Better Late Than Never, Right? (Research Diary, no. 8)

My Research Diary:
Part to-do list...
Part dear diary...
Part Nosy-Nellie...

Weekly events, plans (and a question or two) from my oh-so exciting genealogy (and sometimes non-genealogy) life...

""I think the surest sign that there is intelligent life out there in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."

- Calvin and Hobbes/Bill Waterson

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What happened this week:

Blog housekeeping...

• I gained 2 more followers...as always, thanks for following and reading! I appreciate your comments and I think I've followed everyone in turn, but if I haven't please let me know
• Thanks to Lori, I've started to contain my blogrolls to a scroll list...
• I've added 10 new-to-me blogs to my reading lists - see below (though I'm sure there will be more, as always!)
• I posted my lists for the "Ancestor Approved" award I received last week from Lisa... Thanks again!

Genealogy:

• Giving back: I signed up as a RAOGK volunteer (photographing select Oshawa cemeteries).  Does anyone else volunteer here?  Do you get many requests?
• I've also continued indexing with FamilySearch - I posted about my initial foray into the indexing world at "Chronicles of a NFSI*" and I've since moved on (though still in the 1861 Ontario census project) to Orford tp., Kent co....  
• Regular features were whittled down to Tombstone Tuesday (Oshawa Union) and Wordless Wednesday (Valcartier picture postcard)...
• I've been working on organization: getting family group sheets and sources together...and it's a good thing to know that my yen to file by document type is not alone...
• ...I also stumbled across Tribal Pages.  Has anyone created a site here?  What do you think about it?
• Lastly, I started to (re) explore (since he's updated the site quite a bit) Murray Pletsch's Canadian Gravemarker Gallery. He started out with the north/northwest portions of Ontario, and has now expanded to all of Canada!

Books:

• I finished 2 books this week, including...
  
  • Drew Smith's Social Networking For Genealogists
  • Megan Smolenyak's Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History, A Companion To the NBC Series.
• ...and I'm almost done G. J. Meyer's A World Undone: The Story of the Great War, 1914 - 1918.
• I've created a new account at Shelfari, added a few recent books, and plopped the widget on the sidebar. I've tried out a few different book tracking sites, but I always seem to return to Shelfari...

New-to-me blogs:

• Cemetery blogs (2):
  • The Old Colony Graveyard Rabbit
  • Whispers Through the Willows
• General genealogy blogs (8):
  • Finding Eliza
  • The Genealogy Dude
  • Hunting Ancestors
  • Irish Genealogy News
  • My Cleages and Reeds
  • Our Scottish History
  • Reflections From the Fence
  • Yankee Cousin's Adventures in Ancestry

What's coming up:

• Hopefully I can get back into the post-holiday swing of things and return to a regular posting (and research!) schedule...
• Regular features, including Tombstone Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, and Tabloid Thursday...
• ..."52 Weeks to Better Genealogy" result and challenge posts...
• ...and I've finalized my plans for a series of Military Monday posts, to start January 17th...

Thanks for reading!
Jenn

My personal research and blog diary for the week ending 9 January 2011 (just a little belated).

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy : Week 12 Challenge : Archives & Libraries

Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog (and hosted by GeneaBloggers) presents "52 Weeks To Better Genealogy", a series of weekly genealogy prompts / suggestions / exercises that (hopefully) will help anyone to become a better researcher.

The challenge for week 12:

LAC, Ottawa

Check out the web sites for the Society of American Archivists, ARMA International, and the American Library Association. Genealogists can benefit from the educational opportunities and publications of other information-based organizations. You may not be an archivist, records manager or librarian, but you share the same interests. Look at the events these associations hold. Find the books they publish and see if you can request them through your library via Inter-Library Loan. You may also want to check out your state’s (or country’s) library association. If you’re a genealogy blogger, write about your impressions of one or more of these organizations.

I'll post my results later this week...

Please Note: This challenge was originally published the week of 20 March 2010. I'm continuing the series on my own after a lengthy (cough, cough) break from genealogy...

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy : Week 10 Results

Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog (and hosted by GeneaBloggers) presents "52 Weeks To Better Genealogy", a series of weekly genealogy prompts / suggestions / exercises that (hopefully) will help anyone to become a better researcher.

The challenge for week 10:

Investigate Family Search Pilot, which is part of FamilySearch.org. This is a wonderful collection of records which literally grows every day. In the middle left of the page is a link that says “Browse our record collections.” Click it and pick a region. Search collections outside your research interest. Investigate the types of records collected all over the world and see how they differ from those with which you are familiar. If you are a genealogy blogger, pick a type of record from another country and share your observations about it.

