British Newspaper Archive additions for September

The British Newspaper Archive now has 21,937,298 pages (21,284,568 pages last month). The 49 (55) papers with new pages online are tabulated below with the major additions highlighted.

TITLE	DATE RANGE
Aberdeen Evening Express	1958-1965, 1967-1969
Aberdeen Press and Journal	1963-1967, 1969
Aberdeen Weekly Free Press	1872
Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald	1854-1872, 1875-1878, 1888, 1893-1897, 1899
Athletic News	1877-1879, 1888-1896, 1900, 1908, 1921, 1931
Birmingham Daily Gazette	1901-1913, 1920-1925, 1927-1930, 1932-1937, 1951-1956
Bognor Regis Observer	1890-1896, 1898-1899, 1901-1957
Bolton Evening News	1879, 1883, 1896
Bucks Advertiser & Aylesbury News	1897
Carrickfergus Advertiser	1884-1895, 1897-1899
Catholic Standard	1950
Chard and Ilminster News	1875-1886, 1888-1910
Clitheroe Advertiser and Times	1933, 1936-1957
Cornish Times	1863, 1872
Croydon Guardian and Surrey County Gazette	1877-1878
Daily Herald	1911-1912, 1919-1920
Daily Telegraph & Courier (London)	1881-1889, 1892-1894, 1896-1897, 1899, 1903-1910
Denbighshire Free Press	1884-1895, 1898-1910
Eastbourne Gazette	1862-1887, 1889-1896, 1898-1905
Eastbourne Herald	1951-1957
Galloway Express	1872
Gravesend Reporter North Kent and South Essex Advertiser	1886
Hexham Courant	1864, 1879, 1889, 1897
Ilkley Gazette and Wharfedale Advertiser	1889, 1891
Islington Gazette	1902-1904
Londonderry Sentinel	1881-1882, 1911, 1926
Market Harborough Advertiser and Midland Mail	1923-1950
Morecambe Guardian	1929-1935, 1938-1940, 1946, 1948-1949, 1951-1953, 1955-1957
Northern Constitution1	1908-1910
Nottingham Journal	1910, 1953
Paisley & Renfrewshire Gazette	1875-1876, 1878-1908
Poor Law Unions' Gazette	1888, 1901
Portadown Times	1956-1957
Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham Journal	1908
Rugby Advertiser	1890-1896, 1898-1899, 1901-1905, 1907
Salisbury and Winchester Journal	1899-1910
Shields Daily News	1897
Shrewsbury Chronicle	1878-1891, 1898-1899
The Atlas	1826-1852, 1855-1869
The Sportsman	1872-1874, 1888-1889, 1910, 1912-1919, 1924
The Stage	2001-2007
West Sussex County Times	1875, 1890, 1901-1908, 1910-1911, 1913-1957
Western Daily Mercury.	1895
Weston-super-Mare Gazette and General Advertiser	1855-1868
Whitchurch Herald	1875, 1879, 1889, 1897-1898
Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard	1837-1874, 1876-1896, 1900-1910
Winsford & Middlewich Guardian	1875-1887, 1889-1895, 1897-1904, 1907-1910
Woolwich Gazette	1872, 1874, 1889-1890, 1893-1894, 1901, 1904-1910
Worthing Herald	1921-1957

BIFHSGO Recognition for Gail Dever

Friday evening's opening session of the annual BIFHSGO conference saw the induction of Gail Dever to the BIFHSGO Hall of Fame.
Gail, as well as being very active in social media for genealogy including on her Genealogy à la carte blog, serves as society webmaster.

Roger Manchester: a man who never was

Myko Clelland‏, @DapperHistorian, who delights in unusual genealogical items, tweeted out this story with the comment "This ad was taken out in 1907 - Perhaps he's still waiting..."

It appeared in the Dundee Courier on Wednesday 14 August 1907.
But, there was no such Canadian. Not in the 1901 census, Not in the 1911 census.
Looking to the US there are articles in several newspapers in May 1907 and later referring to a man by that name from Washington County, South Dakota seeking a dumb wife.
The first mention I could find is on 9 May 1907 including in the The Evening World of New York in a column Oddities in News From all Over the World. Other items are "Bug in Lived in Ear of a Girl for 12 Years", "Man Eats 40 (Raw) Eggs in Quarter Hour". National Enquirer stuff.
What of Roger Manchester? There is no person by that name to be found in the US censuses of 1900 or 1910!

Ancestry adds Derbyshire Parish Records

Sourced from the Derbyshire Record Office, Ancestry now has the following indexed Church of England collections, with linked images of the original document.
Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1916, 1,949,884 records
Derbyshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932, 1,491,634 records
Derbyshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812, 2,331,253 records
Derbyshire, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1991, 631,828 records
There are 282 parishes in total, many in each collection. There are 19 parishes in Derby and 4 in Chesterfield.

FreeBMD September Update

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Thursday 28 September 2017 to contain 263,803,089 distinct records (263,317,856 previous update).

Years with major updates (more than 5,000 entries) are: for births: 1963-64, 1966, 1977-1981; for marriages: 1965-66, 1977, 1979-83; for deaths 1976, 1979-81.

Finding Your Roots: season four

Finding Your Roots starts a new season on 3 October on PBS.



Here's a rundown on the ten episodes in this series from the Ancestry.com blog.

Episode 1 | The Impression
Guests: Larry David and Bernie Sanders. Two guests linked by one hilarious impersonation trace their roots from 1940s Brooklyn back to Jewish communities in Europe. Premieres Tues., Oct. 3, 2017

Episode 2 | Unfamiliar Kin
Guests: Carly Simon, Christopher Walken, and more. In this episode, three guests each learn about a grandparent whose real identity and background had been a mystery to them. Along the way, two of them also discover that their close relatives were on the wrong side of history. Premieres Tues., Oct. 10, 2017

Episode 3 | Puritans and Pioneers
Guests: Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen and William H. Macy. Three mainstays of modern-day Hollywood discover family legacies that predate the United States itself. Premieres Tues., Oct. 17, 2017

Episode 4 | The Vanguard
Guests: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ava DuVernay and Janet Mock. Three guests who have helped to redefine Black America in the last decade find their identities challenged as they learn about their family origins. Premieres Tues., Oct. 24, 2017

Episode 5 | Immigrant Nation
Guests: Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, and more. In this episode, three guests explore the tremendous challenges faced by their immigrant forebears. Premieres Tues., Oct. 31, 2017

