Author: John Reid

On Saturday, settle in for BIFHSGO and OGS Ottawa Branch meetings.

BIFHSGO has a hybrid meeting, starting at 9 am with I’m Sorry—We Don’t Have Your Grandfather’s War Records… presented by Seana (Shea) Jones. She will cover the diverse array of artifacts, documents, photographs, and personal accounts that comprise the archival treasures of military museums. particularly Garrison Petawawa Military Museums where she is Collections Manager.

BIFHSGO President Dianne Brydon will present Rebuilding A Life After Service in the Canadian Forestry Corps, With Help from the Soldier’s Settlement Board, at 10 a.m.

There’s more detail here.

Whether you attend the BIFHSGO meeting in person at Knox Presbyterian Church (Lisgar & Elgin) , or online, you won’t have to travel far to attend the OGS Ottawa Branch online presentation.

At 1 pm, in Paul Durand’s talk on the Military History Research Centre Canadian War Museum (Ottawa), find out about the research methods, tools and resources used by the Military History Research Centre of the Canadian War Museum to help people learn more about family members via their military service.

There’s more detail here.

 

 

Penny Allen, a Canadian genealogist living in London, has posted Second World War—Canadian Army Newsreel on her UK to Canada Genealogy blog. These Second World War newsreels were produced by the Canadian Army Film Unit and recorded at Merton Park Studios, London, England.

I’m thrilled to be able to give the blog post a shout-out. Penny is an exceptional representative for Canadian genealogy in the UK, and has been particularly helpful to me in researching one of my London ancestral branches. I’m not the only one.

Between 25 October and 6 November, the total number of results in the Full-Text Search at FamilySearch Labs for the 500 years ending in 2024 increased by 103 items to 391,825,270. All changes were for the USA.

If you haven’t tried it, check out this YouTube video by Dana Leeds demonstrating it live — including the quirks.

 

From 7 to 11 November, Findmypast offers free access to all records so anyone can delve into the billions of records and historical newspapers, including the exclusive 1921 Census for England and Wales for the first time.

http://www.findmypast.com

Ancestry® opens its global military record collections until 12 November to recognize Veteran’s Week and Remembrance Day.

http://www.ancestry.ca

Also.

The Royal Canadian Legion’s virtual POPPY DROP is projected on the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill from 6:30pm to 9:30pm until 11 November. 117,000 virtual poppies continually cascade downward representing Canada’s fallen in all wars.

The RCL’s Virtual Wall of Honour and Remembrance is a 2 ½ hour photo montage of Canadian Veterans who served and sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy today. For 2 seconds, a photo with a diseased veteran’s name and service info is displayed.

The Archives of Ontario holds marriage registrations and the indexes (where they exist) from 1801 to 1942.

Ancestry indexes and makes images of the original record available as part of their Canadian collection. Free access is available at all Ontario public libraries.

In January, Ancestry updated the collection to 1939. It’s now available up to 1942. Wartime was a good time for marriages.

For more details on these marriage records, start by consulting https://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/tracing/marriage_registrations.aspx

 

A new collection to MyHeritage is a register of civil marriage records from all 32 counties of Ireland between the years 1845 and 1921, continuing for the Republic of Ireland until 1958, with a number of entries from Irish citizens who married overseas. Records typically include the name of the bride or groom, and the date and place of marriage. Brides and grooms are both included in the index, but are listed separately under their own individual entries.

Registration of non-Catholic marriages began in 1845, with Catholic marriage registration following from 1864 onwards.
In the original form of this collection, brides and grooms were listed in separate paper indexes. Those names with the same reference have been matched to give all potential spouses that are shown on the same record page.

Note that the period covered extends to 1958 for the Republic, while the latest information at irishgenealogy.ie is for 1948.

 

A framed list of early Members is displayed on a wall in the lower level of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club clubhouse.  An accompanying list is dated 1908. ChatGPT performed the transcription below. Are any of them your relatives or in their FAN club?

List of Members

Honorary Member:
His Excellency the Governor-General.

Ordinary Members:

Avery, F. W.
Allan, J. Robert
Alexander, Thomas
Brockelbank, A. B.
Barker, Samuel, M.P.
Bate, T. N.
Bate, L. C.
Bate, Lieut.-Col. H. A.
Bate, J. M.
Barnett, George
Beeman, W. G., M.D.
Belcourt, Hon. N. A.
Booth, C. F.
Bristow, F.
Bristow, Thomas
Bristow, F. W., M.D.
Birkett, Sir W. F.
Borden, Rt. Hon. Sir F., K.C., M.G., M.P.
Bishop, A. F.  K. C.
Burnet, George
Burch, James
Burrows, H. P., K.C., M.P.
Campbell, Hugh J.
Carson, J.
Carson, Geo. T.
Carson, George
Carling, F. W.
Charleston, W. G.
Chamberlain, E. J.
Coldwell, J. J.
Corlett, A. E.
Coriveau, Capt. R. de B.
Corry, W. W.
Cowans, G. T.
Davies, H. W.
Davidson, R. J.
Denison, W. P.
Dunlop, A. J.
Eaton, Hon. D. I. V.
Edwards, Hon. W. C.
Edwards, Gordon C.
Evans, J. A.
Fagan, T. K.
Faunt, J. E.
Fisher, Hon. Sidney, M.P.
Fisher, Col. E. B., D.S.O.
Fleet, C. W.
Foran, A. E.
Foreman, J. W.
Forbes, L. L., M.D.
Fraser, W. L., M.D.
Garland, J. L.
Gill, R.
Gilmour, John
Gilmour, Capt. E. T. B.
Gorrell, C. T., M.D.
Grindley, Lt.-Col. W. F.
Graham, Lt.-Col. W. G.
Hasbury-Wilkinson, W. H.
Harriss, C. A. E.
Harries, A. C. F.
Holbrook, R. W.
Houston, D. G., Lt.-Col.
Hodgins, Lt.-Col. G. G.
Jeffers, A. L.
Lake, Major-Gen’l J. M.
Lang, N. G.
Larmonth, E. A.
Leamy, Louis
Lemay, L. P.
Maclaren, John
Manuel, W. G.
Manuel, Major G. S.
Mayo, E.
Morris, W. J., M.D.
Morrison, Lt.-Col. E. W. B.
MacBeth, A. J.
McCrea, J.
McCurdy, D. D., M.L.A.
McDougall, W. L.
McEvoy, T. J.
McInnes, A. D., M.D.
McLean, B. H.
McLean, D. L., K.C.
McNab, D. R.
O’Farrell, P. P.
O’Flynn, F. P