Confession time:  I've never really used the Family Search site.  (Bad genealogist, I know ;-)

My excuses include having access to various other websites (LAC, Ancestry, automatedgenealogy, Canada GenWeb, etc.) as well as a close proximity to the Archives of Ontario in Toronto.

So before the change to the beta site, I decided to pick (somewhat randomly) two different records to poke around in:

Louisiana War of 1812 Pension Lists

This is was quite interesting as I've never had a chance to look at pension records - and for the War of 1812! 

Louisiana, War of 1812 Pension Lists, Lists of Pensioners - Pensions to Veterans, 1878-1879 database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/); accessed 18 December 2010.
Click to Enlarge

There are three record groups:

• List of Pensioners - Pensions to Veterans, 1878-1879 (42 images)

Names of soldiers (and, more usually, their widows) are included along with the pension they received every quarter (6.75 or 7.00 for the first, second and third quarters, and 14.20 or 15.00 for the fourth quarter). Little snippets of extra information are sometimes also included under the "Attorney" column, including a representative's name or the notation "death"/"dead" (presumably when the pension would then cease or move to someone else).

• List of Pensioners paid by State Auditor, 1876-1877 (52 images)

Includes names of soldiers (and/or their widows) and organized alphabetically by surname and then subsequently by quarter.

• List of Pensioners under acts of 1873 and 1876 (55 images)

Includes names of soldiers (some widows and other dependants as well, but usually "Wid Solder's Name") and other interesting notations including "Dead", "Doubtful" or "No Doubt" (in regards to a claim?), "Ok" (they got paid?), a question mark, and "Fraud".

The helpful "About this collection" link to the FamilySearch wiki is also included.

New Brunswick Provincial Return of Deaths, 1815-1919

Canada, New Brunswick Provincial Return of Deaths 1815-1919 database from FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org/: accessed 18 December 2010).
Death of Mrs. John (Mary O'Callaghan) Mahoney, 1815, Campbelltown, New Brunswick, image no. 84.
Click to enlarge.

Having become quite used to the layout and formats (which has varied over the years) of Ontario Vital Registration, I was interested to see how another province handled their civil registrations.  The first thing I noticed was that the form was quite static and even over the course of 40-plus years, remained virtually the same.  Fields included:

• County of registration
• Name of deceased
• When and where died
• Sex and age
• Occupation
• Where born
• Religious demonination
• Cause of death
• Duration of illness
• Physician attending (if any)
• Signature of party making return

The database itself is divided by years, beginning with a blanket category of "1815-1887" and then yearly from 1888 to 1919 (with no records listed for 1893).  Though the initial group (1815-1887) gives an impression of quite early records, the majority are from the 1880s, with quite a few from the 1870s, and 1860s, a smattering of 1850s, and one (pictured above) from 1815 (a return completed many, many years after the fact, no doubt).

There is also the usual About this collection link to the FamilySearch wiki.

Please Note: This challenge was originally published the week of 6 March 2010. I'm continuing the series on my own after a lengthy (cough, cough) break from genealogy...

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy : Week 10 - the Challenge...

Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog (and hosted by GeneaBloggers) presents "52 Weeks To Better Genealogy", a series of weekly genealogy prompts / suggestions / exercises that (hopefully) will help anyone to become a better researcher.

The challenge for week 10:

Investigate Family Search Pilot, which is part of FamilySearch.org. This is a wonderful collection of records which literally grows every day. In the middle left of the page is a link that says “Browse our record collections.” Click it and pick a region. Search collections outside your research interest. Investigate the types of records collected all over the world and see how they differ from those with which you are familiar. If you are a genealogy blogger, pick a type of record from another country and share your observations about it.

I'll post my results later this week...

Please Note: This challenge was originally published the week of 6 March 2010. I'm continuing the series on my own after a lengthy (cough, cough) break from genealogy...

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy : Week 8 (the challenge)

Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog presents "52 Weeks To Better Genealogy", a series of weekly genealogy prompts / suggestions / exercises that (hopefully) will help anyone to become a better researcher.

The challenge for week 8:

Discover online map collections. Historical maps are wonderful tools for historical research. Fortunately for genealogists, many map collections are located online. Some of the more prominent collections are: the American Memory Collection at the Library of Congress, the David Rumsey Map Collection, and the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection at the University of Texas at Austin. Take some time to browse each of these collections. You may also want to check the library web site of your local university (or one near your ancestral home) to see what maps they may have online. If you have a genealogy blog, write about any special maps you find during this activity.

I'll post my results later this week...

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy : Week 7 - the challenge

Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog presents "52 Weeks To Better Genealogy", a series of weekly genealogy prompts / suggestions / exercises that (hopefully) will help anyone to become a better researcher.