Episode 6 | Black Like Me
Guests: Bryant Gumbel, Tonya Lewis-Lee, and Suzanne Malveaux. Three African-American guests delve deep into their family trees, discovering unexpected stories that challenge our assumptions about black history. Premieres Tues., Nov. 7, 2017

Episode 7 | Children of the Revolution
Guests: Lupita Nyong’o, Carmelo Anthony, and Ana Navarro. Three guests explore how their family trees were shaped by political turmoil and violence, discovering sometimes unexpected ancestry along the way. Premieres Tues., Nov. 14, 2017

Episode 8 | Relatives We Never Knew We Had
Guests: Téa Leoni and Gaby Hoffman. Two guests whose lives have been shaped by family mysteries are introduced to biological ancestors they never knew they had thanks to genetic detective work. Premieres Tues., Nov. 21, 2017

Episode 9 | Southern Roots
Guests: Questlove, Dr. Phil, and Charlayne Hunter-Gault. Three guests of disparate backgrounds dig into their Southern roots, where slavery and its aftermath shaped families both black and white. Premieres Tues., Dec. 12, 2017

Episode 10 | Funny Business
Guests: Garrison Keillor, Amy Schumer, and more. Three guests who have found fame mining their family stories for comedy learn about ancestors who overcame immense suffering. Premieres Tues., Dec. 19, 2017

BYU Records of British Morman Immigrants

An article by Rebecca Curtis in the September issue of Genealogists' Magazine mentions four free databases that may be helpful if you're researching someone who disappears from British records in the 19th century. Did they convert to the Mormon religion and move to the USA? Toronto genealogist Linda Reid tells of her surprise in finding someone in her family tree who converted and left the UK for Utah. It's a mistake to assume that didn't happen in your extended family.
These databases are the work of students and staff of Brigham Young University Center for Family History and Genealogy.

Nauvoo Community Project
Nauvoo (Illinois) was established in 1838 by settlers fleeing persecution for their LDS religion. The database has a goal to identify the residents of the Nauvoo area from 1839 to 1846 and follow their later lives. The article states there were 2,479 residents born in England, 386 in Scotland, 221 in Ireland and 163 in Wales. The research is ongoing. Caution. Many entries include the notation that "The record on this page represents traditional data. This person has not yet been researched by the CFHG."

Immigrant Ancestors Project
The project uses emigration registers to locate information about the birthplaces of Mormon immigrants in their native countries, which is not found in the port registers and naturalization documents in the destination countries. There were 417,813 British entries in the database at the time Curtis was writing, including duplicates and multiple records for the same person.

Welsh Mormon Immigrant Project
An estimated twenty percent of the population of Utah is of Welsh descent. CFHG aims to document the Welsh immigrants. Currently there are 5,112 names in this database.

Mormon Migration
Contains information on about 90,000 LDS converts who crossed the oceans during the 19th century.

TNA blogs on Indigenous Canadian soldiers in the First World War

Lance Corporal Henry Norwest, of the 50th Battalion, was one of over 4,000 indigenous Canadians (excluding non-status Indians, Metis and Inuit) who enlisted for 1914 -18.
His story is told in a recent TNA blog post. He had 115 kills credited as a sniper, for which he received a Military Cross and bar. Norwest was killed by enemy snipers on 18 August 1918, one of about 300 other indigenous Canadians who gave their lives in the conflict.
He is one of 45 CWGC burials at Warvillers Churchyard Extension, Somme, France.

Home Child Records at Rideau Township Archives

I took a trip to Rideau Township Archives, only open on Tuesdays or by appointment, and found the room buzzing with friendly volunteers.
Weather records for Kars, kept daily by Robert Bryan (a home child) from December 1923 to April 1959 are in the collection. They seem to be complete - three temperature readings a day as well as wind direction, sky condition, precipitation and comments.
While there I was shown a list of 140 home children who had come to North Gower or Marlborough townships. It showed the name, birth date, immigration date (year), the host family, sometimes brief comments, and whether found in the 1901 or 1911 censuses. There was also a cross reference list of host families.
Although the list didn`t show the agency that brought the child the opinion was that many came through the Fairknowe Home in Brockville.
The list is only available at the Rideau Archives. I`m exploring whether it can be placed online.

StatsCan: Using historical censuses to research Canadian families

An article in the most recent, 25 September, issue of the Statistics Canada monthly blog, Connecting Stats, Stories and People includes an interview article Using historical censuses to research Canadian families with Lisa Dillon from the Université de Montréal.

Having missed her conference presentation in Ottawa last week I was particularly interested to read about her own research:

"Ms. Dillon has used the census as a primary tool in her own research, including on the living arrangements of the elderly in her 2008 book The Shady Side of Fifty: Age and Old Age in Late Victorian Canada and the United States. Using the census and drawing from diaries and letters, she researched, documented and highlighted how shifts in living arrangements, the advent of retirement, and an empty nest free of adult children changed the trajectory of old age during the late 1800s.
In collaboration with L’Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Ms. Dillon used the census to look at the residential autonomy of single persons in early twentieth century Canada, a topic of interest this year as the percentage of one-person households is at an all-time high in Canada’s 150-year history. And, in a project to link censuses from 1871 to 1881, she found some interesting conclusions on youth leaving home for the first time.
“I found this interesting pattern where young women were more likely to leave home early if they grew up in a household dominated by brothers rather than by sisters. This may have occurred because sisters had to act as the servant of the household, whereas with sisters, they could share the workload. This evidence suggests that young women were motivated to leave because of these gendered challenges.”

Comment:  It's encouraging to see Statistics Canada give some profile to the use of the census for historical studies. Too often we've heard that historical studies are not the purpose of the census and the questions asked are limited as a result.

What would the census look like if questions on the historical and genealogical wish list were incorporated? How about the collection of DNA? In Iceland at least one third of the population have given a DNA sample.

Top five free websites for Church of England ancestors:

From FamilyTree, the UK genealogy magazine, and genealogist Stuart Raymond comes a top five list of free of charge websites for finding Church of England ancestors, particularly those who lived before Civil Registration.

1. Family Search
2. Internet Archive
3. National Library of Wales: Wills
4. Cause Papers in the Diocesan Courts of the Archbishopric of York 1300-1858
5. CCEd: The Clergy of the Church of England database.

Find details and links at https://www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/family-history-tips-advice/find-your-church-of-england-ancestors-top-five-free-genealogy-websites/.

Last Minute: Keeping the Past: Storing and Preserving Family Archives and Memorabilia

This evening Kyla Ubbink travels for a presentation to the Arnprior Family History Group in her continuing outreach to help us preserve family treasures.

