The Astronomical Society

When we found the place where we wanted to come to escape the rainy winters of home, we asked a friend if he wanted to come to this area.  No, he said.  Even though it is not a big city, there are too many lights at night.  Our friend is into astronomy and he wanted to find a place out in the country, away from any city lights so he can see what is going on in the night sky.

Perhaps your ancestor belonged to an Astronomical Society...

List of Members, Astronomical Society of London, 1824, pg 523

Also check Canadian publications for your American ancestors...

Associate Members of the Royal Astronomical Society Toronto 1893, pg x, mark 17

Celebrate Astronomy Day on 21 April 2018

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Relevant Links

The American Astronomical Society - Astrophysical Journal

List of Members of The Astronomical Society of the Pacific,SF

Transactions of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada,Toronto

Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society UK w/members list

International Women's Day

For International Women's Day, here are some resources where you may find your women ancestors. 



Relevant Links

Agenda for the quinquennial sessions of the International Council of Women, to be held at Toronto, Canada, June, 1909

Report of the International Council of Women: Assembled by the National Woman Suffrage Assoc., Washington DC 1888

Int’l Council of Women; Report on the quinquennial meetings in Rome 1914

Woman's who's who of America : a biographical dictionary of contemporary women of the United States and Canada, 1914-1915

Rules of the Aston female sick club, w/members, England 1863

Woman's Morning Music Club, Ottawa Ont 1894-95

General Federation of Women's Clubs

Woman's Reading Club - Fort Wayne, Ind.

Woman's City Club bulletin (Chicago)

Woman's Club, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Women Telegraph Operators in the Civil War

New Zealand: Suffregette Petition

Canada 150 - Women's Canadian Club

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 Women's Canadian Club

Try looking at a local library for other Women's Canadian Club - Vancouver, Ottawa, Fort William, Edmonton, etc



Relevant Links


Women's Canadian Club of Toronto 1911-1912

Constitution of the Women's Canadian Club of Montreal 1907

Constitution of the Women's Canadian Club of Montreal 1912

Women's Canadian Club of ST John, NB 1911-1912

Serendipity Sunday - The Railway Club

While doing some research for my grandmother's company, I came across publications of Official Proceedings of the Canadian Railway Club in Montreal, of which the previous owner of the company was a member. As well as being a supplier for the railroad companies he had a relative that worked for the railroad.

The Canadian Railway Club is a non-profit organization started in 1902, and incorporated in 1913, with its headquarters in Montreal. Members of the club are employees of a railway, such as CN, CP, VIA or AMT, or railroad supply companies. The annual membership fee was $2.00

The purpose of the club is to promote industry knowledge and network through meetings and social gatherings.

The Official Proceedings list names of members. Here are others I found.


Relevant Links

Canadian Railway Club, Montreal - Internet Archive

Canadian Railway Club, Montreal - HathiTrust

Western Railway Club, Chicago IL

The Pacific Railway Club, San Francisco

North West Railway Club

The Railway Club of Pittsburgh

Central Railway Club of Buffalo

New England Railroad Club, Boston

The New York Railraod Club

The Saint Louis Railway Club

South and Southwestern Railway Club, Atlanta

Journal of the Railway Signal Association

Richmond Rail Club, Virginia




Related Posts:

Workin on the Railroad

All Aboard!

Boating Clubs

We sold our 40' sailboat this week, after many years of adventures around the coast, and thinking about boating reminded me...

My maternal grandmother Mavor had tucked among her family photos this 1904 newspaper clipping of the Grand Trunk Boating Club.  I don't know if my grandfather or his brother are in this photo, or in fact members of the club.

 I know his older brother Stanley Mavor was a Senior Member in 1924. 

Grand Trunk Boating Club Review 1875-1924, pg 130

My paternal grandparents went canoeing at the Maple Grove Boating Club, near Chateauguay, Quebec. 

Looking around, searching for information, I came across some yacht club and boating club publications, with lists of members. 

Perhaps your ancestor belonged to a boating club. 

Relevant Links

Grand Trunk Boating Club 

Lloyd's Register of Yachts:  British and Foreign Shipping 1902-1903 

Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Toronto

Corinthian Yacht Club, New York 1800

New York Yacht Club 1971

Report of measurements committee of the NY Yacht Club 1883

History of the Boston Yacht Club 1891

Charter and membership roll of the Chicago Yacht Club c1882

17th Annual Regatta, Larchmont Yacht Club 1896

Annuaire du Yacht-club Imperial de Saint-Petersbourg, Russie 1800

Constitution and by-laws of the Quebec Yacht Club 1869

Royal Kennebeccasis Yacht Club, St John, NB

Burlington Bay Boat Club, Ontario 1854

Royal Halifax Yacht Club, Aquatic Carnival 1871 

Royal Yacht Squadron, Cowes, UK 1902

Canadian Canoe Association Meet 1909

Toronto Canoe Club Winter Program 1917

Toronto Canoe Club 1899

Ottawa Canoe Club 1897

Ottawa Canoe Club 1900

Ottawa Rowing Club 1878

London Rowing and Canoe Club 1893

Argonaut Rowing Club, Toronto 1914



The Athletic Club

Like the old Gentlemen's Clubs, the formal Athletic Club was for men only, some taking rooms there.  There were billiard and card rooms, a dining room, and perhaps a parlor for women to take refuge on Ladies' Night, as well as bedrooms or suites for the young men.

