Throw Back Thursday: My Dad

It's Throw Back Thursday, a day when many genealogists and bloggers post photos from earlier years.

I love this photo of my dad, Cecil McGinnis, taken ca 1918 when he was just 2 years old. It's the only photo I've ever seen of him before his marriage to my mother.

You can see that I cropped it from a larger group photo. Today I opened it in Picasa and created what is called a Museum Matte to surround it and make it look like it is behind glass.

The original large group photo and the original cropped photo remain untouched - no changes were made to them. It's a good idea when playing with old photos to always make a copy and never alter the original.

I miss my dad. He died Christmas Day when I was just barely 14 years old. He was just 47 years old

Here's to you dad, you were taken from us at far too young an age.

Crestleaf is having a Scavenger Hunt

Crestleaf, a leading provider of free genealogy information and a free online collaboration tool for families to document their family history, is giving away a $250 Amazon gift card to one blogger who creates the most creative surname post this holiday season.

See the contest rules at http://crestleaf.com/blog/join-crestleaf-surname-scavenger-hunt/ 

It sounds like fun! 

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

I'm dancing for genealogy joy because I have Irish Catholic ancestors. Anyone else with Irish Catholic ancestors should likewise start rejoicing because all of Ireland's Catholic Church records are being digitized and going online!

Catholic Church

The National Library of Ireland is to give free online access to its Catholic Church records collection which date back to the 1700s. This will enable millions of people around the world to trace their roots in Ireland.

Previously the only way to view these records was at the National Library in Kildare Street, in Dublin. Summer of 2015 is the hopeful date for these church records to be online.


My 2nd great grandparents Joseph McGinnis and his wife Fanny Downey will be first on my list of searches in the summer of 2015. What will your first search be?

New Amsterdam Collections, 1647-1674 online

New Amsterdam Digital Gallery Now Available online as New Amsterdam Collections, 1647-1674

Images available onllne

The Municipal Archives has digitized early colonial collections from New Netherland (present day New York state) for New Amsterdam (present day New York City). 

Ordinances drawn from the Records of New Amsterdam for the period 1647-1661 and their corresponding translations are now available at archives.nyc

The other records online are Translation of Dutch Records, 1647-1654, Ordinances of New Amsterdam 1647-1661 Translated by E.B. O'Callaghan and Records of New Amsterdam Edited by Berthold Fernow

Digitizing the records and posting them online are the first steps in making the City Archives more accessible.

Translation also available for images

Interview for Newspaper on Military History

Recently I was interviewed by an Edmonton Newspaper for an article about Researching Military History. I was honoured to be consulted and pleased with the published piece.

Please see the article "Researching a Military History"  in the Edmonton Sun

I hope I was able to provide other genealogists with ideas and suggestions they will find helpful.

Identifyiing Old Photographs Part 3

The following article was originally written by Lorine McGinnis Schulze and published on Olive Tree Genealogy at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/photos/photo-types.shtml

It may not be reproduced in any way without my written consent.

Carte de Visite or CDVs (ca 1859)

CDV stands for carte de visite, a photographic calling card. The CDV process, which began in France in 1854, involved a special camera that produced eight poses on one negative. The CDV quickly replaced the old glass images of the ambrotypes, producing a card the size of the then standard calling card, around 2.5 by 4".

The CDV’s albumen process produced a negative from which any number of prints could be made - and on early CDVs it was important for the photographer to note that more prints were always available.

CDVs arrived in the United States around 1859, on the eve of the Civil War (1861-1865) during which demand skyrocketed as soldiers and their loved ones sought an affordable image remembrance. Many people began collecting portraits of political figures, actors and actresses, Civil War generals, as well as family and friends. Special photo albums were designed especially for cartes-de-visite.

