10 Ways to Find a Loyalist Ancestor

Petition of Harcor Lyons Loyalist
Source Upper Canada Land Petitions

What is a Loyalist?

A Loyalist is any person who is loyal to their allegiance (especially in times of revolt). During the American Revolution in what was to become the United States of America, a Loyalist (also called UEL - United Empire Loyalist) was anyone who remained loyal to the King of England. They were called Tories in their own country but Loyalists elsewhere. Most fled to Canada and helped settle that country, particularly Ontario and Nova Scotia

One of the best genealogy resources to find Loyalist ancestors in Ontario are the Upper Canada Land Petitions. Find out how the OIC (Orders in Council) for Loyalists can help you in your search

Tips for Finding a Loyalist Ancestor

1.Check the index to Upper Canada Land Petitions (UCLP) The land petitions often contain invaluable genealogical information including children's or father's names, spouse's names, places of origin, reports of the hardships they endured as Loyalists, Loyalist unit served in, and sometimes ages. The UCLP is available online as a searchable database 

For help finding the actual certificates and petitions in the online films, see Searching Ontario Canada Land Records, eh? and Understanding Notations on the Envelope of an Upper Canada Land Petition
 
2. Check Land Books 1793-1826

For Upper Canada Land Books see Finding an Ancestor in the Challenging Upper Canada Land Books This is a step by step tutorial showing researchers how to use the index entries and details to find the Land Book entry online. 

3. Check Loyalist Claims and Conversion List [NA MG14] 1790-1837 - Audit Office 12 and 13 compensation cliams for land and goods lost during the American Revolution - 178 reels of microfilm. Not all Loyalists filed claims. Many did and if your ancestor is among those who did, you won't want to overlook this. 

4. Search the Heir & Devisee Commission records.

 5. Search the Upper Canada Sundries. For help see 12 Months of Finding Ancestors: Upper Canada Sundries (Part 3 of a 12 Part Series) 

6. Check Reid, W.D. Loyalists in Ontario: The Sons and Daughters of the American Loyalists of Upper Canada 

7. Check the The Old United Empire Loyalists List - available in book form; and as microfilm -- United Empire Loyalist Lists [NA RG 1, L7 Vol 52a] on C-2222 from the Ontario Archives 

8. Check District Loyalist Rolls - transcript on MS803 at the Ontario Archives. Update: Brenda Dougall Merriman informs me that these were published: District Loyalist Rolls transcribed by Keith Fitzgerald (AO, MS 803)were published as his *Ontario People: 1796-1803* by the Ontario Genealogical Society. Brenda did a series on Loyalists and wrote the book called UEL: Finding Your Loyalist Ancestors in Upper Canada.

9. Check United Empire Loyalist Lists [NA RG 1, L7 vol 52a] on C-2222 from the Ontario Archives but be aware that no one list is complete! There were several versions of the lists drawn up and not finding an ancestor's name does not mean he was not a Loyalist.

10. An often overlooked source of information is The Haldimand Papers - papers and correspondence of Haldimand, Sir Frederick from 1758-1784. Available as 115 reels of microfilm from the NAC or as selected records on 50 reels of microfilm from the Ontario Archives. Muster rolls can be found on the H.P. in the National Archives of Canada as MG 21 These Loyalist volumes, and the nominal index to them, are available on microfilm reel C-1475. Avaiable on ILL (InterLibraryLoan)

The Power of DNA - Dustbin Baby Finds Father

Screen Shot from Daily Mirror
http://www.mirror.co.uk

45 years ago an abandoned newborn baby was found in a duffel bag beside garbage cans near an apartment complex in England. It was a cold November day. When the child was discovered, shivering and blue from cold, she was rushed to a nearby hospital.

Newspapers dubbed her "The Dustbin Baby" and she was adopted by a Police Officer and his wife. Given the name Michelle Rooney, when she grew up she became determined to track down her birth mother and find out why she was abandoned.

Through DNA testing, Michelle linked to a match - a first cousin. After contacting her new-found relative, Michelle found the man who was almost certainly her biological father. He agreed to take a DNA test and the match was confirmed. Michelle and her father, who had known nothing of her birth, met and are now in constant touch.

