Canada's Anglo-Celtic Connections

31 December 2009

Deceased Online adds records

Deceased Online, at www.deceasedonline.com, announce upcoming and records added for the London Borough of Havering.

South Essex Crematorium, Ockenden Road, Corbets Tey, Upminster, RM14 2UY.

Approximately 60,000 burial and 175,000 cremation register records are expected to be made available over a period, with a mixture of register scans and computerised records. Maps showing the exact locations of graves and digital photographs of headstones are also expected to be added. Initially approximately 20,000 records have been placed online from Rainham and Upminster cemeteries. Around 13,700 records have been added for Hornchurch cemetery, leaving a balance of around 26,300 records to come for Romford.

Scope of the data - Hornchurch Cemetery

Burials numbered 1 to 12,897, dated 17 August 1932 to 31 August 1994, are available as Burial register scans in various formats at between 10 and 20 entries per scanned page.

Burials numbered 12,898 onwards, from 23 July 1994, are available only as fully computerised records, i.e. there are no associated register scans.

Scope of the data - Rainham Cemetery

Burials numbered 1 to 5,452, dated 4 December 1902 to 25 August 1994, are available as Burial register scans in various formats at between 5 and 20 entries per scanned page.

Burials numbered 5,453 onwards, from 17 October 1994, are available only as fully computerised records, i.e. there are no associated register scans.

Scope of the data - Upminster Cemetery

Burials numbered 1 to 9,572, dated 13 May 1902 to 3 August 1994, are available as Burial register scans in various formats at between 8 and 20 entries per scanned page.

Burials numbered 9,573 onwards, from 3 August 1994, are available only as fully computerised records, i.e. there are no associated register scans, with very few exceptions during a transitional period of around 3 months to 16 November 1994.

30 December 2009

Coming from Ancestry in 2010

A year end letter from Ancestry.com CEO Tim Sullivan offers "a sneak preview of the steady stream of history coming your way."

Significant Canadian collections in the works:
• Canadian city and area directories, 1800s-1900s
• Updated Ontario Vital Records - Births, Marriages and Deaths

Most popular international collections in the works:
• U.S. State and territory census records
• Scottish city directories, 1800s-1900s
• London electoral registers, 1900s
• England and Wales Census Summary Books, 1911

Genealogy Events in London

If you're planning a family history visit to London in 2010 consider taking in one of the many lectures given throughout the year.

The Society of Genealogists have just announced their lecture program for 2010, including one hour, half-day and day-long events, and visits. You can book and pay online. See the list at www.sog.org.uk/events/calendar.shtml

TNA at Kew don't give as much notice, just a month ahead, but their one-hour lectures are free. See the most recent list at www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/visit/events.htm

At the end of February the exhibition site at Olympia hosts "Who Do You Think You Are, Live" which bills itself as The National History Show. Sunday the 28th, often a quieter day at the show, features three special lectures. More at www.whodoyouthinkyouarelive.co.uk/

Don't forget the events put on locally. For example, the East of London Family History Society lists their events at www.eolfhs.org.uk/events

If your visit takes you outside London you might also want to check country FHS offerings, perhaps best done through GENUKI, either using GENEVA (an online calendar of GENealogical EVents and Activities) at http://geneva.weald.org.uk/, or by going directly to the local society linked through the GENUKI county page, www.genuki.org.uk/

29 December 2009

Wakefield Family History Sharing

Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, was known for its industries, including several coal mines, prior to their closure as uneconomic in the 1980s.

The Wakefield Family History Sharing website at www.wakefieldfhs.org.uk/ has a mixture of free resources and CDs of further local resources available for purchase, all worth exploring if you have family roots in the area.

