Seamstress Hides Secret Message in Kilt in WW1

Hiding secret messages? World War 1?  Sounds like a James Bond Spy Novel - but it isn't quite. Recently a woman found a secret message hidden in the folds of a kit which had been in her family for many years. The kilt had never been worn and was obviously made for a soldier heading off to the front during WW1. 

The message read: "I hope your kilt will fit you well, & in it you will look a swell. If married never mind. If single drop a line. Wish you bags of luck, & a speedy return back to Blighty." Underneath was the name of Helen Govan, of 49 Ardgowan Street in Glasgow. 

Who was Helen Govan? Perhaps she was an unmarried seamstress hoping to hear back from a possible future husband. Perhaps she was simply a kind-hearted woman who wanted to brighten a soldier's day. 

Did Helen stuff a note into every kilt she stitched? Or was this a one-time occurrence meant specifically for a man who had ordered the kilt? There are so many unanswered questions but how wonderful if we knew what happened to Helen in Glasgow. 

Continue reading at Secret message found in WW1 kilt

Credits: Image  thardy1 on flickr,com
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Top Ten Canadian Genealogy Websites

Recently FamilyTreeMagazine published a list of their Top 100 Genealogy sites. Included was a category for Top Canadian Genealogy with only 4 sites named. That was disappointing considering all the great Canadian Genealogy websites out there, so several of us bloggers decided to publish own list of the Top 10 Canadian Genealogy websites.

Here is my list, in no particular order. I have included both free and pay-to-view sites simply because my criteria is quality. And often quality costs money. We genealogists are lucky to have so many quality sites that are also free. 

I wanted this list to be as generic as possible, that is, to cover all or most of Canada if possible. There are excellent websites for specific provinces and territories but they are not included here as they do not hold record sets for all of Canada.

* Library & Archives Canada (free) - dozens of free online databases for anyone with ancestors who lived in Canada. It is not always easy to use but if you can struggle through it is well worth it.

* Olive Tree Genealogy (free) Yes I know it's my site. But it has many terrific databases such as ships' passenger lists to Canada, Loyalist information and land records in Ontario.

* The Ancestor Hunt (free) I use Kenneth R. Marks'  blog for a comprehensive list of links for online Canadian Newspapers.

* TheShipsList (free) Sue Swiggum's amazing site is chock full of early ship passages up the St. Lawrence River.

* Ancestry.ca/Ancestry.com (fee-based) - So many terrific Canadian records I can't possibly list them all. They range from Canadian census records, voter's lists, vital statistics and more. Both locales (.ca and .com) have identical record sets.

* Our Roots (free) Specializes in Canadian local histories in French and English

* Canada GenWeb Project (free) The Canada GenWeb provides an easy way for genealogists to choose their province or territory of interest. Each specific site's value is dependent on the host's knowledge and interest, but it is well worth checking out.

* Canadiana Online (free) Even though this site is frustrating to use due to incorrect content listings of its digitized microfilm, it has digitized Canadian records that are not available elsewhere. For anyone using this site, please be aware that I have begun publishing my corrected content listings and partial indexes for their online microfilms at Finding  Aid for Heir & Devisee Commission Online Films

* FamilySearch Canadian Collection (free) FamilySearch currently has 81 databases for Canada online. Some are indexed, others are not but it is worth your time to take a look at what is available.

* The Canadian Military Heritage Project  (free) There are several excellent sites for specific Canadian military records such as War Dead, but not many that provide an overall perspective of all military wars and skirmishes Canada was part of. CMHP does just that plus it provides links to online databases for each war. It also provides  several biographies of soldiers and other interesting data. 

Melungeon DNA Study Reveals African Ancestry

Dark-skinned individuals known as Melungeons from the Appalachian area of N. America were thought to be the descendants of  Portuguese explorers, Turkish slaves, Native Americans or Gypsies.

Now DNAtesting has proven that the Melungeons are a mixed race group whose ancestry is found in Sub-Sahara Africa and Northern or Central Europe. A study published in the Journal of Genetic Genealogy has caused a bit of a stir among descendants. "There were a whole lot of people upset by this study," lead researcher Roberta Estes said. "They just knew they were Portuguese, or Native American."

