Chronicles of a NFSI*

I completed my first batch as an indexer, and (of course) I had to pick an advanced one:

1861 census for Tuscarora tp, Brant co., Ontario (then Canada West), Canada, p.1.

I'm comfortable with the layout of census images, and I'm usually pretty good at deciphering the enumerator's scribbles, but this was a bad one (and was well worth the label of "advanced").  The handwriting (the enumerator was Benjamin Carpenter) wasn't too bad, but the condition was terrible.  There were some dark spots but in most areas the colour had faded to almost unreadable.

Surnames included Carpenter, Miller, Fish, Bomssary?, Aaron, Maracle, Staats?, Johnson, Smith, Burning?, Green?, Lottridge, Coffee?, Givins?, Davis, and German.  Question marks indicated the ones I had trouble reading.

I think it was fate that I happened to get this particular batch.  Not only is my maternal family from that area (Brant and the bordering Haldimand co.), but Carpenter is one of my family names!  I don't know if - or where - Benjamin and his family fits in, but it was a thrill spotting a familiar name in a familiar place, from a batch picked at random!

Now I just hope I submitted everything alright.  The first few pages I opened looked like the tail end of a previous census district (no names, just lots of numbers and tallies), plus an inserted sheet with Brant co. township names.  I marked them all as unindexable, since they included no names....

* Newbie Family Search Indexer

Tabloid Thursday: 1910 BMDs & A "cheerful spinister" Wanted...

Tabloid Thursday: Where yesterday's news is today...

T.T. is an experimental weekly meme I'm trying here at "Roots & Stones" (please let me know if there are any themes/memes already around like this - I don't want to reinvent the wheel!). 

I wanted a weekly feature where I could showcase articles, those lovely little social news items (i.e. "Mrs. X and daughter visited Mrs. Y this weekend and will be returning home on Thursday..."), and other interesting newspaper "stuff" I've come across in the course of my research.  Thus, Tabloid Thursday...

~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~ 

Source: "Ottawa Citizen" 1 October, 1910, evening edition, p. 4, column 8
Accessed through Google News archive, 7 December 2010
Note: [?] indicates the word/entry could not be read

[Click to enlarge]

MARRIAGE AND DEATHS, 50C BIRTH NOTICES, EACH 25 CENTS.

BORN.
SHEARER-On Sept. 29, 1910, to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Shearer, 61 Sherbrooke Ave, a daughter.
HYLAND-On Sept. 27, 1910, to Mrs. and Mrs. Robert Hyland, of 97 James St., a son.

MARRIED.
FISHER-ANDERSON On Wednesday, Sept. 28, 1910, at Christ church cathedral, Victoria, B.C., by Rev. W. W. Boulton, Alice Gwendolen, eldest daughter of W. J. Anderson, of Ottawa, to William Edward Fisher of Prince Rupert B.C.

DIED.
DEVINE-On Sept. 30, 1910, at 74 Baird St., Florence Mary, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Devine, aged 2 years, [?] months.
Funeral Saturday at 3 p.m., to Notre Dame cemetery.

IN MEMORIAM.
In loving memory of the late Richard Hatton, who died Oct. 1, 1906.
Gone but no forgotten.
--Sister, Mrs. R. T. Lyon.
In loving memory of Mrs. Wm. [?], who died Oct. 2, 1908.
Two years have passed and still we miss her,
Friends may think the wound has healed,
But they little know the sorrow
Lies within our hearts concealed.
--Family

Source: "Ottawa Citizen" 1 October, 1910, evening edition, p. 4, column 8
Accessed through Google News archive, 7 December 2010
Note: [?] indicates the word/entry could not be read
From the classified ads to eHarmony: some things never change (except the language!)... ;-)  [I wonder if he got his "correspondence"?]

[click to enlarge]

PERSONAL.
BACHELOR, 37, wishes correspondence from spinster, 20-30 (English preferred), must be thoroughly domesticated, cheerful, tall and attractive.  Photo (to be returned), highest references.  Only those offering same need apply, as this is straight.  Address Box 13, Citizen.