This week's online genealogy events

Choose from free online events in the next five days. All times are ET except as noted. Assume registration in advance is required. Check so you're not disappointed.

Tuesday 24 November, 11 am: Preserving Family Stories, with Judy Russell and Jen Baldwin for Findmypast . https://www.facebook.com/findmypast 

🇨🇦Tuesday 24 November, 2 pm: Virtual Genealogy Drop-In, from Ottawa Branch OGS anhttps://www.facebook.com/findmypastd The Ottawa Public Library. Join here.

Tuesday, 24 November 24, 2 pm: MyHeritage Mobile App: All New Features From 2020, presented by Daniel Horowitz for MyHeritage. 
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar_details.php?webinar_id=1314

Tuesday 24 November, 2:30 pm: Read All About It! - Free Newspaper Sites to Assist Family Historians. Presented by Melissa Tennant for the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. 
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqd-CuqzsvG9fsaCNFxm4mTCvmV6M-ObaN

🇨🇦Tuesday 24 November, 7 pm: AGM & Digging Up Stories - The Cowkeeper'sWish: A Genealogical Journey, presented by Kristen den Hartog for Wellington County Branch of OGS https://wellington.ogs.on.ca/next-meeting/

🇨🇦 Wednesday 25 November, 7:30 pm:  What were they thinking? presented by Debbie Dee for the Quebec Genealogical eSociety, https://genquebec.com/en/webinars-0

🇨🇦 Thursday 26 November, 7 pm: QFHS Genealogy Question & Answer Session. 
http://qfhs.ca/eventListings.php?nm=121#er253

Friday 27 November, 11 am: Friday's Live with Myko Clelland for Findmypast 
https://www.facebook.com/findmypast 

CA Saturday 28 November, 1 pm: Genealogy and the Canadiana collections, presented by Émilie Lavallée-Funston & Francesca Brzezicki from Canadiana.ca for Ottawa Branch of OGS
https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/ottawa-branch-presentation-3/

Send a Free Historic ePostcard

The Francis Frith website has a massive collection of old UK photographs. You'll likely find one for a place nearby where an ancestor lived.

Now you can sign in, choose any photo and send it as an e-card, free of charge as a greeting for various occasions.  Send it immediately, or on any chosen date.

The website is www.francisfrith.com

Be aware that you will be giving email addresses for yourself and your recipient — nothing is free!  

Francis Frith has an online shop with a range of items that might make good, convenient and virtually hassle-free  Christmas presents.

WDYTYA Magazine: December 2020

Here's the main content for the latest issue.

Family Stories
Give your relations the star treatment using the research strategies that make WDYTYA

Polish Refugees

Were your relations among the hundreds who fled to England following the November Uprising in 1830?

Mystery Hunt

Researching the contributors to the Lady's Magazine

Christmas Crackers

Discover the origin of this much-loved festive tradition

Best Websites

Key online resources to locate final resting places

Record Masterclass

Make the most of army service records from WW2

Ancestors At Work

Were any of your relations employed as valets?

Tech Tips

Add a family tree widget to a Word Press website

Focus On

How to locate clues for Victorians who were lost at sea

There are also items on the best resources for Northhamptonshire relations

Skimming the issue I stopped at a news item about the new Suffolk Archives building in Ipswitch. Following a link and searching for my Suffolk Digby ancestry I found a marriage bond for a late 18th-century marriage with enough information in the snippet I didn't need to see the original. That shows yet again the benefit of checking out WDYTYA? Magazine which is available through PressReader at the OPL and "other fine Canadian public libraries." 

Was Yout London Ancestor a Cockney?

There was a discussion on the BIFHSGO London SIG last Wednesday about who was a Cockney. Traditionally it's someone born within the sound of Bow Bells. 

