Ontario Genealogical Society Conference 2015 - some thoughts

Yesterday, I came home from the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) Conference in Barrie. The event began on Friday, May 29 and ran to Sunday, May 31. Friday during the day, workshops and tours were held. In the evening, a part of the college gym was the venue for the Opening Ceremonies. Saturday, the day started at 8:30 a.m. and ended after the banquet. Sunday, the day started at 8:00 a.m. and ended with the closing ceremonies.

So here are some thoughts about the weekend.

Friday afternoon workshop - Maps and Mapping for 21st Century Genealogists by James F. S. Thomson.
Maps are essential to genealogists. Mr. Thomson shared his "structured approach" to working with maps. He recommended seeing a variety of maps for areas of interest for different time periods and different scales. Digital maps often allow having different layers added or subtracted such as different features. He reminded attendees to check the terms of use for using digital maps in publications, including online. He also provided examples of different sites and a handout with exercises, commentary and links. Lots to discover that are new to me. I learned a lot in this workshop.

Friday evening was the opening ceremonies with Kirsty Gray as the keynote speaker.

Saturday morning, we began at 8:30 with a panel discussion with Thomas MacEntee as the moderator who posed a number of questions. Each person answered the same questions. The theme was Tracks through time (same as the conference). Each panelist (Richard M. Doherty, Dr. Maurice Gleeson, Kirsty Gray and Dave Obee) provided great comments and advice.

Next came the annual meeting of the Society. Even though the marketplace was open at the same time, the room was filled and quorum was achieved.

Lunch time was in the area next to the marketplace. The Ontario Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists met over lunch. We achieved quorum. It was great to see fellow members face to face. The focus of the meeting was hosting a pre-conference on Thursday afternoon prior to the Ontario Genealogical Society next year hosted by the Toronto Branch.

Three presentation time slots were offered in the afternoon. I attended two.

First - Identifying Immigrant Ancestors by Janice Nickerson.
Janice provided many suggestions for finding clues to where our ancestors may have come from before coming to Canada. She divided the talk into two sections with many excellent ideas: strategies and records. She provided many good points. She suggested asking the question of relatives: "Do you have anything old?" Another useful suggestion was Follow the Preacher.

Second - Tools for Embarking Upon German Research by Richard M. Doherty
Richard also included ideas for locating ancestors in what is now and what became Germany. My Germanic ancestors left in 1792 through the port of Altona, the port for Hamburg. Richard provided a timeline of major events. When my ancestors left with William Berczy and many others, it was before civil registration and it was before the French Revolution affected areas of Germany. Richard provided different website urls that would be helpful in the research.

Next I was off to the Marketplace where I was at the Ontario Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists' table.

While at the conference, I also took a walk around the hall to see the various vendors and associations. I had a chat with the gentleman at the Quaker table. I recently wrote about Quaker connections in my postings about What happened after the death of Benjamin Hemingway? Quakers also settled in Grey County. I also had a chat with Mike at the Hamilton Branch OGS table. I stopped at the Toronto Branch table and told them that I had attended the last meeting online. I also did some shopping while I was there. I purchased four books from the OGS table (on sale), a mouse scanner from Shop the Hound and a book at the Global Genealogy table.

Before the banquet, I had an opportunity to say hello to my online friend and leader of the geneabloggers, Thomas MacEntee. Oh, I mustn't forget to mention the blogger beads provided to bloggers by Ruth Blair. They provided a conversation starting point. Thank you Ruth.

I sat at a table with some that I already knew and others that were new to me. Our after supper speaker was Dr. Maurice Gleeson. It was a humorous talk.

Sunday morning had an early start. The first presentation was at 8 a.m.

First - Putting Your Ancestors in their Place: an Introduction to one-place studies by Dr. Janet Few
Her talk was live streamed in. Thank you to the team that looked after the technical aspects.

According to Dr. Few "a one place study involves dissecting a small, definable, geographical area, to examine the individuals, buildings and processes of the past, in as much detail as possible". Before a person or a group begins, the boundary of the study should be decided upon and the starting point. Then the work begins. Searching for resources about the area is a good way to get started. Maps at different times are needed. These can be correlated with various records such as census. Throughout the project, statistics and names and details will be collected. Dr. Few said that after collecting information, it needs to be analysed and synthesized. Look at one theme or one period at a time. The learnings from the study need to be shared and this can be done in various ways.

Of course, my mind was trying to think of possibilities of using this frame work for the different organizations to which I belong. One place studies has a website at http://one-place-studies.org/studies. There is a register available at http://register-of-one-place-studies.org.uk.

I went back to the Marketplace to look after the group's table before lunch. It was busy.

After lunch, I heard an interesting presentation: Route of DNA from Flanders to Barrie by Dr. Maurice Gleeson. I have never had my DNA tested nor do I know much about using DNA in genealogical research. Dr. Gleeson shared how DNA testing has united branches of the Spearin family. One of the largest concentrations of the Spearin family has been found in the Barrie, Ontario. While in Canada, he had the opportunity for a family reunion. They visited the Spearin log house at the Simcoe County museums. The Spearin family are also part of a one name study. The information is shared on a dedicated website, blog and Facebook group.

The last session was Going Totally Offline, Almost -- On-site researching Libraries and Archives by Alan Campbell. Alan gave great suggestions about why you should do on site research and how you should prepare for a research trip.

The conference was almost over. The closing ceremony included a short talk by Kirsty Gray: Back to the Future. We heard about the OGS Conference June 3 to June 5, 2016. The theme "Genealogy on the Cutting Edge".

Thank you to all who made this conference a success. Now to spend time with the syllabus (I have both print and on a usb drive) and my notes. Then to apply them to by research.

© 2015 Janet Iles

Estate Records - More than just wills

Three weeks from today on February 27 (my birthday), I will be speaking about Estate Records for our local genealogical society, Bruce Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. The meeting will be at 1:30 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints on 2nd Avenue  South East (extension of 2nd Avenue East), Owen Sound.

