Update on September Most Wanted Ancestor!

Still Missing Joseph Butler born in Ontario 1852

The reward is still there, just waiting for some eager researcher to grab it. But there are updates as researchers send in clues

Clue #1 from Nelson Denton:

Is there any possibility that this is our man? Could our Joseph have run off with a much younger woman and dropped 10 years off his age? This Joseph claims to
have been born in Ontario but I can't find him in the 1901 census. He is already 21 years older than his new bride.

1911 census Ontario, Bruce South, Walkerton,page 6

Butler Joseph Head Apr 1864 47
Butler Mary Wife Nov 1884 26
Butler Margireet Lodger S Feb 1911 3/12

Lorine's Note:

This is an intriguing find. The age for Joseph is close (and we all know how bad the 1901 and 1911 census are for getting dates of birth correct)

Being RC and German origin is also consistent with previous records. The location is close to his family roots and ties.

I'm unable so far to find a marriage for Joseph and Mary but if it is my Joseph they could not have married legally, so it is possible they were just living together as husband and wife.

The child is also interesting as she is noted as a lodger not a daughter. Her origin is given as Irish, yet both Joseph and Mary give their origin as German.

If anyone has access to births for 1911 perhaps they could hunt for the birth of this child in Bruce Co. in Feb. 1911? Knowing for sure who her parents are would be helpful

Clue #2 from Anonymous

Joseph's brother Jacob Butler with wife Barbara has been found (we are almost certain it is him) in Carlisle, Pembina North Dakota. We have found the births of his first two children in Montcalm Manitoba in 1886 and 1888. Montcalm is in the Pembina area so once again we have a Manitoba and Pembina connection.

I now have Joseph, Barbara and children (either 12 or 14!) in the 1900, 1910, 1915, 1920, 1925 and 1930 census for Carlisle, Pembina, North Dakota and Lincoln Co. North Dakota.

From Lorine:

This ties in with my original thought that Joseph might have gone to Manitoba. It's also possible he went to Pembina North Dakota!

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Any sleuths out there want to hunt in North Dakota or Manitoba? I'd sure like to give this Reward away!

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New! Canadian Armed Forces War Dead Index

New at Library and Archives Canada

Second World War Service Files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead (index only)

Over 1,159,000 men and women served in the Canadian Armed Forces during the Second World War (1939-1945); 44,093 lost their lives. This research tool provides access to references to their service files in the Department of National Defence Fonds

These individuals are also commemorated on the following websites:

Books of Remembrance

Veteran Affairs Canada: Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Debt of Honour Register

**************
For more information and to search for ancestors in Canadian Military Records see The Canadian Military Heritage Project

Displaying Family Heirlooms - Making Sure the Handwriting is on the Wall

My husband's great grandmother's younger brother Bill Sandercock was killed in August 1917 during WW1, while standing beside his brother Cecil. Cecil sent a postcard to his parents about Bill's death. Bill was only 20. Sadly, one year later in August 1918 Cecil Sandercock was also killed in France. He too was just 20 years old. Two months before his death, Cecil sent a postcard to his sister (my husband's ancestor).

Their sister Myrtle kept all the postcards Cecil sent, as well as his military medals and Death Plaque. She also had photographs of her brothers and her father (who also enlisted in WW1) in their military uniforms. All of these family treasures were passed on in the family - first to my husband's grandfather, then his father and then my husband. I'm sure some items went missing, for no one knows where Bill's medals or Death plaque are. So we decided we needed to organize all the heirlooms and display them as a group.

This would prevent any more from being lost in future years, and would ensure that future generations know what items belong to what individual - and the meaning behind each one.

After laying out each item, we realized we had too many for one display. So we decided to keep the postcard separate from the rest. The postcard also had an extra small decorated card that went with it so we had two paper items to frame. The original postcard was beautifully decorated on the front with raised ornamentation of embroidered cloth.

The main colours in the embroidery were purple, green and pink with a bit of yellow. Embroidered in purple was the phrase "To my dear Sister" The embroidered flowers were surrounded by a beige frame with embossed lines.

