Co-Lab Updates for February

Of Library and Archives Canada’s Co-Lab Challenges significant progress is reported on one project since last month.

Women in the War, with 70 images, remains 0% complete.

First World War Posters, with 140 images, is 96% complete, 85% last month.

Arthur Lismer’s Children’s Art Classes remains 0% complete.

John Freemont Smith is 93% complete, 94% last month.

Canadian National Land Settlement Association remains 98% complete.

Molly Lamb Bobak remains 88% complete.

Diary of François-Hyacinthe Séguin is 99% complete, 98% last month.

George Mully: moments in Indigenous communities remains 0% complete.

Correspondence regarding First Nations veterans returning after the First World War remains 99% complete.

Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 remains 96% complete.

Legendary Train Robber and Prison Escapee Bill Miner remains 99% complete.

Japanese-Canadians: Second World War, remains 3% complete.

The Call to Duty: Canada’s Nursing Sisters remains 92% complete.

Projects that remain 100% complete are no longer reported here.

Other unidentified Co-Lab activities not part of the Challenges may have happened.

Findmypast Weekly Update: more Norfolk

Following on last week’s FMP workhouse and Nonconformist collections, this week it’s over 500,000 additions to Norfolk parish baptisms, bringing the total to over 3.5 million. Marriages and banns now total 2.4 million; and burials 2.7 million with this week’s additions.

I couldn’t resist the temptation to research my very favourite unusual name, February Backlog. He’s not in the baptism collection. There are 62 Backlog baptisms from 1723 to 1920 including his child John.

February Backlog married Mary Cross on 15 Oct 1765 at Shipdham and as a widower to Mary Harrison on 1 Aug 1797, also at Shipdham.

Among the 34 results for Backlog burials is Mary buried on 4 Jan 1789. Mary Backlog or Harison is recorded as buried at Shipdham on 8 Aug 1829. Also at Shipdham, February is buried on 12 Apr 1822 at age 89.

Norfolk newspapers are missing from a long list of the new and updated this week.

 

Global Heritage Press republishes Carol Bennett-McCuaig books

Researchers with roots in Ontario’s Lanark and Renfrew Counties are aware of prolific author Carol Bennett-McCuaig‘s books. Now in 2022 Global Heritage Press (GHP) is republishing some of those. Already available are Invisible Womenand Founding Families of Beckwith Township: 1816-1846.

Coming later this month will be The Kerry Chain, The Limerick Link. Rick Roberts tells me this is especially name-rich.

Others planned to be republished by GHP, likely before summer, are:

Valley Irish
In Search of Lanark
In Search of the K&P
In Search of the Red Dragon – the Welsh in Canada
Leinster to Lanark
The Bennett Family Millennium Book
Wardens of Renfrew County

These add to her popular books Peter Robinson’s Settlers and The Lanark Society Settlers previously republished by GHP.  Long-time BIFHSGO members may recall that Carol published an article on the Lanark Settlers as the first article in the first issue of Anglo-Celtic Roots.

Find out more and order at globalgenealogy.com

The 1890-1909 Long Drought: 1893

A sentence in the article LAUNDRESSES & WASHERWOMEN: A SHORT HISTORY, by Adèle Emm in the March issue of Family Tree Magazine attracted my attention.

Water acquisition was particularly problematic during the UK’s Long Drought, 1890-1910, especially in London’s East End where water was often rationed to two hours a day.

How did that impact my two grandfathers and families living in London at the time?

The article An historical analysis of drought in England and Wales, Table 2, lists major droughts in England and Wales and comments on this Long Drought.

Major drought. Long duration (with some very wet interludes). Initiated by an extremely dry autumn and winter (driest Sept–April period on record). Exceptional cluster of relatively dry winters. Major and sustained groundwater impact, with significant water supply problems. Most severe phases: 1893, 1899, 1902, 1905.

The normalized relative frequency of the word drought in the British Newspaper Archive collection shows 1893 was a standout drought year. Newspaper mention reflects the social impact.

Treating the British Islands as a whole, the drought may be considered as embracing by much the greater part of the country for the fifteen weeks beginning with March 5.  www.nature.com/articles/048295b0

The chart shows the relative frequency of the word drought in the British Newspaper Archive in 1893, consistent with contemporary rainfall reports.

The drought was most severely felt in the south of England, east London had 73 consecutive days without rain. The British Meteorological Office Monthly Weather Report stated March rainfall was less than a quarter of the average, less than one-tenth normal for Southern England in April, less than half average for May in Eastern and Southern England, as was the case for Central and Southern England in June. https://digital.nmla.metoffice.gov.uk/IO_088ec0d8-f23f-4f7f-bc31-85c047073a98/

The Registrar General’s report for 1893, as summarized in The Lancet, Vol 1, 1895, commented on an elevated death rate for children and young adults from diarrhea, diphtheria, smallpox and enteric diseases attributed to high temperature and deficient rainfall, especially in the south-eastern counties of England.

Obviously, my grandfathers survived! There may even have been an upside in the short term as farmers, unable to find grazing and fodder for livestock sent large numbers to market depressing prices.

Mentions of drought in newspaper articles for the first two months of 1893 were largely for places overseas, notably Australia. A summary of the year was that drought “extended over nearly the whole of Europe, large portions of Canada, the United States, and other parts of the globe.”

Who Do You Think You Are Magazine: March 2022

The feature articles in the March issue are

Search like a pro
Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine editor Sarah Williams shares her expert advice on family history research.