Group member Mick Jaques emailed with the information "The map at the following website shows where the bells used to be heard and where they can now be heard with the prevailing southwest wind. https://www.quora.com/Strictly-a-cockney-is-one-born-within-sound-of-Bow-Bells-What-radius-would-that-have-been-obviously-it-will-have-changed-with-ambient-noise-levels."

Wikipedia's article on Cockney mentions that "According to legend, Dick Whittington heard the bells 4.5 miles away at the Highgate Archway, in what is now north London. The studies mean that it is credible that Whittington might have heard them on one of the infrequent days that the wind blows from the south."

Winds can blow from all directions. Data for London City Airport shows southwest is the very predominant direction with a small secondary maximum from the east. On those occasions, the bells of St Mary le Bow might be heard well to the west as an easterly wind, which is often accompanied by a temperature inversion, traps sound near the ground.

The Cockney accent can be heard much further afield than the bells!  - here.

British Newspaper Archive Meets Page Target

Ahead of schedule Findmtpast's British Newspaper Archive Project has surpassed the 40 million page goal.

40,063,616 Pages

The goal was achieved with the digitization of 38,924 pages of the weekly Rugeley Times from 1926 to 1981. Rugeley is in south-central Staffordshire next to the River Trent.

The BNA Project, a joint initiative of Findmypast and The British Library, had the end of this year as the target date for reaching the 40 million target. Kudos for having succeeded despite the challenges of the pandemic.

FreeBMD November Update

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Thursday 19 November 2020 to contain 277,619,947 unique records (277,287,378 at the previous update.)

Years with major additions, greater than 5,000 records are: for births 1986-90; for marriages 1969, 1986-89; for deaths 1984, 1986, 1988-90. 

There were also a large number of duplicate entries deleted for the period before 1860.

www.freebmd.org.uk/

Sunday Sundries

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

John Fairburn’s Chapbooks - from Spitalfield's Life

The Foolishness of Trump's Tariffs -  tariffs increased washer and dryer prices by about 12% or $88. The cost per US job created was $811,000.

Shopping at Sears: A window into the archives - LAC blog post by Jennifer Anderson

The Fall/Winter 2020 issue of LAC Signatures

TheGenealogist looks at Roald Dahl records in over 1.8 million additional R.A.F. Operations Record Books.

Thanks to this week's contributors: Anonymous,  Unknown

Findmypast Weekly Update

British Armed Forces Soldiers' Wills 1850-1986

Covering over 130 years of British military history, 190,282 index records reveal name, service number, and when they died. The vast majority are for the two world wars.

This is the same information as available from the government Probate Search website at https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/.

Purchase the original will from Probate Search for next of kin information, the value of the individual's estate, and more. 

Ireland, Londonderry (Derry) War Memorial 1914-1918

The Diamond War Memorial in Londonderry (Derry) lists 754 locals who lost their lives in the Great War. In addition to the name, the transcription gives death date, soldier number, regiment and residence. The linked image of the memorial register adds rank and battalion.

British Red Cross & Order of St John Enquiry List, Wounded & Missing, 1914-1919

These 158,035 new records can help unlock details about the First World War’s wounded and missing that you won’t find in other sources. The collection consists of transcriptions from published lists.

5,339 entries are for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. 

You will find multiple entries for the same person. For instance, the 18 entries for Reid serving with the CEF refer to 8 individuals.

DeceasedOnlne adds Streatham Cemetery Records

A year after adding cremation records for Lambeth and West Norwood, and promising more the area, records for Streatham Cemetery, located on Garratt Lane in Tooting, are now available.

Opened in 1893, the Streatham Cemetery database comprises 118,000 records from 1893 to 2014. Many memorials have been removed so these records are especially valuable.

There are 218 First World War burials and 167 for the Second World War. Three who served with Canadian Forces are among those for WW1.

Deceased Online is working on further records from authorities in the East Midlands, London, the West Midlands, and the South East of England.

Co-Lab Update for November

Library and Archives Canada is once again reporting no progress since last month at Co-Lab, including on the new-last-month Molly Lamb Bobak project. There is no explanation given for the lack of progress. The status since last Spring remains.

