From the Chair
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ecent general meetings have
left me with a feeling of pressure -- of too much to do in too short a time.
Talking to some members seems to corroborate this although no one seems to have
a solution. At this point, about all I can say is that we are operating within
rather severe time constraints imposed by the need to conform to the other
functions of the library. If you have any comments about the meeting room be
sure to let us have them.
At the last general meeting,
we approved the proposal from the Executive to increase our Branch fees from
$12 to $13 for individual and institutional members, and from $12 to $14 for
family memberships. Because of our rising costs for paper (and our increased
use of same!) and the increase in rent for the meeting room, I believe this
modest increase is amply justified. One of our major sources of income other
than memberships is the sale of publications. With the rapid changes in
communication, these are increasingly difficult to forecast. Now that we are
nicely out of the financial bind of a few years ago, we do not want to slip
back again through indifference. Of course, we now must submit this proposal to
OGS in Toronto for approval before it becomes official.
We should probably also be
looking ahead to possible future needs for capital investment -- computer
upgrades, storage cabinets for new data sources such as microfiche, etc. If you
feel so inclined, you could contribute to a sort of investment fund for such
items by making a tax-deductible donation to the Branch. You can do this by
sending a cheque to the OGS office in Toronto, marking it “Donation to
Waterloo-Wellington Branch.” In this way, you will get a receipt for income tax
purposes, and we will be able to put the money in a separate account for these
special needs.
We have received a moderate
response to our recent call for volunteers and we are currently working out how
we can best organize this role to provide a maximum reward to both the
volunteer and the Branch. I will keep you all informed. I hope everyone has a
pleasant and productive summer.
.....Charles Rand
Editor’s Comments
NEWS
FLASH!!! The Waterloo-Wellington
Branch has been nominated by the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation for an
Award of Merit in recognition of the Branch’s successful completion of the
transcription of all of the cemeteries in Waterloo Region. The Award will be
presented at the Annual Meeting of the Foundation on June 11, 1996, in
conjunction with the 100th Anniversary of Victoria Park.
Regarding Strays: Please note correction of an address published in
Feb 1996 Branch Notes. The correct
address for the British Columbia
Genealogical Society is: PO Box 88054 Lansdowne Mall, Richmond BC V6X 3T6.
--------------------------------------------------------
On The Web
Waterloo-Wellington Branch
OGS:
http://www.dcs.uwaterloo.ca/~marj/genealogy/ww.html
The Ontario Genealogical
Society,
Toronto, Ontario:
http://www.interlog.com/~dreed/ogs_home.htm
Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid
(OCFA):
http://www.islandnet.com/ocfa
Branch News
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Meetings:
13 May 1996. GENBOOK. Jack Coursey
10 June 1996. Tour of City of Cambridge Archives, by
Jim Quantrell, Archivist.
Directions
to the City of Cambridge Archives. From Kitchener Waterloo,
take Hwy 8 through Preston, past the Golf Club & Cambridge Memorial
Hospital to intersection of Hwys 8 & 24. From Guelph take Hwy 24 to
intersection with Hwy 8. Drive south on 24 (Water St.), past the Galt
Collegiate (on right), under the Railway bridge, down the hill (where the
street becomes one-way), to Dickson St. Turn left, go one block, cross Ainslie
St. The grey stone City Hall will be on your left; parking lots on both sides.
The Archives is on the 2nd floor. Enter by the lower left door leading off Dickson
St.
No meetings in July and August.
Wellington
Group Meetings:
27 May 1996. Glen Wright. Canadian Military
Archives.
No meetings in June, July and August.
________________________
Publications: The following are new publications available for sale. Prices stated
are for purchase in person. Postage: Canada $3.25 first item; $0.50 each
additional item. Orders from the United States and the rest of the world,
please remit in US dollars to cover extra postal charge.
New publications as of May 1996
are:
Cemeteries:
Mount Hope, Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kitchener,
Ontario, Master Index - $6.75.
Mount Hope, Roman Catholic Cemetery. Section A,
$7.00; Section B, $6.00; Section C, $7.50; Sections D&E, $6.50.
First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Master Index.
Revised 1995. - $5.50.
First Mennonite Cemetery, Kitchener, Section A,
$7.00; Section B, $4.25; Section C, $7.75; and Section D, $7.50.
Old Preston Cemetery Register of Interments,
Cambridge, Ontario, $7.50.
Computer
disks:
Pedigree Charts Index of Waterloo-Wellington OGS
Members, Version 2, revised 1995, $5.00.
1871 Ontario Census, Heads of Households, Version 3,
revised 1996, ASCII delimited in ZIP format (Postage included), $25.00.
Postage, Canada: $3.25 first item; $0.50 each additional item. Outside Canada, and the United States: Please remit in US
funds to cover extra postal charges. Make Cheque/Money Order payable to
Waterloo-Wellington Branch OGS.
___________________________
News From the Wellington Group
George Taylor, Vice-Chair of
the Branch and Coordinator of the Wellington Group writes about the Group:
“We are members of OGS and
the Waterloo-Wellington Branch with special interest in Wellington County --
its towns, villages, and townships, and the City of Guelph. We share concerns
with all members of the Branch as it nears its 25th Anniversary in 1997. All
are invited to joins us at our meetings. The meetings are usually held, at 7:30
p.m., on the 4th Monday of the month at the Orange Hall, 185 Waterloo Ave.,
Guelph. You may be interested to learn that we have a new computer in the
Guelph Public Library, with the 1871 Census Indexes and OCFA Version 5.”
_____________________________
INDEXING OF BIRTHS, DEATHS,
MARRIAGES IN ALL AVAILABLE NEWSPAPERS IN WELLINGTON COUNTY
(From Jacquie Norris) This new
project started in 1995 is going well. Special THANK YOU to our volunteers:
Extractors: Betty Jane Carere, Guelph; Kasey Mitchell,
Guelph; Patricia Pletch, Rockwood; Betty Major, Fergus; Fred Abraham, Guelph;
Thelma Hornberger, Guelph; Rita Williams, Kitchener; Terry Fitzgerald,
Minnetonka, Minnesota; Ivan Tarzwell, Trenton; Jane Marshall, Sudbury; Nola
Clarke, Burlington; Joy Kern, Wallaceburg; Perry Cockburn, Guelph; Gale
Maginnis, Guelph; Jacquie Norris, Guelph; Rose Duchette, Guelph.
Harriston
Newspapers: Shirley & Ross
Small, Fergus.
Newspaper
Clippers: Jean Cruikshank, Guelph;
Norma Moore, Guelph.
Proofreaders: Janey Roberts, Perry Cockburn & Jacquie
Norris, Guelph.
Data
Entry: Gail Maginnis, Guelph;
Perry Cockburn, Guelph; Jack Knight, Guelph; Jacquie Norris, Guelph.
Volunteers
are required for:
Obtaining
a list of Wellington papers that are available at the University of Guelph;
People
to work at the Wellington Archives extracting the births, marriages &
deaths;
Data
entry for putting the information on the computers.