IGRS Updates Early Irish Birth, Marriage & Death Indexes

The Irish Genealogical Research Society announce the addition of 5,000 records to the Society’s Early Irish Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes, bringing the total number of names to almost 260,000.
There are now 24,500 births (noting 47,800 names), 83,600 marriages (186,800 names) and 16,800 deaths (24,500 names) in the collection.

The IGRS Press Release adds

This particular update draws from a range of material: surviving 19th century census records; marriage licence indexes; pre-1922 abstracts from exchequer and chancery court records; memorial inscriptions; biographical notices from newspapers; a large number of long forgotten published works on particular families and places; and memorials from Ireland's Registry of Deeds.
One of the rare books from which data is drawn is the Memoirs of the Fultons of Lisburn, published in 1903, which includes references not only to folk called Fulton, but many other associated families from the area. With reference to the quality and usefulness of this material, project coordinator Roz McCutcheon said "As an example, the Fulton Memoirs provide great detail, allowing long dead people to be easily identified. Take Richard Fulton of Lisburn, as an example. We can conclude he was dead by April 1823, having outlived his wife, Elizabeth, whose maiden surname was Shanks, and who had died before him in July 1812 aged 60, and thus born about 1752."
"In addition to the publications," Roz continued "this particular update draws heavily from Registry of Deeds memorials, access to which is now much easier since FamilySearch uploaded images of the old 1950s microfilms at the beginning of this year. Contrary to popular belief, the memorials make reference to all sorts of types and classes of people. A deed of 1808 allowed us to flesh out an entry in the death index to a widowed shopkeeper called Jane Rooney, noting her address as South Great George's, Dublin and her maiden surname as Kirk. It also linked her to her married sister, Matilda McDonnell. Another deed, from 1795, named the late Robert Dempsey of Co. Wexford, noting his widow as Catherine, with a maiden surname of Cardiff."
The census data includes both original material - that which survived the conflagration of 1922 - and transcripts of that which did not. Counties Fermanagh. Kilkenny, Tipperary and Waterford are particularly represented. The return for the Greene family from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary in the 1841 census – data entered into the Death Index - was particularly poignant. It noted George Greene, a publican, and then lists the members of his household who had predeceased him. These were his first wife, Margaret, who died in 1828, and four of his children: Michael, Patrick, James and Margaret, who died in 1833, 1837, 1831 and 1833 respectively, aged from 3 months to 10 years.
Stop press - We hope to have an exciting, additional update of BMD data later in the year, so keep checking the IGRS website for more news! 
Search the databases here:
Marriage Index        - Free to all
Birth Index              - Name search only for non-members
Death Index             - Name search only for non-members

Thanks to Steven Smyrl for the tip.

Austin Comerton interviews Celia Heritage and Paul Milner

Irish Radio Canada is the new online version of what used to be on-air as The Gaelic Hour.
As a good and long-time friend of BIFHSGO Austin Comerton has frequently interviewed major speakers coming to the BIFHSGO conference.
2017 is no exception. You'll find interviews with Celia Heritage and Paul Milner speaking about their presentations at the conference linked from
http://irishradio.ca/Archives-2017.php. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the link to either Celia or Paul and download the file to play on your system.

Heritage Forum: 30 September

If I were not attending the BIFHSGO Conference I'd be tempted by Heritage Ottawa's Heritage Forum. Held at Kars with the Rideau Township Historical Society, the day's events are:

 Giulio Maffini, an architect with over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, will discuss Manotick's experience with the City Design Guidelines for Rural Villages with a focus on the Falls House in Manotick Village.

 City of Ottawa Heritage Planner Anne Fitzpatrick will explain heritage policies with an emphasis on the Heritage Register and Designation.

 A City of Ottawa Archivist will share information on the resources available for researching the buildings, events and people who tell the stories of our rural communities.

 A brief history of Kars will be followed by a guided walking tour of the picturesque village by local resident Cameron Minor.

 Jim Mountain, Director of Regeneration Projects at the National Trust for Canada, will share his years of experience training and coaching communities on how to regen-
erate their Main Streets.

 A closing Bus Tour with commentary by Owen Cooke will take participants on a drive through beautiful Rideau Township, stopping at heritage sites along the way including such landmarks as St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, the Thomson Barn, the Rideau Archives, and more.

 Lunch and refreshment breaks will be provided.

The day begins at the Kars RA located at 1604 Old Wellington Street at 9:30 am and continues to 4:00 pm. Doors open at 9:00 am.
https://heritageottawa.org/.
Pre-registration is required. The registration fee of $20 per person includes lunch, refreshments, and access to all events.
You can pre-register on the Heritage Ottawa website ( by making a $20 donation and entering "Heritage Forum" in the commemorative donation field.

Renewed GRO PDF Trial Coming

According to Peter Calver's Lost Cousins Newsletter of 22 September the General Register Office for England and Wales will be running another trial of PDF delivery of historic birth and death entries (births from 1837 to 1916 and deaths from 1837 to 1957).
This would be a longer than the three week trial last November.
No word on when it will start. You might want to hold off ordering certificates for this period as there will be a considerable saving, as long as your need is for the information, not an official certificate, and you can wait for the trial.

Ottawa War Bride Couple Death

The death of English war bride Jean (Tubbs) Spear and her Canadian husband of 72 years George Spear a week ago made news on the BBC and CBC as well as in the Ottawa Citizen. They died less than six hours apart.
Jean had arrived in Ottawa on 21 December 1944, one of eight (?) war brides and six children who arrived on the same train at the Union Station. The Ottawa Journal reported their arrival under the headline British Brides Arrive in Snow Storm, Get Warm Welcome.
Weather records show that storm dumped 9.4 cm of snow.

Does anyone know the story of the other war brides arriving on that train:

Margaret I. Coller
Patricia Dudman, with daughter Barbara
Joan Fee
Ethel Large, and daughter Jennifer Street
Joyce Ryan, and son Patrick
Phyllis Mahoney, and son John
and two children of Major S. G Gamble, Margaret and Jean (mother deceased).

Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire and Sussex additions at Findmypast

Gloucestershire, Bristol Baptism Index
With the addition of over 139,000 records the Gloucestershire, Bristol Baptism Index now has 551,100 records covering 116 Bristol parishes.

The earliest is from 1518, the latest 1914.

The database was created using original records held at the Bristol Archives and transcripts from FamilySearch's International Genealogical Index (IGI).

Each transcript includes a combination of baptism date, baptism place, parents' names and a reference number.

