, 1756-1931	66,212
Lancashire, England, Quarter Session Records and Petitions, 1648-1908	1,218,050
Web: UK, Jersey, Channel Islands, Wills and Testaments, 1663-1948	20,908
Web: UK, Jersey, Channel Islands, Occupation Registration Cards, 1940-1945	37,271
West Yorkshire, England, Occupation Records, 1793-1930	46,225
West Yorkshire, England, Alehouse Licences, 1771-1962	76,239
West Yorkshire, England, Select Apprenticeship Records, 1627-1894	6,982
UK, Popular Edition Maps, 1919-1926	176,561
UK, WWI War Diaries (Gallipoli and Dardanelles), 1914-1916	33,350
UK, WWI War Diaries (France, Belgium and Germany), 1914-1920	402,770
Web: Gloucestershire, England, Gaol Registers, 1815-1879	31,497
Bexley, Kent, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1985	49,848
Bexley, Kent, England, Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1558-1812	27,113
Bexley, Kent, England, Cemetery Registers, 1879-1985	53,843
Bexley, Kent, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1925	67,801
Bexley, Kent, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1935	61,801
UK, Electrical Engineer WWI and WWII Rolls of Honour, 1924, 1949	378
UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1900-1928	388,864
West Yorkshire, England, Select Poor Law and Township Records, 1663-1914	53,139
West Yorkshire, England, Estate Rentals, 1380-1932	7,713
Gloucestershire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938	1,489,053
Gloucestershire, England, Baptisms, 1813-1913	3,162,197
Gloucestershire, England, Confirmations, 1834-1913	14,295
Gloucestershire, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1813	4,839,232
Gloucestershire, England, Burials, 1813-1988	821,508
England and Wales, Death Index, 2007-2013	1,492,727
Scotland and Northern Ireland, Death Index, 1989-2013	413,517
UK, Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929	872,395

There were over 557,000 records in six new titles from Ireland, the largest of which was Ireland, Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland Membership Registers, 1733-1923 with nearly 319,000 records. Again, updates to titles previously published are not included as Ancestry never mention how many new records there are in an update.

Title	Records
Web: Ireland, Census Search Forms 1841, 1851	150,860
Web: Ireland, Gravestone Index, 1600-2012	57,590
Ireland, Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Ireland Membership Registers, 1733-1923	318,964
Web: Ireland, Trade Directory, 1931	13,000
Web: Dublin, Ireland, Wilson's Directory, 1820	7,721
Web: Ireland, Wills of Irish Soldiers Who Died in the British Army, 1897-1922	9,360

Yuletide R&R Classic: Four Candles

By popular request.



And the truth

FamilySearch new and updated British and Irish records in 2015

FamilySearch made 30 additions and updates to titles in the British and Irish collection online in 2015. The big new addition was parish register records for Wales added in August.