Estes and her fellow researchers theorize that the various Melungeon lines may have sprung from the unions of black and white indentured servants living in Virginia in the mid-1600s, before slavery

Continue reading the full article at Melungeon DNA Study Reveals Ancestry, Upsets 'A Whole Lot Of People'

You may also download Ms. Estes jointly-authored paper  “Melungeons: A Multi-Ethnic Population”

Credits: "A typical malungeon" was published in 1890 by Will Allen Dromgoole, it found in Nashville Sunday American, August 31, 1890 

Guide to Finding Birth, Death & Marriage Records

Are you stuck at a brick wall with an ancestor and unable to find a birth, death or marriage record? Looking in all the usual places has turned up nothing and you're not sure what to do next? Good news!

I'm really excited to announce that I've recently published 3 Guides to help you find alternate sources of these Vital Statistic records. These are the first e-books I've ever done and I'm hoping that genealogists will find them useful.

If you want to have a peek, here are the links for each guide. Oh and did I mention they are only $1.15 each? I probably shouldn't ask this but.....if you decide to purchase any of my new guides would you consider leaving a review if you think they are helpful? 

Also, you don't need a Kindle reader to read these. The Kindle Cloud Reader is free and it allows you to read any Kindle book on your computer (that's what I use!) and the free Kindle Reading App works on your smartphone, tablet and computer.

Ancestor Birth Record Finder: Tips on Finding a Birth Record When You've Hit a Brick Wall is available on Amazon as an E-Book for only $1.15

 Ancestor Marriage Record Finder: Tips on Finding a Marriage Record When You've Hit a Brick Wall available as an E-Book on Amazon for only $1.15

 Ancestor Death Record Finder: Tips on Finding a Death Record When You've Hit a Brick Wall available as an E-book on Amazon for only $1.15

You can also see a list of all my published E-books on my Author page

Sneak Peek Tomorrow Night's Who Do You Think You Are!

Image courtesy of TLC

Tomorrow night's episode at 9PM ET/PT on TLC and with Ancestry.com as a sponsor features Rachel McAdams and her sister, Kayleen

Rachel McAdams and her younger sister Kayleen go on a journey together to unearth their maternal roots, since their mother knows so little about her history. First they follow the trail of their English grandfather's family, and find an ancestor who sacrificed much of his personal freedom to support his wife and children. 

Then, while tracking their grandmother's side, Rachel and Kayleen discover just how deeply connected they are to Canada and a pivotal moment in Canadian history.

Here's a sneak peek at tomorrow night's episode

Nursing Sister Constance Philip's WW1 Album - the Cover

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 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 a 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.

These newspaper clippings are pasted inside the front cover of the album. First clipping titled "Kut Prisoners' Long Trek" about Captain C. T. Warner, 22nd Punjabis.

Lorine's Research:  Charles Thornton Warner was born in England in 1889 to Oliver William and Leila (Justice) Warner. His mother Leila was born on the Isle of Wight to Major William Clive Justice and his wife Leila Parker. The family lived in India for some time.
As a young boy Charles attended Portmore School in Dorset and is found there as a boarder in the 1901 census.

British Officers Prisoners of War shows the following:

Name:	C T Warner
Rank:	Capt.
Regiment:	Kut Garrison. 22/Punjabis
Repatriation Date:	16 Dec 1918
Record Number:	7977
Section:	East Theatre of War.

Sadly Captain Charles Thornton Warner of the 22nd Punjabis died of disease in India at the age of 31. His burial took place in October 1920 in the Jandola Cemetery, Bengal India.

Charles' will leaves his estate to his father Oliver William Warner. It appears he never married.

The second clipping, in two pieces, titled "Military Medal for Farnham Officer", detailing an award of the Military Cross to Capt. A. H. N. Gatherer of the 46th Punjabis. Captain Gatherer was a cousin of Connie Philips. 

Lorine's Research: Arthur Henry Norman Gatherer was born in October 1887 in Shillong, Bengal India to parents  Arthur Brander Gatherer and Margaret Pattulle. His father was a civil engineer appointed to the Indian Public Works Department. Little 3 year old Arthur is found with his mother Margaret in the 1891 census for Bristol in Gloucestershire England, so presumably his father was still in India.
 
Lieutenant Arthur Henry Norman Gatherer of the 46th Punjabis was awarded 3 medals. British Officers Prisoners of War shows the following:

Name:	A Gatherer
Rank:	Capt.
Regiment:	Kut Garrison. 46/Punjabis
Repatriation Date:	30 Dec 1918
Record Number:	7988
Section:	East Theatre of War.

