Anglo-Celtic Connections

Claire Santry’s Irish Genealogy News reports “A freshly re-designed website has launched to provide a ‘gateway to the history of each of Cavan’s 2,000 townlands’. It’s called CavanTownlands.com, and brings together historical data and sources for each individual townland.”

The headline article in the issue is Heraldry: Your Get Started Guide. Author Mike Bedford looks at the history of heraldry, the elements of a heraldic “achievement,” the language of blazon, advice if you discover an armigerous ancestor and, where to see “heraldry in the flesh.”

For those of us whose ancestry is more prosaic, archivist Lisa Edwards recounts the history, restoration and future of a working-men’s club, while editor Helen Tovey reports on a research project to shed light on workhouse ancestors.

There’s also an article on the loss of 32 firemen and 2 firewomen as a result of the bombing of Old Palace School, St. Leonard’s Street, Bow on 20 April 1941 – 80 years ago.

Plus there’s the usual mix of news, views, advice and problems solved.

The magazine is likely available free through your Canadian public library subscription to digital resources. In Ottawa, that’s either Press Reader or Overdrive Magazines (Formerly RBDigital Unlimited Magazines -Zinio).

We mourn the passing of Dr. Edward Kipp UE on Saturday 10 April 2021, six days short of his 78th birthday after a life of service.

Ed was widely known as a mainstay of many genealogical and other activities in Ottawa and area summarized in this citation for the award of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

His years of volunteerism included his work with the Ontario Genealogical Society Ottawa Branch (treasurer, editor, Gene-O-Rama, conference, etc.), his personal genealogical work on the Kip/Kipp family which is used by researchers around the world, various activities both nationally and internationally with the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada (bus trips to the USA, King’s Name Project, newsletter St. Lawrence Branch, webpage Sir Guy Carleton Branch), his activities with the Alumni Association Ottawa Branch of the University of Western Ontario for over a decade, editor of the Directory of Amateur Radio Operators in the Ottawa Area for a number of years, his lectures on genealogy/local history both in Canada and in the United States of America, various roles at Orleans United Church (treasurer, camp coordinator, etc.) and a number of other volunteer activities throughout his life.

Condolences to his wife Elizabeth and family.

There are three feature articles in the May WDYTYA  issue.

Archives in Lockdown
Explores how UK archivists have risen to the challenge of COVID-19. Although planned events were not able to go ahead, and physical access has been closed at times, restricted at others, progress has been made without “pesky customers: around. The article gives examples of improved research services, online exhibitions, and engagement vis social media that’s been possible.

There are 51 titles in the list of New Free Historical Records on FamilySearch: Week of 12 April 2021. Here are those for Canada (Nova Scotia) and the UK (England).

Choose from free online events in the next five days. All times are ET except as noted. Those in red are Canadian, bolded if local to Ottawa. Assume registration in advance is required. Check so you’re not disappointed.

Tuesday, 13 April 1 pm: What Do We Owe to Those Not Yet Born, by Martin Daunton for Gresham College. https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/owe-unborn

Tuesday 13 April, 2 pm:  Virtual Genealogy Drop-In, from Ottawa Branch of OGS and The Ottawa Public Library. https://ottawa.ogs.on.ca/events/.

Tuesday 13 April 7 pm: A Virtual Road Trip – a virtual tour through the resources available on the Essex Branch website, Member’s Only Library, and at the Family History Branch of the Windsor Public Library. https://essex.ogs.on.ca/meetings/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/EssexCountyOGS

Another 2.9 million entries are added to this Findmypast collection. The total is now 121,650,867 entries making it the third-largest for the UK after England & Wales Births 1837-2006 with 133,086,915 records and England & Wales, Electoral Registers 1920-1932 with 125,544,782.

Provided by 192.com, the records include names, addresses, and other details of the UK electorate from 2002 up to the present day. Business directors are included.

These transcripts show:

Name
Age guide – provides the age range of the individual
Address
Town
District
County
Country
Year
Electoral rolls
Occupancy (years)
Other occupants
Company director – If this field shows ‘Yes’ that indicates that the person is listed on the Companies House Directors register.

For the US, last Friday Findmypast also added Cincinnati Roman Catholic Parish Registers. Over 22,000 new baptisms covering records up to 1924, over 28,000 new marriages up to 1924 and over 19,000 new burials up to 1953

Three new sets of maps covering Scotland and Great Britain during the 20th century at the regional or medium scale are highlighted in the April NLS Newsletter.

NLS comments that these are particularly useful for showing the development of reservoirs and forestry, as well as new roads, railways and airports. Some were specifically made for air navigation by civilians or the Royal Air Force, and another set was captured by the Germans and re-issued for the Luftwaffe in 1939-40.

Maps website updates
OS Half-inch, Scotland, Outline Edition, 1942
OS Quarter-inch, Scotland, 1901-1960

OS One-inch, Great Britain, 1952-1970

According to the information from Findmypast there are 52,044 records in this collection for Cambridgeshire covering 1764-1828 giving the name and abode of the victualler, the name of the alehouse, tavern or inn, and the name and abode of the person providing surety. These are sourced from the Cambridgeshire Archives in Ely, they were photographed and transcribed by members of the Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire Family History Society. Most are for the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Not advertised and not fully searchable are entries as late as 1956.

Pub names are fascinating. For 400 post-WW2 entries, 40 were for establishments starting White — White Cock, White Hart, White Horse, White Lion, and White Swan. 9 started with Black — Black Bull, Black Horse and Black Swan. Others with colours were the Golden Lion, Green Man, and Red Lion. While no pubs had signs starting with One or Two, there were entries for Three Blackbirds, Three Fishes and Three Horse Shoes.

Duke, King, Maid, Nag and Queen were all paired with Head; Bricklayer, Carpenter and Queen had Arm appended.

The most unusual — Dog In A Doublet and Hero Of Aliwal.

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Thursday 8 April 2021 to contain 279,663,246 unique records (279,220,849 at the previous update.) Years with major additions, greater than 5,000 records are: for births 1986-90; for marriages 1969, 1986-89; for deaths 1986, 1988-90.

The database now contains 117,156,058 unique births, 85,770,686 marriages and 76,736,502 deaths.

The decline in the number of births per marriage event is evident from four up to the late 19th century to around two after 1930.

The FreeBMD Database was updated on Thursday 8 April 2021 to contain 279,663,246 unique records (279,220,849 at the previous update.) Years with major additions, greater than 5,000 records are: for births 1986-90; for marriages 1969, 1986-89; for deaths 1986, 1988-90.

The database now contains 117,156,058 unique births, 85,770,686 marriages and 76,736,502 deaths.

The decline in the number of births per marriage event is evident from four up to the late 19th century to around two after 1930.

Saturday, 10 April 2021

How to Tell a Compelling Family History Story (Education Talk, 9 a.m.)

Ruth Stewart Verger grew up in a storytelling family and weaves tales from family histories and from much time spent in archives and university libraries researching Canadian historical figures. A resident of Ottawa, Ruth is a member of Storytellers of Canada.

The War Brides 75 Years: 1946–2021 (Feature Talk, 10.30 a.m.)

Melynda Jarratt marks the 75th anniversary of “Operation Daddy” – the organized transport to Canada of nearly 45,000 war brides and their children following the end of the Second World War.

For more information, see Meetings & Activities. April 10