Canadian Genealogy & Women's History: Current Ideas, Information & Projects
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
1916 Prairie Census, Canada - films available at Cloverdale Library, Surrey, BC
FamilySearch.org now has a searchable index for this census (no census images). See the link below to do a name search to assist you in viewing the microfilm.
If you are doing Canadian research and living or visiting anywhere near Greater Vancouver in B.C., the genealogy department at the Cloverdale Branch Library is THE place to go. It's the largest collection of Canadian material in the west with knowledgeable staff and a good collection of genealogy guides as well. Both Ancestry Library Edition and Heritage Quest are available - in the library only.
For a look at the Cloverdale holdings and information about Canadian genealogical topics, download a free copy of the Canadian Genealogical Resources: A Guide to the Materials held at Cloverdale Library, 15th edition, edited by Laurie J. Cooke, Jacqueline Haines & Stephanie Kurmey.
If you cannot visit, Cloverdale's Genealogy department offers a limited look up service at a nominal cost for specific records on microfilm, in print or genealogy databases. See the webpage for details.
Genealogy Department, Cloverdale Branch Library: http://www.spl.surrey.bc.ca/Programs+and+Services/Genealogy/default.htm
1916 Canadian Prairie Census index search, FamilySearch.org: http://pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#c=1529118;p=2;t=searchable
Friday, January 23, 2009
Ukraine: An Illustrated History - Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - 15th Edition
Souvenir booklet for Ukrainian Week in Ottawa, Canada, 30 January to 8 February, 1976. 66 pp. Black & white with colour photo on back cover. Private collection.
The image shown on the front cover is a 'bandurist', a singing minstrel ..."known for his songs of heroism and valour."
It’s time for the 15th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy. This will be my first entry in this Carnival. The topic this time is “history books. Write about a history book that you have read or are reading that deals with the history of a Central or Eastern European country or the regions of Central and Eastern Europe.”
Although I have no direct ancestors from Central or Eastern Europe (that I know of), several people in my family married into Ukrainian Canadian families and my mother grew up in an area of Manitoba, Canada where many Ukrainian Canadians lived. I wanted to learn more about these families and thought it a good time to read more about Ukrainian immigration to Canada and about the history of Ukraine.
From school in the 1950’s and later in university courses, the most vivid image of Canada’s immigration policy from the 1890’s was of the immigrants in ‘sheepskin coats’ – the Ukrainian families who were encouraged to emigrate to Canada and take up land on the prairies – in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. I do know something about Canadian immigration policy and prairie settlement, but almost nothing about Ukraine’s own history, so that’s where I decided to start.
The book I chose to read first was Ukraine: An Illustrated History by Paul Robert Magocsi (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007). I did a search about Ukrainian history writing and browsed a couple of library’s shelves first. I picked this particular book because, in his introduction, Magocsi says that “History can best be understood when the reader has access to maps" (p. ix) and I could see right away that maps appear throughout the book and complement the text, photographs and other illustrations. I know that for myself when I am learning about a new place, the first thing I reach for is a map or gazetteer, so I liked Magocsi's style.
Paul Robert Magocsi is the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, the editor of The Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples and the author of a number of books and articles. I was interested to see that much history of Ukraine has been written by Canadians and sponsored by Canadian organizations.
I found Ukraine: An Illustrated History a very readable, well organized and balanced history. Magocsi’s study of Ukrainian history involves a “territorial, or multicultural approach” (p.ix). He stresses the importance of Ukraine's historic regions, even when their boundaries have extended beyond present-day Ukraine and he looks, however briefly, at all the various ethnic groups who’ve lived in these regions. Little history worth reading is without controversy, and I know Magocsi’s multi-cultural approach, particularly concerning the Rusyns, has been criticized, but those new to Ukrainian history like myself will likely appreciate his "territorial" approach. I did find some of the sections on World War II less balanced, even troubling, though.