In the United States, the carte-de-visite played second fiddle to cheaper variations on the daguerreotype theme. Thus the early CDVs are rather uncommon. CDV with square corners pre 1872  CDV with rounded corners after 1872. Jemima Van Slyke< CDV with corners cut to fit album. You must use fashion clues, revenue stamps or photographer logo or name to date the photograph 

Next  I will talk about  Cabinet Cards. Also see my YouTube Video Five Types of Early 19th Century Photographs 

Book Review: The Tiny Portrait

The Tiny Portrait by Heidi Carla is a wonderful children's book about a brother and sister who find a family treasure in their attic. Tess finds a cased portrait of a young woman with her dog, labelled "Lottie & Pearl" When the portrait begins to fade, Tess and her brother Toby decide they need to find out who Lottie was. Their first clue is the year "1890" on the photograph and then Tess finds Lottie's diary.

Then Tess begins to see Lottie everywhere she goes - a shadowy figure who seems to lead the children to places they need to go to find the answers. The children embark on a journey of discovery - not only finding out who Lottie was but discovering that sometimes the greatest treasure of all is the memories the object invokes. 

Beautifully illustrated with sepia toned photographs done by the author's sister Karla Cinquanta, this book is an enchanting venture into the world of genealogy and early photography. 

My 9 year old grandson looked through The Tiny Portrait and proclaimed it "very interesting" He liked that it was about (in his words) "Family trees" and he loved the photographs. He spent quite a bit of time poring over the illustrations and when I asked him what the appeal was, his answer was "I like the details"

This book is a delightfully creative way for genealogists to introduce children or grandchildren to the world of genealogy. The Tiny Portrait is available on Amazon.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book for review purposes 

American Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all those in the United States who are celebrating this holiday today.

I often wonder which of my American ancestors celebrated this special day with family.

My last ancestor from USA (Levi Peer) left that country in 1801. Would he have celebrated with family? I don't know!

Last night we took our grandsons out for a "Festive Holiday Meal" here in Ontario Canada. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in November. Ours is in October but one of our chain restaurants is offering Christmas (yes, Christmas!) meals now so that is what we had. I told the boys we were celebrating American Thanksgiving one day early. 

Enjoy your special day!

Finding an Ancestor in Almshouse Records

Almshouse records are often overlooked in Genealogy Research but they can provide lots of great information on an ancestor. People were sent to almshouses for being poor, for not having a steady job or for other reasons.

Erie County New York Almshoue

Olive Tree Genealogy has several sets of Almshouse records online at Almshouses & Poorhouses.  Below are a few of them

* New York Almshouse Records 1782-1813. Records contain name of ancestor, date admitted, age, where from or born, complaint [illness], discharged, died, remarks. Start with New York Almshouse 1782-1813 Surnames "A"

* Almshouse Records New York 1819-1840 [An Olive Tree Genealogy free database]

* It's not an Almshouse & Poorhouse but I didn't know where else to put this incredible database - a List of those who died while in Staten Island Quarantine May 1849 - Dec. 1850 [An Olive Tree Genealogy free database]

* Almshouse Records New York City 1855-1858 [An Olive Tree Genealogy free database]

Looking for British ancestors in America? Try Child Apprentices (Orphans & Impoverished Children) in America from Christ's Hospital, London 1617-1778: Child Apprentice Surnames [B][C][D][E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [R][S] [T][U] [V] [W] [Y] [Z]

Lost & Found: Looking for Kenneth Dean Ostrander or Descendants

Jane T. asked for help finding family to return a 1919 postcard and photo she recently purchased in an antique store. Here is her email

I found this photo post card in a store in Stirling, ON today. Written on the back is "Kenneth Dean Ostrander, age 4 mos, 1919 Jan. To Myrtle Hubbs from Vera" Would be great to reunite it with a family member.

Kenneth Dean Ostrander,
age 4 mos, 1919 Jan.
To Myrtle Hubbs from Vera

Lorine's Note:

The 1921 census (free on Ancestry.com) shows a Kenneth Ostrander age 2 in Hallowell Township, Prince Edward District, son of Harold and Vera Ostrander. He has a brother Donald 8 months old.

