A landmark victory for non-reserve aboriginals in Canada has just taken place.
The Federal Court has ruled Métis and non-status Indians are indeed
“Indians” FN under a section of the Constitution Act, and fall under
federal jurisdiction.
This is important because in Canada status Indians receive many benefits including free health care (dental and medical), education benefits, no tax on purchased goods and no income tax. Metis and non-status Indians do not receive these benefits.
Metis and non-status Indians have been fighting the government for years for access to the same health, education and other
benefits Ottawa gives status Indians. This means they could also hunt, trap, fish and
gather on public land.
So why does this make Genealogy important? I'm a Metis. I applied for and received my Metis status card many years ago. Without genealogy I would never have known I had native heritage. My native ancestor was a Mohawk woman named Ots-Toch who married a Dutchman named Cornelis Van Slyke. I would never have discovered this without pursuing my family tree. It was not common knowledge in our family.
This new ruling could have a huge positive financial impact for me, my children and grandchildren. And we have genealogy to thank for me applying for and being granted my Metis status.
You can read more about this decision here.
FN Please note that I am using the word "Indian" here as that is the term with legal meaning in the Indian Act of Canada
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January 8, 2013
A Genealogy Mystery: The Gun & the Watch Fob
This is the story of a long-standing family mystery in my husband's Massey family.
The characters
William Massey born 1916 and died 1984. He was a bachelor who lived in the sleepy town of St. Mary's Ontario his entire life. I'll call him Bill Jr.
His uncle Bill Massey was born 1894 and died in 1967. He too was a bachelor who to our knowledge never left St. Mary's. Let's call him Bill Sr.
When Bill Jr. died in 1984 his brother Mike cleared out Bill's house and found two objects which he gave to my husband (Bill's brother's grandson). Mike did not know where one of the items came from or why his brother had it but he knew that the second item belonged to their uncle Bill who was born in 1894. Mike did not know why his Uncle Bill (Sr.) had this particular item.
The objects
1. A Nagant Gas Seal Revolver made in Belgium, model 1895, manufactured in 1898, known to belong to Bill Sr.
2. A watch fob with a two annas coin from India dated 1897. On the reverse of the coin is a shamrock with a green stone. The shamrock has been soldered on. Not known if it was ever owned by Bill Sr.
The gun would have been an unusual gun to find in North America years ago. As far as we can find out they were never sold commercially in this country. This gun was basically only used by the Polish Army, the Russian Army and some European Police Forces so it is curious how it ended up in the sleepy little town of St. Mary's Ontario.
Neither of the uncles (Bill Sr. or Bill Jr.) ever traveled overseas as far as we can determine. Bill Sr. born in 1894 would have been too young to be the original owner of the gun. Did it belong to his father Thomas Massey?
There is indeed a sentence in Thomas Massey's obituary of 1912 which has puzzled my husband for many years "...the deceased was born in St. Mary's and spent all but a few years in the Stone Town." The Stone Town refers to St. Mary's where Thomas was born and died. To the family's knowledge he never left but this tiny reference in his obituary does indicate that indeed he did live elsewhere at some point in his life.
Also noteworthy perhaps is the fact that Uncle Bill Sr, the man who we know the gun once belonged to, was 18 when his father Thomas died. It might make sense that a gun belonging to his dad would be given to him as a memento. But the puzzle remains - how was the gun obtained and by who? And... do the watch fob and India coin go with the gun? In other words were they owned by the same man?
I should also mention that neither of the Bills collected antiques or were sentimental. They had no other family treasures in their homes. So why keep this gun and watch fob?
The Massey family were not wealthy. They were not sophisticated. They didn't travel. They were hard-working labourers who lived and died in St. Mary's. The Massey family history was passed down, any heirlooms were also passed down and treasured and family stories known and told about each member of the family. But nothing was ever heard of any of the family going off on an adventure or joining the army and leaving Canada.
Did one of the Massey men win these items in a poker game? Bill Sr. was a barber and perhaps one of his customers paid for their haircut and shave with the gun. We have no clues and no idea as to what the story is. But we think there just might be an adventure related to these items and waiting to be found.
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| Bill Jr. back 2nd from left |
William Massey born 1916 and died 1984. He was a bachelor who lived in the sleepy town of St. Mary's Ontario his entire life. I'll call him Bill Jr.
His uncle Bill Massey was born 1894 and died in 1967. He too was a bachelor who to our knowledge never left St. Mary's. Let's call him Bill Sr.
 |
| Bill Massey Sr. |
When Bill Jr. died in 1984 his brother Mike cleared out Bill's house and found two objects which he gave to my husband (Bill's brother's grandson). Mike did not know where one of the items came from or why his brother had it but he knew that the second item belonged to their uncle Bill who was born in 1894. Mike did not know why his Uncle Bill (Sr.) had this particular item.
The objects
2. A watch fob with a two annas coin from India dated 1897. On the reverse of the coin is a shamrock with a green stone. The shamrock has been soldered on. Not known if it was ever owned by Bill Sr.
The gun would have been an unusual gun to find in North America years ago. As far as we can find out they were never sold commercially in this country. This gun was basically only used by the Polish Army, the Russian Army and some European Police Forces so it is curious how it ended up in the sleepy little town of St. Mary's Ontario.
Neither of the uncles (Bill Sr. or Bill Jr.) ever traveled overseas as far as we can determine. Bill Sr. born in 1894 would have been too young to be the original owner of the gun. Did it belong to his father Thomas Massey?
Also noteworthy perhaps is the fact that Uncle Bill Sr, the man who we know the gun once belonged to, was 18 when his father Thomas died. It might make sense that a gun belonging to his dad would be given to him as a memento. But the puzzle remains - how was the gun obtained and by who? And... do the watch fob and India coin go with the gun? In other words were they owned by the same man?
I should also mention that neither of the Bills collected antiques or were sentimental. They had no other family treasures in their homes. So why keep this gun and watch fob?
