Anglo-Celtic Connections

5. Leverage AI and Machine Learning

Utilize AI tools to analyze and cross-reference family history data for patterns and correlations. Advanced algorithms can identify relationships, migration trends, and historical context that might be missed during manual research. For example, AI might highlight connections between distant relatives or suggest areas of further investigation based on shared linguistic or locational traits in family records.

Pros:
– Efficiently analyzes large datasets for patterns and connections.
– Reveals insights that may not be apparent through manual research.
– Continuously improves with advancements in technology.

Cons:
– May require subscription fees or access to specialized tools.
– Results depend on the quality and completeness of input data.
– Potential for over-reliance on automated interpretations.

In case you’re wondering, this is the fifth and final response, raw and unedited, in an experiment with ChatGPT. I prompted it with “Suggest a disruptive approach or five to investigating your family history.  Please add pros and cons for each of the five items.”  Share your thoughts, please.

 

How about a bit of fun at MyHeritage?

“LiveMemory™ turns any still photo into a short video clip using AI. At launch, LiveMemory™ reenacted the scene shown in each photo. Now, in addition to reenacting the scene, we’ve added a set of 10 custom animations so that if you wish, you can choose what happens in the video and have fun. You can choose from emotional gestures such as hugging or laughing, which is perfect when you upload a favourite photo of your parents, or if you’re feeling more playful, try out fun effects like underwater, zero gravity, or balloons.

In addition to the custom animations, it’s now easier to view and share your LiveMemory™ videos. All LiveMemory™ videos you generate are now stored in your MyHeritage account and can easily be accessed through the app gallery.”

See samples at the blog post here.

Ancestry.ca has updated Find a Grave® indexes and obituary collections from various regions. Here are the increases in the past year,

Find a Grave® Indexes

Country/Area	December 2023	December 2024	Increase	% Increase
Canada	10,080,603	10,804,249	723,646	7.2
Australia & New Zealand	11,436,526	11,998,479	561,953	4.9
Mexico	69,789	82,716	12,927	18.5
Germany	3,017,935	3,504,483	486,548	16.1
Italy	343,946	388,662	44,716	13.0
Brazil	189,211	203,549	14,338	7.6
Global	15,649,165	21,387,512	5,738,347	36.7
U.S.	175,802,716	187,251,174	11,448,458	6.5
UK & Ireland	19,341,965	21,175,720	1,833,755	9.5
Sweden	1,116,071	1,142,654	26,583	2.4
Norway	223,985	235,841	11,856	5.3

Obituary Collections
These collections can provide biographical information about individuals, including their life stories, accomplishments, and family members. They are updated frequently and likely incorporate more recent deaths.

The Canadian Obituary Collection, 1898-Current, now has 11,851,411 items.

The UK and Ireland Obituary Index, 2004-Current, contains 7,769,954 entries.

4. Genealogical Hacking with Non-Traditional Sources

Go beyond the usual genealogical resources and delve into unconventional archives such as meteorological records, old maps, land-use documents, or hyper-local newspapers. These sources can reveal critical events, like extreme weather or epidemics, that influenced your ancestors’ decisions and shaped their lives in ways traditional records don’t capture.

Pros:
– Sheds light on unique factors influencing ancestors’ lives.
– Often uncovers information unavailable in standard genealogical records.
– Adds depth and context to family stories.

Cons:
– Requires creative thinking and extensive research.
– Access to non-traditional sources may be limited or costly.
– Interpretation of data can be complex or subjective.

In case you’re wondering, this is the fourth response, raw and unedited, in an experiment with ChatGPT. I prompted it with “Suggest a disruptive approach or five to investigating your family history.  Please add pros and cons for each of the five items.”  Share your thoughts, please.

3. Question the Narrative by Seeking Contradictions

Challenge family lore by actively searching for contradictory evidence. Investigate claims of nobility, indigenous ancestry, or notable historical involvement by seeking documentation that disproves these stories. This contrarian approach can help uncover overlooked or misinterpreted evidence, providing a more nuanced and accurate family history.

Pros:
– Encourages a more critical and accurate understanding of family history.
– May uncover overlooked or hidden truths.
– Helps dispel myths or inaccuracies passed down through generations.

