A Spooky Look at Past Hallowe'ens

It was always so much fun creating costumes for my boys for Hallowe'en.

What are your memories of this fun holiday?

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Photo Album 45 V Red Cross Helper

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One.

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain.

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with her permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right­hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left­hand side page.

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos"

Immigrant Ancestors Meme: The Huguenot Philippe Casier

There is a lot of discussion about immigration in America right now. Tempers have flared, and different groups hold various strong opinions. There is also Brexit, where immigration was a large focus of the recent vote which resulted in the U.K. leaving the E.U.

I've been following this for several months and it occurs to me that those of us in Canada, America, and Australia have immigrant ancestors. Have you researched yours? Do you know who they were, why they came to your country and when? Do you know how they fared once settled in their new land? Were they welcomed? Were they shunned? Was their discrimination based on their religion or ethnic origin? These are all questions that are important, and interesting to discover. With that in mind, I'm the dedicating Saturdays (as many as needed) as the day to join me in discussing your immigrant ancestors.

You will be able to read any you are interested in by using the keyword Immigrant Ancestors. I'm going to share each week what I know of my immigrant ancestors to North America (whether that is USA or Canada)

1572 Massacre of Huguenots in France

Philippe Casier (ca 1616 Calais, Flanders, France - ca 1662 Harlem New York) was a French Huguenot who fled religious persecution, escaping France for West Indies in 1635. Forced out of the West Indies he took his family to Holland, then fled to New Netherland on the Gilded Otter (der Vergulde Otter) in 1660. He is recorded on the manifest as "Philip Cassier, farmer from Calais, wife and 4 children, 23, 16, 12 and 3 yrs"

Philippe Casier (my 10th great-grandfather) of Calais France, is first mentioned in the Huguenot settlement of Martinique in the French West Indies. In 1635 a party of old and experienced settlers had gone to Martinique from the neighbouring island of St. Christopher, which had been settled by French Huguenots in 1627. Philippe and Marie (Taine) Casier's first two children, Jean and Marie, were born on Martinique. 

In 1645, Philippe Casier and others left the island and returned to Europe. Casier went first to Calais, then to Sluis, Flanders where his daughter Hester was born. Many French and Walloon exiles from England and from the Dutch seaboard were fleeing to Mannheim, drawn there by assurances of freedom and protection under the government of the Protestant Elector, Charles Lewis who held out strong inducements to the refugees to settle there. Some time after 1652, Philippe and his family moved to Mannheim in the Lower Palatinate of Germany, along with other Huguenots and Walloon Protestants. 

 Philippe Casier is listed as a Schepen [magistrate] of Harlem as of 16 November 1662. New magistrates were appointed by the Director and Council and the new board was Jan La Montagne, Philippe Casier and Derick Claessen. One of their first acts was to provide for the more careful placing of houses and fences.

Philippe Casier and wife Marie Taine, united with the church October 1662. On 16 November, he was made a magistrate, but near the close of the ensuing winter, he died. 

Third Annual 2017 RootsTech Innovator Showdown Boasts $100,000 in Prizes

The global innovation competition is now accepting entries

RootsTech, the world’s largest family history and technology conference, is now accepting entries for the 2017 Innovator Showdown—a “Global Innovation Competition” for developers and entrepreneurs seeking an opportunity to impact the growing multi-billion dollar family history industry while competing for $100,000 in cash and prizes.

The Innovator Showdown seeks to support, foster, and inspire innovation within the family history marketplace. The deadline for submitting to the 2017 Innovator Showdown is December 1, 2016. The winners will present on stage and be selected by judges and live audience voting at RootsTech 2017 on Friday, February 10, 2017. Go to RootsTech.devpost.com for more information.

Last year, 50 contestants, including six international applicants, competed in the Innovator Showdown. In 2017, the total cash and in-kind Innovator Showdown prizes will again be $100,000—making it one of the most attractive innovator contests in the nation.