Molly Lamb Bobak is 0% complete

Women Lightkeepers: heroes by the sea is 96% complete.

Diary of François-Hyacinthe Séguin is 16% complete

George Mully: moments in Indigenous communities is 2% complete.

Correspondence regarding First Nations veterans returning after the First World War is 96% complete

Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 is 71% complete

Legendary Train Robber and Prison Escapee Bill Miner is 98% complete

War Diaries of the First World War: 1st Canadian Division is 94% complete

Japanese-Canadians: Second World War is 61% complete

The Call to Duty: Canada's Nursing Sisters is 97% complete.

New France and First Nations Relations is 78% complete

Projects that are 100% complete are no longer reported here.

Ontario Township Papers Online

They're a fundamental source for early Ontario, known as Upper Canada and Canada West, The Archives of Ontario lists the date range as ca. 1783-ca.1870 and describes them as:

a miscellaneous group of land-related records, which have been arranged by township name, then by concession and lot or by town name and lot number. Under any lot for which documents are available, researchers may find the following: copies of orders-in-council; copies of location certificates and location tickets; copies of assignments; certificates verifying the completion of settlement duties; copies of receipt; copies of descriptions; and copies of patents; and copies of incoming correspondence.

AO has a pdf list of what's available on microfilm at http://ao.minisisinc.com/LISTS/RG%20%201-58.pdf. They inform how to access them at AO (when it's open) or by microfilm interloan.

What AO does not tell you is that there's a large collection of these microfilms digitized and available through FamilySearch that you can browse free from home.

Go to https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/185567?availability=Family%20History%20Library for communities A- H and https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/2759321?availability=Family%20History%20Library for H-Z.

Click on the icon on the right, sign in to FamilySearch if you've not already done so, and start browsing. They're handwritten, reading them is often a challenge.

 

Your Genealogy Today Nov/Dec 2020

I just received the complete text of the issue of which I listed the tentative line-up at the start of the month. It's almost as advertized — Diahan Southard is now credited as the author of DNA & Genealogy: How Much Testing Do We Really Need? with a corrected summary. I've added a few additional comments.

The Value of Gossip
Robbie Gorr looks at five ways to find family tales told over the back fence

25 Places Where Your Family’s Facts May Hide
George G. Morgan suggested sources for where you may find hidden clues include at least a couple you may not have thought about.

Advertising Trade Cards from the 1880s
Stephen L. W. Greene looks at the once-popular advertising method often collected by our ancestors. Is this true beyond the US?

“A Temporary Colony”: British Florida, 1763-1784
David A. Norris shows us where to find the records for those who settled in Florida before joining the United States ... an interesting and overlooked period of British colonial and US history.

The Importance of Being Frank If You Can’t Be Earnest
Sue Lisk looks at possible reasons for how our ancestors got their names. A romp through how names were chosen and changed with examples from her family history.

Death Records…Let’s Look Beyond the “Usual!”
Diane L. Richard goes beyond the usual resources used to document the death of an ancestor

Sororities and Genealogy
Leslie Michele Derrough looks at the importance of sororities in the lives of our ancestors

DNA & Genealogy: How Much Testing Do We Really Need?
Diahan Southard looks at full sequencing of DNA code and whether it’s really necessary. She summarizes the positions for and against more complete sequencing and comes down on the side if more,

Advice From the Pros: Track Your Speaking Engagements with Trello
Lisa A. Alzo shares how to use a free tool to manage your speaking calendar

The Back Page: Don't Be Afraid to Stumble
Dave Obee says a stumble can be a step forward when doing family history research - serendipity.

FamilySearch Updates

 A bumper crop of additions to FamilySearch this week 

New Brunswick County Registers of Births Index, ca. 1812-1919 is a new indexed records collection with 142,670 records.

