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Weir(d?) Times at Library and Archives Canada

  • A Quiet Week
    For the week including Thanksgiving, LAC has been mentioned as a source for historical images and in news summaries regarding the attempted hack. It has and is hosting a variety of public lectures, workshops, and book launches.
  • What’s in Collection Search?
    As of 13 October, there are 7,954,212 ( 7,952,178 on 6 October) items in the Archives section of Collection Search, 8,227,688  (no change) in the Genealogy section,  4,441,736 (4,440,715) in Library including 54,334 (no change) in Theses, and 353,363 (353,360 ) in Images.
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Images: “Original” or “New and Improved”?

Browsing the supermarket shelves, you’ll find an array of flavour variations. Do you prefer the original, or one of the new and improved varieties? Choosing images to accompany a family history article is much the same. Let me illustrate.

This photograph from my family collection was taken on Christmas Day 1940 on an island in the Bismarck Archipelago. It is showing its age, well past its best-before date.

Here are some “new and improved” versions. The first was produced with ChatGPT, using the detailed prompt given by Andrew Redfern here, modified to produce a black-and-white monotone image.
 

The second used the same prompt with Gemini, which Andrew Redfern prefers.

Look at them carefully. Are there three people in the front row, or four? Are they wearing tops or not? What happened to the hats? The hallucinations are obvious.

Suppose you wanted an image to accompany your text, and you were happy to label any AI-enhanced images as such. Which of the three, the original or one of the two AI versions, would you choose, and why?

 

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This Week’s Online Genealogy Events

Choose from these selected free online events. All times are Eastern Time, unless otherwise noted. Registration may be required in advance—please check the links to avoid disappointment. For many more events, mainly in the U.S., visit https://conferencekeeper.org/virtual/

Tuesday, 13 October

2:00 PM: Ottawa Virtual Genealogy Drop-In, by OGS Ottawa Branch. https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/virtual-genealogy-drop-in-2-2026-10-13/

2:30 PM: Maps and Trails: Common Migration Paths from the 17th Through 19th Centuries, by Tina Beaird for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/17011687

7:00 PM: Canadian Her-Story, by Amber Godfrey for OGS Lambton County Branch (Zoom). https://lambton.ogs.on.ca/

Wednesday, 14 October

2:00 PM: Scottish Genealogy: Finding and Understanding Civil Registration Records, by Alison Spring for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. https://familytreewebinars.com/upcoming-webinars/

7:00 PM: Lest We Forget? An exploration of the Valour and Unequal Treatment of Algonquin who have served in Canada’s Armed Forces, byLynn Gehl and Wendy Jocko for The Historical Society of Ottawa.
https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/activities/events/eventdetail/205/16,17,18,19,20,21,22/lest-we-forget-an-exploration-of-the-valour-and-unequal-treatment-of-algonquin-who-have-served-in-canada-s-armed-forces

8:00 PM: From Data to Dialogue with AI 1 of 5: Turning Data into Stories, by Andrew Redfern and Fiona Brooker for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/from-data-to-dialogue-with-ai-1-of-5-turning-data-into-stories

Thursday, 15 October,

6:30 PM: Was My William Smith in the Civil War? by Brian Rhinehart for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/17011763

Friday, 16 October

2:00 PM: Fleet Marriages: Tracing Clandestine Weddings in the UK, by Sarah Pettyfer, for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. https://familytreewebinars.com/upcoming-webinars/

Saturday, 17 October

9:00 AM: Start of the BIFHSGO Conference
For registrants.
https://www.bifhsgo.ca/2026-conference

10:00 AM: Three Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence in Your Genealogy Research, byDavid Woodcock for  OGS Kingston Branch.
https://kingston.ogs.on.ca/events/kingston-branch-ogs-meeting-2026-10-17-3-ways-to-use-artificial-intelligence-in-your-genealogy-research/

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The Serendipity Room

It’s not called that; it could well be. On Saturday, after having completed the reason for my visit to the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library, I wandered into the Ottawa Room on the 3rd floor. It’s cram-packed with publications documenting an amazing range of Ottawa history.  Many years ago there was a staff member assigned full-time to the room; now it’s the subject of benign neglect. As I was leaving a bust near the room’s entrance caught my eye.