The Massey family were not wealthy. They were not sophisticated. They didn't travel. They were hard-working labourers who lived and died in St. Mary's. The Massey family history was passed down, any heirlooms were also passed down and treasured and family stories known and told about each member of the family. But nothing was ever heard of any of the family going off on an adventure or joining the army and leaving Canada.
Did one of the Massey men win these items in a poker game? Bill Sr. was a barber and perhaps one of his customers paid for their haircut and shave with the gun. We have no clues and no idea as to what the story is. But we think there just might be an adventure related to these items and waiting to be found.
January 7, 2013
In Memory of Joan Miller of Luxegen Genealogy
Joan's family has requested donations in Joan's memory be done through Kiva. Kiva provides loans to help others in impoverished parts of the world. Joan was passionate about Kiva and was a founding member of the Kiva Team Genealogists for Families.
In Joan's memory I just made a loan to a woman named Delia, a pig farmer in the Philippines.
Delia is 33 years old and lives in the Philippines. She is married with 2 children. Delia has a pigpen that sells grown & matured pigs. She has had this business for 5 years. She requested a loan of PHP 15,000 ($375.00) to buy animal feed for her pigs.
I chose to make my loan a commemorative loan which I dedicated to Joan. This means that instead of being repaid my loan, the repayment will go towards another loan. Every time the loan is repaid, it will be turned back to Kiva to lend to another needy individual.
The Kiva website explains "We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world."
If you wish to honour Joan's memory by making a small loan, you may do so at this page
January 6, 2013
Creating a Hand-Made Journal for a Diary or Life Story using Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner (Step 1)
I wanted to scan patterns to create pages for a journal I want to make. I want this hand-made journal for my Life Story that I plan to write. It's an offshoot of my weekly Sharing Memories blog posts here on Olive Tree Genealogy. Right now it's an idea glimmering in my brain. It's not well thought out, but I do have a sort-of kind-of plan on how I plan on creating my journal with beautiful hand-made pages which I will make.
Usually when I do project like this, I create the entire thing first, then I share it here on Olive Tree Genealogy blog. But this time I thought it would be fun if others joined me! Of course you can use your journal for anything you want! As a diary. As a Life Story book. As a Sharing Memories book. Those are just a few ideas for a hand-made journal.
So if you have a Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner, and you'd like to create your own journal (for yourself or for gifts), why not grab it and find some patterns in your home that you might be able to use. (If you don't have a Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner
It will also be really helpful for us to share our ideas -what works and what doesn't work, as we go along. You might figure out the solution to a problem as we create our journals. Or you might find a great pattern that others can duplicate. For instance I know that my white lace tablecloth makes an amazing pattern but I forgot to scan it so I'll pull it out and get that done before I make any final decisions on which of my scanned patterns I will use for my journal pages.
I've already scanned over 40 patterns (32 are shown below) and I've printed off about 10 that I like for the pages of my journal. Take a peek at the patterns below and let me share with you a few of the ones I really like for my pages.
Oh, and where you see the word "REDO" as part of the file name, it means I didn't notice the dog hair or crumbs or specks of dirt and dust until I'd finished scanning! So I have to rescan after I do a little cleanup. So I can already give you a tiny word of advice - be sure what you are scanning is free of dust, dirt, lint, pet hair and so on! Unless you like the abstract and real feeling to your pages if you've scanned in some cat or dog hair, then by all means keep it natural.
If it weren't winter in Canada I'd have gone outside looking for more patterns to scan - the gravel in my garden, an old pot, the wrought iron patio table, the welcome mat, the birch tree bark... I bet I could find lots! I'll be interested to know what my readers find outside if you choose to accept my challenge to join me on this project.
I've decided to create pages using light beige and white patterns. Some of the patterns above are too small for you to see the great designs on them so I'm going to show you a few below as larger images.
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| Wooden Closet Door painted cream |
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| Stucco Ceiling |
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| Bedroom Wallpaper |
How to Scan Patterns with Your Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner
Here I am scanning the patterned fabric of an antique parlour chair in my living room.
You can see the end result of the scan in the first image of the thumbnail patterns at the start of this blog post. It is called ChairYellowPattern.jpg and is in the second row, first on the left.
Don't worry about anything else right now except finding and scanning patterns. These will be the basis of your journal pages. You might do more than just print them off later as pages so keep an eye out for darker patterns and different patterns that you might add as borders to your scanned pages. I've got that part figured out in my head (sort of) so we can play around with that idea later.
This is going to be fun! I hope you'll join me for this project. As soon as I create my pages, I'll be posting again.
January 5, 2013
What is Hot and What is Not in Genealogy?
The annual review also provides some interesting insight into emerging trends in the field of genealogy. Find out what is hot and what is not. Discover all this and more in the article Top 100 Genealogy Websites of 2013 by GenealogyInTime Magazine.
Olive Tree Genealogy did not make the Top 100, but the editors were kind enough to mention my blog in their article accompanying the list of sites that did make the cut. Congratulations to all the free websites and blogs that did make it! You had tough competition with almost half the top 100 being large business pay-to-view sites.
The article that accompanies the list is well worth reading.
January 4, 2013
Tools for Recording Life Stories
Recently Olive Tree Genealogy received this email from a reader. It's a great question for discussion!
Recording and preserving life stories and memories is a wonderful idea. I think the digital recorders will work well but the group might also consider using a Smart Pen. With a Smart Pen you make jot notes in a special notebook.
The Pen not only records the person talking, but your jot notes allow you to touch a word on the paper and you get immediate playback. Later you simply plug your pen into your computer and transfer the recorded story or stories to your hard drive.
It's an amazing piece of technology and great for interviews as it is less intimidating than a recorder. I've written about using the Smart Pen if you care to read the articles:
This month my neighbor and I and one more friend are starting a genealogy club at the assisted living center in our town. We thought that we would begin by having each member of our club tell their personal story as we record it. I bought two digital recorders today but my sister suggested that we use Dragon Dictate. Would anyone have an opinion on this for me?