We chose a beige mat and gold frame with black flecks. Then we chose a forest green mat to use as a double mat, which gives a very nice effect of three colours - beige, green and white - when it is bevel cut and placed around the objects. We wanted to show off the feminine beautifully decorated postcard but also bring in some more neutral colours that would also enhance the postcard. Thus the gold flecked with black for the frame and the choice of forest green for the second mat.

But Cecil's hand-written note was on the back. Here was a dilemma - how to frame a postcard when we want to see both front and back?

The solution was actually simple - we used clear glass instead of the usual cardstock mat. Thus the beige frame surrounds both the postcard and the small decorative paper that came with it. For the postacrd, the double mat of forest green was placed under the beige and clear glass under that. For the small decorative paper, the forest green mat is not cut away but is placed under the entire piece.

The result is very effective, we can turn the frame over and read the postcard at any time and whatever wall we hang it on shows through the clear glass mat. And Myrtle's favourite brother will always be remembered.

See our second display of Cecil's War medals, death plaque and military photo.

LAC offers FREE 2008 Irish Studies Symposium: November 3 & 4

(Bilingual Message / Message Bilingue)

2008 Irish Studies Symposium: November 3 & 4

Following on the success of the 2006 Symposium and to address growing interest in the field of Irish-Canadian studies, Library and Archives Canada will host an Irish
Studies Symposium in November 2008. The symposium will be open to the general public on November 3 and 4, at 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario.

Presented with the support of the National Archives of Ireland, the Irish Studies Symposium brings together historians, students, genealogists, and researchers in an open dialogue to explore Irish and Irish-Canadian documentary heritage.

Doors open to the public at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, November 3rd 395 Wellington Street, Exhibition Room A Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Cost of attendance is FREE (RSVP requested) To RSVP, please contact 613-992-2618 or webservices@lac-bac.gc.ca

There will be six sessions and one roundtable panel covering a variety of topics including:
* The Irish in Québec
* Famine and Commemoration
* Politics: Shifting Attitudes and Political Impact
* The 1911 Census of Ireland
* Irish Culture: Print, Music, Food, and Film
* Irish History and Modern Media
* Directions in Irish Canadian Studies (round table)

All presentations will be simultaneously translated in English and French.

Event details will be made available at Collections Canadastarting September 10, 2008 with regular updates throughout September and
October.

We hope to see you there!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Symposium d'études canado-irlandaises, 2008 : le 3 & 4
novembre

Afin de répondre à l'intérêt grandissant pour le domaine
des études canado-irlandaises suite au succès du Symposium
de 2006, Bibliothèque et Archives Canada sera l'hôte d'un
Symposium d'études canado-irlandaises en novembre 2008. Le
symposium sera ouvert au grand public les 3 et 4 novembre
à Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, 395, rue Wellington,
Ottawa, Ontario. Le symposium d'études
canado-irlandaises, présenté avec l'appui des National
Archives of Ireland, rassemble des historiens, des
étudiants, des généalogistes et des chercheurs dans un
dialogue ouvert pour explorer le patrimoine documentaire
irlandais et canado-irlandais.

Les portes seront ouvertes au public à 8 h 30 le lundi 3
novembre 395 rue Wellington, salle d'exposition A
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

L'événement est GRATUIT (R.S.V.P. demandé).
Pour R.S.V.P., s'il vous plaît composez le
613-992-2618 ou par courriel à webservices@lac-bac.gc.ca

Il y aura six séances et une table ronde sous forme de
panel abordant une variété de thèmes tels : * Les
Irlandais au Québec; * La famine et la commémoration; * La
politique : modifier les attitudes et leur impact
politique; * Le recensement irlandais de 1911; * La
culture irlandaise : l'imprimerie, la musique, la
nourriture et le cinéma; * L'histoire irlandaise et
les médias modernes; * Des
orientations en matière d'études canado-irlandaises
(table ronde).

Toutes les présentations seront traduites simultanément en
anglais et en français.

Les détails de l'événement seront rendus disponibles à
www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/ireland/ commençant le 10
septembre 2008 avec les mises à jour régulières pendant
les mois de septembre et octobre.

Nous espérons vous y rencontrer!

Displaying Family Heirlooms - Making Sure Keepsakes Aren't Lost

Most of us have them. A sentimental keepsake of a beloved family member. The gold pocket watch given to Grandpa on his 21st birthday. The medals given to a father in the Military. A postcard from Aunt Matilda to Uncle Harry during WW1.