Showdown Calendar:

    Submissions will be accepted: today through December 1, 2016
    Online Judging: December 1–20, 2016
    Semifinalists Announced: December 20, 2016
    Showdown Semifinals: February 8, 2017
    Showdown Finals: February 10, 2017 at RootsTech at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Out of all applicants, the field will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists. Showdown semifinals will be held during lunch at the RootsTech Innovator Summit in the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 8, 2017 where we will introduce the semifinalists and their products. Five finalists will be announced that evening.

The exciting Showdown Finals are held during RootsTech before a panel of industry judges, including genealogy, technology and business gurus, and a live audience of 3,000 family history consumers, making the Innovator Showdown arguably one of the largest live audience tech competitions in North America. Finals will also be streamed live through RootsTech.org to tens of thousands of online viewers. This year, five finalists will pitch their innovations, field questions from judges, and await the announcement of the winners, while real time audience voting is taking place via texting to determine the winner of the People’s Choice prize.

Cash Prize Breakdown for Finalists:

    Judge’s 1st Choice: $20,000
    Judge’s 2nd Choice: $14,000
    Judge’s 3rd Choice: $6,000
    People’s Choice: $10,000

Besides cash prizes, winners will receive fabulous in-kind prizes from sponsors to assist in successfully launching their products to the awaiting world of family history enthusiasts, bringing the total prize value up to $100,000.

2016 Showdown winners represented a wide variety of family history related products that included:

    1st place winner, TapGenes by Heather Holmes—Tools to identify medical and genetic threads that tie your family together. TapGenes also competed in the 2015 competition.
    2nd Place winner, Studio from Legacy Republic by Michael Chang—Technology hardware and software for digitizing hard copy photo albums using off-the-shelf smartphone technology
    3rd Place winner, Twile by Paul Brooks from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK— Web app that populates a visual family timeline with data and media
    People’s Choice winner—Twile

Entries for the 2017 Innovator Showdown can be made through http://rootstech.devpost.com/ and must include a video.

Image Credit: Innovator+Showdown-lj-0566.jpg from FamilySearch.org

Unlock the Past Cruise 2018 - Alaska

Ready for a sea trip? Join the Unlock The Past Cruise 2017 Papua New Guinea



Date: 28 July–7 August 2017
Duration: 10 nights
Ship: Pacific Aria
Price:

• conference AU$450 (non-genealogy companion sharing a cabin ($250)
• cruise – at the rate of the day – click here for current guide to rates

An exciting new cruise featuring:

• a completely different kind of itinerary – to Papua and New Guinea and and its islands, one of the emerging and exciting new cruise destinations.
• a 10 night cruise providing a balanced schedule:
  • 4 days at sea – lots of time for our usual wide ranging conference
  • 5 days in ports and/or around islands – great sightseeing and fascinating shore excursions
• some of the  best conference facilities of any ship we have seen – we will have two of the Pacific Aria‘s three conference rooms available for our exclusive use for the entire cruise
• a conference program headed by Dr Tom Lewis, one of Australia’s foremost Pacific war historians and authors, supported by other recognised experts. The program will have around 40 talks, mostly in a single stream
• a special WWII Pacific War stream. 2017 will be the 75th anniversary of the Pacific war coming to both Australia and New Guinea. 1942 was the year:
  • the Japanese attacked the Australian mainland (including Darwin and Broome by air and Sydney by submarines).
  • the Japanese attacked New Guinea including Rabaul and Milne Bay (places visited by this cruise) and the Kokoda Trail.
  • of Battle of the Coral Sea, the first time the Japanese were checked in their relentless southward advance.

Maya Calendar Proven to be America's Oldest Manuscript

The Grolier Codex  is a Mayan document that first appeared in the public eye in the 20th century. The codex consists of a fragment of a Maya book, containing almanacs of Venus.