Gloucestershire, Bristol Marriage Index
More than 80,000 additional Bristol Marriage Index records are now available to search. The earliest records are four marriages in 1518 from Bitton, St Mary, the latest from 1939. This transcript collection includes both parish and non-conformist registers and now contains a total of 354,787 records.

Gloucestershire, Bristol Burial Index
An additional 96,000 records expands this index to 273,182 transcript records covering more than 70 parishes.

Records usually reveal age at death, birth year, burial year, father's name, residence and provide you with a Bristol Archives reference number.

Hertfordshire Baptisms
Over 6,000 records covering the town of Cheshunt have been added to Findmypast's collection of Hertfordshire baptisms bringing the total for the county to 831,117.

Each record includes a digitised image of the original record book and a transcript for the individual entry. That makes it easy to check for transcription errors such as baptisms 100 years before birth. It's a reminder not to entirely trust transcription records.

Sussex Monumental Inscriptions
Over 1,800 additional records covering churchyards in Chiddingly and East Dean have been added to FMP's Sussex Monumental Inscriptions collection which now totals 23,102 records from 1513 to 2007.
.
Each includes a transcript that lists the deceased's birth year, age at death, death year, burial location, the number of individuals buried in that plot, details of the inscription on their headstone or memorial and a reference number.

Findmypast adds Dublin Electoral Rolls

Findmypast just made available electoral rolls, over 427,000 records, with the names of those eligible to vote between 1908 and 1915 in Dublin.

Voting eligibility for local elections was restricted to men over the age of 21 and women over the age of 30 who either resided in the city or owned property there.

The original electoral registers are held by the Dublin City Library & Archives.

Act today:Sign the Petition to Update Crown Copyright

Canadians paid for it. We should have access.

Royal Commissions, Parliamentary reports, statistical publications…are the raw materials of good journalism and history in a democratic country. As it is these publications can be changed or removed without warning, especially if the content is not supportive of government policy or otherwise embarrassing.

If they’re deleted, you might still be able to find them via web harvesters like the Wayback Machine. Or they might be gone forever. It’s hit and miss.

The solution is to address Section 12 of the Copyright Act legal scholars have labelled a “legislative monstrosity” and called for its abolishment. It dates from 1911 and British legislation which has long since been superceded -- but not in Canada.

Open up the material we paid for.

Act now. Sign the petition to bring Canadian legislation in line with other democracies .

The online petition closes on September 23 so act now. Sign it at www.FixCrownCopyright.ca. 

WDYTYA UK on YouTube

Several episodes from the most recent British TV series of Who Do You Think You Are? are new on YouTube.

They are supported by advertizing.

Noel Clarke
Fearne Cotton
Charles Dance
Lisa Hammond
Ian McKellen

Ancestry adds England, Extracted Parish and Court Records, 1399-1795

New to Ancestry is this collection of 93,495 early parish records. All entries I could find were sourced from a publication Musgrave's Obituaries Prior to 1800. They are index entries with name and death date (sometimes just year), and relate to the more well to do in society. There is no link to further information in the original publication.

O ...Tops Baby Names in England and Wales 2016

Olivia was the most popular for girls replacing Amelia, which has been the most popular since 2011.

Oliver remains as the most popular first name for boys as it has since 2013.

The top ten names for boys were:
Oliver (6,623), Harry (5,284), George (5,263), Jack, Jacob,  Noah, Charlie, Muhammad, Thomas, Oscar. 

For girls:
Olivia (5,017), Alemia (4,777), Emily (3,551), Isla, Ava, Isabella, Lilly, Jessica, Ella, Mia.

The number of different baby names registered in England and Wales in 2016 was 28,274 for boys and 35,645 for girls.

Find the top 100 names and details of the names through history from the Office of National Statistics release at https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/babynamesinenglandandwales2016

Heritage Ignite! at OPL

In the Auditorium at OPL Main (120 Metcalfe) on Wednesday 27 September, 2017 at 6:30pm Ottawa’s local history enthusiasts will share their passion for our past!  Speakers are local history experts from: Lost Ottawa, Today in Ottawa's History, Workers' History Museum, Ottawa Free Tour, Black History Ottawa, City of Ottawa Archives and Museums, and Heritage Ottawa who will have 5 minutes each to tell you why they’re passionate about Ottawa’s history.

Register here.

Signatures: Paul Martin

A reminder of the forthcoming interview of former Prime Minister Paul Martin by Dr. Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, before a live audience. It's the next event in the Signatures Series which features prominent Canadians who have fonds in the LAC collection. The event starts at 12:15 p.m. at Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St., 2nd floor, Ottawa. 

More at http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/about-us/events/Pages/2017/signatures-series-Paul-Martin.aspx

Discovering Print Resources for Genealogy

The Ottawa Public Library offers a 90 minute session on the types of print resources you can use to do basic genealogy research or add depth to your family history, and introduce the resources available in OPL’s collections.

Monday 25 September, 2017 at 2:00pm at Nepean Centrepointe.

Registration Required.

Advance Notice: Arnprior & McNab/Braeside Archives Genealogy Day

The program is now available for this 14 October 2017 event at the Nick Smith Centre

8:30 – 9:00 Registration and Explore Marketplace 

9:00 – 9:10 Introduction and Welcome

 9:15 – 10:00 1st Speaker 

MARY CAMPBELL: NEW WORLD, NEW OPPORTUNITIES, 

FAMILY SETTLEMENT (SCOTTISH THEME)

10:00 – 10:30 Coffee Break and Explore Marketplace

10:30 – 11:30 2nd Speaker

LESLEY ANDERSON: ANCESTRY DNA

11:30 – 11:45 Comfort Break

11:45 – 12:30 3rd Speaker 

GLORIA TUBMAN: SCOTTISH HOME CHILDREN

Noon Break 12:30 – 1:45 Lunch Break and Explore Marketplace - Raffle Draws at 1 pm

Afternoon 1:45 – 2:45 4th Speaker 

NOREEN KRUZICH: FIRST NATION AND METIS ROOTS

2:45 Closing Remarks

Till 3:00 Explore Marketplace

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Further information at adarchives@hotmail.com

Hazards of Researching Family History: Skeletons in the Closet

Some people think it's only DNA testing that reveals genealogical surprises. Not so. In my own case it was digitized newspapers. If you're not prepared for surprises it's best not to look.

