Anglo-Celtic Connections

A Pam Ayres classic, now dated.

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

The Great State of Canada? Time for a Rethink

New battery revealed in Canada that gives EVs over 5 million miles
Expect electric car prices to drop below the ICE(fossil fuel) in the next two years.

RootsTech 2025 Preview
Among the long list of presentations, there’s one Canadian-themed, “French-Canadian Sources for Family History,” by David Ouimette. Without fanfare (yet), information on 172 Legacy Family Tree Webinars for 2025 is posted.

 

 

The Library and Archives Canada Annual Departmental Results Report for 2023-2024 is available here.

There are four mentions of genealog* (the same as the previous year), five for census (8), and none for newspaper (1). As in previous years, there is no mention of artificial intelligence.

For the core responsibility of providing access to documentary heritage, the report shows that while seven result indicators were met in 2022-2023, that fell to four of eight in 2023-2024.

The number of images from LAC collections digitized was 5.7 million, up from 5.5 million images the previous year but still lagging behind the historical achievement shown below. That contrasts with the stated ambition to make LAC resources more available nationwide.

LAC is focusing its digitization on priorities. In a renewed effort to clear the backlog, 2.4 million images were digitized for ATIP in 2023-24. LAC closed 14,653 ATIP requests, 3,492 more than in 2022-23.

Another digitization emphasis was Indigenous records for which LAC can draw on earmarked funds.

The number of unique visitors to LAC’s website and online applications fell to 1.8 million, down from 2.2 million the previous year and well short of the 3 million target. However, that does not include direct access to Collection Search —approximately 3 million queries per month. 

Less than 2/3 of facilities met environmental standards for the preservation of the analog collection.

LAC reports having 15.344 Petabytes of digitized data. Making that available online using cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure would cost $300,000 to $400,000 monthly, depending on the level of service. Although not stated, some substantial parts of the holdings are likely offline storage, such as magnetic tape.

The word cloud is based on “providing access to the documentary heritage” section of the report.

 

Prominent Montreal Jewish genealogist Stanley Diamond passed on 18 December. Please see a guest post at EOGN here.

In word association, England and Avalanche are an unlikely pairing. Back in late December 1836 they came together in Sussex. The Brighton Patriot of 27 December reported on a Terrific Snow Storm.

“Scarcely have the recollections of the late hurricane died away, when we have been again visited by one of the most severe snow storms remembered by the oldest men in Brighton; and which, we regret to state, has been attended with the loss of human life, together with others of a serious kind.
The snow began to fall on Saturday, but the day at intervals was brightened by the sun, and there was not much wind. The snow continued to fall nearly all Saturday night and the whole of Sunday (Christmas Day); and at night the wind being N. E., blew a complete hurricane, whirling masses of snow about with terrific fury. ‘The policemen and others who were out during the night speak of its violence as indescribable and the cold as intense.”

The article reports on two, possibly three, lives lost in Brighton and others in outlying areas.

The accumulation of snow on the steep Cliffe Hill overlooking the East Sussex community of East Malling gave way at 10.15 am on the morning of 27 December. The avalanche swallowed the Boulder Row cottages, killing eight. Another six people survived being buried. The victims are in an unmarked communal grave at South Malling parish churchyard, where a plaque records the tragedy.

Reclaim The Records has announced possibly the largest-ever public dataset of deceased US veterans.

The Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) database provides an index to basic biographical information on more than 18 million deceased American veterans who received veterans benefits in their lifetime, including health care, disability or life insurance policies, educational benefits (the GI Bill), mortgage assistance (VA loans), and more.

Finding a name listed in the BIRLS database means that you can make a free FOIA request for a copy of that deceased veteran’s full VA claims file, which may contain hundreds of pages of never-before-seen biographical and historical material about the veteran, their military service, and their interactions with the VA. BIRLS provides a direct link to make the free FOIA request.

