Month: August 2026

Earlier this week a NewsLeaf update arrived by email from the Ontario Genealogical Society. Three things stood out to me.

1. A survey found that three-quarters of the membership would be comfortable with a fee increase to at least $70. The current basic Society membership fee has remained $63 for 15 years. Expect an increase.
2. The biggest benefit of membership, according to two-thirds of those surveyed, is access to online records and databases. There’s a long list of databases available through the Society. A close second is webinars and educational events, although the live feed is available free to all. The member benefit is the on-demand replay. Connecting with other genealogists through the Society is a priority for fewer than 20% of members. Social media fill much of that role.
3. Government cutbacks, federal and provincial, are hurting the Society, especially its digitization initiatives. Members would be well served if the Society took a more active stance, jointly with other heritage, historical and cultural societies, in advocacy?

 

To mark Yorkshire Day, TheGenealogist released more than 378,000 names  with digitised page images from original published parish register books.

A mixture of Anglican parish registers and Nonconformist records, this release includes communities from the West Riding, except Kirkleatham, which is in the North Riding.

Harrogate Christ Church & Knaresborough (1560–1812)
Leeds (1572–1612, 1695–1722, 1722–1757, 1724–1763)
Leeds Baptisms and Burials (1757–1776)
Kippax (1539–1812)
Mirfield (1559–1700)
Kirkleatham (1559–1812)
Carlton-juxta-Snaith (1598–1812)
Rothwell (1763–1812)
Bradford Society of Friends / Quaker Registers (1650–1926)
Northowram Nonconformist Registers (1644–1752).