Since its appearance there has been much discussion and disagreement over the document's authenticity. Tests in 2007 did not completely clear up questions but recent tests and analysis of the paper, the ink and the style of drawing have proven the document to be from the 13th century.

Read the full story at Once dismissed as fake, Maya calendar is now proven as Americas’ oldest manuscript, scientists say

Image: Page 6 of the Grolier Codex, depicting a death god with captive. Public Domain

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Photo Album 33R Carrying Stretcher

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One.

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain.

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with her permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right­hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left­hand side page.

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos"

Immigrant Ancestors Meme: The Dutchman Herman Coerte

There is a lot of discussion about immigration in America right now. Tempers have flared, and different groups hold various strong opinions. There is also Brexit, where immigration was a large focus of the recent vote which resulted in the U.K. leaving the E.U.

I've been following this for several months and it occurs to me that those of us in Canada, America, and Australia have immigrant ancestors. Have you researched yours? Do you know who they were, why they came to your country and when? Do you know how they fared once settled in their new land? Were they welcomed? Were they shunned? Was their discrimination based on their religion or ethnic origin? These are all questions that are important, and interesting to discover. With that in mind, I'm the dedicating Saturdays (as many as needed) as the day to join me in discussing your immigrant ancestors.

You will be able to read any you are interested in by using the keyword Immigrant Ancestors. I'm going to share each week what I know of my immigrant ancestors to North America (whether that is USA or Canada)

I don't know much about my 10th great-grandfather Herman Coerte. He was from Voorhusyen, Holland and died 26 November 1689 in Bergen New Jersey.

He arrived in New Netherland on the ship De Trouw, February 12, 1659 with his wife Aertje Gerrits and 5 Children ages 5, 6, 8, 9 and 17 years

He made a declaration regarding the raid on the town by Captain John Scott in 1664 in New Utrecht.He made the Oath of Allegience to the King of England in 1665 in Bergen, New Jersey.Harmen Coerton of Voorhuysen was buried in the Dutch Church, Bergen, New Jersey. Being the 19th member of the church, the 105th person to be buried there, and the 48th to be covered with the church pall at his funeral.

His wife Aertje died on 2 December 1684 in Bergen, New Jersey. Aertje Gerrits was buried in the Dutch Church, Bergen, New Jersey. Being the 9th member of the church, the 78th person buried there, and the 26th to be covered with the church pall at her funeral.

Propaganda Postcards 1900s Warning Men of Dangers of Women's Rights

Thanks to my friend J.D. Thomas for posting this link to these ridiculous but interesting postcards. The site explains the postcards this way:

Here’s a collection of totally ridiculous vintage postcards and posters dated from around 1900 to 1914 warning men of the dangers associated with the suffragette movement and of allowing women to think for themselves.  

View the postcards at Absurd propaganda postcards warning men about the dangers of women’s rights, early 1900s

You'd Think No WW1 Widows are still Alive, but They Are!

Almost a century after the First World War ended, 54 Canadian women are still getting veterans' benefits linked to the war. Eleven live in Ontario, 12 in British Columbia, and 11 outside Canada. 

My grandmother's brother in WW1 and his wife and daughter

I think it's fascinating to think of these women and the stories they can tell us. I hope someone - a family member or friend, has interviewed them and recorded their stories. Global News is asking anyone who knows one of these widows to contact them.

Read the rest of this story at Dozens of Canadian First World War veterans’ widows still get pensions

Interestingly enough, the U.S. is also paying pensions to widows and children of 16 people who fought in the Spanish-American War in 1898, and to widows of over 4,000 people who fought in the First World War.

October Update WW1 CEF Files Digitization

The following announcement was sent out by Library and Archives Canada:

As of today, 347,005 of 640,000 files are available online in our Soldiers of the First World War: 1914–1918 database. Please visit Digitization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Service Files for more details on the digitization project.