Recording and preserving life stories and memories is a wonderful idea. I think the digital recorders will work well but the group might also consider using a Smart Pen. With a Smart Pen you make jot notes in a special notebook.
The Pen not only records the person talking, but your jot notes allow you to touch a word on the paper and you get immediate playback. Later you simply plug your pen into your computer and transfer the recorded story or stories to your hard drive.
It's an amazing piece of technology and great for interviews as it is less intimidating than a recorder. I've written about using the Smart Pen if you care to read the articles:
Echo Smart Pen: Handy Tool for Genealogists
Capturing Memories Told By My 88 Year Old Aunt
I'm not sure that Dragon Dictation would work well as it types as you speak. It's a voice recognition program which is different from digital recorders. It requires editing the written text too. As well Dragon Dictation requires that you "speak" the punctuation you wish to insert. So if someone is speaking and you are using Dragon to record that person it will be a run on sentence with no punctuation.
Let's have my readers weigh in with their ideas and suggestions - what do you use?
January 3, 2013
Learning Styles in Genealogy
One of my genealogy friends and fellow blogger Midge Frazel, recently wrote a blog post about Project Based Genealogy. I was fascinated by Midge's explanations of Project based versus Problem based and realized that the way I approach my genealogy is mostly Project based.
One of her key points was that genealogists often do not stop to analyze what they've found. Anyone who reads this blog or my AskOliveTreeGenealogy blog knows that I am constantly advising readers to study, think about and analyze the documents and facts they find when researching.
Midge goes on to talk about random abstract learning styles versus concrete sequential. Try as I might, I'm definitely in the first group of random abstract! I can manage to stick to a methodical research plan in short bursts but am soon back to having huge leaps of ideas and hunches and off I go to investigate. Creative problem solving is definitely huge for me.
And true to form as I read Midge's post with great interest, I got side-tracked by a link she provided to an earlier blog post which also had a link to a site where you can take a quiz to find out what your learning style is. I was hooked and off I went. (Yes I did return to Midge's article and read it thoroughly. I urge everyone to have a good read of it)
So what learning style am I? Intrapersonal. It's also called the Solitary Learning style. Yep that's me. I don't like any noise or any distractions and I hate interruptions. I'm also determined to figure things out on my own with no help from anyone else. Sometimes that's good and sometimes that's bad!
My family think I'm impulsive because I will, in their minds, suddenly make a decision about something I've not even discussed with them. But what they don't realize is that I've been researching the problem quietly, for weeks or months - sometimes for years, before I make my decision. So what comes as a sudden surprise to them is not sudden or impulsive at all. It's the result of a very long deliberation, of thinking over what I've found about the problem - the pros and cons.
I approach my genealogy research the same way. There is no right or wrong to how we conduct our genealogy but I like learning new methods and trying them out, seeing if I can adapt to them or adapt them to my style.
I should add that the Linguistic Style also ranked very high on my overall score on the quiz (75%) but Intrapersonal topped them with a whopping 94%.
What about you? Take the quiz. Read Midge's blog post. Then come back and let me know in a comment on this post, what you think and what your learning style is.
One of her key points was that genealogists often do not stop to analyze what they've found. Anyone who reads this blog or my AskOliveTreeGenealogy blog knows that I am constantly advising readers to study, think about and analyze the documents and facts they find when researching.
Midge goes on to talk about random abstract learning styles versus concrete sequential. Try as I might, I'm definitely in the first group of random abstract! I can manage to stick to a methodical research plan in short bursts but am soon back to having huge leaps of ideas and hunches and off I go to investigate. Creative problem solving is definitely huge for me.
And true to form as I read Midge's post with great interest, I got side-tracked by a link she provided to an earlier blog post which also had a link to a site where you can take a quiz to find out what your learning style is. I was hooked and off I went. (Yes I did return to Midge's article and read it thoroughly. I urge everyone to have a good read of it)
So what learning style am I? Intrapersonal. It's also called the Solitary Learning style. Yep that's me. I don't like any noise or any distractions and I hate interruptions. I'm also determined to figure things out on my own with no help from anyone else. Sometimes that's good and sometimes that's bad!
My family think I'm impulsive because I will, in their minds, suddenly make a decision about something I've not even discussed with them. But what they don't realize is that I've been researching the problem quietly, for weeks or months - sometimes for years, before I make my decision. So what comes as a sudden surprise to them is not sudden or impulsive at all. It's the result of a very long deliberation, of thinking over what I've found about the problem - the pros and cons.
I approach my genealogy research the same way. There is no right or wrong to how we conduct our genealogy but I like learning new methods and trying them out, seeing if I can adapt to them or adapt them to my style.
I should add that the Linguistic Style also ranked very high on my overall score on the quiz (75%) but Intrapersonal topped them with a whopping 94%.
What about you? Take the quiz. Read Midge's blog post. Then come back and let me know in a comment on this post, what you think and what your learning style is.
January 2, 2013
The Facey Loveseat, Still in the Family After 5 Generations
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| Loveseat and Chair Today |
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| Private Collection B. Massey |
The photo with the young girl shows the loveseat in the home of their daughter Mary Louise Elgie (nee Facey). That is hubs' mother sitting on it. Mary Louise was her grandmother.
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| Photo courtesy of D. Bobo |
Samuel is holding his grandsons Warren Haves and Harry Elgie. Sitting beside him on the loveseat are his son-in-law William Elgie and William's wife Mary Louise Facey (Samuel and Margaret's daughter).
Isn't it wonderful that 5 generations of Facey descendants have owned and cared for this parlour set?
Hubs' nephew has a young daughter and the next time they visit his grandmother's home we are going to take a photo with hubs, his mom, hubs' nephew and the daughter.
That will make the daughter the 7th generation in the family to sit on the loveseat. Perhaps one day it will be hers.