Our treasured mementoes can be anything, from jewellery to letters to medals to the bullet supposedly removed from great great grandpa's leg in the Civil War. But where are they? Chances are they are kicking around in the bottom of a drawer somewhere. Or in a trunk in the attic.

Isn't it time to do something with them? To ensure they are not lost to future generations? To display them in a way that you can enjoy them every day? Have you thought about what happens when you, the keeper of that family treasure, are gone? Does anyone else know who the treasure belonged to? Do they know the story behind it? Chances are you are the only person who has that knowledge. So now is the time to preserve and display that heirloom for posterity.

My father died when I was 13. I was given his WW2 Service Medals, his cap badge and a photo of him in his officer's uniform. The photo went into a photo album. The Service Medals and cap badge went into my jewellery box. For years they were buried amongst rings and bracelets. Occassionally I took them out and looked at them.

One day I realized that no one but me knew that the medals and cap badge were his. No one but me knew his rank in the Army, and the only reason I knew was that I had sent for his military records from Library & Archives Canada. So I decided to take his photo, cap badge and medals and create a grouping which I could have framed. Then I could hang the framed memorabilia on my wall and enjoy it every day. Framing them together would keep the mementoes from being lost or separated.

The first thing I did was to take the three items and figure out how I wanted them arranged. Next came the decision regarding the picture frame and the mat. Because this was my father and his military memorabilia, I wanted a frame that was somewhat masculine and dark coloured. It's important to choose your frame and mat to suit the objects you are displaying so take your time when making this decision.

Because I was having medals and a cap badge mounted, I decided to have a shadow box effect, with the objects recessed. So I kept the cut-out around those objects simple.

I decided that adding my father's name was important to this specific display. So I had a local store engrave in silver his name and military rank on a dark plaque. This was put bottom center of the arrangement.

For my dad's photo I wanted more definition, so I had the framing shop add a second smaller frame which mirrored the larger frame around the entire grouping. Size is important, so be sure you don't choose a frame that is too wide or too narrow. Everything needs to be in balance to create a nice composition for your heirlooms display.

In this grouping I opted for a dark, semi-masculine frame with details, an off-white (ivory) mat and a light grey for the inside mat used under the medals, cap badge and name plaque.

When my display was framed and returned to me I was thrilled. I wrote out the details about my father on paper and fastened it to the back of the framed piece. Then I hung it on my wall where I see it every day. Yes the medals are slowly tarnishing with time. But that is unimportant to the idea behind keeping all the treaures together.

My son knows this will be passed on to him to be the next keeper of this family heirloom. Hopefully he will pass it on to his son and so on, so that future descendants will always have this memento of my father.

Please note: It was difficult to take a good photo of this display as the glass caused reflections. Thus some of my photos which I have uploaded here for illustrative purposes may not show the detail I hoped they would. Also I blacked out in a graphic program parts of my father's name plate, so it looks a little off center in the illustrative photo I took.

A Grave Mistake - or Even if it's Written in Stone it Could be Wrong

This is my great-grandfather Alexander McGinnis' tombstone in Crown Cemetery, near Morriston Ontario. You can see that his date of birth is 1844. My uncle took me to this cemetery when I was starting my research into my father's family tree. And so I dutifully entered 1844 into my Family Tree program as Alex's date of birth.

Then I began finding census records for Alex - complete with various ages which of course gave different estimated years of birth.

* In 1861 his age was recorded as 12, giving him a year of birth of circa 1849
* In 1871 his age was recorded as 23, giving him a year of birth of circa 1848
* In 1881 his age was recorded as 30, giving him a year of birth of circa 1851
* In 1891 his age was recorded as 41, giving him a year of birth of circa 1850
* In 1901 his age was recorded as 43, giving him a year of birth of circa 1857
* In 1911 his age was recorded as 62, and the record year of birth was 1848 (no month or day given)

I knew that each census year asked a different question about age - such as what was the individual's age at last birthday, at next birthday, or right now. So there might be small discrepancies over the years.

Alex's years of birth, except for 1901 census, were fairly consistently showing his date of birth to be between 1848 and 1851. But that was nowhere near the 1844 date shown on his tombstone!

