Janet the researcher

Surname - Iles - Distribution

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:55:00 +0000

Randy Seaver has given this challenge for our Saturday night Genealogy Fun. - Go to the public profiler site and see on the map the distribution of your surname.

I have done this search for the Iles surname. So first is the World Wide Map. - The United Kingdom and Australia have the highest concentration of the surname with Australia edging out the United Kingdom by a small fraction. They were followed by New Zealand, then Serbia and then Canada. .

This map shows the distribution in the United Kingdom. The southwest now has the greatest concentration over the West Midlands area where our family came from before coming to Canada. The southwest area includes Gloucestershire where I have found the beginnings of the Iles family in my research. .

In Canada, Ontario has the highest concentration with the Prairie provinces and Quebec having about the same.
© 2009 Janet Iles

4 Men from the Perth Regiment at Marignano, Italy

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:06:00 +0000

on scrapbook page underneath photo says

Red Parky

Butch Stubb

printed on back on back of photo

January 28, 1945

S.G 10 to Marignano, Italy

SA Martin Postman

G Parkinson Driver

RJ Orr Butcher

HB Iles

[note on back in writing says] my regular driver was in the hospital at the time

[All members of the Perth Regiment]

© 2009 Janet Iles

Carnival of Genealogy - 83rd edition - Musical Instruments

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:29:00 +0000

Music is the way our memories sing to us across time.

--Lance Morrow

Thanks to the footnoteMaven for this attractive poster.

Welcome to the 83rd Carnival of Genealogy. Thank you to everyone who participated.

Do you play a musical instrument or did one of your family members?
What instrument do you play or did they play?
If no one in the family played an instrument, what is your favorite instrument and what is your least favorite one?

Nature or nurture? Do you inherit the musical gene so that you are inclined to be a singer or play one or more musical instruments? Perhaps, these postings will help you to answer these questions.

Evelyn Yvonne Theriault presents A Picture Can Lie! posted at A Canadian Family, saying, "To my working class family, playing an instrument was something for the "higher" classes."

Denise Olson presents Chopsticks & Moonlight Sonata posted at Moultrie Creek, saying, "No amount of music lessons or bribery was going to turn me into a musician."

Bill West presents West in New England: 49 Genealogical Uses for Flutaphones: The Complete List! posted at West in New England, saying, "I am not musically gifted so I fell back on a running joke about myself and flutaphones to come up with a post for this edition of the COG!"

Charles Hansen presents Musical Instruments for COG posted at Mikkel's Hus, saying, "While I was not a great musician, I found out I was even worse as a band director."

Brett Payne presents Whistling Bird, the Arizona Cowboy and the Disappearing Lady posted at Photo-Sleuth, saying, "Very few of my family members have progressed much beyond the recorder in their early grades. However, my great-grandfather Charles Vincent Payne (1868-1941) did have something of a reputation for his singing voice, honed in travelling vaudeville."

Dorene Paul presents Steen and Doris Parker: They Liked to Sing and Play posted at Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay, saying, "My grandfather liked to play the piano, and my grandmother enjoyed singing. I only wish I could have heard them! Both passed away before I was born."

Jessica Oswalt presents Music in the Family ... posted at Jessica's Genejournal, saying, "A brief overview of family members and ancestors who were either musically inclined or were involved in music."

Greta Koehl presents Musical Instruments – More on the Fiddling Moores posted at Greta's Genealogy Bog, saying, "When I first learned of the subject of this COG, my heart sank. It's a subject dear to my heart, but I though I had covered it pretty completely in two previous articles on my family's love for fiddles and my Uncle Howard, the violin maker. After rummaging through my mother's old keepsakes, however, I found two articles on Uncle Howard that brought back a long dormant memory - of my Uncle Howard's old Violano Virtuoso."

Mary Beaulieu presents The Gift of Music posted at AncestorTracking, saying, "Memories of a beloved teacher and a remote father's legacy."

Linda Hughes Hiser presents Carnival of Genealogy, 82nd Edition—Musical Instruments posted at Flipside, saying, "Uncle John and his big band days!"

Tracy presents COG 83: Tone Deaf in a Family of Musicians posted at The Pieces of My Past, saying, "I am woefully challenged musically speaking, but am descended from a lot of musical talent."