But Michelle still wants to find her birth mother. If you can help please email in strict confidence to foundling.info@btinternet.com

For more details continue reading this fascinating story at Dustbin Baby Michelle Rooney tracks down her birth Father 45 years after being abandoned

Metis Scrip Certificates Online

The following announcement from Library and Archives Canada was received by Olive Tree Genealogy. For those with Native American ancestors this will be an interesting database to explore

We are pleased to inform you that more than 24,000 references about money scrip (certificates) given to Métis family members were recently added online. These cancelled land scrip certificates were once issued to the Métis by the Department of the Interior in exchange for the relinquishment of certain land claims. A scrip would be issued “to the bearer” and could be applied to the purchase of, or as a down payment on, any Dominion lands open for entry in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. These scrip were awarded to Métis heads of families and their children in the amounts of $240, $160 and $80. In some cases white settlers also received such scrips.

How to find references

1. Go to the search screen for Archives Search—Advanced.
2. In the drop-down menu, select “Finding aid number” and then in the box, enter 15-24.
3. In the next line, select “Any Keyword” and enter a family name, in this case “Riel.”
4. Click on the “Submit” button.

Press Release: FindMyPast Buys Origins.Net

The following announcement was received by Olive Tree Genealogy yesterday:

London, UK, June 17, 2014.  Findmypast.co.uk, the leading British family history company, announced today that it has bought Origins.net, one of the early pioneers of online records.

The first company to set up a pay-as you-go model for online family history records, Origins.net specialises in unusual and often hard to find British and Irish records.  Its many early records include rare marriage indexes, apprentices and poor law records.  Another key strength is its National Wills Index, which, combined with collections currently on Findmypast and those in development, will provide the largest online resource for UK wills and probate material.

Origins will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Findmypast.  Ian Galbraith, founder of Origins, will continue to work with Findmypast on collection development.  The extensive record sets from Origins will be brought into Findmypast over the next few months and the Origins website will continue to run as usual.

Elaine Collins, Partnership Director of Findmypast said: “We are delighted to bring Origins and its founder, Ian Galbraith, into the Findmypast group of family history brands.  By joining together, we are able to offer customers the most comprehensive collection of British and Irish online records.   This rich collection will help descendants of early North American settlers to bridge the gap to the old country, as well as anyone with UK ancestry looking to delve beyond 19th and 20th century records.”

Ian Galbraith, founder of Origins, said: “The partnership with Findmypast makes perfect sense for both companies and their customers. We have had a long association and together we can offer a broader family history experience and help people to fill in the blanks on the family tree and enrich their family story.”

 

Panic Ensues! DDOS Attack Brings Ancestry and FindAGrave Down

Screen Capture from
http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/ancestry.com.html

Caveat: This is a personal opinion and a bit of a rant about the nonsense that swept Facebook and Twitter yesterday. If you don't care what I think about it, stop reading now. I won't be offended.

Yesterday saw much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Ancestry.com and it's site FindAGrave site fell victim to a sustained DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attack. For those who thought it was their own computer or internet service preventing them from accessing Ancestry.com you can rest easy. You can read updates at https://www.facebook.com/Ancestry.com

Briefly a DDOS attack comes from hackers on multiple computers that send out bots to hit the designated website's servers. Because there are so many bots and they can hit the server in a never-ending barrage, the server is overloaded and can't deal with the requests from legitimate users. Then the site slows to a crawl or stops working completely. It can be difficult for the technicians to figure out where the bots are coming from in order to block them.

 Yesterday saw Facebook and Twitter flooded with cries of "Is anyone else having trouble getting to Ancestry?" It quickly became apparent that none of the people posting knew about the site IsItDownRightNow at http://www.isitdownrightnow.com This site allows you to check on the status of any site on the Internet. That's a much better idea than hundreds if not thousands of people posting the same question. 

But back to the shouting and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. This didn't come from Ancestry (although I'm sure they have been wiping sweat from their brows as they work diligently to stop the attacks). This reaction came from hundreds of people who posted angry messages on Ancestry's Facebook page. The responses ranged from anger ("This is BS - fix the problem!!" "I pay good money for this service!!") to despair ("I was going to do research today, now what?") It was obvious that most of those posting have no idea what a DDOS attack is and how difficult it can be to stop it. I don't criticize them because they aren't aware of these technical issues, but I do shake my head when those shouting the loudest could not be bothered to go and read up about what is involved.

A similar DDOS attack hit Feedly and Evernote last week. It is a BIG DEAL. It can take days to stop the bots from attacking the site. These recent hackers tried to extort money from the companies, with promises to stop the attack if they were paid.

