The Commonwealth War Graves Commission database records 64,995 deaths in Canadian WW1 Forces. The Canadian Virtual War Memorial records a few more who died in the same period where they are referred to as "The Fallen". That suggests they died of wounds received in battle, and for most that is the case.
But I've come across some instances recently of people holding a military position, but far away from the fighting, who died of causes seemingly unrelated to the war, yet recorded in the databases above. One example, who I won't name, served as a paymaster and auditor in Ottawa and died in April 1918 of spinal meningitis. His Ontario death certificate makes no mention of military involvement giving occupation as C.S. The burial record from Beechwood Cemetery records his occupation simply as Civil Servant.
Should we honour those who died in time of war but away from military action doing basically the same job they did as a civilian? Should we not rather honour the men and women who survived the war only to live with physical and mental scars from their front-line service?
22 November 2013
You can't say that about them
21 November 2013
Indexed Canada Passenger Lists, 1881-1922 on FamilySearch
Now on FamilySearch.org, indexed records with images of originals of incoming ships passenger lists "for the ports of Quebec City, 1900-1921; Halifax, 1881-1922; Saint John, 1900-1912; North Sydney, 1906-1912; Vancouver, 1905-1912; Victoria, 1905-1912; New York, 1906-1912; and Eastern US Ports, 1905-1912. The lists for United States ports include only those names of passengers with intentions of proceeding directly to Canada." See them at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1823240
If the period of interest isn't covered in this collection check out Library and Archives Canada at http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-908-e.html and Ancestry.ca
Canadiana.org: Historical Debates of the Parliament of Canada
Historical Debates of the Parliament of Canada, now offered free by Canadian.ca, is a digitised version of the debates of the Senate and the House of Commons.
from Parliament 1, Session 1 (1867) until January 17, 1994 for the Commons and February 27, 1996 for the Senate.
These are offered in collaboration with The Library of Parliament which provides coverage after those dates at parl.gc.ca under Parliamentary Business.
You can search for phrases, with wildcards and excluded terms. Unfortunately the search term is not highlighted in the page image.
Online genealogical dataset exploited for big data research
A preprint of an article Data Mining of Online Genealogy Datasets for Revealing
Lifespan Patterns in Human Population (pdf) by Michael Fire and Yuval Elovici has just appeared. It uses over a million profiles from WikiTree, and focuses on 363,292 for individuals who were born in the United States,
The paper is mostly about the techniques which are gobbledygook for anyone but the big data analysis specialist
Results reported show, with high confidence, some very small influences on lifespan.
"Our findings indicate that significant but small positive correlations exist between the parents’ lifespan and their children’s lifespan. Additionally, we found slightly higher and significant correlations between the lifespans of spouses. We also discovered a very small positive and significant correlation between longevity and reproductive success in males, and a small and significant negative correlation between longevity and reproductive success in females. Moreover, our machine learning algorithms presented better than random classification results in predicting which people who outlive the age of 50 will also outlive the age of 80."The analysis also identifies some interesting anomalies in the records, periods where the US median lifespan for males increased while that for females suddenly decreased, or vice versa. From 1650 to 1660 the male median lifespan increased from 61.86, to 66.81 while in the same period of time the female median lifespan decreased from 63.04 to 60.8. Between 1770 and 1780 the female average lifespan increased from 66.31 to 68.63, while the male average lifespan decreased from 66.55 to 64.29. Why, one wonders!
It's good to see databases like WikiTree being exploited in this manner. Maybe the tools used will be made more accessible to the layman so that this type of study can benefit, just as genetic genealogy has prospered through the efforts of citizen scientists
20 November 2013
23andMe improves Ancestry Composition
Although ancestry isn't the primary business for 23andMe.com the company analysis of a client's ethnic ancestry, they call it Ancestry Composition, is arguably the most comprehensive available. It has just been updated to display origins from 31 populations worldwide, up from 22 before. Greater geographic resolution is given for Africa and Asia.
A change in the colour scheme is also introduced. In the diagram Ashkenazi is now shown by pale green replacing the previous dark blue which was too close to the blue shade for France and Germany.
Meanwhile my Family Tree DNA equivalent analysis continues to show a breakdown into only two regions, European and Middle East (Jewish). A more refined analysis was promised to be forthcoming at the recent FTDNA Administrator meeting.
Writing your family history story
Writing Your Story is a two-page pdf handout by Eunice Robinson and Judith Ueland of the British Columbia Genealogical Society for a Vancouver Public Library presentation on November 19, 2013. It contains a long list of books and website suggestions, with references specific to availability in the Vancouver area, but otherwise more generally useful.