Sheri Fenley presents My Musical Family - 83rd COG posted at The Educated Genealogist. GrannyPam has identified the instrument in the photo as a banjolele.

Lorine McGinnis Schulze presents Oompah, Oompah, Oom pah pah.... posted at Olive Tree Genealogy Blog, saying, "Who in my ancestral past had the DNA with the Music Gene?"

Travis LeMaster presents Sam the Music Man posted at TJLGenes : Preserving Our Family History, saying, "Information about Samuel Lambertson and his banjo, including a photograph."

Carol presents Carnival of Genealogy, 82nd Edition—Musical Instruments posted at Reflections From the Fence, saying, "We have quite a few musicians, even have 4 generations in a row that have played. The last generation are highlighted by photos, our pride and joy!"

John Newmark presents Carnival of Genealogy: Musical Instruments posted at Transylvanian Dutch, saying, "Past research has indicated I may have some musical heritage, though it's not certain. I did have some music lessons as a child, though."

Lori Thornton presents Music, Music, Music posted at Smoky Mountain Family Historian. Lori tells us about the different instruments that she plays. She also says that the voice is an instrument.

Jasia presents The Magic in Grandma's Parlor posted at Creative Gene, saying, "Here's the story of my discovery of a magical musical instrument and what it has meant to our family."

Miriam Robbins Midkiff presents AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors: Eight Musical Things about Me posted at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors, saying, "I'm reviving a meme I wrote nearly a year ago when I shared eight things about myself...I chose to write about eight musical instruments I either mastered or attempted. What's ironic is that I no longer am involved in any musical groups, either vocal or instrumental. Maybe someday...when I'm not so busy!"

Apple presents Musical Memories posted at Apple's Tree, saying, "The history of musical instruments in my family doesn't extend back very far so the recent generations are making up for lost time."

Valerie C. presents Begin with 'Craft': More Music in the Family posted at Begin with 'Craft', saying, "Musical talent ran in my maternal family line - including my GG-Aunt Ethel & her recording artist husband."

Caroline Pointer presents Family Stories: Play It Again, Sam posted at Family Stories, saying, ""Life" lessons are found in piano lessons."

I wrote about Brass Bands - How I love them at Janet the Researcher. When I think of the Iles family and their musical talents, I think of them playing brass instruments. I never played a brass instrument but do I love to hear a brass band.

I do not know if this was a first posting for anyone else but I extend a warm welcome to Alice and Gayle on their first postings to a Carnival of Genealogy.

Alice Keesey Mecoy presents John Brown's Favorite Hymn posted at John Brown Kin, saying, "John Brown's favorite hymn, "Blow ye the Trumpet, Blow!"

Gayle Gresham presents The Christison Musicians posted at Colorado Reflections, saying, "Prospecting is in my Christison blood, but there is another talent that runs through the Christison family – musical ability. It seems that those who weren’t bitten by the gold bug honed their musical talent. And, in two cases, without music (and the U.S. Air Force) two marriages may never have happened."

Susan's posting shares the importance of music to her family during a difficult time. Thank you for sharing.

Susan A. Kitchens presents One month ago: Hootenanny in the Hospital posted at Family Oral History Using Digital Tools [News], saying, "This post is about a guitar. And singing. But it's also a post about why I have not been doing much blogging of late. Thank you so much for this theme, at this time-- it's the PERFECT way for me to segue from a looooooong bout of non-posting to posting again. With just the right touch. Oh, and there are links at the end of the story to two other stories about music and family. The This Land is Your Land link is about a banjo. And music. And family."

This is the end of the interesting articles about Musical Instruments and your family for the 83rd Carnival of Genealogy. I am sure you will enjoy reading them. I did. Thank you Jasia for giving me the opportunity to host this Carnival.

Call for Submissions!
The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy will be:
What the Carnival of Genealogy has meant to you.

The COG has been published twice a month for over three years now, 83 editions thus far! It's covered a wide variety of topics and introduced many, many new bloggers and even a new carnival. Here's an opportunity to look back and reflect on when you first discovered the COG and when you first participated in it.