Mrs.
Eileen Quigg of London donated her
card index of births, marriages, deaths and in memoriums for the Guelph Mercury
from 1900 - 1920 and 1985 - 1990 plus newspapers for 1991, 1992.
We have placed on the branch
computer at the Guelph Public Library
the following:
Clifford
Arrow, 1879 - 1880
Clifford
Advance, 1889 - 1891
Clifford
Express, 1895 - 1927
Guelph
Daily Mercury, Jan. 02, 1877 - June 20, 1877
Fergus
Elora News Express, Nov 16, 1994 - Jan 18, 1995
Fergus
Thistle, Nov 14, 1994 - Jan 17, 1995
Elora
Sentinel, Nov. 14, 1994 - Jan 1995
We have READY TO GO ON THE COMPUTER
Guelph
& Galt Advertiser, Nov 16, 1848
Guelph
Advertiser & Elora & Fergus Examiner
Wellington
Mercury, Feb 18, 1854 & July 05, 1862
Daily
Advertiser, Guelph, June 28, 1864 & June 1, 1865
Guelph
Tribune, all of 1995
Guelph
Advocate, Oct 7, 1896 & Mar 3, 1901
Guelph
Mercury - Marriages 1900 - 1920
Please contact Jacquie Norris
822-8256 or Jack Knight 823-1358 for more information or to volunteer.
NEW BOOK ABOUT GUELPH. The Guelph Historical Society has published
recently Historic Guelph: The Royal City.
(The Ontario Historical Society Bulletin,
Issue 101, January-February 1996.)
___________________________
New in the Branch Library
Thelma and Bill Barnes
report the following new acquisitions in the Branch Library, which is located
in the Grace Schmidt Room, Kitchener Public Library.
Macnaughton, Elizabeth. Transition and Tradition. A Guide to Clothing Styles in Waterloo
County, 1907 to 1914.
Indexed by Jim McKane: Returns of Medical Officers, Physicians and Surgeons Serving in the
Crimea, published c.1855.
A Roman Catholic Registry of
Births Deaths & Marriages in the Wellington District, Canada West,
1846-1849.
Extracts from The
Edmonton Journal. Births, Marriages & Deaths, 1903-1905, 1906.
The Descendants of Frederick
& Maria Reichard Bock. Supplement.
The Autobiography of
Harriett Elizabeth Schlichter Archer. (Donated by the Mrs. Archer)
McKane, James A. Items
Found on Computer Bulletin Board, regarding Lanark County Voter’s lists,
Reserve Militia Company, etc.
McKane, James A. A
to Z of British Genealogical Research, by Dr. Ashton Emery-Found. Downloaded
and printed from computer bulletin board.
Recent Cemetery transcription publications: Master
Index, Old Preston Cemetery; Master Index, Mount View Cemetery
(Galt/Cambridge); Breslau Mennonite; St. Thomas Roman Catholic, Minto Twp.; St.
Peter’s Roman Catholic (Oustic), Eramosa Twp.; The Old Walled Cemetery, &
the New Cemetery, St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church, Maryhill; Hillside &
Conservative Mennonite; Kincardine & Kincardine Twp.
Breslau (Cressman) Mennonite
Church. Some Obituary Extractions.
Index to Registration of Births, Marriages &
Deaths 1870-1905, Volume 1 Alberta. (formerly the Northwest Territories)
Gibson, Jeremy, & Judith Hunter. Victuallers’ Licenses (England
1552-1828).
Camp, Anthony J. My
Ancestors Moved in England or Wales.
The Orangeville Sun. Index, 1860-1884.
White, Robert W, ed. The Poems of Robert Boyd (1797-1880).
Trinity Anglican Church,
Galt. Register of Marriages, 13 January 1850-23 January 1893. (Brant County Branch OGS).
Genealogical Research
Directory 1995.
Indexed by Paul Pepper: The Beginning of Things in Wellington & Waterloo Counties, by
A.E. Byerly; Waterloo County Births
1872-1873 (as recorded by Waterloo County Registrars).
Pike, David, trans. Arthur Township Wellington Gazetteer 1867. (published by Irwin
& Barnham).
Pike, David, trans. Arthur Township Wellington Directory 1875-1876. (published by
Fisher Taylor).
Index to The
1871 Historical Commercial Directory of the Isle of White.
Branch Notes Indexes: No. 6 (1983-1984);
No. 7 (1985-1986).
Records of N.A. Tovell Funeral Home Guelph,
1909-1972.
St. Anthony Daniel Parish. 25th Anniversary, 1966-1991.
Donations: The Branch acknowledges with thanks the receipt of the following
publications (names of donors in round brackets):
Wolfenbert (Wolfenberger,
Wollenburg).
(Douglas B. Smith)
The Raines Family in Canada. (compiled & donated by
Elaine & Jack Coursey)
Bon(e)steel. (Carol Stuart)
The Family of Jacob Eby,
1815-1896, and Mary (Polly) Bingeman, 1820-1915. (Wendell B. Eby)
Parent Finders Incorporated. (Parent Finder KW)
RMS Titanic Passenger List,
April 1912.
(James A. McKane; from computer bulletin board)
Waterloo Chronicle Notices
of Births, Deaths & Marriages, 2 January 1868-27 May 1869. (Gordon V. Ambrose)
____________________________
Important dates
June 2-7, 1996. Genealogy
“Summer Camp.” In Toronto. An intensive one-week hands-on family history
program for adults, emphasizing Metropolitan Toronto research. Program fee:
$145. For an application form, write: “Summer Camp”, Ontario Genealogical Society,
Toronto Branch, PO Box 518 Station K, Toronto, ON M4P 2G9; or call Jane MacNamara at 416-463-9103.
June 8-12, 1996. International Convention on East and Central European Genealogy,
sponsored by the Federation of East European Family History Societies. At the
Thunderbird Hotel & Convention Center, 2201 E 78th Street, Minneapolis
(Bloomington), Minnesota. For registration info, write: Brandt, 13 27th Ave SE,
Minneapolis MN 55414 USA.
23 June 1996, 2 p.m. (Sunday). Guelph Arts
Council Woodlawn Cemetery Walking Tour, “Symbolism and Design in the Cemetery.”
June 28-July 1, 1996. Hay Township, Huron County “Homecoming Weekend.” In Zurich,
Ontario. A book, “Hay Township Highlights,” detailing the township’s 150 years
of progress, is now available for sale. Questions regarding the Homecoming
Weekend, and/or purchase of the book, should be sent to Dale and Marie Dignan,
19 Daniel St., Ingersoll ON N5C 1X5.
July 27-Aug 10, 1996. 1996 Trip to Salt Lake City. Sponsored by Region III OGS, the train
leaves Toronto July 27. For more info contact: Ken Young, Region III Director,
1096 11th Ave. E., Owen Sound ON N4K 5Y8.