Thanks to Gail Dever for the tip
19 November 2013
The Almonte Gazette – Online
Those with roots in the Ottawa Valley have a new resource, the Almonte Gazette now searchable online from 1861-1989.
The availability is thanks to cooperation between the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum which organized the digitization/indexing and the Almonte Public Library which had previously imaged the town’s newspaper.
Like many local papers the Almonte Gazette is a rich source for social information as well as births, deaths and marriages within the area.
I advise reading the search instructions. My experience is that the search times out if too wide a range of years is included or only some of the results are returned.
http://mvtm.ca/mvtm/?page_id=2759
Thanks to Prof Bruce Elliott for the tip
Wikipedia informs that the item was already 60 years old going back to the 1820s.
Celebrating tiny little Irish sources
18 November 2013
Book Review: More Than a Mere Matter of Marching
On the occasion of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 the Niagara Peninsula Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society has published a collection of stories about men and women who found themselves in some way, sometimes unwillingly, involved in the war.
The book, with more than 60 stories, on 275 pages, takes its title from a remark by Thomas Jefferson early in the war. "The acquisition of Canada this year, as far as the neighborhood of Québec, will be a mere matter of marching, and will give us experience for the attack of Halifax the next, and the final expulsion of England from the American continent."
A few of the stories are a little more than recitation of genealogy, others reflect in-depth research and insight. As Ronald J Dale writes in his Forward "Like most oral histories, there are flaws in the historical accuracy of some accounts. Minor factual errors and misunderstandings of the context of the events are evident in some of this family history but nonetheless the stories stand as fascinating testaments to the way in which the war of 1812 is perceived by the descendants ..."
The last 16 pages of the book contain a valuable index with well over 1700 names of those mentioned in the text.
Given the importance of the Niagara frontier in the war of 1812 this publication by the local OGS branch is most timely and should be welcomed by those with a connection to or interest in this important period of Canadian history.
More Than A Mere Matter of Marching may be ordered directly from the branch through the website at http://www.ogs.on.ca/niagara/.
Isle of Wight records
Indexes for all births, marriages and deaths registered on the island from 1837 to 2010 have been transcribed by society members from information provided by the Isle of Wight Record Office. Births usually include the mother's maiden name, marriages identify the spouse, deaths include age and sometimes a woman's maiden name.
A database of monumental inscriptions gives name, date and place of death and burial, and an age estimate, but not the text of the MI in the samples I examined.
A small database of census strays includes those found in other locations with an IOW connection.
Finally there's an index of "names recorded on Isle of Wight War Memorials, Rolls of Honour, and Commonwealth War Graves of service men and women buried in Island churchyards and cemeteries. It also records the names of wartime casualties where these are given on additional inscriptions on gravestones."
The IOWFHS is quite active with many other resources of interest posted for all to view, and more available to members.
http://www.isle-of-wight-fhs.co.uk/
17 November 2013
On order at the Ottawa Public Library
The following are books of potential interest to family historians now on order by the Ottawa Public Library (OPL).
The Famine Ships: the Irish Exodus to America
Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Index: Index of People and Places
From Fermanagh to Fitzroy and Beyond: Descendants of Edward Joseph Lunney & Johanna Mantle
Family Secrets: Shame and Privacy in Modern Britain
Jewish Lives: Britain 1750-1950 (How Our Ancestors Lived)
Marriages in Nova Scotia (excluding Halifax City) 1752-1841 (4 vols.)
London Free Press Jan.1849-July 1861 (London, Ontario)
Ultimate Sacrifice: Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice in the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, and the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, 1939-1947 (4 vols.)
Le sacrifice du Royal 22e Régiment (de 1914 à 1999)
Advanced Genealogy Research Techniques
.
Thanks to Diana Hall of the OPL for providing the list
Google search terms survey results
On Wednesday I posted a survey "Which of the following Google search terms do you use for genealogy/family history." There were 125 responses.
97% use Google for genealogy.
90% use quotation marks to search phrases
People may not use a search protocol because they don't know about it, or they do and don't find it useful or necessary. Google is so good a simple search, with or without quotation marks, may be all that's needed to discover the information sought.
Slightly under half the respondents use the negative symbol and site: protocols.
49% use a negative symbol, -, to exclude a search term
42% use site: to search within a specific website
About a quarter (26%) of respondents use two periods between two numbers to search within a range, especially years. 20% use tilde, ~, to find synonyms. Protocols link: and related: are used by 17% and 13% respectively.
A comment post by Jill Ball is that the tilde search is no longer available. I'd read that, but it's something I haven't used lately.
That set me looking at other protocols. A search for digby gave 5.2 million results, digby -scotia 14.4 million, digby -nova 14.3 million, digby -"nova scotia" 15.9 million.