January 1, 2013
New Year's Eve Celebrations
The last New Year's Eve
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| Pen Twin Theatre |
After about 10 years of venturing out to watch our movies, we began renting them (remember those days?) and bringing them home so we could just stay home and eat our Chinese Food and watch our funny (bad) movie from the comfort of our living room.
This tradition continued for about 25 or more years but when my brother remarried, it changed. I'm not complaining - his new wife had her own traditions and it seemed perfectly natural that they would shift to her New Year's Eve celebrations with her family.
So for the last 12 or so years, hubs and I have quietly watched the New Year arrive. We still order in Chinese Food and watch a movie. The last few years we've watched one on our Smart TV either through NetFlix or Cinema Now. How times change!
Actually the last time we both managed to stay awake long enough to watch the ball drop in Times Square was 2004. In fact in the year 2000 I watched it alone, waiting for something apocalyptic to happen, while hubs snored in bed. Last year hubs saw midnight alone as I was tired and went to bed!
Funny thing - this year we forgot. We had Chinese Food on December 30th because we forgot that the next day was New Year's Eve. It didn't matter, we ate leftovers. At 6 p.m. No more eating Chinese Food at 9 o'clock at night!
Then we watched a movie (yes it was bad - Tom Cruise in a badly acted and written Mission Impossible movie) using my Western Digital Passport external hard drive plugged into the USB port of our Smart TV. More changes. The movie was over at 9:30 and by 10 we were both in bed asleep!
So there you have it - how my New Year's Eve Celebrations have changed drastically over the decades. Funny thing is I enjoy them more now than I did when it was a wild and crazy evening.
2013 image by Simon Howden, courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos
Pen Twin Theatre image by Roloff
December 31, 2012
3rd Great Grandpa's House Built 1860 For Sale
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| Rear of the House |
I talked about this house in a previous blog post at History of the Massey Home 1860 to Present
It's been completely renovated inside and out and is vastly different but the original home is the base. Someone at some point in time did an amazing job at renovating and decorating it.
See the photos of this beautiful home as it stands now.
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| Massey House Front View 1908 |
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| Massey House Front View 2012 |
December 30, 2012
New Year's Genealogy Resolutions - Successes and Failures
It's that time. Yep - time for my Genealogy New Year's Resolutions.
Last year I decided I was making too many genealogy resolutions and not even coming close to meeting them, so I set three (3) resolutions to meet in 2012.
Wow. Only three and I still didn't meet those goals. Let's take a look at what my resolutions were for 2012 and how I think I did with each one.
1. Focus on my genealogical strengths (researching and fact-finding) and continue to build and improve on those
[How did I do? SUCCESS I continue to try to improve on those skills, and have added a new one - analysis of facts found]
2. Improve on my organization of genealogical records, but not worry or stress over not entering it all in minute detail in my genealogy program
[How did I do? PARTIAL SUCCESS I downsized my office and physically moved it to a new location in my home. I am proud of all the purging I did which helped me in my organization but I have not yet reached my goal of being so organized I can immediately lay my hands on anything I want to find]
3. Set deadlines. Make one day per week the day I work on Project A and a second day of the week the day to work on Project B. No more worrying if I jump from project to project! Allow myself to jump around as much as I want but work towards deadlines for completion of Projects A, B, C etc. I need variety but I also need the deadline to provide structure and a timeline for completion of my multitude of genealogy projects
[How did I do? FAIL. I can't seem to settle into a consistent work routine. I jump around from project to project. I lose interest in Project A once it's reached a certain point and then I drift off to Project B, leaving Project A in the lurch for months at a time. By the time I get back to Project A I have to spend hours, if not days, figuring out what my thought processes were!]
So - only one success out of three resolutions. That's discouraging. So it's time to take a good look at what is most important in my genealogy career and hobby.
2013 New Year's Genealogy Resolutions
I need to complete my projects and complete them in a timely fashion so that's going to be my goal for 2013. That's right - only one goal this year.
My goal is going to sound simple - complete all my unfinished projects! It's going to be tough as I have several books on the go, and more promised but not started.
Number one: I completed a genealogical mystery novel after two years of hard work. After 7 edits, I sent it to my beta readers and they returned their manuscripts this summer with suggestions for improvement. Based on comments I only need to rework the first two chapters and it's done! That's going to be number one on my list in 2013.
Number two will be the book I started a year ago on Children's Genealogy Games & Activities. It is so close to completion that I am ashamed of myself for not finishing it months ago.
Number three is a Family Genealogy book I intended to give to my new sister-in-law at her wedding to my brother. I hate to say how long it's been sitting in Shutterfly, almost ready to publish. And now her sister wants to purchase two copies of it, sight unseen. That should be motivation for me to complete it!
Number four is the next volume of my book on the Peer Family of North America. I have done all the research and need only to compile it into the various volumes then self-publish them.
Those are my four most important projects that need finishing. It may not sound like much but it seems a bit overwhelming at times. Wish me luck! I hope that by concentrating on one goal I can complete all these unfinished works. I used to be very good at completing projects and staying on track but these days I seem to be less motivated and more scattered.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for me, please do leave them in a comment here on the blog post.
Last year I decided I was making too many genealogy resolutions and not even coming close to meeting them, so I set three (3) resolutions to meet in 2012.
Wow. Only three and I still didn't meet those goals. Let's take a look at what my resolutions were for 2012 and how I think I did with each one.