Library and Archives Canada is digitizing the service files systematically, from box 1 to box 10,686, which roughly corresponds to alphabetical order. Please note that over the years, the contents of some boxes have been moved. You might find that the file you want (with a surname that should have been digitized) is now located in another box that has not yet been digitized. So far, we have digitized the following files:

    Latest box digitized: Box 5848 and Mahony.

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Photo Album 33V Sports Race

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One.

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain.

Needle and Thread Race. Sports 1st July

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with her permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right­hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left­hand side page.

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos"

Immigrant Ancestors Meme: Peter Bell

There is a lot of discussion about immigration in America right now. Tempers have flared, and different groups hold various strong opinions. There is also Brexit, where immigration was a large focus of the recent vote which resulted in the U.K. leaving the E.U.

I've been following this for several months and it occurs to me that those of us in Canada, America, and Australia have immigrant ancestors. Have you researched yours? Do you know who they were, why they came to your country and when? Do you know how they fared once settled in their new land? Were they welcomed? Were they shunned? Was their discrimination based on their religion or ethnic origin? These are all questions that are important, and interesting to discover. With that in mind, I'm the dedicating Saturdays (as many as needed) as the day to join me in discussing your immigrant ancestors.

You will be able to read any you are interested in by using the keyword Immigrant Ancestors. I'm going to share each week what I know of my immigrant ancestors to North America (whether that is USA or Canada)


My 3rd. great-grandfather, Peter Bell (1788 Middlewhich, Cheshire England - 1861 Arkell, Wellington Co. Ontario) left England for New York then immigrated to the brand-new settlement of Arkell Ontario in 1831.

Peter was one of the original group of Englishmen who settled this community in the wilderness of what was then Upper Canada.

His wife Betty Higginson and several of their children followed later on the Brig Joseph Charles sailing into New York then on to Upper Canada.

Peter and his wife worked hard to carve out an existence for their family. In 1855 Betty died and Peter followed 5 years later. They are buried in the Farnham Cemetery in Arkell.  

Betty's tombstone was discovered in Farnham Cemetery by Gerald and Chris Thiessen. They dug it from the ground where it lay buried. They interpreted the text on it as "In Memory of Elizabeth, wife of Peter Bell, Sep 1833" In reality the date she died was 1855.

One of Peter's daughters (Mary) married David King, the son of another Arkell pioneer, and my 2nd great-grandparents. I found their adventures so fascinating that I wrote a book "From England to Arkell" which is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, or CreateSpace

Review of Gigamons - a Game for Family Time

When I first opened Gigamons (from Blue Orange) I thought "Oh it's just a fancier variation of the game of Concentration" I was wrong! It is much more than that.

Yes, Gigamons is a game of memory. But it's also a game that engages our imaginations. The colours and designs are extremely well done and compelling.

My 5 year old grandson loved the Elemons - creatures who have magical powers that are only released when a pair of matching Elemons are put together. Different Elemons have different powers which give whoever holds them a special advantage throughout the whole game. 

Finding three Elemons that are identical allows you to take the matching Gigamon. Three Gigamons and you win the game.

Each player in turn reveals two Elemons on the play area (a 3x3 square of Elemons whose faces we cannot see until they are turned over). If they match, that player takes them. If they do not match, they are turned over again and everyone tries to remember where thy were.

Thankfully there is a reference card that lists each Elemon and its powers or I'd have been lost! The creativity in this game is of high calibre and the visual appeal is very good. Rules are easy to learn, and presented in a colourful fold-out brochure that is somewhat like reading a children's book.

Gigamons is for ages 6 and up, and 2 to 4 players can play together. It's a perfect game for grandparents with a couple of grandchildren, or a family of 4. I loved this game for bonding time with my grandchildren. We played, we laughed, and I talked to them about my grandmother, comparing the kinds of games she would have played and games such as Gigamons. Their great-grandmother comes alive for them as a real person, not just a name on a chart.

There is so much you can discuss education-wise:  problem solving, decision making, planning, tricks for remembering what Elemon was turned over (and where) and so on.