16 November 2013
TNA podcast: Death and taxes: understanding the death duty registers
Dave Annal, in this talk presented on 3 October, concludes that "death duty registers are difficult to use, but that's no excuse not to try."
This is an example of a talk that really needs the visuals for listeners to get full benefit. It isn't encouraging to hear:
"the confusing thing is, when you're looking at the second entry, this line here is that information, but you have to go back up to the top heading to understand what each of these sections means - you see what I mean here - its quite difficult."Find the podcast at http://media.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php/death-taxes-understanding-death-duty-registers/
Pharos Teaching and Tutoring courses for early 2014
| Courses - January 2014, February 2014, March 2014 | ||||
| Course Title | Starting Date | Cost | Website Link | |
| Beginners Guide to Creating & Researching Your Family Tree (#020) | 3 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=020 | ||
| One Place Studies - Research from a New Perspective (#317) | 3 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=317 | ||
| So You Think You Know Family Research - A Guided Tour (#206) | 4 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=206 | ||
| My British Isles Origins - When and How do I Cross the Pond? (#931) | 4 Weeks | $65.00 | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=931 | |
| Professional Genealogist - Become one, become a better one (#941) | 4 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=941 | ||
| Your Military Ancestors (#224) | 4 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=224 | ||
| Introduction to Medieval Genealogy (#501) | 5 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=501 | ||
| Dead and Buried, Not Forgotten (#214) | 2 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=214 | ||
| The National Archives Website and Catalogue - Finding People (#207) | 3 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=207 | ||
| Researching Your Welsh Ancestors (#119) | 5 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=119 | ||
| Developing and Writing Your Family History (#803) | 3 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=803 | ||
| The Poor, The Parish and The Workhouse (#203) | 5 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=203 | ||
| Introduction to One-Name Studies (#901) | 5 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=901 | ||
| Organizing Your Genealogy (#202) | 3 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=202 | ||
| Maps and Surveys - Locating your Ancestors (#320) | 5 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=320 | ||
| Climbing Trees - How to get children interested in family history (#110) | 4 Weeks | http://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=110 |
15 November 2013
Closing 'British & Irish Genealogy Blog'
I was sorry to learn yesterday that Mick Southwick is closing his 'British & Irish Genealogy Blog' . It started in January 2011 and has been posted regularly twice a week. As Mick writes, its all a bit sudden, but life moves on.
One of his parting gifts is a list of the sources he has used in compiling his blog. Its worth reproducing:
The British GENES Blog;
Irish Genealogy News;
Canada's Anglo-Celtic Connections;
DeceasedOnline Blog;
Scottish Genealogy Tips, Tricks & Tidbits;
Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter;
The National Archives news, etc., page;
The National Archives Blog;
The National Archives Podcasts;
BBC HistoryExtra website;
Society of Genealogists news page;
National Library of Scotland news page;
National Library of Wales Blog;
National Library of Ireland Blog and their news page;
The Family Recorder Blog;
FindMyPast.co.uk Blog;
FindMyPast Ireland Blog;
Ancestry.co.uk Blog;
MyHeritage Blog;
British Library's 'Press & Policy' news;
And always a good read: Abroad in the Yard blog;
Also, check out the e-newsletters from these folk: Lost Cousins, IHGS, FFHS and S&N Genealogy Supplies;
Plus, upcoming genealogy events, book fairs and postcard fairs.
Usually, you can keep up-to-date with these blogs/websites by taking up their 'feeds' via someone like feedly.com. Give it a try - it's quite easy to set up.Mick intends keeping his Twitter feed going at http://twitter.com/HistoryMick.
England and Wales Quaker BMDs from Ancestry
Ancestry have digitized and indexed records from The (UK) National Archives in RG6 , General Register Office: Society of Friends' Registers, Notes and Certificates of Births, Marriages and Burials. Records of the General Register Office, Government Social Survey Department, and Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
These records include 234,598 births, 92,667 marriages, 18,834 deaths and, 239,919 burials starting in 1578 all the way up to the start of civil registration in 1837, with a few later entries.
The records are so early, you're fortunate if any relate to your family. There were already 3,905 events recorded in 1580, that grew to 9,132 in 1680, then declined and steadied off to around 8,000 annually in the 18th century.
The geographic distribution of events was widespread. Using exact geographical specification, which likely misses many entries, there were 5,240 in Cornwall, 16,401 in Cumberland, 8,206 in Lancashire, 2,420 in Leicestershire, 19,951 in London, 17,004 in Norfolk, 1,694 in Sussex, 7,653 in Warwickshire, 39,330 in Yorkshire.
14 November 2013
Bob Crawford R.I.P.
