Sunday 30 April 2017

Canada 150 - The New West Era





During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...


Canada's Northwest


The New West Era - 1904


In the 1880s Canada's Northwest was divided into four districts: Alberta, Assiniboia, Athabaska and Saskatchewan.

The New West Era was an illustrated monthly devoted to Canada Northwest, published in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. Another periodical for the NWT is Canada West, published by the Western Canadian Immigration Association. Both have many images, portraits and ads.




I also found an interactive timeline of the NWT. It may not be that good in IE, so try it on another browser like Chrome or Mozilla. Click the dates at the top of the page, slide the canoe for the timeline and click on one of the images for more info. I love timelines!

Update: 1 May 2017 - This is timely... today Library and Archives Canada uploaded images of the Northwest Territories to Flickr.


Relevant Links

The New Era West

The Canada West

Timeline of the Northwest Territories 




Saturday 29 April 2017

Anniversary Number Three!






Tomorrow it will be three years since I wrote my first post. For those of you with farming ancestors, there are now a few posts that may be of interest to you.

The most viewed post for this year was -
History of PEI and Censuses 

...followed closely by -
What is in the Provincial/State Sessional Papers? 

The most viewed post of all time is holding it's top position -
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"

The post All Aboard is now in third place, having lost its second place position to History of PEI and Censuses, this year's most viewed post.

The Resource page is also very popular and I hope everyone is downloading and sharing.

I found that doing a series of posts was fun to write and well received. The first one I did was the War Series in June 2014 during the week leading up to D-Day. The series for this past year are - 
Cigar Box - revealing the contents of my Dad's cigar box of WWII items. 
12 Days of Christmas - a fun take on the original song 
Canada 150 - ongoing for Canada's 150th anniversary of confederation 
High Fives - other blogs I read during the week that get a High Five from me.

Thank you all for stopping by ... what will the next year bring?






Friday 28 April 2017

High Fives - April 28, 2017




Motivation Monday Genealogy, Free or Fee--Part 8, Why I paid
~by Marion B Wood at Climbing my Family Tree
Check out the link for Reclaim the Records.. marriage license and voters lists for NY!
Now.... who on my tree was married in NY??


For Researchers of Huguenots - Family Search Adds Scans From the SHPF
~by Anne Morddel at The French Genealogy Blog
First two paragraphs are about their "civilized" election process (I love the bit about the posters), but the next paragraph shows how to look up at Family Search the BMD records of protestants living in France.
There are many Nolin names listed.  Hmmmm.... food for thought?


Retraction: My Last Post was Wrong
~by Jo Henn at Climbing my Family Tree
(Had me going for a minute - there are two blogs with the same name!)
I have researched a whole wrong family couple of times too. Jo's is a lesson we all learn!


The Gilded Age Craze for the Chafing Dish
~by Camille Hadley Jones at Edwardian Promenade
My Mom was famous for her dinner parties and she used her copper chafing dish a lot.


The Army & Navy Co-operative Society Ltd
by Clare Paterson (post by Jennifer Sweetapple) at University of Glasgow Library blog
The UK stores that began in 1872 and catered to military personnel and their families. In Canada we have Canex military stores (est. 1968) and in the USA it is the Commissary which began in 1867 and is celebrating 150 years.  Check out the other posts in her series this week about the Army Navy store.


~by Laura Stevens at University of Glasgow Library
Click the link at the end of the post to take you to the Wellcome Library and all the Mental Health links are on the left.


Just for fun - take a look at this blog I discovered this week.
My grandfathers two aunts taught at the Strathcona Academy in Montreal so I was googling that to see if I could find yearbooks. I found one - The Strathcona Oracle for the year 1944 on a blog titled Things I Find in the Garbage.
Martin Gregory of Montreal started this blog in March 2012 where he chronicles and sells items he finds in the garbage.  Martin says spring cleaning is a boon to his trash picking as Montreal prepares for July 1 when half the city moves house.
This blog spoke to me because my Dad embarrassed my Mom many times when he stopped to pick a treasure out of someone's trash. My parents were in the antique business for 30 years so I can appreciate some of Martin's find. Click on the Home button to see this weeks treasures.




Wednesday 26 April 2017

Canada 150 - Sergeant Preston of the Yukon





During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...


Sergeant Preston, RCMP, and his dog, Yukon King




This is just a fun one. Even though they were written and produced in the United States, the stories take place in the Canadian Yukon.  If you remember them from your childhood or even if you are new to Sergeant Preston, you might want to take a look.

Sergeant Preston of the Yukon was a radio program that first aired in 1938 as Challenge of the Yukon.



Then Sergeant Preston entered the realm of comic books and TV. The stories take place during the Gold Rush days of the 1890s.  I don't know how accurate the details are, but the TV episodes are short, fun to watch, and remind me of my childhood.


Relevant Links



Sergeant of the Yukon - Dell Comic Books

Sergeant of the Yukon - Classic TV episodes




Monday 24 April 2017

Dentists - Registers, Directories and Periodicals




The only fun thing for me about going to the dentist when I was young, was he would give me a bead of mercury in a small vial to take home and play with. I know, right? That was the good old days.




My Mom had a gold tooth. I had asked her about it when I was young because I had never seen anyone else with a gold tooth, but I never thought to ask her later in life how that came about - it was just always a part of her appearance.





In the following periodicals, look for list of contributors, obituaries, and graduates.

You might enjoy reading Jana Last's tales of her Traveling Dentist ancestor.

Check local libraries for registers of dentists, like these ones at Trove, Australia.


Relevant Links

Women in Dentistry

The Dentists register, UK

Annual report of the Montana Sate Board of Dental Examiners to the Governor

Illinois Board of Dental Examiners

Canada Journal of Dental Science

Biographies of the founders, prominent early members and ex-presidents of the Missouri Sate Dental Association, 1909

Who's Who in Dentistry - United States and Canada, 1916

Journal of the North Carolina Dental Society, 1965

Registered dentists and dental hygienists in Pennsylvania

The Dental Times

Registered dentists, unlicensed assistants and dental hygienists, CT

Beecher's manual and dental directory of the United States, 1884

The Dental Columbian









The Progressive Dentist

Pacific Coast Dentist




Sunday 23 April 2017

Canada 150 - The Dental Directory





During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...



Dentists



Emma Gaudreau Casgrain was the first women to be licensed as a dentist in Canada in 1898.  She studied under her husband, a dental surgeon. She is listed on page 145 of the Directory, practicing on rue St Jean (St John St) in Quebec City until 1920.



In August 2016 Quebec author Sylvie Goebil published "De tendres aspirations", the story of Emma Gaudreau Casgrain. It is her fifth novel.



Relevant Links

The Canadian Dental Directory, 1909

Royal College of Dental Surgeons, University of Toronto, 1896

Article about Sylvie Goebil (French)

Canada Journal of Dental Science


Friday 21 April 2017

High Fives - April 21, 2017





~by Christine Woodcock at The In-Depth Genealogist
I have a rich Scottish heritage on both sides of the family and I find this post very helpful.


~by Simon Davis at Mental Floss
I found this article via John Tew’s Serendipity Saturday post on his blog Filiopietism Prism. Not only does Simon give distinctive names but tells more about them. I wish now that I had been able to do more on my family history before I had my kids, as there are some pretty cool names on on my tree I would have used had I known. 


~by Christopher Moore at Christopher Moore’s History News
I will have to go next time I’m in Calgary visiting my kids.  The Glenbow also has a great online collection depicting life in the west and Metis genealogy.


~by Gail Dever at Genealogy à la carte
I have New Brunswick people and although I didn’t find any there, I did find some info on my Porter family.. plus the many Guimont people that moved to the US in the French Canadian Migration. There is more than probate records available to view.

Also check out Gail’s last week’s Crème de la Crème for some interesting posts, especially the one from Atlantic Loyalist Connections.


General takes new approach on the transition to civilian life
~by Stephen J Thorne at Legion; Canada's Military History Magazine
Finally, someone is taking action, let's all hope it goes somewhere. During and after WWI my great-grand uncle in Winnipeg started a program for veterans coming home from the war. I also think of my grandfather, a well-brought-up, church-going boy who was thrown into a life he knew nothing about and came home a man his parents didn't recognize. He later found the Legion, most members were vets, and it was the only place he could talk about what he had seen and done.




Wednesday 19 April 2017

Canada 150 - Royal Roads College, BC





During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...


Royal Roads Yearbooks


For 55 years Royal Roads was a Military College in Victoria BC, from 1940 to 1995 when it became a public university. You can read about it's history here.


Relevant Links


Royal Roads Annual Photograph Albums 1963-1988



Friday 14 April 2017

Easter Break




There will be no posts this Easter weekend, as I have family visiting.

I will be back Wednesday with a Canada 150 post.

Happy Easter everyone.


High Fives - April 14, 2017



This week I am highlighting articles written recently that I found interesting about the Titanic that sank 105 years ago tomorrow. The articles speak for themselves.


~by Tristin Hopper at National Post


~by Blue Marble Private
A New Zealand paper says to not pack your bags yet, as the price tag on this adventure is $140,000 NZD and the first voyage is fully booked!


~by Ellie Cambridge at The Sun, UK
I doubt my grandmother’s beaver coat would be worth that much today.


~by WCLU Editor at Commemorating the Lebanese Aboard the Titanic


~by Sheron Boyle at Irish Central


~by Dan Bilefsky at New York Times


~by Aishwarya Ramesh at Flysauce


~by Scott Thomas at Tutor2u
A National Geographic short video and a real time video of the sinking


~by Chris at 93.5 WMWV
The cost of this elaborate dining eperience is $225 per person





Thursday 13 April 2017

Crossing the Atlantic in 1745



My husband's ancestor came to New France from La Rochelle, France sometime before the first census in 1666. 




Many New France settlers came from this seaport in the 1600s.

Jacques Nolin was brought to New France under contract for Nicolas Juchereau sieur de Saint-Denis, soldier and fur trader, who was also taking care of the holdings of his absent uncle, Noel Juchereau sieur DesChastelets. Jacques was called Jacques Nolin dit DesChastelets.

Radio Canada tele, Canada's French television station, is now airing a show called...





Ten "colonists" flew to La Rochelle and are now travelling to Quebec City aboard L'Esperance, a three masted schooner like the one my husband's ancestor arrived on. They dress, eat, work and live aboard as our ancestors did many years ago. These modern colonists also had to sign a contract before boarding the ship.

If you don't understand French it is pretty easy to follow, and you can also join the adventure in English on their interactive website. If your ancestor came from Tourouvre or another place overseas at that time they would have had the same experience. 

If you missed the first episode you can watch it online at the network website or perhaps on demand. It started April 11th and airs Tuesday nights on Radio Canada.

I hope it will be a good representation of the voyage and not too much of a reality show. 




Wednesday 12 April 2017

Canada 150 - Victims of the Titanic





During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...


Victims of the Titanic




We are coming up to the 105th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. If you have been following my blog a while you know that in my Shipwreck post I wrote about my visit to a Titanic Exhibit at the Museum in Victoria, and I recommend it highly when it comes to a city near you.

The Nova Scotia Archives is a great place to read and learn about the victims of the Titanic that were brought to Halifax. Some of the sections include...


Booklet titled: Disposition of Bodies ex Titanic




Image of fatality reports for each person




First and Second Class Passengers lists




Check all the links on the right side of the page.
The people of Halifax stepped up and did right by the passengers who lost their lives.



Relevant Links

RMS Titanic Resource Guide, Nova Scotia Archives

Booklet: Disposition of Bodies ex Titanic

Image of fatality reports for each person





Monday 10 April 2017

Libraries



I  always had a passion for reading. We didn't have a library near us where I grew up, but my Mom made sure we had lots of books in the house.  Not counting at school, my first time in a real library I thought I was in heaven. I get the same feeling when I visit this second hand book store we have on the Island that is three floors!  Nothing like the smell of old books.

Some more remote areas had travelling libraries...


When my Mom in her 90's found it too difficult to get out, the lovely volunteers at her local library brought her a bag of books every week, then picked them up and exchanged them for more books.

The local library where your ancestor lived is a great resource for local history and perhaps books that mention your ancestors. And if your ancestor worked in a library, was on the board or committee, or made donations and supported their local library these are the journals to look for.




Most of these list the names of the librarians, and people or business that donated.



Relevant Links

Librarians and Library workers, California 1904

Annual Report of the Regina Public Library

The Regina Public Library (Periodical, Vol 1-4) 1912-1916

Annual Report - Brooklyn Public Library, 1904 and 1914

The Adyar Library report (India), 1913-1922

General Report of the Library Committee, Whitehaven, UK 1889-1919

Annual Report - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, 1897-1904

Annual Report of the Syracuse Central Library, 1895-1915

Annual Report of the Holton Library, Brighton 1865-1873 

Borough of Batley Pubic Library annual report - UK 1909-1915

Annual report of the Warder Pubic Library, Springfield, Ohio 1896-1914



Sunday 9 April 2017

Canada 150 - Vimy Ridge






During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...


 Vimy Ridge


All four divisions of the CEF took part in the attack on Vimy Ridge, so if you have an ancestor that was in the forces in April 1917, chances are he was at Vimy Ridge.

My grampa, Herbert James Mavor of Verdun QC was in the 42nd Battalion, but on the morning of the 9th of April he was appointed acting sergeant and attached to the 20th reserve. They opened fire at 5:30 am from around Zivy Cave.

Grampa's uncle James Mavor of Victoria BC was also at Vimy ridge. He was a Lieutenant with "A" company of the 2nd Mounted Rifles. James was wounded and out of commission for 4 days. He was wounded again at Passchendaele and that wound was so bad they had to amputate his forearm.

During the 90th anniversary of Vimy Ridge, in 2007 the CEF Study Group undertook the "Vimy Project" by gathering all the war diaries for those days for each unit that participated in the attack on Vimy Ridge.. most are represented.




Beside each unit are the dates of the diaries and you have only to click on the date to see the diary for that day. If the name of the unit has 4 stars **** like that of the 42nd Battalion, that means there is a lot of information in that diary.




Relevant Links

CEF Study Group - Vimy Diaries - PDF

Personnel records of First World War - LAC

Abbreviations used in war records

Virtual reality takes viewers into Vimy battle

The Battle of Vimy Ridge - info at LAC 

Vimy Memorials and cemeteries
   ** You can browse War Dead by not putting a name and just use filters.. country Canada, WWI, then next screen where it says "relevance" use menu arrow to change to alphabetic order.





Friday 7 April 2017

High Fives - April 7, 2017



Who was General Wolfe?
~by Karen and Debbie at Culloden Battlefield
Whodathunk? General Wolfe at Culloden! I wonder if my Jacobite ancestor and Wolfe ever crossed paths?

The Battle of Vimy Ridge – the Canadian Corps and its preparations
~by Marcelle Cinq-Mars at Library and Archives Canada Blog
So much thinking, planning and coordination went in to the attack - and secrecy!  It's amazing how it all came together - Go Canada!
LAC's articles about Vimy Ridge are being posted April 3-21 so check them all out. 


~by Diane Hadad at Family Tree Magazine: Genealogy Insider
This one is not so much a “High Five” for me as a “WTH?”
With so much hype about Vimy Ridge and the 100th anniversary of the US entering the war, it is not surprising there are many WWI posts this past week. This is a good article to help Americans find records of their ancestor’s service in WWI.
In the second paragraph, Diane mentions that 650,000 Canadians were in the military… compared to 4 million Americans. Remember that in 1915 the population of Canada was 7.9 million compared to 100.5 million in the US. Therefore by her reckoning .082 of the Canadian population served in the military compared to .039 of the American population.

Right in the first paragraph, second sentence says “See all the countries caught up in the conflict in our timeline of World War I war declarations.” So click on that link and it takes you to their timeline of who entered the war when. Well, what the heck? For the 4th of August 1914 it does not say that Canada declared a state of war. Hmmmm. It was announced in two Extra editions put out on the 5th of August 1914.
The USA declared a state of war on 6 April 1917, three days before the attack on Vimy Ridge and three years into the war.


NOTE: To be fair, most timelines of WWI on the internet do not include Canada's declaration, but some lump us in with Britain. The Library of Congress has an image of all countries' declarations.




Wednesday 5 April 2017

Canada 150 - The Newfoundland Almanac





During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...


The Newfoundland Almanac




Here is a look at what you will find inside...




Relevant Links

The Newfoundland Almanac



Monday 3 April 2017

Reporters and Stenographers





Definition of Reporter from Merriam-Webster:  
one that reports: such as
a :  a person who makes authorized statements of law decisions or legislative proceedings
b :  a person who makes a shorthand record of a speech or proceeding
c (1) :  a person employed by a newspaper, magazine, or television company to gather and report news (2) :  a person who broadcasts news 



My great uncle George John Seale (my Pop's brother) and his friend Joseph William Bawden were shorthand reporters in Kingston Ontario.




Some of their work was very interesting, like this job working on reconnaisance plans for the military...



They also did some work at Kingston Prison recording evidence.



Obviously the government liked their rates at 9¢ a page and figured they were more in line with what is accepted then the rates charged by reporters in Montreal.



This is a copy of the orders for rates of pay for reporters working for the government...



Bawden & Seale were in business about four years before the friends parted as George got a job in Montreal and Joseph got a job in Lethbridge, Alberta where he soon after married George's cousin . 


Relevant Links

Proceedings of the New England Shorthand Reporters' Association, 1892

Annual Convention / National Shorthand Reporters' Association, 1910-1919



The Phonographic Magazine

Bookkeepers, stenographers and office clerks in Ohio, 1914-1929 (pay etc)

Certificates filed in Office of Auditor General in Ireland on Petition and Claim of Six Clerks of Court of Chancery for Compensation, 1823-24

Rate of Pay for Reporters, 1895


Shorthand and typewriter news, 1913-1914




Sunday 2 April 2017

Canada 150 - Portage La Prairie, Manitoba






During our country's 150th anniversary celebration of confederation I will write posts titled Canada 150 with a link to a publication or website I find that may help you tell the story of your Canadian ancestors.
Click on the Canada 150 label on the right or at the bottom to see all the posts.

Today I have for you...


History of Portage La Prairie, MB




Do you know what a fenceviewer is? A pathmaster? I didn't either, but this booklet will tell you who was given the job and what their duties are.




... like this 3rd duty of a pathmaster...



The poundkeepers are responisble for stray or neglected animals



If an animal trespasses and damages a fence, it is the Fenceviewers that decides what to award the claimant.

Any person appointed for these posts not doing his duties will be penalized.


Relevant Links

The Tread of the Pioneers: Portage La Prairie

Person Index for The Tread of the Pioneers (opens pdf)

Rural municipality of Portage La Prairie by-laws 1914 for the guidance of fenceviewers, poundkeepers, pathmasters, etc (lots of names)




By joining our Facebook Group you get other genealogy news from time to time, and you can download pages of links that go with the posts.

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