Carol. the site owner, has been busy photographing, transcribing and investigating people named on local war memorials. There's a blog to keep updated on developments at http://wakefieldfhs.blogspot.com/

First lines by month

Here, a spin-off of a posting coming at year's end, are the opening lines of the first posting in Anglo-Celtic Connections for each month in 2009. I said to myself again last December I should be more strategic with the first posting of the month. It didn't happen ... again. So take this as a lucky dip into the items covered during the year. Only three are specifically British. Maybe its time to change the blog title. Suggestions?

John Dowsley Reid, no relation, was born in Prescott, Ontario, 150 years ago on 1 January 1859.

Most people in Ottawa are getting pretty fed up.

The following, via OGS and Linda Reid, is posted without comment.

I had a good conversation at Gene-O-Rama with Ed Zapletal, editor of Moorshead magazines

Many British people had relatives who served in India during the time of the fabled British Raj.

I managed to attend two sessions (at the OGS conference) on Sunday; Diseases & Yesterday's Remedies by Elizabeth and Colin Briggs covered ...

The July issue of Ancestors magazine has an article by Chris Pomery looking at British genealogy educational resources on the web.

The federal government has announced support for Athabasca University's "Connecting Canadians: Canada's Multicultural Newspapers" project.

Today, 1 September 2009, marks the centennial of a fire at the Ontario Legislature, then called Parliament.

October is Women's History Month in Canada, as proclaimed in 1992.

For the end of month Ancestry have added to their Historical Postcards Collection, c. 1893-1960.

With the completion of the census series from Findmypast.com there are now two options for the (1841 - 1901) digitized census records for England and Wales.

28 December 2009

Scotland's People addition

Scotland's People announces the release of the new year's statutory images containing records from the Statutory Register of Births for 1909, the Statutory Register of Marriages for 1934, and the Statutory Register of Deaths for 1959. www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

CBC and LAC join forces to broaden access to their archives - NOT

Alas! It would be nice to read this headline in a press release. Neither institution has taken the initiative.

The precedent is there in this www.bl.uk/news/2009/pressrelease20091211.html press release from 11 December from the BBC and British Library.

What are Canada's national institutions waiting for, a matchmaker?

Gene-o-Rama news

Gene-o-Rama, March 26 and 27, 2010, online registration is now available at http://ogsottawa.on.ca/?page_id=101

Remember the early bird discount registration cutoff date, February 28, 2010

27 December 2009

The Ottawa Genealogist

The OGS Ottawa Branch newsletter, reformatted to 8-1/2" by 11", and renamed The Ottawa Genealogist, January - February issue, vol 43, no 1, arrived just before Christmas.

The content is a familiar, and welcome, mix. The larger format with a single column allows more white space for better legibility. There's a mention that the change is to facilitate the electronic version, available as an option to members.

A lead editorial reflects on how, in the 40 years since Ottawa Branch was founded, originally as the Ottawa Genealogical Society, things have changed. In particular it laments that so few members volunteer, and warns of the consequence of reduced activity and membership benefit if the situation continues.

It continues "You are all members of the Society and the Branch. You pay membership dues, not a subscription to a commercial newsletter. As such, you have a responsibilities to the rest of the Branch and Society. One of those responsibilities is to contribute something."

Every organization I know of is looking for volunteers, but it wouldn't be practicable to volunteer for every one that I support and/or belong to. So I make a choice, volunteering with a few, some of which have goals complementary of those of Ottawa Branch, not with others, although I enjoy benefits of membership in all.

Should we be required to leave an organization in which we don't meet our "responsibilities" by choosing not to volunteer? Is that what the organization management would really want?

Personally I see and experience volunteering as a benefit of membership. You get a lot back for your contribution, an expanded social network, being part of a team, exercising existing but perhaps atrophying skills and learning new ones. As a volunteer you can have a bit more influence in the direction the organization takes.

Volunteering should be win-win where both the organization and the member benefit, not just a responsibility.

ACOM (Ancestry.com) climbs

While the issue price for ACOM in early November was $13.50 a range of a dollar either side was initially considered as fair value.