Ireland has not been overlooked in the December FamilySearch Full Text search update. There are 4.9 million Irish records in 275 titles. A typical county name appears in the title 4 – 7 times, Dublin appears 14 times and Cork 10 times. Many are printed documents, not handwritten

Collection Title	Records
Ireland, Residences, Census, from 1620 to 1977	1430492
Ireland, Properties, from 1298 to 1975	1131966
Ireland, Legal, from 1055 to 2006	815200
Ireland, County Meath, Legal, from 1858 to 1877	153568
Ireland, Dublin, Legal, from 1448 to 1967	135790
Ireland, County Meath, Religious, from 1 November 1915 to 30 June 1916	62312
Ireland, Others, from 1051 to 2007	60765
Ireland, County Dublin, Legal, 1854	59200
Ireland, Dublin, Poor Relief, from 1 July 1839 to 1921	46652
Ireland, County Tipperary, Legal, from 1698 to 1851	46577
Ireland, County Cork, Properties, 1959	38642
Ireland, County Wicklow, Properties, from 1 November 1867 to 31 July 1872	32947
Ireland, County Galway, Properties, 1834	32519
Ireland, County Tipperary, Properties, from 1850 to 1894	27830
Ireland, County Carlow, Properties, from 1774 to 1924	25735
Ireland, County Dublin, Properties, 1854	24492
Ireland, County Offaly, Properties, from 1870 to 1933	18448
Ireland, County Limerick, Properties, 1854	18189
Ireland, Biographies, from 1066 to 2005	17286
Ireland, County Waterford, Properties, from 1855 to 1968	17047
Ireland, Residences, from 1553 to 1978	16604
Ireland, County Mayo, Religious, from 1 September 1873 to 1880	16453
Ireland, County Fermanagh, Legal, from 1858 to 1862	16342
Ireland, County Cork, Legal, from 1837 to 1850	16200
Ireland, County Kildare, Properties, from 1774 to 1924	15599
Ireland, County Donegal, Properties, from 1821 to 1825	15500
Ireland, County Galway, Religious, from 1 September 1860 to 31 July 1870	15304
Ireland, County Mayo, Properties, 1826	14909
Ireland, County Wexford, Legal, from 1858 to 1919	13782
Ireland, County Kildare, Legal, from 1858 to 1877	13654
Ireland, County Galway, Legal, from 1878 to 1922	13444
Ireland, County Wexford, Properties, 1853	13181
Ireland, County Kilkenny, Religious, from 1728 to 1951	12333
Ireland, Migrations, from 1545 to 1986	11781
Ireland, County Kilkenny, Properties, from 1774 to 1924	11712
Ireland, County Meath, Properties, 1853	11020
Ireland, County Mayo, Marriages, from 1873 to 1880	10360
Ireland, County Mayo, Legal, from 1839 to 1860	10343
Ireland, County Monaghan, Properties, from 1841 to 1854	10092
Ireland, County Galway, Marriages, from 1860 to 1870	9436
Ireland, County Roscommon, Properties, from 1850 to 1933	9427
Ireland, County Cavan, Legal, from 1833 to 1855	9165
Ireland, County Westmeath, Properties, 1853	8721
Ireland, County Armagh, Properties, from 1615 to 1746	8430
Ireland, County Sligo, Religious, 1867	8310
Ireland, County Carlow, Religious, from 1728 to 1950	8248
Ireland, County Antrim, Properties, from 1825 to 1842	8030
Ireland, County Kildare, Religious, from 1728 to 1951	8014
Ireland, County Sligo, Properties, from 1855 to 1932	7047
Ireland, County Meath, Others, from 1850 to 1967	6907
Ireland, County Roscommon, Religious, 1857	6907
Ireland, County Kilkenny, Properties, from 1849 to 31 March 1885	6192
Ireland, County Longford, Properties, 1854	6112
Ireland, County Fermanagh, Properties, 1857	5975
Ireland, County Offaly, Legal, from 1858 to 1877	5880
Ireland, County Clare, Properties, from 1855 to 1859	5819
