Anglo-Celtic Connections

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 23 Nov. 10 am: Introduction to the UK Web Archive for research use, by Jason Webber for the National Library of Scotland.
http://www.nls.uk/events/workshops-and-tours/

Tuesday 23 Nov. 2 pm: Virtual Genealogy Drop-In, from Ottawa Branch of OGS and The Ottawa Public Library.
https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/.

Tuesday 23 Nov. 2:30 pm: Mayflower Research, by John Beatty for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5769441

Tuesday 23 Nov. 7 pm: Beginner’s Guide to Genealogy, by Fraser Dunford for Kawartha Branch OGS,
https://kawartha.ogs.on.ca/events/kawartha-branch-beginners-guide-to-genealogy-speaker-dr-fraser-dunford-2

Tuesday 23 Nov. 7 pm: The Old Iron Bridge, by Bob McEachern for Wellington County Branch OGS/
https://wellington.ogs.on.ca/upcoming-events/

Wednesday 24 Nov. 10 am: Maps for family and local history, from the National Library of Scotland.
http://www.nls.uk/events/workshops-and-tours/

Wednesday 24 Nov. 7 pm:  Upheaval across Canada’s Landscape of Commemoration, by Randy Boswell for Historical Society of Ottawa,
https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/activities/events/eventdetail/55/16,17,19,21/upheaval-across-canada-s-landscape-of-commemoration

Friday 26 Nov. 9 am: Spanish flu and Covid-19: Pandemics and the Roaring Twenties, by Catharine Arnold for the UK National Archives.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/spanish-flu-and-covid-19-pandemics-and-the-roaring-twenties-tickets-176955798557?aff=hp

Saturday 27 Nov. 11 am: Sharing Shetland Conference, with Wendy Wickwire, Jon Sandison, Laughton Johnston and Jim Wilson for the Shetland Family History Society
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2716300548387/WN_holwbmDxQxiBOauQJcb24g

Saturday 27 Nov. 1 pm: Capital Chronicles: Abigail Wright-First-Lady of the Capital Area, by Rick Henderson for OGS Ottawa Branch,
https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/capital-chronicles-abigail-wright-first-lady-of-the-capital-area-ottawa/

 

Is your email inbox inundated by “Black Friday” savings? Here are some that flooded into mine.

MyHeritage DNA kits for the lowest price ever  — $55 Cdn ($39 US) with free shipping when you order 2 or more kits; offer ends 26 November — https://www.myheritage.com/dna/

Findmypast offers 25% off 1 or 12-month access, offer ends 28 November — https://www.findmypast.com/

AncestryDNA for $79 Cdn plus tax and shipping until 24 November — www.ancestry.ca

Family Tree DNA offers the 37 marker Y-DNA test for $79 US, the Family Finder (autosomal) test for $39 US, and the Maternal Ancestry (Mt-DNA) for $139 US, all plus shipping. www.ftdna.com.

I’m hoping for at least one more. Stay tuned!

The Arnprior McNab Braeside Archives recently launched a digital War Memorial at https://www.adarchives.org/resources/war-memorial/ .

At present, the project has identified and gathered the information for all names on the Arnprior Cenotaph. It also gathered names listed on local memorials, honour rolls and in books of remembrance.

Information for each individual is available by contacting the Archives and includes a record of where and when they were born, the names of their parents, some information about their lives when available, details of their military involvement, in addition to a record of when and where they were killed and buried in the service of their country. For more information about how the War Memorial was compiled, please see the project summary or contact the Archives.

There is also information on some forgotten soldiers. Information is being sought Emile Chambleau and Albert Wilson (World War One); Keith Laugheed and Thomas Mosley (World War Two).

Thanks to AMBA Archivist Kristen Mercier.

 

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Saturday 20 November 2021 to contain 282,788,464 unique entries, increased from 281,999,667 at the previous update.

Years with changes of more than 10,000 records since the last update are: for births 1986-87, 1990-92; for marriages 1987, 1989-91; for deaths 1987-91.

Today,  Monday, 22 November beginning at 7:30 pm ET, ten Toronto Branch members will entertain with “great moments” in their family history research in a series of short presentations! Once again this year, the event will be online, free and open to all to attend. For a list of the presenters and topics, and a link to register, click here.

Feature articles for the December issue.

Alexander’s afterlife
The Macedonian leader conquered swathes of the ancient world – but, as Edmund Richardson. Reveals, his reach extended farther still after death.

Lessons from Afghanistan
Can revisiting misrepresented or untold aspects of history help us better understand the situation today? An expert panel debates key topics.

A people’s princess
Long before Diana, the British public adored another ill-fated princess. Tracy Borman tells the tragic tale of the prince Regent’s daughter Charlotte.

Hereward the Wake
Matt Lewis teases fact from myth in the story of the outlaw who defied William the Conqueror.

Ireland divided
Charles Townsend identifies the key episodes that led to the partition of Ireland into north and south.

Making melancholy fashionable
Mary and Lund discusses how the condition captured the imagination of Renaissance Britain.