I am going to post various snippets from my presentation, in a series of postings. The information will focus on Ontario, Canada records but I hope the information will be helpful no matter where you live.

© 2010 Janet Iles

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Challenge #1

 Week 1: Go to your local public library branch. Make a note of the genealogy books in the collection that may help you gain research knowledge. Don’t forget to check the shelves in both the non-fiction section and the reference section. If you do not already have a library card, take the time to get one. If you have a genealogy blog, write about what you find in your library’s genealogy collection.

Amy Coffin of the fabulous We Tree blog, has done it again. Last year, Amy developed a series of 52 Weekly Genealogy Blogging Prompts which kept folks very busy and forced them to look at many different aspects of their genealogy.

Now this one is an easy one for me as I worked at the local public library for 30 years as full time staff and since my retirement in 2005 on contract work generally filling in as needed from time to time, at the reference desk. I am therefore biased in  my comments. For at least fifteen years, I cataloged the materials in the local history section of the library and answered some of the questions pertaining to local history and genealogy.

The Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library serves a population of about 40,000, although Owen Sound itself has about 21,000 residents.

There is a separate area in a room that was once the Chief Librarian's office for many of the local history and genealogy books. These books are for in library use only. There is a bench in the room (with my name on it.) but researchers work at the study tables in the adjoining room The microfilm cabinets, microform machines, and vertical file cabinets are in the "Carnegie wing" of the library. In addition, there are many excellent resources that are in storage in the basement that have to be retrieved by staff. The newsletters are housed there.The Bruce and Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society library is on deposit here.

In the circulation collection are mainly how to genealogy books. The library has available on its public computers the Library Edition of Ancestry. There are some genealogy related books in the reference department on the main floor.

The library is open 71 hours a week. Reference assistance is available for most of these hours (not Friday evening or Sunday afternoons).
Now that I have talked about the collection itself, I am to mention some books that help me gain research knowledge. From home, I can check the catalog.

In acquainting myself with some of the useful resources for genealogical research in Grey and Bruce counties Betty Warrilow's book, Tracing Your Ancestors in Bruce & Grey is very helpful.

Althea Douglas' book Genealogy, geography and maps : using atlases and gazetteers to find your family is a guide I would like to review. It may give me some more ideas on using these resources.

One suggestion I often make to researchers is to look at the various family histories in the collection as you never know when your family may turn up. The library has a good collection of family histories that have a connection to Grey or Bruce counties.  

I go regularly to the library to use this great collection.  

© 2010 Janet Iles

10th Anniversary - National Institute for Genealogical Studies

While browsing through old emails and deleting those that need to be gone from my inbox, I discovered an email from 5 years ago - "National Institute: 5th anniversary" dated 4 October 2004 from Louise St. Denis. Wow! If it was 5 years on 2004, then now in 2009, it would be 10 years.

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies and the University of Toronto, PLC, celebrate their 5th anniversary!

On October 4th, 1999 the online course Methodology Part 1-Getting Started was offered for the first time.

I registered for that first course. I can't believe that it was  10 years ago that I took the first course towards receiving my Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies. When I took the first one, I hadn't really thought of retiring and doing genealogical research as a business. I only signed up for the first one but before it was completed, I had signed up for the first year of courses. It took me four years to complete the three years (40 courses).

All the courses were taken online. As part of the first class to take each of the early courses, we saw changes as improvements were made in the courses. I liked how we were able to get instant feedback on our exams. Immediately you knew your mark and what was the correct answers. The questions were true or false and multiple choice but they made you think and read the questions many times. Chat classes done via texting in a chat room provided contact with the instructor and other students. As technology has changed, so has the courses. Chats are entering the world of live voice chats. [Must get the problem with the headset resolved.] Except for several methodology courses, the assignments were done online. Some answers were public and could be read by classmates, and some were private because there was only one correct answer.

I completed my Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies Canadian records in October 2003. Two courses remain to be done to earn a PLCGS in English records. Perhaps, early next year, I will take those courses. As I took each course, I realized there is still so much to learn. This is one reason that I love genealogy.

The National Institute of Genealogical Studies is now affiliated with the University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto.

Happy Anniversary to the Institute!


© 2009 Janet Iles

Have you ever?

Have you ever looked at a workshop title or description and said to yourself, "I wouldn't be interested in that topic because I don't have ancestors in that place"? Did you sign up anyways and take a chance? or Did you stay at home thinking I won't spend the money as I won't learn anything worthwhile? 

On Saturday, the Bruce Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society held its annual Fall Event in Durham, Ontario. They have been doing this for quite a few years now in October or as it was the case this year, in September. They bring to our area excellent speakers, often from Salt Lake City.

This year, Evva Benson, AG from the Family History Library returned to speak. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend last year, as I had a conflict on that day. Last year's topic was English genealogical research. I was sorry that I missed it because I heard how knowledgeable she was and that she gave excellent presentations. My paternal ancestors were from England and I know I would have learned alot.

This year's topic was primarily Irish research with one presentation on Scottish Research on the Internet. Should I go? I have no Irish ancestry, although I do have a first cousin now living in Ireland. If someone wants someone to help them with their Irish research, I quickly refer them to someone who is specializing in that area. I have much on my to do list. Should I stay home and tackle those tasks?

My decision -- I should go. Why?

1 . The food is always good. The Durham Anglican women cater and the meal is always delicious - ham and scalloped potatoes, vegetables, some jellied salads and rolls and homemade pie. [I wasn't disappointed.]
2. I want to see my friends. [I did. There are some that I only see once a year at this event, but it is great way to spend a day with your special friends.]
3. You always learn at least one new thing or you are reminded about something you had forgotten that might help you in your current research.
4. I likely would not have tackled anything on my to do list.

Kathleen Labudie-Szakall welcomed everyone first.

Evva Benson's first topic - was "Tracing the Origins of Famine and Post-Famine Irish Immigrants".
What did I learn that interested me?