Title	Records	Last Updated
England, Lancashire, Cheshire, Yorkshire, Parish Registers, 1603-1910	1,727,712	18 Dec 2015
Wales, Glamorgan, West Glamorgan, Electoral Registers, 1839-1925	1,643,483	16 Dec 2015
England, Kent, Parish Registers, 1538-1911	579,777	16 Dec 2015
England, Kent, Register of Electors, 1570-1907	4,706,636	16 Dec 2015
England, Lancashire, Parish Registers 1538-1910	1,214,837	16 Dec 2015
England and Wales Census, 1851	17,745,148	12-Nov-15
United Kingdom, World War I Women's Army Auxiliary Corps Records, 1917-1920	155,933	06-Nov-15
England and Wales Census, 1891	29,048,338	15-Oct-15
England and Wales Census, 1881	26,124,851	13-Oct-15
Isle of Man Parish Registers, 1598-2009	447,486	09-Oct-15
England, Dorset, Parish Registers, 1538-1936	1,288,325	08-Oct-15
England, Warwickshire Parish Registers, 1535-1984	1,196,651	22-Sep-15
England and Wales Census, 1841	15,782,939	15-Sep-15
Wales, Glamorganshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	753,759	31-Aug-15
England and Wales Census, 1901	34,138,955	29-Aug-15
Wales, Radnorshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	115,726	21-Aug-15
Wales, Pembrokeshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	378,652	21-Aug-15
Wales, Monmouthshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	432,421	21-Aug-15
Wales, Montgomeryshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	416,043	21-Aug-15
Wales, Denbighshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	718,898	21-Aug-15
Wales, Flintshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	518,354	21-Aug-15
Wales, Merionethshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	146,135	21-Aug-15
Wales, Carmarthenshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	481,167	21-Aug-15
Wales, Cardiganshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	95,420	21-Aug-15
Wales, Caernarvonshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	281,126	21-Aug-15
Wales, Brecknockshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	220,591	21-Aug-15
Wales, Anglesey, Parish Registers, 1538-1912	203,430	21-Aug-15
England and Wales Census, 1871	22,925,080	27-Jul-15
Ireland, Petty Sessions Court Registers, 1828-1912	21,833,785	24-Jun-15
England, London Electoral Registers, 1847-1913	17,760,894	18-May-15
England, Cornwall and Devon Parish Registers, 1538-2010	171,083	14-Apr-15
England, Derbyshire, Church of England Parish Registers, 1537-1918	1,474,822	07-Apr-15
England, Westminster Rate Books, 1634-1900	10,026,835	03-Apr-15
United Kingdom, World War I Service Records, 1914-1920	4,334,618	27-Mar-15
Ireland Census Search Forms, 1841 and 1851	136,152	19-Feb-15

Yuletide R&R Classic: Rowan Atkinson

This is one of my favourites.

FamilySearch new and updated Canadian records in 2015

It's easy to miss new record sets that become available through FamilySearch, and even easier to overlook updates, unless you scan the catalog listing. Here are the 27 Canadian additions and updates made in the past year with the most recent at the top.

Title	Records	Last Updated
Manitoba Probate Records, 1871-1930	51,868	01-Dec-15
Ontario Births, 1869-1910	2,094,890	28-Oct-15
Nova Scotia Delayed Births, 1837-1904	143,618	27-Oct-15
British Columbia Marriage Registrations, 1859-1932; 1937	143,411	09-Oct-15
British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986; 1992-1993	1,216,343	05-Oct-15
Quebec, Quebec Federation of Genealogical Societies, Family Origins, 1621-1865	5,996	25-Sep-15
Prince Edward Island Death Card Index, 1721-1905	16,778	21-Sep-15
Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947	2,050,112	21-Jul-15
Nova Scotia Deaths, 1864-1877	Browse Images	26-Jun-15
Nova Scotia Marriages, 1864-1918	Browse Images	26-Jun-15
Nova Scotia Births, 1864-1877	Browse Images	26-Jun-15
Newfoundland Vital Records, 1840-1949	363,845	10-Jun-15
Quebec Index to Civil Copy of Church Records, 1642-1902	Browse Images	29-May-15
Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927	1,822,298	28-May-15
Newfoundland Vital Statistics, 1753-1893	192,403	08-May-15
Canada Passenger Lists, 1881-1922	3,874,103	06-May-15
Saskatchewan, Catholic Church Records, 1846-1957	40,494	01-May-15
Saskatchewan Cemetery Transcripts, ca. 1850-1994	164,737	29-Apr-15
Nova Scotia Deaths, 1890-1955	342,684	23-Apr-15
Nova Scotia Deaths, 1956-1957	12,185	23-Apr-15
Newfoundland Census, 1945	328,362	22-Apr-15
Newfoundland Census, 1935	296,231	22-Apr-15
Newfoundland Census, 1921	218,865	20-Mar-15
Canada Census, 1911	7,246,159	19-Mar-15
Nova Scotia Marriages, 1907-1932	67,484	11-Mar-15
Prince Edward Island Marriage Registers, 1832-1888	20,548	11-Mar-15
New Brunswick Provincial Marriages 1789-1950	316,327	06-Mar-15
Canadian Headstones	1,006,536	20-Feb-15
Ontario, Toronto Trust Cemeteries, 1826-1989	150,838	09-Jan-15

Archive CD Books Canada Boxing Day Sale

ALL Archive CD Books Canada Canadian digital resources are marked down for a limited time!