What was your favorite topic to write about?
Have you guest hosted the COG?
Is there an article you've read in the COG that stands out in your mind?
What have you learned from reading or writing for the COG?
Have you ever recommended the COG to anyone?
If you haven't participated in the COG thus far, why not?
How has the COG helped your family history research?
Has it impacted your life in any way?

Share your COG experience with us and please indicate the number of COG editions you've participated in at the end of your article.

The deadline for submissions is November 15th and the next edition (#84) will return home to Jasia's Creative Gene blog.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of genealogy using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

© 2009 Janet Iles

La Messe Québecoise

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:28:00 +0000

La Messe Québecoise - I remember

Two weeks ago at church, we sang one of our hymns in both English and French: I'll Praise Eternal God (Je louerai l'Éternel) The French words and music were by Claude Fraysse and translated and arranged in 2002 by John L. Bell. A very simple hymn of praise, but for me very meaningful in both languages.

This got me to thinking. During the summers of 1968, 1969 and 1983, I attended the University of Western Ontario's French summer school at Trois Pistoles Québec. During six weeks, we were fully immersed in the life and culture of this small community as we took university level courses. Because of the extra work I did to prepare, I was able after grade 12 to take the third year general language course. Although I am not Catholic, as part of the immersion, I attended Sunday morning mass during each of the summers I was at Trois-Pistoles. What I don't remember is singing hymns during the services. Perhaps, it is because we were accustomed to speaking only French that it didn't stand out as anything different.

In 1983, I took a leave of absence from the library along with my vacation so that I could take another course, this time in Commercial French. I needed more courses to complete my Diplôme de français pratique and to fulfill the residency requirement. We had classes in the morning and electives in the afternoons. I chose to be part of the choir again that summer. The highlight of the summer was when we sang at Église Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, the Messe Québecoise by Pierick Houdy. It was fun and challenging to learn all the pieces. It was fast paced with the singers accompanied by organ, fiddle and spoons. The musicians were all students at the summer school.

Wordless Wednesday - Scarecrow Invasion

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:55:00 +0000

In honour of Halloween this Saturday, I have done something spooky with the photos I took.

© 2009 Janet Iles

COG 83 - Play me your favorite instrument.

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:12:00 +0000

poster by fM

Musical Instruments

Do you play a musical instrument or did one of your family members?
What instrument do you play or did they play?
If no one in the family played an instrument, what is your favorite instrument and what is your least favorite one?

Submissions are due November 1.

Include a brief description of your article.

Click here to go to the form.
© 2009 Janet Iles

Brass bands - how I love them

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:16:00 +0000

It's easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.

--Johann Sebastian Bach

Well, Johann Sebastian Bach makes it sound like it is quite simple to play a musical instrument. Oh yes, you might make a sound but is it pleasing to the ear? To play an instrument well takes skill and practice. You also have to enjoy it too.

I took piano lessons for a few years. My brother and I took lessons with a woman who lived near our school. I must admit I was not one to practice a lot but I did learn to play. I progressed to grade eight but we didn't take exams or perform in recitals. In addition to our music books, I learned to play hymns from the hymnary. These days, if I am to sit down to the piano to play, it would be most likely a piece from one of our hymn books.

Other than my Iles relations, I do not know whether anyone on my mother's side of the family played a musical instrument. When I think of the Iles family, I primarily think of them playing brass instruments. Some played woodwinds, such as the saxaphone (not my favourite instrument) but it is always the brass instruments that I remember.

I enjoy very much listening to a brass band, especially when they play a good rousing march or a steering or thoughtful hymn. Perhaps, this comes from attending band concerts as a child or listening to band music records. I love the sound of the Salvation Army band.

My grandfather, William George Iles, played the cornet. He began playing it when he was fourteen years old. I don't know if he joined the Salvation Army after he had started to play or whether he learned the instrument after he joined the local corps in Birmingham. When he came to Canada, he re-organized the band in Owen Sound. Later, he played an active part in the development of the Owen Sound city band.Grandpa played until he was seventy-six years old

In an earlier posting, Genealogist's Parade, I talked about the various instruments played by my family. I never learned how to play a brass instrument. I don't know if I could at this stage in my life.