My next step was to find his marriage record. But that was no help either. At his marriage in September 1876 he gave his age as 22. That put his year of birth at circa 1854! Surely he knew how old he was... or so I reasoned at the time. So perhaps the 1854 year was most accurate. But what about that tombstone? Well, he didn't put the tombstone up or give the information for it, so perhaps whoever did erect it was wrong.

I eventually discovered that his eldest daughter Mary had paid for his stone and had it engraved. My uncle had also questioned the year of birth on Alex's tombstone but apparently our Aunt Mary had always insisted that she celebrated her father's birthday every year and she certainly knew how old he was.

After puzzling over this for many years, I decided that the marriage certificate was my best and most accurate souce, since the information was given by Alex himself. So I changed his year of birth in my genealogy program to circa 1854.

Then came the revelation. Alex and his family were Roman Catholic. I knew what church the family attended (Church of Our Lady in Guelph) but they were not available to the public nor were they microfilmed. A few years ago the church began offering a research service. For a reasonable fee the church secretary would look through the original church books for a record.

I sent a request for the baptism of Alex. There it was - he was baptised on 3 February 1850 but born on 3 November 1849.

So why the discrepancies? Why did Alex not give his correct age when he married in 1876. He was actually 27 years old that year, so why did he say he was 22? The census years were fairly close to his correct year of birth so obviously he did know his age. It is not uncommon to find that an ancestor might not his or her exact age but Alex appeared to know his (except for the 1901 census)

Then I realized that the marriage registrations are copies of what was sent in by the minister. So the original entry may indeed have read "27" but the "7" could have been misread as a "2" resulting in the incorrect age of 22 for Alex.

So everything can be explained except for the 1901 census record and the tombstone inscription. But can we explain the census record? Yes. We do not know who gave the information to the census taker. In 1901 Alex lived with his sister, her husband and daughter, and his mother who was in her late 70s. Depending who the census taker spoke to, the age given for Alex could be quite incorrect. His brother-in-law probably had no idea how old Alex was! His daughter would not likely know either.

That brings us back to the original culprit - that darned tombstone. Aunt Mary was 60 when her father Alex died. She thought he was 91. In reality he was 87. Was she confused? Had she never known her father's real age? Or did Alex tell his family his wrong age as he reached his 80s?

My own mother does that. She turned 92 this week, but for the past two years she has been adding a year or two on to her real age! In July she told everyone at a family reunion that she was 93 and would be 94 on her birthday in September. So that added 2years to her real age. I'm the only one of my siblings who seems to know her actual age, my brothers and sister believe whatever she tells them. If they were to have a tombstone inscribed for her, it's almost guaranteed it would have the wrong year of birth.

And thus we have the moral of my story of a Grave Mistake - that even if it's written in stone it could be wrong.

Rensselaerswijck Seminar of New Netherland Institute

NEW NETHERLAND NEWS CONTACT: Nancy Curran tel. 393-5905

nancycurran@prodigy.net

Trustee, New Netherland Institute

RENSSELAERSWIJCK SEMINAR SEPTEMBER 13

ABOUT THE FRENCH AND THE DUTCH IN THE NEW WORLD

31ST Annual Rensselaerswijck Seminar of New Netherland Institute Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008, New York State Museum, Empire State Plaza, Albany Registration 9:30 a.m. Reception and dinner 5 p.m. Pre-registration: $50, $30 for students. Registration at the door $60.

Theme: “Neighbors in the New World: New Netherland and New France” Register on line at http://www.nnp.org

For more information, call (518) 486-4815

Speakers and topics:

José António Brandão of Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Mich.: “An Unreasonable Offer: Iroquois Policy towards their Huron and Mahican Neighbors”

James Bradley of ArchLink, Boston:“In Between Worlds: New Netherland and New France at Mid Century”

Conrad Heidenreich on York University, Ontario, Canada:“The Skirmish with the Mohawk on Lake Champlain”

Willen Frijhoff of the Free University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands:“Jesuits, Calvinists and Natives: Attitudes, Agency, and Encounters in the Early Christian Missions to the North”

September Ancestor Most Wanted - $50.00 Reward

September's Ancestor Most Wanted is JOSEPH BUTLER

Joseph was baptised 15 March 1856 in Waterloo Co. Ontario Canada. On 10 May 1880, he married Caroline (Carrie A.) Kirsch in Formosa, Bruce Co. Ontario. He disappears from the records after the 1901 census in Seaforth, Huron Co. Ontario.

