Genealogy gems found in Newspapers

Newspapers can yield much more than birth and marriage announcements and obituaries. Not every newspaper prints the same columns in every issue or every year, but I have found ancestors listed in unexpected ways.

Sometimes you know of an event to do with your ancestor, but you don't know the date it occurred. 

I knew from censuses that one great-great-grandfather was a victualer, but since when? Then I found in the newspaper when he bought and sold his license under License Transfers in Liverpool.

I knew that another great-great-grandfather sold his farm and moved in to town, but I didn't know when. I found it under Property Transfers in the regional newspaper.

My great-great-grandmother traveled from Montreal to Bisbee, AZ when her daughter died and spent a night in a hotel in Tombstone. Look for Hotel Arrivals. 

Under Shipping News or equivalent the newspapers sometimes printed a passenger list...

My great-great-grandfather King's siblings immigrated to Australia. His sister's husband died in Melbourne in 1910 and this was in the newspaper a couple months later... 

Returns of banks in Aberdeen newspapers give ancestor name, address and occupation...

Below is a list of just some of the newspaper columns where you may discover your ancestors. How many can you find? 

Download the list and keep it handy when researching your relatives. 

Relevant Links

List of Common Newspaper Columns

Names of those who died from Yellow Fever in 1820

In 1820 there was an outbreak of Yellow Fever in Savannah Georgia, taking over 700 lives, including two doctors that were tending to the sick.

I left out "Savannah Georgia" from the post title for a good reason. These people that died in Savannah were not only from Georgia, but also from other states and other countries, including Canada, the UK and Germany.

I recently came across this book...

An official register of the deaths which occurred among the white population in the city of Savannah, during the extraordinary season of sickness and mortality which prevailed in the summer and fall months of the year 1820. To which is annexed a list of the persons who died out of the city, after retreating from it. 

The order is by date of burial, not by name. You can search for a name in the search box. When there is no cause of death it was the Fever. When there is no age it's because it was unknown or under two years of age.

Relevant links

Register of deaths in Savannah GA in 1820

Observations upon the autumnal fevers of Savannah

History of yellow fever

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.

Commission on Chinese Immigration 1885, pg 389

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 Pearl Industry 1908, pg 6 

  

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

Royal Commission on Irish Prisons, Vol 1, pg 180

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

Return of deaths, pg 248

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.

Lace schools

  

There are statements from child workers throughout the report.

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

Spinners and dressers examined by Dr Barry, Glasgow 1833

Married women in New Lanark factory and number of their children 1833

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.

International Commercial Directories

No country has everything they need or would like, and there are records of Trade existing back to the 19th century BC.  As methods of transportation evolved... camels, horses, ships, railroads, etc... merchants went farther afield to buy and sell their wares.

Now a Department of Commerce or a Department of Trade would publish directories like this one published in USA for Southern Australia. 

Trade Directory of South Australia 1919

There were also guides for commercial travelers with information on where to go, how to get there, what to bring, what banks there are, recommended hotels etc.

Commercial Travelers Guide to Latin America, pg 355  

Relevant Links

Timeline of International Trade

Trade Routes

The commercial directory of Scotland, Ireland, and the four most Northern counties of England for 1821-22 & 23

Hamilton's Mexican handbook and commercial directory 1883

Commercial directory of Latin America 1892

Commercial Directory of the Jews of the United Kingdom 1894

Commercial guide and trade directory of Japan 1895

Commercial directory of Manila 1901

Commercial directory of Honduras, 1911

Trade Directory of South Australia 1919

Commercial Directory of the United Provinces of India,1941-42

Commercial Traveler’s Guide to Latin America 1920

The Red Cross Databases and Reports

The British Red Cross, Australian Red Cross, and the International Committee of the Red Cross have online databases. I pointed this out to the Canadian Red Cross and they replied, “I have forwarded on your email to our website team so they can look into this process.” I'm not holding my breath, but I may bug them about this from time to time. I also sent them the link to funding guidelines from LAC.... you never know!