1. That generally that pre-famine emigrations were Presbyterians from Northern Ireland and post-famine emigrations were Catholic from Southern Ireland.

2. research strategies that can be transferred to all research (this was a reinforcement of much I already knew).

   - "leave no stone unturned" when trying to learn information especially the place of origin in the "old country" - take a list of places you should research and do it for the key members of the family, siblings, etc. then do it for all relations in the area and then their associates to find missing information. She provided a flow chart that was specific to Irish research but one could be developed for other places of origin.

 - She told about some specific resources that help with surname distribution in Ireland that can be helpful if the name is uncommon and you know father's name and mother's maiden name if they were born in Ireland. If many of the neighbours were of the same ethnic origin, could they have come from the same place? Test out this with the surname distribution resources.  [Note to self: what resources are available for other countries? - Germany - my Stiver (Stoeber) ancestors came with a group under the leadership of William Berczy. Has anyone done a study of all these names using the techniques that she suggested but applying it to Germany.]

After a break, she talked about "Tracing the Scots-Irish Immigrants" and "Irish Records Overview"

Before lunch there was a short annual meeting. The same executive were voted in and all the board members were introduced. Thank you to all of them for all their hard work.

During the lunch break, people visited the vendors' tables. The Grey County Historical Society table was looked after by our past-president.

I had the opportunity to make contact with a person, whose ancestor had written about Owen Sound, in the early 1920s. He wrote his observations of early life in Owen Sound and area as he remembered it. His information is so very interesting. I would like to see his work published. I would like to include, in appendices, follow up research on his writings. [Yes, I know I have other projects that I need to finish first, but making this contact is important. Thanks Betty W.]

Following the door prizes, we settled down again to learn more. This time the presentation was about "Ireland Internet - Separating the Gold from the Blarney".

After a short break, we heard about "Scottish Internet". I haven't done much Scottish research on the Internet.

 - During this talk, Evva Benson mentioned that 70-80% of the OPR (Old Parochial Registers) - pre 1855 Church of Scotland records are on Family Search. A more complete database can be found on the disks at the Family History Centres and at the Family History Library. They are all on  Scotland's People. It is important to remember that these are only Church of Scotland records and that if the family was a member of one of the break away groups they would not be included. This was new information for me.

At the end of the day, there were a few minutes remaining and our speaker gave us a couple more tidbits.

At Familysearch go to Library then Education - then Family History Library Series Online.
There you will find some free online classes. Check it out. They would appreciate your feedback.

The last site was quite exciting for those of us who do English Research - interactive maps She suggested being patient while the maps load. I will have to take some time to check out the features of this site.

So, am I glad I went? Yes! Look at all I learned from the day.

Thank you, Evva Benson! Thank you Bruce-Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society!

Have you ever? - Have you had a similar experience? Make a comment or write about it on your blog.
© 2009 Janet Iles

Teaching night school - genealogy class Week 4

Last Thursday was the last class in the series. Much was covered quickly during the twelve hours.

During the last evening, we looked at using timelines and charts to sort out people with the same name, to ensure we have checked as many sources as possible for events in a person's life and to show conflicting information. Samples were given of each. One example, I used stemmed from some research I did last week concerning a tombstone I had seen at Greenwood cemetery. Those postings are shown on The Graveyard Rabbit of Grey County, Ontario - Tombstone Tuesday - Daniel and Agnes Trotter and Daniel and Agnes Trotter continued. I put the information that I found in a chart so that I can see the conflicting information that I was finding.

Part of the evening was spent talking about various ways to learn more about genealogy after the course was over -- blogs, podcasts, learning centres on various websites, magazines, books, genealogical societies, conferences, etc.

Before wrapping up the evening with a summary of key points, we looked at some websites.

I have uploaded for the students, copies of the presentations to slideshare but kept them private but they can access them through the "secret urls".

I thoroughly enjoyed the four weeks sharing my enthusiasm for genealogical research with the class.

Teaching night school - genealogy class Week 3

When I arrived to teach week 3, I was told I might not have Internet connectivity as the electricity had been out for several hours due to the high winds. Not a problem as that was not the focus of the class. I did check it while I was waiting for the students to arrive and I did have it, so it was there if I needed it.

We began with looking at the obituary that I had given them the previous week. This obituary was filled with lots of information about John Wright and his family. The purpose was to see what we could learn from it and then develop a plan on what more could be learned about him from the clues presented in the obituary. There were lots. Some of the class had done some searching in censuses, FamilySearch and one a reference in a book through Google Books. One census showed a son that was not listed in the obituary. The second wife may not have known about him.

Some had questions about automatedgenealogy searches so we went online to see what they had found. I gave them tips on how to narrow searches with the various filters and the ability to sort geographically.

Next it was time to look at Estate Records and the types of information that might be found in them. I showed examples of Estate records of three generations from my Hemingway family.

Josiah Hemingway's estate papers do not include any reference for the date of his death but includes the date of registration (28 December 1851) and the date the inventory was taken. The will was interesting as he included the stipulations that the heirs could not sue and the decision of three of his friends who were also his executors was binding and that his wife Anna would be maintained out of the property, in lieu of dower, as long as she didn't remarry .

The two eldest sons only received one pound each. [Land records likely will show that they had already received land.] Son Benjamin was to receive 20 to 30 Acres more than Moses. Now this might not have been a problem but Benjamin died several months later on 22 December 1851 without a will and before the property had been divided.

Benjamin's wife Harriet petitioned for guardianship. Six of the children were from Benjamin's former wife. Harriet and Benjamin had one baby. The names and ages of the children are listed. She applied for guardianship to be shared with family friend, Henry Sanders. Harriet was worried that her eldest son William, heir at law would not receive his father's share of property and that it would not be done fairly. The estate papers include detailed financial records as payments were made to old Mrs. Hemingway for her dower and other items such as school books.

These records were very important to me in my research as previous researchers had only mentioned two of Benjamin's children and these had been raised by Anna Holditch.