In 1919 Arthur married Hazel Blandy in Sussex England and in 1955 he was married for a second time to Jessie B. Weiser. Just one year later on 27 December 1956, Arthur died in Middlesex England. His will left his estate to his wife Jessie Bertha Gatherer.

Sharing Memories Week 31: You're Grounded!

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 (Week 31) is "You're Grounded!" 

Were you ever grounded as a child? Was that a consequence your parents used to discipline you or your siblings? What was the usual disciplinary action taken for breaking rules or other misbehaviour? Did you have to sit in a time-out? Were you sent to your room?

My parents were pretty easy-going. I don't remember ever being sent to my room, or grounded, and I  was never given a spanking. Or maybe I was just really well-behaved... no, that's not it. I do remember doing things that would be considered naughty - like playing hooky from school, like scratching my initials in the brand new stereo, like locking all the school bathroom doors and then lying about it, like sneaking a kitten into my room and hiding it in my closet for weeks (even though I knew my mom was allergic to cats). 

I just remember my parents talking to me about my behaviour, asking questions about why I'd done whatever I had done, and making it clear they weren't happy with me. 

As a teenager I never had a curfew. My father died when I was just barely 14 and after that my mother seemed to forget I was around most of the time. She pretty much let me fend for myself and do whatever I wanted to do. If I stayed out all night she never said a word. 

She never asked where I was going or who I was with. Being completely deaf in one ear, she would take out her hearing aid, go to bed with her good ear buried in the pillow and fall sound asleep. She never woke up when I came in at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. or whenever.

Believe it or not when my friends  complained about their parents being strict or having to rush home to make curfew, I often wished I had a parent who cared enough about my well-being to do that! I wished that when I came home at night my  mother would be wide awake, unable to sleep for worrying about me and not going to bed until she saw that I was safely home. But that never happened. 

Somehow I survived and didn't get into too much trouble which I think probably had something to do with my personality and the small village I lived in. Had I grown up in a city who knows what might have happened with me having unrestricted freedom from age 14 on.

Nursing Sister Constance Philips WW1 Photo Album - A Bio

Nursing Sister Constance Philips

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 K. Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written permission. All photos are published on Olive Tree Genealogy with permission.

Images are designated an R or V for Recto or Verso. Recto is the left-hand side of an open book while Verso refers to the right-hand side.

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.

Constance Sarah Young Philip was born 1876 Newington, Edinburgh, Scotland to David Philip and Isabella Gordon Gatherer. She immigrated to Canada in 1911 and enlisted as a nurse in the CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) in February 1915.

After the war, she and her sister Isabella (Ella) ran a school for young ladies in North Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. The school was called the North Vancouver School for Girls at Holly Lodge. There is a photo of the Pupils and staff of North Vancouver School for Girls at Holly Lodge sometime in the 1920s. Identified: Miss Ella M. Philip, Principal; Sister Connie Philip, matron; Alex Philip, their cousin (not staff); Miss May P. Judge, teacher; Betty Jack, pupil.

Constance died in 18th Feb 1944 and was buried at the Capilano View Cemetary, West Vancouver, BC 

Her tombstone reads 

Constance S.Y. Philip 

Nursing Sister C.A.M.C. C.E.F. 

18th Feb 1944 

Rest In Peace

FindAGrave Volunteer Accidentally Damages Tombstones

Damaged Tombstones Scrubbed With Wire Brush

One of Tennessee's oldest church cemeteries had several tombstones permanently damaged recently. A FindAGrave volunteer is suspected of damaging several historic graves with a wire brush  at the New Providence Presbyterian Church on Stoney Point Road in Surgoinsville

When questioned the man told police he wanted to get a better photo of the inscriptions on the tombstones for people who had requested photos. After scrubbing the stones and taking his photos, he uploaded them to the FindAGrave website.

The dark stain that builds up on tombstones over time was scrubbed clean in streaks over the engravings, and in some cases the engravings were rubbed almost smooth — to the point that the words are no longer legible. The cemetery reports that the damage cannot be repaired.