Ukraine: An Illustrated History covers the history of this area from the time of its first semi-permanent settlements to almost present day. The introductory chapter on physical geography was too short for me, and since the book is only 308 pages, no early period gets too much attention. About a third of the book covers Ukraine’s history after World War I. Although there is little detail about the period I am most interested in, 1890-1914, this is certainly a book well worth reading for background history alone and it has spurred me to read further.
Ukraine: An Illustrated History has 46 maps as well as 16 charts (mainly dealing with population), a good index and excellent illustrations. The only thing missing, I think, is a note on ‘further reading’. However, since Magocsi himself has written many other books, including two general books on Ukraine – A History of Ukraine (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1996) and Ukraine, a historical atlas written with Geoffrey J. Matthews, cartographer, (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1985) likely I will continue on with these.
In addition, I am currently reading two other older histories which I am finding helpful: Peasants in the promised land: Canada and the Ukrainians, 1891-1914 by Jaroslav Petryshyn with Luba Dzubak (Toronto: James Lorimer & Co., 1985) and Early Ukrainian settlements in Canada, 1895-1900: Dr. Joseph Oleskow's role in the settlement of the Canadian Northwest by Vladimir Julian Kaye (Toronto: Ukrainian Canadian Research Foundation, University of Toronto Press, 1964). Both these books are based in large part upon archival sources and discuss to some extent the history of Ukrainian attitudes towards emigration. Kaye’s book is very detailed; Petryshyn’s doesn’t neglect the history of Ukrainian Canadian labour and radical politics. Both books are indexed; Kaye’s book even includes a surname index.
I am also reading two genealogy guides - Ukrainian Genealogy: A Beginners’ Guide by John D. Pihack (Edmonton, Canada: Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Press, 2007) and Finding Your Ukrainian Ancestors by Muryl Andrejciw Geary (Toronto: Heritage Productions, 4th Edition, 2003). I can recommend these two guides as well. Geary’s book is a good introduction to research and Pihack’s book is particularly thorough with extensive suggestions for research sources and reading.
I'm very interested in hearing suggestions for further reading.
To read more about this Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy, go to:
Jessica's Genejournal: http://jessicagenejournal.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Cabinet of Curiosities #13 (Baker's Dozen Edition)
Love the flying pig and the sneaker burger (NOT the dress! although think of the work that went into that). From animal crackers to steamer trunks to fish to human tripods and yeti crabs- this Cabinet has it all, even dust and old book perfume (don't need those though- we have the real stuff right here). Thomas certainly know what's needed for an elegant blogging evening, but no, thank you, grandma doesn't want to find those taxidermists' eyes in her button box...eeewwww.
Cabinet of Curiosities #13 - Baker's Dozen Edition, Walking The Berkshires: http://greensleeves.typepad.com/berkshires/2009/01/cabinet-of-curiosities-13-bakers-dozen-edition.html
The Life and Work of Mattie Gunterman, Photographer - Illustrated Talk, Vancouver BC Canada
The Life and Work of Mattie Gunterman, Photographer (1872-1945)
An illustrated talk by Henri Robideau, photographer and author of "Flapjacks and Photographs: A History of Mattie Gunterman, Camp Cook and Photographer".
Co-sponsored by Herstory Cafe and the Vancouver Public Library, Special Collections
Location: Central Library, 350 W. Georgia St.,Alma VanDusen and Peter Kaye Room (lower level) Free, but seating is limited.
For details : Herstory Cafe: http://www.herstorycafe.ca
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Early Chinese Canadians, 1858-1947 - New On-line Exhibit at Library and Archives Canada
This exhibit includes historical information by author Paul Yee, whose fictional pieces accompany the history, a research guide written by LAC staff, and a gallery of documents and photographs - both published and archival materials, for instance, a signed petition from 1894 from Chinese residents of Victoria, British Columbia to extend the time allowed away from Canada to visit China and a film clip showing a 1918 Chinese funeral procession in Victoria, B.C. But as the exhibit notes, most of these documents are about Chinese Canadians, not by or from Chinese Canadians.