ACOM closed off the shortened trading week by breaking above that range, closing at $14.61 on Thursday having traded as high at $$14.69. Trading was light ahead of the holiday.

26 December 2009

No clear value of family history for primary health care

One of the reasons given for following family history is its use in family medicine. General practitioners frequently question their patients about family history of disease.

Now a Canadian-British systematic literature review casts doubt on the utility of such questioning. The study is Systematic Review: Family History in Risk Assessment for Common Diseases, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, 2009 151;12:878-885. www.acponline.org/annalspdaservices/current/200912150-00177-abstract.shtml

Some of the reported findings are:

Two uncontrolled studies provided insufficient evidence to assess whether querying about family history improves any outcomes.

One randomized, controlled trial and 2 uncontrolled studies provided weak evidence that some patients experienced a reversible, short-term increase in anxiety associated with family history taking.

Twenty-three studies suggested that absence of disease in relatives was more accurately reported than presence of disease and that reporting accuracy was higher for information related to first-degree relatives than more distant relatives.

The study concludes that insufficient evidence exists to evaluate how to collect family history information accurately in the primary care setting and the effects of taking family history on patient outcomes. Patients seem to correctly report the absence of disease in relatives more often than the presence of disease.

Comment

It should hardly be surprising that questions on ancestor's health, further back than the present and the immediately previous generation, yield anything of clear value for medicine. Most people know little of their family history, let alone details of previous generation's health.

If this evidence is so valuable why wouldn't the medical profession ask clients to supply documentary evidence showing ancestors' medical history?

25 December 2009

TNA podcast: From cotton spinning to coffins: specifications for patents of invention

If there was an inventor in your family background this lecture by Vanessa Carr, recorded last August, will give you insight into the scope and content of the collection of patents and their specifications held in the TNA collection. It does not appear there is a single simple name index permitting ready exploration by family historians.

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/podcasts/from-cotton-spinning-to-coffins.htm

24 December 2009

Merry Christmas

To everyone who helped with the blog this year, either by posting comments or providing information, including;

Alana, Alison, Alison, Amanda, Anne, Anonymous, Apple, Arlene, Arnold, Becky, Betty, Bill, Bob, Brenda, Bruce, Bryan, Carol, Cel, Charles, Chris, Christine, Claudia, Cliff, Colin, Dick, Doc, Don, Don, Dorothy, Doug, Dyanna, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Eric, Fraser, Georgia, Gerry, Glenn, Gordon, Hana, Heather, Helen, Hugh, Hummer, Ian, Jane, Janet, Jeri, Jim, John, Kathleen, Kathryn, Kathy, Lesley, kewbird, Leslie, Linda, Louise, Malcolm, Marian, Mary Anne, M. Diane, Megan, Mick, Mike, Miriam, Norma, Persephone, Pat, Paul, Pierce, Randy, Richard, Rick, Robert, Sandra, Stephanie, Steve, Sylvie, Tina, Thomas, William.

AND

To you, the blog's readers.

Very last minute genealogy gifts

Membership in the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, $35, www.bifhsgo.ca/membership.htm

Membership in the Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, $15 plus required membership in the OGS at $60, total $75, www.ogs.on.ca/membership/join.php

Registration for the OGS Ottawa Branch annual conference, Gene-o-rama, 26-27 March 2010. $40 for non-members. There's an attractive banquet event this year, Glenn Wright speaking on "Sex, Lies and Archives: Behind Closed Doors at the Public Archives of Canada, 1900-1950", at $42.50 additional. http://ogsottawa.on.ca/?page_id=101

Registration for the Ontario Genealogical Society's Conference 2010 to be held in Toronto May 14-16. Full weekend package registration is $130 for non-members. Banquet extra. Early bird hotel rates end on January 8th. See http://torontofamilyhistory.org/2010/how-do-i-register

Yes Virginia, there is a Scrooge

According to Ancestry there are 74 historical records for Scrooge:

