Sunday 30 July 2017

Canada 150 - Mining in 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...


British Columbia Mining Record




I once had a neighbour who was well into her 80s and she used to tell me stories about her grandfather who was given passage, along with other men, to come from England to Vancouver Island to work in the coal mines.  When they arrived there were shacks built for them to live in and and a store of food to last until their first pay. 

Besides illustrations and maps, check for names of mining recorders and assayers.




My husband is a geologist and he had 2 mine claims in 1989 which he let lapse in 2000. If you think your ancestor had a mine claim, you can do a search at BC Mineral Titles Online. You can do a Title Search by name (make sure you check this option) and click on Client Details - the results will tell you how many claims that person had, and you can click on that to see them.




In the mid 1800s there were two major gold rushes in the BC interior. Silver and copper were also popular ores being mined in BC. 



Relevant Links







Friday 28 July 2017

High Fives - July 28, 2017




~by John at John Grenham – Irish Roots
Finding your British ancestor in Ireland records and v v


~by Donna Moughty at Donna’s Irish Genealogy Resources
No Seale ancestors in defaulters list.  Phew!
But whooohoooo lots of Seale ancestors in the rate books!


~b Jessica Latinović at Ancestry Blog
Submit your story to Ancestry to be in a commercial



Thursday 27 July 2017

You Never Know Where You'll Find a Treasure




This is a photo I recently acquired of my 2x great grandparents, Alexander and Margaret (Bruce) Mavor, who immigrated from Scotland before 1859. After working and growing their family on Ile aux Reaux, next to Grosse Ile, they eventually settled in Waterville, Compton Quebec...




Did I get this photograph from an aunt? A cousin? Some other family member?
No.
I got this photo, along with other family photos and papers, from the great granddaughter of the brother of the guy that married my great grandfather's sister. That's right!

If on Ancestry I had not entered and researched my 2nd great aunt Jean's husband's family I never would have come across some photos that were posted of their house. I contacted the person that uploaded them and we got to chatting. We swapped info and she uploaded this photo for me that was in a box of photos and papers she inherited.

She also uploaded this letter, written by the Prime Minister of Canada Louis St Laurent to my Aunt Jean,and talking about his "old friend", my 2x great grandfather Alexander Mavor and mentions his working for Dr (George Mellis) Douglas who was a doctor at Grosse Ile. Too bad she does not have the photo he mentioned in the letter.




There was also a rather long announcement of Jean's wedding, naming all the out of town guests.  There I discovered clues of where to look for a couple of ancestors I had previously lost track of, and finding them led me to others.

I am eternally grateful.

If you can't find what you want from your immediate family, try going further out of the circle. You never know where you will find a treasure!





Wednesday 26 July 2017

Canada 150 - Medical Journals of Canada






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...


Canadian Medical Journals




Look for names in the news, obituaries, association members, personals and contributors to articles.






Medical cases, treatments and some images.




Relevant Links







Tuesday 25 July 2017

The Doomsday Book




I'm sure most people researching their ancestors in England have heard of the Doomsday Book. The Doomsday Book is a work written in Latin, completed in 1086 by order of King William the Conqueror to make a "great survey" (like a census) of properties and holdings in 31 counties of England tax assessment purposes. You have probably seen references to it in histories of places.




Since this ancient book can no longer be consulted by the public it has been made available online and searchable by place at the Open Doomsday site, built by Anna Powell-Smith. They also uploaded the pages to Internet Archive by county.

At Open Doomsday when you do a search your results will give you a translation of the latin text, an image of the original text plus a link to the whole page.

I did a search for the village of Loddiswell, situated on the River Avon in Devon, and where I find my King ancestors in the 1700s. I learn that Lodeswille was a sizable village of 44 households: 20 of villagers, 10 of smallholders, 8 of slaves and 6 of cottagers. There were 12 ploughlands and 10 plough teams, 1 cob (horse), 4 cattle, 6 pigs, 42 sheep and 11 goats. Other resources consisted of 1 lord's land, 13 acres of meadow, half a league of pasture land, 1 league of woodland, and 1 fishery.




It was deemed to be taxed very low for its size at 2 geld units. A unit is described as a hide, which is a measure of land of about 120 acres, thought sufficient to support one household. In 1086 the Lord and tenant-in-chief was Iudhael of Totnes.

When writing about your ancestors, include the history of where they lived.