International Committee of the Red Cross

The Red Cross not only supplied nurses and medical supplies during times of war, but they visited Prisoner of War camps to give the inmates food packets and clothing and helped with letters to and from home. They tried to see that prisoners were treated with humanity. 

Prisoners of War Bulletin, Vol 2 Aug 1944

Relevant Links

Australia Red Cross Records from the First World War

Article by Pauleen Cass at Family history across the sea - Accessing the Red Cross records

Database of First World War Red Cross Volunteers, UK

American Red Cross

Prisoners of War Bulletin WWII, American Red Cross

International Committee of the Red Cross, WWI Prisoners of War

League of Red Cross Societies Bulletin (world)

Bulletin of the Canadian Red Cross

Canadian Red Cross and the First World War

Report Of The International Committee Of The Red Cross On Its Activities During The Second World War(September 1, 1939 - June 30, 1947) Volumes 1-3

American Red Cross Report of war relief activities 1917-1919

Neuvième Conference internationale de la Croix-Rouge tenue à Washington mai 1912. Index of names at the back

Turkish prisoners in Egypt, 1917

Reports on British prison-camps in India and Burma,1917

Related Posts at Red Cross

Crew and Civilians on Ships Hit by U-boats in WWII

I came across this website this past week - uboat is a site where you will find all the German u-boats of both wars with their officers and other information.

German U-boat UB14 with crew

What is interesting for us also is that it has a list of the crew of all the ships that were hit by a u-boat during WWII. You can do a name search, or browse by name, ship or country.

The above is only a partial list of services and countries. It is not just navy on the list. There are army personnel that were passengers on a ship, as well as nurses and civilian passengers.

A lot of work has gone into developing this site and it is well worth a look. Check out the tabs at the top and links on the left side... try the On this Day link. At the bottom of the page hit the Glossary button for a list of abbreviations and definitions.

Clicking on the person's name will give you more information...

For some military personnel there is also the link to where they are buried.

Update: 
The British ship City of Benares was carrying 90 children evacuated from Great Britian and being sent to safety in Canada when it was torpedoed. Here is the story and near the end is a link to all the names of those lost. Click on the names to find out more about them. 




Relevant Links

Crew lists from Ships hit by U-boats in WWII

City of Benares

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.

M.F. Patterson's Illustrated Catalogue of 

Dental Furniture, Instruments and Materials, 1901

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.

Article from The Progressive Dentist, Feb 1914

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

L'oeuvre des dentistes français pendant la guerre européenne de 1914

Dental Cosmos

Dental Digest

The Dental Record

British Dental Journal

The Dental Advertiser

American Dental Journal

The Dental Register

A Brief History of America’s Most Outrageous Dentist, Painless Parker

A History of Dentistry in Pictures

Transactions of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics

Practical dentistry, surgical and mechanical: and how to become a registered dentist

The Progressive Dentist

Pacific Coast Dentist

International Women's Day ~ March 8th

Repost..


See what is going on in your area for International Women's Day and get involved. If you have an event, you can publish and promote it on their website.

Each country has their theme, and in Canada it is #youareempowerment

Women share and help each other with empowerment for a balanced life!

First the males came and fought over the feeder, dumping the nectar on the ground. Then the female oriole and gila woodpecker came and shared the feeder - hummingbird was waiting patiently nearby.

My parents got it half right... the boys had to do housework as much as the girls and the girls had to do yard work.  But no way could the girls build something or work on a car. Although I must say, when I learned to drive my Dad made me change all four tires on the car... just in case. Too bad he didn't show me about changing the oil, I wouldn't have been stuck on the highway for a few hours!!

When my children were grown I was working at a wholesaler that sold hardwood flooring. My boss had gone for the day and it was almost quitting time when the phone rang. It was a gentleman who ordered all parts of a house (windows, doors, flooring, counters, etc), put them in a container and shipped them to Japan.  He wanted to look at our flooring. Since I had just recently started I asked a salesman to help me out, as he knew all the inventory.  So the gentleman arrived a half hour late, at almost 6 pm. Asking questions about the flooring he kept looking at the salesman even though I was answering.  While I was answering the third question he looked at me and asked "Don't you have a husband and children to get home to?"