Paisley, J. K.
Pratt, A. H.
Parret, Charles Z.
Palmer, F. S. N.
Palmer, Rev. John, M.P.
Parsons, G. E.
Perrin, B.
Porteous, Hon. R. P., M.P.
Powell, George Berkley
Purdie, C. W.
Prophet, W. W.
Robinson, E. M., M.D.
Robinson, J. W.
Ross, Hon. D. B.
Rutherford, J. G., V.S.
Sifton, Hon. C.
Scott, D. P.
Sherwood, Lt.-Col. A. P.
Simard, G. M.
Sleman, E. A., M.D.
Shillington, G. L.
Sifton, Clifford
Smith, J. C.
Smith, F. E.
Smith, G. T.
Sparks, T. J.
Sparks, W. F.
Sparks, H. F.
Stanbury, F. C.
Stone, R. A.
Street, W. B.
Thacker, Major H. E.
Tobin, H.
Vannovous, A. H.
Walker, Rev. H. E., M.D.
Walsh, F. R., M.D.
Webster, S. E.
Wheatley, J.
Whitley, H. W.
Wilson, J. E.
Wright, H. W.
Woollett, W. F.

Hunting Member:

Gorman, Michael, jr.

For a couple of later years, there are lists of club members in Ottawa (Gloucester), Ontario, Canada, Tax Assessment and Collector Rolls, available on Ancestry.

 

Choose from selected 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. Find out about many more, mainly US events, at Conference Keeper.

BIFHSGO Meetings
9 am: I’m Sorry–We Don’t Have Your Grandfather’s War Records, by Seana (Shea) Jones.
10 am: Rebuilding A Life After Service in the Canadian Forestry Corps, With Help from the Soldier’s Settlement Board, by Dianne Brydon.
http://www.bifhsgo.ca

 

These record packages are for non-officer members of the REME  who were born over 100 years ago. The REME, established in 1942 during World War II, maintained military equipment, drawing skilled tradespeople, such as mechanics, technicians, and electricians, from other parts of the Army. 

Each service member’s record includes a collection of forms that offer details about their life and military service, such as birth and marriage dates, ranks, regiment assignments, enlistment, and discharge information. Some records also provide information on family members, including parents’ and spouses’ names and birth details. The service packets may contain attestation papers, statements of service, and tracer cards documenting postings, promotions, and assignments. Medical and conduct information is not included.

Of the 133,366 individuals in the collection, 173 were born in Canada.

As they pass the 100-year threshold, more records are expected to be added.

On Monday, 4 November, at 7:00 pm, Mike More will give an online presentation to OGS Leeds and Grenville Branch about his grandfather’s experience in the British Army in the First World War. Mike says, “To many Canadians, The Great War was fought in the trenches of France. But my grandfather spent almost five years in India and the Middle East. This was truly a global war, and although few Canadians served on other fronts, there was a great deal of fighting outside of France, and “Soldiers of the King” were involved in all of them, along with many other nations. I’ll briefly summarize what happened in the other areas of the conflict.”

All are welcome to this free presentation. For more details and to register, visit https://leedsandgrenville.ogs.on.ca/

 

At 10 am ET on Tuesday, 26 November 2024, Steven Skeldon from the National Library of Ireland will talk online about using the NLI’s services and collections to research your family history.

This online talk will include a presentation on accessing the library’s family history services, an exploration of examples of family history resources held in the library collections, and a discussion of how to undertake genealogy research.

Find out more and book your place at https://www.nli.ie/exhibitions-events/talk-family-history-research-national-library

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

The lecture starts at 15 minutes.

News from the National Gallery of Canada

GCTC marks half a century of boosting Canadian theatre with an eclectic 50th anniversary season

Halloween Candy Ratings by Cost and Love

UK, World War II Photographs, 1939-1945
Ancestry now has a collection of 15,047 photographs sourced from Mirrorpix, which includes works from the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and leading regional newspapers. A search for the keyword Canad* finds 193 photos.

FamilySearch’s AI-assisted Full-Text Search
Dana Leeds will present on the topic on a live YouTube stream on Monday, 4 November, at 2 p.m. She says, “I’ve discovered family records in unexpected counties and states I would have never thought to check! The discoveries I’m making are incredible!” I agree. Watch at https://www.youtube.com/live/4yVm5fRTKMk?si=D10C4_B3z5FEbRvi or view later on YouTube.

Thanks to this week’s contributors: Anonymous, Barbara Tose, Elizabeth Kipp, Nick Mcdonald, Teresa, and Unknown.