100 Year Old Hidden Blackboard Drawings Discovered

This is a fascinating glimpse into school blackboard writings from 100 years ago.

Read more at Haunting chalkboard drawings, frozen in time for 100 years, discovered in Oklahoma school

Ancestry DNA Now Available in Canada!

Two pieces of great news! AncestryDNA is now on sale on Ancestry.com, so grab your kit while this deal is in effect.

Second piece of good news is that AncestryDNA is now available in Canada. At last, we Canadians can buy a DNA kit and discover new cousins. 

I've tested with other DNA companies and have had amazing results. I've found new cousins and revealed family secrets. I've added DNA evidence to the paper trail to my Native American lineage.

The more companies you test with, the better, and now I can test with AncestryDNA. 

Introducing Jennifer Holik, Guest Genealogist

Today's interview is with Jennifer Holik of Woodridge, Illinois. I first "met" Jennifer on Facebook and have been continually impressed with her passion for telling the stories of WW2 military personnel.  I'll let Jennifer fill you in on what else she does, and why.

1.    How and when did you become involved in the field of genealogy?
I began research about 20 years ago when I was completing some history courses for my degree. We had a project for class and once I spoke to some family members and heard some stories……I was hooked.

2.    What is your main genealogical focus?
My business focuses on several things. Primarily – World War II US research. I speak a lot on this topic and just published WWII Research books for all branches to teach people how to conduct research. Nothing like this has ever been done.

My World War II work revolves around writing stories of soldiers so they and their service are remembered. I write guides and books on conducting research and writing the stories. I am on the staff of the World War II History Network (http://wwiihistorynetwork.com) where I join in discussions on WWII topics and genealogy. My lectures focus on how to conduct research and write the stories.

The other part of my business focuses on genealogy. I have a lot of Chicago Italian clients so specialize in that and kids genealogy. I also published books for kids to learn how to do genealogical research.

3.     What are your website(s) and blogs? 
Website: http://jenniferholik.com
Blog: http://blog.generationsbiz.com

4.    Do you have a Social Media presence? 
Twitter @Jennifer_Holik
FaceBook Jennifer Holik-Author https://www.facebook.com/jenniferholikauthor
LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/jenholik/en
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/jencoffeelover/

5.    Do you believe a Social Media presence is important?
Yes. I am active primarily on Facebook and LinkedIn, sometimes Twitter and Pinterest. I join genealogy and WWII groups to discuss research and help others with their questions.

6.    Are you a member of any genealogical societies or organizations?
APG
Military Writers Society of America
Chicago Writers Association
World War II History Network
Pritzker Military Museum and Library

7.    What does genealogy mean to you? Why do you believe it is important?

I believe genealogy is important because we can learn from the past to create a better present and future. Look at the lives of our ancestors and see how they lived, mistakes they made, lessons they learned and passed down. What can we learn from that? I think this especially important where military service is part of the family story. It seems history continues to repeat itself where war is concerned and we never learn our lessons. Examining our soldiers and their stories related to the war in which they fought – what do the soldiers have to teach us?

8.    Do you have a prediction or hope for the field of genealogy in the future?

I hope the genealogy field becomes more open to allowing more education and inclusion of teachers of topics collaterally related to genealogical research. Look at the military history, social history, economic history, and even the psychological history of the times. Let’s go outside the genealogy box of names, dates, and places, and explore the real lives and lessons of our ancestors.

Access Canadian WW2 Military Service Files in a Few Easy Steps

Uncle Clare

A few months ago I sent for the military records of my father's brother, Clarence E. McGinnis. I knew Uncle Clare had been in WW2 as I have several photos of him in uniform. But I never knew where he served, what unit he was in, or what he did during the War.
World War 2 Canadian records are restricted. But they can be accessed and they can include documentation about enlistment, discharge, military units served with, and may also include other documents concerning medical history, medals awarded, personal evaluation reports and dental charts.

Library and Archives Canada holds military service files for those who served after 1918. Their website explanation of who can access what files and how to obtain them is a bit confusing, so I'll share  with you what I did. It was simple.

I wrote a one page letter requesting the complete military service files for [individual's name] who was born [individual's full birth date or estimated year] in [name of city/town plus county and province in Ontario] to parents [names of father and mother].

I included my uncle's death date and a photograph of his tombstone as proof of death. Interestingly enough they actually returned the photo to me!