The inscription on the reverse indicates it’s a 1897 commemorative Diamond Jubilee bust of Queen Victoria created by the prominent British-Canadian sculptor Hamilton Plantagenet MacCarthy (R.C.A.). Her Majesty is shown in her signature mourning veil, wearing a lace-trimmed gown, necklace, sash, and chivalric star (Order of the Garter).

AI informs that at auction, an authentic cast metal/bronze 1897 Queen Victoria bust by Hamilton MacCarthy typically realizes between $400 and $1,200.

What will be its fate with the move to the Central Branch, Adisoke, next year (unless delayed further)? How will OPL be ensuring continued preservation and access to the unique Ottawa Room content?

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Sunday Sundries

Miscellaneous items I found interesting this week.

Bruce County Genealogical Society Monday Webinar
There’s an open invitation to the 12 October 7 pm  presentation John Smith Wallace: “Went Abroad as Youngster and Not Heard of Since”. Presenter Susan Reany Iskra is “a fabulous speaker and genealogist who always tells us such a wonderful story and leads us down the path to her discoveries.”

Register at https://bit.ly/2026-10-12-SusanReanyIskra

Next Weekend — BIFHSGO Conference
Preview on YouTube the conference  headline speaker, Graeme Morton, on ‘The Climatic Motive for Leaving Scotland’ https://youtu.be/uCBAnbohMPs?si=HuHKFprO96i5ATI4

Where in Canada is this?

NAI: Birthplace information added and further updates to the 1926 Census database

Living in the USA (Unexplored Southern Area)
There are now more than 2.7 billion entries in Ancestry’s U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 collection.

Thanks to the following individuals for their comments and tips: Ann Burns, Anonymous, Donald Read, Gail, Glenn Wright, Ken McKinlay, Lolly Fullerton, Maria Laty, Teresa, Unknown.

 

 

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Ancestry Updates DNA Origins

Ancestry’s previous update to Origins (ancestral regions) results was in October 2025. They’ve been teasing “We’re adding 150+ new regions, with greater precision than ever.” New October 2026 results are now posted.

My new results are listed and subdivided under the categories England (42%, previously 40%), Celtic & Gaelic (35%, previously 36%), Jewish (23%, previously 22%) and no longer Netherlands (0%, previously 2%). No big change.

In England, the West Midlands now accounts for 30%, up from 22% previously. It’s entirely due 8% now being contributed from the paternal side to the previous maternal amount.

Also from the paternal side is 11% from East Midlands and Yorkshire, down from 14%. While my paper trail shows a paternal connection to the very western part of Yorkshire;  11% would be an anomaly.

In Celtic & Gaelic, the Northern Wales & North West England region, which did not exist previously, accounts for 12%, all on the paternal side. Munster, which previously accounted for 10% is no longer listed. Ulster, at 7%,  is now second among seven regions.

For a reality check it’s worth looking at the uncertainty range in your results, found by clicking on the superscript ⓘ beside the name on the region page. Only two of my regions, with 18% and more, do not include 0% as a possibility.

Ancestry is teasing that regions by grandparent is coming soon.

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Findmypast Weekly Update

Leicestershire Apprentices, 1646–1897I
In partnership with the Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society and the Family History Federation, this collection documents those who served an apprenticeship in printing, tailoring, carpentry or another trade. Records can reveal not only their own details but also those of their master and father — including occupations and places of abode. Records can include name, year, county, father’s abode and occupation, and master’s name, abode and occupation.
The collection includes someone I’d previously found as a Leicester printer apprentice in a book in the library at TNA. He was an ancestor of a cousin, confirming his suspected origins in Rutland.

British Newspaper Archive: New Pages
This week’s newspaper update adds pages across four new titles, including the extensive Ceylon Independent.