The Ontario Genealogical Society announces the sudden passing of Bob Crawford, Society Secretary, on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 following a brief illness. Bob is Past-President of OGS, having served in that role from 2006-2008, as well as Past-President of the Halton-Peel Branch.
During his time with OGS, cemetery preservation became Bob's passion and he was a dedicated leader in the joint Ontario Genealogical Society - Ontario Historical Society cemetery registration movement. An eloquent writer, he continued to advocate for the discovery and registration of all cemeteries, and was in regular contact with the Registrar to ensure the registration process would move forward to protect all cemeteries in the province. His quiet passion, contributions and in-depth understanding of Acts and Regulations affecting the genealogical community will be greatly missed.
Gresham College lecture: The Londonderry Plantation from 1641 until the Disengagement at the end of the Nineteenth Century
In this talk from 23 October Professor Stevens Curl considers "The Londonderry Plantation from 1641 to the end of the nineteenth century, demonstrating how the behaviour of the King led to the alienation of the City of London and its support for Parliament, and explaining the long period of disillusion in the face of the Land Agitation and political ferment of the latter part of the 19th century."
Curl expresses his views forthrightly:
"secure in their fortresses of invincible ignorance"
"this should be glaringly obvious, even to the most myopic"
"Anglocentric historians ... take the path, not of the myopic, but of the blind"
and
"The importance of the Londonderry Plantation in the history of these islands should be stressed: to ignore it, as far too many have done, is bad history, irresponsible, and careless, to put it at its mildest."
As for North America, Curl's view is that:
"Contrary to popular belief, most 18th-century emigrants (to BNA) were of Ulster-Scots Protestant stock. It is beyond the bounds of possibility that the Americans would (not) have won their independence without the determined (Prebyterian) Ulster-Scots, still smarting from memories and handed-down tales of their treatment in the North of Ireland."Connect at http://goo.gl/jS7KK7
OGS Ottawa Branch: November meeting
The Saturday, 16 November, presentation to the Ottawa Branch monthly meeting will be How Do I Prove It: the Genealogical Proof Standard to be given by Heather Oakley. The meeting, which starts at 1 pm, is in the ground floor meeting room of the City Archives building at 100 Tallwood, Ottawa.
OGS Kingston and Quinte Branch November meetings
On Saturday, November 16, 2013 these two OGS Branches will receive a presentation by Glenn Wright, and it isn't a remote.
At the start of the Kingston Branch meeting Glenn will speak on Great Revelations: Canada, Canadians and the 1921 Census. That's 10 am in the Wilson Room (second floor) of the Central Branch, Kingston Frontenac Public Library, 130 Johnson Street, Kingston.
Google maps tells me its 100 km to the Quinte West Public Library, 7 Creswell Dr, Trenton where the Quinte Branch meeting starts at 1 pm. Glenn's talk is Silent No More: Researching Canada's War Dead 1885-1945. The usual starting time is 1:00 p.m.
Let's hope for good driving weather!
13 November 2013
Elizabeth Shown Mills: Advice on How to Research Family History, Part 2
The New York Times has now published a second helping of research advice for the family historian. This week ESM responds to questions under the headings:
Geographic ‘Memory Holes’ Created by the Holocaust
Migration of Holocaust Survivors to Argentina
Identifying Ancestral Photos
Genealogical Templates for Citing Sources
Numbering Systems for Genealogy
Researching a (US) Railroad Employee in 1921
Beginning Indian Research from the U.S.
Becoming a Professional Genealogist
Next week the topics will be slaves and an ex-slave, and New York-based genealogical questions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/13/booming/advice-on-how-to-research-family-history-part-2.html?_r=0
Genealogy quick survey: Google search
You probably know about some of Google's search capabilities beyond the basics. Most of us are aware of additional capabilities, but how many do you actually use?
Please take the survey at https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/29Bf4M
The Juggler's Children
12 November 2013
1,000 Kingston region families genealogy
Photos of England of a bygone era
OGS Niagara Penninsula Branch: November meeting online
11 November 2013
British Epidemics Timeline
The Keighley and District Family History Society website has reproduced a handy timeline of major disease events:
Wreath Honouring British Home Children to Be Laid at National War Memorial
The British Home Children and their descendants who joined the services will be remembered with a wreath to be laid at Canada's National War Memorial on Monday, November 11, 2013. This wreath honours the British Home Children and their descendants who enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force as well as their descendants who chose to join the Canadian Military Services since that time. The wreath will be laid by a representative of the Ontario East British Home Child Family, Gloria Tubman.