1. Focus on my genealogical strengths (researching and fact-finding) and continue to build and improve on those
[How did I do? SUCCESS I continue to try to improve on those skills, and have added a new one - analysis of facts found]
2. Improve on my organization of genealogical records, but not worry or stress over not entering it all in minute detail in my genealogy program
[How did I do? PARTIAL SUCCESS I downsized my office and physically moved it to a new location in my home. I am proud of all the purging I did which helped me in my organization but I have not yet reached my goal of being so organized I can immediately lay my hands on anything I want to find]
3. Set deadlines. Make one day per week the day I work on Project A and a second day of the week the day to work on Project B. No more worrying if I jump from project to project! Allow myself to jump around as much as I want but work towards deadlines for completion of Projects A, B, C etc. I need variety but I also need the deadline to provide structure and a timeline for completion of my multitude of genealogy projects
[How did I do? FAIL. I can't seem to settle into a consistent work routine. I jump around from project to project. I lose interest in Project A once it's reached a certain point and then I drift off to Project B, leaving Project A in the lurch for months at a time. By the time I get back to Project A I have to spend hours, if not days, figuring out what my thought processes were!]
So - only one success out of three resolutions. That's discouraging. So it's time to take a good look at what is most important in my genealogy career and hobby.
2013 New Year's Genealogy Resolutions
I need to complete my projects and complete them in a timely fashion so that's going to be my goal for 2013. That's right - only one goal this year.
My goal is going to sound simple - complete all my unfinished projects! It's going to be tough as I have several books on the go, and more promised but not started.
Number one: I completed a genealogical mystery novel after two years of hard work. After 7 edits, I sent it to my beta readers and they returned their manuscripts this summer with suggestions for improvement. Based on comments I only need to rework the first two chapters and it's done! That's going to be number one on my list in 2013.
Number two will be the book I started a year ago on Children's Genealogy Games & Activities. It is so close to completion that I am ashamed of myself for not finishing it months ago.
Number three is a Family Genealogy book I intended to give to my new sister-in-law at her wedding to my brother. I hate to say how long it's been sitting in Shutterfly, almost ready to publish. And now her sister wants to purchase two copies of it, sight unseen. That should be motivation for me to complete it!
Number four is the next volume of my book on the Peer Family of North America. I have done all the research and need only to compile it into the various volumes then self-publish them.
Those are my four most important projects that need finishing. It may not sound like much but it seems a bit overwhelming at times. Wish me luck! I hope that by concentrating on one goal I can complete all these unfinished works. I used to be very good at completing projects and staying on track but these days I seem to be less motivated and more scattered.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for me, please do leave them in a comment here on the blog post.
December 29, 2012
Last Day of Free Access on Ancestry
LAST DAY!
Below are 30 collections that will be opened up for free between December 26-29th. This represents more than 300 million select records from collections added or updated in 2012.
To access these free records, visit Ancestry.com/2012
* 1940 United States Federal Census
* Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1954
* Border Crossings: From Mexico to U.S., 1895-1957
* California, Railroad Employment Records, 1862-1937
* Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922
* Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980
* Galveston, Texas, Jewish Immigration Records, 1901-1917
* Lancashire, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1911
* Lancashire, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1986
* Lancashire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936
* London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911
* Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
* New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842
* New South Wales, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1854-1930
* New York, Naturalization Records, 1897-1944
* New York, State Census, 1892
* New Zealand, Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980
* Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Immigration Records, Special Boards of Inquiry, 1893-1909
* U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958
* U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962
* U.S., Buffalo Soldiers, Returns From Regular Army Cavalry Regiments, 1866-1916
* U.S., Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960
* U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958
* U.S., Records of Aliens Pre-Examined in Canada, 1922-1954
* U.S., World War II Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files, 1942-1948
* UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927
* United States, Atlantic Ports Passenger Lists, 1820-1873 and 1893-1959
* War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815
* Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004
To access these free records, visit Ancestry.com/2012
Below are 30 collections that will be opened up for free between December 26-29th. This represents more than 300 million select records from collections added or updated in 2012.
To access these free records, visit Ancestry.com/2012
* 1940 United States Federal Census
* Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1954
* Border Crossings: From Mexico to U.S., 1895-1957
* California, Railroad Employment Records, 1862-1937
* Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922
* Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980
* Galveston, Texas, Jewish Immigration Records, 1901-1917
* Lancashire, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1911
* Lancashire, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1986
* Lancashire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936
* London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911
* Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
* New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842
* New South Wales, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1854-1930
* New York, Naturalization Records, 1897-1944
* New York, State Census, 1892
* New Zealand, Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980
* Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Immigration Records, Special Boards of Inquiry, 1893-1909
* U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958
* U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962
* U.S., Buffalo Soldiers, Returns From Regular Army Cavalry Regiments, 1866-1916
* U.S., Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960
* U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958
* U.S., Records of Aliens Pre-Examined in Canada, 1922-1954
* U.S., World War II Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files, 1942-1948
* UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927
* United States, Atlantic Ports Passenger Lists, 1820-1873 and 1893-1959
* War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815
* Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004
To access these free records, visit Ancestry.com/2012
December 28, 2012
Cyndislist.com Files Lawsuit Against MyGenShare.com
CyndisList.com has filed a lawsuit against MyGenShare.com. The plaintiff(s) and defendant(s) are listed as
The suit is listed as Intellectual Property - Copyrights. For a brief summary of the case see Justia.com Dockets & Filings
A search for Cause 17:101 as listed on Justia provides information on this specific section of Copyright from Cornell University Law School
Cyndi started her website in 1996, the same year I started Olive Tree Genealogy and we've been friends since that time. Copyright is a serious issue online and I'm certain the genealogy community will be following Cyndi's case with great interest.
As stated by Michael J. Neil on his blog post at RootDig.com Cyndi will not be responding to questions about this lawsuit.
| Plaintiffs: | Cyndi's List and Cynthia Howells |
|---|---|
| Defendants: | Mygenshare.com and Barry J Ewell |
The suit is listed as Intellectual Property - Copyrights. For a brief summary of the case see Justia.com Dockets & Filings
A search for Cause 17:101 as listed on Justia provides information on this specific section of Copyright from Cornell University Law School
Cyndi started her website in 1996, the same year I started Olive Tree Genealogy and we've been friends since that time. Copyright is a serious issue online and I'm certain the genealogy community will be following Cyndi's case with great interest.
As stated by Michael J. Neil on his blog post at RootDig.com Cyndi will not be responding to questions about this lawsuit.