You’ve probably heard most of these, and probably forgotten to apply some of them. A good refresher.

Surname switch
Hints from Paul Blake on how to trace ancestors who changed their names.

Chances are a name change was informal leaving no record, like a common-law wife using the partner’s surname. The article explores some of the less common means for changing a name.

Photo competition results
See the winners of our first-ever family photo competition.
?

The history of women’s football
Sara Tor on the women who pioneered on the pitch

Reader story
Hazel Garas on how she investigated a murder in her family tree

Also, not featured, just good information, in items on Divorce Records by Rebecca Probert, Scottish Migration by Chris Paton, and research in Suffolk by Jonathon Scott.

Family Tree Magazine: March 2022

Some of the feature articles from the March issue now on PressReader

RESEARCHING YOUR IRISH FAMILY HISTORY: David Ryan explores some of the most important collections to help you trace ancestors in the Emerald Isle.

LAUNDRESSES& WASHERWOMEN: A SHORT HISTORY: Just how did folk keep their clothes clean in times past? Adèle Emm rolls up her sleeves to find out.

There’s mention of a Long Drought, from 1890 to 1910, especially in London’s East End. Searching that led me to the article An historical analysis of drought in England and Wales.

SETTLERS IN CANADA: Dr. Simon Wills covers the key resources to help you trace British-origin kin in Canada.

Includes a mention of BIFHSGO Home Child resources.

1921 CENSUS: A USER’S GUIDE: Hints &tips to help you search this fascinating new record collection.

TAKE YOUR RESEARCH OFF THE BEATEN TRACK: David Annal invites you to investigate the less-well-known resources and enrich your research.

THE HOUSE OF WESSEX: Steve Roberts takes us on a light-hearted jaunt back to Saxon times.

RESEARCHING MY FATHER’S CHILDHOOD UNDER THE NAZIS: Helen Munsen reflects on findings and how she came to terms with some difficult truths.

 

FreeBMD February Update

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Friday 11 February 2022 to contain 283,958,905 unique records, 283,535,186 at the previous update.

Years with changes of more than 10,000 records since the last update are: for births 1987, 1990-92; for marriages 1990-91; for deaths 1987-92.

This Week’s Online Genealogy Events

Choose from free online events in the next five days. All times are ET except as noted. Those in red are Canadian, bolded if local to Ottawa or recommended

Assume registration in advance is required; check so you’re not disappointed.

Tuesday 15 Feb. 2 pm: Virtual Genealogy Drop-In, from Ottawa Branch of OGS and The Ottawa Public Library.
https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/.

Tuesday 15 Feb. 7 pm: So They Came – Young Men Farmers, by Elaine Becker for Oxford Branch OGS. https://oxford.ogs.on.ca/events/branch-meeting/

Tuesday 15 Feb, 7 pm: Developing the North: Hydroelectric Dams and the Hinterlands in Canada and India, 1953-1958, by Jill Campbell-Miller for the Ottawa Historical Association. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/hydroelectric-dams-and-the-hinterlands-in-canada-and-india-1953-1958-tickets-264736202107?ref=estw

Tuesday 15 Feb.8 pm: It Goes with the Territory! Find Your Ancestors in Pre-statehood Records, by Alice Hoyt Veen for Legacy Family Tree Webinars and BCG. https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/it-goes-with-the-territory-find-your-ancestors-in-pre-statehood-records/

Wednesday 16 Feb. 2 pm: The perfect back up plan for you: Backblaze, by Andy Klein for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/the-perfect-back-up-plan-for-you-backblaze/

Friday 18 Feb, 9 am: The Tudor Socialite, by Jan-Marie Knights for The (UK) National Archives. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-tudor-socialite-tickets-227095477687

Friday 18 Feb. 2 pm: Genealogical Gold in British Columbia, by Dave Obee for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/genealogical-gold-in-british-columbia/

Friday 18 Feb. 7 pm: Bound for Niagara: Examining Underground Railroad Genealogy, by Rochelle Bush for Niagara Branch OGS. https://niagara.ogs.on.ca/events/niagara-peninsula-branch-educational-webinar-2022-02-18/

Saturday 19 Feb. 10 am: Sisters of Providence Motherhouse History and the Home Children records, by Veronika Stienberg for Kingston Branch OGS.
https://kingston.ogs.on.ca/events/branch-meeting-and-presentation-by-veronika-stienberg/

Saturday 19 Feb. 1 pm: GenPins and Research Boards: Using Pinterest for Genealogy, by Cheryl Levy for Quinte Branch OGS. https://quinte.ogs.on.ca/2022/02/09/february-19-using-pinterest-for-genealogy/

 

Ancestry updates collection Canada, Selected School Yearbooks, 1901-2010

Now with 2,372,275 records from “hundreds of new yearbooks”, updated from 2,318,578 records last May.

Where are those 53,703 records from? Ancestry isn’t saying.

Ontario now has 1,650,659 records, up from 1,648,511 last May.  British Columbia now has 201,341, Alberta 151,475, Saskatchewan 78,921, Manitoba 42,410, Quebec 221,006, New Brunswick 5,112, Prince Edward Island 0, Nova Scotia 21,354, Newfoundland and Labrador 0. 

Ottawa has 132,489 records, with no change for Ashbury College (1918-1988), Elmwood School (1923-1988) and Carleton University (1943-1980) the largest part.