Ireland, County Kerry, Properties, from 1847 to 1864	5694
Ireland, County Clare, Legal, 1855	5606
Ireland, County Westmeath, Legal, 1853	5461
Ireland, County Kilkenny, Marriages, from 1844 to 1874	5436
Ireland, County Leitrim, Properties, from 1845 to 1856	5398
Ireland, County Laois, Properties, from 15 August 1828 to 15 August 1832	5265
Ireland, County Louth, Properties, from 1856 to 1938	5193
Ireland, County Limerick, Legal, 1854	4975
Ireland, County Carlow, Biographies, from 1824 to 1943	4965
Ireland, County Antrim, Legal, 1841	4948
Ireland, County Wicklow, Religious, from 1728 to 1951	4664
Ireland, Belfast, Properties, from 1201 to 1929	4652
Ireland, County Sligo, Marriages, from 22 April 1846 to 11 November 1882	4639
Ireland, County Clare, Religious, from 1 April 1846 to 31 January 1862	4630
Ireland, County Louth, Religious, from 1846 to 1880	4513
Ireland, County Tipperary, Others, 1850	4386
Ireland, Marriages, from 1629 to 1975	4266
Ireland, County Cavan, Properties, from 1855 to 1859	4239
Ireland, County Cork, Religious, from 1 June 1827 to 31 May 1863	4167
Ireland, County Roscommon, Legal, from 1698 to 1736	4071
Ireland, County Down, Religious, 1834	3930
Ireland, County Londonderry, Properties, from 1825 to 1834	3850
Ireland, County Waterford, Legal, from 1880 to 1888	3840
Ireland, Dublin, Others, from 1172 to 1949	3813
Ireland, County Donegal, Legal, from 1866 to 1915	3768
Ireland, County Roscommon, Marriages, from 1830 to 1845	3759
Ireland, County Sligo, Legal, from 1916 to 1923	3704
Ireland, County Meath, Deaths, from 1 November 1859 to 31 October 1873	3531
Ireland, County Antrim, Religious, 1834	3522
Ireland, County Tyrone, Religious, from 1680 to 1740	3440
Ireland, County Westmeath, Religious, 1854	3368
Ireland, County Kildare, Others, from 1913 to 1937	3266
Ireland, County Down, Marriages, from 1 November 1818 to 30 April 1819	3144
Ireland, Queen’s County, Properties, from 1641 to 1967	3125
Ireland, County Kerry, Legal, from 1 September 1872 to 31 May 1874	3108
Ireland, Dublin, Properties, from 1448 to 1858	3094
Ireland, County Dublin, Poor Relief, from 1848 to 1918	3007
Ireland, County Leitrim, Legal, from 1855 to 1899	2917
Ireland, County Laois, Religious, from 1 June 1819 to 30 April 1834	2900
Ireland, County Antrim, Others, 1978	2893
Ireland, County Meath, Marriages, from 1842 to 28 February 1874	2855
Ireland, County Armagh, Religious, 1911	2824
Ireland, County Laois, Marriages, from 1821 to 1856	2774
Ireland, County Monaghan, Legal, from 1838 to 1938	2698
Ireland, County Clare, Marriages, from 1 February 1859 to 28 February 1881	2685
Ireland, County Armagh, Marriages, from 1 October 1836 to 29 February 1860	2531
Ireland, County Kildare, Marriages, from 1 July 1837 to 31 August 1840	2530
Ireland, County Donegal, Religious, 1911	2450
Ireland, County Offaly, Religious, from 1 February 1842 to 29 February 1876	2424
Ireland, County Kerry, Religious, from 1 December 1828 to 1864	2419
Ireland, Belfast, Others, from 1575 to 1991	2415
Ireland, County Tyrone, Marriages, from 1853 to 1881	2391
Ireland, Religious, from 1298 to 1987	2363
Ireland, County Galway, Deaths, from 1820 to 1984	2339
Ireland, County Louth, Marriages, from 1793 to 1982	2339
Ireland, County Offaly, Marriages, from 1832 to 1925	2328
Ireland, Deaths, from 1588 to 1982	2300
Ireland, County Carlow, Marriages, from 1 October 1807 to 30 April 1813	2278