Most are marked down to 50% off their regular price!

How to recognize the "Canadian" products on our online catalogue? - Their Catalogue Number start with "CA", so: CA0__, CAG__, CAB__, and CAI__  Well, that and the BIG GREEN SALE STICKER is a bit of a hint too.  :)
To search for all Canadian products.  Click on the “Search” in the left hand column and type, or paste, in one of the following:
sku:CA****        For ALL Canadian products
sku:CA0***       For just Canadian CD products
sku:CAB***       For just Canadian products on British & UK topics
sku:CAI***        For just Canadian products on Irish topics
sku:CAG***      For Canadian Gleanings products (all topics)

Digital Downloads and Gleanings are available AS SOON AS YOU BUY THEM. The CDs have to wait until Canada Post is back in action and can get them to you, but we should be able to get them into the first outgoing mail.

Yuletide R&R: Why Does Every Christmas Song Have So Many Chords?

BONUS: Just available. The Alan Lomax Sound Archive now online, features a 17,000 treasure trove of songs (blues and folk) and interviews recorded by the legendary folklorist Alan Lomax from the 1940s into the 1990s. Now digitized and made available online for free listening. While Lomax is best known for his US recordings the collection includes material from the UK and Ireland and many other places internationally - excepting Canada!

Yuletide R&R: The very model of a . . .

This version to the Gilbert and Sullivan patter song has subtitles in case you've never quite got the lyrics.



Some examples of variations on the theme:

I am the very model of a Cartoon Individual

I Am the Very Model of a Biblical Philologist

I am the very model of a singularitarian

I Am The Very Model Of A Wrimo Individual

Yuletide R&R: A Child's Christmas in Wales

For those lamenting a lack of snow at Christmas spend some time with Dylan Thomas reading his poem" A Child's Christmas in Wales."



YouTube has many other versions I came across while searching the fate of Welsh born Jennie Margaret Child. She was born in Carmarthen in 1903, is been found in several records with my Marmon family members in the 1910s, then disappears. Her mother Jane (Marmon) Child died shortly after she was born.

If Santa wanted to be really good to me this Christmas he'd provide a clue to a later record showing what happened to Jennie.

FreeBMD December update

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Thursday 24 December 2015 to contain 251,294,896 distinct records, a huge increase of 3,664,680 records. Years with major updates, more than 5,000 new entries, are for births: 1940, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973-75; for marriages:1965-66, 1968-69, 1971-76; for deaths: 1973, 1976.
Thanks to all involved with FreeBMD during 2015 for their work to make this valuable facility freely available to all.

Yuletide R&R: Politically Correct Christmas

This seasonably appropriate short item from the Royal Canadian Air Farce was the most popular last year.

1939 Register team catching up

2.8 million more records now available to view in the 1939 Register! -- that's the headline on a blog post from Find My Past's 1939 Register team.
This is correcting an error when information for 2.8 million people that should have been released when the register database was opened was withheld. Those people are deceased but apparently FMP and TNA had been unable to agree on a means of cross-referencing the 1939 Register with the General Register Office's England and Wales civil registration death indexes, 1969-2006.  That's even though date of birth is recorded in each dataset.
Correcting the error still leaves a large number of people whose information is being unnecessarily withheld, particularly those who died outside England and Wales during the Second World War and are recorded in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database.

National Portrait Gallery may be resurrected

An article in the Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ) gives background to the possibility that the building at 100 Wellington St., directly across from Parliament Hill, could be the site for a National Portrait Gallery. The project was shelved by the Harper government in 2010 and the building, the former US Embassy, has been unoccupied.

The OBJ article makes reference to local Ottawa MP and Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna although the Portrait Gallery, a component of LAC, is under Heritage Minister Melanie Joly. When I asked about the Portrait Gallery recently Minister Joly gave a non-committal response.

With its expertize in archiving LAC should have no problem retrieving their plans for the Gallery.