The index is to three sources of immigration information - the General Registers of Chinese Immigration 1885-1949 (often called the Head Tax registers. The Head Tax was an entry fee legislated to control Chinese immigration to Canada). This shows immigrants of Chinese origin arriving in Canada between 1885 and 1949; the Port of New Westminster Register of Chinese Immigration - Chinese immigrant registrations at New Westminster, British Columbia from 1887 -1908; and the Newfoundland Register of Arrivals and Outward Registrations - Chinese entering Newfoundland as immigrants from 1910 - 1949 or leaving from 1906 - 1950.
You can also read an essay by Dr. Henry Yu, from the book, Finding Memories, Tracing Routes: Chinese Canadian Family Stories. His grandfather, Yeung Sing Yew, was among those Chinese immigrants forced to pay the Head Tax.
Visitors to the exhibit are being encouraged to submit comments about their family's experiences and these will be added to the exhibit. Teachers' resources will also be on-line soon.
LINKS
The Early Chinese Canadians: 1858-1947, Library and Archives Canada: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/chinese-canadians/index-e.html
Finding Memories, Tracing Routes: Chinese Canadian Family Stories by Shirley Chan, Belinda Hung, Roy Mah, Dan Seto, Hayne Wai, Candace Yip, Gail Yip and Ken Yip. Editor. Brandy Liên Worrall. Bilingual Chinese/English edition and an English only edition. (Vancouver, B.C.: Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia, 2006): www.cchsbc.ca/
If you are researching a Chinese Canadian family, these two Vancouver Public Library's websites will be of help -
Chinese-Canadian Genealogy: www.vpl.ca/ccg/index.html
Chinese-Canadians: Profiles from a Community, a wiki: http://ccgwiki.vpl.ca/index.php/ccg_wiki
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Cabinet of Curiosities, 13th Edition
Here is Paul Rice's amazing website full of his grandmother, Anna Claudia Cope's, buttons: http://www.pdrice.com/
The Keep Homestead Museum in Monson, MA, USA has Myra Keep Lovell Moulton's button collection. Photos: http://www.keephomesteadmuseum.org
Have a look at the links to learn something more about buttons and those who collect them.
LINKS
Serious button collectors research buttons, talk about buttons, show off their buttons, even make art with buttons. Here’s some photos from the Ottawa Valley (Canada) Button Club: http://www.ottawavalleybuttonclub.ca/ButtonClub/Ottawa_Valley_Button_Club.html
National Button Society: http://nationalbuttonsociety.org/
“Button Collecting: A Lifetime Voyage of Discovery” by M. W. Speights, Editor, National Button Bulletin, from Antiques & Art Around Florida, Summer/Fall 1998: http://www.aarf.com/febutt98.htm
“Collecting antique buttons” by mayanddec, an eBay Canada Guide: http://reviews.ebay.ca/Collecting-antique-buttons_W0QQugidZ10000000000936360
Saturday, January 17, 2009
2009 is Year of the British Home Child in New Brunswick, Canada
Descendants of Home Children, children sent to Canada from 1869 to 1948 as child immigrants by British organizations like Barnardo's, are still working to have 2009 named as the Year of the British Home Child across Canada.
2009 is the 140th anniversary of the arrival of the first group of these child emigrants.
"A special year for home children's descendants", published Saturday January 17th, 2009. "History Province the first in Canada to recognize contribution of the British boys and girls brought to Canada a century ago" by Tammy Scott-Wallace. Telegraph-Journal, from Belleisle Creek: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/542738
For more about British Home Children, see the British Home Children Descendants website: http://www.britishhomechildren.org
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Grandpa Scott and Sandy - 'Walking In A Winter Wonderland' - Carnival of Genealogy - 64th Edition
Not All Misery During Canadian Winter
....Canada as a matter of fact has one of the healthiest climates in the world – our winters and all.... A good many Canadians do not realize this. They have got into the bad habit of blaming the climate unduly and thus disparaging the country. If they lived more in the out-of-doors and enjoyed and made use of the bracing winter weather, they might get over the illusion that this is a terrible country to live in. The greater part of our winter should be a joy to every normally healthy inhabitant of the country.