What could be better than combing fun, bonding time with your children or grandchildren, education and yes - genealogy!

Contents:

• 7 Gigamon Figures
• 42 Elemon Tiles
• 3 Rock Tokens
• 4 Reference Cards
• Illustrated Rules

I give this game a 9 out of 10. My 5 year old grandson rates it a "mega TEN!"  

Disclaimer: I was given a free game for review purposes. 

Old SF Project Brings 1850 San Francisco to Life

If you have ancestors who lived in San Francisco California, this map is for you. Two developers, Dan Vanderkam and Raven Keller, took old photographs from the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection and put them on an interactive map.

Zooming in on a specific location takes you back to as distant as 1850.

Continue reading 2 coders used old photographs to make a mesmerizing Google Street View map of San Francisco in the 1800s or go directly to the Old SF Project and start your tour!

DNA reveals what caused London's Great Plague

An interesting article has been written stating that DNA analysis of skeletons found in an ancient burial ground in central London has identified presence of the bacteria responsible for the Great Plague of London.

From the article:

In 1665, the Great Plague of London killed more than 75,000 people in the space of a year, almost a quarter of the city's population back then. It caused 8,000 deaths per week during its peak in September 1665.

It was believed by many scientists and archaeologists that this Plague was in fact the Bubonic Plague but no proof existed. Skeletons dating from the 17th century were found More than 3,300 skeletons were discovered in 2015 at the site known as the Bedlam burial ground, near Liverpool Street station in London, within the New Churchyard archaeological site. You can read my earlier article about this find at Digging up Bodies of Those Buried in Bedlam

When their DNA was extracted and sequenced, the proof was evident. The Great Plague was in fact the Bubonic Plague. One of the individuals i wrote about in my New Netherland series of books was devastated when the Bubonic Plague (Black Death) hit his family in 1636. See New Netherland Settlers: The Stevensen and Jacobsen Families.

Also see my article Possible Black Death Graves from 14th Century Found in London England

DNA is a marvelous tool for solving many  puzzles. If you have not yet had your DNA tested, you really should! I've had my DNA tested at several different companies and have learned a great many interesting things. You can read about my discoveries and explanations of DNA testing at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.ca/search/label/DNA

I recommend this Free Shipping with DNA Kit Purchase at Ancestry.com!

Continue reading DNA from ancient skeletons reveals cause of London's Great Plague

Yes, it's Thanksgiving! I'm Not Confused

Do you remember your childhood Thanksgiving Days? What was the traditional Thanksgiving Day for you? What is it now? Has it changed very much?

I don't remember anything special about Thanksgiving as a child except we got to eat Turkey with stuffing that my dad made. It was so good! There were four of us kids and only 2 drumsticks and we all wanted that prized piece of meat. 

We also got my mother's less-than-wonderful mashed potatoes. Her version was to peel and boil potatoes then mash them roughly with a fork - no butter, no milk. They were dry as a bone and I used to smother mine with ketchup just to swallow them! 

Why am I talking about Thanksgiving? Because it is the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. 

I often cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal for 15 to 20 people. But this year we are having a very quiet dinner and holiday for just the two of us.

What will you be doing this Thanksgiving?

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Photo Album 64 V Three Soldiers

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One.

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain.

? Moore, Mr. ?, Mr. Inglefield, Mr. Page

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with her permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right­hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left­hand side page.

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos"

Immigrant Ancestors Meme: Anna Kuhn

There is a lot of discussion about immigration in America right now. Tempers have flared, and different groups hold various strong opinions. There is also Brexit, where immigration was a large focus of the recent vote which resulted in the U.K. leaving the E.U.

I've been following this for several months and it occurs to me that those of us in Canada, America, and Australia have immigrant ancestors. Have you researched yours? Do you know who they were, why they came to your country and when? Do you know how they fared once settled in their new land? Were they welcomed? Were they shunned? Was their discrimination based on their religion or ethnic origin? These are all questions that are important, and interesting to discover. With that in mind, I'm the dedicating Saturdays (as many as needed) as the day to join me in discussing your immigrant ancestors.