December 27, 2012
Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner After Christmas Specials
The following specials on Flip-Pal Mobile Scanners are valid Wednesday, December 26, 2012 until 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time, Sunday, January 6, 2013.
Free Shipping on all orders of $125 or more in the USA and Canada!
(Applies to standard ground shipping only.)
Save 10% on all Flip-Pal mobile scanner accessories—minimum $45 order! (Please place items in your shopping cart first before using the promotion code.) Promotion Code: ACCACS
Save $15 on the Flip-Pal mobile scanner! You will need to click on the link below, place the Flip-Pal mobile scanner in your shopping cart and then use the promotion code ACNY13 in order to receive the $15 off discount.
(Regular Price: $149.99, Sale Price: $134.99) Click Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for more information and to order.
Save $20 on the Flip-Pal mobile scanner + Deluxe Carry Case Bundle! (No promotion code is needed.
Regular Price: $179.98, Sale Price: $159.98) Click Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for more information and to order.
Save $20 on the Flip-Pal mobile scanner “Pink” Bundle—helping the National Breast Cancer Foundation! This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner, a Pink Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case and a special “Pink” Lid Cover. (No promotion code is needed.
Regular Price: $176.96, Sale Price: $156.96) Click Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for more information and to order.
Save $25 on the Flip-Pal mobile scanner Rechargeable Bundle! This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case and an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger. (No promotion code needed.) (No promotion code is needed.
Regular Price: $209.97, Sale Price: $184.97) Click Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for more information and to order.
Save $50 on the Really Big Bundle! Do you want it all? This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case, a Flip-Pal mobile scanner Sketch Kit, a Picture Keeper PK 8, an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger, a Flip-Pal mobile scanner Cleaning Cloth and a Flip-Pal Window Protector Sheets 3-pack. (No promotion code is needed.
Regular Price: $288.93, Sale Price: $238.93) Click Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for more information and to order.
Questions? Please contact our customer support staff at 1-855-477-3547 or at support@flip-pal.com.
Save 10% on all Flip-Pal mobile scanner accessories—minimum $45 order! (Please place items in your shopping cart first before using the promotion code.) Promotion Code: ACCACS
Save $15 on the Flip-Pal mobile scanner! You will need to click on the link below, place the Flip-Pal mobile scanner in your shopping cart and then use the promotion code ACNY13 in order to receive the $15 off discount.
(Regular Price: $149.99, Sale Price: $134.99) Click Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for more information and to order.
Save $20 on the Flip-Pal mobile scanner + Deluxe Carry Case Bundle! (No promotion code is needed.
Regular Price: $179.98, Sale Price: $159.98) Click Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for more information and to order.
Save $20 on the Flip-Pal mobile scanner “Pink” Bundle—helping the National Breast Cancer Foundation! This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner, a Pink Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case and a special “Pink” Lid Cover. (No promotion code is needed.
Regular Price: $176.96, Sale Price: $156.96) Click Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for more information and to order.
Save $25 on the Flip-Pal mobile scanner Rechargeable Bundle! This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case and an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger. (No promotion code needed.) (No promotion code is needed.
Regular Price: $209.97, Sale Price: $184.97) Click Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for more information and to order.
Save $50 on the Really Big Bundle! Do you want it all? This bundle includes the Flip-Pal mobile scanner, a Deluxe Flip-Pal mobile scanner Carry Case, a Flip-Pal mobile scanner Sketch Kit, a Picture Keeper PK 8, an Eneloop AA 4 Pack with AC Charger, a Flip-Pal mobile scanner Cleaning Cloth and a Flip-Pal Window Protector Sheets 3-pack. (No promotion code is needed.
Regular Price: $288.93, Sale Price: $238.93) Click Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner for more information and to order.
Questions? Please contact our customer support staff at 1-855-477-3547 or at support@flip-pal.com.
December 26, 2012
Free Access on Ancestry for Four Days
Olive Tree Genealogy received the following good news from Ancestry.com
this morning. They are opening some collections for free access from today (December 26) for the next four days!
Below are 30 collections that will be opened up for free between December 26-29th. This represents more than 300 million select records from collections added or updated in 2012.
To access these free records, visit Ancestry.com/2012
* 1940 United States Federal Census
* Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1954
* Border Crossings: From Mexico to U.S., 1895-1957
* California, Railroad Employment Records, 1862-1937
* Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922
* Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980
* Galveston, Texas, Jewish Immigration Records, 1901-1917
* Lancashire, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1911
* Lancashire, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1986
* Lancashire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936
* London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911
* Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
* New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842
* New South Wales, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1854-1930
* New York, Naturalization Records, 1897-1944
* New York, State Census, 1892
* New Zealand, Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980
* Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Immigration Records, Special Boards of Inquiry, 1893-1909
* U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958
* U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962
* U.S., Buffalo Soldiers, Returns From Regular Army Cavalry Regiments, 1866-1916
* U.S., Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960
* U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958
* U.S., Records of Aliens Pre-Examined in Canada, 1922-1954
* U.S., World War II Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files, 1942-1948
* UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927
* United States, Atlantic Ports Passenger Lists, 1820-1873 and 1893-1959
* War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815
* Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004
To access these free records, visit Ancestry.com/2012
Below are 30 collections that will be opened up for free between December 26-29th. This represents more than 300 million select records from collections added or updated in 2012.
