Friday, April 30, 2010

Lady Mary Teviot, Genealogist, Speaking in Burnaby, May 12, 2010


The British Columbia Genealogical Society

Is pleased to present

LADY MARY TEVIOT, International Speaker and Genealogist

Speaking on: UNDER USED SOURCES FOR FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH

Wednesday, May 12, 2010, from 7:30-10 pm, Burnaby, BC, Canada

Lady Teviot has been involved with Family History Research for over 35 years. She has undertaken lecture tours in Canada, Australia, South Africa, USA and New Zealand and is an accredited speaker for Surrey, East and West Sussex Women's Institutes. Her company is Census Searches Ltd. which undertakes research into family history, probate and media research.

She is President of the Federation of Family History Societies. She is also Vice Chairman of the Friends of East Sussex Record Office and a Member of the Council of the British Records Association.

BC Genealogical Society and Affiliate Members – free admission.
Non-members - $5.00 at the door.

At the Edmonds Community Centre,
7282 Edmonds Street (corner of Edmonds and Kingsway)
Burnaby, BC

How To Budget Your Genealogy $ - Part 2 - Carnival of Genealogy - 93rd Edition

This is Part 2 of How To Budget Your Genealogy Money. Part 1 is here.

With your genealogy research plan(s) in hand, and with the realistic total of your overall genealogy budget in mind, now look to see what other genealogists recommend.

Those already savvy in genealogical 'social networking', on-line or off, will have a definite advantage, I'm sure, so you might want to work on those skills - join your local genealogy group! Or if there isn't a group near enough, look into sites like Facebook and Twitter. (Don't forget to include society memberships and any internet expenses in your budget.)

#3. For the geographical area you're interested in or the record types or services, etc., you believe you need and/or want, what do other genealogists recommend? What do they think is the best value for your money (or, in some cases, your time).

Don't enter that credit card number just yet.

Start by using your favourite search engines to look for 'best genealogy' lists and reviews. You might want to create a Google Alert to keep you posted on new on-line articles or comments on something you're looking for. For example: 'online backup reviews'

Look for fuller reviews – especially on genealogy websites and blogs and in magazines and journals, or, if you are looking for a broader service, for backup, for example, look in ‘techy’ websites and publications.

If you're interested in a British or North American genealogy, look in relevant British or North American magazines, but remember genealogists all over the world can have similar interests. Don't restrict yourself to just one area. Your Family Tree, one of the British magazines I read, just published "Computing For Family Historians", a special packaged with Issue 87 which has reviews and great information. (There used to be another British computing and genealogy magazine I liked, so I hope we see this new one again.)

Always check Dick Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter for technology related to genealogy (the free version is good!) and I recommend subscribing to Tara Calishain's Research Buzz e-mail update too. All free!

When you find a review or on-line information about a product or service – ask yourself some hard questions:

- is it written by someone with an affiliate (paying advertisements) or other relationship with the company? Have they declared an interest in the company? Or does the information seem to be written from a press release? (This happens even on otherwise well regarded websites.) Has the reviewer obviously tried out the product or service? Is the review current or is it very dated?

and
- does the review cover the features that you feel matter most to you at this time?

Read recent blog posts or e-mail lists written by people researching your areas. If it's software or a service you're interested in, is there a users' group or specifications or manuals on-line? Check to see if you can participate or read these before purchase.

**Remember to browse or search the Archives of e-mail lists and forums first. Your question may not be as new or as unusual as you think.

Then ask specific questions if you don’t see information. Twitter and Facebook are good for this on-line. Offline, ask in the genealogy and family history groups you meet with. You may find there's an expert in the group, or your questions may spark an invigorating session on 'the best of...' websites or publications. Ask if an expert in your group would hold a session on how to use a website they recommend too. Our BC Genealogical Society just had a well illustrated talk on using the New England Historic Genealogical Society's on-line databases which our Library subscribes to, for instance.