Aug 9-Nov 3, 1996. Heraldry: Symbols of your History. At the Wellington County Museum
& Archives, Fergus, ON N1M 2W3 (County Rd. 18, between Fergus and Elora).
August 14-17, 1996. “In Your Ancestors’ Image.” Join genealogists from all over the
United States and Canada at the annual FGS Conference in Rochester NY. For more
information, write: In Your Ancestors’ Image, Federation of Genealogical
Societies, PO Box 3385, Salt Lake City, UT 84110-3385; tel: (214) 907-9727.
Additional information also available on the Internet:
http://www.vivanet.com/~halsey/fgs96.html
19-21 September 1996. Michigan Genealogical Council 1996 Seminar. Held by the
Mid-Michigan Genealogical Society at the Holiday Inn South, Convention Center,
Lansing MI. Theme: “They Came to
Michigan.” For more info, contact William Atkinson, 11172 Pioneer Road,
Portland, MI 48875. (Source: St. Clair County Family History Group Newsletter, Blue Water Family Backgrounds, Vol. 15,
No. 4, Dec. 1995, pg. 43.)
27 Sept - 11 Oct 1996. 1996 Genealogical Tour to England. Presented by Frank T. Hankins
(OGS #6420). For further info contact Frank Hankins at (905) 895-8438; or Alex
Churchman, Anne Marie, or Terry Bell at Marlin Travel, Newmarket, at (905)
853-6224, or (800) 265-6865 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.).
1996 Family Tree Tour to
Salt Lake City. The 1996 Tour will leave Toronto 13 Oct 1996 for one or two weeks.
Tour packages include airfare & hotel accommodations, or you can join the
group in Chicago or Salt Lake City. For more info, contact Jane MacNamara (OGS
member), 11 Howland Rd, Toronto ON M4K 2Z4, (416) 463-9103; or Wilf Rieck,
Preston Travel Centre Ltd., 606 King St., PO Box 3577, Cambridge ON N3H 3C6,
(519) 653-2327, or fax (519) 653-9513.
____________________________
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Computer Resources: J. McKane
GENSERV - If you have an Internet e-mail address, you may consider joining the
Genserv project. It is similar to our 'Gedcom Archive' project but MUCH larger
and on a worldwide basis. For further info send an e-mail message to
'genserv-doc@progcons.com'. I have had responses to mine. Good Luck!
N.B. Jim McKane’s new E-mail address:
jamckane@bserv.com
News from other Branches
The Kawartha Branch OGS has opened an Ancestral Research Centre, at 311
Aylmer St., Peterborough (one block south of the Public Library). The Centre is
open 1-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday; 6-9 p.m. Thursday; and 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday. Telephone 705-743-ROOT to leave a message or make an appointment. Note:
the Kawartha Branch OGS Bulletin,
Vol. 21 No. 1 Feb 1996, pg. 6, has an interesting article by Bernadine Dodge,
“Genealogical Holdings at Trent University Archives.”
Researching a CEF Ancestor. There is a most interesting article in Toronto Tree by Jane MacNamara for those
members wishing to know more about relatives who might have been part of the
Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I. (Toronto Tree, Vol. 26, Issue 6, November/December 1995, pg. 53. A
copy of the newsletter is in the Reference Section of the Kitchener Public
Library.)
The Canadian Army is made up of groups of men and their leaders. 7 men make a section,
which is led by a Corporal. 3 Sections make a Platoon, led by a Lieutenant.
70-80 men form a Company, led by a Captain. 5 Companies make a Battalion or
Regiment, led by a Lieutenant-Colonel. 3-5 Regiments make a Brigade, led by a
Brigadier-General. 3 Brigades make a Division, led by a Major-General. 2 or
more Divisions make a Corps, led by a Lieutenant-General. 2 or more Corps make
the Army, which is led by a General. (From Perth
County Profiles Vol. 13 No. 2, May 1995. Perth County Branch OGS)
Land Measurement Guidelines (for Ontario). These guidelines, as
researched and written by Paul T. Henderson, OGS #16848, were printed in Kingston Relations, Vol. 22, No. 5,
November/December 1995, pg. 58.
The basis for the guidelines
is the Gunther chain, which was
invented by Edmund Gunther in 1620. Reference: Family Tree Magazine June/July 1994 and other sources.
1 chain = 66 feet = 4 rods = 100 links
A
rod is also known as a pole
10
chains = 1 furlong = 40 rods = 660 feet
80
chains = 8 furlongs = 1 mile = 5,280 feet
1
acre = 10 square chains = 43,560 square feet
Streets
were laid out one (1) chain wide
25
links = 1 pole = 1 rod
1
link = 7 92/100 inches
Concessions were laid out
100 chains wide: 100 chains = 10 furlongs = 6,600 feet = 1¼ miles
Lots were usually 20 chains
wide (some only 19 chains): 20 chains = 2 furlongs = 1,320 feet = ¼ mile
Each lot was 20 x 100
chains, or ¼ x 1¼ miles = 200 acres: 1,320 x 6,600 feet = 871,200 square feet =
200 acres
News from our local resources
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Kitchener
Public Library
Census Returns in the Grace Schmidt Local History Room
The Grace Schmidt Room collection has personal
censuses for the following counties: Huron, Perth, Waterloo, and Wellington.
Census years available.
1816-1840 Gore District (not all years available),
1842, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901. The province has been divided into
census districts and, in turn, into sub-districts. The districts were based
upon cities and counties. Villages and small towns were enumerated within their
county. Unincorporated villages will be found in their township entry.
Prior to 1842.
Before 1842 a census was taken annually by township
assessors. Some of these census and assessment records have survived for
the Gore District, available on 5 microfilms in the GSR. A list of the
contents is also available. Waterloo County records date from 1816 until 1840.
These census and assessment records listed head of household only. The size of
the family, age statistics and agricultural information were also included.
1842 census returns.
The 1842 census was the first province-wide census,
listing the heads of households only. Other information was included; for
example, age statistics on family members, birthplaces, religion and agricultural
information. The 1842 census is on 2 microfilms in the GSR. Unfortunately, many
returns have not survived.
1851-1901 census returns.
The 1851 census, enumerated
in January 1852, was the first census to name all household members. From 1851
the census listed members of a household with age, place of birth, occupation,
religious affiliation, marital status, etc. By the 1871 census a column for
origin was included which indicated the ethnic heritage of the father. The 1901
census has a column asking for the year of emigration to Canada.
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Wellington
County Museum & Archives
A NATIONAL
HISTORIC SITE
To mark Heritage Day 1996,
Deputy Prime Minister and Canadian Heritage Minister, Sheila Copps, announced
the commemorative designation of 10 national historic sites, 16 heritage
railway stations, and 3 individuals of national historic importance. Included among
the designations was the Wellington County Museum & Archives as a National
Historic Site. The Wellington County Museum and Archives building was erected
in 1877 by the County as a House of Industry and Refuge for the poor, needy,
elderly and homeless. In 1947 it became the Wellington County Home for the
Aged. It has been home to the County Museum and Archives for 20 years.