Queen of spades
Rebecca Wragg Sykes introduces the groundbreaking female archaeologists of the 1930s who dug for success in the face of sexism .

OS200 is a 3-year project is jointly funded by the Irish Research Council (IRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), part of a €6.5m programme of research bringing together world-leading expertise in the digital humanities across the UK and Ireland.

The project aims to gather historic Ordnance Survey (OS) maps and texts to form a single freely accessible online resource for academic and public use. This digital platform will reconnect the First Edition Six-Inch Maps with the OS Memoirs, Letters and Name Books and in doing so will enable a team of researchers from across Ireland – north and south – to uncover otherwise hidden and forgotten aspects of the life and work of those employed by the OS as they mapped and recorded landscapes and localities.

Read more here.

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

KnowTechie: Surprise! Three out of four adults think Facebook is bad for society. “If you’ve seen or heard any kind of news lately, you’re probably aware of just how much scrutiny Facebook has come under over the last couple of months. Well, a new survey from CNN shows just how bad Facebook’s reputation has gotten. Three out of four adults say that the company makes society worse.”

What Makes Life Meaningful? Views From 17 Advanced Economies

Historical Thinking Concepts
Are these applicable to family history?

We transformed a London borough into a game to get fewer people travelling by car – here’s what happened

Thanks to this week’s contributors. Anonymous, Glenn,  jgladore, Judith H.,  Teresa, Unknown.

This week sees 22 million records added to FMP’s United States Obituary Notices for a total of 79 million. Dates range from 1901 to 2014. Information returned, together with surname, is typically:

Alan was born on January 30, 1896 and passed away in July 1970. Alan was a resident of New York, New York.

Also added is a collection of about 40,000  United States, Freedmen’s Bureau Marriages consisting of names, date of marriage, location of marriage, ages of the couple,  and names of witnesses from Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa is open Tuesday to Thursday, 9 am to 12 pm, and 1 pm to 4 pm, but not if you want to consult “Photos, art, maps and plans, audiovisual material, textual documents from LMS/MUS (literary and music) fonds, preservation collection, rare books, photo index cards (“contact cards”)” Those are not accessible.

You must make a reservation two weeks in advance using Eventbrite. Each Monday at 10 am ET, LAC makes a week of reservations available, two weeks in advance.

The Canada Aviation and Space Museum Library and Archives is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but “is continuing services where they can be delivered through e-mail or telephone communication. Further information on reopening will be posted on this page when it becomes available. Please note that the reduction of services and opening hours made for the ongoing collection move will continue to be in effect after reopening until further notice.”

When the Ottawa Public Library tried to obtain an interlibrary loan for me the information was that “The Canadian Museum of Aviation … ILL Service remains suspended until at least April of 2022.”

When I call the museum the line was disconnected. When I emailed the message was blocked.  Awful service!

The Canadian War Museum Military History Research Centre “At present we are only open for appointments Wednesday and Thursday in two time slots: morning (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) and afternoon (1-4 p.m.). Appointments must be made at least three days in advance. However, it is recommended that you book 2-3 weeks in advance due to demand. If you are visiting from out of town or anticipate requiring more time than a single time slot, arrangements can be made.”

I was successful in getting an interlibrary loan from the CWM.

The Canada Science and Technology Museum Library and Archives is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but is continuing services where they can be delivered through e-mail or telephone communication. Further information on reopening will be posted when it becomes available.

The National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives is open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am – 5 pm. Space in the Library is limited. We recommend you make an appointment by phone (613-714-8949) or by email (erefel@gallery.ca). Access to the Archives is by appointment only.

Canadian Museum of Nature:  “On-site access to our Library and Archives is temporarily closed.”

The Ottawa Public Library, Ottawa Room, is open during regular hours at the Main Library.

The City of Ottawa Archives is open to the public by appointment only. Tuesday to Friday: 9:30 to 3:30 pm; Saturday: 10:30 to 4:30 pm.

The Ottawa Ontario Stake Family History Centre is closed. Unlike in many other centres, there is no alternative affiliate library available in Ottawa.

 

 

Here’s a report on Library and Archives Canada’s Co-Lab Challenges since last month.  As mentioned previously, there are two new challenges.

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

First World War Posters, with 140 images, is 83% complete.

There has been no progress on continuing Challenges:

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

John Freemont Smith remains 94% complete.

Canadian National Land Settlement Association remains 98% complete.

Molly Lamb Bobak remains 88% complete.

Diary of François-Hyacinthe Séguin remains 98% complete.

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 Co-Lab activities not part of the Challenges may have happened; seemingly we’ll never know.

MyHeritage has just introduced labels for DNA Matches, aomething some find to be a convenient way of organizing DNA Matches into customized groups.

You can assign colour-coded labels to represent different groups of interest, such as different family lines, descendants of a specific ancestor, matches of high interest, matches that you haven’t had a chance to investigate yet, or matches that require a closer look when you have the chance.

There’s a very short video showing how it works. You can read in detail about it here.