On-line, here are some sites to start out your 'genealogical consumer research' with:

Family Tree Magazine, 101 Best Web Sites 2009: www.familytreemagazine.com/article/101best2009

50 Most Popular Genealogy Websites for 2009. Kory L. Meyerink, MLS, AG, FUGA, ProGenealogists: www.progenealogists.com/top50genealogy2009.htm

40 Best Genealogy Blogs, Family Tree Magazine: www.familytreemagazine.com/article/Fab-Forty

25 Most Popular Genealogy Blogs. Heather Henderson, ProGenealogists: www.progenealogists.com/top25blogs2009.htm

Family History, The 50 best websites The Guardian, 2007: www.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/apr/14/guardianspecial4.guardianspecial226

Digital Librarian: www.digital-librarian.com/genealogy.html

Don't forget Cyndi's List: www.cyndislist.com

Sources of news, reviews –

Geneabloggers.com (not only for bloggers): http://geneabloggers.com

Geneablogger's List of genealogy blogs – with a technology theme:
www.geneabloggers.com/genealogy-blogs-type/technology-blogs

One of my most reads - Modern Software Experience, Tamura Jones, GeneAwards 2009 – Best, worst, dishonourable, not-so-special: http://tamurajones.net

GeneaMusings, Randy Seaver – for hands-on genealogy website reviews: www.geneamusings.com

Top Ten Reviews, Genealogy Software: http://genealogy-software-review.toptenreviews.com

Digital Inspiration (personal technology): www.labnol.org

And these sites with information on evaluating websites, etc. on the ‘Net –

Criteria for Evaluating Internet Resources by Aleteia Greenwood and Professor Douw Steyn, UBC Library, University of British Columbia: www.library.ubc.ca/home/evaluating

Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask, UC Berkeley Library, University of California: www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

And for good measure:

Dick Eastman's posts on various scams related to genealogy: http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/scams

Kimberly Powell, About.com, How to Identify & Avoid Genealogy Scams: http://genealogy.about.com/od/basics/tp/scams.htm

Domain Tools, domain lookups: http://whois.domaintools.com/

Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC (look for tips, alerts, BBBOnLine): http://mbc.bbb.org/consumers (Look for your own local BBB.)

Guide to Online Security, Consumer Reports: www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/resource-center/cyber-insecurity/cyber-insecurity-hub.htm

This is Part 2 of 3. Part 3 - 'before you pay' - is coming very soon. I'll be very interested in your comments and ideas about genealogy budgeting.

This post was written for the 93rd Carnival of Genealogy! Hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

How To Budget Your Genealogy $ - Part 1 - Carnival of Genealogy - 93rd Edition

Some of the more frequently asked questions in genealogy sessions I teach are variants of:

How come every index search I try for genealogy on the Internet leads to a page asking for my credit card information? Shouldn't information be free?

and then,

How can I decide what I should pay for? I don't want to pay for something that's free elsewhere or that I won't really use.

So I sometimes include a session focused on these questions.
Lately I've noticed several magazine articles on 'free genealogy' and some forum discussions too, so this seems a timely topic.

I do feel that much of the very best information for genealogy and family history on the Internet has always been free and I am happy to recommend these sources - RootsWeb.com for example, and FamilySearch.org. Then there are the specialized reference websites, like the Canadian Genealogy Centre for Canadian genealogy and family history and Genuki.org.uk for British. Even the standard version of my favourite genealogy software is free to download - Legacy at Legacyfamilytree.com.