I wish those who were ranting and raving about the problem knew what they were talking about. Those saner heads who tried to calm folks down with explanations of a DDOS attack and links where folks could read about it were shouted down and accused of being Ancestry shills. It was quite disturbing to see the lynch mob mentality that took over.

As for those who were whimpering about not being able to do their research or access their family tree (because we all know how dreadfully IMPORTANT it is to check something on that tree RIGHT NOW!!!!) what about taking a break and doing something else? Phone your favourite aunt or sister. Visit friends. Bake cookies. Read a good book. Play with your kids. DO SOMETHING ELSE!

Good grief! Not being able to get to Ancestry for the day is a first world problem. Think about it! There are children starving in other parts of the world. Women are being stoned for marrying without their parents' approval. People are being shot for being Christians. Those are big deals. Not accessing Ancestry or FindAGrave for a day are small issues in the overall scheme of life.

Who Are You Kathleen Nellthropp?

While going through my mother's cousin Doris Simpson's photo albums, I came across this set of photos. They are of a woman called Kathleen Nellthropp and were taken in Kent England. I do not know how, or even if, Kathleen is related to our Simpson family.

The photos appear to have been taken in the late 1920s and  1930s.  One is dated 1928 and a second one 1938. A search of Ancestry.com shows only one Kathleen Nellthropp that seems to fit, and that is Kathleen Alice Nellthropp who was born ca 1908. 

In 1911 she is found in Lewisham with parents William and Alice Nellthropp. In 1954 she married Cecil Laver but that is where my search ended. She appears in dozens of Electoral Registers before marrying Cecil but is a mystery beyond that. 

I found it interesting that Kathleen lived with her parents, but after her mother's death in 1953 (her father having died some years previously), this 46 year old spinster married less than one year later. Was Kathleen the dutiful daughter who cared for her parents in their declining years? 

Kathleen & her mother who I think was Alice Peacock

Sharing Memories Week 24: Some of My Favourite Books

Join us for Sharing Memories - A Genealogy Journey We focus on memories of our parents, grandparents and others. We write for our children and grandchildren, that the memories are not lost over time. I hope you are keeping a journal, whether it is private or public, and joining us as we write our memoirs.

The prompt for this week is Some of My Favourite Books. What books did you read as a child or a teenager? Did you go to your local Library or did you read your parents' books? Maybe you bought books to savour and enjoy over and over?

I loved reading and could read before I went to Kindergarten. My mother was an avid reader and used to read while knitting in the evenings. We started going to the local Library at an early age and I was allowed to read any of the books my mom had on the bookcase at home. At a young age I was reading Frank Yerby's books which were adult romantic history novels. 

As a teen my favourite books were Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Farley Mowat's The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. But I also devoured every Hardy Boys adventures I could get! I didn't like Nancy Drew as I found her adventures too tame and her character too weak. But I couldn't get enough of Joe and Frank. I guess I always was a bit more of a tomboy and I did love a good mystery to puzzle over.

Home District Land Claims 1803 & 1804 - Corrections to Canadiana.org Faulty Content List Part 2

HD 1140 Image 392

Canadiana.Org has digitized 21 films of the Heir & Devisee Commission Papers (Heir & Devisee Commission papers 1797-1854, found in their Heritage Collection), and that's a good thing for genealogists. These records have valuable and informative genealogical documents.

But as mentioned in a previous blog post Heir & Devisee Commission 1797-1854 on Canadiana.org - Listing Errors and a Workaround, the index and description of what is in each film, as provided on Canadiana.org, is incorrect.

I have been going through those digitized records to create a working corrected Finding Aid. You may view the corrected content lists on Olive Tree Genealogy website at Heir & Devisee Commission 

While scrolling through microfilm H 1140 in order to correct Canadiana.org's flawed content description, I came across a set of Land Certificates and other documents from individuals living in what was called the Home District. This consisted of land along Lake Ontario and the Niagara region of Ontario.

HD 1140 Image 396

Continuing on from  Home District Land Certificates 1787 to 1795 and An index to Niagara area Loyalists and their Land Certificates here is the second set of my list of names of claimants for land in the Home District from 1803-1804. Each name has an image number beside it so that you can easily click through to that image to view the claims and any supporting documents. The start of these names can be viewed at Home District Land Claims 1803 & 1804 - Corrections to Canadiana.org Faulty Content List


Images 250–253 is the index to claimant names. These images have lists of names of claimants. Note that often it is the attorney's name on the index and not the petitioner or claimant. The claimants' names can be viewed in my list below.  Please also note that I cannot guarantee my interpretation of the names in these documents. The writing is often difficult to read or the image is blurry. 