There are also dozens of records in the 1940s and 1950s for a Dean Kenneth Ostrander born ca 1919 flying for KLM Airlines as a 2nd Officer.

A 2012 obituary for his brother Donald Ostrander reveals that Kenneth Dean pre-deceased him.

Can any of my wonderful readers help find Kenneth Dean Ostrander's family? There are lots of nieces and nephews names in this obituary.

Please leave your findings as a comment on this blog post. Let's get this lovely postcard and photo home before Christmas!

Identifying Photographs Part 2

The following article was originally written by Lorine McGinnis Schulze and published on Olive Tree Genealogy at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/photos/photo-types.shtml

It may not be reproduced in any way without my written consent.

Tintypes (circa 1855)

The Ferrotype process (tintypes) was introduced in the United States in 1855. It substituted an iron plate for glass and was even cheaper than the ambrotype. Because tintypes were placed in albums along with CDVs, they were often trimmed at the sides and corners. Tintypes were produced in various sizes

• Full plate 6 1/2" x 8 1/2"
• Half plate 4 1/2" x 51/2"
• 1/4 plate 3 1/8" x 4 1/8"
• 1/6 plate 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
• 1/9 plate 2" x 2 ½"
• Gem approximately 1/2" x 1" 

Gem tintype ca 1860s. A Gem tintype could be 3/4" to 1" wide. Carte de visite sized card mounts (2½"x4") enclosed the gem and the finished item was known as a carte de visite tintype or ferrotype
9th plate ( 2 x 2.5) tintype in matte. Civil War Soldier
6th plate (2.5 x 3.5) tintype.

Next up I will talk about  Cartes de Visite and Cabinet Cards. Also see my YouTube Video Five Types of Early 19th Century Photographs 

Help Send a WW1 Soldier's Cap Badge Back to Family

Michael L. wrote to me about a cap badge he found many years ago. Here is Mike's story:

I am looking for descendants of a John Orr who served in WW1 and lived in Oshawa in 1926. I have a hat badge that I recently traced to him and would give it to a descendant of his. I found it in my mothers’ garden around 1943.It is from the Canadian Highlanders Regiment. A few years ago I was curious and looked up who had lived in the house before my parents moved in. John Orr was living there in 1926. Last year I found a site with Attestation papers. I found John Orrs’ papers and he was in the Canadian Highlanders. If you could find a relative that would be great to give it to them.

The cap badge reads 

THE ROYAL HIGHLANDERS OF CANADA

 13th BATT 1st CANADIAN DIVISION

A search of the online CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) database brings up Captain John Orr born 27 August 1890 in Wishaw, Scotland, enlisting on 23 September 1914. His Regimental Number is 24908

His mother Helen is given as his next-of-kin and he was single. 

I did some research and found the family in the 1881, 1891 and 1901 census for Wishaw, Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire Scotland. His father was Andrew, his mother Helen and John had many older siblings.

John Orr Attestation Paper front

I was able to put together a family grouping of:

Father: Andrew Orr born ca 1849 Liberton Lanarkshire

Mother: Helen born ca 1851 Stonehouse Lanarkshire

Children:

• Marion b ca 1875
• Adam b ca 1877
• James b ca 1879
• Elizabeth b ca 1881
• Janet b ca 1884
• Mary b ca 1886
• Andrew Jr. b ca 1889
• John b. ca 1891 

I have not done any more research to find John Orr after his enlistment in the CEF in 1914 but he might appear in the 1921 Canadian census and on a ships passenger list arriving in Canada between 1901 and 1914. 

If any of my readers want to help find descendants so the cap badge could be returned to family, please leave responses as a comment on this blog. If you have information on living descendants it will not be published online but I will pass it on to Mike L.  

What a terrific thing if we can send this cap badge to family!

Photoduplication Services To be Discontinued at FamilySearch

Genealogists will be disappointed to learn that  Photoduplication Services provided by FamilySearch are being discontinued as of December 5, 2014. As of this date, existing orders will be completed, but new orders will not be accepted. 

