Past Presence

Join me tomorrow!

Contra Costa County Genealogical Society - Events CCCGS is one of the few genealogical societies in the area with evening meetings, so those who work can attend.

I’d like to take a moment to talk about my absolute obsession: my website. From 2018, it passed 300,000 visitors yesterday. 🎉🎉🎉 Some quick stats: 183 posts, 53 pages, 27.2 words on Wordpress. It’s a collection of genealogy resources. There’s a page of all the webinars I’ve given and taken. I own it and even though it’s kind of 💸💸💸, I’ll never accept advertising. Huge thank yous to the genealogy community ❤️

It was long overdue but I finally visited the City of Saskatoon Archives. 😍😍😍 This is my twentieth real life archives visit and you know I love the old stuff.

The archives recently moved to new digs at the old Central Post Office downtown, 202 4 Ave. They are still getting the finishing touches done, such as the entryway, but inside is a lovely big space with six tables for patrons. I had the place to myself yesterday, so of course spread out and took over.

Shown here is the first fire insurance map of Saskatoon - 1907. Folks, I literally drafted a map of the downtown core with the CN Station before being treated to this sight. The archives have the Goad's series for three years. They told me but I forget - I think the other two are for the 20s and 50s.

I'm doing some work on the first Chinese settlers in Saskatoon. I've looked in journals, the UofS, publications, and history books, and while there is some mention of Saskatoon's Chinese history, it's minimal. Thus I'm happy to be sleuthing out the first Chinese settlers - who were they? What were their lives like? And what stories.

But back to the archives... I got to see two books, one fire insurance map collection, three tax assessment rolls (1903, 1904, 1909), and several files. It was awesome and I'm already planning a return visit.

If you're into history, check out the archives' new location, right across the street from the Frances Morrison Library.

Thanks to the BCGS. New gallery to visit in BC! 😍

New Gallery Opens at UBC - Canada's History Collections focus on early British Columbia and Yukon history.

In this guest post by Jennifer Jang, find out how she sleuths the true identity of a unknown relative known only by his title: Dai Gung.

The search for my mystery ancestor – a guest post by Jennifer Jang - Past Presence In Chinese Canadian genealogy, we are both constrained and bolstered by the laws of the day. In the case of Jennifer’s ancestor known only as a title – Dai Gung – she was able to …

Sharing on behalf of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum. See below.

Our Museum would like to enlist your help in searching for the following items attributed to First World War veteran, a Chinese Canadian named W.H. Louie. (Also known as Walter Louie.)

These items were donated to CCMMS and unfortunately went missing by Canada Post. A police report has been filed. We have alerted other military museums and asked them to check their collections and to contact us if anyone tries to sell or donate any of these items to their museums.

Any leads that would help us locate these irreplaceable artifacts would be greatly appreciated.

If you see any of these times being sold on EBay or other online sites, please let us know.

WH Louie Collection includes:
1. Black Leather Graphic Diary – 1919
2. Red Leather Imperial Bank of Canada bifold pouch – Includes: bank book, YMCA receipt, Article – Casualties among Canadian Soldiers, Receipt – Certificate of Passing a Registered Postal Packet, In Flanders Fields poem
3. Blue Pay book – attributed to Walter Louie
4. Photograph of Walter Louie in uniform, kept in a cardboard bifold
5. Brown Canadian Paybook – Active Duty – Attributed to W.H. Louie with receipts
6. Gold plated clip with chain – in plastic bag
7. C/29 – clip
8. Bronze uniform button with crown x 3
9. Canada uniform button
10. Small Canadian Infantry pin with blue enamel
11. Bronze Maple Leaf badge with leather strap
o W.H. Louie – B.H.Q. Signals – 29 th CDN Bn
12. Brown Leather strap with silver plated button at either end
Circular and octagonal service tags connected by string
o Circle: Canadians – 2323392 – Louie W H – P – 29 BN
o Octagon: Canadians – P – Louie W H – 2323392 – 29 BN
13. Gold plated mesh chain with triangular florets on either side
14. Medal – 1914-1918 with rider on horse; no ribbon
15. Gold Plated medallion – The Great War For Civilisation – 1914-1919
16. Bronze cufflink (?) – circular piece with a man on front Brass badge
17. G.A. Carlin – Co 327 G - US Marine Corps A.E.F
Silver closed loop hook with mother of pearl handle
6 bullets In brown lined box – Metal fish with enamelled London crest.