You will be able to read any you are interested in by using the keyword Immigrant Ancestors. I'm going to share each week what I know of my immigrant ancestors to North America (whether that is USA or Canada)

Anna Kuhn (ca 1658 Huttengesab, Germany - pre 1716 New York) was my 8th great-grandmother. In 1674, at the age of 15, she was married to Jorg Bruning at Huttengesas, Germany. Jorg Bruning was an older man, and the marriage was a most unhappy one for Anna . While living at Huttengesas with her husband, she fell in love with Nicholaus Bellinger, son of Hans Bellinger. No divorce was secured, but she  ran away with Nicholaus Bellinger and had a son, Marcus  Bellinger, in 1682. Nicholaus Bellinger and Anna Maria finally  received church permission to marry, and were wed on 25  November 1685.

This is what the minister wrote in the church books "Nicolaus Bellinger and Anna, daughter of Hans Kuhn, were married 25 Nov. 1685 as per the order of the noble government. She had married some years ago Jorg Bruning at Huttengesab, but she was not compatable with him, so Bruning went from her and she from him. She went away with this Nicolaus Bellinger and had an illegitimate child - a little son, [note: this is Marcus, my next direct] so that the aforementioned Jorg Bruning has contracted another marriage. After all this however, the above mentioned Bellinger has remained as a stranger. She sent a request to the honourable government to let them stay in the country, and this finally has been permitted by the aforementioned honourable government which ordered me to marry them with prior published penitence and to avoid further trouble and also to legitimize the rearing of this blameless child"

 Anna, with her husband and their family, was one of the impoverished Palatines who fled Germany for New York in 1710. Nicolaus made his first appearance on the Hunter Lists in August 1710 with 6 persons over 10 years of age.

 The Palatinate or German Pfalz was subject to invasion by the armies of Britain, France, and Germany. As well as the devastating effects of war, the Palatines were subjected to the winter of 1708 and 1709, the harshest in 100 years.

The scene was set for a mass migration. At the invitation of Queen Anne in the spring of 1709, about 7 000 harassed Palatines sailed down the Rhine to Rotterdam. From there, about 3000 were dispatched to America, either directly or via England, under the auspices of William Penn. The remaining 4 000 were sent via England to Ireland to strengthen the protestant interest.

In 1710, three large groups of Palatines sailed from London. The first went to Ireland, the second to Carolina and the third to New York with the new Governor, Robert Hunter. There were 3 000 Palatines on 10 ships that sailed for New York and approximately 470 died on the voyage or shortly after their arrival. 

In 1716, Nicolaus Bellinger, widower with one child was at new-Ansberg. Read more about Anna at 52 Ancestors: Anna Kuhn Bellinger, Naughty Girl!

Feel Like Decoding Civil War Telegrams?

The Huntington Library is offering the general populace the opportunity to help de-code and transcribe thousands of Civil War telegrams.

From the website RealClearLife.com: "A California library wants your help in sifting through, transcribing, and decoding thousands of Civil War–era documents. The Huntington Library has launched a crowdsourcing project to attempt to crack 15,971 Civil War–era telegrams—including 100 to and from President Abraham Lincoln himself. The telegrams zigzagged between the president, his Cabinet, and officers of the Union Army. Approximately one-third were written in unbreakable code, one so complex that the Confederate Army was never able to crack it."

Read the full story at Library Wants Your Help Decoding Thousands of Civil War Telegrams

A 4 Year Old Writes to His Father During the Civil War

New York's Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History  holds a scribbled letter in its collection. It is from 4 year old Charley Burpee who scribbled marks on notepaper to his father in 1864. At the bottom of the letter, written by an adult, no doubt Charley's mother is "Charley loves his Father very much".

