Anglo-Celtic Connections

While I’m not seeing a lot of comment on the new LAC website my impression is that the awareness is high and the experience is on the positive side.

Moving to new does mean bookmarks, and the directions on where to find things in publications no longer work as they did. It’s particularly annoying for someone who, having just completed an article, now has to edit it.

If the site structure stays as it is, and you don’t need to see again the four items highlighted with pictures on the main page, consider bookmarking https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/Pages/collection.aspx or https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/research-help/Pages/research-help.aspx/ — it would be helpful if the “Search the Collections” search box were at the top of that page too.

I wrote to LAC asking about maps, newspapers, and directories.  A prompt reply from Andrea Eidinger, Team Lead – Web, LAC Communications and Marketing Branch, informed

“We are currently working on creating new guides for the maps, newspapers, and directories. In the meantime, we have a new page with information on our microfilm newspaper holdings (Newspapers (canada.ca)), the old directories page remains accessible (Canadian Directories Collection – Library and Archives Canada (bac-lac.gc.ca)), and a new guide for maps will be coming soon.”

Let us know what you think.

www.bifhsgo.ca/in-their-own-words
www.bifhsgo.ca/2022-BIFHSGO-Conference

An article in the London Free Press reports an honour for George Beardshaw, born on Sept. 14, 1923, as “the last living orphan to come to Canada as part of the Home Children program, through which more than 100,000 youth were sent to Canada from the U.K. between the late 1860s and 1948.”

Beardshaw fought in France as part of the landing on Juno Beach and, toward the end of the war, was captured and held war prisoner for 18 days.

A new museum in Orillia, to be called the George Beardshaw Gallery, is being established to commemorate the history of the Home Children. 

He arrived in Canada through the Barnardo organization in what must have been one of if not the last home child group to arrive before the war.

Is he the last living?

It’s difficult to know as some of the young immigrants hid their origins in later life.

Based on age their may be survivors from the more than 200 Fairbridge child immigrants who arrived in Canada post-war. Some don’t consider them as home children as the Fairbridge organization kept them in a farm school in Duncan, BC, rather than arranging placements as with those pre-war.

The British Newspaper Archive now has a total of 56,359,584  pages online (a huge increase from 54,783,049 last month).

This month 243 papers had pages added (104 in the previous month). There were 34 (16) new titles. Dates range from 1811 to 1999.

The 32 newspapers with more than 10,000 pages added are:

Here it is, https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/Pages/Home.aspx, the top part, in advance of the date LAC thought it would become available. The images make for eye appeal.

You can use the search box at the top or click on Collection if you’re searching for information. Shouldn’t that be Collections?

On that page under Most requested, find Census search, First World War Personnel Records, Ask us a question, and Image credits. Go down another level, under “Help with your research,” to find the page I was expecting to not be as far into the site.

It’s early days yet. LAC will undoubtedly make adjustments as they get feedback directly and from usage patterns.

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  30 August 2:30 pm: Discover Your Irish Family History in Beyond 2022’s Virtual Record Treasury. by Elizabeth Hodges for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/6972108

Thursday 1 September 6:30 pm:  Ethnicity Results Deep Dive by Steven Frank for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7013013

Thursday 1 September 6:30 pm: Researching Your Metis Ancestors, by Christne Woodcock for OGS/Ontario Ancestors.
https://ogs.on.ca/zoom-meetings/christine-woodcock-researching-metis-ancestors/

Friday 2 September 10:15 am (sic): 10 Best Self-Publishing Tips for Family Historians by Lisa Alzo  for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/10-best-self-publishing-tips-for-family-historians/

Friday 2 September 11:30 am (sic): Changing Places, Changing Borders: Overcoming geographic challenges, by Dave Obee for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/changing-places-changing-borders-overcoming-geographic-challenges/

Friday 2 September 12:45 pm (sic): Tracing migrating ancestors: Who, what, where, when, why and how, by Myko Clelland for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/tracing-migrating-ancestors-who-what-where-when-why-and-how/

Digitized files for these WW2 servicemen recently became available online.