Yuletide R&R: Christmas Truce

Genealogy Gift suggestions

Still searching for a gift for the hard-to-buy-for genealogist? Here are some Canadian opportunities in 2016 you might consider.

Lesley's Grand Tour of Ireland was mentioned back in September. Wouldn't it be great to receive as a gift a tour of Ireland "With plenty of time for research & fun for all!" starting and ending in Dublin. Lesley Anderson is conducting it from April 16 to May 2, 2016.  More details at https://goo.gl/3fjEkw

The Great Canadian Genealogy Summit, scheduled for October 21 - 23, 2016 at the Courtyard Marriott in Brampton, Ontario, is an opportunity to hear presentations from some of Canada's leading genealogists.

OGS Conference 3-5 June 2016 in Toronto has a stellar line-up of speakers and a convenient location. Registration won’t be open until January.

A magazine subscription for Internet Genealogy, Your Genealogy Today, or History Magazine, all from Moorshead Magazines.

A membership in the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, the Ontario Genealogical Society or the family history society for your region.

A genealogist gift doesn't have to be genealogical. For someone who has everything consider those who don't. A donation to one of the top rated charitable organizations identified by https://www.charityintelligence.ca/ is appreciated at any time of year.

Deceased Online to add Nottingham General Cemetery records

Deceased Online tweeted out that "A large set of records for probably the oldest council-managed cemetery in the English Midlands will go live on www.deceasedonline.com over the Christmas period."  Included were images of part of the burial register from August 1841.

It didn't take long using FreeBMD and the names in the images to determine the cemetery location in the Nottingham area.

Deceased Online's page for Nottingham includes the paragraph "There remains one substantial cemetery location with records yet to be digitsed and added to the website. We are currently working on the registers for General Cemetery; opened in 1836. By 1929, when it closed for new graves, there were already over 150,000 burials. We hope to add all records later in 2015."

Voila . . . Nottingham General Cemetery.

Find out more about the cemetery at www.ournottinghamshire.org.uk/page_id__721.aspx.
According to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission there are

332 First World War burials in Nottingham General Cemetery, many made from the Bagthorpe War Hospital and other war hospitals in the city. More than 100 of these graves form a war plot, with the names of the dead inscribed on an adjoining Screen Wall. There are also ten Second World War burials in the cemetery, and one Belgian grave.

UPDATE:  See this article on the Deceased Online -blog http://deceasedonlineblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/nottingham-collection.html

Yuletide R&R: How to have a British Christmas

Lump of Coal Award 2015

Based solely of the reactions received in comments to the previous nominations post, to me in person and in other's posts there is no need to go to a vote. The 2015 winner of the Lump of Coal Award is clear.

Despite being, or perhaps because it is the biggest commercial genealogical organization Ancestry.com has received a lot of negative reaction to the decision to no longer support the popular Family Tree Maker software after the end of 2016.

From a strictly business perspective the decision makes sense; Ancestry.com targeting its efforts to a growing part of the business with more profit potential.

Do the partners in Ancestry.com, and President and Chief Executive Office Tim Sullivan get it? Ancestry's clients use the service for personal, emotional reasons - family. For many who have been using FTM for years, perhaps since the Banner Blue days, Ancestry's move feels like having family ripped away for corporate profit. By not providing a path forward for FTM users Ancestry is coming across as a bully.

Charles Dickens wrote in A Christmas Carol when Ebenezer Scrooge encountered the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley.

“But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,' faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.
Business!' cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The deals of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”

Go to Ancestry.com's mission statement and you'll find the word community used three times, but in the context of the company being a facilitator not a member. Where's the friendly face, an organization that's part of the community, not just a business serving it?

The Lump of Coal Award for 2015 goes to Ancestry.com.

―

Yuletide R&R: Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

As genealogy news becomes scarce over the holiday period, as in previous years I'm posting some interesting favourite items that may be of interest.

Like most folks I overlooked the 40th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.  Before getting into Yuletide fare here is a version of the Gordon Lightfoot composed tribute by Toronto’s Cadence with a completely 100 percent ‘a cappella’ arrangement.