To access these free records, visit Ancestry.com/2012
* 1940 United States Federal Census
* Border Crossings: From Canada to U.S., 1895-1954
* Border Crossings: From Mexico to U.S., 1895-1957
* California, Railroad Employment Records, 1862-1937
* Canada, Nominal Rolls and Paylists for the Volunteer Militia, 1857-1922
* Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980
* Galveston, Texas, Jewish Immigration Records, 1901-1917
* Lancashire, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1911
* Lancashire, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1986
* Lancashire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936
* London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911
* Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988
* New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842
* New South Wales, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1854-1930
* New York, Naturalization Records, 1897-1944
* New York, State Census, 1892
* New Zealand, Maori Land Claims, 1858-1980
* Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Immigration Records, Special Boards of Inquiry, 1893-1909
* U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958
* U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962
* U.S., Buffalo Soldiers, Returns From Regular Army Cavalry Regiments, 1866-1916
* U.S., Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960
* U.S., Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958
* U.S., Records of Aliens Pre-Examined in Canada, 1922-1954
* U.S., World War II Cadet Nursing Corps Card Files, 1942-1948
* UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927
* United States, Atlantic Ports Passenger Lists, 1820-1873 and 1893-1959
* War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815
* Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004
To access these free records, visit Ancestry.com/2012
December 25, 2012
Christmas!
Judy G. Russell has expressed her Christmas Wishes so well on The Legal Genealogist that you really should take a few minutes to read her blog post. It's perfect!
Wishing all my readers the happiest of holidays.
December 23, 2012
Christmas at Our House
Yesterday was our Christmas. My children and spouses, 10 of my 14 grandchildren, my brother and his wife and friends and other assorted family were present for a Christmas Dinner.
Cooking is one of my loves (have you been to my Cooking blog Ollie's Yummy in Your Tummy?) and so I made all the food except desserts. I did make Banana Bread, Pumpkin Bread and Amish Sugar Cookies, but all the rest of the desserts were brought by my guests.
The menu consisted of two turkeys with home-made stuffing and gravy, mashed potatoes, Ham, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, Squash Gnocchi with Alfredo Sauce, Ricotta Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce, Candied Yams, Corn, Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, and Macaroni and Cheese.
I hope all my readers enjoyed, or will be enjoying, a wonderful holiday with family and friends.
Here's a few photos of our day
Cooking is one of my loves (have you been to my Cooking blog Ollie's Yummy in Your Tummy?) and so I made all the food except desserts. I did make Banana Bread, Pumpkin Bread and Amish Sugar Cookies, but all the rest of the desserts were brought by my guests.
The menu consisted of two turkeys with home-made stuffing and gravy, mashed potatoes, Ham, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, Squash Gnocchi with Alfredo Sauce, Ricotta Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce, Candied Yams, Corn, Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, and Macaroni and Cheese.
I hope all my readers enjoyed, or will be enjoying, a wonderful holiday with family and friends.
Here's a few photos of our day
.JPG) |
| One of 4 Christmas Tables |
.JPG) |
| The Stuffed Turkeys |
.JPG) |
| The Buffet Dinner |
.JPG) |
| Youngest Grandson as Santa's Helper |
December 22, 2012
Hooper-Squires Photo Archives Treasure No. 5
This is the 5th photo in our collection of rescued photographs of the
Hooper and Squires families of St. Mary's Ontario Canada. To view all
the photos in this collection as they are published here on Olive Tree
Genealogy blog, click on Hooper-Squires Photo Archives link.
I did some research and found the family of Arthur Leo Currah, the son of William Currah and Rebecca Hutcinson. Arthur was born in 1878 and died in 1958. In 1899 he married Ida Bullock. Their children were:
Louise May, Ada, Eve, Dorah, Beatrice, Nellie and Lawrence.Notice that there are 7 girls which corresponds with the girls in this photo with their mother.
I believe this is the family in the photo as Ada married Llloyd Poulton on the lawn of "The Oaks" in Bright Ontario in 1927. You can see that A. L. Currah (no doubt Arthur Leo) mentions that they live at The Oaks in his remark "...we raise more than Herefords at the Oaks..."
 |
| The Currah Family 1921 |
 |
| Handwritten text back of photo |
Louise May, Ada, Eve, Dorah, Beatrice, Nellie and Lawrence.Notice that there are 7 girls which corresponds with the girls in this photo with their mother.
I believe this is the family in the photo as Ada married Llloyd Poulton on the lawn of "The Oaks" in Bright Ontario in 1927. You can see that A. L. Currah (no doubt Arthur Leo) mentions that they live at The Oaks in his remark "...we raise more than Herefords at the Oaks..."
December 21, 2012
Historic Homes - the Sandercock House
 |
| Sam Sandercock Home, St. Mary's Ontario Canada |
The Sandercock family lived there until 1974 when their bachelor son Wilbur aka Tiny died.
Recently the St. Mary's Museum in St. Mary's Ontario did a write-up in the St. Mary's Journal Argus about the Sandercock family and this house. Much of their genealogical family information came from my husband,
As the published article states, Sam and Ann lost two of their sons in WW1. I've written about the Sandercock family and those boys previously on the Olive Tree Genealogy blog, and featured a postcard sent by one of them (Cecil) to his only sister Myrtle (my husband's great-grandmother) during the war.
 |
| Postcard from Cecil Sandercok 1918 |
Hubs' family believes in preserving and passing on family treasures, and hubs is lucky enough to own the postcard sent by Cecil two months before he was killed in 1918 as well as Cecil's war medals.
We also have a photo of the Sandercock family with Sam and his boys in full uniform, taken shortly before they were all sent overseas.
 |
| Cecil Sandercock WW1 Medals |
In a serendiptitious twist, last year hubs was given Sam Sandercock's mustache cup to add to his collection of antique mustache cups.
 |
| Sam Sandercock's Mustache Cup |
The photo behind Sam's mustache cup is of Sam and his son Bill who was killed one year before his brother Cecil during WW1.
 |
| Journal Argus story of the Sandercock House |
December 20, 2012
T'was In the Moon of Wintertime - A Huron Christmas Carol
Three years ago I wrote about this beautiful Huron Christmas Carol. I love it so much I'm bringing it back. It is the first Canadian Christmas Carol written by the Jesuit Missionary Jean de Brebeuf circa 1643 for the Huron Indians in the wilderness of what is now Ontario. The Jesuits ministered to the Hurons at Ste Marie - a wilderness fortified village.