Two new indexed records collections for England are:

England, Berkshire, Reading, Cemetery Records, 1843-1959, 64,917 records
England, Norfolk, Bishop's Transcripts Index, 1600-1941, 12,664 records

Also England, Northumberland, Parish Registers, 1538-1950 has 11,133 new indexed records and 218,240 images added. There are now 2,554,370 indexed records

A complete list of updates for the week of 16 November 2020 is at https://media.familysearch.org/new-free-historical-records-on-familysearch-week-of-16-november-2020/

CWGC Beechwood Cemetery Burials: A. E. Mitchell

The regimental emblem on this tombstone is for the Royal Garrison Artillery of the British Forces. Armed with heavy, large-calibre guns and howitzers 111 companies of the RGA were stationed across the British Empire. 

Corporal Arthur Ernest Mitchell (76639) details of whose service with the RGA are unknown, died on this date in 1920. 

Born ca Oct 1888 in Bishop Auckland, Durham, England, he came to Canada with his wife Christina nee Thompson and son John in June 1919. A son George was born soon after their arrival. 

He died of a pulmonary abscess for which he had been operated on in July.

His grave is Plot 29. Lot 14. No. 26. at Beechwood cemetery.

His family continued living in Ottawa and the area.

This week's online genealogy events

Choose from free online events in the next five days. All times are ET except as noted. Assume registration in advance is required. Check so you're not disappointed.

🇨🇦Tuesday 17 November, 2 pm: Virtual Genealogy Drop-In, from Ottawa Branch OGS and The Ottawa Public Library. Join here.

🇨🇦Tuesday 17 November,  7 pm: Remembering Our Military Families, OGS Sudbury Branch members share stories. Registration at: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtcO6hpjwrG9UH5fmhG_qgJzSFgbVthj4g

Tuesday 17 November, 8 pm: Separating and Merging Identities of Same-named Men, by Shannon Green for the Board for Certification of Genealogists 
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar_details.php?webinar_id=1287

Wednesday 18 November, 11am: WW1 Military Research, with Paul Milner and Jen Baldwin for Findmypast
https://www.facebook.com/findmypast

Wednesday 18 November, 2 pm: Surname Projects and DNA Projects, presented by Mags Gaulden for Legacy Family Tree Webinars
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar_details.php?webinar_id=1238

Wednesday 18 November, 2:30 pm: The Scoundrel Harry Larkyns, presented by Rebecca Gowers for TNA.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rebecca-gowers-the-scoundrel-harry-larkyns-tickets-116864981305?aff=homepage

Thursday 19 November, 6:30 pm: A Grave Matter (US), presented by Jeannie Regan-Dinius for the Allen County Public Library, 
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/4674033

Friday 20 November, 9 am: The Victorian (re)invention of Christmas,  by Katherine Howells for TNA
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-victorian-reinvention-of-christmas-tickets-125470113487?aff=wowp

Friday 20 November, 11 am: Findmypast Friday, with Alex Cox
https://www.facebook.com/findmypast

🇨🇦 Saturday 21 November,  10 am:  The Ultimate Black Sheep: What Happens When You Discover A Serial Killer In Your Family Tree, presented by Michael Onesi for Kingston Branch OGS. Registration at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0pdOypqzkpG9eO86IeygS0QLRuexSEpW6W

🇨🇦 Saturday 21 November,  1 pm:  Great Moments Goes Virtual. Quinte Branch OGS members share stories
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpf-yoqDouE9SIHEVYUaseYEChtjiemaHK

Wars and Rebels Lecture Series: OGS Toronto Branch

On Wednesday 18 November you can join a free presentation Exploring Military Records at Library and Archives Canada presented by Sophie Tellier (Senior Archivist, Reference Services) and Jeannie Buchanan-Breit (Orientation and Archival Technician, Regional Services) from Library and Archives Canada.

With a focus on the First and Second World Wars, this session will review Library and Archives Canada’s online tools for military research, as well as how to access service files, identify an individual’s unit, and consult resources such as war diaries to learn more about the context of a person’s service. 

