Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

Welcome to June
It’s that month again, AGM season.
The OGS Toronto Branch AGM will begin online at 7 p.m. on Monday, 2  June 2025.
The OGS AGM  is online at 11 a.m. on Saturday, 7 June 2025
The BIFHSGO AGM is hybrid at 9 am on Saturday, 14 June 2025.

No AGM is scheduled for OGS Ottawa Branch, meaning no opportunity for all the anxious volunteers to put their names forward!!!!!

Talks from the Irish Genealogical Research Society
Three recent talks from the IGRS have freely available recordings

Leading the Way, about Michael Leader’s Transcripts of County Cork Church of Ireland Parishes.

Virtual Treasury 101, an update about the growth of surrogates (in all their myriad forms) for original material destroyed by the fire which consumed the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922.

The Great Famine eviction database, focusing on data from almost 2,000 eviction sites, gives insights into the story of eviction during the Famine and how it can be used for genealogical purposes.
https://www.irishancestors.ie/lecture-recordings-2

Doors Open Ottawa
From June 7-8, 100+ different buildings to check out, including embassies, religious and arts buildings.

Ottawa’s Antiquarian Book Fair Returns
We can look forward to 25-26 October when this lately much-lamented event returns, under new management. The new venue will be St Paul’s University, at 223 Main Street.

Discover London’s Hidden Gems and Iconic Spots

Another Ancestry DNA Sale
Until 15 June 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET, Ancestry is offering its basic DNA test for $79 Cdn, and $10 additional if you want access to 75+ personal traits, including wellness, sensory and appearance. In the small print, it mentions that some DNA features may require an Ancestry® subscription. Taxes and shipping extra.

Thanks to the following for comments and tips: Ann Burns, Anonymous, Brenda Turner, Gail B, Patricia McGregor, Teresa, and Unknown.

🛠 City of London, Goldsmiths’ Apprentices and Freemen (1578–1933)

These 30,399 records from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths—one of the City’s historic livery companies—cover more than 350 years.

Each record may include details such as:

• The apprentice or freeman’s name

• Residence and occupation

• Father’s and master’s names

• Dates and terms of apprenticeship

• How the individual became a freeman

You’ll also find original colour images of the registers, some with fascinating notes about apprentices switching masters or extending their training. These records can help flesh out not just who your ancestor was, but how they worked their way through life in historic London.

🎖 Anglo-Boer War Records (1899–1902)

This newly expanded collection from the Second Anglo-Boer War is sourced from over 500 references. It includes hundreds of thousands of names—a treasure trove for anyone with military ancestors who served around the turn of the 20th century.

In these records, you might discover:

• Service number, rank, and regiment

• Medals and clasp entitlements (like the Queen’s and King’s South Africa medals)

• Memorial inscriptions and casualty details

• Previous service and short biographies—especially for officers, nurses, and journalists

There’s even a gazetteer that pinpoints where casualties occurred, and specialized rolls covering everything from the Imperial Yeomanry to the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps.

The Main Estimates for 2025-26, tabled in the House of Commons, propose an allocation of $208,150,119 for Library and Archives Canada (LAC). This represents an increase from the $199,806,690 in the 2024-25 Main Estimates.

Examining the allocation by LAC’s core responsibilities, with the 2024-25 Main Estimates in brackets for comparison:

• Providing access to documentary heritage: Proposed $56,786,182 ($37,820,020) for operating expenditures and $35,252,002 ($44,790,676) for capital.
• Acquiring and preserving documentary heritage: Proposed $67,199,899 ($67,100,827) for operating and $5,727,792 ($7,791,921) for capital.
• Internal Services: Proposed $44,259,244 ($43,147,246), all operating.

Transfer Payments, which fall under providing access, are specifically for the Documentary Heritage Communities Program, with a proposed allocation of $1,425,000, a slight decrease from the previous $1.5 million.

There is a notable increase in the proposed operating funding for providing access. This may be related to the upcoming opening of Adisoke. Further details regarding the implications for LAC’s services may become clearer upon the tabling of the Departmental Plan in the House of Commons.

 

I

The June 2025 issue is a 25-year milestone,  celebrated with the article 25 lessons from 25 years.  A range of historical experts nominate the most transformative historical discoveries since the year 2000. The first five are

1 Women played major roles in the Viking Age
2 Britain has been culturally diverse for far longer than most believed
3 The Tudors got Richard III wrong
4 Magna Carta was only part of a truly revolutionary settlement
5 We ignore the past at our peril.

The first, and number 13, Mesolithic Europeans had dark skin and blue eyes, mention DNA. For many of the others, technology has been the key to transformation.

Women’s roles are recognized, both as the subjects and authors among the 25.

There’s the other side, an article on Victorian Britain’s fearless female felons. Rosalind Crone probes five crimes with female perpetrators from the 18th and 19th centuries: poisoning and theft, counterfeiting coins, murder, fraud, and serial swindling.

Find this substantial update, which could be of interest if you have a professional scientist or engineer in your family tree. It includes:

British Association for the Advancement of Science, List of Members 1838;
Reports of the British Association for the Advancement of Science for 1877, 1892, 1893, 1897, 1898, 1903, 1904, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1928.
Register of Past Apprentices, Pupils and Students of Petters Ltd, Yeovil, 1938;
The Junior Institution of Engineers, List of Members, 8th May 1950;
Early New Zealand Engineers

TheGenealogist’s occupational records collection is vast, also including Accountants, Apprenticeship, Apprenticeship Merchant Navy, Biography, Clergy, Director’s, Guilds, Societies and People of Note, Law, Medical, and Trades

Choose from these selected free online events. All times are Eastern Time, unless otherwise noted. Registration is assumed to be required in advance—check the links so you’re not disappointed. For many more events, mainly in the U.S., visit Conference Keeper.