This posting was written for the 83rd Carnival of Genealogy. It will be hosted here at Janet the Researcher. I look forward to hearing about the musical instruments played in your family. To submit your submission click here.

© 2009 Janet Iles

Wordless Wednesday - Owen Sound signage Highway 6 & 10

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:55:00 +0000

Wordless Wednesday - Robinson Reunion 1960

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Big Bruce - a Carnival of Postcards

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:52:00 +0000

Have you ever seen a beef cattle that stood 15 feet tall?

I have.

It now proudly stands in Chesley, Ontario but at one time he travelled around to fairs and other events.

This postcard shows Big Bruce. See how he towers above the other cattle?

I don't know in which year the postcard was made. The postcard was never mailed. There is nothing written on it.

Bruce County is the neighbouring county and it is known for its good quality beef. Big Bruce was constructed in 1976. To read more about Big Bruce and Bruce County beef. Click here.

This is posted for the Carnival of Postcards - quadrupeds
© 2009 Janet Iles

Why did I join our genealogical society? - Carnival of Genealogy

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Genealogical societies -- do you belong to any? Yes, would be my answer.

In March, I wrote about the local branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society when I talked about the Ontario Genealogical Society. I am a member of the society as a whole and three branches: Bruce-Grey, York and Toronto.

I am also a member of the National Genealogical Society (based in the US).

The question posed for the 82nd Carnival of Genealogy is "Why do you belong to a society? "

To be a member of a branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society, you must now be a member of the parent group.

Why did I pick the three branches listed above?

Bruce-Grey

I live in the area so I can attend many of the meetings.
I started speaking to the group before I was even a member.
My Iles line came directly to Owen Sound when they came from England.
I wanted to make connections with people in the area who are interested in genealogy.
When I began doing my own research, I wanted to learn from the more experienced members.
The newsletter that is published in February, May, August and November includes interesting articles and news.
Monthly meetings (except December) have informative speakers.
In the months of January, February and March, the meetings are held on Saturday afternoon.
The Fall event, held on a Saturday during the day, has brought many outstanding speakers to our area.
I have made many friends within the group. We have a great time at our meetings and when we go to the annual conference.

Toronto Branch
I have never attended a meeting of the Toronto Branch.

When I first joined the branch included York Region.
My great-grand mother Elizabeth Fields Robinson was born, according to family information, in "Muddy York" 0n 6 December 1859.
The newsletter is very interesting.

York Regional Branch
I have only attended one meeting.

My Hemingway, Stiver, and even my Johnston family who eventually moved to the Manitoulin, lived in York County.
The newsletter includes interesting and helpful information for my research.

Unfortunately, there is no Ontario Genealogical Society branch that focuses on the Manitoulin area. For a short time, I tried both Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury branches, but they didn't provide much information on the area. I have to also take into consideration my budget.

Our local public library receives on deposit the Bruce-Grey Branch newsletters that the branch receives on exchanges, so I have easy access to the past five years if I wish to read the newsletters of other OGS branches. They also have the newsletters from provincial societies across Canada. One of the perks, when I was working full time in the library, was that I could read the newsletters of interest before I entered them into the collection.

© 2009 Janet Iles

German Pioneers' Day - the Tuesday after the Canadian Thanksgiving

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:54:00 +0000

To mark German Pioneers' Day, the Markham Berczy Settlers Association will meet for its annual meeting at Bethesda Lutheran Church, in Unionville.

First, a small delegation will go to the Markham Civic Centre at 7 p.m (101 Town Centre Blvd.- Warden Avenue and Highway #7, Council Chambers) to celebrate German Pioneers Day at the Town of Markham Council Meeting

Lorne Smith will make a short presentation to Council recognizing the immense contribution the German pioneers made to the start of Markham and to the economic, cultural and social life of the community since their arrival. Lorne will introduce representatives of local German heritage organizations.

This will also be an excellent opportunity to visit the Bicentennial Plaque at the Civic Centre.

The meeting will follow at the Bethesda Lutheran Church. (8 p.m. start)

Annual meeting
Presentation by Bob Stiver about the restoration work of the Stiver Mill

Refreshments will be served.