The third estate papers were those of Pauline (aka Perlina Ann) Hemingway. She died in 1904. Her will lists who would receive money from her estate. Included in the file was the list of the heirs, their relation to the deceased, their address and how much they would each receive. This was needed because of the Succession Act. One brother and one sister were to each receive one dollar. Several in her list were not related and some were cousins. Her half sister was to receive the residue after the division of the estate. After everything was divided, she received $948. This information gives further clues for more research.

The last will I talked about was that of my great-great-great grandmother Margaret Johnston who had itemized the items and who were to receive them. This gives an insight into her life.

We ended the evening talking about citations and their importance with an introduction to the formats used for different types of materials.

Once again, we had a very full evening. Next week is the last class.

Teaching night school - genealogy class Week 2

Once again we gathered with a group of seven.

Before starting on new material, we reviewed the first week's topic by looking at family group sheets and pedigree charts. Several had brought examples of original documents.

The evening focus was on birth, marriage and death (bmd) related records. As with all records, time and place are important factors in determining what is available. We identified many sources where we might find bmds.

I showed an example of my great-grandfather's death information. In 1991, before the death registrations were made public through the Archives of Ontario, I applied for his death registration from the Receiver General's Office. I filled in a form giving his name and date and location of his death and along with my fee, sent it off by mail. When I received the extraction for genealogical purposes, I did not gain much information.

His age is given as 75.

His father's name was given as George and his mother's name unknown.

His son E.J. Iles was the informant.

Subsequent research led me to find the marriage registrations for both of George's marriages -- one in England and one in Ontario and both give his parents' names as James Iles and Louisa Belcher.

In 2008, the 1936 Ontario death registrations were released. I was able to view the death registration on microfilm. Ancestry.ca has only up to 1934 available at this time. Below is a partial shot of the information.

In the upper left hand corner, a note indicates that more information was added after the registration was filed.

Originally, the father's and mother's names were given as unknown.

The date of birth for George was given as 14 December 1860. As secondary information, it is not suprising that this information does not match other sources. I reviewed my findings with my class.

The last part of the evening included an introduction to Ancestry Library Edition and to useful web sites. I have my favourites tagged on del.icio.us at http://del.icio.us/researchergal. [this site is no longer accessible - 2021-07-07]

During week three, I will discuss Estate records, citations, land records and if time permits, using timelines.

Teaching night school - genealogy class

Thursday night, I taught my first night school genealogy class. Now, it wasn't my first teaching venture as I did teach in the elementary school system many years ago (30+). The first year, I taught grade 7 home room, geography, history and conversational French. The second year, I only taught French and that was at five schools.

I have spoken regularly over the years to our local genealogical society. Part of my work in the library was to teach staff mainly about how to use the library management systems. Since retirement, I have taught classes to the reference staff at the library on genealogy and answering genealogy and local history reference questions. I also have been working as a volunteer with the local historical society the last couple of years, teaching our research committee research methodology.

This night school class is going to be fun as it is a small group of eight who are very interested in learning about genealogy. I sense that they are interested in methodology and learning good skills so they can effectively use different resources.

With a small group, we will be able to interact and still cover quite a bit in the twelve hour course (three hours each night) but in that length of time I can provide only a taste of each topic we cover.

Week One - What did we cover?

I used PowerPoint to illustrate my talk.

Introduction of each other and of the course. The course will focus on Ontario records but others will be used to illustrate different points.

• Genealogy vs Family History

Basic Genealogy Processes, etc.

• Sources - Original & Derivative
• Information - Primary & Secondary
• Evidence
• Genealogical Proof Standard (a quick mention)
• Research Process - Having a plan

Then, I presented my ongoing research into finding the parents of my great grandmother, Emily Iles (nee Pugh). This showed starting with known information, information in obituaries, examples of conflicting information, use of Census records in Canada and England, getting help from someone on a mailing list, getting marriage and birth registrations from England, information gained from a website but is no longer available, information found on an extraction but how more and vital information is available on the original record, looking at names of witnesses and how the research still continues.

After a short break, they filled in a questionnaire so I could get further information on their level of experience in a number of areas and their interest in particular geographic areas.

We continued by looking at some of the basic ideas about genealogical research including home is where your story begins.

The last part of the evening was a look at census records. One important reminder in this area was to look at all images concerning a household not just the first image and also to look at the agricultural census. For one household, on the agricultural schedule, it states that only children were at home. I wonder who provided the family information.

We had a few minutes to look at http://www.automatedgenealogy.com/ This site, prepared by volunteers, provides searchable indexes and extractions of Canadian census and then linked to images at Library and Archives website. It includes the 1851/2 census for Canada (now Ontario and Quebec), New Brunswick is in process, the 1901 Canadian census, the 1906 census for Western Canada, the 1911 Canadian Census

We found the father of one of the students on the 1901 and 1911 census.

To prepare for week two, the students are to fill in a family group sheet for either their birth family or their current family and a pedigree chart with what they know.

They are also to bring with them one or two documents/sources of family history that might be useful in their research. We will discuss these next week and ask and answer questions about what is learned, who provided the information, and whether we are looking at original or derivative sources and whether the information is primary or secondary.

Next week's topic will be birth, marriage and death related records/sources.

A very full evening for everyone but I had the feeling that everyone was enjoying the process so far.

Blogging for Genealogists - the Presentation

Here is the presentation that I gave several weeks ago about Blogging for Genealogists.

Blogging for Genealogists (revised)

View more presentations from researchergal. (tags: genealogy blogging)

Of course, you do not get the benefit of my comments but it will give you an idea of what I talked about during my presentation to the Bruce Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. Thanks once again to all the fellow geneabloggers who gave me permission to use screen shots of their sites in this presentation.

GPS - exhaustive search necessary

Genealogical Proof Standard - Why do we need to know what it is? Why do we need to follow its principles?

If we want to have credible information in our family histories and our historical research, we need to follow these principles.