Cons:
– Can be emotionally challenging for family members.
– Risk of alienating relatives attached to family lore.
– Not all family stories can be fully disproved or verified.

In case you’re wondering, this is the third response, raw and unedited, in an experiment with ChatGPT. I prompted it with “Suggest a disruptive approach or five to investigating your family history.  Please add pros and cons for each of the five items.”  Share your thoughts please.

Choose from selected free online events today. All times are ET except as noted. Assume registration in advance is required; check so you’re not disappointed. Find out about a few more, mainly US events, at Conference Keeper.

Tuesday, 17 December

2:30 pm: Finding and Using Alien Registrations for 20th Century US, by Ryan Johnson for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/12190831

8 pm: Lost and Found: Locating Ancestral Origins with FAN Club and DNA, by Mary Kircher Roddy for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/lost-and-found-locating-ancestral-origins-with-fan-club-and-dna/

Wednesday, 18 December

2 pm: I (Think I) Have a DNA Network: Now What?, by Diahan Southard for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/i-think-i-have-a-dna-network-now-what/

7 pm: Thunder Bay – Library Spotlight: New Chapters & Exciting Updates, by Amy Ongaro for OGS Thunder Bay District Branch.
https://thunderbay.ogs.on.ca/events/thunder-bay-library-spotlight-new-chapters-exciting-updates/

Thursday, 19 December

6:30 pm: The Widow Won, the Barkeep Lost: Using Historical Context and the FAN Club to Enrich Your Family Stories , by Candace Marx for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/12190839

Friday, 20 December & Saturday 21 December

Online presentations will be scarce until the new year.

 

 

 

80th anniversary: Battle of the Bulge.

Canada’s role.

 2. Mapping Family History with Geospatial Tools

Use modern geospatial technology like GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to visually map family migration patterns across generations. Cross-reference these maps with data on historical weather events, political upheavals, or economic trends to uncover hidden influences on your ancestors’ movements. For instance, drought or floods might explain why a family relocated at a specific time.

Pros:
– Provides visual and analytical insights into migration patterns.
– Allows integration of diverse datasets for richer context.
– Identifies trends and influences that traditional records might miss.

Cons:
– Requires technical skills or access to specialized software.
– Time-intensive to compile and analyze data.
– Limited by the availability and accuracy of historical records.

In case you’re wondering, this is the second response, raw and unedited, in an experiment with ChatGPT. I prompted it with “Suggest a disruptive approach or five to investigating your family history. Please add pros and cons for each of the five items.” Share your thoughts please.

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

Presenters (l-r) Ann Burns, Nancy Higgins, Carol Annett, and Veronica Scrimger gave exceptional presentations at the BIFHSGO December meeting, which will be available on replay for BIFHSGO members shortly.

How Canada Should Respond to Trump

Here’s how to contact an Australian in 1946

Reflecting on AI in Genealogy: 2024’s Lessons and 2025’s Pathways
Steve Little’s summary from 50,000 ft at Legacy Family Tree Webinars – free until 20 December.

Thanks to this week’s contributors: Ann Burns, Anonymous, Brenda Turner, Dawn Kelly, Gail, Helen Gillespie, Nick Mcdonald, Teresa, and Unknown.

Southwark Vaccination Registers
From the 1860s through to the 1910s, most from 1872 to the early 1900s, the 272,567 records give name, date of birth, place of birth, year of birth, date of vaccination, father’s name, and place. Transcriptions and images of the original record are available.
Vaccination was a hot topic. Advocates opposed compulsory vaccination and the medical profession supported it.
Not in this release, the Southwark Archives holds vaccination registers and reports for 1908-48.

Southwark Apprentices
988 unique Southwark apprentice records from the 1800 – with transcripts and images available. Details available are: name, year of birth, age, year of apprenticeship, master’s name, and parish.

London, Court of the Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral
From the 16th and 17th centuries, the 3,216 new records in this collection may reveal details about matters such as wills for which there are full-text transcriptions.