New Titles

Title Date Range Pages
Ceylon Independent 1898–1937 110,888
Auckland Chronicle 1876–1899 622
Liverpool Argus 1877 848
British Monarchy 1867 80

Updated Titles with Over 10,000 Pages Added

Title Date Range Pages
South Wales Echo 2000–2004 36,152
Birmingham Mail 2003–2004 41,376
Brentwood Gazette 2000–2001 13,502

 

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A Journey Through Birth and Marriage Superstitions

Superstitions still sneak into our daily lives. Do you knock on wood to ward off a jinx, or wince at the thought of seven years of bad luck after breaking a mirror?

Then there’s the classic New Year’s Eve ritual: open the back door just before midnight to let the old year out, then throw open the front door to welcome the new one. Ideally, it arrives with a tall, dark-haired man carrying coal and whisky (especially whisky in Scotland) to bring luck for the months ahead.

Today we treat them as quirky habits or harmless fun. But without the internet and AI to explain life’s mysteries, our ancestors relied on omens, passed along by word of mouth and in almanacs. Nowhere were they more watchful than at life’s biggest thresholds: birth and marriage.

The Perils and Portents of Birth

Being born in earlier centuries was a risky business, so it’s no surprise that a cottage industry of folklore and superstition grew up around it. You probably know this one:

Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for a living,
And the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

The exact timing and circumstances of a birth were closely scrutinized:

  • The tide: Babies were said to arrive on the incoming tide, as life was thought to ebb away with the outgoing one. Apparently, children were polite enough to wait for the water!
  • The “chime hours”: A baby born at the chime hours, or during a Christmas morning sermon, was believed to have the gift of seeing spirits. Did this make for interesting family gatherings?
  • Birth order: “First a daughter, then a son, the world is well begun. First a son, then a daughter, trouble follows after.” Apologies to firstborn sons everywhere.

Once the baby arrived, simply getting around became a minefield. A newborn must never be carried across a crossroads, which was considered a grave danger to its life. In some Celtic traditions, a baby’s first movement must never be downward, such as being carried down the stairs, lest it invite bad luck. You had to go up before you could go down, even if it meant stepping onto a chair first.

Clumsiness as a Sign of Matrimony

Long before Hinge, Bumble and Match, everyday accidents were the first best way toward a speedy marriage.

Break a needle into three pieces while sewing, or trip while going up the stairs, and congratulations: a wedding was imminent. Stumble down the stairs, however, and you got bad luck and a bruised ego.

Dreams were interpreted with zero subtlety. Beds, cradles, ploughing, trees in blossom, losing a bonnet, or priests dressed in white were all rock-solid signs of a happy union.

Wedding Day Paranoia and Fairy Evasion

When the big day finally arrived, good luck required careful planning and strict adherence to the rules.

  • Choosing the day: Tuesday was the golden ticket, while Thursday and the season of Lent were to be avoided. “Marry in Lent, live to repent.”
  • The bridal checklist: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,” often with a sixpence in your shoe to bribe the universe for prosperity.
  • The dress rehearsal: Brides were warned never to try on the complete outfit before the wedding day, in case they tempted fate.
  • Colour: White was fine, but green belonged to the fairies, and wearing it was a great way to get yourself abducted by the wee folk.
  • The veil: Its original purpose wasn’t fashion. It was a disguise to hide the bride from evil spirits and jealous fairies who might want to steal her away.
  • Handfasting: The ancient Celtic custom of binding the couple’s hands together with a cord is a literal case of tying the knot, and was believed to ward off evil.
  • The honeymoon: Legend has it that couples drank mead for a month after the wedding to boost fertility, supposedly giving us the word “honeymoon.”
  • The threshold: The groom had to carry the bride into their new home, because if she tripped on the way in, it would invite evil spirits inside. No pressure.
  • Lucky sightings: For peak luck, the bride should spot a black cat, a rainbow, or be ambushed by a chimney sweep for a kiss.
  • Dire omens: Losing a garter, dropping the ring during the ceremony, or turning back on the way to the church all spelled a broken marriage or immediate doom.