Shortly after he received Charley's letter, his father Thomas was wounded in Virginia and died. The letter from Charley was with the effects shipped home with his body. But the sad story does not end there.

You may need a tissue to continue reading How a 4-Year-Old's Letter to His Father Survived the Civil War

The Institute holds the following items related to Thomas Burpee and his death:

Collection includes: 288 letters, 166 envelopes, 14 newspaper clippings, 12 receipts, 1 map, 1 note, 1 probate record, 1 family record, 8 pieces of scrap paper, 1 telegram, 32 miscellaneous military papers, 11 certificates, 3 calling cards, 3 lists, 1 carte de visite, 1 drawing, 6 colored prints, 1 piece of cloth, 1 ribbon, 6 diaries, 1 New Testament and 1 orderly book. Also includes a collateral book entitled ”The Story of the 1st [Connecticut] Regiment.”

Search the Canadian Hansard from 1901 to today.

Canada's Parliament has been digitized. From the website lipad.ca:

The transcript of Parliamentary Debates (“Hansard”) is a 150-year running record of Canadian political history. This richness presents political historians with a needle-in-a-haystack problem of an enormous magnitude. At a rate of a novel’s worth of reading each day, it would take 27 years to read the 680 million words of Hansard. It would take a further 6 years to read what was added in the interim.

Search the Canadian Hansard from 1901 to today.

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Photo Album 53R Skin Ward

This Photo Archive consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance (Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during World War One.

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain.

 Skin Ward

The album and all photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with her permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right­hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left­hand side page.

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos"

Immigrant Ancestors Meme: Filles du Roi Claude des Chalets

There is a lot of discussion about immigration in America right now. Tempers have flared, and different groups hold various strong opinions. There is also Brexit, where immigration was a large focus of the recent vote which resulted in the U.K. leaving the E.U.

I've been following this for several months and it occurs to me that those of us in Canada, America, and Australia have immigrant ancestors. Have you researched yours? Do you know who they were, why they came to your country and when? Do you know how they fared once settled in their new land? Were they welcomed? Were they shunned? Was their discrimination based on their religion or ethnic origin? These are all questions that are important, and interesting to discover. With that in mind, I'm the dedicating Saturdays (as many as needed) as the day to join me in discussing your immigrant ancestors.

You will be able to read any you are interested in by using the keyword Immigrant Ancestors. I'm going to share each week what I know of my immigrant ancestors to North America (whether that is USA or Canada)

Claude Deschalets (ca 1651 France - post 1706 New York)  was a Filles du Roi and my 8th great-grandmother.

Claude "Blandina" was one of three orphaned sisters who were sent to Canada as a "Filles Du Roi"(King's daughters). The Filles Du Rois were impoverished or oprhan women sent to Canada at royal expense to find husbands and populate the country. She is thought to have been recently arrived in New France (now Quebec) at the time of her marriage because the bishop dispensed with two of the usual three required banns for her marriage to Simeon LeRoy dit Audy (Ody).    Learn about dit names at Oh Those Dit Names! on Legacy Family Tree.

The filles du roi, or King's Daughters, were some 770 women who arrived in the colony of New France (Canada)  between 1663 and 1673, under the financial sponsorship of King Louis XIV of France. Most were single French women  and many were orphans. Their transportation to Canada and settlement in the colony were paid for by the King. Some were given a royal gift of a dowry of 50 livres for their marriage to one of the many unmarried male colonists in Canada.   These gifts are reflected in some of the marriage contracts entered into by the filles du roi at the time of their first  marriages.

The filles du roi were part of King Louis XIV's program to promote the settlement of his colony in Canada. Some 737 of   these women married and the resultant population explosion gave rise to the success of the colony. Between their arrival in Quebec and their marriages, les Filles du roi were placed under the protection of nuns, widows or families. There they received board and lodging.

 [http://www.vmnf.civilization.ca/somm-en.htm Museum of New France, Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation]