TheGenealogist adds to war memorials collection

From TheGenealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

New Searchable War Memorials

TheGenealogist has just released over 12,000 records from 138 War Memorials. This means that there are now a total of over 580,000 individuals on War Memorials that are fully searchable in TheGenealogist’s Military records with photographs centred on their inscription. These memorials can give researchers an insight into education, rank, regiment and occupation of an ancestor.

The War Memorial records will allow the family history researcher to discover:
● over 12,000 additional individuals recorded on War Memorials
● additional War Memorials from England and Canada
● fully searchable records which are transcribed from images of the tributes
● colour images of the memorial centred on their name
● a variety of memorials in honour of the war dead from various conflicts

The Map Explorer™ on TheGenealogist can also be used to locate all the War Memorials on georeferenced historic and modern maps making them easy to find. The War Memorial database includes names from the Boer War, the First World War and World War II. This latest release from TheGenealogist covers war memorials from various parts of the UK, particularly West Yorkshire, County Durham and East Sussex as well as Canada.

This new release covers memorials that are not all set in stone or cast in iron. There is the WW1 memorial volume book held in Darlington Central Library for Pease and Partners of Darlington. This firm owned mines, quarries and other works all over County Durham and Teesside. This particular memorial is useful to a researcher wanting to "break down barriers" as it not only gives the rank and regiment of the man, but also gives his place of occupation (which particular mine, quarry, or works they had been employed in) which could aid a researcher to try to get the employment record for an ancestor – the volume is divided into sections for the 543 men who died, over 4,100 who served and details of the medals awarded to 134 of them.

Other employment War Memorials in this release include: Yorks & Lancs Railway locomotive works at Horwich where 122 employees were killed in WW1 and in London the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Braziers recording 37 men who were killed or served in WW1 and WW2.

Additional School and college War Memorials added this time include Petworth Boys school, which commemorates 2 teachers and 28 pupils killed in 1942 when the school was destroyed by enemy action, and King’s College Cambridge where 345 students or former students etc. are commemorated having been killed in both the First and Second World War.

Of further note are War Memorials in Pimlico, London where 67 men from a Peabody Estate who were killed in WW1 are recorded. There is an interesting set of stained glass windows in Grimsby Minster dedicated to 25 Grimsby men lost in WW2 who were members of various clubs such as the Grimsby Cyclists' Club. In this release there is a memorial in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada to 35 men of the RAF killed there during their training and in Eastbourne Town Hall there is a roll of 180 civilians or firefighters etc. killed there in WW2 by enemy action.

These records are available to Diamond subscribers of TheGenealogist as part of their large Military Records collection.

Read TheGenealogist’s article: Using War Memorials to research ancestors from the First World War
https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2019/using-war-memorials-to-research-ancestors-from-the-first-world-war-1213/

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. and Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry Through Church and State Records at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Scottish-Ancestry-through-Church-and-State-Records-Paperback/p/16848. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Free access to USA and Canadian records on MyHeritage

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

Discover more about the lives of your ancestors this Labor Day with FREE access to all US and Canadian census records from 1790 to 1940. Search through this treasure trove of 740 million census records for free from August 30 through September 2, 2019.

For further details visit http://blog.myheritage.com/2019/08/740-million-free-census-records-for-labor-day/

Chris

Order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. My next Scottish Research Online course starts 2 September 2019 - see https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Latest British Connections edition now available for ISBGFH members

The latest edition of British Connections (Vol 20, issue 2), for members of the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History, is now available.

In the current issue I have contributed two articles, one on Irish poor law records, the other on the Irish Registry of Deeds. There are also articles from Christine Woodock, Paul Black, Irene O'Brien, Sylvia Tracy Doolos, Beryl Evans and Maurice Gleeson, covering topics such as English, Welsh and Scottish poor law records, the Scottish, Welsh and Irish naming patterns, DNA, and the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage.

To sign up to the society, and to access the digital magazine, visit https://isbgfh.org

(With thanks to Christine Woodcock)

Chris

Pre-order Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet (2nd ed) for just £11.99 at https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-Family-History-on-the-Internet-Paperback/p/16483. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Hudson’s Bay Company Archives to be digitised

As part of its 150th anniversary, the province of Manitoba plans to digitise the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives (HBCA), part of the Archives of Manitoba (https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives), with help from The Hudson’s Bay Company History Foundation. The project will see the digitisation of over 1000 reels of microfilm copies of records created between 1670 and 1870, and specifically post records.

