Friday, February 29, 2008

My Genealogy and Technology - Carnival of Genealogy


















Beautiful Daughter's Maternal Line: Sara (with her eyes shut - silly girl), her mum, grandmum, and her Na - great grandmother
Winter, 1975, British Columbia, Canada



Here it is Leap Year Day, 2008 and time for another edition of the Carnival of Genealogy. The topic this time, Technology.

What technology do you most rely on for your genealogy and family history research? Select one piece of hardware (besides your computer), one piece of software (besides your internet browser), and one web site/blog (besides your own) that are indispensable to you. Resist the urge to dilute the impact of your 3 choices by mentioning several others you use and appreciate as well. This is an exercise in appraising the technology you use/recommend the most.


1. Hardware? No doubt here, it’s my printer I use the most, but, honest, I am trying to cut down to save British Columbia’s trees, so it’s my scanner that’s really indispensable. (I could still print somewhere else after all, using someone else’s paper, couldn’t I, son of mine?) I have always used Canon® scanners and been happy with them; this one is a Canoscan® 4200F. I’ve scanned buttons and badges, plates and ribbons and plaques, books, postcards, menus, milk cap tops, ferrotypes, stereocards, and oh, yes, old photographs, of course. In fact, right now, I’m looking at buying a second scanner, one that’s lighter and smaller and doesn’t need power of its own, so I’ll be able to take it away with me sometimes.

2. Software that I couldn’t do without? That would be the Microsoft Office Publisher® programme. I edit several newsletters and a genealogy journal, and often do up brochures and small posters and booklets. Publisher® is quite easy to use, has a wide variety of templates to follow or not, there’s lots of clipart to add and 'old fashioned art' is available through companies like Dover Publications and easy to incorporate. I guess I could go back to the olden days and write out my family group sheets and charts by hand, but I hope I’m never literally ‘cutting and pasting’ a newsletter ever again.

3. Website? Library and Archives Canada (LAC)
In Canada, most of our genealogical information that is on-line is free and LAC has been the leader in many of these digital initiatives. LAC’s website includes the ‘Canadian Genealogy Centre’ with images and indexes for the family history basics and more – census, passenger lists, military and land records, etc., and genealogy guides for both topics and places. On the LAC website, there are also search facilities for other national archival resources and for the many on-line exhibitions and catalogues, including the AMICUS catalogue which I use often. In AMICUS you can search for published materials on Canada or by Canadians which is held at Library and Archives Canada or at over 1300 libraries across Canada. Have a look for example, at the specialized AMICUS sites for federal publications or for ‘Sheet Music From Canada’s Past’, like "The Lake Erie galop,", 1882, by A.T. Hood.

Main LAC website:
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/
or
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/

‘Sheet Music From Canada’s Past’:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/sheetmusic/index-e.html

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Dear Myrtle - New Podcast 26 February 2008

'Dear Myrtle', the well known U.S. genealogist, has a new podcast up. You can download this for your .mp3 player or click a button and listen to it right in your browser. (I like to listen to genealogy podcasts while I'm filing. )

Her guests this time are:

Sharon Sergeant, of AncestralManor.com, who I know through the very useful genealogy teleconferences she organizes,

and

Bruce Buzbee, the creator of Family Atlas software, available at familyatlas.com . Mapping my ancestors is one of my 2008 New Year's resolutions, so I was specially interested in hearing him.

Also on this podcast -

DearMyrtle does a 'Mighty Mouse' tour of the Board for Certification of Genealogists website, bcgcertification.org .

Here's Dear Myrtle's podcast link with all the details, including links to past podcasts: http://podcasts.dearmyrtle.com/

In case you're wondering, Dear Myrtle's other name is Pat Richley. She's been been giving "practical, down-to-earth advice for family historians since 1995" on-line. Her latest book is
DearMYRTLE's "Big book" JOY OF GENEALOGY, available through lulu.com. Much more on her website - also free genealogy lessons and articles.

Dear Myrtle 's Website: http://www.dearmyrtle.com/

Dear Myrtle's Blog: http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/

Monday, February 18, 2008

MY TOP 15 – WELL, REALLY NOW IT'S 17 – CANADIAN GENEALOGY WEBSITES, FEBRUARY 2008

These Canadian genealogy websites are useful to me every day. Each is tried and true, although one or two may sometimes be trying. Notice that almost all are free! Let’s do our best to keep it that way.