Manitoba Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 31 January 1927, p. 1
My mother grew up in Manitoba, Canada and always thought we wet coasters in south western British Columbia didn't even know what winter was. I never heard her or my Na complain about winter, except maybe about the slush and wet we kids tracked in on their clean floors.
This photo, signed 'Love Dad', shows my maternal grandfather, James Walter Scott (1885-1947) on the farm in winter at Newdale, Manitoba, Canada with the family's dog, Sandy.
I don't know what date this is, but it was probably in the 1930's as my mum was working in Winnipeg by then, and I imagine the photo was taken to send to her in the city. (She was an only child.) Likely my Na - my maternal grandmother, Amy Estella (Irwin) Scott (1884-1983) - took the picture.
I'd guess it's early in the winter as there's snow on the ground but Grandpa's not 'bundled up' yet. My mum told me once he always wore a hat. This one sure wouldn't keep his ears warm.
I never met Grandpa Scott, but I feel from what my mum and grandma told me of him that we'd have liked each other. My mother used to talk a lot about Sandy, the dog, a lot too. I remember she told me he was afraid of thunder storms and used to hide under the bed. Probably he liked winter as less chance of thunder then, I think.
New British Columbia, Canada Blog - KnowBC
They intend to cover "all manner of BC-related subjects, be they cultural, historical, economic or political." So far they've had posts on BC business history, movie stars in BC, artists, voting, neglected classics (Janet Smith - oh no! not again - a BC 'in' story) and Trotsky. Quite a mix!
Oh, and then there's a poll about changing British Columbia's name. (For me, it's 'no, thank you, I'm British!' - another in joke although it doesn't quite fit. Salish names I'd be interested in though for my home towns - both are named for 'dead white men'. Maybe when the land claims are settled someday...)
Dan Francis was editorial director for the Encyclopedia of British Columbia and he's on the Editorial Board of Geist magazine. His latest books are Red Light Neon: A History of Vancouver’s Sex Trade , 2006, A Road for Canada: The Illustrated Story of the Trans-Canada Highway, 2006, Far West: The Story of British Columbia, 2006, and Operation Orca: Springer, Luna and the Struggle to Save West Coast Killer Whales, 2007. He also writes a Canadian history blog - HistoryWire: What's Past is Prologue - for Historica.
Howard White is co-owner with Mary White of Harbour Publishing, always a very independent company and well known here for the hundreds of great British Columbia history books it's published and promoted. The company's original offerings, RainCoast Chronicles, collections of articles about BC life and history, are now classics and have been reprinted several times. He's also the publisher of The Encyclopedia of British Columbia. My favourite of his own books is A Hard Man to Beat The Story of Bill White: Labour Leader, Historian, Shipyard Worker, Raconteur, 1983.
They'll be inviting others to join their discussions. I hope they'll be thinking of adding some genealogy to that mix.
LINKS
KnowBC: http://knowbc.blogspot.com/
Encyclopedia of British Columbia (Pay site, but there is a 30 day free trial available): http://www.knowbc.com/
History Wire: http://historywire.ca/
Harbour Publishing: http://www.harbourpublishing.com/index.php
Monday, January 12, 2009
British Child Evacuees to Canada - World War II
For most, especially the children privately evacuated, historical records are few. The official evacuation plan, managed by the Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB), sent children to relatives and volunteer foster families in Commonwealth countries - Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa - and to the United States. The National Archives of the U.K. does hold some CORB records and John Reid outlines how to find these and other research sources.
John Reid writes regularly on genealogy with a 'British-Canadian perspective' on his blog, Anglo-Celtic Connections.