The following images are the actual certificates, claims and other documents

• Image 342-344 James Clark, Niagara Town, William Cooper
• Image 345 William Cooper
• Image 346 Isaac Dey Gray, York
• Image  347-348 John Haacke, Markham
• Image 349 William Hollingshead 1803
• Image 350-352 Michael Herts/Kerts/Kock, Vaughan Township
• Image 353 Andrew Sabine? Whitchurch
• Image  354-358 George Lubick of Markham, Henry Femmerfelt, Anna Margaretha Dingel nee Tinem named as mother-in-law of George Lubick, Heinrich Fummerfelt 1804, Anna Margaretha Dingel of Markham, George Labick
• Image 359 Miscellaneous letter
• Image 360 James Macaulay, York Twp 1802
• Image 361 Sophia Temple nee Kahman of Markham, 1804
• Image 362 Ann Hahman, late Ann Tempel wife of John Henry Kahman of York Town
• Image 363-372 William Gillespie, Elisha Dextor, Abraham Orr
• Image 373-379 John Peter Ernest of Markham 1803
• Image 380 John Rum-h-
• Image 381 Eli Kayter
• Image 382 Parshall Terry, York twp
• Image 383-385 Peter Miller, York Twp
• Image 386 John Henry Bulger of Markham, Peter Miller
• Image387 Michael? Walker, Addington Midland District
• Image 388 Michael Grass
• Image 389-390 William Walker, U.E.
• Image 391-392 William Walker, George ___ Stuart
• Image 393-394 John Perry? Addington
• Image 395 John Perry, Pickering Twp, 1803
• Image 396-397 Peter Robinson 1803
• Image 398 Christopher Robinson, Peter Robinson

Lost Faces Photo Album - Is one your ancestor?

This is another album in my collection of Civil War era photo albums. It appears to be mostly of the Chidester family and most of the photos are mid to late 1860s

Below is the list of names which were written on the album pages in period handwriting.

Most of the photos are CDVs (Cartes de Visite) but there are several early tintypes.

As I scan these photos front and back I will be putting them online on Lost Faces on my Olive Tree Genealogy website. They will join 63 other antique photo albums I have there.

1. blank
2. Uncle McKay and Aunt Lib
3. Grandma Chedister
4. Uncle Leander Chedister
5. Sadoc? Chidester
6. Aunt Jennie Pittenger
7. Uncle Frank Chidester
8. Uncle Grant Chidester
9. Uncle Earna Chidester
10. Lat? McKay
11. Unlce Vint and Aunt Huldah Deyo
12. blank
13. Uncle Elliot Chidester
14. Vinnie Larua Chidester Uncle Floyd
15. blank
16. Uncle Smith Thorp
17. Aunt Mandy Tharp
18. Fanny and Harvey Tharp
19. Uncle Grant
20. Aunt Almira Law
21. x Daughter Clara
22. Uncle Adam Law
23. blank
24. blank
25. Violet and Chas Strong
26. blank
27. Illinois Soldiers Indiana 1861
28. Cousin Leander Chidester
29. Lille Wiley McFadden
30. Hettie Pittenger (right) Daisy and Aunt Deyo
31. Daisy Perrin
32. Grandma Deyo
33. Frank Deyo
34. Alvira and Deyo
35. blank
36. Sadie McKay Duncan
37. May McKay Perry
38. Cousin Lurns grandchildren
39. blank
40. Uncle and Aunt Bissh who Pa staid [sic] with after he was 12 

Tutorial #1: Adding Facts & Photos on Lives of the First World War

Lives of the First World War is a wonderful new website but it is rather complicated to use. Since I have been using the site for some time as a beta tester, I've developed a tutorial on adding photos, documents and facts to a soldier's Life Story:

Search for a soldier of interest. Click on the name when it appears in the results page. A new page loads (image below)

If you want to add a photo you click on "upload an image" If you wish to add other evidence such as a URL or a transcription from a document you click on "Add an External Reference" Note that you cannot add a fact until you have added the evidence.

As an example I know when Leonard Peer died. But I can't add that fact until I add the supporting  evidence, such as a death certificate or gravestone or obituary.