Nothing is really altogether 'free' though - after all, someone is paying the expenses involved in gathering information, compiling indexes and databases and programming and maintaining computers and websites. It might be with volunteer donations, it might be government, or it could be a commercial company like Ancestry.com (for RootsWeb) or Millennia Corporation (for Legacy) paying. We need to let them know how much we appreciate their efforts. (Thank you to all the above from me! )

I believe it's important to emphasize that putting information and services on the Internet does cost money. Genealogy and family history societies, for instance, need to generate some income from their indexes and publications, so that new ones can be developed or older ones updated. Individual genealogists too may be paying all the cost themselves - doing it 'for love'. Here's an article by Lorelle on WordPress that outlines the costs for a genealogy blog, for instance, The Blog Budget. (Sometimes you do see a 'donate please' button on an individual or group's genealogy site. Please consider 'clicking' if you found the website or service helpful.)

Even with all volunteer labour, there are always bills to pay. Sometimes, in the heat of discussion, this is forgotten. I do love getting information for free, but I hope I won't ever begrudge paying for services, publications, or access to indexes, etc. that are worthwhile to me.

Here are some of the questions I ask, and some things I consider when choosing how I will spend my ‘on-line genealogy’ dollars to purchase genealogy and family history services, subscriptions, etc.

#1. What kinds of research are you doing right now or planning to do very soon? Consider: geography, time periods, the types of records you need.

Write up a new research plan for each on-going or future project. (Here's an article by Kimberly Powell about genealogy research plans with an example: Think Like a Detective - Developing a Genealogy Research Plan.)

Can you ‘save up’ research to make a short term subscription ‘pay’? This is what I often do for my on-line Swedish research - which still necessitates using pay sites. After all, a subscription is much cheaper than a trip to Sweden. And when I do get there, I'll be visiting the 'right' places and ready to do more research - parts that can't be done on the Internet or at home.

What services or tools do you feel would be helpful to you?

Do you have any time restrictions? Are you preparing for a reunion or a genealogy trip, perhaps, and need or want to do all you can from home first?

How important is convenience to you right now; how much time do you have (and when)? How important is ease of use; and accessibility. If you have time during the week to visit a library or Family History Center, for example, you may be able to use commercial databases there, but if your genealogy time is 'middle of the night', personal subscriptions make sense.

What type of computer, browser, firewall, etc. do you use? How comfortable are you with computers and the Internet? Do you have a technology ‘guru’ of your own? (Some sites require you to use specialized software, for example. More on this later.)

#2. What’s your $ genealogy budget? Be realistic here :-)


Be sure to think about both on-line and off-line genealogy. Do you plan to order a number of English marriage certificates, soon, for instance, or is there a genealogy seminar or conference coming up? Would you like to take a special class in the fall? Or are you determined to have an autosomal DNA test done?

Think about adding in at least a small $ cushion for those unexpected opportunities, maybe that hard to find book that pops up in an e-Bay listing.

You'll notice that I put the $ question second. That's because I feel if you don't have a research plan, and haven't thought about your own research preferences and restrictions, then no matter how many dollars you have, you won't get the best results.

This is Part 1 of 3. Part 2 - how to find genealogical recommendations and reviews - is coming very soon. I'll be very interested in your comments and ideas about genealogy budgeting.

This post was written for the 93rd Carnival of Genealogy! Hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

A Festival of Postcards - Ocean Falls British Columbia Canada

View from Clara Marian Mountain, Ocean Falls, BC. (See below.)
Coloured photographic postcard, unused. Made in Canada by the Gowen, Sutton Co. Ltd. Vancouver, BC. The principals of Gowen, Sutton Co. Ltd. were Frank Henry Gowen and Alfred James Sutton "and their wives". (Originally Lillian Sutton and Gertie Gowen. Quote from Frank Gowen's Vancouver, 1914-1931 by Fred Thirkell and Bob Scullion, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada: Heritage House, 2001, page 9.)



It's time for A Festival of Postcards, the 8th Edition.


The topic this time: GEOGRAPHY

A Festival of Postcards is an online showcase of the best postcards in the blogosphere from family and local historians and deltiologists. Everyone is welcome. There’s just one condition – you must love postcards!