It makes you wonder how anyone made it down the aisle, or out of the nursery, at all. The next time you’re stressed about planning a modern event, be glad you don’t have to dodge vengeful fairies or schedule your life around the tide.

Sources for superstitions of all kinds from around the world include Biren Bonnerjea’s 1927 A Dictionary of Superstitions and Mythology, available on the Internet Archive, and Iona Opie and Moira Tatem’s definitive 1989 A Dictionary of Superstitions. AI was used to help compile this post. 

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WDYTYA Magazine: November 2026

The magazine has reached 250 issues, and Sarah Williams has been editor from the start. Congratulations Sarah.

Feature articles in the November issue are:

Tyranny In The Workhouse, by Paul Carter and Steven King report on a 10-year project that uses thousands of letters writ­ten by pau­pers to lift the lid on the cruelty and oppres­sion they suffered under the Poor Laws, 1780–1914.

From Burma to Bangalore, by Ross Gowland shares tips on how he researched his great uncle’s WW2 service in the Far East.

We Will Remember Them, by Jacqueline Wadsworth explores the history behind annual traditions to remember those who have served in military conflicts across the world.

Also featured on the cover are:

Researching Coal Mining Disasters, by Jill Chapman shares tips on how to uncover a rich seam of records created by accidents and disasters. That’s in the continuing series Focus On.

Jonathan Scott picks out some of the most useful online resources for tracing surnames in the series Best Websites. He also surveys Buckinghamshire in his Around Britain series.

Paul Blake reveals a little-known resource for anyone researching 19th- century merchant navy ancestors in the series Record Masterclass.

Nick Peers explains how to share and sync your family tree with Tree Crossing in the series Tech Tips.

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Weir(d?) Times at Library and Archives Canada

  • LAC Attempted Hack
    On October 1, CBC, Reuters, Global News and other outlets reported that the AI research firm Transluce said AI agents attempted to access an LAC website/search service on May 28 and June 9, 2026. The reported goal was to retrieve Canadian divorce records from roughly 1905–1911; the agents reportedly queried an LAC database hundreds of times. The tactics resembled prior activity attributed to OpenAI which was reported to be reviewing the claim. According to government sources there was no indication that systems had been compromised.
  • Shannon Lecture
    A reminder that  Preserving Unremarkable Videogames with Dany Guay-Bélanger is scheduled for next Tuesday, 13 October at 7 PM. It’s live in the Pallerin Room at LAC and online. More information here.
  • What’s in Collection Search?
    As of 6 October there are 7,952,178 (7,944,445 on 29 September) items in the Archives section of Collection Search, 8,227,688  (no change) in the Genealogy section, 4,440,715 (4,439,575) in Library, including 54,334 theses, and 353,360 (352,754) in Images.
    Since I started  monitoring these changes on 5 September:Archives experienced the highest volume of growth, consistently adding new items every week for a total increase of over 21,000 items.
    Library content grew steadily by over 16,000 items,
    Images saw minor but consistent weekly growth, adding nearly 700 new items over the month.
    Genealogy remained completely stagnant, fluctuating by only a single item and showing zero growth during the latter half of September and early October.
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This Week’s Online Genealogy Events

Choose from these selected free online events. All times are Eastern Time, unless otherwise noted. Registration may be required in advance—please check the links to avoid disappointment. For many more events, mainly in the U.S., visit https://conferencekeeper.org/virtual/.

Tuesday, 6 October

Wednesday, 7 October

Thursday, 8 October

  • 6:30 PM: Putting the History in Our Family Histories, by Curt Witcher, for the ACPL Genealogy Center (free virtual presentation exploring ancestral community histories).

  • 7:00 PM: Postcard Analysis: Telling Stories Through a WWI Postcard, by Nolan Forsyth for the OGS Essex & Kent Branches.
    Free Registration via OGS Essex Branch

  • All Day: All About That Place Day 2 presentations stream free via the Society of Genealogists.

Friday, 9 October

Saturday, 10 October

 

 

https://childthemewp.com