Some British Home Children first placed in the Ottawa - St Lawrence Valley areas before enlisting in the CEF include: Claude J.P. Nunney # 410935 recipient of the Victoria Cross, William John Dominey # 1042925 died at Passchendale, Francis Foreman # 41020 injured in France in 1915 returned to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1919, Herbert Bretherton #639688 spent time in France with Canadian Labour Pool returned to Shawville, Quebec, Charles Reaper # 814924 survived Vimy Ridge died in 2003 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
10 November 2013
FTDNA sale now on
It's here, the annual end of year sale from Family Tree DNA.
Save $50 on a 37 marker Y-DNA test, $80 on a test for 67 markers.
Save $30 on a mtFullSequence test.
There's no sale of the $99 Family Finder (autosomal) test but a free $100 restaurant.com gift card, useful for your US trips.
There's also a sale on the newly introduced Big Y test until 1 December. It tests a large number (25,000) Y chromosome SNPs, of more interest for those wanting to contribute to research, rather than the typical genealogist. It has a price to match $495 until 1 Dec 2013, $695 thereafter.
Deceased Online adds London Borough of Sutton cemetery records
*These records were previously briefly available on Deceased Online in the spring of 2011 but were withdrawn for further enhancements.
BIFHSGO monthly meeting
09 November 2013
LAC recalls contributions of Aboriginal Peoples in the First World War
A timely reminder of the contributions to Canada's war effort of aboriginal men and women, including Métis who may have had some British (mainly Scottish) ancestry, is in this blog post from Library and Archives Canada.
"The exact number of Aboriginal soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War is not known. It is estimated that at least 300 men were killed during battles or died from illness, such as tuberculosis."
08 November 2013
QFHS members-only meeting
Saturday, 9 November is the date for a members-only meeting of the Quebec Family History Society.
BIFHSGO member Christine Jackson makes front page news:
07 November 2013
Elizabeth Shown Mills: Advice on How to Research Family History
According to your votes in the recent Rockstar Genealogist poll Elizabeth Shown Mills is a genealogy Superstar, garnering many more votes than any other genealogist.
The New York Times has just posted part 1 of a Q/A by Elizabeth "Advice on How to Research Family History". This is essential reading. The topics addressed are:
- Starting Our Genealogical Journey
- Genetic Genealogy
Autosomal testing: Adoptions and more
Coping With a Mass of Genetic Matches - Online ‘Trees’
Identity
Kinship - Preserving Our Information at Online Subscription Sites
Benefits and risks of genome analysis
The BBC article Massive DNA volunteer hunt begins gives a balanced view of a project in which 100,000 volunteers will have their DNA sequenced and published online for anyone to look at.
"Participants will get an analysis of their DNA, but so will the rest of the world, and anonymity is not guaranteed.One of those quoted is Dr Peter Mills with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics who cautions:
They are warned there could be unknown consequences for them and relatives.
"The difference with genetic data is you're not just committing yourself to something you might not fully envisage, but you're also implicating biological relatives."While the person's name is not revealed by the project "it is possible to work out someone's identity from genetic databases and other public records."
Read the full article at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24834375
The First World War Centenary Partnership
A world war merits a global perspective. To that end the (UK) Imperial War Museum is spearheading The First World War Centenary Partnership, a network of local, regional, national and international cultural and educational organisations joining together to present "a vibrant global Programme of cultural events and activities, and digital platforms which will enable millions of people across the world to discover more about life in the First World War."
Check out 1914.org for highlights of centenary events and resources from across the globe, although very largely from the UK. At present there is no Canadian participation and only one Australian partner. Maybe they'd be inspired by reviewing what others are doing, or could inspire others by promoting their activities.
BIFHSGO November meeting
This month's BIFHSGO meeting next Saturday, November 9, is a special event in honour of Remembrance Day. Seven 15-minute Military Great Moments in Genealogy are scheduled:
9:00 to 9:15 am
Over the Top: Researching our First War Ancestors … in Fifteen Minutes By Glenn Wright
9:15 to 9:30 am
Finding a Family Member on the Western Front By Jane Down
9:30 to 10:00 am
Break — Discovery Tables — Military Memorabilia With Helen Garson
10:00 to 10:15 am
BIFHSGO Monthly Business Meeting With Glenn Wright
10:15 to 10:30 am
Sam Cromie: Canadian Private to British Officer By Wendy Croome
10:30 to 10:45 am
A Family in Service By Mark Lloyd
10:45 to 11:00 am
Slipping Backward: A Canadian Prisoner of War, 1915-18 By Brian Watson
11:00 to 11:15 am
William Sterling Lamb (1894-1918): A Promising Life Cut Short By Anne Sterling
11:15 to 11:30 am
What Did He Do for Armistice? By Brian Glenn
Interviews with speakers Glenn Wright and Anne Sterling are here.
The meeting will take place at Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario. Free parking is available in the lots east of the Library and Archives Canada building only on Saturdays. Do not use the lot west of the building.
06 November 2013
Ancestry.ca to offer free online access to historic military records: 7-12 November
The following is an Ancestry.ca notice offering free online access to historic military records to help Canadians discover their military ancestors for the first time.
TORONTO (November 6, 2013) – In honour of Remembrance Day, Ancestry.ca, Canada’s leading family history website, is giving Canadians the chance to discover the military hero in their family by providing free access from November 7 to 12 to more than 4.4 million online military records from some of its most popular collections, some of which are available free for the first time.
Each Remembrance Day, many Canadians remember the sacrifices and bravery of those who served their country in times of battle, especially those with ancestors and family who fought in wars past and present. Surprisingly, a large number of Canadians don’t know if they have anyone in their family to remember at this time. According to a recent national online survey, almost one-third of Canadians do not know if any of their ancestors fought in either the First or Second World Wars.
“For Canadians, Remembrance Day marks a time of reflection about the soldiers who fought, and in many cases died, for their country. Unfortunately too many of us don’t even know who these people are,” says Lesley Anderson, a genealogist and Content Specialist at Ancestry.ca. “We are thus happy and proud to be able to provide Canadians the chance to look into their past to discover whether their ancestors were among the many that fought in the great wars that defined our nation. It is our pleasure to share these collections in the hope that Canadians will discover more details about their ancestors and the lives they lived.”
The military records free to view cover the First and Second World War, the Rebellion of 1837 and the War of 1812. They highlight the everyday lives of soldiers who served their country, some even before they had a country to fight for. The records include military awards, service records and information on pay, which will provide Canadians with a greater understanding of the men and women who fought in the conflicts. Men like Frank Brown.
The story of Frank Brown
Frank Brown was born on December 18, 1893 in Waterford, Ontario. A prolific writer of poetry, he had two wishes near the start of the First World War; first, to join his comrades in battle and second, to have his poems published. Both of his wishes were granted, but sadly he only lived to see one fulfilled.
After enlisting and joining his fellow troops in England, the well-liked Brown soon won an early promotion to Sergeant thanks to his sharpshooting skills. Shortly after, his first wish was granted when on February 3, 1915 he joined Captain Talbot M. Papineau and the Third Company of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in the trenches in France.
During his first day, the soldier-poet fired approximately 80 rounds, estimated to be as much as the rest of his company put together. Now being known to the Germans as a great shot, it is suspected that he drew the attention of German sharpshooters, and at about 3:30 p.m. that afternoon Sergeant Frank Brown was struck in the head. He died instantly and with no pain.
His second wish was granted soon after his death. Brown’s sincere, strong and musical poems were published in a book titled Contingent Ditties and Other Soldier Songs of the Great War, by Frank Brown.
The story of Sergeant Frank Brown is an example of some of the stories that are waiting to be discovered on Ancestry.ca, and for the 54 per cent of Canadians that claim to have an ancestor that fought in the First or Second World War, these records can provide vivid details into their lives as soldiers. For the 30 per cent of Canadians that do not know if they have an ancestor in the military, these records can bring that history to light.
The collections that will be offered for free from November 7th to 12th include the following:
Canada, Military Honours and Award Citation Cards, 1900-1961, containing almost 70,000 records documenting awards and honours received by Canadian service personnel, both men and women. Some records include valuable and rare information on the soldiers’ next of kin, a physical description, their home address and an account of the meritorious action.
Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922, contains more than 1.6 million records that provide detailed information about a soldier’s everyday life, including payroll. The records also include travelling expenses, battalion or regiment, rank, pay for the use of a horse and signature of the member for received pay. These small details can help paint a richer picture of the day-to-day routine of Canada’s servicemen and women.
Canada, War Graves Registers: Circumstances of Casualty, 1914-1948, contains almost 30,000 records of military burial documents from Canada, as well as casualty records from the U.S., prisoners of war and members of the Australian Air Force, Polish Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Canada, CEF Commonwealth War Graves Registers, 1914-1919, contains over 56,000 records from the War Grave Registers for service personnel of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) who died during the First World War in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom. These registers were used to record the final resting place of the soldier, nurse or other individual, and to record the notification of the next of kin.
Canadians looking for information about their ancestors, or for those who want to start their family tree for free can visit www.ancestry.ca. Those who want to explore the military heroes in their family tree can do so by visiting www.ancestry.ca/honouryourheros.