 ADDING A PHOTO AND MAKING IT A PROFILE PICTURE
 I want to add a photo of Leonard so I chose "Upload an image"

 

After uploading my image I can see my caption "Leonard Lancelot Peer" added to the Evidence list. Clicking on his name opens a new window (below) with the photo I uploaded and the option to make this photo his profile picture. There is also an option to add facts from his photo. So if his photo had writing on the back giving some information such as his date of birth or his parents' names for example, I could add those facts now. 

 

ADDING A PIECE OF EVIDENCE

Now I want to add Leonard's data from his gravestone in Woodlawn Cemetery. I have the plot number and inscription. I'm not uploading an image but I am choosing to Add an External Reference. Below you can see the new window that pops up. I must fill out each field as all are required. The field for Reference Number can be filled out with "No Reference Number available" or you could put the Plot and Grave Number.

After adding a few external references I can go back and see the new list of Evidence for Leonard. This is when I get to start adding the facts from each piece of evidence.

 

ADDING FACTS

Clicking on the Woodlawn Cemetery Records I just added brings up yet another window. This window displays the information you added earlier and has a button to select so that you can add facts such as Leonard's death date to his Life Story

And here you are in the area where facts can be added. There is a lengthy list for various topics such as family, civilian, military and so on. Because this fact is based on his Cemetery Record only, I now add his year of death. This is the window you will see no matter what evidence you click on. So if I had clicked on his Marriage Certificate Evidence that I previously entered, I would add his date of marriage, his spouse's name and his parents' names here in the Facts section.

That is all there is to adding to a soldier's Life Story. The site is not easy to use but once you get the hang of it, it is simple repetition and following specific steps. 

SUMMARY

1. Choose a soldier of interest

2. Add EVIDENCE (documents, certificates, gravestone information, photos, URL to an online bio, etc)

3. Now add FACTS that are found with each specific piece of EVIDENCE. For example a gravestone usually provides birth and death dates, the soldier's full military file provides other details, a birth certificate provides parents' names, etc.

TIP

Do you plan on adding Life Stories or photos to several soldiers' Stories? If like me you probably won't remember who you've added and who you have left to add, here is an easy tip. Click on the REMEMBER icon under the soldier's name after you have added his or her details. By going into your Account and choosing your Dashboard, a list of all your Remembered soldiers appears.

Watch for my next Tutorial on creating a Community.

52 Ancestors: An Abusive Ancestor Charged with Attempted Murder of His Wife

I'm writing about Edward Buckland as part of Amy Crow's Challenge: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Edward is my sister-in-law's 3rd great grandfather.

Edward was not the kind of ancestor you would want. He was born into a Gypsy family in England around 1806. At the age of 14 he was arrested and charged with grand larceny for stealing two coach-holders from a coach passing by. His punishment was 7 years banishment to Australia. He may have avoided this however as in 1830 he is found marrying in Westminster England. His wife was only 12 years old.

He and his wife Mary had several children but it's been difficult finding out exactly how many. Edward was a brutal character, often abusing his wife (and no doubt his children as well). I found a few court records and newspaper accounts of some horrific abuse he carried out on his poor wife. In fact he was charged with abusing her and was sent to jail for one year in 1851. 

The Morning Post. Dec. 17, 1851. Edward Buckland, age 46, was indicted for having unlawfully and maliciously assaulted and wounded his wife Mary Buckland with a knife.  The prisoner was a brushmaker and lived with the prosecutrix at 7 Norton St. Somers Town. On Tues. last they had  quarrel and whilst she was standing at the door of their house he rushed out and knocked her down. He had in his hand a table knife which had been sharpened to a point, and drawing his hand back, he declared in language too disgusting and filthy to be repeated, he would use it and would cut her gullet out. At the same time he struck her on the hand with it and cut open the middle finger of her left hand. The poor woman appeared to have been subjected to shocking brutality, both her eyes being frightfully blackened. The jury found the prisoner guilty and he was sentenced to one year's imprisonment.

Another story about this incident reads:

1851 Dec. 17. London Standard. Another Brutal Husband. Edward Buckland, 46, was indicted for having maliciously assaulted Mary Buckland, his wife. It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner is a brushmaker, and lived at No. 7, Northam St., Somers Town. Between 12 and 1 o'clock in the morning of the 7th instant, the complainant was observed to push his wife violently out of doors, and then knock her down. He repeated this, and then went in, closing and bolting the door behind him. She then got up and knocked at the private door, when the prisoner came out with a sharp knife in his hand, and putting himself in a threatening attitude, said with an oath, he would "rip her bowels out, and would cut her gullet." The jury found the prisoner guilty and he was sentenced to imprisonment and hard labour for 12 calendar months.