*** $50.00 Reward offered for the whereabouts of Joseph Butler after 1901, or for proof of his death (location and date) ***

Background Information

Joseph Butler & Carrie Kirsch had the following known children born in Bruce Co. Ontario:

- William Butler 1880 - 1904
- Alexander (Anthony) Butler 1882 - 1911
- William Henry Harry (Philip?) Butler1884-?
- Margaret S. Butler 1886-1970
- Clara Seraphina Butler 1888-?
- Kathleen (Katie) Butler 1889 - 1950
- Pauline (Lillie) M. Butler 1893 - 1930

Joseph & Carrie are found in the following census records:

* 1881 Census Carrick, Bruce Co. Joseph & Carrie both age 23 with son William
* 1891 Census Teswater Village, Bruce Co. Joseph age 33 with Carrie, 33 and 5 children
* 1901 Census Seaforth, Huron Co. Joseph age 48 (dob given as Sep 9 1852), Carrie 43 and 6 children

Carrie left Ontario for Michigan sometime around 1909. She is found in the following census records

* 1910 Detroit Michigan with daughter Kathleen and son-in-law Lambert Peter Garth
* 1920 Detroit Michigan with daughter Kathleen and son-in-law Lambert Peter Garth

** Note a late Ontario birth registration submitted by Carrie Butler, Detroit Michigan for her son Anthony born Feb 1882 in which Carrie states that her husband "Joseph E. Butler" is dead. The form is dated 29 May 1918.

** Also note that Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1957shows Alexander Butler age 29 arriving 12 Jan 1911. He states that he was living in
Detroit for 3 months in 1882 and in Pembina [Co] North Dakota from 1906-August 1909 [Pembina is on the border with Manitoba]. His departure contact is his father Joseph Butler living in Canada, address unknown

This gives us a middle initial "E" for Joseph Butler and death in the time frame between 12 Jan 1911 & 29 May 1918

* Family lore states that Carrie threw Joseph out of the house over a scandal of some kind and that he "went West". It is very possible he went to Manitoba or another western province of Canada.

* Joseph may be found recorded as white, black or mulatto. His grandfather was a black man from USA but each subsequent generation married white women.

Remember, a $50.00 Reward is offered for the whereabouts of Joseph Butler after 1901 or for proof of his death (location and date)

If you need more details, please contact me at olivetreegenealogyATgmail.com - remove the AT and replace with @

Good luck everyone!

PS Thanks to Thomas' question which reminded me that I neglected to state if the Reward was in US or Canadian dollars! It is US $50.00 (which as of today is worth $53.51 Cdn)

ANSWER to Michelle's Question: Joseph's father was Johannes Alexander Allen (Allen) Butler and his mother was Catherine (Betty) Weis

5th Edition of Smile For The Camera: Crowning Glory.

Cabinet Card taken ca 1905 St. Mary's Ontario Canada.

Photograph of four Purdue sisters - Margaret born 1875, Louise born 1881, Nellie born 1882 and Carolyn 1877. The sisters were milliners in Toronto Ontario, and these wonderful hats are their own creations.

This photo is my submission for 5th Edition of Smile For The Camera: Crowning Glory.

The submission rules are

"Show us those wonderful photographs of hairdos and maybe even a few don'ts. Don't limit yourself to just hair fashion through the ages, got a great photograph of a hat, helmet, bonnet, or some other interesting headgear?"

The Purdue sisters were 4 of 14 children born to my husband's great-great-great grandfather Frederick Purdue and his wife Margaret Cowans. Below are close-ups of the 3 most elaborate hats.

Iowa Genealogical Society Annual Conference

Iowa Genealogical Society Annual Conference

Expanding Your Research Horizons

October 2-4, 2008

Best Western Regency

Marshalltown, Iowa

Global surname website launched

The Press Association: Global surname website launched

People interested in their family history can now find where their relatives have spread around the world by using a public website which maps surnames.