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA (LAC): http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/

Of special interest –

- CANADIAN GENEALOGY CENTRE (within Library and Archives Canada). Specialized access to genealogical indexes, images and resources, including digitized census and passenger lists, land records, etc., and guides to searching for both topics and places. (Note* not all databases are included in the Ancestors Search): www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/index-e.html

- ARCHIVES AND ARCHIVIANET SEARCHES - http://search-recherche.collectionscanada.ca/archives/search.jsp?Language=eng&QueryTextValue

- AMICUS catalogue search - published materials held at Library and Archives Canada and at over 1300 libraries across Canada: http://amicus.collectionscanada.gc.ca/aaweb/aalogine.htm

Note** Now you can comment on LAC’s services. Do you love what’s available on-line? Is there another set of records you think should be digitized? (For a list of what’s in the works right now or planned as future digital resources, see below.)

Go to the Public Consultations page. Follow the comments link to the on-line form. If you want to hear back, BE SURE to include your e-mail address or other contact info.

LAC Public Consultations:
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/the-public/pcsab/005004-1001-e.html

LAC Digitization Summary: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/the-public/pcsab/005004-2004.4-e.html

GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH LIBRARY (GRL). An unsung Canadian resource. When I found one of my Whites using this website, I was impressed for life. Indexes to directories, census, etc. “16 million ancestors”. The Internet version of the books, the “Western Canadians”, “Central, Atlantic and French...Canadians”, compiled by Noel Montgomery Elliot. Free index searches, $ subscription fee for details: http://www.grl.com/

AUTOMATED GENEALOGY. Name and place indexes and links to images at LAC - 1851/52, 1901, 1911 Canadian indexes; also to the 1851 New Brunswick census and to the 1906 Prairie census: http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/

FAMILYSEARCH. 1881 Canadian census index and Canadian national and provincial research guides. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: http://www.familysearch.org/

ANCESTRY.COM. Canadian census indexes with links to record images at LAC - 1851/52, 1901, 1911, also immigration and passenger list indexes, 20th century directories, Canadian soldiers of World War I, indexes of Loyalist claimants and 1812 soldiers, etc. $ subscriptions or use Ancestry.com’s Library Edition at a participating library: http://www.ancestry.com/


Note* In the Lower Mainland of B.C., go to Cloverdale Library in Surrey, to any Burnaby, West Vancouver or Vancouver Library for free Ancestry.com access. Some Ancestry.com indexes available at Family History Centres too. See FamilySearch above for locations. In the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, there are Centres in Burnaby, Surrey and Abbotsford.

And, did you know that Cloverdale Library in Surrey, B.C. is the best place in the west for on-site Canadian genealogy research?
You will find much helpful information and advice in the library’s “Canadian Genealogical Resources: A Guide to the Materials held at Cloverdale Library” available on-line free: http://www.spl.surrey.bc.ca/Programs+and+Services/Genealogy/Canadian+Genealogical+Resources+Guide.htm


INGENEAS. Free immigration index, free searches for passenger, immigration, census, vital statistic, land, military and miscellaneous record databases. $, pay for view: http://www.ingeneas.com/

NANAIMO FAMILY HISTORY SOCIETY, PASSENGER LIST INDEXING PROJECT. The society is name indexing Canadian Passenger Lists for all ports from 1900 - 1924. Quebec ports complete for 29 May 1907 to 8 Jul 1907 and 6 Sep 1907 to 13 Oct 1910: http://members.shaw.ca/nanaimo.fhs

FRIENDS OF DAVE HOWARD PASSENGER LIST INDEXING PROJECT (before 1900). So far complete for the Quebec ports from 28 May 1898 to 16 Sep 1899: http://members.shaw.ca/nfhspaxlists

CANADA GENWEB PROJECT. Wide array of Canadian and provincial/territorial resources and projects, for instance, the CanadaGenWeb Family Bible transcription project and the Immigrants to Canada list: www.rootsweb.com/~canwgw

Update: I've been meaning to add this website in - yes, you will find it in the links on Canada GenWeb but this site has amazing info - I thought I was remiss in cutting it from my Canada list.

Marj's Place (Marj Kohli). See especially the sections on Child Migrants and Home Children (and see below) and also on 19th Century Immigration: http://ist.uwaterloo.ca/~marj
Oh, dear, now I'm up to 17, am I?