Ireland, County Leitrim, Religious, from 1841 to 1924	2271
United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Biographies, from 1664 to 1902	2229
Ireland, County Down, Deaths, from 1 November 1818 to 30 April 1819	2228
Ireland, County Wicklow, Biographies, from 1827 to 1900	2214
Ireland, County Monaghan, Religious, from 1835 to 1869	2150
Ireland, County Wicklow, Poor Relief, from 30 August 1842 to 2 November 1847	2096
Ireland, Military Service, from 1298 to 29 October 1972	2087
Ireland, County Louth, Legal, from 1842 to 1852	2020
Ireland, County Longford, Legal, from 1866 to 1908	2016
Ireland, Dublin, Military Service, from 1448 to 1975	1979
Ireland, County Dublin, Religious, from 1 December 1845 to 31 March 1856	1954
Ireland, Dublin, Residences, from 1805 to 1861	1938
Ireland, County Tipperary, Religious, from 1 May 1821 to 31 March 1826	1904
Ireland, County Down, Properties, from 1826 to 1834	1864
Ireland, County Wexford, Others, 1911	1796
Ireland, County Dublin, Residences, from 1771 to 1908	1777
Ireland, County Cork, Others, 1911	1687
Ireland, Belfast, Legal, from 1198 to 1991	1637
Ireland, County Mayo, Others, 1911	1529
Ireland, County Longford, Religious, from 1855 to 1880	1520
Ireland, County Down, Legal, from 1867 to 1878	1429
Ireland, County Clare, Others, from 1600 to 1967	1376
Ireland, County Dublin, Employment, from 1698 to 1921	1367
Ireland, Queen’s County, Legal, from 1850 to 1909	1351
Ireland, County Armagh, Legal, from 1620 to 1915	1341
Ireland, County Fermanagh, Religious, from 1 November 1845 to 31 October 1870	1304
Ireland, County Longford, Marriages, from 1850 to 1880	1261
Ireland, County Kerry, Marriages, from 1 February 1829 to 1864	1252
Ireland, County Kerry, Births, from 1820 to 1875	1231
Ireland, County Tyrone, Properties, 1826	1219
Ireland, County Armagh, Deaths, from 1 April 1837 to 31 January 1860	1202
Ireland, County Cork, Marriages, from 1 May 1818 to 31 October 1828	1193
Ireland, County Donegal, Others, 1911	1182
Ireland, County Sligo, Others, from 1660 to 1878	1175
Ireland, County Westmeath, Marriages, from 1 July 1844 to 31 January 1869	1164
Ireland, Diocese of Cork and Ross, Marriages, from 1751 to 1845	1143
Ireland, County Donegal, Marriages, from 1856 to 1885	1110
Ireland, County Dublin, Education, from 8 January 1866 to 7 September 1915	1107
Ireland, County Limerick, Religious, from 1698 to 1736	1103
Ireland, County Longford, Deaths, from 1855 to 1880	1100
Ireland, Belfast, Biographies, from 1118 to 1990	1065
Ireland, County Donegal, Biographies, 1986	1043
Ireland, County Laois, Legal, from 1863 to 31 October 1865	1036
Ireland, Dublin, Marriages, from 1630 to 1929	1019
Ireland, County Tipperary, Marriages, from 1 July 1776 to 30 November 1835	1015
Ireland, County Kildare, Biographies, 1591	975
Ireland, County Kilkenny, Biographies, from 1827 to 1900	975
Ireland, County Carlow, Others, from 1845 to 1908	974
Ireland, County Cavan, Religious, from 1855 to 1865	971
Ireland, County of the Town of Drogheda, Religious, from 1747 to 1772	971
Ireland, County Roscommon, Others, from 1690 to 1899	962
Ireland, County Tyrone, Deaths, from 1854 to 1868	955
Ireland, County Dublin, Marriages, from 1852 to 1856	947
Ireland, County Dublin, Others, 1961	874
Ireland, County Fermanagh, Others, from 1960 to 1962	866
Ireland, County Waterford, Religious, from 1 July 1752 to 1767	850
Ireland, County Monaghan, Marriages, from 1837 to 1849	835