It is also Women's History Month in some parts of the world, and here below you may discover some empowered women in history!

Thank goodness some women defied all barriers (and in some cases parents or husbands) and heeded their calling. I empowered my four daughters to be independent and to do whatever they wanted and I am so proud of them!

Who are the women that made a difference in your life??



Relevant Links


The Married Woman's Property Acts of Ontario 1874 

US Women Lighthouse Keepers

Women in Aviation

The Ninety-Nines Club

Wake up Alone and Like it!! 1936

The secret life of women spies

Women of the Red River

Directory of women-owned construction contractors and truckers 1984

200 Remarkable Alberta Women 

Women in Milling

Women in the Police Force UK (scroll to see what is online, click on MEPO numbers, find women officers from 1919-1958)

Alaska Women in the Itarod

Patents Issued to Women

"Classified" List of Vocations for Trained Women 1917

History of Women in Firefighting

History of Women Firefighters PBS

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

Journals, diaries, and letters written by women on the Oregon Trail 1836-1865

A woman of the century; fourteen hundred-seventy biographical sketches accompanied by portraits of leading American women in all walks of life 1893

What's your coal miner nickname?

The Pipes... The Pipes are Calling

Bagpipes were once used to call men to war, to encourage them to keep fighting and perhaps to help drown out the sounds of battle.

"Bagpiper Battle of Bazentin Ridge 14-07-1916 IWM Q 4012" by John Warwick Brooke 

My Grampa was of Scottish descent, living in Montreal. When WWI started he heard the pipes calling his name, and he joined the Black Watch.  He loved the sound of bagpipes and had some military marching records that he liked to listen to on the hi-fi (although Granny would have rather listened to the likes of Bing Crosby).




Relevant Links

Canadian Pipers of WWI

Piobaireachd Society (Highland bagpipe) List of Members, Scotland 1905

Piobaireachd: its origin and construction 1915

The story of the bagpipe. With illustrations, a bibliography and list of famous pipers 1911

The Pipes of War: a record of the achivements of pipers of Scottish and overseas regiments during the war, 1914-1918

The Piper's Memorial at Longueval

List of Bagpipe Makers (Wikipedia)

List of Bagpipes

List of Notable Pipers

“Caoineadh Cu Chulainn” on the Uilleann Pipes (Irish traditional) on YouTube

20 Top Military Bagpipe Marching Tunes - YouTube

Gleanings from the Gazette

Many countries have an Official Gazette to publish notices. I have touched on the Gazette in other posts, but haven't really explained what is to be found in these publications.

The London Gazette came about in 1665 after the Great Plague and was the first reliable source of news and official public record.

In New France it was the Militia Captain of the Parish that stood on the doorsteps of the church and read out official proclamations to the parishioners. He also heard complaints and settled minor disputes.

The Canada Gazette was first published in 1841. It was to give official notice of all acts, regulations and proclamations from the government to the public. They started with an online version in 1998 and since 2014 it is only online.

Some of the notices that would have been posted in the Gazette that are of interest to genealogists were for bankruptcy, dissolved partnerships, divorce and wills & probate.

London Gazette Dec 1896

Other notices were postings for jobs with the government or for pubic works, military mentions, naturalization lists and name changes.

Looking in the war years you may find your WWI or WWII ancestor mentioned. In the 1918 Gazette I find the uncle of my grandfather among those mentioned as receiving the military cross. In the 1946 Gazette I found my father's and uncle's names as being struck off strength (discharged).

You may also find old copies of the Gazette in city or university libraries.