This would be the time for someone living in the Salt Lake City area and looking to make some extra money to step in and offer to retrieve documents for a reasonable fee. I know I'd use their services. 

I realize films can be ordered in to a nearby Family History Center and that's great if you live near one or are physically able to get out to one. I am one of those who can't access one.

Hopefully the termination of this service won't be too much of a negative impact on researchers but I for one will be sorry to see it go.

Nursing Sister Philips WW1 Album 31 R

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

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

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

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

I will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos" in the vertical menu bar on the right side of your screen. You can also click on that phrase at the bottom of this post.

X-Ray Room

Immigrants to Upper Canada via New York 1817-1819

I've been working on a project called Immigrants proceeding to Upper Canada via New York 1817-1819

Pass #17236 George Underhill, Shropshire, butcher

I have extracted the names and basic information for each of the 199 people who applied for passes to leave New York and enter Upper Canada (present day Ontario)  The actual passes contain more information including age, place of origin, occupation, how many in family and sometimes detailed notes about the immigrant.

The passes begin at Image 33 with number 17228. To find an ancestor pass, just find the name in the list at Immigrants proceeding to Upper Canada via New York 1817-1819 , copy the pass number then go to  Canadiana.org and paste the pass number into the search engine that says "Search within this reel"




For example one name on the list is 

17236 George Underhill, Shropshire, butcher, wife + 4 ch

If this were your ancestor you would use the Canadiana.org link above and enter 17266 into the search engine on that site. You can see his pass above.
 
[Source: Upper Canada Sundries, Reference: RG 5 A1, Volume 37, passes numbered 17228-17578, microfilm: C-4601. Civil Secretary's Correspondence - Passes signed by British Consul, New York, for Emigrants from Great Britain, 1817-1819. Microfilm available at Canadiana.org but it is not indexed] 

Manifest Markings: What was "British Bonus Allowed" on Canadian Passenger Lists?

British Bonus Allowed

The British Bonus was a commission paid by the Canadian government's Immigration Branch to steamship booking agents in the United Kingdom and in European countries for each suitable immigrant who purchased a ticket to sail to Canada. The immigrants themselves did not receive the bonus, although those who settled on western homesteads did receive a separate monetary bonus upon proof of settlement.

As such, the "British Bonus" was a subtle marketing tool used by the Canadian government; it served to encourage steamship booking agents to recruit desirable settlers (farmer, domestics, etc.). The laws of the time in many European countries forbade open encouragement of immigration by any foreign country.

The British Bonus came into effect through the passage of an Order-in-Council on September 27, 1890. It provided the following provisions.

1. To pay a limited amount, not exceeding in any case $50.00, to the class of "returned men" (not exceeding fifty) to Europe toward recouping their expenses on sufficient proof furnished of success in bringing immigrants to Canada.
2. To pay a bonus to Steamship Agents in the United Kingdom, of $5.00 for each adult settler on land, of 18 years and over, on certificate of booking and shipping such settler to Manitoba, the Northwest Territories of British Columbia, and, on certificate of a Dominion Lands Agent, to be furnished as proof of such settler.
3. To pay a bonus of $10.00 to each homesteader, the head of a family, and $5.00 for each member of such family at the adult age of 12 years and over, with an additional $5.00 to any such member of a family who might within six months after arrival in Canada become a homesteader on settlement on land in Manitoba, the Northwest Territories of British Columiba, proof being furnished of such settlement by the certificate of a Dominion Lands Agent.

While the arrangement above was in place, many suggestions were received by the Department recommending that the regulations be altered so that a bonus would be payable when the immigrant arrived in Canada instead of when he took up land. It was finally agreed to pay of bonus of $1.75 on adults and half that amount on children from the British Isles arriving in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This system remained in effect until April 1, 1906 with the exception that in later years it applied to immigrants to eastern as well as Western Canada. In the year 1904-05, 146,266 immigrants arrived at Canada of which the British bonus was paid on 28,835.