You are welcome to attend if you are in the area and want to learn more about the Markham Berczy Settlers Association and the restoration plans for the Stiver Mill.
© 2009 Janet Iles

Time to Vote

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:34:00 +0000

It's time to vote. No you didn't miss a news item saying that there is an upcoming election.

It's time to vote for some of your favorite genealogy blogs. Last month, Family Tree Magazine, asked for nominations of your favorites. The staff went through all the nominations and created ten categories. Depending on the category it will determine how many you can vote for.

I was excited and honored to see this blog in the personal/family category and the Graveyard Rabbit of Grey County, Ontario is in the cemetery category. There are many interesting and well done blogs, so making a choice is difficult.

Congratulations to all the nominees.

FootnoteMaven prepared a list of all the nominees with a link to the blogs. Thank you.

The May 2010 issue will proclaim the top 40 blogs. The voting will narrow it down to 80 and the editors will make the decision on which ones will be featured as the top 40.

To vote go here.

© 2009 Janet Iles

Wordless Wednesday - Allan Gardens 1

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:16:00 +0000

Tombstone Tuesday - Catharine Walker Tackaberry (Necropolis Toronto, Ontario)

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:04:00 +0000

When walking through the Toronto Necropolis, Cemetery and Crematorium, I saw this most interesting monument.

Catherine Walker Tackaberry
June 16 MDCCLI [1851]
December 7 MCMVIII [1908]

TACKABERRY

She was married and lived at 144 Park Road at the time of her death. [1] Her husband was Richard Tackaberry, a dry goods merchant. Robert's business in 1878 was Tackaberry, Joselin & Co. at 10 Colborne Street. They lived at 14 Maitland. [2] The company imported American dry goods. In 1901, Catherine was found with her husband, his cousin and a domestic in Ward 2 of Toronto.[3] Her date of birth matches that shown on the marker above.

Richard was born in Ireland and came to Canada in 1866. [3] They were married in Yorkville on 3 June 1874. He was the son of George and Mary Tackaberry. Catherine was the daughter of Robert and Mary Walker. [4]

I didn't look at the other side to see if other names were inscribed.

[1] Catherine Walker Tackaberry Ontario death registration #005317 (8 December 1908); digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca ; accessed 3 October 2009), citing microfilm MS 935, Reel 134, Archives of Ontario, Toronto
[2] Toronto directory for 1878, containing an alphabetical directory of the citizens, and a street directory, with classified business directory, and a miscellaneous directory; to which are added directories of Ben Lamond, Brockton, Don Mount, Leslieville, Parkdale, Seaton Village and Yorkville, p. 422; digital image, Toronto Public Library digital collections, (http://digitalcollections.torontopubliclibrary.ca accessed 4 October 2009)

[3] 1901 Census of Canada, York East, Toronto, Ward 2 p. 22

[4] Richard Tackaberry - Catherine Walker Ontario marriage registration #011797 (3 June 1874); digital image Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca ; accessed 3 October 2009), citing microfilm MS 932 Reel 15, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.

© 2009 Janet Iles

10th Anniversary - National Institute for Genealogical Studies

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:23:00 +0000

While browsing through old emails and deleting those that need to be gone from my inbox, I discovered an email from 5 years ago - "National Institute: 5th anniversary" dated 4 October 2004 from Louise St. Denis. Wow! If it was 5 years on 2004, then now in 2009, it would be 10 years.

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies and the University of Toronto, PLC, celebrate their 5th anniversary!

On October 4th, 1999 the online course Methodology Part 1-Getting Started was offered for the first time.

I registered for that first course. I can't believe that it was 10 years ago that I took the first course towards receiving my Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies. When I took the first one, I hadn't really thought of retiring and doing genealogical research as a business. I only signed up for the first one but before it was completed, I had signed up for the first year of courses. It took me four years to complete the three years (40 courses).

All the courses were taken online. As part of the first class to take each of the early courses, we saw changes as improvements were made in the courses. I liked how we were able to get instant feedback on our exams. Immediately you knew your mark and what was the correct answers. The questions were true or false and multiple choice but they made you think and read the questions many times. Chat classes done via texting in a chat room provided contact with the instructor and other students. As technology has changed, so has the courses. Chats are entering the world of live voice chats. [Must get the problem with the headset resolved.] Except for several methodology courses, the assignments were done online. Some answers were public and could be read by classmates, and some were private because there was only one correct answer.