Mark Tucker at ThinkGenealogy has a very useful one page Research Process Map that summarizes the key elements of the Genealogical Proof Standard. He also has a slide presentation Navigating Research with GPS

The following illustrates why it is necessary to undertake an exhaustive search and to write things out and to cite and evaluate your sources. At this point, I am not able to give specifics of the home in question and the individuals invovled. I will try not to confuse you.

Back in November, a friend from the historical society started researching one of the homes in the city and its early owners. I got involved and did some searching of census and vital registrations. I realized that there were two men in the city at the same time with the same name who died about two years apart. As I read my friend's information that she had gathered from a number of sources and I related it to what I was finding, I decided that the two men with the same name were being confused. This confusion had not started with my friend's research.

Time to look at land records to see if that would help sort things out. We looked at the abstract indexes for the property in question. We noted the names of the principal players.

The Bruce-Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society have prepared the "Surname Collection" on microfiche organized by surname. It primarily consists of obituaries but it includes some articles on individuals that appeared in the newspaper. We checked on the family in question and found several articles that helped clarify things.

Not content to leave it at that, I checked to see if the men in question were listed in Surrogate Court Index, 1859-1900 volume 27 Grey County 2nd ed indexed by Elizabeth Hancocks, CG Campbellville, ON : Global Heritage Press, 2005.

Yes, the two men were listed. One where the record was probated in 1885 and another that was probated in 1887. This matched the death dates of the two men. But who was the third one shown for 1900? Since I was curious, I ordered all three films through my public library from the Archives of Ontario.

Well after a wait of two months, the microfilm finally came in this week. Yesterday, my friend and I headed to the library. I decided that since the 1900 record was the mystery person of the same name, let's look at it quickly so that we could spend our time on the other two films.

To our surprise and delight, this record related to the man who died in 1887 (the one who owned the property). A daughter was petitioning the court because the original estate had not been settled before the death of the executrix (widow of the man deceased in 1887). The widow had remarried and her new name was provided. The children were all named in this document.

Next we looked at the probate record from 1887. Yes these were the original documents from when the will was probated. Lots of good details to be gone through here concerning his business and his partnership with his brother.

We then looked at the microfilm for the man who died in 1885. Yes it too was matching up with our previous research. It gave his occupation, his wife's name and the name of his children.

The library was closing soon but there was still enough time to do a little more work. In the daughter's petiton, it said that the widow had died with a will. Could it be listed in the index? Yes it was. It was also in 1900 and it was on a reel that we had brought in. The documents added some more interesting information.

So where do we stand now? What do we need to do?

• The estate papers need to be studied.
• The handwritten documents transcribed. (The writing is faint in places. I will scan them.)
• Key land records should be consullted.
• Finally, a carefully documented paper needs to be written that shows who owned the property.

I will work with my friend on this project. I want to see this brought to a conclusion.

Blogging for Genealogists

During the last few weeks, I have been working on my presentation on blogging for genealogists. Thanks to the assistance of fellow genea-bloggers who gave permission to use screenshots from their blogs, the presentation is coming together very well. It will be a colourful presentation.


I wish I could highlight all the genea-blogs out there, but I can't; but I will point to places where the audience can find them.


The talk will be divided into two sections: reading blogs and writing your own blog. Not everyone will want to have a blog of their own but genealogists benefit from reading the work of others.


Some of the points I will cover

What is a blog and how does it differ from a web site?
Different parts of the blog.

Reading
How to find blogs
How to keep updated on postings - RSS feeds and readers
Different types of blogs with examples


Writing
Getting Ready to blog - Who, When, Where, Why and How
Setting up a blog
Tips concerning layout and writing

The details on the presentation
Grey Bruce Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society
will meet January 24, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.
at the Family History Centre at the LDS church
490 2nd Avenue South East
Owen Sound, Ontario

All are welcome to attend.

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99+ genealogy meme

Becky has developed with the aid of other genea-bloggers this list of 99+ genealogy meme

Things you have already done or found: bold face type
Things you would like to do or find: italicize
Things you haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type

1. Belong to a genealogical society.
2. Researched records onsite at a court house.
3. Transcribed records.
4. Uploaded tombstone pictures to Find-A-Grave.
5. Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents) .
6. Joined Facebook.
7. Helped to clean up a run-down cemetery.
8. Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group on Facebook.
9. Attended a genealogy conference.
10. Lectured at a genealogy conference. (My presentation was only 15 minutes long so I won't count it.)
11. Spoke on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society.
12. Been the editor of a genealogy society newsletter.
13. Contributed to a genealogy society publication.
14. Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society.
15. Got lost on the way to a cemetery.
16. Talked to dead ancestors.
17. Researched outside the state/province/country in which I live.
18. Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants.
19. Cold called a distant relative.
20. Posted messages on a surname message board.
21. Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.
22. Googled my name. (regularly)
23. Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
24. Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.
25. Have been paid to do genealogical research.
26. Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.
27. Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
28. Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
29. Responded to messages on a message board or forum.
30.Was injured while on a genealogy excursion.
31. Participated in a genealogy meme.
32. Created family history gift items (calendars, cookbooks, etc.).
33. Performed a record lookup for someone else.
34. Went on a genealogy seminar cruise.
35. Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space.
36. Found a disturbing family secret.
37. Told others about a disturbing family secret.
38. Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).
39. Think genealogy is a passion not a hobby.
40. Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person (Unclaimed Persons).
41. Taught someone else how to find their roots.
42. Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure.
43. Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology.
44. Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.
45. Disproved a family myth through research.
46. Got a family member to let you copy photos.
47. Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records.
48. Translated a record from a foreign language.
49. Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.
50. Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.
51. Used microfiche.
52. Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
53. Visited more than one LDS Family History Center.
54. Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
55. Taught a class in genealogy.
56. Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.
57.Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.
58. Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.
59. Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.
60. Found an ancestor’s Social Security application.
61. Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer.
62. Used Steve Morse’s One-Step searches.
63. Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
64. Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.
65. Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC. (As a child, I went with my parents as part of a tour of Washington DC. The bus didn't come back to pick us up when it was supposed to and we were bored after 15 minutes! We had no interest documentary American history. We were supposed to go to the Smithsonian Institute.)
66. Visited the Library of Congress but I have been the National Library of Canada on a tour.
67. Have an ancestor who came over on the Mayflower.
68. Have an ancestor who fought in the Civil War.
69. Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
70. Became a member of the Association of Graveyard Rabbits.
71. Can read a church record in Latin.
72. Have an ancestor who changed their name.
73. Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
74. Created a family website.
75. Have more than one "genealogy" blog.
76. Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone.
77. Have broken through at least one brick wall.
78. Visited the DAR Library in Washington D.C.
79. Borrowed a microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center.
80.Have done indexing for Family Search Indexing or another genealogy project.
81. Visited the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
82.Had an amazing serendipitous find of the "Psychic Roots" variety.
83.Have an ancestor who was a Patriot in the American Revolutionary War.
84. Have an ancestor who was a Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War.
85. Have both Patriot & Loyalist ancestors.
86. Have used Border Crossing records to locate an ancestor.
87. Use maps in my genealogy research.
88. Have a convict ancestor who was transported from the UK.
89. Found a bigamist amongst the ancestors.
90. Visited the National Archives in Kew.
91. Visited St. Catherine's House in London to find family records.
92. Found a cousin in Australia (or other foreign country).
93. Consistently cite my sources.
94. Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don't live in) in search of ancestors.
95. Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes.
96. Have an ancestor who was married four times (or more).
97. Made a rubbing of an ancestors gravestone.
98. Organized a family reunion.
99. Published a family history book (on one of my families).
100. Learned of the death of a fairly close relative through research.
101. Have done the genealogy happy dance.
102. Sustained an injury doing the genealogy happy dance.
103. Offended a family member with my research.
104. Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.