In this final of a 4-post series, come explore the 18th century treasures we found in our two-day blitz of the Lincolnshire Archives and see some of the questions such discoveries inspire.

A trip to the Lincolnshire Archives – part 4: the treasures we found - Past Presence We had a two day blitz at the Lincolnshire Archives, and the second day was helped enormously by having my husband as research assistant…we were able to answer all our previous genealogy ques…

LIBRARIAN WANTED: (Regina) SGS

As a member of the SGS, I'm sharing the below.

The Saskatchewan Genealogical Society is hiring a full time librarian, two year period, with possibility of extension. Interested candidates are asked to submit a cover letter, resume and a list of three references as a single pdf file to [email protected] by September 16, 2024.

Please contact the SGS directly.

This is going to be so fun!

Announcing Linda Yip as a Speaker for the WikiTree Symposium! .yip.1671
Past Presence

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:WikiTree_Symposium/Speakers ?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=symp&utm_content=20240813

In this post you'll see what it's like to research at the Lincolnshire Archives in Lincoln, UK. It was my first experience with British archives and I loved every moment.

Visiting the Lincolnshire Archives: Tips for Genealogists, part 3 - Past Presence A love of genealogy follows me wherever I go. In retrospect it was silly to think I could leave it behind while visiting England. What surprised me was how much I wanted to research, like I was mis…

I think we found Jason Bourne

Join me as I explore my husband's Quaker ancestry in Lincolnshire. This series delves into the unique challenges of genealogical research in English archives, shedding light on family histories from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Discovering Quaker Roots: A Genealogical Journey in Lincolnshire Delve into the challenges and rewards of researching Quaker ancestry in Lincolnshire. Discover how English archives and unique Quaker records can provide new insights into your genealogy.

In this first of a four part series, I explore my husband's British roots by travelling to the Lincolnshire Archives in Lincoln, UK. A family mystery ensues.

Genealogy travel in Lincolnshire, UK A tale of exploring NW England genealogy and finding a non-conformist family

A long read for a long weekend, where I tackle the journey to accrediting, reflect on challenges in Western Canadian genealogy specifically, and end with a diversity-informed list of events to see on Canada Day.

Canada Day reflections: on accrediting, Western Canadian genealogy, and diverse ideas for celebrating - Past Presence In the past four years, the accrediting process has challenged me to the limits. My questions – where are our records, who or what created them, and how can they be used for genealogy –…

This week I checked off a bucket list adventure with a tour of Ancestry’s HQ in Lehi, UT. Enormous gratitude to Allison, Jared, Rob, Lisa and their team for answering my many - oh so many! - questions. It’s a big place, with a view so beautiful I wonder anyone gets anything done (and yet it does). A special shout out to the imaging and quality control departments for the in-depth explanations of how they create the best possible images for all us digital jockeys. I have a deeper appreciation for the many processes behind the magic curtains.

Thank you to Gail Dever at Genealogy à la carte for the head's up on this intriguing new collection at Ancestry. I've poked around the images online. The collection comprises ephemera from the Canada Science and Technology Museum. Some are the first OUTBOUND passenger lists I can recall ever seeing. The passengers listed are very likely to be the first class passengers, and most of the lists seem to be trans-Atlantic. The range is almost a century, and rare for Canadian records, includes information into the 1980s. This is a collection worth searching if you're researching wealthier families.

(FB won't let me share the original post and I'm doing what I can to spread the word.)

If you’ve got the time, this is a great way to get familiar with handwriting. And goodness knows we need all communities to participate because those handwritten names need us to spell them properly.

