Anglo-Celtic Connections

A reminder about the presentation by Stephen Gill this Saturday, 9 October. I’m hearing that Stephen is a popular speaker — informative and entertaining.

Picture This!

9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Register

Stephen Gill, Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, and author of The Family Detective and the follow-up Design in Detail will offer a lighthearted look at how photography evolved in Britain over 175 years, from vanity purchase to an everyday event. He’ll explore what is happening to photographs from our own immediate past, and how we can ensure that current photographs are available to our descendants. He’ll also show us how to tell a story about an old photograph and help date it.

Stephen has been a professional photographer for almost 50 years and a photo restorer for more than 20. Having inherited a collection of photos his grandfather took, he became interested in what stories they told. Over the years he developed new techniques to bring out the best of the images and reproduce them in even more detail than could be achieved originally. He trained as a post-graduate teacher of photography and has been delivering talks and lectures on the subject for over 15 years. He is the first UK photo restorer to receive the status of Accredited Senior in Imaging in the Creative Industries from the Royal Photographic Society (RPS).

Following Stephen’s talk, you will have an opportunity (in breakout rooms) to apply what you learned from Stephen to a family photo of your own. For this, you will need to have a photo available online for sharing with others.

A researcher tried booking the main LAC research room for a Friday and was told they will be closing on Fridays. That would mean LAC will only be open 3 days a week.

The death of 1,000 cuts. Does the 24/7 service offered through the web compensate for the olden days when the PAC boasted one could research in person 24/7?

B.C.R.D.H. exists to improve access to copies of regional historical resources including photographs, textual documents and publications from participating BC memory institutions.

There’s a year-by-year list of projects funded at https://ikblc.ubc.ca/initiatives/bcdigitinfo/. 

They include a digital newspaper collections. Material added in 2021 included the Prince Rupert Daily News (1911-2009), Summerland Review (1946-1967), Nelson Daily News (1936-1947), Kootenay Express (1988-2000), Abbotsford, Sumas, & Matsqui News (1922-1945).

If your research is in BC check to see if a local newspaper of interest was digitized in prior years.

 

Below is the table of contents for the new issue from Moorshead Magazines. Editor/publisher Ed Zapletal informs that due to press delays the issue will be available to subscribers and newsstands in mid-October.

A Convict Mother’s Plea: Researching Criminal Ancestors?
Michelle Dennis investigates UK and Australian records for one mother’s efforts to save her convict son

The Dublin Gazette
David A. Norris looks at the value of the official government newspaper and its importance to genealogists today

Cats and Ladders: Ancestral Superstitions
Sue Lisk looks at superstitions, their origins, and how they connect us to our roots

AM Explorer
Diane L. Richard investigates the Adam Matthew Digital Collection

What Genealogists and Societies Have Learned During the Pandemic
George G. Morgan looks at what we’ve learned and gained from navigating a major health and economic disaster

Down on the Farm, Back to Our Roots
Sue Lisk looks at resources to help you learn about your ancestors’ farm-related experiences

You Eat What You Are
Robbie Gorr suggests preserving your family’s culinary history

Plot Like a Pro with Plottr
Lisa A. Alzo reviews a powerful tool for plotting your family history book

Genealogy Brainstorming with Popplet
Lynn Cassity looks at a brainstorming app for all ages

Judy Records
Diane L. Richard investigates a website containing records of hundreds of millions of U.S. Court Cases

Making Inferences in Genealogy
Ed Storey looks at drawing inferences and using facts to fill in some of the missing information when bringing ancestors to life

NetNotes
Internet Genealogy looks at websites and related news that are sure to be of interest

Back Page: The Genealogy of Things, The Genealogy of Ideas
Dave Obee says write stories that help describe your ancestors, and help you to understand what made them tick!

Your public library is likely still offering cardholders remote access to the Ancestry Library edition until December 31, 2021. For the next few days, there’s another option for Canadian records.

From 4 – 11 October, with free registration, 146 Canadian databases are available to search. They include the national censuses from 1825 to 1921, Manitoba census Indexes, 1832-1856 & 1870, Newfoundland censuses for 1921, 1945 and 1945.

Ancestry’s largest Canadian databases included are Voters Lists, 1935-1980, Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, Drouin Collection, 1621-1968, Canadian Phone and Address Directories, 1995-2002 and Quebec, Canada, Notarial Records, 1637-1935 (in French).

Enjoy,

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

Tuesday 5 Oct. 7:30 pm: Researching Women on Ancestry, by Lesley Anderson for Durham Region Branch OGS.
https://durham.ogs.on.ca/

Tuesday 5 Oct. 9 pm: A Cargo of Criminals: Transportation to Australia, by Carol Baxter for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/a-cargo-of-criminals-transportation-to-australia/

Wednesday 6 Oct, 1 pm: Blacks Britannica: Diversity in Medieval and Early Modern England, by Onyeka Nubia for Gresham College. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/blacks-britannica

Wednesday 6 Oct, 2 pm: DNA Health Tests and Your Family Health History, by Rick Crume for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/dna-health-tests-and-your-family-health-history/

Wednesday 6 Oct. 2:30 pm: Wednesdays with Witcher Series:
Family Interviews, by Curt Witcher for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5589792

Wednesday 6 Oct. 7:30pm: Female Preachers of the Bible Christian Church: the impact of the church on immigration to Huron and those that served, by Jim Bowen for Huron County Branch OGS.
https://huron.ogs.on.ca/events/oct-webinar-female-preachers-of-the-bible-christian-church-jim-bowen/

Thursday 7 Oct. 7:30 am: Going To My Father’s House: a history of my times, by Patrick Joyce and Madeleine Bunting for the London School of Economics.
https://www.lse.ac.uk/International-Inequalities/Events/Going-to-my-fathers-house/Going-to-My-Fathers-House-a-history-of-my-times