(Wellington County Museum & Archives newsletter, Circa, Vol. 10, Issue 2, Spring 1996, pg. 1.)
A Guide to Black History Resources.
Recent research has
uncovered two areas in Wellington County that were settled by Blacks. The
Pierpoint settlement in West Garafraxa Township east of Fergus was settled by
Richard Pierpoint and a group of American Loyalists in the 1820s. Peel Township
was home to several Black families as early as the 1840s. The following are
offered as research sources of information for anyone interested in tracing
Black history.
1. Book Collection.
Looking Back: The History of
Fergus Through the Years. 1983.
The History of West
Garafraxa Township, by J. Hutchinson. 1990.
The Loyalists in Ontario, by W. Reid. 1973.
Loyalist Families of the
Grand River Branch. United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada. 1991.
Slavery and Freedom in
Niagara, by
M. Power & N. Butler. 1993.
An Enduring Heritage. Black
Contributions to Early Ontario. 1984.
Some Black Women. Profiles
of Black Women in Canada. R. Braithwaite & T. Benn-Ireland. 1993.
Blacks in Deep Snow. Black
Pioneers in Canada. T. Thomson. 1979.
2. Genealogy Files.
Pierpoint
Hisson
3. Manuscript Collection.
Correspondence between American Missionary
Association and missionaries in the Queen’s Bush and Amerherstburg, Ontario,
1850s-1853 (on microfilm).
4. Ontario Vital Statistics.
Index to Ontario birth, marriages, and death registrations
(births 1869-1897, marriages 1869-1912, deaths 1869-1922). (microfilm)
5. Vertical Files. (two folders containing newspaper articles, notes, etc.)
Black History --Wellington County
Black History -- general
6. Business and Farmers Directories.
1851-1940s.
7. Land Abstracts.
Details of land abstracts from first sale to 1958.
8. Census Returns.
Wellington County Census: 1851 1861, 1871, 1881,
1891, 1901 -- names, ages, county of birth, religion.
-----------------------------------------
Left holding the baby. “One child baptiz’d -- the persons sneaked off.”
(From St. Margaret’s Westminster, Register of Baptisms, 6 April 1777 -- with
thanks to Bill Barnes.)
More of Interest
Brian
Gilchrist, who
spoke at the April 15, 1996 meeting of the Branch about valuable genealogical
information which can be found in newspapers, has provided the following
information regarding newspapers:
Catalogue of the Newspaper
Library, Colindale. British Library. Newspaper Library. [London: British Publications
Limited, for the British Library Board, 1875.] 8 vols.
v. 1 -- London
v. 2 -- England, Wales, Scotland & Ireland
v. 3 -- Overseas: Aden to New Guinea
v. 4 -- Overseas: New Zealand to Zambia
v. 5 - v. 8 -- Alphabetical Title Catalogue
ISBN: 0-7-14103527; DOBIS #
205187
(Available in the University
of Toronto Library.)
The Gentleman’s Magazine, 1730s to 1860s, has been indexed by the
College of Arms. The index to this set of 80 vols is available on microfiche
through Family History Centres of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints.
North Easthope Township historians need help. North Easthope Township
History Committee is preparing to publish a book on its history which will
include schools, churches, cemeteries, villages, businesses, government, roads,
etc. The main section of the book will be a farm by farm, house by house
history of all the properties and their families past and present, since 1832.
If you have information which might be of help to the historians of North Easthope,
please contact Jim McGillawee, RR 4, Listowel ON N4W 3G9.
A mystery “of historic proportions.” Mrs. Edith M. Green writes: “I have recently
moved and I have a small old cabinet built by my father. The wood on the back
is stamped ‘The Northern Rubber Co. Ltd., Guelph, Ontario.’ My father got the
wood (boxes, I’m sure) from my grandfather, who had a shoe store at 1500 Queen
St. W., Toronto, Ont. (Parkdale). My grandfather’s name was Alfred James (A.J.)
Chapple. My grandparents (English) came from Cincinnati, Ohio in 1896; my
grandfather made shoes by hand and did shoe repair work before he opened the
store -- I think about 1900. At first the family lived over the store and then
bought a house on Jameson Ave. He lived until 1947, but sold the store in the
1930s.
My father was a minister,
Rev. C.C. Strachan, BA BD, who married Edith Chapple. I can remember when my
father made this bookcase; of course only the back is stamped. I would
appreciate hearing from anyone who can recall the company or any of the people
mentioned here. My address is 53 Queen St., Apt. 203, Tilsonburg, ON N4G 3G8
(Tel: 519-688-0182).
(Ed: This was in the Guelph Mercury 20 December 1995. Thanks to A.
Leone Hinds for sending it to us.)
Hayes parish church (St Mary the Virgin) in the borough of Bromley,
Kent is
planning to re-use part of its churchyard. In so doing, some of the old
headstones (1895-1928) will be moved. Although the deadline for relatives to
contact the churchyard superintendent was 30 March 1996, readers of Branch Notes might still be interested
in the names inscribed on those headstones about to be moved. Should a relative
wish to register an objection after the March 30th deadline, the contact person
is Diocesan Registrar, Diocese Registry, The Precinct, Rochester, Kent ME1 1SZ.
The affected graves are
those of the following people: Amos, Mary & Herbert Town; George &
Alice Weatherley; Ann Cattrell; Nellie, Robert, Louisa & James Dunmall;
Henry & Margaret Adams; Edward Cook; James Ayres; Anne Fossey; John &
Mary Channon; Thomas Field; George Martin: Joseph & Elizabeth Revell; Emma
& Edwin Tong; Edmund & Sarah von Munster; William Sessions; George Day;
William Rawlins; Sarah Colyer; Charlotte Gibson; -- Cassam; George &
Charlotte Langridge; George James; Jane & George Gilbert; Alfred Pannett;
Charlotte & James Turner; Esther Wynn; Helen Warren; Frank & Emily
Warner; Harriet Fluck; William McDonald; Thomas & Emily Ledger. (From Family Tree Magazine, Vol. 12, No. 3,
January 1996, pg 5.)
Genealogical information from school records in England. See the article “Scholars -
A Lucky Find!” by Peter King, in Family
Tree Magazine Vol. 12, No. 4, February 1996.
From Dona Madill:
REQUEST FOR BANNS &
MARRIAGE, Caledon May 1st, 1839. “Mr. James Black please publish the bands [sic]
of marriage betwixt Charles Eagles and Catherine Teeter and call and marry us
on the fifth two o clock in the afternoon of June at Aaron Teeters in Erin on
lot No. 7 the 11 Consesion [sic]. Charles Eagles.” Dona reports that she found
the above item listed in the card catalogue at the Wellington County Museum
& Archives. Catherine was the daughter of Aaron Teeter, Sr., & Waity
Chevlier. All are buried in the Erin Union Cemetery. Charles Eagles died June
28, 1901 & his wife, Catharine, died January 1, 1905.