That was it. I mailed the letter and photo to

ATIP and Personnel Records Division
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0N4

You can also fax your request to them at this number: 613-947-8456

Your request can be written as a letter or you can print off a blank copy of the Application for Military Service Information form [PDF 663 KB] also available in Rich Text Format [RTF 44,516 KB], which should be filled in, signed and sent by mail or fax.

Huge envelope arrives

After a wait of about 5 months a very large package arrived with Uncle Clare's complete military file. I estimate there are about 80 or more pages.  The wait was not unexpected as it is made clear on the Library & Archives Canada website that they are backlogged and requests can take up to 6 months to fill.
There was a lot of interesting information in the military file for Uncle Clare - such as details of his work history prior to enlisting. It include what he was paid! I wish my dad's files had been as complete.

Lots of pages to read!

I am really pleased to have some more details to add to my knowledge of my uncle. I knew him quite well but he never spoke of his military service or his early years. I suppose I was too young for him to think I'd be interested.
Plus he was quite old-fashioned regarding males vs females and since I was a female he'd be less likely to talk to me about what he would consider "man stuff"  
But I'm really enjoying reading through his files to find out where he went during the war (to England and France) and what he saw and did during that difficult time.
For more information on finding ancestors who were in the Canadian Military during other years you might want to check out The Canadian Military Project

For WW1 personnel files you will be able to view these online very soon. Library and Archives Canada is busy scanning and uploading the full files to the online CEF Searchable database. There are currently 190,000 digitized and freely available.

Nursing Sister Phillips WW1 Album: 9 V Postcard front

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 permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left-hand 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" in the vertical menu bar on the right side of your screen. You can also click on that phrase at the bottom of this post.

What Would You Do With a Haunted House?

What would you do with a haunted house? There's one for sale in New York if you are brave enough.  This Queen Anne-style mansion in Camden New York has an asking price of just $105,000.

I actually lived in a house that appeared to be haunted. There were many unexplained events during the few years we lived there. Was it a ghost? I don't know. Do I believe in ghosts? I believe in what I heard and saw but whether that was a ghostly apparition I cannot say. 

Here's a few of the things we experienced in that house:

My 3 year old son complained that a man often came into his bedroom and talked to him about his own son. We smelled cigarette smoke frequently in one upstairs room but no one in our house smoked.  We heard footsteps on the stairs at odd hours. Furniture was rearranged when we were out of the house. Windows suddenly flew open (not shut but open). 

A phone call to the woman who owned the house before us revealed that she too had experienced the same odd (and sometimes frightening) things in the house. 

During a seance at our home, we learned that our "ghost" had the initials S.C. and that he had lived there in the early 1900s. Further real life investigation revealed a previous owner of the home was one Samuel Corley and that he owned the house circa 1910. Was this our ghost?

Eventually we sold this house and the new owner also had these experiences.  She  converted the house to a Bread and Breakfast and one bedroom (originally my young son's) was featured as the room that was haunted. Guests paid extra to sleep in that room - talk about turning a disadvantage into a great business opportunity!

Ghosts? Or a phenomenon that can be explained scientifically? I don't have the answer.

Credit: Google Street View Image of the Haunted House

How to Get Past Your Brick Wall with Legacy Tree

Recently I used Legacy Tree's research services. I was very impressed! The researcher assigned to my query was very speedy with her response and very professional. She showed a thorough understanding of what I knew and what I wanted to find out.

Within the week I received a detailed report which contained new information on my ancestor. The report also provided me with recommendations of more research that could be conducted. 

My particular search is in Germany which is an area of research unfamiliar to me and where I do not have access to the records. I will definitely use their services again to pursue this ancestor. If you're stuck on a brick wall ancestor you may want to give Legacy Tree a try!  Learn more

Wallet with ID from 1956 Found in Ceiling of Home

K. P. wrote this note

"While taking down the ceiling in our house, C. found a wallet full of treasures. Anyone know a William Mollon, born June 19th, 1933, from Sydney, Nova Scotia? He took the train from Sydney to Port Credit in June of 1956."

Can anyone help K.P. find William or his descendants?

Medieval Burials and Facial Reconstructions

I love history and archaeology. Eerie reconstructions show faces and diets of medieval men and women in Edinburgh graveyard is a fascinating glimpse into 3 individuals buried in medieval times. One man, one woman and a teenage boy have been reconstructed and images of their faces are online. 

