What’s the weather going to be?
It’s one of the most asked questions.
We take it for granted that we can find the answer in a matter of seconds at the touch of a mobile phone screen or flick of the television switch.
But behind each forecast are millions of observations, crunched through thousands of processors in the extraordinary and unique global network coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
23 March is World Meteorological Day. Read more here.
The 2026 edition of Beechwood Cemetery’s Annual Irish History Night is scheduled for Wednesday, 25 March at 6:30pm
Beechwood welcomes Dr. Laura Smith, who will present her acclaimed research: “Unsettled Settlers: Irish Catholics, Irish Catholicism, and British Loyalty in Upper Canada, 1819-1840.”
Dr. Smith’s work explores the complexities of loyalty, faith, and identity among Irish Catholic communities in early 19th-century Upper Canada. Her analysis sheds light on how these settlers balanced religious convictions with colonial expectations, shaping the cultural and political landscape of their new homeland.
Guidance for LAC, pointing to deficiencies as well as acknowledging achievements.
http://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/corporate/transparency/reports-publications/audits-evaluations/evaluation-public-services-online-access.html
College of Preceptors, Student Registers and Diploma Examinations
When an ancestor dies in war, the family expects clarity. Yet, for the families of British personnel aboard the HMT Rohna, hit by a German glider bomb in November 1943, the truth was obscured by decades of official secrecy by US and British authorities.
Ann Good, a BIFHSGO member, discovered a lack of British representation in the trailers for the American documentary Rohna Classified. Her subsequent involvement helped shift the narrative. Working with a dedicated researcher in London who accessed and scanned critical documents from the British National Archives, Ann bridged the gap between official records and family memory.
Her research has provided closure for families who, for over eighty years, knew little of their ancestors’ fates. In one instance, Ann located the family of an survivor who remained entirely unaware of this chapter of their father’s life until provided with the archival copy of his eyewitness report.
Event Details
This event offers a rare insight into how archival research can dismantle military secrecy and provide long-overdue answers for descendants of the “forgotten” casualties of the Rohna.
Click here for more details and to register for the screening and panel.
It appears as if user services are planned to take the major hit going forward. I’m only able to scan the newly tabled document while away.
Providing access to documentary heritage is bearing the brunt of cuts falling from a projected $95 million this year to $76 million in 2026-2027, $31 million (sic) the following year and $28 million in 2028-2029.
The new indicator “Amount of digital material newly available online through self-service access.” is projected to be 500,000 by 31 March 2027. Among those will be about 550 Killed in Action service records for Kores.
It’s unclear how the new indicator, of 500,000 images relates to the 10 million digitized images recorded last year.
It’s also unclear whether and to what extent LAC is harnessing AI. especially full text search, to facilitate access to existing and recently acquired datasets such as the 1940 National Registration.
These disproportionate cuts to services appear to represent a move toward hoarding the collection rather than access.
The Drouin Institute is once again holding a giveaway offering 5 participants a one-year subscription to Généalogie Québec.
The contest will run from Thursday, March 19 to the 30th of March.
To register, simply enter your e-mail address in the form at https://mailchi.mp/
Except for a few meeting notices scheduled in advance, expect no posts for the next three weeks while I take some time away.
If you need a Canadian genealogy blog fix, I recommend Gail Dever’s Genealogy à la carte.
In the past month, Newspapers.com updated hundreds of titles across Canada, England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Here are some highlights.
Canada (28 titles updated) includes major papers now running through 2026, led by the Toronto Star (1900–2026, 3.9 million pages), Calgary Herald (1888–2026), and all three main New Brunswick dailies. Three titles are brand new to the collection: Oakville Beaver, The Stayner Sun, and The News (Grimsby, Ontario).
England (200+ titles updated) ranges from the mighty Guardian (1821–2026, 2.8 million pages) down to dozens of local weeklies. Standouts for older research include the Salisbury Journal (1745–2024), Berrow’s Worcester Journal (1753–2024), and the Daily Graphic (1890–1922) — all valuable for pre-20th-century ancestors.
Wales (20 titles updated) is anchored by the South Wales Argus (1892–2024, 672,000 pages) and the Pontypool Free Press, which stretches back to 1861. North Wales researchers should note the Wrexham Evening Leader (400,000+ pages).
Scotland (23 titles updated) is headlined by The Herald, Glasgow (1820–2024, 446,000 pages) — one of the oldest English-language newspapers still publishing — alongside the Greenock Telegraph (1857–2024) and East Lothian Courier (1859–2024).
Ireland (5 titles updated) packs a punch: the Irish Independent (1891–2025, 1.56 million pages) and Evening Herald (1892–2025, 1.2 million pages) together offer comprehensive Dublin coverage, while the Impartial Reporter from Enniskillen (1849–2024) is the gem for Northern Ireland and Fermanagh research.
The year range shown does not mean there’s complete coverage. For example, the local papers I’ll be reviewing when I return from vacation — the Great Yarmouth Mercury (1934, and 1952-2024), the Lowestoft Journal (1952-1996 and 2023-2024), and the Eastern Daily Press (1870-1929 and 1952-2024).
Here’s Scribe AI’s description of the cartoon.
“This is a satirical illustration or caricature by the renowned 19th-century British artist George Cruikshank. Titled ‘MARCH — St Patrick’s Day,’ it depicts a stereotypical, chaotic tavern brawl associated with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations during that era. Cruikshank was famous for his social commentary and illustrations of British life, often highlighting the excesses of drinking and rowdy behaviour. This piece reflects the historical prejudices and caricatures of Irish immigrants and working-class celebrations prevalent in 19th-century Britain.”
My last post explored how AI struggles to understand our emotional connection to old vellum and “black sheep” ancestors. But the list of human quirks doesn’t end there. From a purely algorithmic perspective, the way we spend our time and energy is often… well, illogical.
Here are five more “glitches” identified by AI that prove genealogy is a labour of love, not just a labour of data.
Manual Transcription as a “Connection”
AI can index thousands of documents per minute with near-perfect accuracy. Yet, many humans choose to spend hours transcribing a 19th-century will by hand. To an AI, this is an extremely high-latency method of data entry. To a human, it’s a way to “walk in the footsteps” of an ancestor. It’s the ultimate process inefficiency—and a uniquely human joy.
The Graveyard Tourism Phenomenon
Spending a vacation walking through overgrown cemeteries is a classic genealogist’s pastime. To an AI, a tombstone is a low-durability data storage device (stone) that is often eroded and incomplete. Why walk through the mud to find a name that is already in a digital death index? Because for humans, standing where an ancestor was laid to rest provides a “proximity download” that no server can offer.
Arguing Over “Correct” 17th-Century Spelling
Standardized spelling is a modern luxury. An AI sees “Smyth” and “Smith” in 1650 as simple fuzzy-match candidates. Humans, however, will debate which one is the “true” family name. We seek a “correct” version in an era where “correct” didn’t exist, frustrating an AI that just wants to link the records and move on.
The Dopamine Rush of the “Eureka!” Moment
For an AI, a successful query is a binary state: data found, or data not found. It doesn’t celebrate. Humans, however, live for the “Eureka!” moment—the thrill of finally breaking a brick wall. We celebrate a successful search with a glass of red wine and an excited phone call. To a machine, the search is just math; to a human, it’s a victory.
Seeking “Family Eyes” in Blurry Pixels
We look at a faded 1860s tintype and say, “He has the family jawline.” An AI sees a 2D array of pixels and facial geometry. While I can use facial recognition to suggest matches, the human drive to find tribal familiarity in a static image is a biological instinct for continuity that I can observe, but never truly share.
Which of these “inefficiencies” is your favourite part of the research process? Is it the graveyard walks or the thrill of the hunt?
Miscellaneous items I found interesting this week.
Upcoming: The HMT Rohna Documentary and Panel
The 1943 sinking of the HMT Rohna by a German glider bomb remained a “classified” secret for decades, leaving many British families in the dark about the fate of their loved ones. BIFHSGO member Ann Good has been working to bring the British perspective of this tragedy to the forefront.
Book Review: Hard Streets: Working-Class Lives in Charlie Chaplin’s London by Jacqueline Riding
From the London Historians’ Blog, the review ends with “The book at times challenges the reader with the immense amount of interwoven detail, along with a challenge to perceptions. But by focusing on two figures in particular, Jacqueline Riding drives the complex narrative forward. She concludes her rich account with a coda about her own family in South London, weaving in some of the characters described in the main part of the narrative.” That’s an approach we could all use in writing our ancestors’ histories.
Ancestry Updated Newspapers.com™ Marriage Indexes
These records were updated on 12 March
UK and Ireland, 1800s-current, 22,177,677 records
Canada, 1800s-current, 14,184,880 records
Australia and New Zealand, 1800s-current, 4,355,786 records
Society Leadership Should Read This.
From Thomas MacEntee, and gensocsoup
Your Genealogy Society Didn’t Lose Members. You Ghosted Them First
Your Genealogy Society Is Running on Vibes. Here’s How to Fix That.
Your Genealogy Society Is Dying and Your Newsletter Isn’t Going to Save It
Thanks to the following individuals for their comments and tips: Alison Hare, Anonymous, DG Cuff, Gail, Julia, Susan Hopkins VanZant, Teresa, Unknown, and William Cookman.