Relevant Links:

Canada Gazette

The Gazette of British Columbia

Gazette Officielle du Québec

The Ontario Gazette

The Gazette (London, Edinburgh, Belfast)

Victoria Government Gazette, AU

Dublin Gazette (2000-2015)

Dublin Gazette 1750-1800: $$ Newspaper Archives

The Kenya Gazette - Google Books

The Kenya Gazette - Internet Archives

The Kenya Gazette - recent

Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines

The Bahama Gazette (scroll down for list)

The Gazette of France, 1765, 1772, 1774

The Book Trade

Some of my fondest kid memories are of lying on the top bunk in my room at our cottage on a rainy day and listening to the rain on the roof as I read the adventures of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

The grade three teacher at my kids school was very artsy and she had a friend who was a bookbinder. She had all the students write an illustrated story and draw a fancy cover, then had them bound into books by her friend.  What a fabulous thing to do - that was over thirty years ago and I am still talking about it!

I like going into bookstores, but I LOVE going into used book stores. Sometimes I luck out and find a book I wanted that is long out of print.  There are still a few I am looking for, and booksellers all over town are keeping an eye out for them for me.

Do you have an ancestor who was a bookseller, bookbinder or publisher?

These are links to people in the book trade. Also look in trade and commercial directories.

Relevant Links


Alien members of the book trade during the Tudor period: 1906

American Book Trade Directory 1922

A Dictionary of Members of the Dublin Book Trade 1550-1800 (limited view)

A Dictionary of Printers and Booksellers, England, Scotland & Ireland, 1668-1725

Abstracts from the wills of English printers and stationers, 1492-1630

History of Booksellers, the old and the new 1873

Sketches of booksellers of other days - 1901

Sketches of some of the booksellers of the time of Dr Samuel Johnson, 1902

Dictionary of the Antiquarian Booksellers and dealers in second-hand books, US 1885

International directory of Antiquarian Booksellers - Internationales adressbuch der antiquar-buchhändler - 1906

The Booksellers' League: A history of its formation and ten years of its work US 1905

Abstracts from the wills and testamentary documents of printers, binders and stationers of Cambridge, 1504-1699

The International Directory of second-hand booksellers and bibliopile's manual 1894

Hodson's Booksellers, publishers and stationers' directory for London and Country 1855

Register of artists, engravers, booksellers, bookbinders, printers & publishers of New York City 1633-1820

Directory of second-hand booksellers & list of public libraries British and foreign 1891

The Victorian Book Trade

Serendipity Sunday - Who are you wearing?

Englishman Charles Worth was the first "fashion designer", with his house in Paris, France in 1858. Before that the textile industry and tailors and dressmakers were largely responsible for fashion design and innovations.    


I recently came across this book...

British Costume During XI Centuries 1910

Costume: Style of dress characteristic of a certain period, country or profession.

Knowing how our ancestors dressed helps in the telling of their stories. 


Doing a search for "costume" at Internet Archive gave results of many books with illustrations of period dress from all over the world, including Canada, America, England, France, Russia, Greece, China Japan, Italy, India, etc.

The Victoria and Albert Museum has a web page of interest: Chronology of Fashion 


Related Post:  Fashionably Early...

Summer Camping

This is the time of year when parents pack up the car with kids, dogs, tents, sleeping bags and an assortment of camping paraphernalia and head out of the city.

When my Dad was young his family went tent camping on the Maine coast just south of Portland at a place called Bayview. They went there for several summers and created lots of fond memories. They set up two tents with a dining area in between.

When I was young our family used to go tent camping at Meacham Lake in the Adirondacks. Either family friends or my mothers parents would sometimes camp with us. What comes to mind is the smell of the canvas tent, the campfires that kept the bugs away, and the raccoon paw prints on the table in the mornings.

The Internet Archives holds many books on "camping and tramping" and also places to go like this camping guide for Australia

Camp guide NSW c1950's

At Internet Archive search using keywords "camping" and perhaps the area you think your ancestors may have camped.