Resolutions 2008 - a look back

How did I do in 2008 in reaching my goals that I set out in my resolutions for 2008?

I posted two blog articles personal genealogy research and professional goals. At the mid-point of the year, I reviewed how I was doing.

Learning Goals
I completed one course in English research and I am working on another one. I purchased Legacy this year and I used it to produce a draft genealogy for a client.

During the Genea-bloggers' Group Games, I did some clean up of citations but that will continue. I added information to the history that I prepared last year.

I didn't finish the soliders' project although I did find some more information to include.

I am still working on the filing and sorting of information. I have a large table in the basement that is covered with items that need to be sorted and then filed - either in binders or the appropriate file.

I didn't accomplish everything that I hoped for but I am pleased that I did make some progress.

Resolutions 2009 - How will I do? Check back in 365 days

The 63rd Carnival of Genealogy asks

New Year's Resolutions! What plans do you have for your genealogy research next year? How about for your blogging? No groaning or whining now. Write 'em up and let us know!

Goals have to be clear and specific with a plan of action. They need to be achievable. Last year I proposed a long list of things I wanted to achieve so I will review what I accomplished in a separate blog posting. I am going to make a shorter list this year.


My Genealogy Research for 2009


I resolve to
1. finish the soldiers project
2. spend one hour a week on cleaning up citations in my genealogy program
3. continue research on Emily Iles nee Pugh (write a blog article on Emily)
4. post at least two blog articles a week on this blog
5. post at least two blog articles a month on Graveyard Rabbit of Grey County Ontario.

I have not made a long list this year. Why? Because I think I will be busy with other related projects. I will be adding another web site as volunteer web master and chief writer of the blog for the Grey County Historical Society. I have two presentations coming up. In January - blogging for genealogists for the Bruce Grey Branch Ontario Genealogical Society and in March the place names of Grey County for the Grey County Historical Society. I have been asked to teach a family history course at night school at the end of April. In addition to my personal research, I will have client work to do.

Janet the Researcher's 10 essential genealogy books

My collection of genealogy books is not large when I don't include my texts from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies and the transcriptions of Markham Township, Ontario cemeteries. I live close enough to a Family History Centre, the county archives and the public library to make use of their resources as needed, so I carefully select what I purchase. I try to purchase those that I will most likely refer to regularly for either my own or client work.


So what are the 10 essential books in my genealogy library?


1. Merriman, Brenda Dougall. Genealogy in Ontario : searching the records. 4th ed. Toronto : Ontario Genealogical Society, 2008. ( 978-0-7779-3414-2, 332 pages, illustrated, indexed)

Anyone researching ancestors in Ontario, Canada should have a copy of this book in their collection. It gives an excellent overview of the different types of records and how to find them in Ontario. The appendices give contact information on repositories. Each chapter has references and suggested reading for the topic.

2. Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence explained : citing history sources from artifacts to cyberspace. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Pub. Co., 2007. (9780806317816, 885 pages, indexed)

This is a must have for researchers of genealogy and history. So many examples are given of many types of resources that may be used during your extensive research of a topic, person or family. It is important to regularly read the chapters on the "Fundamentals of Evidence Analysis" and "Fundamentals of Citation".


3. Mills, Elizabeth Shown. (editor) Professional genealogy : a manual for researchers, writers, editors, lecturers, and librarians. Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 2001 (0806316489, xxvi, 654 pages, illustrated, indexed)

This work provides great advice on the business end of genealogy. It is good to return to this book regularly.

4. Warrilow, Betty. Tracing your ancestors in Bruce & Grey. Owen Sound, ON : Ontario Genealogical Society, Bruce-Grey Branch, 1998. (128 pages)
Although this work has not been updated in the last 10 years, it still provides good information on all areas of research in this area.

5. Curran, Joan Ferris, and Madilyn Coen Crane and John H. Wray. Numbering your genealogy : basic systems, complex families and international kin. Arlington, Virginia : National Genealogical Society, 2008. (edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills). (978-0-915156-97-0, 35 pages.

Although the focus of the next three books is on publishing your family history, I find the advice on expanding your research to include social history is worthwhile reading more than once.