In 1649 the Iroquois, enemies of the Hurons, attacked and the Jesuit fathers set fire to the village fort rather than see it fall into Iroquois hands. Father Brebeuf and 7 others were tortured and killed by the Iroquois. The eight martyred missionaries were canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930, and are known in Canada as the Canadian Martyrs.
The village has been reconstructed at the original site and is now a living museum as well as complete working village. Ste Marie Among the Hurons is a very popular tourist attraction in the Georgian Bay area and it is not far from my home.
Written in the Huron language, Father Brebeuf's Huron Carol is called Jesous Ahatonhia meaning Jesus is Born. It was not translated until the early 1900s at which time it was translated to French. In 1926 it was finally translated to English. It is still a very popular hymn sung by Canadian school children and in churches. The English version is called "T'was in the Moon of Wintertime" and it is a haunting melody based on a 16th century French Canadian Melody.
I love this carol, I find it very stirring and can picture the Hurons sitting with the Jesuit fathers in the middle of our cold snowy winters, listening to the missionaries sing. As well it has many meaningful connections for me - first, I live near Ste. Marie Among the Hurons. Secondly, Father Brebeuf, now the patron saint of Canada, baptised my half-9th great grand uncle Francois-Joseph Hertel in Trois-Rivieres in 1642 during the short time he was in Quebec recuperating from a broken shoulder. Lastly, I am descended from Francois-Joseph Hertel's half sister Ots Toch, a half Mohawk, half French woman from New York who went on to marry the Dutchman Cornelis Van Slyke. The Mohawk were part of the Iroquois Confederacy, the enemy of the Hurons at Ste. Marie.
And now without further ado, here is the Huron Carol Jesous Ahatonhia on video sung in the original Huron language version followed by the French version and a slightly different English version translated by Father Kierans
Huron Wendat Language Version
Estennialon de tsonwe
Jesous ahatonhia
Onnawatewa d' oki
n' onwandaskwaentak
Ennonchien skwatrihotat
n' onwandilonrachatha
Jesous ahatonhia Jesous ahatonhia
English Version by Middleton, most often sung
Another version of this beautiful carol
The Huron Carol ('Twas In The Moon of Winter Time)
'Twas in the moon of wintertime when all the birds had fled
That mighty Gitchi Manitou sent angel choirs instead;
Before their light the stars grew dim and wondering hunters heard the hymn,
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
Within a lodge of broken bark the tender babe was found;
A ragged robe of rabbit skin enwrapped his beauty round
But as the hunter braves drew nigh the angel song rang loud and high
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
The earliest moon of wintertime is not so round and fair
As was the ring of glory on the helpless infant there.
The chiefs from far before him knelt with gifts of fox and beaver pelt.
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
O children of the forest free, O sons of Manitou
The holy Child of earth and heaven is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant boy who brings you beauty peace and joy.
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
Thanks to FootnoteMaven for having her Do You Hear What I Hear Christmas Caroling again this year.
In 1649 the Iroquois, enemies of the Hurons, attacked and the Jesuit fathers set fire to the village fort rather than see it fall into Iroquois hands. Father Brebeuf and 7 others were tortured and killed by the Iroquois. The eight martyred missionaries were canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930, and are known in Canada as the Canadian Martyrs.
The village has been reconstructed at the original site and is now a living museum as well as complete working village. Ste Marie Among the Hurons is a very popular tourist attraction in the Georgian Bay area and it is not far from my home.
Written in the Huron language, Father Brebeuf's Huron Carol is called Jesous Ahatonhia meaning Jesus is Born. It was not translated until the early 1900s at which time it was translated to French. In 1926 it was finally translated to English. It is still a very popular hymn sung by Canadian school children and in churches. The English version is called "T'was in the Moon of Wintertime" and it is a haunting melody based on a 16th century French Canadian Melody.
I love this carol, I find it very stirring and can picture the Hurons sitting with the Jesuit fathers in the middle of our cold snowy winters, listening to the missionaries sing. As well it has many meaningful connections for me - first, I live near Ste. Marie Among the Hurons. Secondly, Father Brebeuf, now the patron saint of Canada, baptised my half-9th great grand uncle Francois-Joseph Hertel in Trois-Rivieres in 1642 during the short time he was in Quebec recuperating from a broken shoulder. Lastly, I am descended from Francois-Joseph Hertel's half sister Ots Toch, a half Mohawk, half French woman from New York who went on to marry the Dutchman Cornelis Van Slyke. The Mohawk were part of the Iroquois Confederacy, the enemy of the Hurons at Ste. Marie.
And now without further ado, here is the Huron Carol Jesous Ahatonhia on video sung in the original Huron language version followed by the French version and a slightly different English version translated by Father Kierans
Huron Wendat Language Version
Estennialon de tsonwe
Jesous ahatonhia
Onnawatewa d' oki
n' onwandaskwaentak
Ennonchien skwatrihotat
n' onwandilonrachatha
Jesous ahatonhia Jesous ahatonhia
English Version by Middleton, most often sung
Another version of this beautiful carol
The Huron Carol ('Twas In The Moon of Winter Time)
'Twas in the moon of wintertime when all the birds had fled
That mighty Gitchi Manitou sent angel choirs instead;
Before their light the stars grew dim and wondering hunters heard the hymn,
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
Within a lodge of broken bark the tender babe was found;
A ragged robe of rabbit skin enwrapped his beauty round
But as the hunter braves drew nigh the angel song rang loud and high
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
The earliest moon of wintertime is not so round and fair
As was the ring of glory on the helpless infant there.
The chiefs from far before him knelt with gifts of fox and beaver pelt.
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
O children of the forest free, O sons of Manitou
The holy Child of earth and heaven is born today for you.
Come kneel before the radiant boy who brings you beauty peace and joy.
Jesus your King is born, Jesus is born, in excelsis gloria.
Thanks to FootnoteMaven for having her Do You Hear What I Hear Christmas Caroling again this year.
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