The May Toronto branch meeting will be held via Zoom at 7:30 pm. Ever-popular speaker Paul Jones will present an informative and entertaining case study outlining the most complex yet successful hunt for a single ancestor in his genealogical journey. It’s a cutting-edge DNA story, but 98 %+ of the time was spent doing traditional research. As with most complex cases, there were unexpected twists, poignant tales, and lots to learn. And there were frustrations—red herrings and blind alleys, Paul’s own failings (by his admission), inadequate tools and unavailable records.

Register via https://torontofamilyhistory.org/may-2025-meeting-online/

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

High days, hiring-days and holidays: the seasonality of marriage and birth. From the blog Top of the Campops: 60 things you didn’t know about family, marriage, work, and death since the middle ages.

Ancestry Updates
Isle of Man, UK, Civil Birth Marriage & Death, 1849-2013,  379,142 records
Buckinghamshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1971, 12,602,814 records.

An Introduction to Irish Family History
A free online course on the basics of Irish genealogy.

Documentary Heritage Communities Program
Normally, LAC would have announced the results of the 2025-26 annual call for proposals by now. Either the publication embargo around the election is still in place, or the program will not be funded this round.

The DIY guide to checking how well you’re ageing

Fish driving cars and chimps doing maths: what teaching animals ‘irrelevant’ skills reveals about our own minds

Thanks to the following for comments and tips: Alison Hare, Ann Burns, Anonymous, Glenn Wright, Lolly Fullerton, Teresa, and Unknown.

 

 

Announced at its annual family history conference, the (US) National Genealogical Society (NGS) recognized The British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) with an Award of Merit “for its outstanding work to connect, educate, share, and inspire people in the pursuit of genealogy. It supports researchers in Canada and beyond with effective research methods and practices focused on the British Isles. Its broad scope of programming includes in-person meetings, online education, publications, indexes to special populations of those of British Isles descent, and access to presentations of international speakers. The BIFHSGO continues to provide its members valuable content, a vibrant community of fellow researchers, and access to high-quality resources.”

The Award of Merit is presented to “an individual or non-profit genealogical or historical organization to recognize exceptional contributions to the field of genealogy over a period of five or more years. Their work must have significantly aided research or increased interest in genealogy.”

Congratulations to all who contribute to BIFHSGO’s success.

This week’s Findmypast additions focus on Wiltshire, with new entries that illuminate health, work, and burial practices from the 17th through the 19th centuries, many from the work of the Wiltshire Family History Society.

Salisbury Infirmary Hospital Records, 1797–1832

These records, comprising over 103,000 indexed entries, document individuals admitted to or discharged from Salisbury Infirmary. Key information includes first and last name, event date, admission or discharge status, and notes such as “cured.”

Trowbridge St James Bell Book, 1797–1855

This collection, an unusual one, preserves the tradition of tolling the church bell at funerals in Trowbridge. Transcribed from two original volumes kept by sexton William Nightingale and later his son, the nearly 10,000 entries serve as a burial register. 

South-West England Contagious Diseases in Farm Animals, 1878–1888

This unique collection of just over 2,500 records captures official notices of animal disease outbreaks. While swine fever dominates, there are also instances of anthrax, rabies, and foot and mouth disease. The linked original images of the printed notice were not properly linked when I explored.

Marlborough Apprentice Books, 1655–1693

Covering over 150 years of social history, these 198 records document the apprenticeship of pauper children under the Poor Law Acts. Details include names of both apprentice and master, occupations, dates, and locations.

Newspaper Pages Added 

Title	Date Range
Belfast News-Letter31936 pages	1738-1740, 1746-1747, 1750, 1752-1770, 1772, 1775-1780, 1782, 1784-1785, 1787-1800, 1802-1803, 1806, 1816-1825, 1827, 1959-1961
Newry Telegraph6510 pages	1910-1915, 1950, 1954-1955, 1957-1959
Salisbury Times6590 pages	1938-1939, 1950-1958
Illustrated Berwick Journal10078 pages	1873, 1875-1879, 1890-1896, 1898-1899, 1910, 1912-1919, 1928
Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald3246 pages	1911-1918
Derby and Chesterfield Reporter34602 pages  – new title	1831-1835, 1837-1840, 1843-1865, 1869-1870, 1872-1876, 1878-1886, 1890-1929
Wigan Examiner12262 pages	1865, 1867-1868, 1881-1883, 1885-1888, 1914-1920
Belfast Telegraph4996 pages	1893-1896
Baptist Times7388 pages – new title	1906-1907, 1940-1947
Driffield Times2562 pages	1950, 1997
Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette3342 pages	1891-1896, 1898-1899
Tottenham and Edmonton Weekly Herald1748 pages	1915-1916, 1918
Belfast Weekly News974 pages	1903
Halifax and District Labour News308 pages – new title	1909
Isle of Axholme & Thorne Advertiser698 pages – new title	1877, 1889, 1894
Falmouth News Slip422 pages –  new title	1881, 1889

Co-Lab appears to be going backwards. There are now 4,199 items identified as Co-Lab only contributions in the collection, down from 4,249 last month and 4,324 the previous month.