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Topics - loo

Pages: 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 ... 12
28
The Common Room / Finding family at cemeteries
« on: Saturday 02 June 07 19:31 BST (UK)  »
I have a search idea that might help a few people.
Here in Canada at least, church cemeteries all have special events once a year, memorial services, "decoration Sundays", whatever, to honour the dead in their cemeteries.  It's a day when all the relatives descend on the place.  If you're not on their mailing list as a plot-holder, you may not receive this information, but you can inquire.  Most of these events seem to take place in June and July, from my experience. 
I'm planning on going to some of them this year that aren't too far away, to see if I can meet some previously-unknown rellies, and get some info. especially in cemeteries that I had never been to until recently. 
I was thinking of fashioning myself a gedcom for a nametag, to introduce myself, but they'd probably think I was nuts!
But, seriously, it ought to be a good way to link up with people who may be hard to find on the internet, and who are obviously interested in those who have died.
I hasten to add that I haven't tried this yet, but am hoping to go soon, if I can arrange transport.
We could, if there is interest, start a thread where the dates are listed for various cemeteries, perhaps by geography.  Many of the smaller ones in particular do not have websites, but they do have these events.

29
How to Use RootsChat (Please don't post requests here) / Question about Search
« on: Monday 28 May 07 17:46 BST (UK)  »
Perhaps this has already been answered, but I could not find it.

Is there any way to search through members' profiles for names they are researching?
For example, is there any way for me to find out if any other member is researching KREIN, if they have not used the name in a post?

30
The Lighter Side / I never thought I'd get to 100!
« on: Thursday 24 May 07 19:30 BST (UK)  »
I am so proud of myself!
No, I didn't just celebrate my 100th birthday.

But I did just tip over the edge of having 100 identified direct ancestors.  I now have 102 of them, going back to a gggggggggrandfather born in 1650, who is the most recent one I have learned about. 

I can't prove all of them absolutely, but I can prove most of them, and I have reasons to believe they are all correct.  I'm expecting to receive 2 or 3 more names in the next couple of weeks.

It has taken 2 years, 2 months and several days, of fairly steady work.  And, to think it all started in part because I didn't think I had much family!!

Yippee!

Edited to amend:  I'm now up to 105, and probably will have a couple more next week!

31
The Common Room / Recipe books as genealogical source!
« on: Sunday 06 May 07 12:47 BST (UK)  »
Grandma was born 1893 and died 1977.  I inherited her handwritten recipe notebooks years ago.  I have looked at them occasionally, but have never used the recipes.  I couldn't figure out what to do with them, so I put them away again.

Last week I took them out because I was actually looking for something. 

With my new genealogical eyes, I noticed things I'd never noticed before in the same way.  She had a habit of glueing clippings into the notebooks  - whatever took her fancy - aphorisms about moral living, bits of local gossip and women's meetings, weddings and obituaries!  And there are recipes for liniments and salves and potions to heal whatever ails you.  And virtually every recipe is annotated with the name of the person from whom she obtained it. 

So I started looking again at all these people, and I discovered that several of the recipes came from hitherto-unknown aunts, as they are so designated, "Aunt XXX YYY", with first and last names!  I asked my father about them, and he recognized a couple of names, even though he'd never mentioned them when I'd interviewed him.  I have a couple of holes in my chart, and I think these ladies fit them.  I am fairly certain these are "real" aunts, not just friends-of-the-family, because I am able to identify one of them easily, and the format is the same for all of them.

I'm wondering how many women, like my grandma, used to have these kind of notebooks, which were primarily for recipes, but also functioned as scrapbooks of a sort, a sort of private place where she could record everything that mattered to her - including a note about the night her parents' house burned down.  Men would never have looked in these books in those days.  They were a kind of recording of her own private world.

A great resource that I might have overlooked.  I kind of feel like she left them for me to find!

32
Canada / will look up: Dictionary of Scottish Emigrants to Canada before Confederation
« on: Monday 30 April 07 01:33 BST (UK)  »
I have volume 1 (of 4) out from the library.  The other volumes do not circulate from my library.