Newspapers
473,524 new pages from Scotland to Shropshire

 

All data are “Web” entries derived from the Corps of Military Police. https://www.corpsofmilitarypolice.org

“A dataset consisting of 56,302 soldiers of the Corps of Military Police, Corps of Military Police (India) and Royal Military Police holding records of 2360 casualties with memorials in 995 cemeteries across 51 countries, 12,585 decorations/medals and 947 Prisoners of War. Casualties are linked to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). Where known a link to the London Gazette entry for decoration/awards is provided. Use the Army Number Search tool to find original regimental number blocks. To learn more about the Corps of Military Police/Royal Military Police contact the official RMP museum at: RHQ RMP Website .”

Annual Holiday Social / 9 a.m. EST

Join us for the Holiday Social, focusing on our 30th anniversary. We look forward to having members share stories of “What gifts BIFHSGO has given me over the last 30 years.”  Come and also share holiday treats.

Great Moments in Genealogy / 10 a.m. EST

An Unexpected Gift
Presenter: Carol Annett

This presentation focuses on Carol’s third great-grandmother, Ann Gillies McPherson. An unexpected gift of information broke down a 10-year-old brick wall and led Carol to discover the complete story of her ancestor.

Carol Annett has been doing genealogy research for over 15 years. She enjoys travelling to places where her forebears lived in Scotland and in Canada. A member of the BIFHSGO writing group, Carol enjoys writing about her ancestors.

(From the Vaults) It Happened in Coolross
Presenter: Ann Burns

This is the story of the amazing coincidence that happened while Ann was travelling in Ireland with her father in 2008. He wanted to see where his paternal great-grandparents came from. They booked a self-driving trip that included visiting Islandmagee, County Antrim, where his great-grandmother, Eliza McCullough, was born, followed by a few days in County Wicklow, where his great-grandfather, Edward Byrne, came from. Ann had driven on the left side of the road before, but the Irish roads offered? a special treat. They found nothing helpful in Islandmagee, viewing every headstone in every Presbyterian cemetery. They met and were treated by some really lovely people, but they had a life-changing experience searching for the townland of Coolross in County Wicklow. And it happened on September 11.

Ann Burns is a retired civil servant working on her family history since 2002. She was born and brought up in Ottawa, as were her parents. Both sides of her family still feel much more connected to their Irish roots than those from England and France. She has travelled widely, but she has spent most of her time in Ireland in recent years. She does most of her research herself but has hired a local genealogist in County Wicklow from time to time. That research confirmed what they found on that extraordinary day.

Blown Away
Presenter: Veronica Scrimger

This Great Moments presentation highlights Veronica’s journey in 2019 to discover her grandfather’s foster home in the Shetland Islands.

Over the last ten years in retirement, Veronica Scrimger has been travelling to various parts of Scotland and England to follow different ancestors’ footsteps. While all the trips have been incredibly rewarding, this Shetland one was a standout.

Over the “Golden Bridge”—The unexpected discovery of more British home children in my family tree
Presenter: Nancy Higgins

Nancy’s paternal granddad, William Stephen Higgins, was always “known” to be a British home child, though that has yet to be confirmed. He remains her brick wall, which she puts aside to pursue her easier Roper and Jefford maternal lines. A chance conversation in 2019 at one of BIFHSGO’s coffee breaks opened the door to unknown British home children in her family tree: William’s wife and Nancy’s granny, Mary Ann Rodger, and her younger sister, Helen. Following up on a few of the suggestions from this conversation has led to the discovery of Mary Ann and Helen’s sad past and their eventual journey to Canada.

Nancy Higgins retired from IBM after a long consulting career. She now enjoys spending her time as a family historian while creating new family stories with her grandkids and indulging in her love of floral design. Nancy discovered she is related to not one but three British home children and the proud descendant of two, her paternal grandmother and grandfather. After a sojourn on the West Coast, Nancy has returned to live again in Ottawa. She looks forward to the day when her research is organized and, in the meanwhile, derives pleasure from the journey of discovering her roots and creating family stories to share.

This is a hybrid meeting:

• In person at Knox Presbyterian Church (Lisgar & Elgin) in Geneva Hall.  Please use the Garden Entrance on Elgin Street. Limited free street parking is available on Saturdays, and the City Hall Parking Garage is available for $2.00.
• Online by registering here. This registration covers both events