Ireland, County Antrim, Military Service, 1901	776
Ireland, County Londonderry, Legal, from 1592 to 1899	768
Ireland, County Wexford, Religious, from 1715 to 1736	695
Ireland, County Westmeath, Deaths, from 1822 to 1984	676
Ireland, County Wicklow, Employment, from 1900 to 1932	670
Ireland, County Wicklow, Military Service, from 1900 to 1932	670
Ireland, County Limerick, Marriages, from 1812 to 1833	650
Ireland, Leinster, Marriages, from 1655 to 1845	631
Ireland, County Waterford, Residences, from 1805 to 1996	629
Ireland, Dublin, Religious, from 1448 to 1929	613
Ireland, County Sligo, Deaths, from 1865 to 1880	609
United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Others, from 1669 to 28 April 1979	607
Ireland, County Cavan, Marriages, from 1868 to 1880	563
Ireland, Diocese of Cloyne, Marriages, from 1630 to 1866	559
Ireland, Ulster, Employment, from 1150 to 1623	549
Ireland, County Kilkenny, Deaths, from 1 June 1858 to 28 February 1881	546
Ireland, County Londonderry, Religious, from 1854 to 1869	516
Ireland, County Wexford, Marriages, from 1812 to 31 July 1854	497
Ireland, County Mayo, Deaths, from 1826 to 1832	492
Ireland, County Offaly, Others, 1911	487
Ireland, County of the Cross of Tipperary, Properties, 1959	457
Ireland, Diocese of Elphin, Marriages, from 1709 to 1865	454
United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Properties, from 1634 to 1984	444
Ireland, County Roscommon, Deaths, from 1835 to 31 July 1872	443
Ireland, County Louth, Deaths, from 1793 to 1982	425
Ireland, County Leitrim, Deaths, from 1847 to 1873	412
Ireland, County Leitrim, Marriages, from 1841 to 1922	412
Ireland, Births, from 1864 to 1956	410
Ireland, County Armagh, Others, from 1680 to 1740	391
Ireland, Diocese of Ossory, Marriages, from 1691 to 1845	390
Ireland, County Londonderry, Marriages, from 1730 to 1845	387
Ireland, County Londonderry, Others, 1916	382
Ireland, County Cavan, Education, from 1876 to 1925	378
Ireland, County Cork, Births, 1909	364
Ireland, County Offaly, Residences, 1981	361
Ireland, County Fermanagh, Marriages, from 1 October 1868 to 30 November 1880	331
Ireland, County Carlow, Deaths, from 1607 to 1911	313
Ireland, County Dublin, Deaths, from 1938 to 1950	312
Ireland, County Limerick, Others, from 1609 to 1976	298
Ireland, Queen’s County, Religious, from 1 July 1763 to 31 July 1789	298
Ireland, County Antrim, Marriages, from 1813 to 1845	291
Ireland, Diocese of Clogher, Marriages, from 1709 to 1866	283
Ireland, Fingal, Births, from 1900 to 1912	270
Ireland, Belfast, Residences, from 1805 to 1880	241
Ireland, County Longford, Births, from 1905 to 1907	222
Ireland, Diocese of Dromore, Legal, from 1678 to 1858	220
Ireland, Dublin, Education, from 1871 to 1925	219
Ireland, County Down, Residences	218
Ireland, County Tipperary, Biographies, from 1878 to 1990	211
Ireland, Queen’s County, Marriages, from 1 May 1769 to 31 July 1789	208
Ireland, Diocese of Ossory, Legal, from 1536 to 1858	202
Ireland, County Waterford, Marriages, from 1814 to 1865	197
Ireland, County Down, Births, from 1810 to 1871	195
Ireland, County Tipperary, Education, from 1870 to 1925	194
Ireland, County Carlow, Births, from 1607 to 1860	192
Ireland, County Laois, Deaths, from 1821 to 1856	189
Ireland, County Monaghan, Deaths, from 1851 to 1863	171
Ireland, Ulster, Others, from 1798 to 1900	167
Ireland, County Galway, Births, from 1928 to 1950	165