A team of geographers from University College, London, have used data from electoral rolls and telephone directories to map the distribution of 10.8 million different last names.

The information, which covers a billion people in 26 countries, shows amateur researchers just where different names originated and where families have scattered around the world through migration.

The online maps also have information on which of 6.5 million first names are most closely associated with different surnames and lists the top regions and cities for the presence of each last name.

The name tracer can be found at publicprofiler.org/worldnames

It's a Small World After All

My husband's nephew is a blossoming genealogist. He suddenly expressed interest in his mother's family tree and of course my husband and I pounced! What more could genealogists ask for then to find fresh blood so to speak?

We showed him charts of his father's lines. We talked about genealogy resources. He was so interested that I gave him a list of questions to take to his maternal grandfather. A few days later he came back with the answers so I started researching.

Much to my surprise I found that he and one of my daughters-in-law share a common ancestor! Using the Kinship option of FTM I was able to see that they are 10th cousins twice removed.

I like to put things in a manner I can understand better. It is like my future 10th great grandchild hooking up with my sister's 10th great grandchild in the year 2175. I can't even begin to imagine that!

It's a small small world. It doesn't quite match me finding out that I am my father's 8th cousin once removed... but more on that in another post!

COMING SOON! fully indexed Canadian Ships Passenger Lists, 1865-1935

I received this note from the Media Group publicising this wonderful event. You must will need an Ancestry.ca or Ancestry.com membership to use the indexes so if you are not a member, you can sign up for an Ancestry membership here

*** ANNOUNCEMENT ***

On Tuesday the 16th of September 2008, Ancestry.ca in partnership with the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will announce the world-first online launch of the complete and fully indexed Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935.

This is a comprehensive collection of passenger lists for all Canadian ports during this key immigration period and includes more than 5.5 million names of those who travelled from around the world to settle in Canada.

You will have the opportunity to interview the descendents of Canadian immigrants who appear in the collection and learn from genealogy experts about tracing your own family's history.

Please join us on September 16 at the Toronto Archives Building at 255 Spadina Road at 10:30 a.m.

A Tisket, A Tasket, I Lost my Genealogy Basket!

Organization. That's the word for today.

How many times have you looked for, and couldn't find, that document you stumbled on a few months ago, the one that showed what church Great grandpa was baptised in?

How many piles of papers do you have on your desk or the floor, the piles that defy gravity?

How often do you misplace (I prefer that word to "LOSE") your genealogy papers, the ones you absolutely must have by tomorrow?

How many times do you find a genealogy document misfiled in the wrong folder? Or in a folder labelled "STUFF TO SORT LATER"? Or in a folder that perhaps made sense when you filed the document but makes no sense now!

How often do you change whatever filing system you have for your genealogy?

If you answered more than once to any of the above questions, then you, like me, need help. You need organization!

But how do you get organization? Is there a gene for it? I don't appear to have it. I have so many piles of important documents and miscellaneous papers on and around my computer desk that I need a map to get to my chair.

I change my filing system at least three times a year. I've tried binders. Doesn't work for me. I like filing cabinets and I have a lot of them. I have tons of room. I have no excuse to not be organized. But still organization eludes me!

Every time I think I have a wonderful system of filing all the documents for all my genealogy lines, I use it for a month or two and then decide it isn't working. So I revise it.

Don't get me wrong, revision is often necessary. When we first start our genealogy, we don't have a lot of material. We probably are only searching one line at a time. So we can safely create one file folder for each surname. As we acquire more documents we might create one file folder for each individual. But eventually, especially if we research all siblings (which I do) for each generation, we can't maintain a system of one file folder per surname or even individual.

I've been researching my family tree for over 40 years. (I started quite young!). I've collected an awful lot of material in that time. Every so often, I go through it all and purge. It is one of the most difficult tasks for me - to decide that an email from 1993 is not necessary to keep, that the unsourced 120 page family tree from someone who is my 10th cousin 4 times removed, doesn't need to take up space in my filing cabinet anymore. That the papers I photocopied in 1990 and saved "just in case" are definitely not my lines and I can safely toss them out.