Mind you, I doubt these people looked so clean and fresh-complexioned in real life! I also suspect their hair would have been much more unkempt, longer and quite dirty.

PRONI Lectures on YouTube

Did you know that PRONI (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland) lectures are available on YouTube?

They look pretty interesting!

Meeting Some Well-Known Genea-Peeps

My Genea-Peeps and Yours Truly

Yesterday I hosted a dinner and get together for a few of my genea-peeps who were attending or presentig at the OGS (Ontario Genealogical Society) Conference in Ontario. I had only met two in person - (Mark Olsen and Thomas MacEntee). It was wonderful to reconnect and to meet those who I only knew through Social Media! 

Thomas MacEntee, Dave Obee, Christine Woodcock, Janet Iles, Kathryn Lake Hogan and Mark Olsen joined my husband and I (and two of my grandchildren) for dinner and a lovely fun evening of laughter and genealogy talk. 

 It's always great to talk to like-minded people - namely other genealogists!!

Nursing Sister Phillips WW1 Album: 1R 3 Nursing Sisters

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 permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left-hand 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" in the vertical menu bar on the right side of your screen. You can also click on that phrase at the bottom of this post.

1841 List of Tavern Keepers in Toronto

List of Persons to whom Certificates In in the City of Toronto for Tavern Licenses have been granted to and Liberties for the year 1841 


1 John T Smith 
2 William Campbell 
3 James Bell 
4 Thomas Moore 
5 Thomas Thomas 
6 William Phair 
7 John Manns
 8 Thomas Pearson 
9 Steers Robinson 
10 John Henry 
11 Geo W Post 
12 Bernard Short 
13 Robert Anderson
 14 William Griffith 
15 John McCarthy 
16 Arthur McMahon 
17 John Earnest 
18 John Earls 
19 John Parsons 
20 Thomas Bolterell 
21 James Trotter
 22 George Herron 
23 James Mil field 
24 Thomas Naylor
 25 William Wallis 
26 Charles T Gardiner 
27 John Elegia 
28 William Rolph 
29 John Murphy
 30 John Stone 
31 John Raper 
32 John O Keefe 
33 Thomas Buttery 
34 George McCallum 
5 John Henderson 
36 Richard Woods
 37 John C Scholfield 
38 James McConib 
39 James Piatt 
40 John Baldry 
41 James Thompson
 42 Joseph Abraham 
43 Andrew Gibson
 44 WH Boss 
45 Peter Nangle 
46 Daniel Peterson 
47 John Fleming 
48 WH Elliott 
49 William Noble 
50 Robert McMichael 
51 Robert Bar wick 
52 John P Dunn 
53 Thomas Earls 
54 Joseph Beatty 
55 Robert Alexander 
56 John Baker 
57 Thomas Ryan 
58 Thomas McConkey 
59 John Trueman 
60 John Anderson 
61 John Healy 
62 John Powers 
63 John Short 
64 Thomas Baily 
65 Hugh Henderson 
66 Joseph H Smith
 67 George Price
 68 John Bennett 
69 Susannah Mathews 
70 John Baker 
71 Hugh McNeal
 72 David Boss 
73 Samuel Bain
 74 George Evans 
75 James Feehan 
76 Dennis McEnery 
77 John Harley 
78 Patrick Ingoldsby 
79 Patrick Mitchell
 80 Alexander McGregor 
81 Richard Crispin
 82 Charles Nonhcote 
83 William Turriff 
84 John McManus 
85 George Brown 
86 Thomas Wright
 87 James Dill
 88 Alexander Dill 
89 FM Rossi 
90 Lewis Boore 
91 Francis Bond
 92 Daniel Dewdney 
93 James Hickman
 94 James Graham 
95 James Walsh
 96 John Thomas 
97 John Wesley 
98 Asa Reynolds 
99 Stanous Daniels 
100 Hemy Gillentson 
101 Thomas Fanning
 102 James Campbell 
103 Thomas Durilop 
104 Thomas S Cowan
 105 James H Hutchinson do
 106 Ebon Barclay 
107 Francis Berry 
108 James Thomas
 109 William Heather 
110 Robert Scott 
11 1 Peter Harkin 
112 Herod Noble 
1 13 William L Stewart 
1 14 Robert Defreise 
115 John M Tuis 
116 John Earls 
117 David McDonald 
118 Isaac Johnson 
119 William White 

Source:
Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada From the 14th Day of June .. Being the First-8th Provincial Parliament ..., Volume 1(Google eBook)

Sinking of The Empress of Ireland 1914

On 29 May 1914 the Empress of Ireland collided with another ship in the St. Lawrence River. It sank with 1,477 passengers on board. It sank in less than 15 minutes and an estimated  1,032 people died.