See the article at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-481492/Skeletons-closet-Family-tree-boom-unlocks-secrets-known.html

Lifespan and Causes of Death in Britain

In 100 years the average lifespan has increased by 30 years in Britain. An article from the (UK) Office of National Statistics at http://visual.ons.gov.uk/causes-of-death-over-100-years/ presents the trends and details the causes.

News from FFHS Workshop

The photo of John Wesley's gravestone below has nothing to do with this news, except that I learned it at a Federation of Family History Societies event at the grave location, Wesley's Chapel and Lysian Mission, across from Bunhill Burial Ground, in Saturday.

The FFHS announced they will be present at Roots Tech 2018. Three members are travelling there, have offered to staff a stand, and Roots Tech have offered a deep discount price for the booth.

Also, although nothing is signed and sealed yet the Federation is working with a commercial organization to mount a replacement for Who Do You Think You Are? Live sometime toward the end of 2018. Expect a announcement by the end of the year.

TheGenealogist adds over 1.1 million records to their Sussex Parish Record Collection

TheGenealogist has added over 1.1 million individuals to its parish record collection covering the county of Sussex. Published In association with The Parish Record Transcription Society, this first tranche of records will be followed by more releases in the near future.

This New release covers individual records of:

717,000 Baptisms
213,000 Marriages
208,000 Burials

CEF Service Files September Update

A of today, 15 September 2017 491,373 (467,521 last month) of 640,000 files are now available online in the LAC Personnel Records of the First World War database. That's according to a LAC Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Service post
The latest box digitized is number 8363 (8101) for last name Robertson (Rasmess).
If my calculations are correct at last month's rate the project will be finished by May 2018. Maybe LAC can then move on to another major digitization project. Newspapers anyone?

Findmypast adds Herefordshire BMB Transcripts

This week there are over 650,000 new transcript records available to search on Findmypast. Most are from the IGI of FamilySearch.

Baptism transcripts are as far back as the early 1500s and cover 240 parishes, notably Hereford and Ross on Wye.

Marriages transcripts are for 1538 to 1936 and 236 Herefordshire parishes.

37,306 Burial transcripts from 37 parishes are also included.

In addition find Herefordshire Wills, 1517-1700 from the British Record Society, an  alphabetical handwritten index from records at the Herefordshire  Archive and Records Centre.

Robert N. Wilkins presentation to Quebec Family History Society September Meeting

Montreal in 1909 is the topic of a free public lecture hosted by the Quebec Family History Society on Saturday, 16 September, 2017 at 10;30 a.m.

Robert N. Wilkins will explore Montreal in the year 1909. Learn about the day-to-day lives over a century ago, what they experienced in their daily routine – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Get a clear sense of what Montreal was like 108 years ago in a testimony to the delights of family history. Robert will also have a book signing of his book Montreal 1909.

The meeting is at Briarwood Presbyterian Church Hall, 70 Beaconsfield Blvd, Beaconsfield, Qc.

No reservations required, guests welcome. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation.

Paul Martin in conversation at LAC

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) invites you to an hour of lively conversation with the former Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Paul Martin.

Paul Martin will be the guest of Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada, as part of the Signatures Series, which features interviews with people who have donated their archives to LAC.

Reserve your spot now for this event, which will be held on Thursday, September 21, 2017 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. at 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa.

The presentation will be in English, with simultaneous translation in French.

Places for this free event are limited, so be sure to register at: http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/about-us/events/Pages/2017/signatures-series-Paul-Martin.aspx

New CEOs for Ancestry and Findmypast

News via Gail Dever's blog

http://genealogyalacarte.ca/?p=20845

Gail Dever to speak at OGS Kingston Branch September Meeting

The Kingston Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, September 16th at 10 a.m. at the Kingston Seniors Centre, 56 Francis St., Kingston.  Gail Dever, well-known genealogical blogger from Montreal will speak on "The Creme de la Creme of Online Resources for Quebec Research".  This talk will cover English and French records.  Visitors always welcome.  Further information at www.ogs.on.ca/kingston

Presentation: A glimpse into the past: Using historical censuses to research Canadian families

On Thursday, September 21, 2017, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel, 2nd floor, Rideau Room, 150 Albert Street, Ottawa, Ontario

Cost: Free

 

Statistics Canada invites all to attend A glimpse into the past: Using historical censuses to research Canadian families, the second of a four-part speaker series organized to mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

 

The guest speaker, Lisa Dillon, Full Professor, Department of Demography from the Université de Montréal, will showcase highlights of historical research beginning with the 1666 enumeration of Québec by the first Intendent of New France, Jean Talon, and she will discuss her early research findings from a new project on the 1831 Census of Quebec and the 1852 Census of Canada. She will also present research on intergenerational relations and living arrangements from the late 19th-century and on single persons' residential autonomy in the 1921-1951 Censuses of Canada.

 

Her presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with experts from various fields. At the end of the discussion, participants will be invited to ask questions. Joining us on the panel are:

 

• • Johanna Smith, Director General, Public Services Branch, Library and Archives Canada
  • TBC, Professional Genealogist
  • Rosemary Bender, former Assistant Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada (moderator)

 

The presentation will be mainly in English, with simultaneous interpretation in French. Participants will be invited to ask questions in the official language of their choice.

 

Please register no later than September 19, as space is limited.

Another reason not to object to a DNA test for Genetic Genealogy in Canada

Perhaps like me you missed that Canada has joined the rest of the G7 in preventing insurance companies from using results of any genetic tests to determine coverage or pricing. That has been a concern of those asked to take a test for genealogy. But insurance companies had objected to the law raising the spectre of general insurance  rate increases.

There's an interesting article "Why insurers are wrong about Canada's genetic non-discrimination law" — http://theconversation.com/why-insurers-are-wrong-about-canadas-genetic-non-discrimination-law-81380

Betty Kidd RIP

The death of Betty Kidd, former head of National Map Collection at LAC, is recorded in today's Citizen:  http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ottawacitizen/obituary.aspx?n=betty-kidd&pid=186642314&fhid=6681.  

via Bruce Elliott who mentions that her husband Jim, also an Archives employee, died in 2015.

OGS Quinte Branch September Meeting

On Saturday 16 September, 2017 The Quinte Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society presents "Tales of the Script: Old handwriting styles from 19th century" by Carol St Clair, Master Graphologist.

Carol took Handwriting Analysis courses in high school and ultimately became a Certified Master Graphologist and Document Examiner with an interest in her family history after discovering the handwriting of her great-great grandfather.

The meeting is at the usual location: Quinte West Public Library, 1-3 pm.

Everyone welcome, bring a friend.