Relevant Links

Camp Cookery:  How to live in Camp 1878

Camp Temagami, a summer camp for men and boys, Ontario 1915

Birthplace of the American Vacation (Smithsonian article)

Rock Spring Campground, NC - History Vol 1

Rock Spring Campground, NC - History Vol 2

Easter Camp (Naturalists Club), Adventure Bay, Brunny Island, Tasmania, 1922








 Related post:  Raiden Goes Back in Time

Pronouncing Places and Names

I was unable to research and write an article this week, but I leave you with this interesting book: 

Pronunciation of Geographical names worthy of note in the known world, and names of celebrated men of ancient and modern times, plus tables in the back
 

published in Cincinnati 1859

 

 

 

 

 

Flower Power

Spring is here for many of us. The risk of frost has past (hopefully, these days you never know) and thoughts are turning to sprucing up the front yard with flowers and shrubs... whether to have beautiful curb appeal or to attract hummingbirds and bees.

My Dad didn't know, or know anything about, his paternal line beyond his father who was estranged from his family.  If he had known them, he would have realized he got his love of carpentry from his grandfather and great grandfather, and his love of flowers and gardening from his great uncle William Seale.  

 

William was a member of the Ottawa Horticultural Society. Specializing in roses, his yard was "a flower lovers' paradise" and he won many medals, bars and diplomas in competitions. William's nephew Henry was also an award winning horticulturist and his specialty was gladioli. After winning The Viscountess Willingdon Trophy (for an exhibitor scoring the highest number of points in all classes) and many other awards for a number of years, and always winning in every class of Gladioli with at least 12 varieties, Henry's bulbs were highly sought after.  People hoping to achieve award winning flowers could buy the Seale Gladiolus Bulbs for $2 a box.

At a young age my Dad's neighbor got him interested in growing Dahlias and gladiolus and year after year they won prizes at the Montreal West Flower Shows. I remember him growing gladioli at home, and he was also proud of his hibiscus. My brother Mike inherited his gardening gene and loved growing plants and vegetables.  This is Mike with his First Prize winning carrot in a local vegetable contest in 1985.

I on the other hand seem to have a knack for weeds.

Do you have an ancestor with a love for flowers and gardening?

Check local newspapers for lists of prize winners in flower shows, horticultural competitions, etc.  Search at google books and internet archive using keywords:
[state, city, town name] Horticultural Society, garden show, floral exhibit, country fair.


Relevant Links:

Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, London (several issues)

Massachusetts Horticultural Society - yearbooks and reports

National Flower Show of the Society of American Florists and Ornamental Horticulturists - Philadelphia 1916

Annual of the Rose Society of Ontario (various years 1914-1954)

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society - memberships, yearbooks, flower shows, etc

The Minnesota Horticultural Society

Worcester (Mass) County Horticultural Society

Wisconsin State Horticultural Society

Horticultural Society of New York:  Memoirs Vol 1 - 1902

Horticultural Society of London

Annual report of the Montreal Agricultural & Horticultural Society - 1865

Quebec Horticultural Society: list of officers and schedule of prizes - 1867

Quebec Horticultural Society: list of officers and schedule of prizes - 1888

Annual Report of the British Columbia Horticultural and Fruit Growers Society

Ottawa, a city gardens: guide for improvement of lawns and gardens 1916

Manitoba Horticultural Society - 1898

Australian Horticultural Societies at Trove

The Canadian Horticulturist

Nova Scotia Agricultural & Horticultural Fair 1894

Report of the Horticultural Societies of Ontario: 1917-1921

Ontario Horticultural Societies of Ontario 1920

The Grand Parada: for the benefit of the Horticultural Association, St John, NB 1897

Horticultural Exhibitions and Garden Competitions (explained)

Official Catalogue of Exhibitors: Universal Exposition- St Louis, USA 1904

Bulletin de la Société d'Horticulture de Genève

Bulletin de la Société d'Horticulture de Cherbourg, France

Journal de la Société National d'Horiculture de France

Bulletin de la Fédération des Société d'Horticulture de Belgique

Memoirs of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, Scotland

Programma della seconda esposizione orticola che avrà luogo in Venezianel giardino della Società Campo S. orivolo,  1873