My usual system of purging is to take all my piles of paper from my desk and the floor and the top of the filing cabinets and start sorting. I love to sort. Since I tend to mix up my business with personal with genealogy papers, I have a lot of fun with this step. I make 5 piles - business, personal, genealogy, garbage and "hmmm... I'm not sure"

I can happily sort for an entire day. The problem is when I stop, I am overwhelmed by the size of each pile and the thought that now I have to actually DO something with each one! I have to take care of each piece of paper in each pile by filing it, or entering it into a genealogy program, or paying that bill, or making that phone call or.... I realize I've ended up with 5 piles that equal in total the size of the original piles! All I've done is move piles around. I've shuffled papers but I haven't really organized. Okay I do have one teeny pile of "garbage" but a HUGE pile of "hmmm...I'm not sure"

It is at this point that I turn to something else I love (I talked about my labeller in another post on this blog) - tubs! I have a storage tub fetish. I cannot pass by a row of tubs in any store without buying some. The clear plastic ones almost make me drool with anticipation. Here's a tub where you can PUT THINGS, and you can SEE what is inside and you can LABEL it for good measure! What could be more delightful??

I label 4 tubs - PERSONAL. GENEALOGY. BUSINESS. MISCELLANEOUS. I place the sorted (shuffled) piles of paper into the tubs. I put the lids on and stack them neatly in the corner. Done!

I know I still need to pay the bills, make the phone calls, book appointments, file the genealogy documents, enter the family tree data.... I'll do it, but later.... after all, tomorrow's another day!

Writing Your Own Obituary or How to Really Creep Yourself Out

Over on Facebook, where quite a few genealogy bloggers hang out, Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak posted a link to Funeral Planning.

While I haven't gone so far as to plan my funeral or write my own obit (although the thought of doing so is tempting!), last year I have put together a copy of what I want done after my demise. Yes, really. I jotted notes on items such as burial versus cremation, what cemetery I wish to be buried in - and what inscription I want on a headstone.

I've been married three times (divorce then death brought me to my third husband) - should I put all three of my husbands' names on my stone? Do I want to have number one's name immortalized for eternity on MY stone??

My thoughts began to stray to having inscriptions like the following: "beloved wife of husbands two and three" and "long-suffering and not-so-beloved wife of husband number one aka he-who-shall-not-be-named"

What about my parents' names and places of birth? As a genealogist I want it all! I found myself fantasizing about having a 4-generation pedigree chart engraved on a huge headstone. Has it been done before? Is there room?

As a genealogist, I'm also concerned about my own obituary! After reading through hundreds of my ancestors' obits, I know exactly what I wish had been in each. Why oh why were women's maiden names so infrequently mentioned? Why does my great grandmother's obit simply say "she came with her parents from Ireland when she was a young girl"

Acck! Could they not have written something a bit more detailed, such as "she came with her parents John Smith and Lucy McGillicuddy from Ballyhoogan Co. Down Ireland in 1843 on the ship Rosemary which sailed from Belfast Ireland to Quebec on 23 May..."

My children never seem to remember that I was born in Oshawa, not Ajax (which is where I grew up). Neither my kids nor my husband seem to remember how my maiden name McGinnis is spelled!

So I've written down all the facts that I want included in my obit. My maiden name McGinnis (spelled correctly of course). My parents' names and where they were from. Where and when I was born. My husbands' names (yes, even he-who-shall-not-be-named). Where I lived until the age of 17. Where I went to University. A little bit about my interests and hobbies. My children's names. I've even included my 11 grandchildren's names although I doubt anyone will want to pay enough to have them all mentioned.

I'm doing this for future generations who will (hopefully) be looking for me 200 years from now. It was a bit disconcerting when I first began, but as I went along I really became quite interested in the task! After writing down all my notes for my tombstone inscription and obituary, I placed them in a large manilla envelope labelled "For my executor" and put it in an antique blanket box. Family members know where to find these papers.

I didn't make copies and send them to my children because I may want to add or remove items. When you come right down to it, I'm planning on sticking around a very long time! Who knows how many things I might want to change over the years.

By the way, I opted to NOT have hubby number one's name on my tombstone... I managed to get him out of my life, why on earth would I want him around afterwards?