You can read more about the story at https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/province-digitizing-centuries-old-trading-post-records-to-mark-manitoba-150-1.4317365.

For more on the Hudson's Bay Company Archives, visit https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/hbca/index.html.

Chris

My next Scottish Research Online course starts March 11th 2019 - see www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. Details of my genealogical research service are available at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. For my Scottish and Irish themed books, visit https://britishgenes.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html. Further news published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page, and on Twitter @genesblog.

Canadiana digital heritage collection freely available online

As of today, the Canadiana (www.canadiana.ca) digital heritage collection should be online for free at http://online.canadiana.ca. The following is the press release from last November:

November 15, 2018, Ottawa, Ontario – As of January 1, 2019, 60 million pages of Canadian digital documentary heritage will be available at no charge to users. The Canadiana collections are the largest online collections of early textual Canadiana in the world. The removal of the subscription paywall will allow unimpeded access to this unique historical content for researchers, students, faculty, and all users in Canada and around the world.

Making the Canadiana collections available at no cost to users is a result of the recent merger between Canadiana.org, a not-for-profit charity, and the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN), a not-for-profit partnership of 75 Canadian universities, finalized in April 2018. “When our members outlined the vision and goals of a merged organization, ensuring the widespread access to the Canadiana collections was of vital importance,” states Alan Shepard, Chair of the CRKN Board of Directors and President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University. “Expanding access to this content encourages the study of Canada, both within and outside of the country,” continued Dr. Shepard. “We are proud to have followed through on our commitment to the community in our first year of operations as a merged organization.”

The Canadiana collections include three flagship collections: Early Canadiana Online, Héritage, and Canadiana Online. The Early Canadiana Online and Canadiana Online collections are comprised of Canadian monographs, periodicals, government publications, newspapers and annuals and amount to over 19 million pages. The Héritage collection, developed in partnership with Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and CRKN, includes 900 collections of 41 million pages of archival materials. The Héritage collection includes scans of microfilm taken from some of Library and Archives Canada’s most sought-after archival collections. “LAC is proud to have partnered with CRKN to develop this fundamental collection for researchers, students, teachers, and all Canadians interested in their ancestry and shared history,” states Dr. Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada. “We applaud CRKN’s decision to increase access to our documentary heritage.”

The removal of the subscription paywall and user fee does not mean that there are no longer costs associated with the continued maintenance and development of this content. CRKN and the archival community continue to add to the Canadiana Online and Héritage collections and CRKN is currently engaging with stakeholders to develop digitization priorities. Ongoing costs and support for Canadiana collections comes from CRKN members who have made a three-year commitment to fund the development of the collections and access platform. In the coming year, CRKN is looking to make critical updates to its platform, increasing the ability to find and use Canadiana content. An assessment and review of the content is also required to decolonize descriptions, search terms, keywords, and other classifications to ensure that they are culturally sensitive. CRKN also plans to eventually make the Canadiana collections available as open access which would entail a review and implementation of user rights statements. These developments will once again increase ease of use and access to the collections, eventually making them more readily available in research settings and to the general public.

“Historians and digital humanists in Canada and abroad have been working with digitized documentary heritage to explore our history, culture, and identity. The content in the Canadiana collections has been used by researchers for decades. Removing the paywall and thereby increasing access to this essential corpus of Canadian heritage will allow researchers to use tools and technologies to do their work more efficiently and more collaboratively,” says Ian Milligan, Associate Professor of History, University of Waterloo.

Enjoy!

(With thanks to Ruth Blair @PassionateGenea via Twitter)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Canadian Expeditionary Force service files update

From Library and Archives Canada:

As of today, 608,399 of 640,000 files are available online in our Personnel Records of the First World War database. Please visit the Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Service Files page for more details on the digitization project.

Further details are available at https://thediscoverblog.com/2018/07/15/digitization-of-the-canadian-expeditionary-force-personnel-service-files-update-of-july-2018/


Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

MyHeritage adds 1939 National Register for England and Wales

From MyHeritage (www.myheritage.com):

MyHeritage Releases New Collections with 325 Million Historical Records

Latest additions are the 1939 Register of England & Wales; a unique and innovatively structured U.S. yearbooks collection; and a collection of Canadian obituaries

TEL AVIV, Israel & LEHI, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MyHeritage, the leading global destination for family history and DNA testing, announced today the addition of three important historical records collections that provide value for family history enthusiasts worldwide.

