Friday 1 March 2019

Finding an Ancestor in Reports of Commissioners




A Commission, or Royal Commission, is a formal public inquiry created by the government. A commission would be put together to look into issues of importance and usually controversy. Many inquiries can last years, depending on the issue, while the commissioners study causes and effects. The findings are then put into a public report.

So, you ask yourself what this could have to do with genealogy? 
Answer....names, names, names!

On wikipedia there is a list of Royal Commissions of the commonwealth by country. Obviously not all commission reports have lists of names, like the Report of the Royal Commission on the Relations of Labour and Capital in Canada which discusses solutions to some labour issues, but gives salaries for different occupations by province.         

I have come across a few where you may find mention of your ancestors. 
The Report of the Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration (Canada) of 1885 contains the report and evidence, plus further along, tables of names.





For Queensland, the Royal Commission appointed to Inquire into the Working of the Pearl-shell and Beche-de-mer Industries of 1908 has names of pearl divers and merchants. 


  


Royal Commission on Prisons in Ireland was formed in 1882. The report, vol 1, gives names of medical officers...





... but most people, prisoners and prison officers alike are mentioned by their initials only. Return of deaths gives first name and last initial...




Two other commissions worth noting are the 1842 Royal Commission on Children's Employment, which was a three year investigation into the working conditions for children in mines and factories in the UK. Lace schools were very common, usually a room in a woman's cottage where she taught lace-making to young children.

  

There are statements from child workers throughout the report.


Also the 1833 Report of Commissioners inquiring into labour in factories.








At Canadiana Online search "Royal Commission", and to narrow down the search from over 6000 results you can add other keywords or change the search in field from everything to title.

At HathiTrust search Report of Commissions. You can also narrow the search by adding a keyword.

At Internet Archive (many for Ireland) and Google Books search Royal Commission and Report of Commissioners.








5 comments:

  1. I'm definitely going to have to check some of these out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some may have no names but are an interesting read.

      Delete
  2. With everything calling to me to be read, the thought of retiring from the day job gets more and more appealing.

    ReplyDelete

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