Other sports clubs had their own "Club House" while still others met at a venue central to its members, like the Montreal Snow Shoe club met at the McGill gatehouse on Sherbrooke Street. The Clubs were for amateur athletes only.

Montreal Snow Shoe Club at the Gatehouse, 1889 

The Athletic Clubs offered all manner of sports - lacrosse, cricket or croquet, tennis, squash or hand ball, bowling, bicycling or swimming, or perhaps skating, curling or snowshoeing.

High Wheel Bicycle Club Group Photo - circa 1885

credit ''The Stock Solution Photo Agency''



Search others using keywords [name of sport] + club, association, etc then try adding town or state. Check local libraries and archives for information on local clubs.

Did your ancestor belong to an athletic club?



Relevant Links


The Gatehouse at McGill

An Athletic Club House - Thesis, 1900

Boston Athletic Assoc year Book 1890

London Bicycle Club Gazette, Vol I

The Second Annual Amateur Athletic... Sports (Races), England 1903

Athletic Clubs of America 1915

Sporting and Athletic Records 1897

Columbus Athletic Club 1922

Forty-sixth Games of the New York Athletic Club 1891

Souvenir of the Providence Athletic Assoc, Rhode Island 1899

Roster of the Columbia Athletic Club of Washington DC, 1889

Grand CWA Championship Meet: St John's Bicycle and Athletic Club, NB 1896

Club Book: Crescent Athletic Club of Brooklyn

Vancouver Cycling Club, meet of the Canadian Wheelman's of BC 1894

Voyage du Club le Canadien à New York 1887 (Snow Shoe Club)

New York - Turnvereins in der New York turn-halle, 1900

Annals of the Olympic Club, San Francisco 1914

The Olympian: Olympic Club of SF

List of Subscribers of the Victoria Skating Club of Montreal 1874

Victoria Skating and Curling Association of Toronto: list of members 1887

Schedule of games: British Columbia Amateur Lacrosse Association 1893

Potomac Athletic Club 1890

New Illinois Athletic Club 1906

Year Book and Roster, 1905: Missouri Athletic Club, St Louis

Toronto Athletic Club 1891

Athletic Queensland, 1900

Athletic Games and Reception, Company "I", 47th Regiment, NY 1903

New York Athletic Club, various

Ottawa Bicycle Club 1890

Souvenir and program of the 12th Annual meet of the Canadian Wheelmen's Assoc 1894

The Springfield Wheelmen's Gazette, Mass 1884-1886

Bicycle Club Directory of Massachusetts, 1894

Berlin Lawn Bowling Club, Kitchener Ontario 1905

Register of the Appalachian Mountain Bowling Club 1898

Rules of the Halifax Archery and Croquet Club 1873

Montreal Archery Club 1859

Junior Lacrosse League of Montreal 1889 

Quebec Curling Club, list of members 1869

History of the Staten Island Cricket and Tennis Club 1872-1917

St George's Cricket Club, NY 1859

Victoria Cricket Club, BC - various 

Official Souvenir of Police Athletic Association of Greater New York, 1905

The Edinburgh Skating Club 1865




Related Post:  Wild World of Sports

Join The Club

There may not have been FaceBook or LinkedIn in the 1800's, but a Men's Club was a place to meet like minded people and to network when looking for work, or wanting to get ahead in life. 

 

Junior Carleton Club, London 1868

Most clubs had quarters for living or just staying in the city a night or two. There would have been a dining room, probably a game room. A young well-to-do man when deemed too old to live at home, may live at the club before he is married.

There were Gentlemen's clubs and Workingmen's clubs.

Did your ancestor belong to a club?


Relevant links: 

The clubs of New York : With an account of the origin, progress,present condition and membership of the leading clubs; an essay on New Yorkclub-life, and photographs of leading club-men - 1873

 

Constitution, regulations and list of members of the Montreal Club - 1907

 

The Political Economy Club of London, Names of Members 1821-1860

 

The Prince Albert Young Men's Literary ad Athletic Club - NWT 1883

 

National Club, Toronto, Resident and Non-resident Members 1893

 

The Club, London 1764-1905

 

The St James Club, Montreal 1892

The Beaver Club, Montreal 1819

The Rideau Club, Ottawa 1865

Historical Memoir of the Melbourne Club 1936

Halifax Caledonian Club 1861