I completed my Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies Canadian records in October 2003. Two courses remain to be done to earn a PLCGS in English records. Perhaps, early next year, I will take those courses. As I took each course, I realized there is still so much to learn. This is one reason that I love genealogy.

The National Institute of Genealogical Studies is now affiliated with the University of St. Michael's College in the University of Toronto.

Happy Anniversary to the Institute!

© 2009 Janet Iles

Have you ever?

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Have you ever looked at a workshop title or description and said to yourself, "I wouldn't be interested in that topic because I don't have ancestors in that place"? Did you sign up anyways and take a chance? or Did you stay at home thinking I won't spend the money as I won't learn anything worthwhile?

On Saturday, the Bruce Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society held its annual Fall Event in Durham, Ontario. They have been doing this for quite a few years now in October or as it was the case this year, in September. They bring to our area excellent speakers, often from Salt Lake City.

This year, Evva Benson, AG from the Family History Library returned to speak. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend last year, as I had a conflict on that day. Last year's topic was English genealogical research. I was sorry that I missed it because I heard how knowledgeable she was and that she gave excellent presentations. My paternal ancestors were from England and I know I would have learned alot.

This year's topic was primarily Irish research with one presentation on Scottish Research on the Internet. Should I go? I have no Irish ancestry, although I do have a first cousin now living in Ireland. If someone wants someone to help them with their Irish research, I quickly refer them to someone who is specializing in that area. I have much on my to do list. Should I stay home and tackle those tasks?

My decision -- I should go. Why?

1 . The food is always good. The Durham Anglican women cater and the meal is always delicious - ham and scalloped potatoes, vegetables, some jellied salads and rolls and homemade pie. [I wasn't disappointed.]
2. I want to see my friends. [I did. There are some that I only see once a year at this event, but it is great way to spend a day with your special friends.]
3. You always learn at least one new thing or you are reminded about something you had forgotten that might help you in your current research.
4. I likely would not have tackled anything on my to do list.

Kathleen Labudie-Szakall welcomed everyone first.

Evva Benson's first topic - was "Tracing the Origins of Famine and Post-Famine Irish Immigrants".
What did I learn that interested me?

1. That generally that pre-famine emigrations were Presbyterians from Northern Ireland and post-famine emigrations were Catholic from Southern Ireland.

2. research strategies that can be transferred to all research (this was a reinforcement of much I already knew).

- "leave no stone unturned" when trying to learn information especially the place of origin in the "old country" - take a list of places you should research and do it for the key members of the family, siblings, etc. then do it for all relations in the area and then their associates to find missing information. She provided a flow chart that was specific to Irish research but one could be developed for other places of origin.

- She told about some specific resources that help with surname distribution in Ireland that can be helpful if the name is uncommon and you know father's name and mother's maiden name if they were born in Ireland. If many of the neighbours were of the same ethnic origin, could they have come from the same place? Test out this with the surname distribution resources. [Note to self: what resources are available for other countries? - Germany - my Stiver (Stoeber) ancestors came with a group under the leadership of William Berczy. Has anyone done a study of all these names using the techniques that she suggested but applying it to Germany.]

After a break, she talked about "Tracing the Scots-Irish Immigrants" and "Irish Records Overview"

Before lunch there was a short annual meeting. The same executive were voted in and all the board members were introduced. Thank you to all of them for all their hard work.

During the lunch break, people visited the vendors' tables. The Grey County Historical Society table was looked after by our past-president.

I had the opportunity to make contact with a person, whose ancestor had written about Owen Sound, in the early 1920s. He wrote his observations of early life in Owen Sound and area as he remembered it. His information is so very interesting. I would like to see his work published. I would like to include, in appendices, follow up research on his writings. [Yes, I know I have other projects that I need to finish first, but making this contact is important. Thanks Betty W.]

Following the door prizes, we settled down again to learn more. This time the presentation was about "Ireland Internet - Separating the Gold from the Blarney".

