Month: May 2024

With the 80th anniversary the Normandy Landings in June, the cover photo and the article by military family historian Simon Fowler “Tracing ancestors in the British armed forces in WWII” are timely.
The situation for individual military service files is in flux as they are gradually being transferred to TNA. Online find war diaries for troops who landed on 6 June 1944 at Ancestry and operation record books for RAF squadrons via TNA’s website. TNA has a good WW2 guide. For records for those who died start with the CWGC. 

Also featured on the front cover are:

Marriages and Maps: Tracking Down Elusive Ancestors
Wayne Shepheard explains how combining parish records and 19th-century maps proved key to establishing the identities of two of his most elusive family members.
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Sneaking Up on a Brick Wall
Persistence, a new research approach, and a smattering of well-earned genealogical good luck saw family historian Peter
Day smashing down a brick wall that he’d been faced with for the past 15 years. He shares how he succeeded in the end…

DNA Workshop: Quick and Dirty Trees
DNA guru Karen Evans shows how to collect family history information quickly and the advantages of doing so.

The issue became available on 10 May; access free online in Canada through your public library.

The CEF network of medical facilities made a major contribution during the First World War. They included four casuality clearing stations, 10 stationary hospitals, convalescent hospitals, and 16 general hospitals.

The 16th Canadian General Hospital, renamed from the Ontario Military Hospital, treated over 25,000 First World War soldiers.  Staffed solely by Ontario medical professionals, the Government of Ontario paid $2 million for its construction in Orpington, Kent. It opened in early 1916 and functioned until September 1919. 

Read the story of the hospital and Dr. L. Bruce Robertson, a surgeon from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, who pioneered WW1 blood transfusions for wounded soldiers and worked at the hospital.

Orpington (All Saints) Churchyard Extension holds the graves of 88 CEF fatalities, over half from the Canadian Infantry.

 

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

Seidlitz powder
While researching my two-times-great grandmother I came across this 1896 small ad.
I thought I’d never heard of “Seidlitz powder.” Wikipedia points to a familiar song by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, with the lines “We two should be like clams in a dish of chowder / But we just fizz like parts of a Seidlitz powder.” https://youtu.be/VMUFn9D6xR8?si=i9b2WFbXclgc2icP

On Bill 18: Danielle Smith, the Calgary School, and the Politics of Academic Freedom

Genetic stigma and the use of genetic ancestry tests by white nationalists
Despite expectations of using genetic tests to establish a strict white identity, some white nationalist groups incorporate members based on cultural definitions of whiteness, even when genetic results differ. This inclusive approach stems from pragmatic concerns, as overly exclusionary policies may hinder the group’s demographic survival.

Ancestry announces  largest public-private and archive collaboration to date with the National Archives and Records Administration (US). 

Place and Poetry in premodern Scotland

Thanks to this week’s contributors: Ann Burns, Anonymous, Helen Gillespie, Pamela Wile, Sunday Thompson, Teresa, Unknown.

 

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) will be at the Canadian Tulip Festival at Commissioner’s Park at Dow’s Lake in Ottawa to talk about their work in commemorating war dead.

The CWGC will have a tent and information table in front of Dow’s Lake Pavilion.

Saturday, May 11 (10:00am-6:00pm)
Sunday, May 12 (10:00am-3:00pm)
Saturday, May 18 (10:00am-6:00pm)

Given the dates, I can almost guarantee that you won’t find anyone you can connect to in Ancestry’s new England, Medieval Soldier Database, 1368-1374. It’s before the systematic keeping of parish registers.

Ancestry lists the contents as 15,000 records taken from The Soldier in Later Medieval England. University of Southampton: Henley Business School. That source covers the period 1369 and 1453 derived from muster rolls.

In 20 generations or so from then until now there’s a good chance one or more of those named will be your ancestor, if your English heritage goes back that far.

This Saturday, 11 May 2024

9:00 am — 10:00 am EDT: Education Talk
Back to Basics: Immigration and Emigration Presenter: Ken McKinlay.

10:00 am – 11:30 am EDT: Feature Talk
My Farrell Brick Wall and New Cousins: From Inchigeelagh, Cork to Holytown, Scotland and St Andrew’s West, Ontario – Presenters: Helen O’Farrell Sloan and Dena Palamedes

This is a story of how patience, persistence and DNA can crumble a brick wall and reveal a new family.

Dena’s third great-grandfather, Thomas O’Farrell, was not to be found after 1851. His origins and ultimate outcome were unknown, a proverbial brick wall. Eight years after Dena’s family first started DNA testing, they found a match only an hour from home in Kemptville, Ontario, and the brick wall crumbled. This is the story of how two families reconnected and the search to find out more about Thomas’ two brothers.

Join in-person in Geneva Hall at Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar St. on the corner of Elgin St, or online by registering here.

Not new, but good advice for those struggling to get back past the 1922 loss barrier in Ireland. https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/news/irish-naming-conventions-and-baptism-traditions.

Here’s my TL/DR verson:

Irish Naming Patterns and Traditions

Before the Mid-1900s

• Families followed a specific naming pattern for about 2 centuries.
• This pattern can help identify potential ancestor names.