Thursday 7 Oct. 6:30 pm: Interpreting DNA Results, by Sara Allen for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5588287

Thursday 7 Oct. 7 pm: How to Find a Will in Court Records, by Lindsey Winstone for OGS (Ontario Ancestors). 
https://ogs.on.ca/zoom-meetings/october-webinar-lyndsey-winstone/

Friday 8 Oct. 9 am: Harry and Ethel:Two unlikely spies, by Mark Dunton for the UK National Archives. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/harry-and-ethel-unlikely-spies-tickets-169089744979?aff=em

Friday 8 Oct. from 11 am: Six presentations in the 2021 Reisinger Lecture Series, available on Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://bcgcertification.org/webinars-reisinger-2021/

Friday 8 Oct. 7 pm: The Woman in the Photo – Discovering My Indigenous Heritage, by Rachel Cyr for Kent County Branch OGS.
https://kent.ogs.on.ca/events/captain-keating/

Saturday 9 Oct. 9:30 am: Picture This, by Stephen Gill for BIFHSGO
https://www.bifhsgo.ca/events

Saturday 9 Oct. 11 am: Making the Most of GENUKI, with Sue McNelly from ISBGFH.
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zUdrGR5wTayR9gAVdQXy8g

 

Maps showing the location of all CWGC cemeteries, worldwide, are not on the CWGC website. They may be found via
http://ww1centenary.oucs.ox.ac.uk/space-into-place/commonwealth-cemeteries-of-world-war-one/.

This will be helpful if you know where the deceased’s battalion was fighting but the body was not recovered and identified. Chances are burial would be in a nearby cemetery, if the body was recovered.

Sometimes a body was recovered with the regiment known but otherwise unidentified. For each cemetery in France and Belgium, the number of unidentified burials is given in closing paragraphs of the ‘History Section.’ The website has no details on the unidentified casualties as the website search facility operates on a name search.

Thanks to the CWGC for this information.

The November issue is already out. Here are the contents.

In defence of George III
Andrew Roberts counters the narrative that the King was a tyrannical brute who gave the American colonies no choice but to rebel. (Did you know the complaint of the American colonist’s, who were largely self-governing, was over taxes of 7 pence per person to pay for their own defence?)

Medieval duels
Jules Skoda reveals why our ancestors chose to fight to the death to resolve intractable disputes.

Windows onto history
From arrow slits to stained glass masterpieces, Rachel Hurdley shows how windows illuminate the past.

The author of abolition
David Olusoga on how Olaudah Equiano added a powerful voice to the campaign to end the slave trade.

Elizabeth and Mary
Susan Doran chronicles Elizabeth 1 and Mary Queen of Scots fraught relationship via 12 objects

The firing line
James Holland tells the epic story of the tank regiment that won more battle honours than any other British army unit in the Second World War.

Medieval worship
Nicholas Orme answers five big questions on the experience of going to church in the Middle Ages.

There’s additional content at https://www.historyextra.com/

Once again this year the Ontario Genealogical Society is offering half price on membership renewal if you pair with someone who becomes a new member. They get the half-off deal too.

As a result of this, and other recruitment initiatives OGS increased its membership by 2% in 2021, that’s according to information from Society President  Heather McTavish Taylor at a webinar last week.

Heather mention the offer as starting on 1 November. As of writing, I don’t see the offer slashed across the OGS webpage nor information on the procedure to follow.  When I do I’ll post that information along with an offer to pair with a new member and attempt to match existing members with potential new ones. Stay tuned.

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

Explore ancestral places with YouTube
What can you find out if you search YouTube for a place of ancestral interest, perhaps adding a county?

YouTube: Understanding Probability and Genetic Genealogy

Time Team Digital

Archives of Ontario to recommence public services
As posted by OGS but not on AO website. Long overdue

Climate Change in the Arctic

How much would Bach make on Spotify?

Thanks to this week’s contributors. Anonymous, Brenda Turner, Gail, gail benjafield, Glenn W, Judy Humphries, KAYTHEGARDENER, Lynne Willoughby, M. Anne, Myrtle Johnston, Nancy Frey, Nick McDonald, rob bennie, Robert Halfyard, Susan Courage, Susan Oleskiw, Unknown.

You can’t miss “Find Your London Family” on the cover of the issue.

Jonathan Scott, a regular contributor, explores the most important website for probing the lives of Londoners. From A and AIM25 to W and West End at War, Scott finds 47 sites with London interest. They included the major commercial sites, archives, family history societies, and much more. If you want to find pictures to illustration your family history try https://www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk/.

In the second featured article, Old Postcards, Heather Baggot reveals how she “follows the clues in postcards to uncover fascinating family stories.”

In Pillow Talk, Jas Adams gets into sex in the 1940s. A study in 1949 with over 2,000 people interviewed, supplemented by over 1,000 people in the Mass Observation study, found the 31% believed life could be happy without sex while 37% said it was impossible to be happy without sex.

If that’s not enough to get you to check out the issue, available through your public library, there’s other content on Oxfordshire, brickmakers, canal workers, nonconformists, Zotero, the 1911 census and more. A good way to spend a rainy day.

 

If your heritage lies in Essex new records for Chingford, Leytonstone, South Chingford and Walthamstow in Findmypast’s Essex Marriages and Banns 1537-1935 collection are likely to be of interest. Those parishes are now in the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

The number of records is dwarfed by those of the other FMP addition this week, over 5.7 million records:

California marriages, 1850-1945
Indiana marriages, 1811-2007
Iowa marriages, 1809-1992
Massachusetts marriages, 1841-1915

Many have linked images of the original; the indexing is from FamilySearch.