Anglo-Celtic Connections

There are three feature articles in the May WDYTYA  issue.

Archives in Lockdown
Explores how UK archivists have risen to the challenge of COVID-19. Although planned events were not able to go ahead, and physical access has been closed at times, restricted at others, progress has been made without “pesky customers: around. The article gives examples of improved research services, online exhibitions, and engagement vis social media that’s been possible.

There are 51 titles in the list of New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 12 April 2021. Here are those for Canada (Nova Scotia) and the UK (England).

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

Tuesday, 13 April 1 pm: What Do We Owe to Those Not Yet Born, by Martin Daunton for Gresham College. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/owe-unborn

Tuesday 13 April, 2 pm:  Virtual Genealogy Drop-In, from Ottawa Branch of OGS and The Ottawa Public Library. https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/.

Tuesday 13 April 7 pm: A Virtual Road Trip – a virtual tour through the resources available on the Essex Branch website, Member’s Only Library, and at the Family History Branch of the Windsor Public Library. https://essex.ogs.on.ca/meetings/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/EssexCountyOGS

Another 2.9 million entries are added to this Findmypast collection. The total is now 121,650,867 entries making it the third-largest for the UK after England & Wales Births 1837-2006 with 133,086,915 records and England & Wales, Electoral Registers 1920-1932 with 125,544,782.

Provided by 192.com, the records include names, addresses, and other details of the UK electorate from 2002 up to the present day. Business directors are included.

These transcripts show:

Name
Age guide – provides the age range of the individual
Address
Town
District
County
Country
Year
Electoral rolls
Occupancy (years)
Other occupants
Company director – If this field shows ‘Yes’ that indicates that the person is listed on the Companies House Directors register.

For the US, last Friday Findmypast also added Cincinnati Roman Catholic Parish Registers. Over 22,000 new baptisms covering records up to 1924, over 28,000 new marriages up to 1924 and over 19,000 new burials up to 1953

Three new sets of maps covering Scotland and Great Britain during the 20th century at the regional or medium scale are highlighted in the April NLS Newsletter.

NLS comments that these are particularly useful for showing the development of reservoirs and forestry, as well as new roads, railways and airports. Some were specifically made for air navigation by civilians or the Royal Air Force, and another set was captured by the Germans and re-issued for the Luftwaffe in 1939-40.

Maps website updates
OS Half-inch, Scotland, Outline Edition, 1942
OS Quarter-inch, Scotland, 1901-1960

OS One-inch, Great Britain, 1952-1970

According to the information from Findmypast there are 52,044 records in this collection for Cambridgeshire covering 1764-1828 giving the name and abode of the victualler, the name of the alehouse, tavern or inn, and the name and abode of the person providing surety. These are sourced from the Cambridgeshire Archives in Ely, they were photographed and transcribed by members of the Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Family History Society. Most are for the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Not advertised and not fully searchable are entries as late as 1956.

Pub names are fascinating. For 400 post-WW2 entries, 40 were for establishments starting White — White Cock, White Hart, White Horse, White Lion, and White Swan. 9 started with Black — Black Bull, Black Horse and Black Swan. Others with colours were the Golden Lion, Green Man, and Red Lion. While no pubs had signs starting with One or Two, there were entries for Three Blackbirds, Three Fishes and Three Horse Shoes.

Duke, King, Maid, Nag and Queen were all paired with Head; Bricklayer, Carpenter and Queen had Arm appended.

The most unusual — Dog In A Doublet and Hero Of Aliwal.

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Thursday 8 April 2021 to contain 279,663,246 unique records (279,220,849 at the previous update.) Years with major additions, greater than 5,000 records are: for births 1986-90; for marriages 1969, 1986-89; for deaths 1986, 1988-90.

The database now contains 117,156,058 unique births, 85,770,686 marriages and 76,736,502 deaths.

The decline in the number of births per marriage event is evident from four up to the late 19th century to around two after 1930.

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Thursday 8 April 2021 to contain 279,663,246 unique records (279,220,849 at the previous update.) Years with major additions, greater than 5,000 records are: for births 1986-90; for marriages 1969, 1986-89; for deaths 1986, 1988-90.

The database now contains 117,156,058 unique births, 85,770,686 marriages and 76,736,502 deaths.

The decline in the number of births per marriage event is evident from four up to the late 19th century to around two after 1930.

Saturday, 10 April 2021

How to Tell a Compelling Family History Story (Education Talk, 9 a.m.)

Ruth Stewart Verger grew up in a storytelling family and weaves tales from family histories and from much time spent in archives and university libraries researching Canadian historical figures. A resident of Ottawa, Ruth is a member of Storytellers of Canada.

The War Brides 75 Years: 1946–2021 (Feature Talk, 10.30 a.m.)

Melynda Jarratt marks the 75th anniversary of “Operation Daddy” – the organized transport to Canada of nearly 45,000 war brides and their children following the end of the Second World War.

For more information, see Meetings & Activities. April 10

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

Tuesday 6 April, 2 pm:  Virtual Genealogy Drop-In, from Ottawa Branch of OGS and The Ottawa Public Library. https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/.

Tuesday 6 April, 2:30 pm: French-Canadian Migrations Out of Quebec: Francophones in North America, by Judy Muhn for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Centre. https://acpl.libnet.info/event/5007720

Tuesday 6 April, 7:30 pm: Portable Genealogy – You Can Take It With You…, by Bob Dawes for Durham Region Branch OGS. https://durhambranch.ogs.on.ca/events/portable-genealogy-you-can-take-it-with-you/

Wednesday 7 April, 11 am: Beyond Family Announcements in Newspapers, by Mary McKee for Findmypast. www.facebook.com/findmypast.

Thursday & Friday 8-9 April: MyHeritage 24 hour genealogy webinar marathon. The stars come out!
https://familytreewebinars.com/intermediate_page.php?diply_nm=24

Saturday 10 April: Family History Federation Really Useful Family History Show ($). https://www.fhf-reallyuseful.com/

Saturday 10 April 9 am: How to Tell a Compelling Family History Story, by Ruth Stewart Verger for BIFHSGO. https://bifhsgo.ca/eventListings.php?nm=127#er564

Saturday 10 April 10:30 am: The War Brides 75 Years: 1946–2021, by Melynda Jarratt for BIFHSGO. https://bifhsgo.ca/eventListings.php?nm=127#er564

LOOKING AHEAD

4 — 6 June 2021: OGS Conference. conference.ogs.on.ca (registration opens 1 April) 

19 – 26 September 2021: BIFHSGO Conference. Irish Lines and Female Finds: Exploring Irish records, female ancestors and genetic genealogy. www.bifhsgo2021.ca/.

As of the start of the month LAC had posted 20 items in the news section in the left-hand column of its home page this year. They can be roughly categorized into four groups: Operations, Policy, Acquisitions and Outputs. Here’s the list ordered by group then date.

Margaret Atwood, poet, novelist, literary critic and essayist

Roch Carrier, novelist and author

Charlotte Gray, historian, author and biographer

Serge Joyal, former senator, art collector and philanthropist

Terry O’Reilly, broadcast producer and radio personality.