Relevant Links

Doomsday Book info at Wikipedia

Doomsday Book at National Archive

Open Doomsday

Hull Doomsday Project

Doomsday Book at Internet Archive

Doomsday Book Glossary

The Doomsday Book Online (info)




Monday 24 July 2017

No Luck of the Irish 3




There have been more publications for Ireland uploaded to Internet Archive and to HathiTrust. These have to do with public records and chancery reports.


In the rolls of chancery, there are two indexes in the back, index nominum (names) and index locorum (places).





In the publication The Jurist are Encumbered Estate Court Records. According to Wikipedia the Encumbered Estate Court...
" ..was established by an act of parliament in 1849 to facilitate the sale of Irish estates whose owners, because of the great famine, were unable to meet their obligations. It was given authority to sell estates on application from either the owner or an encumbrancer (somebody who had a claim on it) and, after the sale, distribute the proceeds among the creditors, granting clear title to the new owners. In 1858, the court's functions were assumed by the Landed Estates Court, later replaced by the Land Commission under the 1881 land act."




Relevant links



















Related Posts: No Luck of the IrishNo Luck of the Irish 2Irish Constabulary Resources

Also click label Ireland



Sunday 23 July 2017

Canada 150 - Illustrated Atlas of Prince Edward Island






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...


Illustrated Historical Atlas of ...Prince Edward Island


1880


This is more than an atlas, filled with cadastres, portraits, and drawings of residences.




There are a few places online to view this Atlas.  At Island Imagined where there is a list of what is on each page, Internet Archive (not very good quality of some images), and David Rumsey Map Collection.

At Rumsay maps, to get back to main page after viewing a page full screen, top right click back to media, then click Related (105). It shows 50 page thumbnails on a page.



Relevant Links




  


Related post:  History of PEI and Censuses




Friday 21 July 2017

High Fives - July 21, 2017




~by Nancy Loe at Sassy Jane Genealogy
Also some postcards from Canada and other countries.


~by Jen Thorpe at Family Tree
There but for the grace of God goes my husband who did two tours as a marine in Vietnam. Still so many soldiers unaccounted for!!



~by the UK Heritage Lottery Fund
Maybe more organizations should get their local youth involved.
Related to this, last February the Minister for Arts and Heritage of Ireland launched an online toolkit for schools to encourage students to learn about their family history. It is also great for genealogists learning to research in Ireland.




Wednesday 19 July 2017

Canada 150 - Séminaire de Québec





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...


Séminaire de Québec




The Grand Séminaire de Québec was founded in 1663 to prepare young men for ordination and ministry in parishes and missions as far away as Louisiana.



The Petit Séminaire de Québec was founded in 1668 and serves as a secondary school, preparing students to enter the grand seminaire.




Relevant Links

Catalogue des officiers et les élèves du Séminaire de Québec









Monday 17 July 2017

Life in Fife


My Lamont (Lawmonth, Lamount) ancestors lived in Largo, Fife, Scotland. John Lawmonth wrote in his diaries of the goings on in Fife and mentions many of our ancestors of the time. The original diary went from 1641 but the first and last bits seem to be long missing, now chronicling from 1649 to 1671. Various references hint that the original went longer than 1671, perhaps to his death around 1675. It was first published as The Chronicles of Fife in 1810, and a later edition in 1830, titled The Diary of John Lamont of Newton (though later proved it was the uncle John Lamont, not his nephew in Newton). He apparently left blank space after each entry so he could add facts later. Many other works of history of Fife refer to facts in the Chronicles.

Not only will you read about life in Fife but you will find entries like this one...


1649, Mar - There was an insurrection in the north parts of this kingdom, so that the garrison of Endernesse (Inverness) was surprised, and the walls of the town thrown down; and upon this, David Lesley went north with some troops of horse, and foot, to surprise them. In May 1649, following, there was 800 men taken prisoners, among whom was the Lord Rea, and some other gentlemen of the name of MacKenzie (who where carried to Edinburgh) and some killed. Upon this overthrow, the rest laid down their arms, so that their lives and fortunes were granted to them, which was done.1649, Mar - My Lord Scotstaruet bought Inchekeith (Fife) from my Lord Glams, and a mill of Kinghorn, with some acres of land there about; the whole bargain amounted to twenty thousand mark Scots money, or thereby.


... and John's version of an obituary!