Ireland, County Cavan, Deaths, from 1 November 1821 to 1855	164
Ireland, County Wicklow, Marriages, from 1 March 1859 to 31 January 1883	162
Ireland, Employment, from 1765 to 1977	161
Ireland, County Wexford, Military Service, from 1898 to 1950	158
Ireland, County Wicklow, Deaths, from 1 August 1824 to 30 September 1830	157
Ireland, County Donegal, Deaths, from 1860 to 1866	153
Ireland, County Waterford, Others, 1846	140
Ireland, Diocese of Tuam, Legal, from 1648 to 1858	140
Ireland, County Kerry, Others, from 1850 to 1970	128
Ireland, Diocese of Elphin, Legal, from 1650 to 1858	118
Ireland, Diocese of Clogher, Legal, from 1618 to 1858	111
Ireland, County Offaly, Deaths, from 1837 to 1926	104
Ireland, Diocese of Limerick, Legal, from 1615 to 1858	101
Ireland, County Louth, Residences, 1895	98
Ireland, Belfast, Marriages, from 1 April 1798 to 31 July 1853	96
Ireland, Munster, Military Service	88
Ireland, County Antrim, Deaths, from 1828 to 28 February 1881	83
Ireland, Dublin, Births, from 1607 to 1946	77
Ireland, County Offaly, Births, from 1928 to 1950	74
Ireland, Dublin, Deaths, from 1655 to 1929	74
Ireland, County Cork, Deaths, from 1685 to 1712	70
Ireland, County Down, Others, from 1307 to 1950	68
Ireland, County Antrim, Births, from 1806 to 1914	66
Ireland, County Louth, Others, 1850	65
Ireland, Queen’s County, Births, from 1613 to 1860	62
Ireland, County Armagh, Births, from 1605 to 1862	54
Ireland, Queen’s County, Deaths, from 1648 to 1860	51
Ireland, County Laois, Births, 1936	41
Ireland, Diocese of Dublin, Marriages, from 1739 to 1890	40
Ireland, Diocese of Killala, Legal, from 1682 to 1858	36
Ireland, County Louth, Births, from 1851 to 1873	34
Ireland, County Wexford, Births, from 1616 to 1862	33
Ireland, County Kildare, Deaths, from 1 February 1869 to 30 June 1879	31
Ireland, County Waterford, Births, from 1616 to 1862	31
Ireland, County Waterford, Deaths, from 1653 to 1860	28
Ireland, County Westmeath, Births, from 1605 to 1862	28
Ireland, County Wexford, Deaths, from 1653 to 1859	27
Ireland, County Tipperary, Deaths, from 1791 to 1811	26
Ireland, County Tyrone, Births, from 1846 to 1884	26
Ireland, County Wicklow, Births, from 1 July 1822 to 31 March 1856	22
Ireland, County Cork, Biographies, from 1756 to 1827	19
Ireland, County Laois, Others, from 1853 to 1972	10
Ireland, County Cork, Residences, 1834	9
United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Legal, from 1891 to 1903	3
Ireland, Diocese of Armagh, Legal, 1925	2

🎄🎄🎄Christmas Day in the Workhouse

Fifteen centimetres of snow. That’s what I’d shovelled, so the walk to the mailbox, even in the bright sunshine with neighbours “Merry Christmasing,” felt like a bit of a trek. And for what? Bills. Bloody bills. The Canada Post strike meant no Christmas cards this year. But it got me thinking.

The thing about Christmas cards is they don’t go off. They’re not like milk or bread. It’s not about getting them on the 25th; it’s about what they are. It’s the memories, the feeling you get when you see a familiar scrawl. They’re little bits of connection, little time capsules of someone’s thoughts and well wishes.

Even the cards from people who aren’t around anymore are a reminder that they’re still part of our life story. It’s not the paper or the glitter; it’s the feeling, the enduring warmth they keep alive. That’s why my Christmas decorations this year include cards from years gone by.