1939 Register of England & Wales

Prepared on the eve of World War II, with 33 million searchable records, the 1939 Register is the most complete census-like collection for the population of England and Wales between 1911 and 1951. This is because the 1921 census of England and Wales is time-protected by privacy laws and will be available online only in 2022, the entire 1931 Census was destroyed by a fire, and no census was conducted in 1941. For each household member, the 1939 Register records name, gender, address, birth date, marital status, place of residence, and occupation. This collection is an extremely important resource for family historians and people with ancestors in England and Wales. The 1939 Register collection is not exclusive, but other than MyHeritage, it is currently available on only one other website. The initial collection on MyHeritage includes an index, without images.

Of the 42 million records of individuals in this collection, 8.2 million records remain closed due to privacy protection requirements, and about 700,000 additional records appear without full names. Records are closed for those individuals who were born less than 100 years ago unless matched to a registered death record. These closed records will be made public and added to this online collection on a yearly basis going forward.

U.S. Yearbooks Name Index, 1890-1979

In December 2017, MyHeritage published an extensive collection of U.S. yearbooks with 36,207,173 pages in 253,429 yearbooks. This collection was a free-text collection allowing users to search by name or keyword. Not stopping there, MyHeritage engineers have been working for the past year to develop an unprecedented automated name index from this collection. The fruit of this work is now released as a separate collection named the U.S. Yearbooks Name Index, 1890–1979. The new collection is one of the largest collections of digitized U.S. yearbooks in existence, containing 289 million structured records. In the new collection, the names of the students and faculty members have been automatically extracted using name extraction technology. The personal photos in the yearbooks have been automatically detected and extracted using picture detection technology, and in many cases the names and the photos have been associated with each other using a third proprietary technology developed by MyHeritage. Finally, technology has been developed to automatically differentiate between students and faculty members, to determine the graduation class of each student and to calculate birth years.

All occurrences of the same name in each yearbook were consolidated into one record with references to the pages where the person is mentioned. The end result is a one-of-a-kind structured U.S. yearbook collection in which names can be searched accurately (with synonyms and translations, which is often not possible in free-text collections), as well as matched automatically to the family trees on MyHeritage using the company’s Record Matching technology. This makes U.S. yearbooks one of the most valuable genealogical resources for family historians today, and this treasure trove of information is available in this unique and highly accessible form only on MyHeritage. The records list the person’s name, school’s name and location, and likely residence based on the location of the school. Where possible, a personal photo is provided. For each person, full access to all applicable yearbook pages is provided. Additional work is being carried out to complete the association of names with photos, and this will be released as an update to this collection in the future.

Canadian Obituaries

A collection of 2 million records documenting obituaries and memorials from the 10 Canadian provinces, spanning mostly 1997-2017. It includes the name of the deceased, the date of death, the publication source including locality information, and the text of the obituary or memorial — in English or French depending on the source. When available, a photograph of the deceased is also included.

Summary

“The depth and diversity of these hundreds of millions of historical records is a blessing for people searching for information about their families,” said Russ Wilding, Chief Content Officer of MyHeritage. “Aside from the release of the collections themselves, we have invested much effort and demonstrated technological innovation to make it as simple as possible to glean useful genealogical information from these historical records.”

The three new collections are accessible through SuperSearch™, MyHeritage’s search engine for historical records, which now contains 8.8 billion historical records. Searching the collections is free. A subscription is required to view the records.

(With thanks to Daniel Horowitz)

Chris

For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Booking opened for Scottish Genealogy Virtual Conference

I am delighted to say that I will be participating in an online virtual conference, Scottish Genealogy Virtual Conference, being hosted from Ontario on January 27th 2018 by Genealogy Tours of Scotland (www.genealogytoursofscotland.ca).

I will be kicking off the event with a talk entitled Finding Your Ancestors Before 1855: Pre-Civil Registration Research. Following the presentation, I will continue to be available online to answer any questions you might have about the information presented. (Have mercy, be gentle, etc...!)