This was my chance to pull out all those landscape, map and other vintage postcards depicting Earth’s natural features and take another look at them.


I chose this card showing Ocean Falls, British Columbia, for three reasons


First, because this image of Ocean Falls illustrates one part of my home province's very varied geography - the Pacific Coast. Ocean Falls, at the head of Cousins Inlet, north east of Bella Bella, was first developed as a sawmill operation in the 1900s. The nearby lake, the source of the falls for which the area was named, was soon dammed for power, and from the 1910s, a pulp and paper operation was established here. This was closed down in the 1970s and the town almost abandoned.

Over the years, many, many families lived and worked at Ocean Falls, some for a short time, others for decades. The Ocean Falls Museum is collecting stories about life here. At one time the town was a busy, thriving community, but this was always a remote area, accessible from the sea by boat or by float plane, and although British Columbia's Pacific Coast is 'renowned' for its plentiful rainfall, Ocean Falls has apparently the greatest annual rainfall in Canada.

The second reason I chose this card was because it mentions a landmark named for a woman, or women, - I collect cards like this - and because it illustrates that you shouldn't always believe what you read in print. The mountain at Ocean Falls is and was commonly and officially named Mount Caro Marion, (not Clara Marian), likely for two young women who climbed it early on - although there isn't the best evidence about those details. (See the British Columbia Geographical Names site.)

And thirdly, because it's almost the end of Earth Week - and the history of Ocean Falls reminds British Columbians, no matter their politics, of the social and environmental challenges we face. This video brings that home, I think.

Ocean Falls Musimentary

Directed by Tony Papa of Avanti Pictures. Winner of Much Music Video award, 1995.




Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Family History Talk - WW I War Brides - Maple Ridge, April 22, 2010

CANADIAN WAR BRIDES
OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
with family historian Annette Fulford



Thursday, April 22, 2010
7:30 pm
St. Andrew’s Heritage Church
22279 116th Ave, Maple Ridge
Presented by the Maple Ridge Historical Society
Members free, visitors $2.00


Friday, April 16, 2010

Canadian Genealogy Carnival - 9th Edition - Fashion Fads


It's time for the 9th Edition of the Canadian Genealogy Carnival.

The theme is: Canadian Fashion Fads.


Here's another of my 'favourite' family photographs. Most people would dress up, if they could, for a family portrait as this family did. The mother's dress is made in a very 'plush' fabric with an apron-like front and ruffled skirt, applied decoration and buttons, and she shows off her lace cuffs and a polka dot collar or tie, and jewellery. I don't believe this style of dress was fashionable that long. The little boy is certainly well outfitted too; his father and the baby look quite plain in comparison.
I hope that this photograph was taken in late fall or winter, as that dress, fancy as it is, looks very warm!

The photographer, W. B. (William Berthour) St. John, was active in Minnedosa, Manitoba, Canada, from 1884, when he opened up a portable photographic gallery, to about 1925. I have copies of other family photographs taken by him. I have only tentatively identified this photograph - but I'm sure it's of an IRWIN family. If you recognize this photograph, please get in touch with me.

I read an IRWIN joke a few days ago in an old Manitoba newspaper - the Daily Nor-Wester, March 20, 1897, page 3.

May Irwin, an actress, (originally from Whitby in Ontario, Canada) explained to a reporter that she had "received a bushel of letters from people named Irwin who want to claim me as a relative. They tell me that I am the perfect picture of Cousin Betsy or Aunt Mary. The joke of it is that Irwin is only my stage name." (May Irwin, Georgina May Campbell, Wikipedia.)

This week I spoke with someone who thought we might be related through our Irwin lines. If so, we decided it must be a long way back, but never fear - I am happy to hear from possible (and known) IRWIN relatives.


Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Miss M. YOUNG, Arran, Scotland - Photograph

For Canada's Tartan Day!
A charming image, I think, of Miss M. YOUNG, Kinloch Cottage, Lochranza, Arran. Stray photograph, bought in British Columbia, Canada; private collection.