See a partial passenger list and photos at Empress of Ireland - Canada's Titantic.



Credit: Image Empress of Ireland from Library and Archives Canada, PA-116389 /

Finding a Loyalist in the Haldimand Papers (Loyalist Research Part 6)

Previously I talked about the history of Loyalists in Part 1, Land Grants and Requirements for Loyalist Status in Part 2, Land Petitions in Part 3 and Land Records in Part 4 and Loyalist Lists in Part 5. 

Now I want to walk you through finding an ancestor on the challenging set of records called The Haldimand Papers. These important papers were kept by Sir Frederick Haldimand, 1718-1791. The papers document events in North America beginning with the Seven Years War and ending with the settlement by Loyalists after the American Revolutionary War.

Finding an ancestor in the digitized records is a challenge but it can be done and the wealth of information is incredible. The first thing you need to know is that although the papers have not been transcribed or indexed, there is an index to Loyalists found on Heritage Canada's digitized microfilm C-1475. 

When you consult this typed index you will see the individual's name followed by a set of numbers as in the example below. Warning: the film is blurry!

The 3-digit number is the Volume where you will find the original record, followed by the page number.  So in this example above we know that a record for Jonas Larroway is found in all these volumes. Volume 167 for example has 5 pages listed for Jonas.

Sounds easy, right? Wouldn't we just go to whatever film holds Volume 167 and then look for the pages? How I wish it were that easy but it's not. There are 43 digitized films for the Haldimand Papers on Heritage Canada but there is no explanation of what is found in each film. 

A look at Library and Archives Canada also comes up empty. There is nothing found that describes the films and provides a description of each. To complicate things, there are several variations of numbers being used including the Series B transcripts (H-4digits), the Series B transcript volume numbers (B-3digits), the Add MSS 4digits number from the British Library and the WMD film number of the actual papers. 

It took me quite awhile to figure out that the Volume (V) number is the equivalent to a  B number. So in the example above we want to find B-167. But we still don't know what film it is on. I'll share with you that it took me an entire day to figure out what films I needed. Once I figured it out,  I found an impressive set of miscellaneous papers with my ancestors' names receiving rations from the British Government, on Loyalist Muster rolls and more.

Without further ado, here are the steps you need to take to find your own ancestor!

Step 1. Consult the index found on Microfilm C-1475 Four bound volumes of transcripts which relate primarily to Loyalists, together with a typed index have been microfilmed on this reel. The Loyalist volumes in finding aid no. 599 are: Add. MSS. 21765 (B105), 21826 (B166), 21827 (B167), 21828 (B168) and Index. You may find it easier to download the typed index on Collections Canada. It is a PDF file which you can save to your computer.

I should mention that you would be wise to avoid looking for any filmed records (other than the index) in C-1475. The C films are very bad quality and are difficult to read, having been filmed in the 1950s. The H films were filmed in the 1980s and are much better quality. 

Step 2: Consult the PDF conversion chart I found online (and a huge thank you to the author!) which gives conversions from B numbers to the correct film. The author created the following columns: LAC (Library and Archives Canada) reel; Batch #s; B series; Add MSS; WMP reel #

You are looking in the B series column and then the LAC reel number.

So for example looking for B-167  on the Conversion Chart we see this:

We can see that B-167 is found on 2 films, H-1654 and H-1655. Ignore the 21827 as that is the Add MSS number. The important fact here is that B-167 pages 1 to 320 are found on H-1654 but they will be found at the end of that film, not the beginning. There are other Volumes (B numbers) at the beginning of the film. Then pages 321 to the end were filmed on H-1655.