The examples given in the article are of children sent to Central or Eastern Canada, but some British evacuee children were sent to British Columbia, Canada and there is some good information on one group of these on-line. In September of 1940, 34 child evacuees sailed on the S.S. Nerissa. One, Bernard H. Atkins, who was evacuated to Victoria, British Columbia with his two brothers, has written a memoir of the trip which is published on the S.S. Nerissa website along with a list of the children on that voyage, their last place of residence and their destinations in B.C.
A Vancouver, B.C. film company some years ago produced 'A Rough Crossing' about World War II child evacuation. Several adults, once Canadian guest children, appear in the film. As the film shows though, not all children were welcome in Canada during this period.
'Guest Children', an on-line fictional story exhibition for children about two British children evacuated to British Columbia, Canada, was produced by Idéeclic for the Canada Science and Technology Museum. The website has ideas and additional information for teachers and students.
LINKS
"World War II Guest Children" by John D. Reid, Family Chronicle, January/February 2009, pp. 31-32
John D. Reid's blog, Anglo-Celtic Connections: http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com
Wartime Evacuation and the Children's Overseas Reception Board, S.S. Nerissa: http://www.ssnerissa.com/?q=evacuation
A Rough Crossing, directed by Teresa MacInnes, Starry Night Productions Inc., 1995. Information and video clip, National Film Board of Canada: http://www3.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=32764#ff-gen
Review by Jonathan McConnell, A Rough Crossing, The Peak, Simon Fraser University, Volume 91, Issue 6, 2 October, 1995: http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/95-3/issue5/crossing.html
Guest Children, Picturing The Past, Canada Science and Technology Museum: http://www.images.technomuses.ca/?en/guest_children/child/intro/
The Human Element - Learning Genealogy from Fictional Detectives
Emily A. Croom has an article in the January/February 2009 issue of Family Chronicle, "Research Advice From Literary Sleuths" (p. 33). Since I am a mystery reader, this is one of the articles I looked at first this month!
The advice she presents from fictional detectives is clear and to the point (although she doesn't cite her sources). Even the most unemotional fictional detective can be 'human' though. I've just been reading Imprint Of The Raj: How fingerprinting was born in colonial India by Chandak Sengoopta who points out that Sherlock Holmes once had examined fingerprint evidence with a wary eye, but later appeared to take its value for granted. (I do recommend Sengoopta's book, by the way. Excellent read!)
I have some favourite fictional quotations of my own. This one, I think, sums up why we don't always take the long research path - why we sometimes jump to conclusions or ignore vital or contradictory evidence.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (Charleston, South Carolina, USA: BiblioBazaar LLC, 2007)
"It is a capital mistake...." A Scandal in Bohemia, p.13 (First published, 1891, The Strand Magazine)
"Data! data! data!...." The Adventure Of The Copper Beeches, p. 289 (First published, 1892, The Strand Magazine.
Preview at Google Book Search: http://books.google.ca/books?id=FkTwORm1r8AC
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Sherlock_Holmes
The Borderline Case by Margery Allingham in Modern Short Story Classics of Suspense (The Readers Digest Association (Canada) Ltd., 1968)
"It's because....", p. 21
Originally published in Mr Campion: Criminologist (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1937) See The Margery Allingham Society, Bibliography: http://www.margeryallingham.org.uk/index.html
Saturday, January 10, 2009
No Ginger Rogers, But Always Ready To Tap, Tap, Tap In The Rain
Who Are You? I Really Want To Know! 9th Edition, Smile For The Camera - KAUFMANN, TRAGLING, SAMKS - see UPDATE 2020
Who Are You? I Really Want To Know! is for the 9th Edition of Smile For The Camera.
Camera Workers: The British Columbia Photographic Directory, 1858-1950 - B - Volume 2 (1901-1950) by David Mattison: http://members.shaw.ca/bchistorian/cw1858-1950.html
Smile For The Camera: http://www.shadesofthedeparted.com/
UPDATE
Edited, 30 August 2020 - I think I've identified both men as Charles Kaufmann and Albert Trayling. Please see my newer article published today.
Genea-Bloggers Visit Ancestry, January 2009
Some genea-bloggers were given a special tour yesterday and had the chance to listen to Ancestry.com's (The Generations Network - TGN) people and to ask them questions.
Interesting that TGN is aware of the power of genea-blogging. Wonder if anyone from outside the USA was invited?
For now, keep an eye on these three bloggers for news about this. I'll post links to other bloggers' reactions later:
DearMyrtle: http://blog.dearmyrtle.com/
Randy Seaver: http://www.geneamusings.com/
The Ancestry Insider: http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com/
Addition - Diane Haddad At the Genealogy Insider (Family Tree Magazine-USA) has just posted her first comments on this trip:
http://blog.familytreemagazine.com/insider/New+And+Next+At+Ancestrycom.aspx
No real international content news yet - maybe Internet Genealogy/Family Chronicle need their own visible blogger? (mmmm...) Leland Meitzler of the Genealogy Blog wasn't invited, but I think/hope he will be commenting: http://www.genealogyblog.com/
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Oldest Working Fridge in British Columbia, Canada - BC Hydro Contest
The oldest found, from Surrey, BC, is a 1930's Frigidaire, but the most unique was found in Powell River, BC - a turquoise 1957 GE. Wow!
If I had a fridge like that, I' d keep it even just to store things in it! Our 1950's fridge was a pain as I remember; nothing 'modern' like this one. Twink, the cat, loved our old fridge though - she slept underneath near the warm motor.
Have a look at these two winning fridges here: http://www.bchydro.com/news/articles/conservation/fridge_relics_contest.html?WT.mc_id=c-09-01_relics
What kind of fridges (or iceboxes?) do you remember??
Monday, January 05, 2009
99 Things Meme - Now 110 Things!
When it entered the genea-sphere though, it transformed into the 99+Genealogical Things Meme. Have a look at Kinexxions post link below to see how that happened. I've added a few too and made a few small changes.
The list is annotated in the following manner:
-Things you’ve already done: bold face type
-Things you’d like to do: italicize
-Things you haven’t done and don’t care to: plain type.
- Belong to a genealogical society.
- Researched records on site at a court house in the U.S.A.
- Transcribed records.
- Uploaded tombstone pictures to Find-A-Grave.
- Documented ancestors for four generations (self, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents)
- Joined Facebook.
- Cleaned up a run-down cemetery.
- Joined the Genea-Bloggers Group.
- Attended a genealogy conference.
- Lectured at a genealogy conference. *Lectured at history conferences though.
- Spoken on a genealogy topic at a local genealogy society.
- Been the editor of a genealogy society newsletter.
- Contributed to a genealogy society publication.
- Served on the board or as an officer of a genealogy society.
- Got lost on the way to a cemetery.
- Talked to dead ancestors. (But haven't heard any answers, yet.)
- Researched outside the state/province/county/canton etc. in which I live.
- Knocked on the door of an ancestral home and visited with the current occupants.
- Cold called a distant relative.
- Posted messages on a surname message board.
- Uploaded a gedcom file to the internet.
- Googled my name.
- Performed a random act of genealogical kindness.
- Researched a non-related family, just for the fun of it.
- Have been paid to do genealogical research.
- Earn a living (majority of income) from genealogical research.
- Wrote a letter (or email) to a previously unknown relative.
- Contributed to one of the genealogy carnivals.
- Responded to messages on a message board.
- Was injured while on a genealogy excursion.
- Participated in a genealogy meme.
- Created family history gift items (calendars, cookbooks, etc.).
- Performed a record lookup.
- Took a genealogy seminar cruise.
- Am convinced that a relative must have arrived here from outer space.
- Found a disturbing family secret.
- Told others about a disturbing family secret.
- Combined genealogy with crafts (family picture quilt, scrapbooking).
- Think genealogy is a passion not a hobby.
- Assisted finding next of kin for a deceased person (Unclaimed Persons).
- Taught someone else how to find their roots.
- Lost valuable genealogy data due to a computer crash or hard drive failure.
- Been overwhelmed by available genealogy technology.
- Know a cousin of the 4th degree or higher.
- Disproved a family myth through research.
- Got a family member to let you copy photos.
- Used a digital camera to “copy” photos or records
- Translated a record from a foreign language. *I won't count my dictionary/software tries.
- Found an immigrant ancestor’s passenger arrival record.
- Looked at census records on microfilm, not on the computer.
- Used microfiche.
- Visited the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
- Visited more than one LDS Family History Center.
- Visited a church or place of worship of one of your ancestors.
- Taught a class in genealogy.
- Traced ancestors back to the 18th Century.
- Traced ancestors back to the 17th Century.
- Traced ancestors back to the 16th Century.
- Can name all of your great-great-grandparents.
- Found an ancestor’s Social Security application. *Not often applicable outside U.S.A.
- Know how to determine a soundex code without the help of a computer. *If I have my notes!
- Used Steve Morse’s One-Step searches.
- Own a copy of Evidence Explained by Elizabeth Shown Mills.
- Helped someone find an ancestor using records you had never used for your own research.
- Visited the main National Archives building in Washington, DC.
- Visited the Library of Congress.
- Have an ancestor who came over on the Mayflower. *I have some connections who said they did!
- Have an ancestor who fought or died in a civil or revolutionary war or action, or in an international war.
- Taken a photograph of an ancestor’s tombstone.
- Became a member of the Association of Graveyard Rabbits.
- Can read a church record in Latin.
- Have an ancestor who changed their name.
- Joined a Rootsweb mailing list.
- Created a family website.
- Have more than one "genealogy" blog.
- Was overwhelmed by the amount of family information received from someone.
- Have broken through at least one brick wall.
- Visited the DAR Library in Washington D.C.
- Borrowed microfilm from the Family History Library through a local Family History Center.
- Have done indexing for Family Search Indexing or another genealogy project.
- Visited the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
- Had an amazing serendipitous find of the "Psychic Roots" variety.
- Have an ancestor who was a Patriot in the American Revolutionary War.
- Have an ancestor who was a Loyalist in the American Revolutionary War.
- Have both Patriot & Loyalist ancestors, as above.
- Have used Border Crossing records to locate an ancestor.
- Use maps in my genealogy research.
- Have a convict ancestor who was transported from the UK.
- Found a bigamist amongst the ancestors. *Well, she was the wife of my ancestor! He divorced her eventually - more scandal.
- Visited The National Archives in Kew, England.
- Visited St. Catherine's House in London, England to find family records. *Yes, I am that old - I've also been to the later Family Records Centre in London, now closed.
- Found a cousin in Australia (or other foreign country). Also in the U.S.A., Sweden, South Africa, etc.
- Consistently cite my sources. *I hope I'm consistent but I am NOT perfect.
- Visited a foreign country (i.e. one I don't live in) in search of ancestors.
- Can locate any document in my research files within a few minutes. *Unless it's imperative that I have it in minutes.
- Have an ancestor who was married four times (or more).
- Made a rubbing of an ancestors gravestone.
- Organized a family reunion.
- Published a family history book (on one of my families).
- Learned of the death of a fairly close relative through research.
- Have done the genealogy happy dance. * I have also quietly 'shouted' BINGO! in a tip toe quiet academic library's microfilm room. Saw some smiles.
- Sustained an injury doing the genealogy happy dance.
- Offended a family member with my research. *Ouch, I think I just upset my daughter with my on-line tombstone. Oh, well, I know now what my epitaph will likely be, if not, 'She was a strange lady, but loved..."
- Reunited someone with precious family photos or artifacts.
- Uploaded photos to DeadFred.
- Contributed to a GenWeb site.
- Visited your own country's national Archives facility or national Library to research your ancestors.
- Visited a museum for information or to see artifacts belonging or relating to your family.
- Recorded a whole cemetery.
- Looked up applicable census and other records on-line while watching a television biography or non-fiction feature.
To follow this Meme, see The 99 Things Meme, Kinexxions: http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2009/01/99-things-meme.html
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Rosemary Brown, BC Activist and Politician, Honoured on New Canadian Stamp
She emigrated from Jamaica to Montreal, Canada in the 1950s where she attended McGill University. This was the first time she encountered racism herself.
In the early 1960s, she came to live in British Columbia, Canada with her husband, Bill Brown. Both were members of the British Columbia Association for the Advancement of Coloured People and she joined the Voice of Women, then the Vancouver Status of Women.
In 1972, she became the first black woman to be elected to public office in Canada when she won a seat in the British Columbia legislature and, later, she was also the first black woman (and the second woman) to run for the leadership of a Canadian federal political party.
Her political career spanned 14 years. After that, in the 1980's, she became the CEO of MATCH International, one of my 'favourite' NGOs, and international development and human rights, especially for women, became her main focus.
She was named to the Order of British Columbia in 1995 and named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1996 - as "a champion of women's and minority rights and a political and social activist whose contributions to democratic and social processes are exceptional."
For more about Rosemary Brown and women in British Columbia politics, I recommend Anne Edwards' new book, Seeking Balance: Conversations With BC Women In Politics (available from Caitlin Press, 2008: www.caitlin-press.com
I certainly look forward to seeing and sending this stamp. I am only sorry that Canada Post has missed the opportunity to honour Rosemary Brown's legacy by making this a joint commemoration of Black History Month in February and of International Women's Day in March.
LINKS
Rosemary Brown, brief biography, Heroines.ca: www.heroines.ca/people/brown.html
Order of Canada: www.gg.ca/honours/nat-ord/oc/index_e.asp
Order of British Columbia: www.protocol.gov.bc.ca/protocol/prgs/obc/obc.htm
MATCHInternational: www.matchinternational.org
Black History, Canada, Historica: http://blackhistorycanada.ca
International Women's Day: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/default.asp
Saturday, January 03, 2009
New Year's Resolutions - 63rd Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy
Tomorrow I'll be reading over all these with my coffee - wish there was some fruitcake left to go with that, Jasia. I love fruitcake! It would help me deal with being 'snowed in' here again. We just aren't ever ready for this.
And then the topic for the next Carnival of Genealogy is: A Winter Photo Essay. Show us those wintertime photo(s) of your ancestors or family members and tell us the story that goes along with them. Winter is here! Let's record it and celebrate it! The deadline for submissions is January 15th.
Creative Gene, Carnival of Genealogy, 63rd Edition: http://creativegene.blogspot.com/2009/01/carnival-of-genealogy-63rd-edition.html
Thursday, January 01, 2009
New Year's Resolutions! Carnival of Genealogy - 63rd Edition
1. Scan more photos and scrap more photos - about my brother and myself. Attend 2 scrap nights; schedule some time for fun photos to mix with the older ones.
Data Backup Day!
I backed up many of my computer files again, and now I have backup copies of my 2 blogs since Blogger has made this so easy. I even rearranged some files on my external backup drive.
Usually I do back up computer files every Wednesday (my anti-procrastination day), or special files every day if I'm working on a big project, but I have also now arranged to receive a 'hassle' e-mail every 10 days reminding me to back up both my personal blogs from http://www.hassleme.co.uk/. If you keep forgetting to back up, and don't have a reliable human to give you a gentle reminder, try hassleme. It's free (but a donation is always appreciated).
Backup Your Blogger-Based Blog, Thomas MacEntee, Bootcamp for Genea-Bloggers...: http://fbbootcamp.blogspot.com/2008/12/backup-your-blogger-based-blog.html
Data Backup Day, Genea-Blogger Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=42197774095