This was an incredibly thoughtless act by a volunteer. It was done out of good intentions but it was a serious error in judgement, and the results were disastrous. But has FindAGrave made it clear to volunteers how tombstones are to be treated? I went to the FindAGrave.com website to see what warnings or instructions are online for those taking photos. In their FAQ page there is a link to an article "How do I clean a headstone or grave marker?" under the topic Cemetery Preservation. However the link to that article is six screens down the page! Most people are not going to scroll down and read that far. 

Had this volunteer read the article, he would have seen "Unless you are related to the interred on the headstone in question, DO NOT do anything to the headstone. Gravestones should never be cleaned with anything but water and a soft brush. Slate gravestones from the Revolutionary era and Pre-revolutionary era are best left alone due to their delicate nature and tendency to erode. Never apply bleach, ammonia, shaving cream, chalk, flour, baking soda, cornstarch, firm pressure or use anything abrasive." [this is part of the article from FindAGrave.com]


I personally think their instructions give a mixed message and are confusing. The first sentence says don't do anything if you aren't a relative. Then it goes on to provide information on how best to do something! (cleaning).  Far better to keep these instructions simple and placed prominently on the website where volunteers will see them. The instructions should, in my opinion, be better worded.

I might have said  "Do NOT attempt to clean headstones. Leave all tombstones untouched"

K.I.S.S. is always a good practice to follow.

 
Read the rest of this story at 'Person of interest' identified in case of damaged historic gravestones at Hawkins church

Enter the WDYTYA Contest to Win A Trip & Research

Image from TLC

Last night's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? on TLC, sponsored by Ancestry.com  was with Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It was terrific. Jesse found some startling information about his great-grandfather Jesse Wheat Uppercu, and if you watched last night's show you can enter the TLC contest. 

Answer a simple question about last night's episode and be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to your homeland and access to a personal genealogist provided by  Ancestry.com The contest is open to residents of U.S.A. and Canada (except Quebec) so why not give it a try?

Good luck!

Sneak Peek Tonight's Who Do You Think You Are? With Jesse Tyler Ferguson

Image courtesy of TLC

Are you as excited as I am for tonight's episode of Who Do You Think You Are? The new season premiere can be seen every Wednesday at 9/8c on TLC 

Ancestry.com is a sponsor of this award winning genealogy series.
 
Here is today's sneak peek of tonight's Who Do You Think You Are? episode with Jesse Tyler Ferguson.  

In tonight's episode Jesse follows his great grandfather's trail to Alaska. He traces the path of the ambitious expedition on a boat trip up a river among snow-capped mountains and learns that his great grandfather's journey was an arduous one.

Be sure to watch Jesse's episode on TLC tonight , July 30 at 9/8c

Free DNA Kit Offer from Ancestry

Good news! If you were thinking of subscribing to Ancestry.com, they are offering a Free DNA kit with 6-month subscription during the Who Do You Think You Are? broadcasts.

This is a $99 value. The genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? airs every Wednesday at 9/8c on TLC and with Ancestry.com as a sponsor. 

Remembering WW1 Soldier W. J. P. Bullock

One of the framed photos of CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) soldiers on our wall is labelled "Pte. W. J. P. Bullock" of Toronto Ontario. This young man enlisted on September 2, 1915, one year  after WW1 began in August 1914.

Research on Ancestry.com found more details including his full name - William James Percival Bullock. William was born July 12, 1894 making him just 21 years old when he joined the CEF. His father was listed as Arthur Bullock. 

Young William was just 5'6" tall but that was a fairly normal height for the times. He is listed as having a fair complexion with brown hair and eyes. 

William Bullock War Graves Record

Sadly my research revealed that young William was killed almost one year to the day he enlisted. The War Graves Circumstances of Casualty shows him as being buried in Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery near Albert, France having died on 4 September 1916.

 According to the records, William was wounded at Pozieres, taken to South Midland Casualty Clearing Station but died of his wounds the following day. 

You can see his tombstone here. 

William is found in the 1911 Census for Toronto Ontario with his parents, Arthur and Elizabeth Bullock. He is one of 8 children.His father was born in England, his mother in Ireland.

William's older brother, Albert Latimer Bullock, also joined the CEF but he survived the war, returned home and married in 1923. His death occurred many years later in June 1965 in Toronto Ontario.  

William will be remembered in our home. 