OLIVE TREE GENEALOGY, Lorine McGinnis Schultz. Over 1900 pages of free information, guides and indexes –many of these are for Canada.
Read the index page and the FAQ first. www.olivetreegenealogy.com/index.shtml

Browse the Site Map: http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/sitemap.shtml
See what’s new: http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/freedata.shtml

CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORY GATEWAY. Wide array of resources. Right now featuring ‘Heroes Remembered’ - 21 Chinese-Canadian Veterans of World War II: http://www.cmhg.gc.ca/

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES OF CANADA. Database search and related information and guides: http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/index_e.php

OUR ROOTS. Digitized Canadian local history books: http://www.ourroots.ca/

CANADIAN COUNCIL OF ARCHIVES. Directory of Canadian archives, link to Canadian Archival Information Network (CAIN) portal – includes digitized exhibits and projects: http://www.cdncouncilarchives.ca/

Canadian Archival Information Network: http://www.archivescanada.ca/

ROOTSWEB, THE big free site for mailing lists and genealogy resources. Canada wide message boards and mailing lists for queries include CAN-WW1-L for Canadian World War I military research, CAN-CENSUS-L, CANADA-ROOTS-L, AUSTRIAN-CANADIAN-L, Irish-Canadian-L: http://www.rootsweb.com/

CANGENEALOGY. Dave Obee’s website for Canadian links. Browse by region and by subject: http://www.cangenealogy.com/


And a few extras – for good measure,

CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION (CBC) ARCHIVES. Thousands of historical television and radio clips, search or browse by topics: http://archives.cbc.ca/

CANADIAN ‘HOME CHILDREN’ –

The British Home Children: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~britishhomechildren

British Home Children Descendants:
http://bhc.kindredbond.com/

Home Children, British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO): http://www.bifhsgo.ca/home_children.htm

Did you know that from 1869 to 1948, thousands and thousands of children were sent to live and usually, work, in Canada from Britain?
There is a move afoot to name 2009 the ‘Year of the Home Child’ in Canada. Please join by sending a support letter to both your Canadian Member of Parliament and the Prime Minister.


Will post my top 10 British Columbia genealogy websites soon. (I’m not including newspapers ’cause that would be a whole page by itself. Another time.)

Friday, February 15, 2008

2008 iGene Awards - Academy of Genealogy and Family History - Carnival of Genealogy







It’s that time of year – well, yes, it is the first time - for The Best of The Best!



Academy awards time... time for the Academy of Genealogy and Family History aka AGFH (an esteemed organization that all genea-historian bloggers who participate in this edition of the COG will become founding members of) to honour the best blog posts of 2007 in 5 categories.

All my own awards this year go to posts in the Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories.

Rereading these made me feel a little sad at first, but I soon found myself smiling, then grinning, then laughing out loud.

A heartfelt 'thank you' goes to the Carnival of Genealogy for sponsoring the Advent Calendar and, of course, this Award Ceremony.

And now, for the winners,

Best Picture – The winner for Best Picture is “Dave and Diane, ‘A Childhood Memory Photograph’, Xmas 1954, Woodwards Wonderful Toyland, Vancouver, B.C., Canada”. Posted 23 December, 2007 in ‘Christmas Eve’.

Doesn’t this photograph make you feel the thrill of anticipating a childhood Christmas? It’s not only that candy my brother and I are clutching that’s making us look so animated (although we were probably ‘hyper’, as we’d say now).

In accepting this award, I'd like to thank Gwynne, the photographer, wherever you are. I couldn't have achieved this without your help.

Best Screen Play – For Best Screen Play, the winner is ‘Christmas Gifts’, posted 18 December, 2007.

This film is guaranteed to be a smash hit. It’s all about giving, opening and enjoying presents, after all, and will make a great CBC 'short' (CBC - that's the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). I'm sure the Telefilm Canada funding will come through any day now. After all, Vancouver is Canada's biggest 'movie city'.

As for who will play Diane and Dave, any smart, really cute child actors will do. And, I still have many of the props!

The real problem will be to find a cat as sleek and as street (and Christmas tree) smart as Twink!

http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-gifts-advent-calendar-of.html

Best Documentary – For best documentary, the winner is ‘Holiday Foods’, posted 13 December, 2007.

This short piece preserves many long ago Rogers family traditions – flaming (or sputtering) Christmas pudding, for example, as well as some traditions best forgotten – pickled walnuts, yuck!

(Please do notice the pun. I don’t do that often, only for these very special occasions.)

http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2007/12/holiday-foods-advent-calendar-of.html

Honourable Mention in this category is ‘Christmas Cookies’, posted 16 December, 2007.

This piece recognizes my Nana Burton’s contribution to our family, not only her cookies. When I am gone, the Rogers memory of her will be gone too.

http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-cookies-advent-calendar-of.html

Best Biography - Alas, no nominations were received for this category this year.