Branch information at www.roostweb.ancestry.com/~canqbogs

Leicestershire and Rutland parish records updated on Findmypast

The East Midlands counties of Leicestershire and Rutland are featured in this week's update at Findmypast.

Baptisms 
New records: 54,804
Total records 1,196,243

Marriages 
New records: 22,271
Total records 694,117

Burials 
New records: 39,483
Total records: 835,595

Parish Records Browse 
New records: 13,090
Total records: 389,967

 

Call for Speakers: OGS 2018 Webinar Series

The Ontario Genealogical Society invites proposals for their monthly 2018 Webinar Series. 

Topics of particular interest are:

DNA
Technology and Tools
Research and Methodology
Organization and Storage of Research, Documents and Heirlooms
Research in the Country of Origin (i.e. England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, etc.)
Comparison of Genealogical Websites
Immigration
Writing and Publishing Family Research

Proposals on any other topic likely to be appeal to OGS members would be welcome.

Selected speakers should be prepared to provide Ontario and/or Canadian specific examples in their presentations (where applicable).
 
Speakers may submit up to 3 proposals for consideration.  All submissions will be reviewed but only those who are chosen will be contacted.

Deadline for Submissions:15 October 2017

For more information, follow this link. To submit your proposal, click here!

DNA Clouds

As a former meteorologist with an interest in genetic genealogy here's one I couldn't resist.

Credit a tweet from Science Magazine.

Advocacy for body armour and deficiency of Canadian newspaer digitization

While visiting the UK National Archives on Thursday I attended a presentation by Philip Abbot from the Royal Armouries, Leeds, on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's campaign for better armour for soldiers in the First World War.

I was struck by the use Abbot had made of evidence from digitized newspapers, and not just those from the UK. Trove, the Australian newspaper digitization project and the corresponding project in New Zealand also provided sources.

No Canadian newspapers were mentioned. When will Canadian libraries, most notably LAC, stop handicapping history studies and rectify years of neglect of digitization of Canadian newspapers?

An unusual genealogical record

On a tour of Salisbury Cathedral it was mentioned that in the Royal Navy a ship's bell would be used for baptizing the child of a crew member. The bell, inverted with the clapper removed was used to hold the holy water. After the ceremony the child's name would be engraved on the rim; not a genealogical record I'd heard of previously.

The Financial Health of Canadian Genealogical Societies 2016

Each year organizations federally registered as charities in Canada for tax purposes are required to file returns with the Canada Revenue Agency including financial information. You can search for individual society reports at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/lstngs/menu-eng.html.

Of 11 societies with information currently available for 2016 eight had a surplus of revenue over expenditure. For the previous period only three had a surplus. Most with a deficit had it well covered by assets.

Below is a summary of reports for 2016 with comparative figures for previous years in parentheses where available.

Alberta Genealogical Society
Total assets of $612,912 ($595,845, $558,845, $606,312, $540,282), and liabilities of  $229,017 ($251,116, $213,134, $257,883, $200,592). The total revenue was  $263,331 ($294,466, $208,033, $229,344, $254,380). Expenditures totaled  $225,165  ($295,448, $210,752, $250,276, $218,231). The individual annual membership fee remains at $50.

British Columbia Genealogical Society
Total assets of  $ 211,006, ($209,347, $206,451, $203,542, $203,016) and liabilities of  $ 8,641, ($7,600, $7,810, $9,268, $10,085). Total revenue was $41,331, ($34,030, $33,923, $27,625, $24,783). Expenditures totaled $45,355,($30,925, $29,555, $24,991, $22,502). The individual annual membership fee remains at $45.

British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa 
Total assets of  $ 112,343 ($98,897, $121,878, $104,683, $90,374) and liabilities of  $ 21,160, ($14,120, $20,170, $32,716, $30,607). Total revenue was $70,112, ($59,872, $71,443, $70,738, $54,675). Expenditures totaled $65,587 ($66,583, $63,844, $55,000, $50,366). 73% (91%) of expenditures were categorized as "Other". The individual annual membership fee increased $5 to $45 for 2017.

Family History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador Inc
Total assets were $ 24,346 ($25,523, $29,166, $43,130) and liabilities $10,701 ($14,098, $16,072, $15,867).  Total revenue was $29,331, ($34,368, $29,729, $35,226) and expenditure $26,107, ($36,037, $44,364, $32,525). The individual membership fee is $42.

Manitoba Genealogical Society
Total assets of  $ 44,954, ($47,734, $37,118, $55,341, $50,743) and liabilities of $ 6,029, ($7,927, $7,208, $19,157, $22,458). Total revenue was $ 48,219, ($41,899, $47,388, $47,727, $60,780). Expenditures totaled $ 47,543,($32,060, $49,679, $48,942, $59,162). The individual annual membership fee remains $50.

New Brunswick Genealogical Society
No report for 2016 is yet posted.

Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia
GANS had total assets of $ 285,518 ($281,182, $307,796, $303,274) and liabilities of  na ($1,553, $0, $0). Total revenue was $88,023 ($42,800, $45,693, $32,549). Total expenditures were $ 82,134 ($69,858, $44,703, $30,717). 

Ontario Genealogical Society
OGS had total assets of $1,771,728 ($1,730,483, $ 2,398,885) and liabilities of $252,635 ($220,434, $253,590). Total revenue was $701,406 ($ 694,265, $557,053). Total expenditures were $709,792 ($ 711,897, $626,736). The society had a financially successful annual conference in Toronto in 2016.

Québec Family History Society
Total assets of $36,128, ($48,701, $50,072, $53,800, $65,742)  Liabilities totaled $ 5,895, ($8,529, $7,304, $5,111, $7,899). Total revenue was $38,714, ($42,468 $42,545, $44,095, $60,623). Expenditures totaled $ 48,653, ($45,064, $49,054, $50,878, $47,420). The annual fee remains at $75.

Saskatchewan Genealogical Society
Total assets of $141,278, $114,170, $86,875, $106,334, $46,921). Liabilities totaled $123,279 ($135,921 ($127,116, $125,662, $65,054). Total revenue was $280,227 ($237,391, $239,577, $256,667, $261,767). Expenditures were $244,704 ($252,436, $260,490, $268,140, $262,316) Basic annual membership remains $50.

Société généalogique canadienne-française
Total assets of $ 374,826 ($363,189, $373,417, $339,405  $347,834). Liabilities totaled  $58,001 ($63,648, $67,351, $39,685, $68,013). Total revenue was $190,530 ($231,117, $202,946, $215,399  $248,240). Expenditures were $173,516 ($195,137, $202,782, $201,759, $220,556.) 