6. Yates, Susan. Publish your family history : preserving your family's heritage in a book. Toronto: Ontario Genealogical Society, 2005. (0777921529, 152 pages, indexed, illustrated). This book focuses on getting your manuscript into print.

7. Hatcher, Patricia Law. Producing a Quality Family History. Ancestry.com, 1996. (0916489647, 286 pages

8. Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo. You can write your family history. Cincinnati, Ohio : Betterway Books, 2003. (1558706410, 245 pages illustrated.)

The next two are Markham Township related books.

9. Markham, 1793-1900. Markham, Ont.: Markham Historical Society, 1989. (0969090005, . viii, 373 pages, illustrated, indexed)

This book is the one that helped me make my connection from David Johnston and his wife Hannah Hemingway to Johann Nicholas Stiver (originally Stoeber), one of the original Markham Berczy settlers.

10. A story of the Markham Berczy settlers : 210 years in Markham, 1794-2004 : a story of bravery and perseverance. Markham, Ont. : Markham Berczy Settlers Association, 2004 (1894183495, 92 pages, illustrated)

Ancestors in the Attic - Season 3

Ancestors in the Attic began its 3rd season last night on the History Channel here in Canada.

The show is described as

Hosted by Jeff Douglas, Ancestors in the Attic is an irreverent, fast-paced series that uncovers the personal dramas in your family tree. From the discovery of a birth mother in Scotland, to a lost family in Japan, to a woman’s roots in the Masa tribe of northern Cameroon, Ancestors in the Attic changes the lives of Canadians.Our crack team of genealogical sleuths employ a mixture of CSI genealogy and good old-fashioned gumshoe detective work to solve the mysteries, and unlock the secrets of your past.

The two stories last night were not portrayed in an irreverant way. I found the stories very moving. I had tears in my eyes as the two people who were searching for answers met living relatives and uncovered long held family secrets.


For those of us who do genealogical and historical research, we realize the shows' producers have to condense, the many hours of research that goes in to making these discoveries, in to a short time span. Finding your family on a microfilmed census even when you have the necessary references takes time.

I will be putting this show on my schedule so that I will not miss it.

2008 = Goals Revisited

At the beginning of the year, I posted some of my goals for 2008. As the year is half over, I thought I'd check to see how I have done. Originally, I planned to look at them at the three month point, as suggested by Andrea J. Stenberg at Baby Boomer Entrepreneur. Andrea has reflected on her accomplishments at the mid-way point. I had already begun this process when she posted her recent article.

So, how have I done? Everything we accomplish in life, of course, is not set out through goals that we have thoughtfully considered.

Learning goals - Learning never stops. I wanted to get back to taking genealogy courses so I took an English Research course -- English: Education, Health and Contemporary Records from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. It has been given me suggestions of more resources that can be helpful in rounding out family histories. I hope to take at least one more course this year.

Client work - With every client, I find there is always something more to learn. Research led me to looking at 1840 American census records. I had not previously looked at them.

Personal research - I haven't done much new in this area. Some of my blog articles will provide stories and photos that I will add to my family history.

So, what have I accomplished? I have provided workshops for the library reference staff concerning genealogical and local history questions. I have provided training to the research group of the local historical society.

My project on First World War soldiers has been put to the side for the time being, but I want to work on it during the last half of the year.

I still need to do some work on reviewing my goals for the next quarter and looking at what I can do to accomplish them.

One goal that I did not state at the beginning of the year was to get more active. I have been pleased that since mid-January, I have been walking regularly, mostly inside at our local arena. It is a great location to do it year round. Most days, I have a walking partner and we walk for about an hour, three to five times a week. Taking in to consideration time needed for travel, it does take up a good part of the afternoon, but nevertheless, walking will continue on my list of things that I will do for the next half of the year, because of the health benefits.

Have you looked at the goals -- genealogy or otherwise that you set at the begining of the year? How have you done? Are you going to change them?

Happy Anniversary

Today, would have been my parents' 62nd wedding anniversary. This week, when I was looking through one of the memorabilia boxes at my house, I found a keepsake book "Bridal wreath: a book for the bride". It contains lots of great information that my mom had entered into the appropriate sections.

They first met in May 1939. A friend of my mother's made the introductions. Unfortunately, World War II intervened and my dad joined the army and eventually was sent overseas. Dad kept in touch with her during the war. Dad proposed on April 14, 1946 and gave her an engagement ring eight days later. Under showers and entertainments, she described who had showers and what they received. From the description of some of the items received, I believe I still have some of them.

In 1946, May 15 was a Wednesday. Businesses were only open in the morning, which allowed the working guests to attend the 2 p.m. ceremony. It was a very small wedding, with a guest list of 25, held at the church manse. The wedding reception was held at the home of her employer, W. P. Telford, Sr. My mother's aunt, Margaret and my dad's mom received the guests. The book gives the names of the guests and the gifts they received and the food served. After the reception, they departed on the CPR train and headed to Toronto for a short honeymoon. The newspaper clippings, describing in detail the wedding and her dress and the descriptions of the showers held in her honour, are part of the book.

The wedding dress

The bride's floor length gown was of white slipper satin, the fullness of the moulded bodice shirred to a V-neckline and lace yoke, satin covered buttons down the front to the waistline and the lace continuing in loose panels over the full skirt. The long sleeves had lily points over the hands and her full length veil of white silk net was caught in a cap of lace on her fair hair. She wore a pearl pendant and white satin slippers and carried an armful of red Better Time roses and bouvardia with wide white satin ties.

How fortunate I am to have this book that my mother wrote in the details concerning their wedding.

"The Bridal wreath: a book for the bride", originally owned by Marion Iles and now in the possession of her daughter.
Wedding photograph of Bob & Marion Iles, May 15, 1946, original in my possession.

A Place Called Home

A Place Called Home. Carnival of Genealogy #47. It's time for a geography lesson. Pick out a city/town/village where one of your ancestors once lived and tell us all about it. When was it founded? What is it known for? Has is prospered or declined over the years? Have you ever visited it or lived there? To a certain extent, we are all influenced by the environment we live in. How was your ancestor influenced by the area where they lived? Take us on a trip to the place your ancestor called home.