True Banner & Wentworth Chronicle, June 18, 1868, page 2. “At
Elora (8)th ult. by the Rev. Mr. Thompson, Mr. R. (J.) Hatt of Eramosa to Emma,
only daughter of James Grant, Esq. of Fergus.” Dona found this notice at the
Hamilton Public Library.
British stamps by mail. British stamps may be ordered from: Customer
Service Manager, The Post Office, Freepost CS99 1AA, UK; or The British
Philatelic Bureau, 20 Brandon Street, Edinburgh EH3 5TT, UK. (Source: Kawartha
Branch OGS, Bulletin, Vol. 20, No. 4,
Dec. 1995.)
Western Michigan Genealogical Society has sent to the Branch a copy of Books
Available from WMGS. Publications relate to Kent Co. & Ottawa Co.,
Michigan and include State & Federal Census indexes, church & cemetery
records. Anyone wishing a book list should write to Western Michigan Genealogical
Society, Grand Rapids Public Library Plaza, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 USA.
RESTORATION OF THE DETWEILER MEETINGHOUSE
An
unregistered deed in 1830 recorded donation by Samuel C. Snyder of one acre of
land on the northeast corner of Lot 37, Conc. 11, North Dumfries Township for a
meetinghouse and burial ground; the deed was not registered until August 1842.
Location of the property was just west of Roseville. The present stone
meetinghouse that replaced the 1830 log structure was built and dedicated by
Jacob Detweiler in November 1855. The design of the meetinghouse has been
modified over the years, and in 1956 the stone was covered with stucco. The
small congregation disbanded in 1966.
Financial
assistance is sought to assist in the restoration of the old meetinghouse.
Plans include immediate alignment and reinforcement of the roof structure;
reroofing the building; removing the stucco; and cleaning and repointing the
stone masonry. Please contact the Board of Detweiler Meetinghouse Inc., 156
Salisbury Ave., Cambridge ON N1S 1K1; telephone: (519) 653-1078, or fax (519)
756-7631 for further information.
HOW TO DEODORIZE MUSTY BOOKS. Place in a brown paper bag along with some clean
kitty litter. Close the bag tightly and leave for about a week. When you remove
the books they should be odor-free. (from Alberta Genealogical Society, Relatively Speaking, Vol. 24, No. 1,
February 1996, pg. 3.)
Family Reunions
The Colonel John Butler
Bicentenary,
May 11-12, 1996, at Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines, Ont., hosted by the
Col. John Butler (Niagara) Branch of the United Empire Loyalists Assoc. of
Canada and The Lincoln and Welland Regiment. For further info, contact Ed
Scott, Chairman, The Butler Bicentenary, 50 Beverly Cres., Welland ON L3C 3P8, telephone: 905-732-2274. E-mail:
escott@freenet.nplec.on.ca
Schenk Family Reunion, 26 May 1996. The final
reunion of the entire Schenk Clan,
descendants of Johann Conrad Schenk, Christian John Schenk, and William
Frederick Schenk. At the Normanby Community Centre, Ayton ON; registration at
10 a.m. For more info contact Al Morrow, 519-364-4810, or Donna (Schenk)
Speers, 519-822-7654. (Ed: please see last page of this Newsletter for the
Schenk story.)
Blackburn Family
Association. July
25-28, 1996, at Wheels Best Western Inn, 615 Richmond Street, Chatham, ON. For
more info contact Blackburn Family Assoc., 572 Dayton Ave, St. Paul MN
55102-1712.
Fischer Family Reunion. The Fischer Family will
celebrate their first reunion in Mildmay, Ontario on the weekend of August 3,
1996. Michael Fischer arrived in Maryhill where he married his first wife,
Regina Zettel, in 1846. He moved his family to Carrick Township, Bruce County
and married his second wife, Catherine Hohenadel, in 1857. For more information
contact: Laurie Strome, 510-E Sunnydale Pl., Waterloo ON N2L 4T1 (phone: 519-884-2642).
Ryckman Family Gathering. Aug 9-11, 1996. Contact
Irvine Ryckman, 39 Cook St., Barrie ON L4M 4G1 for further info. Tel: 705-726-1229.
The Families of Jean and
Pierre Therrien. 14th Reunion of the Therrien, Thérien, Terrien and Terrian families,
Saturday August 10, 1996, at Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road,
Sudbury, Ontario. The family has a database of over 63,000 names and some
29,000 marriages from Canada and the United States. For more information
contact Theodore Therrien, 25 Laurier East, PO Box 973, Azilda ON P0M 1B0; telephone: 705-983-2250, or by
E-mail:
ttherrien@lauadmin.laurentian.ca
Fulford Family Reunion. Sunday, July 14, 1996 at
Harwood, Ontario. A day of fun and games for all. For more information contact:
Rick Fulford, 24 Marina Dr., PO Box 503, Site “N”, RR 3 Brighton ON K0K 1H0. Phone: 613-475-0475, or E-mail:
rfulford@connect.reach.net
Queries ???????
Hood/Sanderson/Manser/Cunningham/Smith/ Usherwood/Bramhall. I am looking for any
information on the family of Charles Hood (b. 1807) and Eliza Usherwood (b.
1807) who came from Yorkshire Co., England and settled near Drayton during the
1850s. They had eight children: William, Ellen (William Sanderson), Jane
(Alfred Manser), James (Margaret Cunningham & Grace Hargrave), Mary (Alfred
Smith), Charles (Mary Wiles), Sophia, and Henry (Sarah Bramhall). Please
forward any information to Stephen Hood, 649 Coldstream Ave., North York
ON M6B 2L3.
Hockney/Broughton. James Hockney (b. c.1827; d. 5 Sept 1893, Peel Twp., Wellington Co.)
m. Ann Broughton (b. c.1830; d. 18 Oct 1889, Peel Twp.). Both buried in Elora
Municipal Cemetery. Children: George (1855-1920), John William (1863-1884), and
Joseph Cook (1872-1943). Where were James & Ann born? Who were their
parents & siblings? When & where were they married? Any information
appreciated. Wish to correspond with descendants; will share info. Reply to
Judith C. Wilson, 20665 39A Ave., Langley, BC
V3A 4Z3.
Gravistin/Grabestein/Campbell. John Grabestein, b. 1842, Germany; to Canada 1847;
m. Oct 1860 in Sebastopol (Evangelical Lutheran), to Margarethe (Margaret)
Campbell, d/o John & Margaretha Campbell, of Galt. In 1860, John &
Margaret lived in Roseville (or Blenheim). Need info on both Gravistin &
Campbell families. Please send to Phyllis Alcorn, PO Box 35, Alliance AB TOB 0A0.