Victoria Genealogical Society
Total assets of NA, (NA, NA, NA, $24,786) and liabilities NA, (NA, NA, NA, 0). Total revenue was $42,261, ($34,048, $40,412, NA). Expenditures totaled   $41,054, ($44,502, $42,629, $35,790). Individual annual membership remains $50.

The Official Word from CanadianHeadstones.com

After a bit of a false start yesterday find the official word about CanadianHeadstones.com and the Ontario Genealogical Society at:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1872074362819635&id=562992110394540&__tn__=%2As%2As-R

BIFHSGO September Meeting: The Sinking of the SS Portsdown

The main event at 10 am for the Saturday, 9 September BIFHSGO meeting is The Sinking of the SS Portsdown.

John McConkey will talk about the sinking of the SS Portsdown. Many British ships were sunk by Hitler’s navy during World War II. Most of these sinkings occurred on the high seas far from land. No one thought that an inland ferry might be subject to danger so an explosion on the 20th September 1941 on a paddle steamer sailing from Portsmouth to Ryde was a devastating shock. The event had an overwhelming effect on several Isle of Wight families, but details and, in particular, the names of casualties were kept under wraps by the Government. As a 75th anniversary memorial to victims – in particular two family members – John McConkey recently took on the task of researching the disaster and documenting his findings in an article for the Isle of Wight Family History Society. The article won first prize in the 2016 best article competition. This talk gives details of the event, lists the victims and explains the research process John followed.

The 9 am educational session is Questions & Answers. Bring your questions and experts from BIFHSGO will have a stab at answering them.

The venue is The Chamber, Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Drive Nepean, Ontario

Poets’ Pathway Final Unveiling, Sept. 9, 2017

Everyone is invited to the unveiling of the fourteenth and final plaque on the Poet's Pathway.  The Pathway has been a work in progress for well over a decade,

Celebrate the completion of the Pathway. With its monuments and poems, it is a truly significant recognition of Ottawa’s (and Canada’s) literary history and culture.

This unveiling is to honour William Pittman Lett, Ottawa's first City Clerk, an editor and family man, the Bard of  Bytown, and for decades the most important official of the City.

The unveiling will take place at 12:30pm., just outside the front door of the Archives building at 100 Tallwood, at the corner of Woodroffe Avenue. There will be a reception after the unveiling, with a poetry reading hosted by Chief Archivist, Paul Henry.

Guests will include Mayor Jim Watson, Councillors Mark Taylor and Rick Chiarelli,
Centrepointe Community Association President Ron Benn, William Pittman Lett lll,
Poets Laureate George Elliott Clarke, Andree Lacelle, Jamaal Jackson Rogers, and distinguished poets Armand Garnet Ruffo, and Susan McMaster.  Head Archivist Paul Henry will also speak and our present City Clerk, Rick O’Connor will attend the unveiling and read one of Lett’s poems.

There will be a display for the Poets' Pathway and for William  Pittman Lett inside the building.

Also, the biography Introducing William Pittman Lett, by Bryan D. Cook, will be available to buy inside the Archives.




.

Blogging Reduced

I'm taking a couple of weeks away, and won't be taking a laptop computer. A few meeting notice items are ready for posting. Any other posts made will be via smartphone. Expect some days without posts.

Weather and The Talk Genealogy Podcast

Malcolm Noble is a British crime writer with a long time interest in family history.
His recent article Answers in the wind: using local weather studies for family history research in the Journal of Genealogy and Family History caught my attention. After all, I am a former meteorologist.
Surfing around I stumbled on his blog The Talk Genealogy Podcast which he advertises as "the podcast for genealogists with too much time on their hands." Sure! It's especially for English genealogy and periods prior to civil registration and the census.
In a year's worth of monthly episodes he tackles topics like the Hearth Tax and Pipe Rolls in an approachable manner. Worth checking out.

FreeBMD Second August Update

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Thursday 31 August 2017 to contain 263,317,856 distinct records (262,812,210 previous update).

Years with major updates (more than 5,000 entries) are: for births: 1965, 1966, 1969, 1977-1981; for marriages: 1965-66, 1969, 1977, 1979-83; for deaths 1977, 1979-81.

Ancestry's Genetic Communities and LivingDNA's Sub-regions

How do Ancestry's Genetic Communities correlate with LivingDNA's sub-regions?

The 300 Ancestry Genetic Communities are grouped by region and subregion. Six regions are in Europe. In the subregion in the United Kingdom & Ireland the following genetic communities are in England,Wales and Scotland. The counties listed under each genetic community are based on eyeballing the AncestryDNA maps.

English Newfoundlanders
Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, London.

Southern English: English in the Southwest Peninsula
Cornwall, Devon.

Southern English: English in the Southeast
Dorset, Hampshire, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Middlesex, London, Essex, Herefordshire, Buckinghamshire.

Southern English: English in East Anglia and Essex
Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex.

Northern English
Lancashire, Yorkshire, Westmorland, Cumberland, Durham, Northumberland.
Adjacent Scotland - Berwickshire, Roxburghshire, Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire. Isle of Man.

English Midlanders & Northerners: English in the East Midlands
Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Rutland, Leicestershire, Warwickshire.

English Midlanders & Northerners: English in the West Midlands and Northwest England
Lancashire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Shropshire.

The Welsh & English West Midlanders: English in the West Midlands
Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Oxfordshire. Adjacent mid-Wales

The Welsh & English West Midlanders: North Wales
Flintshire, Denbighshire, Caernarfonshire, Anglesey, Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire. Adjacent England.

The Welsh & English West Midlanders: South Wales
Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan, Brecknockshire, Cardiganshire, Pembrokeshire, Monmouthshire (and other adjacent English counties).

Scots: Scots in Central Scotland the Ulster Ireland
Wigtownshire, Ayrshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfriesshire, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Dumbartonshire.

Scots: Scots in Northeast and Central Scotland
Orkney, Caithness, Sutherland, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, Nairnshire. Morayshire, Banffshire, Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire, Angus, Perthshire, Fife, Kinross-shire, Clackmannanshire, Stirlingshire, West Lothian, Lanarkshire, Dumbartonshire, Renfrewshire

Scots: Scots in the Highlands and Nova Scotia
Nairnshire, Inverness-shire, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, Argyllshire

Scots: Scots in the Highlands and Eastern Nova Scotia
Inverness-shire, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, Sutherland, Caithness.

=====================

LivingDNA divide Great Britain into the following regions with the approximate counties given by the company.