The stamp "British Bonus Allowed" was stamped against the name of applicable passengers on manifests. Other, similar, notations included "C.G.E.A. which was the abbreviation for the Canadian Government Employment Agent (these agents received a commission from the government for placing newly-arrived immigrants with employers who were seeking labourers or domestics; and "Continental Bonus" which was established in 1882 and were similar to the British Bonus but applied to emigrants from the European mainland.

WW2 Letter re Death of A. F. Johnson Found in Street

The letter details how Sgt Anthony Frederick Johnson, a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, went missing during an air operation in April 1943.

Signed by Wing Commander D.H. Burnside, of the No. 427 squadron, the letter tells the parents of Sgt Johnson that their son was a popular figure and fast becoming an ace wireless operator. 

The wing commander writes: “On the night of April 16, at approximately nine o’clock, Anthony and his crew took off from this aerodrome to carry out a bombing attack over enemy territory and were due to return at four o’clock in the morning. 

“Unfortunately, the aircraft never returned and we have heard nothing from it or any member of the crew since time of take-off.” [Hexham Courant News]

Screenshot from Hexham Courant Article

The Courant has informed both the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Library and Archives Canada, about the letter. The Courant hope to hear from descendants or anyone who has details about Sgt Johnson.

Read more at Second World War letter found on village street in the Hexham Courant News

Lorine's Note: I believe this site has quite a bit of information on Sgt. Johnson but I am not a member. If any of my readers is a member it would be wonderful to know what details are found. 

Identifying Early Photographs

The following article was originally written by Lorine McGinnis Schulze and published on Olive Tree Genealogy at http://www.olivetreegenealogy.com/photos/photo-types.shtml

It may not be reproduced in any way without my written consent.

Daguerreotypes (ca 1839)

Photography arrived in the United States in 1839 thanks to Samuel F. B. Morse, an American artist and inventor. Morse visited Daguerre in Paris in March 1839 and observed a demonstration of the daguerreotype process. He returned to the United States to spread the news, and by the end of 1839 some larger cities on the East Coast had very successful portrait studios.

6th plate Daguerreotype taken ca 1854

Ambrotypes (circa 1854)

The ambrotype was a glass negative backed with black material, which enabled it to appear as a positive image. Patented in 1854, the ambrotype was made, packaged, and sold in portrait studios as the daguerreotype had been, but at a lower cost. The ambrotype produced a single image on glass.

9th plate Ambrotype ca 1858

6th plate Ambrotype 1861

Next up I will talk about Tintypes, Cartes de Visite and Cabinet Cards. Also see my YouTube Video Five Types of Early 19th Century Photographs 

Oldest DNA Ever Found

A femur found by chance on the banks of a west Siberian river in 2008 is that of a man who died around 45,000 years ago. Subjected to DNA testing, the genome contains traces from Neanderthals who just recently were found to have interbred with humans before disappearing. In fact Neanderthal DNA is found in all modern humans except Africans. Up to 4% of our DNA can be Neanderthal. 

I've had mine tested and it is over 3%. The bone found had tiny amounts of Neanderthal DNA but it was in relatively long strips, whereas Neanderthal DNA in modern human genome has been cut up and dispersed in tiny sections as a result of generations of reproduction.

This find is allowing scientists to work out a "calendar" of when Homo Sapiens headed into South Asia. The team calculates it was no more than 60,000 years ago.


More information can be found at Oldest DNA ever found sheds light on humans' global trek

57 Graves Found Under Church Parking Lot

Recently 57 century old graves were found when a church parking lot was dug up in Toronto Ontario Canada. The church was originally built in the Village of Weston in the 1850s. The coffins and grave markers date as far back as 1866. The church is St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church and so far no burial records have surfaced. 

An old photo, which you can see at  Dozens of old graves found under Toronto church parking lot appears to show a cemetery beside the church. 

That cemetery has not been visible for many years and the suspicion is that the parking lot was built over top of the graves.