Also speaking in the conference are four fellow presenters:

“Seek and Ye Shall Find” Using the Kirk's Archival Legacy to Unveil the Lives of Your Scottish Ancestors, presented by archivist Margaret Fox

Using the NLS Maps to Build Your Family History, presented by National Library of Scotland Maps Manager Craig Statham

Researching Your Highland Ancestors, presented by genealogist Chris Halliday

Cleared to Canada: From the Highlands and Islands to Canada, presented by genealogy educator Christine Woodcock

All are fantastic speakers, so this is really going to be a great day for those interested in Scottish family history!

The registration fee is just $79.99 (Canadian) and allows for unlimited access to the talks, handouts and the marketplace for 72 hours. The live chat will only happen on January 27th.

You can register for the event at https://www.genealogyvic.com/home-1.html - I look forward to taking part and hopefully speaking to you and answering any questions then!

NB: Here's the really good bit. If you're in Scotland, bear in mind this is a Canadian hosted event, and so it will be starting in the afternoon our time. Seriously - just how more civilised an event can it be?!

See you there! :)

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

TheGenealogist adds names from 53 new War Memorials

From The Genealogist (www.thegenealogist.co.uk):

TheGenealogist adds another 15,000 names from 53 new War Memorials

In time for Armistice day TheGenealogist has added to their War Memorial records on the website so that there are now over 383,000 fully searchable records.

This latest release includes war memorials from Worcestershire and South Yorkshire as well as some further monuments from Australia,Canada, London and various other British counties. A more unusual one added in this release is from Olds, in Alberta, Canada - the memorial is a Sherman tank!

Fully searchable by name, researchers can read transcriptions and see images of the dedications that commemorate soldiers who have fallen in the Boer War, WW1 and various other conflicts.

These new records are available as part of the Diamond Subscription at TheGenealogist.
Read our article on War Memorials that reveal WW1 heros, The neglected Sheffield soldier finally recognised, at: https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2017/war-memorials-that-reveal-ww1-heroes-681/.

(With thanks to Nick Thorne)

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Tracing your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors conference 2018

From the Ulster Historical Foundation (www.ancestryireland.com):

Tracing your Irish and Scots-Irish Ancestors: A Family History Conference
05-12 September 2018

Celebrate 300 years and more of migration, and mark the tercentenary of the 1718 migration with visits to sites and places synonymous with the migration of Ulster and Irish families to the New Worlds (North America, Australasia, South Africa etc).

During our 7 day conference you will be able to shape your own experiences by choosing to either research in the different archives in Belfast and Dublin or join our staff on daily excursions through Ireland's beautiful landscape to some of its most historic sites.

Trips during our 2018 programme will see you embark on a guided through the Bann Valley, the area in Ulster most directly associated with the 1718 migration; walk on the walls and explore the historic port city of Derry/Londonderry, one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe; uncover the stories of some of the earliest people to travel from Ulster to Australia at the Down Museum; visit the Ulster American Folk Park which is dedicated to the story of emigration from Ulster to North America in the 18th and 19th centuries; as well as delving deeper into the past with visits to the Hill of the O’Neill in Dungannon to learn about the 'Flight of the Earls' in 1607, when two of Ulster's leading lords left the island for Continental Europe, never to return and Barons Court, the magnificent seat of the Duke of Abercorn whose ancestors migrated from Scotland over 400 years ago.

These tours are also enlivened with visits to other renowned historical sites of interest across the island of Ireland as you will journey into pre-history to marvel at the UNESCO World Heritage site at Newgrange and look out onto the North Atlantic Ocean from the stones of the Giant’s Causeway.

You will also be able to visit Kilmainham Gaol, one of Dublin city’s most important monuments and visitor attractions and view the beautifully illustrated Book of Kells at Trinity College. All this and much much more!

To see what else is new in our 2018 programme go to: www.ancestryireland.com/family-history-conference/autumn/new-for-2018/

Early Bird Offer

Avail now of our early bird registration offer of only £899.99 (GBP) ($1187 approx.), giving a saving of £50 on the full price of £949.99 (GBP).

Places can fill up fast so reserve your place now, with a deposit of only £299.99 (GBP) per person!

Given the current low value of sterling (GBP) against other currencies now is a particularly good time for overseas visitors to purchase. The present exchange rate values will ensure overseas delegates can make a very tidy saving on the cost.

For more information go to www.ancestryireland.com/family-history-conference/autumn

Or if you have any queries, email: enquiry@uhf.org.uk

Need Help with your Family History Research?

For those of you who are thinking about attending our Tracing your Irish Ancestors conference we would highly recommend the following publications to help you prepare for your time with us.

Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600-1800 by Dr William Roulston – This book is invaluable if you are researching ancestors prior to 1800 from the nine counties of the province of Ulster.

Tracing Your Irish Ancestors by John Grenham – This is the essential guide to researching your Irish roots.

Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians by Chris Paton – This book gives excellent practical guidance on how to exploit online resources.

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

English and Canadian records additions to FindmyPast

The latest releases on FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com):

Warwickshire bastardy indexes
Containing over 5,000 records, the Warwickshire bastardy indexes consists of an assortment of bastardy applications, registers, returns and appeals spanning the years 1844 to 1914.

Berkshire Baptism Index
Over 79,000 records have been added to the Berkshire Baptism Index. Spanning the years 1538 to 1917, the collection covers over 80 parishes throughout the county and reveals details that will enable you to add another generation to your family tree. The entire collection now contains more than 219,000 records.

Berkshire Marriage Index
An additional 67,000 records have been added to our collection of Berkshire Marriage records. Covering the years 1538 to 1933, the entire collection now covers over 156 parishes across the county and contains over 315,000 records.

Berkshire Burial Index
Search over 82,000 new additions to the Berkshire Burial Index. The index now covers 190 Berkshire burial grounds, spans the years 1536 to 1966 and contains over 830,000 transcripts.

Ontario Birth Index 1860-1920
Over 334,000 records have been added to the Ontario Birth Index, a vast index of more than 2 million civil registration records. Civil registration in Canada is the responsibility of the individual provinces and territories and did not become a standard practice until the late 1800s.

Thames & Medway Baptisms
Over 22,000 records covering parishes in Greenwich, Strood, Cuxton, Bermondsey and Rotherhithe have been added to our collection of Thames & Medway Baptisms. The collection now contains over 357,000 records and covers the period 1721 to 1984.

Thames & Medway Marriages
Over 8,000 additional records covering parishes in Greenwich, Strood, Cuxton, Bermondsey and Rotherhithe have been added to Thames & Medway Marriages. The collection now contains over 145,000 records and covers the period 1750 to 1984.

Thames & Medway Burials
Over 8,000 new records from the parishes of St Alphege, Greenwich, St Nicholas, Strood and St Michael & All Angels, Cuxton are now available to search in Thames & Medway Burials.

Further details at https://blog.findmypast.co.uk/findmypast-friday-october-6th-2493386234.html

Chris

My next 5 week long Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs course commences Nov 6th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=302. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Canadian Expeditionary Force Service Files digitisation update

Library and Archives Canada has announced that it has now digitised 491,373 of 640,000 Canadian Expeditionary Force Service Files, available in its Personnel Records of the First World War project site at www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/personnel-records.aspx. The latest box digitised is Box 8363 (of 10686), with the last name included being Robertson.

For more on CEF records please visit www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/personnel-records.aspx.

(With thanks to LAC at https://thediscoverblog.com/2017/09/15/digitization-of-the-canadian-expeditionary-force-personnel-service-files-update-of-september-2017/)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan records added to Ancestry

The following Canadian collections are now available on Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk), which may be of interest if your ancestors emigrated there from Britain and Ireland, particularly if they worked for or settled in areas controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company:

Manitoba, Canada, Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1834-1959
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61513
Source: Provincial Archives of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada. Archidocese of Keewatin-La Pas, Manitoba, Canada.

This collection consists baptism, marriage, and burial records from various churches in and around Manitoba, Canada between the years of 1834 and 1959. Some information found by browsing the collection may date back to 1800, but baptism, marriage, and burial records are only found post-1834.


Manitoba, Canada, Census Indexes, 1832-1856 & 1870
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61494
Source: Provincial Archives of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada.

This collection consists of Census Indexes from Manitoba (Red River Settlement), Canada, from the years 1832-1856, taken by the Hudson's Bay Company, and the 1870 provincial census of Manitoba.


Saskatchewan, Canada, Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1867-1932
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61499
Source: Archdiocese of Regina (Saskatchewan), Archdiocese of Keewatin-La Pas (Manitoba), Diocese of Prince Albert (Saskatchewan), Diocese of Saskatoon.

Baptisms, marriages, and burials from various Roman Catholic parishes in Saskatchewan, Canada. Confirmations may also be found. Records typically appear in either register or paragraph format, and are written in French and English. Some registers may have latin headings, but the entries will be written in English or French. Because of the location and time period of these records, some registers may include Metis families in the old Northwest Territories and in the province of Sakatchewan.


Saskatchewan, Canada, Cemetery Transcripts, 1850-1994
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61500
Source: Saskatchewan Genealogical Society, Saskatchewan, Canada.

This collection includes cemetery records from Saskatchewan, Canada, spanning the years of 1850-1994.

Further details on each collection can be found via the links.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

1921 Canadian Census online at LAC

The 1921 Canadian Census has been made freely available online at the Library and Archives Canada website (www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng).

From the site:

About the Census of Canada 1921 database

If you have ever been keen to research genealogy, a simple search in the 1921 Census database will give you access to a vast amount of historical information, including the following:

Dwelling, house
Family, household or institution
Name of each person in the dwelling, including:
relationship to the head of the household
gender
marital status
age
country of birth and nationality
religion
language
race
literacy level and education
profession, occupation and employment status

Visit the Library and Archives Canada website and start your 1921 Census database search today!

To search the database visit www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/news/Pages/2017/1921-Census-Canada.aspx.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Whitechapel Bell Foundry records deposited at LMA

The latest newsletter from London Metropolitan Archives has revealed that the archives of Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which was established in 1570, have been deposited with the archive. The company was responsible for the creation of the famous bells of Big Ben in London, the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, the Great Bell of Montreal, and London's Bow Bells amongst others, and is the oldest manufacturing firm still working in Britain.

The collection is accessible at the archive under catalogue number B17/040. For more on the history of the firm and the collection's acquisition, please visit https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/london-metropolitan-archives/the-collections/Pages/whitechapel-bell-foundry.aspx.

(Image: Liberty Bell, Wikimedia Commons; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Liberty_Bell_2008.jpg)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102. For my genealogy guide books, visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html, whilst details of my research service are at www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk. Further content is also published daily on The GENES Blog Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES.

Ancestry adds Canadian Fenian Raids bounty applications

Ancestry (www.ancestry.co.uk) has added a new Canadian dataset which may be of interest to those with an interest in Ireland's 19th century overseas attempts to repeal the union with Britain by force:

Canada, Fenian Raids Bounty Applications, 1866-1871
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=61221
Source: Fenian Raids Bounty Applications, 1866-1871. Record Group 9. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

From the site:

About Canada, Fenian Raids Bounty Applications, 1866-1871

This database consists of bounty applications for veterans having served during the Fenian Raids of 1866 to 1871 in Canada.

Between 1866 and 1871, the Fenian Brotherhood, Irish nationalists based in the United States, launched raids against Canada in an effort to force the British government to withdraw from Ireland. The raids took place at Campobello Island, New Brunswick; Ridgeway, Ontario; along the Quebec/US border at Eccles Hill and Huntingdon; and in 1871, an attempt was made to invade the province of Manitoba. To combat the Fenian threat, the Canadian Militia in both Ontario and Quebec was called out on several occasions, often for only a few days at a time. The Fenian scare was so widespread in British North America that the Nova Scotia Militia was also called out from time to time, although no raid took place in the colony.

Decades later, the federal government decided that all those who participated in the defence of Canada during the Fenian raids (and who were still living) would be provided a grant or bounty of $100 upon application under the terms of the Fenian Raid Volunteer Bounty Act (1912).

This database consists of lists of names, applications (2 sided), both allowed and disallowed, for the bounty as well as some records relating to pensions for those who were wounded, taken ill or killed while on active duty.

Application details available may include:

Name of Veteran
Muster Date
Muster Place
Discharge Date
Battalion

To see subsequent pages for possible statements by witnesses and comrades: press the arrow right to go to the next page.

Browse lists of names for Nova Scotia claims which are also included in Vol’s 28-38.

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102.
For details on my Scottish & Irish genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
For my genealogy research service, please visit http://www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk.

Unlock the Past announces Alaska genealogy cruise 2018

Unlock the Past Cruises (www.unlockthepastcruises.com) has officially announced its 14th genealogy cruise is now open for bookings, and I'm delighted to finally be able to confirm my involvement as a speaker - I'm very much looking forward to returning to the US, to see a part of the country I haven't visited before! We'll also be stopping off in the beautiful city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, where I had the pleasure to stay with Pat and Al Hocker two years ago whilst on a talks tour of the province.