For Arran, Scotland genealogy queries, contact the Genealogy Section, Isle of Arran Heritage Museum.

Monday, April 05, 2010

Could their Hands be Clues? Family Photographs

Amy (IRWIN) SCOTT and Muriel SCOTT, my Na and my Mum, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 1930s. Snapshot, private collection. Photographer unknown.


I’m always interested in information about the history of photography and photographers, especially in Canada, and in identifying family photographs.

We often see photographs with someone's hands prominently positioned, particularly in modern wedding photographs, but also in older photos like that above that seem meant to illustrate a close relationship between the subjects. Could these photographs be of help in identifying the same parties in other photographs?

While searching for a newspaper article the other day, I came across an article in the Victoria Colonist from 19091 that caught my eye, titled “The New Test For Criminals”.

According to this, an Italian scientist, Professor Tamassia, had suggested that photographs of the back of the hands of criminals could be substituted for their fingerprints. Photographs were to be taken with the hands hanging down – the veins would then be more obvious. Actual fingerprint patterns might be damaged or even destroyed by criminals with acid or burning, but according to the article, the pattern of the veins on the back of the hands and on the surface of the foot is unique to each individual. Photographs of the feet could even be used to identify individuals who had lost their hands.

A similar article in the New York Times2 gave many more details of the idea, identifying Tamassia as a Professor at the University of Padua and quoting from an article in The Scientific American Supplement. I found a number of newspaper articles about this from the 1910’s to 1914. In the Fort Wayne Sentinel,3 for instance, 4 December 1913, a report from New York says that the Professor had said “the merest novice” could identify differences in vein patterns on the hands, whereas “long training” was needed before fingerprints could be identified. Almost the same information appeared in The Washington Post, 5 December, 1913.4 This article was identified as from a “Special Cable” to the Post from Rome.

The Professor’s system even figures in a mystery story in a book by Arthur Benjamin Reeve, The Poisoned Pen, Chapter XI, “The Invisible Ray” (1912) but was it ever used by any police departments, I wonder?5

I couldn’t help but connect the Professor's 100 year old idea with the biometric identification methods used, and proposed, today – like scanners which match the patterns of veins on an employee’s hands. 6 (His must have been another idea before its time.)

But, of course, being a genealogist, I thought more about the possibility of identifying or confirming information in old family photographs, and then I had to have a look for some family photographs with hands shown fairly clearly, like this one, which so far I'm unable to confirm as James Irwin (born 1821, County Cavan, Ireland; emigrated and lived at Cambray in Victoria County, Ontario, Canada; migrated and died 1910, Neepawa, Manitoba, Canada).


Believed to be James IRWIN of Cambray, Ontario, Canada. Photographer E. (Eli) Williamson, Lindsay, Ontario. From the back of the card - "Photographs and Pictures of all kinds taken in the Latest and Best Style. Prices Low. Satisfaction Guaranteed." Private collection.


Notes
1. Victoria Colonist, Sunday, 13 June 1909, page 10: http://www.britishcolonist.ca/

2. “Identify Criminals By Veins On Hands” New York Times, Monday, 5 September, 1910, page 3: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D02E0D61E39E333A25756C0A96F9C946196D6CF
3. “May Supplant Finger Print” Fort Wayne Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, Thursday, 4 December, 1913, page 12.
4. The Washington Post, District of Columbia, USA, Friday, 5 December, 1913, page 12.
5. See the mystery story on-line at Classic Reader: http://www.classicreader.com/book/1909. See also the Wikipedia Italia article, "Arrigo Tamassia": http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrigo_Tamassia
6. “Subway Anti-Terror Scanner At Hand” by Patrick Gallahue, 18 June, 2008 http://www.nypost.com/seven/06182008/news/regionalnews/subway_anti_terror_scanner_at_hand_116051.htm