Aberdeenshire
(approximately Aberdeenshire, Angus, Fife, Moray areas)

Central England
(approximately Warwickshire/Bedfordshire/Leicestershire/ Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire, Northamptonshire/ Staffordshire areas)

Cornwall

Cumbria
(approximately Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway areas)

Devon

East Anglia
(approximately Norfolk/Suffolk/Cambrigeshire/Essex areas)

Lincolnshire
(approximately Lincolnshire/Nottinghamshire areas)

North Wales
(approximately Powys/Ceredigion/Gwynedd/Conwy/Anglesey/Wrexham areas)

North Yorkshire
(approximately North Yorkshire/East Riding of Yorkshire areas)

North West England
(approximately Lancashire/Merseyside/Cheshire/Staffordshire areas)

North West Scotland
(approximately Highland/Argyll and Bute/Stirling/Perth and Kinross areas)

Northumbria
(approximately Northumberland/Tyne and Wear/Durham/Scottish Borders/Fife areas)

Orkney

South Central England
(approximately Somerset/Wiltshire/Oxfordshire/Berkshire/Gloucestershire/ Warwickshire areas)

South East Central England (approximately Surrey/Sussex/Kent/London/ Hertfordshire/Essex)

South England
(approximately Dorset/Wiltshire/Hampshire and surrounding areas)

South West Scotland
(approximately Northern Ireland/Dumfries and Galloway/Ayrshire/Lanarkshire and surrounding areas)

South Wales Borders
(approximately Herefordshire/Worcestershire/Shropshire/W Midlands and surrounding areas)

South Wales
(approximately Pembrokeshire/Carmarthenshire/South Powys/Swansea/Glamorgan/Monmouthshire areas)

South Yorkshire
(approximately South Yorkshire/West Yorkshire areas)

=====================
Based on the counties here's how the two should correlate. If you've taken the tests with both companies does  any genetic community you have fall into the corresponding LivingDNA sub-region as indicated by an X?

Norwich Archdeaconry Marriage Licence Bonds

The Norfolk Record Office has made available a 20,250 entry index of Norwich Archdeaconry Marriage Licence Bonds on their catalogue.
Use the advanced search at http://nrocat.norfolk.gov.uk/DServe/public/searches/nroadvanced.htm/. Put the name of interest in the Any text box and the phrase Marriage licence bond in the Title box.
Click the result of interest showing the bride and groom names to see their parishes, the parish of intended marriage and microfiche number of the record.

How To Use Ancestry Library

The Ottawa Public Library offers a 90 minute session on the content and use of this popular genealogy database. Learn some tips and tricks to improve your search results.
Thursday 7 September, 2017 at 6:30pm at Nepean Centrepointe.

Registration required.

New Manitoba and Saskatchewan Records on Ancestry

Manitoba, Canada, Census Indexes, 1832-1856 & 1870 36,757 records
These early records are card indexes from Manitoba (Red River Settlement), Canada, from the years 1832-1856, taken by the Hudson's Bay Company, and the 1870 provincial census of Manitoba. Sourced from the Provincial Archives of Manitoba. Find name, age, residence place, ethnicity and birth place and sometimes more.

Manitoba, Canada, Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1834-1959 90,290 records
These BMB records sourced from the Provincial Archives of Manitoba are from various churches in and around Manitoba, and some from present day Saskatchewan and even Minnesota. Some records are also from fur trading posts and Oblate missionaries to the First Nations some dating back to 1800.

Saskatchewan, Canada, Cemetery Transcripts, 1850-1994  164,751 records
Ten volumes of registers of the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society are the source for these card images. As in this random example the information may be bare bones, but note the number in the corner which can help determine in which cemetery and municipality an individual was buried. The link to this chart shows in this case it's the Municipality of Redburn's Briercreast Municipal Cemetery.

Saskatchewan, Canada, Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1867-1932 107,581 records
Ancestry gives the source of these typical Catholic format records with images of the originals linked as Saskatchewan, Catholic Church Records, 1846-1957. Archdiocese of Regina (Saskatchewan), Archdiocese of Keewatin-La Pas (Manitoba), Diocese of Prince Albert (Saskatchewan), Diocese of Saskatoon.

September Backup Nag

It's that time of the month again. Make sure you have a secure backup of your data files.
I'm reminded by my friend Bryan Cook that Windows 10 and 8 have an a built-in automatic backup to an external hard drive which is easy to use and very powerful. You can schedule backups as frequently as you want. A suitable 1TB external hard drive is available for substantially less that $100. Restoring is convenient, but it doesn't protect you against fire or theft.
Also check that you have all system updates installed. Check your main computer and any computer you don't turn on often, perhaps an older one that you keep as a backup.

Ancestry.ca Labour Day Weekend Freebee

You can access the Ancestry.ca "occupational records" without a paid subscription this weekend.  Looks like that means the census records. Find out more at

http://www.ancestry.ca/cs/labour-day?

Findmypast adds Oxfordshire marriage bonds 1634-1849 and other English Marriage Records

Find 46,145 entries in Oxfordshire marriage bonds 1634-1849, the headline collection in this week's Findmypast update. Find the marriage partners names and parishes and a year. There is no exact date and the marriage did not always occur. These are transcriptions, no original record.

Britain, Marriage Licences Browse is a collection of more than 10,000 records for Bedfordshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, London, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, Worcestershire, and Yorkshire. Sourced from the College of Arms, Anguline Research Archives, and Gould Genealogy there is a mixture of handwritten and typed marriage licence record books from 1446. There are several volumes for Canterbury (1568-1750), St George Hanover Square and, St Mary Newington. There is no overall name index.

England, Clandestine Marriage Browse has more than 42,000 marriages from 1667 to 1754. Most are from London's Fleet Prison. Find name, residence, where married, the date of marriage and the name of spouse.

Ancestry adds Shropshire, England, Extracted Church of England Parish Records, 1538-1812

This newly added database at Ancestry is a mishmash. As Ancestry describes it

"Original data: Electronic databases created from various publications of parish and probate records."
"The records include baptisms/christenings, burials, marriages, tombstone inscriptions, obituaries, tax lists, wills, and other miscellaneous types of records. Also included are some records from non-conformist churches. All of the data was converted as it was originally presented in various published registers and books."

I didn't know Agnes was a man's name, but the marriage for Wyllyam Northwood has the father's name as Agnes. Unfortunately there's no source given for a particular item so no way to check the transcription. Treat this database as leads for further research.

Dates for the 1.3 million records range from the early 1500s to the mid- to late-1800s.