This is going to be a great cruise - why not come along?! :)

Announcing the 14th Unlock the Past cruise (Alaska 2018)

Adelaide, South Australia, 17 May 2017 – Unlock the Past Cruises announces its 2018 cruise – an opportunity to discover more about your family history while in great company and visiting great destinations.

The Alaska cruise, 7-14 September 2018 on Royal Caribbean‘s Explorer of the Seas will leave from Seattle, visiting Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska and Victoria, British Columbia over 7 days.

The conference program will feature 40–45 talks in three streams from an international team of 12–15 speakers. No talks will occur when in port or during scenic cruising. An optional full day extra seminar is being considered the day before the cruise to offer additional value to the many who will travel from a distance. This will feature leading north American speakers and a different program.

The featured presenters on the cruise are:

* Chris Paton (Scotland) – Chris is one of the most sought after presenters in Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Ireland, Canada and the US. He has written many books (including nine for Unlock the Past) and numerous articles for genealogy magazines.


* Dick Eastman (United States) – Dick is widely known internationally for his Eastman’s online genealogy newsletter. He has been involved in genealogy for more than 30 years and has worked in the computer industry for over 40 years in hardware, software, and managerial positions.



Other speakers are Dr Janet Few and Caroline Gurney from England, Jan Gow from New Zealand, Shauna Hicks, Eric and Rosemary Kopittke, Mike Murray and Helen Smith from Australia and Cyndi Ingle from the United States. More will be announced. For details, bookings and registration of interest go to www.unlockthepastcruises.com/alaska. US Passport holders have the option of booking with our US travel agent partner, Cruise Planners: O’Connell Travel.

Some comments on previous cruises:

A genealogy conference on the high seas? Not only do you get all the fun of a regular cruise, you have the opportunity to network with other family historians from all over the world. The best part: the lectures and educational presentations are offered by some of the leading speakers in the genealogy industry. And Unlock the Past Cruises has the best selection of destinations and speakers hands down! – Thomas MacEntee, United States, 4th cruise presenter

Only one thing beats a good genealogy conference, and that is a genealogy conference that offers a chance to see a bit of the world, to enjoy some top class entertainment, and above all else, meet many other people sharing a similar interest. It’s also the perfect family holiday, with plenty of fun activities for your partner and kids to get up to on board whilst you’re attending conference sessions! – Chris Paton, Scotland, 2nd, 4th and 8th cruise presenter

About Unlock the Past Australian based Unlock the Past was established in 2009. It is the event and publishing division of Gould Genealogy & History which has served family and local historians since 1976. It is a collaborative venture involving an international team of expert speakers, writers, organisations and commercial partners to promote history and genealogy through innovative major events and a new publishing brand. It also maintains general and events directories online.

COMMENT: Unlock the Past is partnering with Cruise Planners: O’Connell Travel to provide a “local” booking option for those in the US. Terri O'Connell, the principal of this agency, is known to many as a genealogist and co-founder and Executive Director of The In-Depth Genealogist.

Although the cruise is over 15 months away at least two price rises have occurred since Royal Caribbean released the 2018 Alaskan cruise schedules and further increases are likely. Both Cruise Planners: O’Connell Travel and Unlock the Past Cruises hold a limited number of cabins at fixed prices, but it is recommend that bookings, or at least registrations of interest, be made early before our allocations sell out.

It's going to be fun, but you've yet to make your mind up? Ah go on - ye will, ye will, ye will...! :)

Chris

My next 5 week Scottish Research Online course commences Sept 11th 2017 - details at https://www.pharostutors.com/details.php?coursenumber=102.
For details on my Scottish & Irish genealogy guide books, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.
For my genealogy research service, please visit http://www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk.

A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy book on sale in Canada

Another quick note here to say that I have also noticed that my latest Unlock the Past guide book, A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, released last August in Australia, is now also available for sale in Canda from Global Genealogy at http://globalgenealogy.com/countries/england/resources/2590289.htm, priced at CAN$18.

Here's the blurb!

You've decided that you want to trace your British and Irish family history, but have absolutely no idea where to start. If only there was a handy beginner's guide...?

In this Unlock the Past guide, genealogist Chris Paton takes you through the key record sets that will help you get underway with your family history research. He will introduce you to the family history societies and archives that can assist your efforts, and provide a little context to the ancestral landscape within which your ancestors once lived, and into which you will soon be immersed. Along the way he will point out some of the major differences in record types to be found in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

In each chapter Chris also provides a steer towards further books which can further develop your skills as you become more experienced with the subject matter, making this an invaluable introduction.