Duench/Kalbfleisch/Sanders/Dechert/Searles. George Duench, b. 16 Jun
1859 Wellesley Twp., d. 26 Nov 1943 Linwood; m. Sofia Kalbfleisch, b. 6 Nov 1859 Wellesley, d. 25 May 1924 Linwood. Known
children: John, b. 1880, m. Mary Ann Sanders; Emma, b. 1883, m. Albert Dechert;
Henry; William; Lucy, m. Jas. Searles. Need info on all children’s families.
Please write Janis Duench, 445-22nd St. W., Owen Sound ON N4K 6A2.
Sanders/Fink. Robert Sanders, b. 9 Dec 1854 in Lefroy, Ont, d. 5 Oct ? Maryborough
Twp., m. Katharina Fink, b. 5 Aug ?, d. 1921. Children: J. Arthur; Robert;
Alice, m. H. Franklin; Pearl, m. G. Daniells; Mary Ann, m. John Duench; Ethel,
m. Henry Underwood; Florence, m. W. Cecil Hackett. Family lived Wellesley Twp.
Seeking info on all of the above. Please write Janis Duench, 445-22nd St. W.,
Owen Sound ON N4K 6A2.
Moyer.
Any information about the following people would be greatly appreciated: John
M. Moyer, Samuel E. Moyer, and Eliza Ann Moyer (1875-1913). All of Waterloo
County. Please contact Susan Kolasa, B16 Popular Ridge Tr. Crt., Drayton Valley
AB T7A 1N2.
Lehman. Looking for all descendants, ancestors, & family members, of John
Michael Lehman, d. 26 Oct 1890 Waterloo Co.; his son, Martin Lehman; & his
son, Charles Martin Lehman, b. 12 July 1893 Waterloo, d. 28 Oct 1951, Preston,
ON; and the same for their spouses. Carl Lehman, 12 Monarch Crt, Dundas ON L9H 3W1. Tel: (905) 628-9218.
--------------------------------------------
A
Special Query.
A. Leone Hinds of Elora has sent the following newspaper clipping from the
Guelph Mercury, 26 February 1996.
Woman helps search for Florence Mabon
Irene Whitelaw of Guelph is
searching for Florence Mabon (née Fearnley). She is undertaking this search on
behalf of Florence Mabon’s sister, Barbara Stephenson (née Fearnley) of County
Durham, England, who wants to get in touch with her.
Florence Mabon, who if still
alive would be 73 years old, was last heard of in Goderich 26 years ago.
Mabon’s family in Goderich at that time, included her husband, Robert, and
children, Robert, Margaret Rose, Patricia Ann and Heather Jean.
If any of the family are in
the area, they are asked to contact Irene Whitelaw at 519-822-0464.
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Members’ Interests
Stephen Hood, 649 Coldstream Ave., North York
ON M6B 2L3, is interested in Charles Hood, 1850-1890, Drayton, Peel Twp.,
and in John Bridge, 1860s, Minto
Twp.
Heather J. Howard, PO Box 222, Frobisher SK S0X 0Y0, is looking for information on David
William Kenny, c. 1850, Mount
Forest, Ontario; and on Elizabeth Allan
(Allen?), c. 1850, Mount Forest.
Louise Croydon, 3321 Old Coach Rd., Burlington
ON L7N 3T8, is interested in Samuel Gregson, 1819-1903, Erin Twp. &
Ireland; Margaret Hobson (wife of
Samuel Gregson), 1821-1895, Erin Twp., & Co. Armagh, Ireland; Samuel
Gregson, 1848-1892, Erin Twp., & Proton Twp.; Jane Donaghy (wife of Samuel; 2nd marriage to Robert Black, Proton Twp.
& ?), 1858-?, E. Garafraxa Twp., & Proton Twp.; Thomas Donaghy, 1821-1863, E. Garafraxa &
Ireland; and Mary Donolly (wife of
Thomas), 1826-1888, E. Garafraxa & Ireland.
William M. Bellamy, 417 Wilson Ave. #402, Downsview
ON M3H 1T4, is interested in Bellamy, pre-1847-1970s, Belwood, West
Garafraxa; Bilton, 1850-1940,
Eramosa (?), Belwood; and Irene Zelpha Schwartz,
1902, Preston (now Cambridge), Ont.
Gladys M. Smith, 207 Twillingate Road, Campbell
River, BC V9W 1V1, is looking for
information on William & Mary Brown,
c.1780, Yorkshire (Weldrake & Clifford); Andrew Bannerman, 1818-1884, Sullivan Twp., Grey Co., from Scotland; David
& Catherine Jones, 1848-1895,
Howard Twp., Kent Co.; John & George Weeks,
1750-1890, Cumbria, England, 1895-present, British Columbia; Smiths, 1600, Halifax Parish,
Yorkshire, 1630-present, Massachusetts, Conn., all over USA & BC; Lamonts - John, etc., 1800 - Scotland,
1830 - Ontario, 1870 - Manitoba; and Fairbanks,
1500 - England, 1633 - Mass., 1630-1700, in particular.
Janis Duench, 445-22nd St. W., Owen Sound ON N4K 6A2, is interested in George Duench, 1859-1943, Linwood, Wellesley
Twp. & Waterloo-Kitchener; Sofia Kalbfleisch,
1859-1924, Linwood, Wellesley Twp.; Robert Sanders,
1880-1920, Wellesley & Maryborough Twps; & Katharina Fink, 1880-1920, Wellesley Twp.
Mrs. Geraldine M. McIntosh, 1041 Cortell St., North
Vancouver, BC V7P 2A2 is interested in
Alexander McIntosh (1823-1907),
Moray/Nairn, Scotland, 1823-1854, and Perth Co., Ont. 1854-1907; Donald McIntosh, (c.1814-), Moray/Nairn,
Scotland & Puslinch, Ont.; John G. Soper
(1829-1898), Devon, England, 1829-1853, & Peel Co., Ont., 1853-1898; & Snoddy/Snowdy (1821-1891), Larne, Co.
Antrim, 1821-1841, and Old Chelsea, Quebec, 1842-1898.
Beatrice Johnson, 4891 Cherry Tree Bend, Victoria
BC V8Y 1S1, is looking for information
about Dornan, pre-1820
?Wales/Ireland; MacKinnon pre-1850
Scotland; Bowie pre-1850 Scotland; Ross pre-1850 Scotland; Kitchen pre-1804 England; Hearn (Hern) pre-1825 Devon, England
and post-1851, Canada; Postill
pre-1865 England; and L.E. Warne
post-1840 Canada.
Don R. Ellis, 15418 98th Ave., Surrey BC V3R 7G4, is
interested in Robert & Eliza Moore,
1854-1870, Maryborough Twp.; Thomas & Mary Ann Beamish, 1863-1898, Clifford, Ont.; Frederick & Rebecca Holton, 1885-?, married in Clifford;
Daniel & Bertha Jane Reitzel
1886-?, married in Clifford.