Boys’ Names:

1. Paternal grandfather
2. Maternal grandfather
3. Father
4. Eldest paternal uncle
5. And so on…

Girls’ Names (Less Strictly Followed):

1. Maternal grandmother
2. Paternal grandmother
3. Mother
4. Mother’s eldest sister
5. And so on…

Exceptions:

• Parents shared the same name
• Child named after someone died young
• Priest rejected a Gaelic name

Middle Names:

• Not common for the poor
• Identified by father’s name (patronymic)

Surnames as Middle Names:

• Reserved for gentry or wealthy families

Double-Barrelled Surnames:

• Usually due to inheritance or marriage

Infant Deaths:

• Repetitive names suggest deceased child’s name being reused

Church Records:

• Important genealogical resource, but with gaps and omissions
• Baptism window: 28 years for couple, new baby every 1-5 years

Pre-Famine vs. Post-Famine Marriages:

• Pre-Famine: Younger groom, bride’s parish, siblings as witnesses
• Post-Famine: Older groom, inherits farm, seeks younger wife

Godparents:

• Siblings/in-laws for tenant farmers
• Close neighbors for Catholics after famine
• Wealthy families: relatives or prestigious friends

Tips:

• Unusual sponsor surnames suggest in-laws, key to research
• Follow sponsor’s surname to find new family branch

Checking the most popular presentations on Legacy Family Tree Webinars this year I noticed these.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Genealogy: New Beginnings in 2024, by Steve Little has 4.1K views.
2. Beginning with DNA Painter, by Jonny Perl has 3.6K views.
7. What’s Your DNA Problem? Too Few Matches? Too Many? by Diahan Southard has 2.5K views.

All three are presenters in person at the Conference 2024 | An Interactive Experience! June 14-16, Toronto.

The others in the Legacy top ten are: Diana Elder, Elizabeth Shown Mills, Tal Erlichman, Judy G. Russell, Peggy Jude, Natalie Bodle and Andrew Redfern.

The National Archives (UK) posted How to research the history of a place with eight resources to get you started in exploring the places that play in your family history.

I’ve been exploring Liverpool, in particular Everton, in the 1860s so looked at the recommended resources through that lens.

There’s a lot of information in the Vision of Britain, that either pre- or postdates my period of interest.

Volumes III and IV of the Victoria County History of Lancashire, cover the West Derby Hundred and Liverpool. Volume III includes a section on Everton which mentions the historic manor and religious institutions for the period of my interest.

HistPop provides images of (mainly) census documents starting in 1801 covering the whole of England and Wales.

Unfortunately, the Society of One Place Studies has nothing of for my area of interest. 

The National Library of Scotland Maps resource includes two Six-inch to the mile maps covering Everton, published in 1864 and 1894.

The British Newspaper Archive has most Everton coverage in the Liverpool Mercury and Liverpool Daily Post, with over 76,000 entries in the 1860s.

Also mentioned in the blog post are the National Library of Wales and TNA research guides.

To the list I’d certainly add a Google search for the community name and history. For Everton you’ll get a lot of hits for the football club.

 

 

Michael Nettleton has posted the latest Vlog with news from OGS Conference 2024 at  https://youtu.be/zRm_xUJztHY

In the world of genealogical research, the costs of various databases and services can quickly add up. However, by strategically ‘churning’ your subscriptions, you can secure better deals and save money while furthering your research.

Churning refers to the practice of cancelling or allowing a subscription to lapse, with the intention of resubscribing later for a better deal. Genealogy database providers often offer promotions or special deals for new or returning subscribers. So much for being a loyal subscriber!  By taking advantage of these offers, you can continue accessing valuable resources without paying the full price.

Take a look at the genealogy databases you currently subscribe to. Is one coming to the end of a term? You can probably find that on the site’s “Your Account” or similarly named page. Consider if you can temporarily discontinue it without disrupting your ongoing research. That may mean retaining access to the data you entered as a non-paying subscriber. You will likely still have access to some of the common databases available for free, through other subscriptions, or through your local public library.

Contact the database provider to cancel your subscription. In most cases, you can do this online or by calling their customer support. You may immediately be offerred a discount, often not as good a deal as you can get if you wait a bit.

Then wait for the right offer. Businesses know that it costs them less to get a prior client to resubscribe than to attract an entirely new one.  The opportunity may come in the form of emails, newsletters, or even targeted advertisements. Once you find an offer that meets your needs, resubscribe using the promotion.

It is just possible you find you don’t really miss that site and can save 100% of the previous cost. If the renewal dates for your various subscriptions are staggered you may want to follow the same steps with other genealogical databases.

There’s nothing special about genealogy databases when it comes to the benefits of churning. Be careful to note the expiry date of your subscription in your calendar. Some sites will automatically resubscribe you at a higher rate at the end of the new subscriber period, so be proactive in cancelling your subscription before that happens.

 

This Week’s Online Genealogy Events
Choose from selected free online events in the next five days. All times are ET except as noted. Assume registration in advance is required; check so you’re not disappointed. Find out about many more mainly US events at Conference Keeper at https://conferencekeeper.org

Tuesday, 7 May

2:30 pm: Question Everything: Breaking Through the Brick Walls We’ve Built, by Eilene Lyon for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9991184

7:30 pm: Following the Trails of the Betts Bibles, by Beth Adams for OGS Durham County Branch.
https://ogs.on.ca/events/durhams-may-7th-hybrid-meeting-following-the-trails-of-the-betts-bibles-beth-adamsin-person/

8 pm: Finding the records for “impossible” genealogy – lessons learned from a Chinese genealogist, by Linda Yip for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/finding-the-records-for-impossible-genealogy-lessons-learned-from-a-chinese-genealogist/

Wednesday, 8 May

11 am: Researching gender and sexuality. From the National Library of Scotland.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/researching-gender-sexuality-tickets-857069466847

Thursday, 9 May

6:30 pm: Using Catholic Parish Records and Archives, by W. Becket Soule for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/9988883

Friday, 10 May

Saturday, 11 May

9 am: Back to Basics: Immigration and Emigration, by Ken McKinlay for BIFHSGO.
10 am: My Farrell Brick Wall and New Cousins: From Inchigeelagh, Cork to Holytown, Scotland and St Andrew’s West, Ontario, by Helen O’Farrell Sloan and Dena Palamedes for BIFHSGO.
https://www.bifhsgo.ca/events