Warning – once you get started with your family history research, you will never stop...!

And the contents list:

Introduction
Acknowledgements
1. Researching your family tree
- Documentary sources
- Gateways
- Record your finds
- Gadgets
- Brick walls
- Overcome mistakes
- Question everything
- Make your ancestors real
- Damn the rules!
- Further reading
2. Civil registration records
- Basic information
- England and Wales
- Scotland
- Ireland
- Certificate exchange sites
- Further reading
3. Parish registers
- Baptisms
- Marriages and banns
- Burials and deaths
- Locating state church records
- Records of church governance
- Non-conformist churches
- Further reading
4. Monumental inscriptions
- English and Welsh gravestones
- Scotland
- Ireland
- Further reading
5. Cenuses
- What censuses contain
- Online records
- Scotland
- Ireland
- Census substitutes: directories
- Further reading
6. Wills and testaments
- Forms of estate
- Probate and confirmation
- England and Wales
- Recent wills
- Scotland
- Ireland
- Further reading
7. Maps and gazetteers
- Modern maps
- Ordnance Survey maps
- Other maps
- Gazetteers
- Further reading
8. Occupations
- Ancestral context
- Understand the job
- Newspapers
- Dig deeper
- Further reading
9. Societies, archives and libraries
- Umbrella bodies
- National societies
- Special interest groups
- Archives
- Catalogues
- Libraries
- Further reading
10. Social networking
- Facebook and Twitter
- Blogs
- Message boards and forums
- Family tree networks
- Further reading
11. DNA tests
- Types of DNA
- Testing companies
- Further reading
Appendix: The Crown Dependencies
- Isle of Man
- The Channel Islands
Index

For details of all of my genealogy books, and how and where to purchase them, please visit the Books section of this blog at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Enjoy!

Chris
 
For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Scottish and Canadian additions to FindmyPast

Latest additions to FindmyPast (www.findmypast.com):

Scotland Monumental Inscriptions Index
OVER 227 THOUSAND RECORDS An index of covering 209 burial grounds across 14 Scottish counties including the Isle of Skye. Discover your ancestor's burial place and age at death.

Scotland Deeds Index 1769
OVER 1,000 RECORDS Trace your Scottish ancestors through deeds registered at the Court of Session. The records will show the type of deed, the date it was recorded and the two parties named in the original court document.

Scotland, Paternity Decrees 1750-1922
OVER 25,000 RECORDS Was your ancestor involved in a paternity dispute that appeared before Scotland's Sheriff Court? Explore these decrees to discover illegitimate ancestors and break down brick walls.

Scotland Pre-1841 Censuses and Population Lists
OVER 3,500 RECORDS Learn about your Scottish family in the years prior to the 1841 census. Search early census fragments and parish lists from Jedburgh, Greenlaw, Ladykirk, Melrose, Applegarth, and Sibbaldbie.

Ontario Birth Index 1860-1920
OVER 1.7 MILLION RECORDS Find out when your Ontario ancestors were born, where they were born and the names of their parents. These records provide a valuable link to the previous generation and images may include the parents' occupations, marriage place and home address.

New Brunswick Birth and Baptism Index 1769-1899
OVER 25,500 RECORDS Explore this index of civil registration records to find out where and when your ancestor was born and uncover the information you need to obtain an official birth certificate.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.

Australian historian seeks participants for family history study

I've received a request from Dr Tanya Evans, MRes Director, Senior Lecturer and President of the History Council of New South Wales, with regard to a study that she is currently working on comparing family historians and the meanings of family history in Australia, England and Canada. Her request was to ask if I could participate - I mentioned I was none of the above, but an Irishman living in Scotland, and the response was, yes, I want that too!

Tanya's research will involve collecting survey data and a handful of oral history interviews. Her last book on family history in Australia, called Fractured Families: Life on the Margins in Colonial NSW, won the NSW Premiers' History Award in community and regional history. She has also written 2 books on the history of illegitimacy in England.

If you are happy to participate, please contact Tanya at Tanya.evans@mq.edu.au and she will email a consent form and the survey. I completed the survey late last night, it will take a wee while to work through, so I'd allow at least an hour. There were some very interesting questions, I certainly found it a worthwhile exercise.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.