Some newspaper accounts describe Edward as "a downcast desperate looking fellow" and "a great ruffian"

After getting out of jail Edward apparently went right back to abusing Mary and in 1852 was sent to jail for 2 months for beating her unmercifully. His abuse escalated and in 1853 he was charged with trying to murder her. The newspaper account reads:

1853 May 2. Court. Clerkenwell. Attempted Murder of a Wife. A Monster. Edward Buckland, a brushmaker, was charged with having attempted the life of his wife. The unfortunate prosecutrix was assisted into the courtroom by Sergt. Wilkes of the S. Division, and placed in a chair near the worthy magistrate, who elicited the following particulars of the dreadful suffering she had undergone. She had been the wife of the prisoner nearly twenty years, and had been subjected to the most brutal treatment at his hands nearly the whole of that time. At eleven o'clock on the previous night he came home, and after abusing her, he beat her on the head and other parts of the body with a hammer, and finally struck her many dreadful blows with a pair of shears, and broke her arm. She escaped in a most miraculous manner from him, and meeting Sergt. Wilkes, placed herself under his protection and she was removed to the University Hospital. The accused muttered that he had no observation to make whatever.... remanded for the present and to be turned over to a jury for trial. Victim taken back to hospital.

 In the 1861 census Mary is not living with Edward. She is the head of house with two children ages 9 and 11. One can only hope she was finally able to escape the clutches of this monstrous man and live a life of some peace. She died in 1883 at the age of 70.

Honouring WW1 Soldiers - a New Website

A few of my remembered soldiers

In January Olive Tree Genealogy was pleased to be asked to help beta test a new website Lives of the First World War.

Lives of the First World War is one of the Imperial War Museum’s major centenary projects, which looks to uncover the life stories of the men and women who served Britain and the Commonwealth during the First World War.

After several months of testing, the site went live in May. I personally have spent many enjoyable hours adding photos, documents and stories to soldiers from England and Canada and absolutely love this site. Honouring and remembering our soldiers is so important and this site allows descendants, historians and genealogists to do so.


The site is a bit complicated to use but the investment of time to add the photos and stories is, in my opinion, well worth it. Lives of the First World War aims for quality which means strict adherence to their requirements for adding information. I will be providing a tutorial on adding stories and documents to an individual as well as setting up a community but for now, please do check the site out and start adding your photographs and data.

One small tip to get you started - you cannot add information or edit any fields until you add the document to support your facts. Above is a screen dump to show you choices of the type of evidence (documentation) you can add. This specific soldier is my husband's 2nd great-grandfather Sam Sandercock and you can see the records I have already attached to Sam. 

For help you can refer to their Guide to Getting Started. As well, their support desk is quick to respond to requests for help. 

You can also follow Lives of the First World War on Facebook or Twitter

Births of Children of slaves, 1804-1835 in New Jersey

An interesting database came online recently on the New Jersey State Archives website. It's called Births of Children of slaves, 1804-1835  in New Jersey

According to the website

The records in this series are the direct result of "An act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery" passed by the New Jersey Legislature on 15 February 1804 (P.L. 1804, chap. CIV, p. 251). This law pronounced every child born to a slave mother after 4 July 1804 "free" at birth, but bound as a servant to the owner of the mother until the age of twenty-five for males and twenty-one for females. Any person entitled by the law to such bound service was required to file with the county clerk, within nine months of the birth of the child, a written certificate containing the name of the slave owner and the name, age and sex of the child. The clerk in turn was directed to record the information in a special book for this purpose. The penalty for neglecting to deliver such a certificate was $5 plus an additional $1 for each month of delinquency. The law also allowed for the abandonment of such children by the owners of their mothers at the age of one year. In this case, the child would become a ward of the local overseers of the poor; the slave owner was required to file a notification of abandonment with the county clerk.

Sharing Memories Week 23: Ooh La La, That First Crush

Join us for Sharing Memories - A Genealogy Journey We focus on memories of our parents, grandparents and others. We write for our children and grandchildren, that the memories are not lost over time. I hope you are keeping a journal, whether it is private or public, and joining us as we write our memoirs.

Today's prompt is "Ooh La La, That First Crush" Who was your first crush? Someone you knew? A movie star? Singer? The cool guy next door? 