Sharing Memories Week 30: Tattle Tales

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 (Week 30) is Tattle Tales. What happened if you "told" on someone? If your sister hit you and you ran to Mom or Dad, what was the consequence? Record your stories before they are forgotten. As Judy G. Russell of the Legal Genealogist blog says, “Oral family history can be lost in three generations". This is your chance to record and preserve yours.

In my family we were not allowed to tattle. No matter what. My mother hated tattling and if you were foolish enough to run to tell on your brother or sister, *you* were the one who got in trouble. There was no line for "this is serious so it's okay to tell" and "this is a minor dispute". 

My older sister and I always did the dishes after supper, and she always took that opportunity to pinch and twist the skin on the inside of my elbow. It hurt like heck and I would cry.  My crying made my mother furious, I suppose because in her mind, it was pretty close to tattling on someone! 

She would refuse to listen if I tried to tell her what had happened. All she was concerned about was the noise and commotion in the kitchen. Since I was the one crying or yelling at my sister to stop, I was the one causing the problem in her eyes. 

My mother would yell out for me to stop all the noise. If that didn't work and she had to come into the kitchen, I was in trouble. The minute she'd leave, my sister would give what I considered an evil grin and immediately pinch and twist my skin again. I learned pretty fast to suffer the pain silently. 

And no, I did not carry on my mother's tradition with my own children! They could come to me with anything and I listened. I didn't always interfere as I wanted them to learn to handle their disputes if possible. But if there was hitting or pain involved, I put a stop to it. In my house the rule was "if you hit, you sit" meaning there was a time-out for anyone causing physical pain to someone else.

What was it like in your family? 

A Baker's Dozen of Favorite Genealogy Websites

In 2012 I listed my personal favorites of Top 10 Genealogy websites. I've revised that list and created a baker's dozen of my most-used genealogy websites, in categories for Canadian, American and International research. 

Oh yeah, and there's an "Everything Category" too. There are many many other fantastic websites out there but I had to have a cut-off number so I chose the traditional "Baker's Dozen".

Everything Category

These websites have genealogy records for world-wide research

* Ancestry.com - ($) pay site but my absolute #1. I visit several times daily in my search for Canadian, American and English ancestors.

* FamilySearch - (free) Lots of images and indexes world-wide. I probably only frequent it once a week. I confess that I find the search function not as friendly as it once was. I use it for my American and English ancestry

American Genealogy Research

* Olive Tree Genealogy (free) Yes I know it's my site. But it is my first stop for ships' passenger lists to USA,  New Netherland research and New York records (births, marriages, naturalizations, almshouse, orphans etc.) It's eclectic and has a mix of genealogy records.

* NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) (free) NARA has lots of goodies if you take the time to look around the site

* Fold3 - ($) pay site- So many military records you could get lost for a week!

Canadian Genealogy Research

* Library & Archives Canada (free) - dozens of free online databases for anyone with ancestors who lived in Canada. I use this site at least once a month.

* Olive Tree Genealogy (free) Yes I know I listed it in my American research category. But I  use it as my first stop to find ships' passenger lists to Canada and for Loyalist and land records in Ontario.

* The Ancestor Hunt (free) I use Kenneth R. Marks'  blog for listings of online Canadian Newspapers. They aren't always easy to find and this blog has a great listing of links

International Genealogy Research

* Free BMD - (free) Civil Registration Indexes. My mother's ancestry is solidly English so I use this site a lot (several times a month) to find ancestors in the index to Births, Deaths and Marriages after 1837.

* The British Newspaper Archive ($) I love this site for finding newspaper articles about my English ancestors. I use it about twice a month.

* The National Archives UK (free) Lots of online documents and very reasonably priced documents you can download instantly. I use this monthly for my English ancestors.

* Trove. (free) Another newspaper site (and more!) for Australia. I have found many newspaper records here for my Australian and English ancestors.

* Cora Web (free) If I want to know anything about ships passenger lists to Australia I head to Cora's site. I don't go that often but I know it's there when I need it.

Since I listed my own site twice, I am adding one more site to complete my Baker's Dozen. That is the wonderfully organized and huge list of links to every resource imaginable on Cyndi's List

Tennessee Family Bibles Online

Vance Family Bible page

Tennessee birth certificates were not required until 1908 and thus Family Bibles can be a very important way to prove birth dates.