UK, WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939–1945
There are 59,418 entries in this new Ancestry database. The original source is cited as "Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Civilian War Dead in the United Kingdom, 1939–1945. 7 volumes. 1954-1957. London, United Kingdom: Peter Singlehurst."
The database duplicates the information in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database at www.cwgc.org. However, some of that information is missing from the Ancestry database including all deaths in the county of Norfolk.
LAC celebrates 5 years on Flickr
As of September 2013, LAC’s Flickr page featured 74 sets and 2,576 images.This illustrates how for relatively little effort, digitizing, documenting and loading about 500 images per year can hardly be a full time job, LAC is reaching ten times more than the number of in-person visits to 395 Wellington.
Thanks go out to our staff, and especially to all the people who visit LAC’s Flickr page, for helping us reach 1.7 million views. We hope you enjoy this unique window into our collection.
Welsh newspaper digitization delayed
Earlier this year the National Library of Wales placed online a collection of digitized newspapers and an ambitious schedule for availability of others, more than 100 in total. 38 newspapers are now available at http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=4723
Other papers were given dates for expected availability this year. Now reality has set in. Expected availability is revised to 2013-2014 for 67 papers. A few additional papers have been added to the list.
Shannon lecture: Nov 8
The next in what has proved so far to be an exceptionally enjoyable Shannon lecture series is "The Tavern Company: Food, Drink, and the Bonds of Sociability in a Colonial Society" presented by Julia Roberts, Department of History, University of Waterloo.
The presentation is likely based on her first book "In Mixed Company: Taverns and Public Life in Upper Canada" which "explores taverns as colonial public space and how men and women of diverse backgrounds – Native and newcomer, privileged and labouring, white and non-white – negotiated a place for themselves within them. The stories that emerge unsettle comfortable certainties about who belonged where in colonial society."
As with previous lectures, it takes place in the Humanities Lecture Theatre, 303 Paterson Hall, from 3:00-4:30 pm followed by a reception in the Department of History Lobby, 4th floor Paterson Hall. All welcome.
05 November 2013
Tithe maps for East Sussex and Brighton & Hove
Tithe maps, usually large scale, include the boundaries of fields, woods, roads and rivers and locations of buildings. They can show you whether there was a house on the site of your own home, who lived in it and what the land was used for. Most date from the 1840s and follow old parish boundaries.
Thanks to a project of the East Sussex Record Office, and partners, you can now search and view tithe maps, broken down by parish, for East Sussex and Brighton & Hove. They are free to the public and placed side by side with the modern maps. Zoom in for incredible detail.
For West Sussex the tithe maps have also been digitized but are not so easily accessible. Access at libraries across the county or by purchase of a CD. See http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure/record_office_and_archives/collections_and_research/maps.aspx
Other counties with tithe maps online are Cheshire, Devon, Norfolk, Northumberland (some), West Yorkshire (Leeds)
03 November 2013
London Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
Here’s a great resource few family historians will have explored, now opened up through digitization and placed online, free, thanks to the Wellcome Library. If you have London ancestry you'll be surprised what you might find.
The initial description is deceptively unpromising "statistical data about births, deaths and diseases." More encouraging, "they also allowed the authors to express the diversity of their local communities and their own personal interests."
There's a good bet you'll find something beyond statistics relevant to a London ancestor. For example, from Stepney in 1923:
A search for "Ely Terrace" where my g-g-grandfather spent his last years with his daughter's family, found multiple reports of sanitary deficiencies.
A search for Ordish found a second cousin twice removed listed as a part time dentist and a note when he retired that he had served for 30 years.
Search for Canada and you'll find lots of examples of emigration. Usually only statistics are given but occasionally initials, for example, this saga from Woolwich in 1907:
From the 1902 report from Kensington:
Let anyone compare the gutter children of yesterday with the blooming, healthy boys to be seen on the training-ship, or in Homes, such as the " Waifs and Strays,"—hundreds, nay, thousands of them. Their parents would scarcely know them again ! Many, very many, of such children have been sent to Canada, where they have found an overflowing welcome in healthy and happy homes. And there is room for tens, nay, hundreds of thousands. Not long since, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Prime Minister, addressing the Chamber of Commerce at Liverpool said—" The Dominion has vast territories unpeopled, and what is needed is men and women to occupy them." " Canada could sustain a population of a hundred millions—it has six millions." For generations to come, therefore, that one great Dominion could absorb all our surplus population, and there is still a surplus, although, as this report shows, it is a declining quantity.
Search from http://wellcomelibrary.org/moh/
FreeBMD November update
The FreeBMD Database was updated on Friday 1 November 2013 to contain 233,278,246 distinct records (232,564,191 at the previous update).