I was kind of stuck on the guy next door - he was one of those bad boys that all we girls seem to be attracted to at a certain age. When we were little we used to sit on opposite sides of our shared driveway and throw rocks at each other. First to cry was the loser. Guess who lost every time? 

He was also the boy who handcuffed me to his side while we played "Cops & Robbers". We were the robbers and we climbed up on the roof to escape. He decided to jump, I hesitated and whomp - one sprained wrist later...

When we were young teens I thought he was pretty cool with his slicked back greasy hair and kiss curl in the middle of his forehead, leather jacket and jeans. I guess he figured it out because he talked me into stealing cigarettes for him. I don't know whose I took but it had to be from a family member. I'd never have actually "stolen" something from a store! 

Silly me. I thought he'd like me if I was cool too. Eventually I figured out he thought I was a nerdy geek and I realized he was a loser. End of crush!

Expanded Version of the Service Files of the Second World War – War Dead, 1939-1947

Telegram re James Nevin Bonar's Death WW2

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has just published Expanded Version of the Service Files of the Second World War – War Dead, 1939-1947


I found the digital PDF file for my Uncle James Nevin Bonar who was killed in Europe in October 1944 at the age of 29. There are 140 pages of scanned documents in his file and it's amazing to be able to read them.

There are letters from my Aunt (his widow) and other genealogical goodies in the file. Among the items were his will, a copy of the official telegram to my aunt about his death (how dreadful that must have been to receive!), and dozens of official documents.

Nev & my Aunt at their wedding in 1936

Nev and my aunt Lily were married in Guelph Ontario in 1936 in a double wedding ceremony with my mother and father. They had one son who was just 6 years old when his father was killed in the war. At the time of Nev's death, Lily lived with her son and my mother and her 3 children in Ajax Ontario.  My father was also overseas at the time.

Lily looked after the children while my mom worked in the Munitions Factory to earn money to support the families while their soldier husbands were overseas. Lily never remarried and raised her son alone, dying in 2004 at the age of 88.

If you have an ancestor or other family member who died during WW2 you will want to take a look to see if their file is online.

Who Do You Think You Are? Returns!

The fifth season of the American version of Who Do You Think You Are? begins July 23 on TLC 

For those who aren't familiar with Who Do You Think You Are? it is a genealogy show produced by Lisa Kudrow and Dan Bucatinsky.

The new season, which will also feature new journeys with Valerie Bertinelli, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kelsey Grammer, Cynthia Nixon, Rachel McAdams and her sister  Kayleen McAdams, will return on Wednesday, July 23 at 9/8c on TLC.

You can watch the 5th Season Promo on TLC's online video

Ancestry Retiring 5 Services

Yesterday I was invited to participate in a Conference Call with Ancestry.com about some recent decisions made that will affect many genealogists. This morning the official announcement was published on the Ancestry.com blog and you can read details there. Basically here is what is happening

Ancestry has decided to retire some of their services: MyFamily, MyCanvas, Genealogy.com, Mundia and the Y-DNA and mtDNA tests. It's important to note that AncestryDNA (autosomal)  will continue to be available for purchase.

Starting September 5, 2014, these services will no longer be available to access. Here are more details about each closure

DNA
Only the y-DNA and mtDNA tests will be retired. Customers can download their raw data on the Ancestry DNA website. Autosomal DNA tests (AncestryDNA) will be the focus

MyFamily
Refunds will be issued automatically to site owners of active MyFamily sites. These refunds are effective as of June 5, 2014 and will be pro-rated to this date.

Genealogy.com
Genealogy.com  will continue in a slightly different form. Certain portions of Genealogy.com will still exist but will not be interactive. They will exist in read-only format
–GenForum message boards
–Family Tree Maker homepages
–The most popular articles

MyCanvas
Between now and September 4th, customers can finish current projects or start and complete new ones. After September 4th, MyCanvas will no longer accept printing orders and all projects will be deleted

Mundia
Members can  download the family trees they’ve created in their native language before September 5, 2014. Mundia trees can be accessed for free on Ancestry.

I can see the logic behind these closures. Any company has finite resources to commit to projects. With Ancestry focusing on their main goals, customers should see more data coming online as well as other new things.

With Autosomal DNA being the most complete DNA test that's the route to go and the test genealogists will want in order to make connections with other relatives. I'm sure some genealogists will be upset about MyCanvas closing but there are many good alternatives out there. Personally I love Shutterfly for creating Family History books.

