BIFHSGO October Meeting

On Saturday. 12 October 2019 the programme for the BIFHSGO meeting is:

At 9 AM: Hidden lives revealed: mental health and the children looked after by the Waifs and Strays Society, presented by Dr Wendy Sims-Schouten.

An overview of practices and conditions of children cared for by the Waifs and Strays Society in the UK from its inception in 1881 till 1920, as well as providing examples of children who were sent to Canada during this time. Wendy will specifically focus on correspondence, interventions and practices with a focus on mental health and wellbeing, and support this with examples from the relevant case files. Wendy will also give tips and advice on how to access the records.

Following a 30 minute break

At 10 AM: Quakers in the Family: My Dickinson Ancestors of England and Jamaica, presented by Sandra Adams

A pivotal moment in Sandra Adams’ family history research came when she discovered that one branch of her family tree joined the Quaker movement in England at the time of its inception. As the fervent evangelical Quaker faith of the 1650’s evolved into a quieter but uncompromising Quaker faith over the next 100 years, three generations of Sandra’s Dickinson family were shaped by Quakerism. Because Quaker records are so informative, and because one of Sandra’s Dickinson ancestors had a brother who kept every piece of paper that ever crossed his desk, Sandra has been able to compile the stories of these Dickinson ancestors in more detail than any other of her ancestral lines. She will illustrate her talk with images of some of the family documents from the “Dickinson Collection” – a treasure trove held by the Somerset Archives. 

Further information on the meeting which is in The Chamber, Ben Franklin Place 101 Centrepointe Drive, Ottawa, Ontario is here.