Step 3: Go to the list of Haldimand Papers digitized films on Canadiana.org and scroll down to H-1654. Start the film and note what volume (B number) you are viewing. You can see the source details at the bottom or right hand side of each filmed page, as in the example below:

We are only in B-163 and you want B-167 so you will have to scroll quite a bit further. Once you reach your volume (B number) of interest, simply look for the page numbers you want.

Here is an example of what you might find for an ancestor. This is a 1783 list of Loyalists who settled at Niagara, Upper Canada (present day Ontario) along with the number of household members (by gender and age)

Pompeii Restoration Begins on Bodies of Those Who Died That Dreadful Day

Restorers are currently working on 86 preserved casts of bodies of those who perished when Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D.  

Experts at the laboratory of Pompeii Archaeological Site are readying the poignant remains for a forthcoming exhibition called Pompeii and Europe

Watch the videos, see the photos and read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3089659/Who-petrified-child-Pompeii-Restoration-work-begins-body-boy-House-Golden-Bracelet.html

Credit: Image courtesy of DailyMail.co.uk

New Almshouse Records Online

Thanks to the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, the admission records of the Saint John Almshouse, New Brunswick are online and freely available to all genealogists.

The records contained in the St. [Saint] John City Almshouse Admission Registers from 1843-1897  and the Saint John Almshouse Admission Registers, 1843-1884 for individuals admitted to the Alms and Work House, the Emigrant Infirmary, and the St. John Emigrant Orphan Asylum may be accessed by searching or browsing the list of surnames.

This is a page (left and right sides) from the Register of the County Alms and Workhouse 1843-1897.

 
 For more Almshouse records see http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/almshouse/

The Tragic Story of Little Willie McCallister

Poor Willie McCallister. Little did he know that November day in 1885 that his young life would end. 

New York Times 6 November 1885

Willie, sometimes called Fred, was 5 years old and living in the Catholic Orphan Home for Boys in Troy New York.  He and an older boy, 12 year old Eddie Townsend wanted to watch the fireworks, so they devised a plan to sneak out and enjoy the show. But young Willie stepped in the muck, made much worse than usual by the rainy weather, and could not get out. 

He struggled, but sank further into the wet sludge. Young Townsend ran off and was found wandering the streets the next day. Sadly he did not tell authorities that Willie was trapped until two nights had passed. When he did finally reveal Willie's plight, it was too late. Little Willie was found dead with mud up to his chin. 

Willie deserves to be remembered and perhaps my readers can help find Willie's family. According to a lengthy article in The Times on November 12th, Willie's mother was Kate McCallister living on North 1st Street and employed at Leggett's Box Factory. Willie was said to be very good-looking and well-liked in the Asylum. He is the perfect example of what is known as a "half-orphan", that is, a child with one parent living but in destitute circumstances.

Eddie Townsend was arrested as it was revealed that he disliked little Willie and often struck him with sticks. He was later charged with manslaughter in Willie's death

The Times 12 November 1885 (4 clippings above)

Pittsburgh Post Gazette 7 November 1885

Thanks to visitor Beckie who sent me the Pittsburgh Newspaper clipping and asked for my help. 

UPDATE! I think I may have found "Willie" and his family in 1880 in Troy New York. The family consists of Frederick McCallister, age 35, a  moulder born in Pennsylvania with wife Katie, age 25 born New York and with children Grace,6 and Freddie, 7months (Freddie would be little "Willie") I am off to hunt for the family in 1900.

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Album 24 V Tent 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.

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 permission.

Each image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book while Verso is the left-hand 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" in the vertical menu bar on the right side of your screen. You can also click on that phrase at the bottom of this post.

Irish Immigrant Murdered in USA 1832, Goes Back to Ireland for Reburial

In 1832 the widowed 29-year old Catharine Burns left Tyrone Ireland for America. 

A few weeks after her arrival she was murdered along with  other Irish Catholics at Duffy's Cut in Pennsylvania. 

Many of the dead died of cholera but evidence suggests that some were murdered. Blunt force trauma and axe wounds were determined to be the murder victims cause of death.

Prejudice against the Irish may have been the cause of the attacks.

Catharine's bones were recently discovered and she will be flown back to Ireland for reburial. Sadly her relatives have not been found and all that is known of her is that her father-in-law was John Burns, born circa 1758. He was on the ship with Catharine heading for America in 1832.

Read more on BBC News at Duffy's Cut: Irish emigrants' plight highlighted as murder victim returned home