"1661, August 6 - Sir Alexander Gibson, the Laird of Dury, in Fife, departed out of this life at Dury, about the 32 year of his age. He died of a purple fever, within 12 or 14 days, and was interred in Scoonie Kirk, the 16 of August, being Friday, in the day time. He left no sons behind him, but only two daughters, (the youngest died shortly after,) and his lady with child, which was a daughter also. His brother John did succeed to the estate in April of 1662. In July 1662, thereafter, his lady left Dury, and went to Nuthill, her brother Stormont's house near Falkland; and about the same time, his brother gave up housekeeping at Dury, and went to stay at Edb (Edinburgh). He was served heir to his brother at Cuper the 5 of August 1662; also, August 6,1667, the deceased Sir Alexander Gibson his lady, surnamed Murray, departed out of this life at Perth, of a purple fever also."


This is an interesting excerpt from The East Neuk of Fife - a tavern bill in Largo..



I am related to the Lamonts through Katherine Lamont (daughter of Dr Andrew Lamont) who married my goldsmith James Tait in 1731.

If your ancestors lived in Fife you may find them mentioned in the pages of the following books.



Relevant Links

John Lamont – Dictionary of National Biography, Vol 32, pg 28








Register of the minister, elders, and deacons of the Christian congregation of St. Andrews, comprising the proceedings of the Kirk session and of the Court of the Superintendent of Fife, Fothrik, and Strathearn... 







Sunday 16 July 2017

Canada 150 - Canadian Sovereignty in the High Arctic






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...


Canadian Sovereignty in the High Arctic 


Canada Government Expedition 1908-1909


Arctic Expedition 1908-1909, Joseph-Elzear Bernier affirms Canadian sovereignty in the High Acrtic by erecting a plaque on Melville Island – list of crew members, copies of found documents left by Perry in 1820 and Kellett in 1854, and area of land annexed to Canada.
Photos, portraits and drawings.




Arctic expedition 1910-1911Joseph-Elzear Bernier, officer in charge. Many portraits, photos and maps, plus a list of crew members.





Throughout the book are names of local people who helped the crew and some served as guides...





Relevant Links











Friday 14 July 2017

High Fives - July 14, 2017




~by Serge Durflinger at Legion Magazine
For my friend whose grand uncle died during battle of Hill 70.


~by Chris Paton at The Genes Blog
Hmmmm I wonder which of those houses belonged to my Tait ancestors ?? Love this!
Here is the direct link. I also downloaded the free app to my iPad.


How I Created a Genealogy Timeline to Show my Grandfather’s Life
~by Diane Haddad at Genealogy Insider
What a great idea to incorporate a timeline in a family book! Next time.


~by Anne Morddel at French Genealogy Blog
This was in fact applicable in other countries. Info on Britain births at sea or abroad can be found here.
For Canada the Dept of National Defence at one time issued certificates for births abroad so there may be some records around, but they ceased this practice.


~by Diane L Richard at UpFront with NGS
I have often found useful documents or info in LAC's magazine Signatures
Anyone doing research should subscribe to the magazine put out by their archives. 



Wednesday 12 July 2017

Canada 150 - The Twelfth





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 Twelfth, also called Orangemen's Day



The Twelfth of July is the day celebrating the Glorious Revolution and the victory of the Protestant king William of Orange over the Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne. The battle took place across the River Boyne near the town of Drogheda in the east of Ireland.

The Orange Order is headed by the Grand Orange Order of Ireland, established in 1798, and which records the first parade as having been held in 1791.

According to the Grand Orange Lodge of Canada, "Most historians agree that Orangemen were in Canada previous to 1812 and by 1822 the 12th Parade in Toronto had become the most popular event of the day."






Friday 7 July 2017

High Fives - July 7, 2017





There is no High Fives post this week, as I am away visiting family.
Thank you

We will be back next week with more High Fives!

Saturday 1 July 2017

On Vacation







There will be no posts until after July 8th, as I am on vacation.

I am visiting grandchildren and telling them about their ancestors.


Use the Blog Archive to the right to look up what I posted other years at this time, or browse the subject labels. 


Thank you.



150 Years of Confederation




Today I have for you....


A Proclamation for uniting the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, into one Dominion, under the name of ...

CANADA





Not everyone was convinced that Canada could survive on it's own, as written by various groups, including two men of the British Military. Second Captain Edward Chichester Bolton and Lieutenant Horace Hervey Webber of the Royal Artillery set out to prove that a united Canada would not work...




Being military, their main reason was that the country was so situated that Canada could not properly defend it's shores. They included a map of the Canadian Frontier, east of the Great Lakes, for show-and-tell...



Note the "Uninhabitable Forest"?  I used to live in there, right around the U in Uninhabitable!



Relevant Links


CANADA a Proclamation: Canada Gazette 1 July 1867



(Counter-poison: Confederation is the salvation of Lower Canada; It is necessary to distrust the enemies of the confederation)






Related Post:  Oh Canada




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