The challenge for week 7:

Play with Google Maps. This is a helpful tool for determining the locations of addresses in your family history. Where your ancestral homestead once stood may now be a warehouse, a parking lot or a field. Perhaps the house is still there. When you input addresses in Google Maps, don’t forget to use the Satellite View and Street View options for perspectives that put you were right there where your ancestors once stood. If you’ve used this tool before, take sometime and play with it again. Push all the buttons, click all the links and devise new ways it can help with your personal genealogy research. If you have a genealogy blog, write about your experiences with Google Maps, or suggest similar easy (and free) tools that have helped in your own research.

I'll post my results later this week...

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy: Week 6 - The Result...

A wordle of this week's post (click to enlarge)

Amy Coffin of the We Tree blog presents "52 Weeks To Better Genealogy", a series of weekly genealogy prompts/suggestions/exercises that (hopefully) help you to become a better researcher.

This week's (#6) challenge dealt with the exploration of your local public library's online database(s).

Since I work for my local public library, and have used our databases (both genealogical and non) to assist others, I'm afraid I slacked on this challenge a little. ;-)  To access the databases, you simply click on Online Resources, and one of the subject headings listed on that page is Genealogy.  There are four databases under this:

Ancestry Library Edition
Description: Ancestry.com is the number one online source for family history information, including the web's largest collection of historical records.

My Notes: Though our library subscribes to this Ancestry version, it is only available for use while actually in a library building (which sucks, but then how would Ancestry get their money's worth?!) and on a library computer. 

Oshawa Book of Remembrance
Description: Online version of the Book of Remembrance, dedicated to preserving the memory of those from the Oshawa region who served and gave their lives in WWI and WWII. 

My Notes: Each entry provides a picture of the soldier, his rank and full name, birth date and place, death date and place, parents names, where the soldier went to school, and (occasionally) hobbies.  The original book is available in a glass case at the main branch of the library, where a new page is displayed everyday.  This database can be searched (divided by branch of service - Army, Navy, etc.) or browsed.

Oshawa Newspaper and Obituary Index
Description: An index to the Oshawa newspapers preserved on microfilm at the McLaughlin Branch of OPL. 

My Notes: Includes full name (as given in the source) of the individual, type of event and date, source (newspaper name) and date.  Obituary listings include the name of the cemetery.  Search (keywords, dates) only :-(

Toronto Star - Pages of the Past
Description: The digitized full-image version of the complete contents of the Toronto Star newspaper since 1894.  See below for my (short) exploration of this database.

My Notes: Listed under the subject of History are a further two resources:

Oshawa Full-Text Archive
Description: Check out our expanded Oshawa Full-Text Archive, a collection of materials providing a glimpse into Oshawa's past. 

My Notes: Various local history books and booklets that are kept in the library's local history collection and are not allowed to leave the library.  They have been digitized and organized by general subject headings (business, directories, education, clubs, local families, etc.).  Searchable within each document only.

Oshawa Images
Description: Take a look at our newest online collection, featuring intriguing images from Oshawa’s past.

My Notes: Includes a variety of images, ranging from portraits, street scenes, groups, and buildings.  Attached to each image is as much detail as known, copyright, history (if known), and holder.  Database also includes a rotating list of "Mystery" pictures.  Search (basic and advanced) only.

~~~~~  *  ~~~~~  *  ~~~~~

While the local resources are not (currently) of much use to me, I did go to the Pages of the Past database and do a couple brief searches. 

One of the sons of the Story clan - Frederick William - married an Wilhelmina Alexandra Robinson, daughter of Alexander Hamilton Robinson and Martha Jane MacFarlane, of Etobicoke, York co., Ontario, Canada.  Frederick and Wilhelmina, along with her mother, Martha, migrated to B.C.  I have an obituary for Martha (I also have Wilhelmina's) from a Vancouver paper, and while she died in B.C., she was buried with her husband and parental family in Etobicoke.  I decided to look up Martha's 1930 obituary in the Toronto Star, assuming, with the burial occuring in Etobicoke, there would have been a cross posting.  She died on Monday, February 10, 1930.  I found her in Friday, February 14th, page 33:

(click to enlarge)

Unfortunately, I was unable to locate a Toronto obituary (I have the Vancouver one) for her daughter, Wilhelmina Alexandra (Robinson) Story, who died on the last day of the year, December 31, 1951.  Nor was I able to find any mention of the death of Wilhelmina's husband, Frederick, on January 2, 1961 - though I did not expect to find anything for him, since he was not originally from the area.  However, when I tried a blanket search for just MacFarlane/McFarlane, beginning in 1894 (when the digitized version begins), I got a "No Results" screen (which is weird, since in Martha's obit, above, her father Alexande MacFarlane, is listed...)