Carl Lehman, 12 Monarch Crt, Dundas ON L9H 3W1, is interested in Martin Lehman, 1870-1920, Waterloo Co.; John
Michael Lehman, 1840-1890, Waterloo Co.; Richard Waller, 1840-1875, Wellington
Co.; and Maria Royal, 1840-1880, Wellington Co.
Lawrence A. Lyons, 720 Cortland Dr., Monroeville PA
15146 USA, is interested in John Lynes
& Margaret Clifford, 1847-1899,
W Garafraxa; John Lynes (II) & Mary Murphy,
1853-1933, W Garafraxa; James Lynes & Lena Podesta, 1875-1930, Kenilworth, Arthur Twp.; Cornelius O’Neil & Julia Lynes, 1881-?,
Arthur Village; and James J. Shea
& Mary Pickett, 1903-1944,
Arthur Twp. & Mount Forest. (Tel: 412-325-3983; E-mail at lyons720@aol.com)
Nancine Bescoby, 7594 Jadeite Ave., Cucamonga CA
91730-2229 USA, is interested in Charles Brandon,
1840-?, Arthur, Wellington Co.; and John Tweedy,
1850-1900s, Grand Valley, Dufferin Co.
Lynda Lovett, PO Box 880, Alliston ON L9R 1T4, is
interested in Cramp, 1881, South
Waterloo, Ontario; Cartlidge, 1900,
Fergus ON; and Merklinger, 1881,
Waterloo North.
Doug Brown, 9131 Emerson Ave. S., Bloomington MN
55420 USA, writes that he is interested in Catherine Diemert (née Schwartz),
b. 15 Feb 1836 Waterloo Co., m. 4 Oct 1853 to Joseph F. Diemert, Waterloo Co.;
Herman Schwehr, 1850s to 1880s,
Floradale, Woolwich Twp.; Christina Schwehr (née Schratz) b. 8 Feb 1842 Bridgeport, Waterloo Twp.; Antoni &
Marianna Schratz, 1840s, Bridgeport; Andrew & Otillia (Roberts) Hoffart, 1840s-1879, St. Agatha, Wilmot
Twp.; and Nick Hoffart, b. 8 Dec 1851, St. Agatha.
N.B.
The Editor’s apology to William H. Black,
11 Hamblin Dr., Bracebridge ON P1L 1R3,
regarding several errors in his family interest list published in this column
in February 1996 Branch Notes. Please
note corrections to “Margaret (née Hush)
Black, Northumberland Co., England, before 1812; and Joseph Bowman, Germany, Pennsylvania, &
Puslinch Twp., Ontario ... .”
WATERLOO-WELLINGTON
BRANCH
of
the
ONTARIO
GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
by Eldon D. Weber
Formal recognition of the Waterloo-Wellington Branch
of the Ontario Genealogical Society occurred 14 May 1973 when Dr. W. Harold
Minshall, the third president of the Ontario Genealogical Society, presented
the Branch with its letter of recognition. This event was held at Meadowland
Public School in Kitchener, and acknowledged that the requisite number of
members was in place and that the proposed terms of a Constitution for the
Branch had been given approval by the OGS Board of Directors.
The first six meetings had been held in the Story
Room of the Kitchener Public Library. Eldon Weber, 2nd Vice-president of the
Ontario Society at that time, sent letters to about thirty persons known to
have “family hunting interests” (about half of which were members of OGS),
within the Waterloo-Wellington area. There were 19 at that first meeting,
Friday 10 November 1972, at which Jacquie Norris, Allan Buehler, William
McKinnon and Eldon Weber were appointed to act as a steering committee to
arrange for a second meeting which was again held in the Story Room on the main
floor of the Kitchener Public Library, with 20 persons in attendance. In
response to the plea for Ancestor or Pedigree charts, in the notice of meeting,
several were submitted by a number of those in attendance.
It should be more generally known that the formation
of the Ontario Genealogical Society took place in Waterloo, as an outgrowth of
a family history committee set up within the Pennsylvania-German Folklore
Society of Ontario which had its beginning in 1951.
It is interesting to discover that the Society’s
roots may be traced back to the late 1920s when the young people of a number of
the Old Mennonite Churches met in gatherings commonly known as Literary
Societies, at which they provided informative papers which addressed secular as
well as religious needs, such as experienced at their weekly Young People’s
Meetings.
At times joint meetings were held. One of these was
addressed by Dr. Arthur Graef of Pennsylvania. His interest was that of
preservation of dialect. This resulted in several of the young men holding what
became known as Schwetzfeschts at which many raucous tales were told, but
little was accomplished by way of recording written dialect. This did, however,
become known to Dr. George Elmore Reaman, at that time with the Department of
English at the Ontario Agricultural College.* This resulted in the formation of
The Pennsylvania-German Folklore Society of Ontario in 1951.
It was not long until interest was aroused in family
history and a special committee was launched to pursue this activity. Dr.
Reaman was instrumental in having Dr. Milton Rubincam, secretary of the
National Genealogical Society, address the 1961 Annual Meeting of the
Pennsylvania-German Folklore Society of Ontario. His plea to form an Ontario
Genealogical Society was fruitful in that Reuben Oberholtzer’s motion to
undertake such action was duly seconded and steps were taken to set up a
provisional Board of Directors. Dr. Reaman was the founding chairman in 1961
and the first President in 1961 of the Ontario Genealogical Society.
It was acknowledged that Family History had a much
wider range of interest than that of those who were within the Folklore
Society. The membership soon included many with many ethnic and language
backgrounds other than what was in evidence in the founding members. The Bylaws
provided for satellite branches to be formed.
The first of these were in Toronto, Ottawa,
Hamilton, etc., and then as recognized in the opening paragraphs, the home base
finally had a formally recognized Branch established in 1973.
*(OAC is today the
University of Guelph. Dr. Reaman successively moved to Waterloo College in 1954
and to the University of Waterloo in 1957.)
Bowman Ancestry in Disarray?
by Sybil Card
Crawford
Waterloo County’s many Bowman/Baumann researchers
and descendants were jolted from their usual complacency with the appearance of
a lengthy article entitled “The Children of Wendel and Ann Bowman Reconsidered”
in the October 1995 issue of Pennsylvania
Mennonite Heritage.”
The Bowman family is a classic example of a family
which used relatively few given names repetitively, compounding the need to be
sure that “the” Bowman is “your” Bowman. As is to be expected in large family
unites, the dates of one generation frequently overlap that of another.
At least one Bowman Bible record has added confusion
among researchers by improper interpretation of dates. In the instance cited,
an early Bowman researcher alludes to a Bible said to belong to the immigrant,
giving its date as 1720, which was well within Wendel Bowman’s lifetime. The
1720 date was, in fact, the date the text was authorized ecclesiastically for
publication and not the date of publication itself. The Bible was clearly
published in 1753, eighteen years after Wendel’s death. This being the case, he
was obviously not the party who made the family entries therein. Other
similarly flawed documentation is discussed in the article. The author
highlights the dangers of “copying” one’s ancestry and relying exclusively on
names and dates furnished by others -- original research is encouraged.