Best Comedy – For Best Comedy in 2007, the obvious choice is – fanfare - dah, dum, dah, dum, dah, dah, etc. – ‘Christmas Eve’, posted 23 December 2007.

My poor dad’s Christmas Eve predicaments now make us all chuckle.

http://canadagenealogy.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-eve-advent-calendar-of.html

That's it for 2007!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Library and Archives Canada Consultation Process 2008

Well!

Library and Archives Canada has started to put up more information regarding its new public consultation focus. Not much there yet, but a bit more background and a list of 'strategic choices' for LAC:

These are apparently to -

1. Go digital

2. Be national

3. Focus on government record-keeping

4. "Collaborate and build partnerships - Maintain strong relationships with community-based heritage organizations and provincial, territorial and regional libraries and archives to help deliver services. "

5. Use client research and service evaluation to inform decision making

LAC is promising to "consult closely with client communities and the public...."

Does this encourage you? Worry you? Do you have ideas about other directions LAC should be considering for the future?

Please send your comments to LAC!

Go to Library and Archives Canada's Home Page and look for the

New site for Public Consultations and the Services Advisory Board
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/the-public/pcsab/index-e.html

or, in French, Nouveau site pour les consultations publiques et le Conseil consultatif sur les services

It may be helpful to have a look at the article, "AABC/Library & Archives Canada Consultation" by Peter Johnson, published in the AABC Newsletter, Archives Association of B.C., Volume 15 No. 1 Winter 2005, regarding previous consultations.
http://aabc.bc.ca/aabc/newsletter/15_1/aabclibrary.htm

Library and Archives Canada Home: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/

Library and Archives Canada Consultation Process 2008

Well!

Library and Archives Canada has started to put up more information regarding its new public consultation focus. Not much there yet, but a bit more background and a list of 'strategic choices' for LAC:

These are apparently to -

1. Go digital

2. Be national

3. Focus on government record-keeping

4. "Collaborate and build partnerships - Maintain strong relationships with community-based heritage organizations and provincial, territorial and regional libraries and archives to help deliver services. "

5. Use client research and service evaluation to inform decision making

LAC is promising to "consult closely with client communities and the public...."

Does this encourage you? Worry you? Do you have ideas about other directions LAC should be considering for the future?

Please send your comments to LAC!

Go to Library and Archives Home Page and look for the

New site for Public Consultations and the Services Advisory Board
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/the-public/pcsab/index-e.html

or, in French, Nouveau site pour les consultations publiques et le Conseil consultatif sur les services

Library and Archives Home: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Canadian Digital Information Strategy 2007 Responses

Just up!

Responses sent in the fall on the draft 2007 version of the Canadian Digital Information Strategy are now posted.

Library and Archives Canada just sent a note to contributors and thanked them for their participation. See the responses on the CDIS Website: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/cdis/012033-1050.46-e.html

Friday, February 01, 2008

Dinner Guests from the Past - Vancouver Style -41ST CARNIVAL OF GENEALOGY



Joseph (Joe) Rogers, camping in British Columbia, 1910's


Frank and John Rogers (marked F & J) with step-sister, Susan Battice, née Peel, (S), camping at Parry Sound, Ontario, 1920's?


The question for the 41st Carnival of Genealogy is “If you could have dinner with four of your ancestors who would they be and why?”

Only four ancestors? My goodness, most days I’d want to hire a hall and invite 64 or 128 – I have so many questions about the past.

Still…I know who I’d invite first – great grandma, Mary Ann White, born about 1840, in England, maybe in London, maybe not.

Would I invite her two husbands? I’d love to meet them both, but that could be a bit too much for her or them, so not this time. But, I’d invite my dad, and his dad, (my grandpa, Mary Ann’s middle son, Joe), and then I’d have to invite my mum. She wouldn’t want to miss anything. That’s four ancestors right off. Maybe I could cheat just a little and invite Susan Peel too? She’s my grandpa Joe’s step sister.

We’d have dinner here, I think, in my time, or better yet, at my kids’ house – we could eat outside if it’s nice. I eat in restaurants a lot, but Mary Ann might not approve and anyway, a home would be more comfortable for a time traveler than a public place. I’d have my few Rogers photographs and my files handy.

I might like to time travel myself, but one thing I can count on – if my family hears people are coming from the past, they’ll all show up for the event, even though they aren’t very interested in genealogy – because they’ll be worried about me.