The same source shows recently available WW2 service files for 1,195 men born in England, 43 from Wales, 352 from Scotland, 107 from Ireland.

They are among 23,123 newly scanned records by the National Archives of Australia in the last month, the majority for men who served with Australian forces during the war. 

BTW, if you don’t find them in other records recall that information given on military enlistment is often problematic. Claiming an overseas birth could be a useful subtefuge to hide an inconvenient truth.

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ListingReports/NewlyScannedList.aspx

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

Records of Britain’s Colonial Office, the government department responsible for Britain’s colonies at various points throughout the 18th to 20th centuries, is the topic of the most recent On The Record podcast from The National Archives. https://pod.link/1460242815/episode/e33774157e1ec15474d531cadf9d9f45

Multiculturalism @50 and the Promise of a Just Society
The latest publication from The Metropolis Institute (Association for Canadian Studies) Canadian Issues series free online.

Commutometer
Select your home on the commutometer interactive map to see how far you can travel in 5 minute intervals.

YouTube: how a team of scientists worked to inoculate a million users against misinformation

Media coverage in times of crises: Lessons from the past and ideas for tomorrow | Timothy Snyder (YouTube)

Thanks to this week’s contributors: Anonymous,  Craig Milne, Dorothy Kew, Glenn Wright, Jane MacNamara, Kim, Linda Stufflebean, Teresa, and Unknown.

Adding to the collections of 616,486 Jersey births and baptisms, and 140,978 marriages come 299,811 burials.

These index records, no images, date from the year 1541 onwards and typically include the name of the deceased, year of birth, the date and place of burial, the names of the parents, and the name of the spouse.

Four short videos by speakers at the BIFHSGO conference, 28 September–2 October 2022, previewing their presentations, are added to the four originally posted.

The additions are by Andrea Hetherington, Beryl Evans, Dave Annal and Janet Few. 

Find them at  https://www.bifhsgo.ca/in-their-own-words where you’ll find links to details on their presentations and to register!

Wow! Thanks to a note from Glenn Wright, this most unusual resource has already added some snippets to my family history.

Grace’s Guide, a UK registered charity, is “the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 149,809 pages of information and 235,489 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.”

A lot of information is free, while there’s a small charge for downloading PDF files. Those include issues of The Engineer – (1856-1940), Engineering – (1866-1930), Autocar – (1895-1915), Automobile Engineer – (1910-1930), Automotor Journal – (1896-1917), Car Illustrated – (1902-1903), Light Car and Cyclecar – (1912-1939) and Motor – (1902-1914).

In the “Search Graces Guide” box, enter the name of a company, a place or, in some cases, a person. I found the history of the company where my grandfather worked and the date the eventual owner of a company, who appears in my extended family tree, apprenticed to the original owner. There was information about major businesses in Great Yarmouth .

Great Yarmouth was among the list of towns on the Smith’s Crisps package. Perhaps you recall the  contents included a particularly tasty blue one! Grace’s Guide will outline the company’s history and what happened to it.

Genealogical Society of Ireland: Journals
Six hundred sixty-four articles on all aspects of Irish family history, including transcripts of important sources, published by the Genealogical Society of Ireland since 1992.
Full text searchable, the articles include studies on specific families, locations or search methodology and full transcripts of original records.

Waterford, Grand Jury Presentments 1808-1899 Image Browse
Grand Jury query and account books, assize presentments and contract details throughout the 18th century. The names found in these pages may have been maintenance workers, staff or suppliers or may have paid a fee to the Grand Jury.

Britain, Marriage Licences
Added to this collection are 218,000 Norfolk marriage bonds from 1557 to 1915. The early records, to about 1700, are handwritten and much is illegible. Later licences have the information written on printed forms.