The article’s author, Emmert F. Bittinger, has
decided wisely not to make any rash statements without further study, but
brings readers to the realization that some of the children attributed to
Wendel Bowman, the Mennonite progenitor who died in 1735, are, in fact, more
likely his grandchildren.
As a descendant of Abraham, it would seem that my
Bowman ancestry will call for further study, if not a complete overhaul.
Abraham was born 30 November 1834 in Preston, Waterloo County, Ontario, the son
of Henry B.K. Bauman, and grandson of Peter Bowman. On 28 July 1863 Abraham
married Mary Ann Allen, daughter of William and Jane (Craig) Allen, in Doon,
Waterloo County, Ontario. Their backgrounds were quite dissimilar and I do not
know how they met or how his family accepted his departure from the Mennonite
community.
The Bittinger article gives us reason to reconsider
whether Peter Bowman, born 1726 in Pennsylvania, is a son of Wendel, or his
grandson. I would be interested in learning if there are any Bowman records in
Waterloo County which might shed light on the matter. Thus far, it would appear
that Pennsylvania records have been used almost exclusively in attempting to
unravel what has become a puzzle.
(Submitted by Sybil Card
Crawford, 10548 Stone Canyon Road -- #228, Dallas TX 75230-4408 USA -- OGS member #6107.)
(Editor: Readers who have
plans for a research trip this summer may be interested in reading about the
following experiences of Elinor Knight and her daughter on their “first-ever
ancestor-tracking trip.”)
What do you mean, you can’t
find it?
by Elinor R. Knight
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You have heard of sewing
kits, tackle boxes, tool chests -- all differing ways to keep the tools of a
hobby together. I humbly propose a “Geneser’s Jaunter -- the handy-dandy Tote’m
for Searchers on the Family Tree.”
My daughter and I have just
returned from a ten-day jaunt, our first-ever ancestor-tracking trip. We had a
wonderful time exploding old family myths, discovering new stories, finding the
names of matriarchs previously known as “wife,” and meeting some wonderfully
helpful and knowledgeable people in restaurants, libraries, secondhand book
stores, archives, and motel lobbies.
We went well prepared -- we
thought. The car was fed, watered, gassed and oiled, ready for a 2500+ km.
trip. CAA provided maps and books, augmented by topographical maps from the
university, and exploded detail maps from a computer program. There were film
and cameras enough for a European tour. Appointments were scheduled and other
contacts were alerted to our tentative itinerary. We had great-aunt Miriam’s grave
location and the address of great-grandpa’s school. We had photos and letters
for “show-n-tell,” a 150-year old silk sash to donate to the State Archives,
and a wall-sized family tree.
We had three pages of
questions organized by surname and city. We had pencils and paper, red pens and
black pens, but we did not take the “Geneser’s Jaunter.” This indispensable
item (which I am proposing) might take the place of a laptop computer. But,
then, we did not have one of those.
SO, take one suitable
container. Keep in mind that archivists are understandably protective of their
precious commodities and understandably leery of shopping bags, banker’s boxes
and attaché cases. We suggest a large see-through zip-top freezer bag.
In the container, place:
File cards -- to be used on ONE side only. (The
second side could be recycled for another trip.) Or, if you prefer, quartered
notebook paper.
Stapler and staples (pocket size) to staple file
cards together when necessary.
Paper clips, coated, not metallic. (Uncoated paper
clips and pins can rust on precious notes.)
Elastic bands to keep file cards from spreading all
over the work surface (and, incidentally to keep subject matter together).
Two (2) rolls of quarters. (One is never enough and
the bank is always four blocks away.)
A magnifying glass; a small, but good one; not one
borrowed from the children’s toy box.
Pencils, preferably HB, with erasers that do not
smear.
Pencil sharpener, dime store variety, in case the
batteries are kaput in the electric one on the cabinet.
Pens, in different colours, to colour-code your
ancestors. I prefer fine-line pens.
A 4” x 6” spiral notebook for jotting, such as what
building in which town on what day was that superb source unaccountably
unavailable from but “maybe you could try interlibrary loan and we will find it
by then.”
Some personal gummed address labels, useful for
SASE, etc.
A pack of tissues and some throat lozenges.
Armed with “Geneser’s
Jaunter” and some lined paper and pencil, a person could almost search the world.
However, we discovered our three pages of questions were poorly organized.
(After awhile we could not remember our own birth dates as more twigs appeared
on the family tree!) We resorted to a column of surnames which we could check
off as we used a particular index or microfilmed city directory, noting
applicable page numbers as we went and noting when a surname did not appear in
the source. This worked well until we added the names of the women known as
“wife.”
We wished that we had taken
family sheets and census forms. I prefer the Canadian census forms to the US
ones --just change the dates (e.g. 1851 to 1850). Also a list of names with
pertinent dates and place of residence might have kept the generations
apart and perhaps even the cousins might have stayed in their proper families.
When William fought in three wars over a 60-year period (including dying in the
middle one), we knew we were in trouble!
We also found that mental
indigestion set in when we did not take time to consolidate data each evening.
This requires a comprehensive filing system (which we didn’t have), light
enough to haul into the motel room. Speaking of motels, avoid dashing to a new
one each day. This is a search for ancestors, not a survey for Fodor’s. We
would have been happier if we had purchased a portable file case equipped with
labeled (and unlabelled, for the nameless “wife”) folders to keep photocopies
in some semblance of order. Of course, when all pieces of paper are accurately
and completely identified with bibliographic information, order inevitably
follows. (So, why did we keep shuffling papers?)
By the
time we went to the eighth place on our list we had developed a system of
attack. We introduced ourselves, stated our primary area of interest, said how
much time we had, related what data we had and what we needed, and asked for
help. Institutions have differing mandates and widely varying financial
resources. Staff members know who is most qualified to help in a particular
area. And the volunteers! -- one drove Jay to a cemetery, another mailed information
that we received when we arrived home; still another showed us the closed-off
sections of a Ladies’ Academy.
Perhaps the most memorable
coincidence happened in the Archives of the State of Kentucky. We overheard a man
seeking information about Gov. J.J. Crittenden’s siblings. It so happened that
we had been reading about the family that very morning. Why? Because a
great-great-great-grandfather was the man who assassinated J.J. Crittenden’s
brother. And we were able to find the reference and point our acquaintance to
the right place in the stacks!
And now, a request for your
help! There are two institutions wanting the 1000+ letters, grocery lists,
deeds, lawsuits, photos, etc. that have been kicking around this family for a
hundred years. One is the State Archives, the other a private archives. What
criteria should be used in determining the disposition of private papers? Are
there any caveats to take into account? Your opinions are welcome.
(Elinor R. Knight, 35 Brockville Ave., Guelph
ON N1E 5X5)
Did You Know that 1996 is the 35th
Anniversary of the founding of the Ontario Genealogical Society?