You‘re a perfect fit if you can say yes to any of the following:

1. Are you good at reading handwriting?

2. Do you feel at peace when typing or transcribing?

3. Do you love helping others learn more about their families?

4. Do you have a little extra time this summer and want to spend it giving back?

We need your help! Get started indexing the 1921 Canadian Census here: https://www.familysearch.org/indexing/projects/preview/56b20403-f30b-466c-87c7-75b9c81174c1?cid=SO-00040603 #!/

Find My Past Free Weekend - 80th anniversary of D-Day.

So many lights ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you ever found an intriguing newspaper article about your ancestor in a civil or criminal (not divorce) court case and wondered... how could I get my hands on that record?

The provincial reports are a great source.

Q: What's better than an annual round up of of legal cases?

A: A set of them, fully digitized. I've known about the BC Reports at UBC for some time but today I found a set for Manitoba. HURRAH!

"The Manitoba Reports, Containing Reports of Cases Decided in the Court of Queen’s Bench for Manitoba," on Ancestry. You can find volumes 1-12, spanning the years 1884-1900.

FYI Manitoba Genealogical Society Inc.

You know you’re lucky when you read a list like this and realize your family is in it ❤️❤️❤️

Calling all family historians working in underrepresented populations. APG is asking for you to share your knowledge. Deadline is 31 May 2024.

Do you have specialized knowledge about an indigenous, immigrant, international, or marginalized group that you would like to share with professionals in the genealogical community? Submit a proposal for the APG New Voices Program! Created by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, the program is designed to diversify the narrative in genealogical research by providing a platform for emerging voices in the field, particularly those focusing on under-represented communities.

The goal is to create a series of educational webinars fostering a broader understanding of historical and cultural issues impacting genealogical research. The Call for Presentations is now open and the deadline for submissions for the first webinar is 31 May 2024 at 11:59 PM EDT. The proposed date for presenting virtually is 24 July 2024. For more details, visit https://bit.ly/4acnRDU.

I took a trip to Winnipeg to explore the Hudson's Bay Company Archives at the Archives of Manitoba. It was mind-blowing.

Exploring the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives with the surprisingly detailed story of Thomas Thomas (1766-1828), governor of HBC - Past Presence In this post I want to share both what it’s like to research at the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives in Winnipeg, and the story of one of those finds. It’s too easy in family researc…

Lucky lucky everyone who got to see inside The Big White Cube and congratulations to Library and Archives Canada for the hugely successful open house.

For my fellow pros working in underrepresented populations, here's a great opportunity to share your wisdom.

Do you have specialized knowledge about an indigenous, immigrant, international, or marginalized group that you would like to share with professionals in the genealogical community? Submit a proposal for the APG New Voices Program! Created by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, the program is designed to diversify the narrative in genealogical research by providing a platform for emerging voices in the field, particularly those focusing on under-represented communities.

The goal is to create a series of educational webinars fostering a broader understanding of historical and cultural issues impacting genealogical research. The Call for Presentations is now open and the deadline for submissions for the first webinar is 31 May 2024 at 11:59 PM EDT. The proposed date for presenting virtually is 24 July 2024. For more details, visit https://bit.ly/4acnRDU.

I ❤️ this story.

The Ontario Ancestors conference is hybrid this year. If you can't make it to Ontario, you can take advantage of the digital bundle for the low, low price of CAD$49 (abt US$35). I'll be giving my very own personal tour of Canada's national Chinese Canadian Museum, with some never-before recorded stories of the family, the Paper Trail exhibition, and much more. This is a great deal (and less than the price of a seat upgrade!)

Can’t make it to Toronto? Not to worry, you can still join us virtually! We’ve created a new Virtual Bundle that gives you the flexibility to view and connect with Conference 2024 on your own schedule from wherever you are. For only $49 CDN you’ll have six weeks to virtually participate in Conference 2024. Click here to learn more and register today:
https://conference2024.ogs.on.ca/2024/05/16/virtual-bundle/