The presentation starts at 7:30 pm. Register in advance from 
http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=i6wnctjab&oeidk=a07ehd22mv74c8442a8

The three other lectures in the series are:

Thursday 19 November: Researching Military Service in Canada, 1840-1902, by Glenn Wright

Wednesday 25 November: 1837 Rebellion and Our Difficult Path to Democracy, by Bruce Beaton

Thursday 26 November: Second World War Research: Are You Ready?, by James F. S. Thomson

Find further information, costs, with discounts for OGS members, and registration at
https://torontofamilyhistory.org/event/wars-and-rebels-2020/

23andMe 50% off for a limited time

Until November 26 you can purchase the 23andMe Health & Ancestry test for $124 Cdn. 

Find out more at https://www.23andme.com/en-ca/dna-health-ancestry

Be sure you understand the fine print; the company business model includes monetizing your anonymized data in medical research.

MyHeritage Gift Membership Deal

50% off a MyHeritage membership, 6-month or 1 year, is available for a limited time.

As Daniel Horowitz wrote in an email

With many people spending more time at home and looking for meaningful activities to enjoy, the MyHeritage gift membership makes the perfect holiday gift and is sure to delight a dear family member or close friend.

The gift membership provides access to all features and all 12.7 billion historical records on MyHeritage.

Order a gift membership in a few clicks, and your chosen recipient will receive an email explaining the super simple steps needed to redeem their gift.

You can choose to give either a 1-year or 6-month gift membership. Gift memberships are one-time and do not renew. At the end of the membership period, the recipient will retain access to their MyHeritage account and all family tree data. If they wish to continue enjoying the full benefits of a membership, it will be up to them to extend their plan (or you can decide to be kind to them and give them another gift membership – it’s up to you).

YOU CAN GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT - 50% OFF

Find out more at https://www.myheritage.com/gift-membership

O/T: Weather and Climate: Not what your grandparents knew!

David Phillips, a renowned climatologist, Order of Canada member and one-time BIFHSGO Don Whiteside lecturer, will be giving a public forum, online of course, on Tuesday 17 November at 7 pm.

Urban floods, ice rains, winter heat waves, interface wildfires, weather bombs, megadroughts - if you think we’ve been cursed and clobbered a lot harder and a lot more often recently, you are not imagining it. It used to be that our weather was “normal” and dependable. Now, more and more Canadians are asking: What’s happening to our weather? If our weather is becoming weirder and wilder are people responsible or is it nature doing this to us? Or both? Maybe we are changing more than the weather. What has become clear is that the Earth is warming, and the number of weather-related disasters is on the rise. We can no longer assume that yesterday’s weather will apply tomorrow.

To attend the free Zoom webinar, sponsored by the Toronto and Ottawa Branches of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, register in advance at www.cmos.ca/.

If that link doesn't work for you try here.

New West Midlands Files on Ancestry

Categorized under Directories & Member Lists, the 39,424 records of West Midlands, England, Police Files and Ledgers, 1850-1950 cover "appointments of regular and special constables, promotions, disciplinary actions, transfers, lists of applicants, injuries sustained in the line of duty, and physical descriptions." They are for the constabularies of Birmingham, Staffordshire, Coventry, Walsall, West Midlands, Dudley and Wolverhampton.

These are most interesting records for those with ancestors in police service. There are linked images recording the ups and downs of service. If you find a record of interest scroll back and forward from the image as there may be additional information.

Within the Court, Land, Wills & Financial category find 10,157 records of West Midlands, England, Criminal Registers, 1850-1933. Information usually available is: name, age at time of incarceration, birthplace, nature of the crime, conviction date, conviction place, sentence, photograph and/or a physical description. When you see a picture, especially of a youngster, it's natural to wonder how they got into the situation and what happened to them. You may find more information in newspapers.

Both databases are provided in association with the West Midlands Police Museum.