Willing to do some lookups while I have the book out, if this book is not accessible to you.

Confederation was in 1867, for those who may not know, so they would have to have migrated before then.

33
Canada Lookup Request / Looking for a couple of deaths, Ontario.
« on: Sunday 29 April 07 00:24 BST (UK)  »
Perhaps I could find these at ancestry if I got myself to the reference library, but have not managed to do so recently, and am anxious to know the answers.

Thomas ARMSTRONG died between 1870 and 1881, b.Scotland abt 1798, farmer; 

Agnes ARMSTRONG nee MURRAY, wife of Thomas, died after 1880 and before 27 Jan 1893, b.Scotland abt 1800. 

Jane ARMSTRONG, nee FRASER, wife of James, d. between 1858 and 1873;
also looking for the marriage of James and Jane(1858) - James is son of Thomas and Agnes above.

I think all of them would have died in Westminster Twp., Middlesex Co.

If anyone finds any of them, and there is an image, please let me know if you might be able to email it, and I will send you an email address.

thank you. :)

34
Scotland / query: Donald Whyte, genealogist
« on: Saturday 28 April 07 10:12 BST (UK)  »
I have found some potentially useful information for myself in this book:  A Dictionary of Scottish Emigrants to Canada before Confederation, by Donald Whyte, published 1886, Ontario Genealogical Society, 4 volumes.

Whyte does give sources for his bits of information.  My problem is that the source he gives for the information I am most interested in is a personal letter which he received as a result of posting notices in Canadian newspapers inviting people to send info about their families.  It doesn't tell us the sources of the info that these people sent in.  So, my reference simply says letter of such-and-such date, but does not say who it was from.  It's obvious that he catalogued all the letters.

I would very much like to know who sent the letter that relates to my quest, and where they got their info from.  The fact that the book is now 21 years old does not help.

The book jacket says that Mr. Whyte was a founding member of the Scottish Genealogy Socieety, 1953, and a former Chairman, and was largely responsible for organizing many FHSs; it goes on about his other distinctions.  Obviously he was well qualified.

Mr Whyte may or may not still be living.  An address is given in the book, but he may be no longer there.

Does anyone know anything about him, or where I might inquire about this letter?  Surely, if he is gone, he would have deposited his letters somewhere?

35
London & Middlesex Completed Lookup Requests / COMPLETED: St. Bart's hospital. Anyone ever near there?
« on: Tuesday 10 April 07 16:51 BST (UK)  »
I am several thousand miles away, and it is probably asking someone to go out of their way, but I simply have to make this plea, in case someone is able to help.

The Archives of the German Hospital, held at St. Bartholomew's Hospital (near St. Paul's cathedral), may hold the key to unlock access to my rellies from Hannover.
The Archives hold the "Visitor's Books".  My ancestor died there.  I am looking for names of people who visited the hospital during my rellie's  final days, who share his surname, which is uncommon.  If I know who visited him, then I have a much better chance of identifying his origins.  I'm especially hoping to find his brother(s) this way.
The Archives are "open to researchers by appointment only, Monday to Friday, 9.30am-5pm (closed over Christmas and New Year, Easter and public holidays). Please telephone 020 7601 8152 to make an appointment."  http://www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk/aboutus/st_bartholomews_hospital_archives.asp

If anyone thinks they can help, I will give you the name and date.  This might really pull down a huge brick wall for me.

Hoping someone can help, as my hands are tied at the moment!

ta.


36
Immigrants & Emigrants - General / Naturalisation - Book: 'Becoming a Brit'
« on: Tuesday 03 April 07 05:58 BST (UK)  »
I found a reference to this article, but have not seen it:

Kershaw, Roger. 'Becoming a Brit : the Home Office naturalisation papers and the Citizenship Project'. Ancestors, 22 (2004). Publisher: Public Record Office. ISSN 14742470.

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