Major updates, more than 5,000 records, are: for births 1940, 1943, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964-70; for marriages 1952, 1962, 1964-69; for deaths 1967. 1969-71.
02 November 2013
Seven million pages at the British Newspaper Archive
A landmark for the British Newspaper Archive. 7,004,574 pages are now digitized.
With an estimated 750 million pages in the newspaper collection of the British Library that looks like a drop in the bucket, less than 1%. Hopefully the page you're seeking won't be in the final 1% or at the present rate you'll be waiting a loooooong while.
November backup nag
This nag is the usual post on the 2nd of the month. Save yourself heartache. Backup your hard drive. You don't want the month to be any more miserable than it is naturally.
London records unavailable
Have you ever arrived at an archives only to find it closed? Experienced researchers know to check the regular hours of operation; avoid the UK National Archives (TNA), closed on Sundays and Mondays. The Society of Genealogists Library is closed on Sunday, Monday and Friday. You can research at the London Metropolitan Archives (LMA) on a Monday, but not on Fridays or Sundays, and only one Saturday each month.
01 November 2013
How good is the 1921 census of Canada index?
I completed two quick tests of the index accuracy of the just released 1921 census from Ancestry.ca.
The first data set used was a list of men who served with the Ottawa Company of Sharpshooters during the 1885 Northwest Rebellion. Taking out those who had died, moved overseas or who had not been found in a previous census 26 men remained. The test was conducted as a neophyte might use the database by entering the first and last names and year of birth and searching using default settings. Ancestry aims to appeal to the neophyte; to be successful and the correct person should appear early. The result was 50/50, 13 of the men were found in the first 50 hits, 13 were elusive although known to be alive.
The second data set was a page chosen from Ottawa's St George's Ward where the image was very clear. The 1923 Ottawa City Directory was used to compare surnames. Some were clearly different, people do move, but seven were in the same house in both sources. Two were different, Chapleau in the directory became Chapkan in the census index. Dubé became Autio in the index - the initial letter certainly resembled an A more than a D in the original.
Benchmarks update for October
How did your favourite genealogy sites do during October? Comparable figures are for a month ago.
Familysearch.org has added or updated record collections in September for a total of 1,661 (1,657). Census & lists account for 151 (149); birth, marriage, & death 1005 (1005); probate & court 151 (149); military 117 (117); migration & naturalization 92 (92); other 145 (145). Familysearch.org has Alexa rank 5,165 (5,126).
Ancestry.com has Alexa rank of 595 (579); ancestry.co.uk ranks 8,891 (9,009) and ancestry.ca 26,225 (27,110). There are 31,419 (31,381) datasets in the collections including 1,966 (1,961) for Canada, 1,732 (1,731) for the UK, 133 (131) for Australia and, 25,131 (25,118) for the USA.
MyHeritage.com's Alexa rank was 5,438 (5,111)
Findmypast.co.uk has an Alexa rank of 28,283 (28,526). Findmypast.com ranks 154,884 (148,090).
Family Tree DNA has 656,898 (652,751) records in its database. It ranks 25,075 (25,626) on Alexa. 23andMe ranks 8,944 (9,300).
GenealogyinTime.com ranks 26,323 (30,849); Mocavo.com 52,149 (68,930); eogn.com continues its improvement in rank to 20,930 (23,274).
Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk contains 6,997,856 (6,952,628) digitized pages; Alexa rank 145,140 (175,043).
Newspapers.com contains 1,936 (1,831) newspapers including 666,747 (666,647) pages for England and 1,228,225 (1,227,270) pages for Canada. The Alexa rank jumped to 58,456 (79,399).
Cyndislist.com claims 328,522 (328,431) total links in 203 (201) categories, with 1,778 (1,784) uncategorized; Alexa rank 82,214 (89,105).
FreeBMD.org.uk has 232,564,191 (231,897,137) distinct records, Alexa rank 94,226 (92,556).
CanadianHeadstones.com has over 728,000 (716,000) gravestone photo records from across Canada. It scores 581,713 (589,976) in Alexa traffic rank.
Deceasedonline.com ranked 751,311 (898,621).
The Canadian Gravemarker Gallery (gravemarkers.ca), with over 781,623 (766,000) photographs from across Canada, ranked 5,983,591 (6,443,597) on Alexa.
Amongst Canadian family history societies bifhsgo.ca Alexa ranks 1,484,860 (1,732,187), qfhs.ca 4,403,199 (4,408,546), and ogs.on.ca 226,797 (272,985).
And in case you're curious, Canada's Anglo-Celtic Connections has 5,116 (5,032) posts; on Alexa the .ca site ranked 155,972 (172,624), another jump.
Did I miss something significant? If so please post a comment with statistics if applicable.