Mary Scrooge married John Pit on 25 Sept 1694 at Clifton Reynes, Buckinghamshire, England;

Thomas and Joseph Scrooge occupied land in Dundas, Ontario in 1861;

Joseph Scrooge, age 33, and his wife Harriet, age 21, lived in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, in 1910;

Jane Scrooge, age 62, was living in Taylor County, Iowa in 1915, the wife of James Scroog;

Corrine Scrooge, age 24, was a servant in Pittsburgh Ward 14, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in 1920. Her parents were born in Sweden;

Laure Anna Scrooge had her birth registered at Hammersmith in the last quarter of 1983. There is also a birth registration for Laurel Anna M C Le Scrooge in November 1984 in Hammersmith. In May 1990 the birth of Zsi Zsi A Le Scrooge was registered in Hammersmith.

Ancestry also has 53 UK telephone book listings for Scrooge, mainly numbers in the London suburb of Barnet between 1971 and 1984; and nine US listings including two for E. Scrooge and two which also include the name Marley.

There are 41 Ancestry historical records for Cratchett.

Could it be there are more Scrooges than Cratchetts? How about those US bankers and their bonuses?

23 December 2009

World Vital Records FREE

SGNE blogs that World Vital Records (www.worldvitalrecords.com) has announced free access to its site from December 23rd to December 28th, and without credit card registration.

The holiday period is one where people are generally too concerned with real family interaction to go online. Hits on genealogy websites drop way off in December. Here's the trend at FreeBMD so far this month. Smart move on World Vital Records part to capture the attention, interest and goodwill of those needing their online genealogy fix over the holiday season while their servers are less busy.

Last minute genealogy gift: iPod touch

I use mine every day. It's one of the best electronics investments I've made in years.

It's an iPod, so I get to store and listen to music and other audio anywhere.

The iPod touch has built in calculator and calendar. The clock/timer means I can set an alarm and not exceed time on the parking meter.

The note taking function means all kinds of short notes taken during lectures, at the archives, reading books and watching TV are always with me.

I get email, browse the web, view YouTube videos, download podcasts including those from TNA, and do so anywhere there's an accessible wifi connection. With my wifi at home I can access these anywhere in the house. An increasing number of public institutions like LAC, TNA, airports, and libraries also provide free wifi connections.

I've discovered applications that allow it to act as a reader, with ebooks I can borrow free from the local library which also offers free audiobooks.

Other applications downloaded give me a dictionary, shopping list, Air Canada link for my flights, newspaper access, and much more.

It slips into my shirt pocket and I forget it's there until I need it. It has helped lower my blood pressure and frustration. I turn time waiting for medical appointments and at the airport into useful time listening to or reading useful background.

Yes, I lust for an iPhone It has a camera and GPS and you maintain internet contact anywhere the telcos offer wireless service, but not for me at the prices they charge in Canada.

If you're looking for a last minute gift for a genealogist, or anyone not technology adverse, an iPod touch would be right at the top of my suggestion list.

Incidentally, this post was composed on my iPod touch.

22 December 2009

2009 top baby names in Scotland

Jack remains the top boys’ name, with Lewis in second place. James climbs two places to third whilst Liam stays in fourth place and Logan climbs three places to fifth.

Sophie is the most popular girls’ name with Olivia climbing one place to second. Ava climbed four places to third and whilst Emily fell two places to fourth and Lucy climbed one place to fifth.

See the press release from the General Register Office of Scotland at www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/press/news2009/babies-names-09-news.html

Australian Royalty

According to actor Jack Thompson, having a convict ancestor qualifies an Australian these days as Australian Royalty.

Now an Ancestry.com.au press release, reported at www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/pc-of-aussies-descended-from-royalty/story-e6frf7jx-1225812737963, has found that 23 per cent of Australians were descended from convicts; 17 per cent from soldiers or military men; 13 per cent from a famous historical figure; 12.5 per cent from someone rich and 11 per cent from English aristocracy.