Launch of 1911 England Census in 2009

Findmypast.com, in association with the National Archives, will be managing the launch of the 1911 census, in 2009. This mammoth project is underway at this very moment.

www.1911census.co.uk will be the first, and for a time the only place to access the 1911 census online. If you haven't already, then be sure to register on the site in order to receive the latest updates and be among the first to use the census at its launch.

Be sure to visit AllCensusRecords.com for more census records

William Potes Tombstone Goes Home

The tombstone of Oklahoma pioneer William Potes spent decades in places it didn't belong.

Originally stolen from a cemetery in rural Murray County, it was discovered in an abandoned Texas college dormitory in 1982 and spent the last 26 years in the back yard of amateur genealogists Mike and Donna Ballard of Krugerville, Texas.

Donna Ballard said her research indicated the tombstone went missing around 1950. A security guard at Texas Woman's University in Denton discovered it when some old dorms were being razed to build new ones. He took it to the Ballards in
1982 and asked them to help solve the mystery.

Continue reading Tombstone Finds Its Way Home

Ontario Land Record Index - New Guide

Do you have an ancestor who settled in Ontario (previously Upper Canada and Canada West)? If so, you have hopefully obtained his or her land records. If not, you will need to venture into the often confusing maze of Ontario land records.

To start, OliveTreeGenealogy.com offers a lookup servive in the microfiche index of the CLRI (Ontario Land Record Index) You must consult the CLRI in order to obtain the Archival Reference (and other details). Then you must convert the Archival Reference to a microfilm number in order to view the original record.

The Archives of Ontario has recently put online a guide to the complete process of researching Ontario Land Records using the microfiche index. It is called How to Use the Ontario Land Records Index ca. 1780 - ca.1920 and is an online guide to how to find the microfilm

To understand the archival reference code in CLRI entries and to identify the microfilm reel that contains the original entry, consult the Ontario
Land Records Index: How to Find the Reel of Microfilm You Need available in the microfiche binders in the Main Reading Room

In case you have not visited the AO website in the last while The Archives of Ontario wants your feedback. They have a customer service survey they would like you to fill in. Give them your feedback and you have the chance of winning $200.

Henry Louis Gates of African American Lives speaks to The Learning First Alliance

The Learning First Alliance recently conducted an interview with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Harvard Professor and creator-narrator of the African American Lives documentaries on PBS. These documentaries use genealogy and DNA research to reconstruct the family histories of famous African Americans including Oprah, Morgan Freeman and many others. Gates shares their family histories with these prominent people--who learn their family histories for the first time. The result is very moving.

Gates believes that this work has strong implications for K-12 curriculum. In the interview, he argues that schools can use DNA science and genealogical research to help African American students trace their own family history past 1870, before which the federal census did not include slave names.

Gates believes this work could reinvigorate history and science classes for African American students. He is creating curriculum to help teachers integrate this kind of research in their classes. The implications of his genealogical work are far-reaching.

In the interview, Gates says "Fifty percent of our black children are not graduating from high school. Fifty percent. That’s every other black child. So the situation is dire, and the condition is desperate. We have to try any innovation we possibly can to reach these kids. It occurred to me, given the response to “African American Lives”… You know, everybody is responding to this series. And why? Because your favorite subject is what? Yourself!"

He goes on to add "my idea is to use the fascination with one’s collective self, one’s familial self, to seduce people back into learning"

Mr. Gates new book called Search for Our Roots, which is the companion book to African American Lives 1 and “2,” will be published in February

Read the full interview online Tuesday August 19th at noon.

Plan to Digitise Vital Registrations England & Wales back to 1837, Fails

A government website, which promised direct access to 171 years of family records, had been delayed indefinitely following the failure of a Whitehall computer project.

An attempt to scan, index and digitise 250m records of births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales from 1837 to the present day was supposed to result in a new public website that would let people trace their ancestors at the touch of a button next February. Now, three years after the government awarded the £16m contract to German computer giant Siemens, the deal has been terminated with only half the work done.

The General Register Office (GRO), which is responsible for the records, said only 130m had been scanned, and plans to make the index public had been shelved. Missing are details of birth records from 1837 to 1934 and death records from 1837 to 1957. The Identity and Passport Service (IPS), which runs the GRO, said it had only paid half the fee as a result.

Continue reading

To search other English records see AllEnglishRecords.com