Please take a few moments to read Ancestry.com official blog post at the URL above and reach out on Social Media to Ancestry with questions or concerns you might have.

Update of New Records from FamilySearch

FamilySearch Adds More Than 4.3 Million Indexed Records and Images to Chile, China, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States

FamilySearch has added more than 4.3 million indexed records and images to collections from Chile, China, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States. Notable collection updates include the 687,546 indexed records and images from the new Chile, Cemetery Records, 1821–2013, collection; the 541,382 images from the Portugal, Beja, Civil Registration and Miscellaneous Records, 1609–1950, collection; and the 579,293 indexed records and images from U.S., BillionGraves Index, collection . Search these diverse collections and more than 3.5 billion other records for free at FamilySearch.org.

Searchable historic records are made available on FamilySearch.org through the help of thousands of volunteers from around the world. These volunteers transcribe (index) information from digital copies of handwritten records to make them easily searchable online. More volunteers are needed (particularly those who can read foreign languages) to keep pace with the large number of digital images being published online at FamilySearch.org. Learn more about volunteering to help provide free access to the worldís historic genealogical records online at FamilySearch.org.

Sharing Memories Week 22: Jobs You Have Had

Working at the Mortgage Company age 19

Join us for Sharing Memories - A Genealogy Journey We focus on memories of our parents, grandparents and others. We write for our children and grandchildren, that the memories are not lost over time. I hope you are keeping a journal, whether it is private or public, and joining us as we write our memoirs.

Today's prompt is Jobs You Have Had. This week's prompt is easy and it's a lot fun. Just start listing the jobs you've had since you were a teenager. I'm not sure I can remember all of mine but here goes:

• Babysitting (what teenage girl hasn't babysat!)
• Page at the Ajax Public Library from Grade 9 - Grade 12
• Summer job as a Waitress at Divine Lake Lodge in Huntsville Ontario age 16
• Summer Job as a coin roller for a Vending Machine Co. in London Ontario age 18
• Assistant to Chief Accountant at a Canada-wide Mortgage Company age 19 (my first "adult" and permanent job!)
• Keypunch Operator
• Fill-in receptionist at Mortgage Company
• Survey writer for large Marketing Firm in Toronto Ontario age 21
• Librarian Assistant in different libraries in Toronto Ontario from age 22-26
• Nursery School Assistant in Midland Ontario
• Dental office receptionist
• Ran my own company Wilor Management at age 29 where I provided temporary office assistants to companies needing a fill-in
• Bookkeeper in Opthamologist's office
• Child Care Worker for Kinark Services
• Teacher Assistant for Simcoe County School Board
• Teacher for Home School Instruction of Behaviour problem teenage boys

The last two I worked at for almost 20 years. It's been a long and interesting set of jobs I've had!

Irish Lands Stolen By Oliver Cromwell

Ever McGinnis land holdings in 1641

Do you have Irish ancestors? If the answer is "yes" then you will want to visit Irish Lands stolen by Oliver Cromwell

Quoting from the website (Trinity College Dublin)

Taken in the years 1656-1658, the Down Survey of Ireland is the first ever detailed land survey on a national scale anywhere in the world. The survey sought to measure all the land to be forfeited by the Catholic Irish in order to facilitate its redistribution to Merchant Adventurers and English soldiers. Copies of these maps have survived in dozens of libraries and archives throughout Ireland and Britain, as well as in the National Library of France. This Project has brought together for the first time in over 300 years all the surviving maps, digitised them and made them available as a public online resource.

It's a fascinating glimpse into lands your ancestors once lived on. There are two parts to the site - the Down Survey Maps and the Historical GIS

The Down Survey Maps section comprises digital images of all the surviving Down Survey maps at parish, barony and county level. The written descriptions (terrier) of each barony and parish that accompanied the original maps have also been included. The second section, Historical GIS, brings together the maps and related contemporaneous sources – Books of Survey and Distribution, the 1641 Depositions, the 1659 Census – in a Geographical Information System (GIS). 

Clicking on the Historical GIS tab takes you to a searchable database for the following:

• Landowner by Name (1641 and 1670)
• Ownership by Religion (Maps for 1641 and 1670)
• Murders in the 1641 rebellion (Distribution)

You can also view details by zooming in on the area of interest. A pop-up displays the name of the landowner, their religion and who ended up with that section of land.