Cadence (Kurt Sampson, Lucas Marchand, Ross Lynde, Carl Berger, David Lane) pairs with world renowned multi-award winning Ukrainian sand animation artist Kseniya Simonova – winner of Ukraine’s Got Talent.

Thanks to Colin Henein for playing this on CKCU's Music from the Glen.

The Brothers of the Wind Documentary Heritage Project

Another initiative that received funding from the Documentary Heritage Communities Program is The Brothers of the Wind Documentary Heritage Project, a new undertaking of the Naismith Basketball Foundation at the R. Tait. McKenzie Memorial Museum and the Naismith Museum housed at the Mill of Kintail near Almonte. Brothers of the Wind was a moniker used by Naismith and McKenzie and is well liked by staff and volunteers at the Mill.

The project is in two distinct parts. The first  part will upgrade the archive to maximize the shared space. There will be upgraded shelving and new storage for film and audio recordings. Cleared space will create room for the increased number of researchers experienced in the last two years.

The second part will is upgrade digitizing technology/equipment including purchasing large format scanners, photography equipment, and more. With this new technology the facility will become available to other small museums, archives, and historical societies in the area, and perhaps later to individuals, creating a community to share the expertise and strengths of users. The Brothers of the Wind Research Centre will be staffed by a full-time employee to help digitize the collections

Tara Dawe, the Collections Coordinator / Research Centre Manager, commented that they are "proud and excited to be given this opportunity and the funding by Libraries and Archives Canada and the Government of Canada. The whole DHCP project is a blessing to small museums and archives across Canada and we hope to share these good graces with our surrounding community."

SSHRC Grants posted December 2015

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council posted results of competition awards earlier this week. Frankly there are thin pickings but here are some of potential interest to family historians.

Insight Development Grants: February 2015 Competition Awards

Stanley-Blackwell, Laurie - St. Francis Xavier University $60,899
Linkletter, Michael - St. Francis Xavier University
Centring Death:  Scottish Immigrant Identity and Nova Scotian Cemeteries

Insight Grants: October 2014 Competition Awards

Milligan, Ian E. - University of Waterloo $257,541
Ruest, Nicholas J. - York University
Turkel, William J. - The University of Western Ontario
McAlorum, Andrew - University of Waterloo
A longitudinal analysis of the Canadian World Wide Web as a historical resource, 1996-2014

Partnership Development Grants: November 2014 Competition Awards

Applicant Brian Detlor McMaster University
Co-applicant David Smith McMaster University
Maureen Hupfer McMaster University
Walter Peace McMaster University
Partner City of Hamilton HAMILTON  ON
Hamilton Public Library HAMILTON  ON
McMaster University HAMILTON  ON
Title: Love your city; share Your stories:  the use of digital storytelling by municipal cultural organizations as a promotion of place
Years: 3 Funding: $199,789.00

Applicant Marcel Fortin University of Toronto
Co-applicant
Donald Lafreniere Michigan Technological University
John Lutz University of Victoria
Léon Robichaud Université de Sherbrooke
Collaborator
Colleen Beard Brock University
Geoffrey Cunfer University of Saskatchewan
Howard Glenn Brauen University of Toronto
Jennifer Bonnell McMaster University
Jim Clifford University of Saskatchewan
Joshua MacFadyen The University of Western Ontario
Kenneth Sylvester University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Larry Laliberte University of Alberta
Marc St-Hilaire Université Laval
Robert Sweeny Memorial University of Newfoundland
Partner
ESRI Canada TORONTO  ON
The Neptis Foundation TORONTO  ON
Toronto Green Community TORONTO  ON
University of Alberta EDMONTON  AB
University of Toronto TORONTO  ON
University of Victoria VICTORIA  BC
Title: Canadian historical geographic information systems partnership
Years: 2 Funding: $193,008.00

There are a few other grants of potential interest for graduate student and post-doctoral projects. Check out

December 2015	Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships: Doctoral Scholarship November 2014 Competition Awards
December 2015	Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program: Master's Scholarships December 2014 Competition Awards
December 2015	SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships Program: November 2014 Competition Awards
December 2015	SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships Program: October 2014 Competition Awards