The Tennessee State Public Library has been collecting more than 1,500 family Bibles since the 1920s and these bibles are now available to the public. Cinnamon Collins is the volunteer who scanned all the Bibles into the database. She scanned the pages with notations on them but also read and examined the materials tucked inside — photographs, locks of a sweetheart’s hair, newspaper clippings, mementos. All the entries she saw were handwritten and sometimes difficult to read.

Read more details at Tennessee has more than 1,500 family Bibles online and State Library & Archives Puts Family Bible Records Online

To see if TSLA holds a Bible record for your family, visit the project online. If you are looking for Family Bibles from other locations, please see Family Bibles Blog

Was Martha Guilty or Innocent? What's Your Verdict?

Warning: Spoiler Alert!

Last night was the Season Premiere of Who Do You Think You Are? last night at 9/8c on TLC and with Ancestry.com as a sponsor. For those who watched, what do you think? Was Martha an abused wife and saw no other way out but to wield that axe? Or did she lie? In other words, what's your verdict - guilty or innocent?

Second question - any thoughts on who was the father of her baby born in prison? I was struck by how cruel this "Mrs. B" was towards her and the baby and of course that got my mind thinking about Mr. B....... Could he be the father and that be the reason Mrs. B. seemed almost determined to let the baby die and not offer Martha any comforts, not even clothes for the newborn? 

It was a very powerful episode and I liked how genuine Cynthia Nixon was throughout. It should get a lot of newcomers interested in finding out about their ancestors. 

Remembering WW1 Soldier Douglas McNabb

Private Douglas McNabb's framed WW1 photograph hangs on our wall. We don't know Douglas and we are not related. But he is one of several CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) soldiers who we honour. 

His framed photo was probably taken before he left to go overseas. This was a common thing for young soldiers to do before departing. Eaton's Department Store and other places offered a lovely military background for these soldiers' photos. Sometimes framed photos were not ordered until a soldier had been killed. A mother would take her boy's photo and order the backdrop and frame to memorialize him.

Douglas' framed inscription reads

Pte. Douglas McNabb

177th Battalion CEF

Enlisted at Victoria Harbour Ontario Feb. 13, 1916

Simcoe Foresters

Research on Ancestry.com found more details about Douglas and his service. His Attestation Papers reveal that he was born 14 Apr 1896 in Victoria Harbour (which co-incidentally is about 5 minutes from my home), his mother was Agnes and his full name was Douglas Burns McNabb. One of the witnesses to his papers was a Wallace Burns - possibly a relative.





20 year Douglas was listed as having a ruddy complexion, brown hair and brown eyes and tall - 5' 10" in height. He was assigned to the 177th Battalion. 



Birth records on Ancestry.com reveal  his father as Alexander McNabb and his mother was Agnes Burns.  I was happy to see that young Douglas survived the war and is found on the 1921 census for Victoria Harbour with his parents and a younger brother John. Douglas' occupation is given as fireman. I also found him in the 1945 Voter's Lists for Victoria Harbour, still working as a fireman. There is no wife listed with him so perhaps he was a life-long bachelor. In any case he will be remembered in our home for his service.

A Sneak Peek at Tonight's Episode of WDYTYA!

WDYTYA image published with permission of TLC

Are you as excited as I am for tonight's  launch of Who Do You Think You Are? The new season premiere launches at 9/8c on TLC and with Ancestry.com as a sponsor. 

In her episode, Cynthia Nixon searches for answers about her paternal ancestors, and discovers a dark secret involving deceit and murder, in relation to her great-great-great-grandmother. 

In tonight's episode she visits a prison to learn more about her ancestor, Martha, who was the only woman incarcerated there among dozens of men.


For those who can't wait here's a sneak peek of tonight's show featuring Cynthia Nixon

Looking for Descendants of Immigrants from Drenthe Netherlands

Immigrants Boarding a Ship for America

If your ancestor immigrated from the Drenthe Province of the Netherlands between 1847 and 1880 you may want to check out this project. Three young Dutch students currently in Holland Michigan are looking for descendants of approximately 67,000 Dutch immigrants to the U.S.A. in this time period.

A previously published book lists the names of all the individuals who emigrated from the Netherlands to the United States but it does not provide details on where the immigrants were heading.
Read more about the project called MyPlacebook at Dutch exchange students work on project linking Dutch descendants with the Netherlands