We’d have a ‘real’ coastal British Columbia meal – salmon, potatoes, salad, lots of vegetables – maybe even some of B.C.’s Rogers’ chocolates for dessert. (No relation that I can see – sad to say.) Easy dinner to do – more time to talk. Maybe afterwards we could go for a drive to see the sights in Vancouver. Grandpa would notice lots of changes since 1954, that’s certain, and both Mary Ann and Susan might enjoy seeing where Joe lived, since neither ever came here.

I’ve invested a lot of time into looking for Mary Ann’s family – I am very proud of having ‘found’ her a brother, for one thing, since I knew nothing of her to start. But although I’ve proved that some families couldn’t be hers, I have no evidence that links her to a birth family…yet. So, of course, I’d want to get some details from her during the visit – Where born? What about her parents? Brothers and sisters? Aunts and uncles? How many of the family came to Canada? And what ever happened to that Alfred, his wife Emma, and their children? Best if I had my computer all hooked up and ready to go. Son James would take photographs of the visit himself or make a video – I always cut people’s heads off, he says.

I do wonder if Mary Ann might be a bit upset that this information wasn’t passed down to me? Or would she just laugh and say “Those boys! I knew they never paid my stories any mind, you know.” (What kind of accent did she have?)

She’s a silhouette on my family tree. I have no photographs of her, and not even a signature as she signed with an x. I do have a couple of photographs of her oldest and youngest sons, Frank and John, (and a few stories about them!) and I have photos of their brother, my grandpa, Joe, and one photo showing Susan Peel, their step sister. Who did the boys look like – their mother’s or their father, William’s, family? And what about Susan? Who would she say she took after – and did she have an Irish lilt in her voice from her parents?

My great grandma, Mary Ann, came to Toronto, Canada about 1871 from England and married William Rodgers in Toronto in 1873. (Did she know him before? How did they meet?) William died in 1887, leaving her a widow with three sons, and within 6 months, she married Armour Peel, Susan’s father. (Armour had at least 3 children of his own.)

I’ve always wondered about that – was she a ‘good catch’ – a great cook and household manager? She had boarders as well as children to look after. (Another reason for my not cooking an elaborate meal. Couldn’t compete!) Or was she a sunny, easy to be with person? Quick witted; funny? Were both she and Armour smitten or was this a more practical arrangement? I hope both he and William were as good to her as they could be– she must have worked very hard most of her life.

Ten years later, in 1897, Mary Ann died. The story I heard, as told to my mother by Susan, was that before dying, Mary Ann asked Susan to look after the youngest boy, John, then 14. Apparently, Susan was by that time herself a widow. She had married James Battice and they had one child I know of, Lydia Louise, (or Lydia Elizabeth) who was born in March 1887 and died a few months later.(I hope it would not make Susan or Mary Ann sad to ask more about James, and, was Lydia both Louise and Elizabeth, and where is she buried? )

As she promised, Susan did indeed take care of John, and Frank too. The three of them lived together till their deaths. Only my grandpa left home and married. From the little I’ve heard and from the letters I’ve read, the three had happy, busy lives with lots of friends – mostly centred, I think, round Susan, her church activities and her Peel kin.

Given my often reinforced belief that it’s women in the family that generally know the family details and the stories, between them Mary Ann and Susan will likely be able to answer my questions not only about the WHITEs and the PEELs, but about the other connections I want to make on that side of the family.

But genealogy for me isn’t only about the facts or those all important documents that provide us with the evidence. (That reminds me, I need to thank Mary Ann for that clue left in William Rogers’ death registration. I’m sure she left that for me.)

Above all, I’d really like Mary Ann to know that her boys, and Susan too, made out fine. I’d like her to meet my dad, her grandson, my own children, and her great great great grandson, who may be a bit of a surprise to her.

And, although William Rogers won’t be there this time, maybe my grandpa Joe could let my dad know if he was really named for William, his grandfather. If dad ever heard that, he had forgotten.

I've always been a bit sorry that I didn't start the ROGERS-WHITE research while Dad was alive. He said he knew 'nothing' - just that we were once pirates and named for the 'Jolly Roger'. My brother firmly believes this. I will surely find him a family pirate soon. Now that would make for the next exciting ancestor dinner - on board a fighting sloop in the Caribbean.

For myself, the really interesting thing about this dinner might be how we all get on - will we get into a hot political discussion as my son and I often do, will we find some of each others' ideas distasteful (or perhaps time travellers take a preparedness course and are wary of some topics), or will our biological bonds and our ideas about the lasting importance of family let us enjoy the time together?