Three of my ancestral lines called Markham Township, Ontario, Canada home for various lengths of time.

STIVER / STOBER / STOEBER The Stiver / Stöber line came to Markham Township in late 1794, having left Germany in 1792 and spending over a year in New York State. The family was part of the Markham Berczy Settlers.

The 200 acre parcel of land that William Berczy allotted to Johann Niclaus Stöber was at Lot 19, Concession 2 of Markham Township. This is south of the present day Major Mackenzie Drive, between Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street [Headford], near the Town of Richmond Hill. On the Ontario Archives Land Record Index, Johann is called Nicholas Stöber. He received the land by free grant and it was issued July 3, 1797. He received the patent for this land in 1808 but Johann immediately sold it to Henry C. Philips. There is also a lease of land at lot 20, concession 6 [east of what was to become Unionville] dated January 5, 1804.


When the family arrived in the recently, partially-surveyed area of Markham Township, few European people would have lived there. The arrival of the Berczy Settlers of about 200 people is considered the first "systematic attempt at settlement" of the area. By November of 1794, the people were on their land living in make-shift homes. The land needed to be cleared. The first few years were very harsh. Some families left. Our Stöber / Stiver ancestors remained and there are still descendants living in the area. There is some indication that some of the family may have returned to the Niagara Region for a short time but returned when the War of 1812 broke out.

When the family arrived, the area was heavily forested with pine, oak, maple and butternut trees. The main rivers of the area were the Don and Rouge and were most likely were the main transportation routes as there were only trails between homes and settlements. Many of the Berczy settler men helped with clearing parts of Yonge Street going north from York, which became Toronto, the capital of the province. "The first saw and grist mills in York County were built by William Berczy in early days of settlement. They were situated on the River Rouge, on lot no. 4, in the 3rd concession, and were known as the German Mills." [History of Toronto and York County, 1885 v1. p. 115]

HEMINGWAY The exact date of the arrival of Josiah Hemingway in Markham Township is not known but would most likely have been by 1800. The area would still be very much in the development stages as noted in the quote below. Josiah settled Lot 4 & 5, Concession 4 of Markham Township.

In The History of Toronto and York County (1885 v.2 p.290): Josiah was described as follows:

After his marriage, he settled on lot 4, concession 4 of that township, his land then being in its primaeval state; but through succeeding years he and his faithful helpmate after the first of the hardships -- the labourious work of clearing -- was accomplished, got together a very comfortable home. Josiah died in the year 1854, at the advanced age of eighty years, leaving a family of three sons and six daughters. Relative to the early history of York County, it may be mentioned that Josiah Hemingway with his seven and a half pound axe cleared the first part of Yonge Street leading north from Toronto.

His date of death is incorrect in the book. [More on that in a future posting.]













JOHNSTON David Johnston came from Annan, Scotland with his parents and siblings in 1833 and lived in Richmond Hill for about a year and a half. In 1834, the family moved to Uxbridge Township, Lot 35, Concession 5. At what point, David left home is not known. The 1846-7 Brown's Directory shows him at Lot 5, Concession 4, which was the same property that was listed for Josiah Hemingway, his father-in-law. The Roswell's Toronto & York directory, 1850-1 shows him living at Lot 1, Concession 6, Markham Township.

In Lovell's Canadian Dominion Directory of 1870-1 David Johnson, shoemaker is listed as living and working in Unionville, which had a population of about 250 at that time.

Markham Township grew as more settlers joined the original German families that settled the area. By 1842, the township had 5,695 people living there. By 1871, the population had grown to 8,152. By the 1881 census, the population of 6,375 is reported with incorporated municipalities of the villages of Markham, Stouffville and Richmond Hill taken out of the count.

Today, Markham Township, no longer exists on the map of Ontario as a municipality. In 1952, part of the township was annexed by Richmond Hill Village. In 1971, part was annexed by Markham Town, part by Richmond Hill Town, rest by the new Whitchurch-Stouffville Town". Markham is part of the Regional Municipality of York.

Within the Town of Markham now can be found the former municipalities of Milliken, Thornhill, Village of Markham and Village of Unionville. The once mainly agricultural area is a fast growing urban area. From the early days with the German Lutherans being joined by the German speaking Mennonites to the arrival of the English speaking people, Markham has become home to 285,000 of many cultures. Thanks to Heritage Markham, the Town is trying to preserve and remember its heritage. The Town's motto is "Leading While Remembering." Unionville is a beautiful area with the early main street buildings maintained. It is a great place to spend the day.

I have never lived in Markham Township. Fortunately, it is only a three-hour drive. Since 1993, I usually visit once a year for the Markham Berczy Settlers meeting. I have seen the growth of the area. New sub-divisions are being added. The agricultural land is disappearing. In 2004, I spent a week there while attending the Markham Berczy Settlers' Research Days.

To help you locate the area, I have now added a map.



View Larger Map


Sources
All photos are from Unionville, Ontario taken in 1992.

Dunford, Fraser. Municipal Records in Ontario : History and Guide. Toronto : Ontario Genealogical Society, 2005
The 1846-7 Brown's DirectoryHistory of Toronto and York County, Ontario is now available for reading and searching at http://www.ourroots.ca/ Volume 1 contains the history of Toronto and York up to 1885. The Township of Markham in the book format is from p 114 to 124. Volume 2 contains the biographical sketches.
Lovell's Canadian Dominion Directory of 1870-1Markham, 1793-1900. Markham, Ontario :Markham District Historical Society, 1989. 2nd ed. Isabel Champion Editor.The Roswell's Toronto & York directory, 1850-1
A Story of the Markham Berczy Settlers : 210 years in Markham 1794-2004 : a Story of Bravery and Perseverance. Markham, ON : Markham Berczy Settlers Association, 2004