After a short break, we heard about "Scottish Internet". I haven't done much Scottish research on the Internet.

- During this talk, Evva Benson mentioned that 70-80% of the OPR (Old Parochial Registers) - pre 1855 Church of Scotland records are on Family Search. A more complete database can be found on the disks at the Family History Centres and at the Family History Library. They are all on Scotland's People. It is important to remember that these are only Church of Scotland records and that if the family was a member of one of the break away groups they would not be included. This was new information for me.

At the end of the day, there were a few minutes remaining and our speaker gave us a couple more tidbits.

At Familysearch go to Library then Education - then Family History Library Series Online.
There you will find some free online classes. Check it out. They would appreciate your feedback.

The last site was quite exciting for those of us who do English Research - interactive maps She suggested being patient while the maps load. I will have to take some time to check out the features of this site.

So, am I glad I went? Yes! Look at all I learned from the day.

Thank you, Evva Benson! Thank you Bruce-Grey Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society!

Have you ever? - Have you had a similar experience? Make a comment or write about it on your blog.
© 2009 Janet Iles

Knox Church organ - a Military memorial

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:49:00 +0000

As some of my readers know, I have been researching the men affiliated with Knox Owen Sound who died in the Great War. The research started when several of us were given the task of having the church organ and the two plaques designated in the Ministry of National Defence - Directorate of History and Heritage - Inventory of Military Memorials.

We received our designation several years ago, but the information had not been posted to the Ministry's site. I decided today to look again, as I am preparing for the concert this Sunday evening at 7 p.m. at the church. I will be MC and I want to say a few words about the organ and the men, in whose memory, the organ is dedicated.

I am very pleased to say that the church organ is now included in the Inventory. You may be interested in looking at this site for other memorials found across Canada.
© 2009 Janet Iles

Genea-Musings: Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ahnentafel Roulette

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 21:30:00 +0000

Genea-Musings: Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ahnentafel Roulette

Randy's away but we still get to do Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

We are to take the age that your father would be if living and that would 93 as he was born in 1916.
Divided by 4 that makes 23.25 and rounded to the nearest number would be 23.

#23 on my Ahnentafel Chart is Hannah James. She is my great-great grandmother.

3 facts
1. She married John Mucklow on 11 September 1843 in Alcester, Warwickshire, England. (English civil registration)
2. Her father was George James. I do not know her mother's name.
3.I have found 11 children for her and John. (census and baptismal records)

Thanks Randy, I haven't talked about Hannah Mucklow (nee James) before.

addition
I remembered that I actually have a photo of her that I had received several years from the husband of my second cousin in England.

Wordless Wednesday - Ships in Owen Sound harbour

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:27:00 +0000

Ships and boats in the Owen Sound harbour during the Salmon Spectacular

Algosteel in the harbour

Ojibway in the harbour

photos taken 5 September 2009 by Janet Iles

Home Sweet Home - home of my great grandparents Love

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:45:00 +0000

Home Sweet Home ---

I never knew my great grandparents, James Love and Elizabeth Fields (Robinson) Love but I have been in what was their home on Manitoulin Island. The farm is in Carnarvon Township (now part of the Township of Central Manitoulin).

The Love brothers owned property at Lots 12, 13, 14, and 15 of Concession 4 and Lots 14 and 15 of Concession 3 and Lot 15 of Concession 2. The house, I believe, would have been on Concession 3. [Thanks to knowing the coordinates of the Mindemoya Cemetery, which is on the same road on Lot 16, Concession 3.

Situated across the lane from the home in which my mother lived, it was the home of my uncle Ross and his family, in my childhood years.

This photo is likely from 1902 - 1908 era.

Notice the roughness of the lane. When I was a child we entered by the side door.

To see a family photo in front of the house, go to my article on the Love Family ca 1902

I don't know if I realized at the time, when I would be there for meals, that it had been my great-grandparents home. I don't think I felt any special connection to the past. It was just a great place to visit my aunt and uncle and of course, all my cousins.

My recollection of the place is that we entered into a large family farm kitchen. Also on the main floor was the parlour with a player piano. I wonder if my recollections are correct? I know that my mother used to spend a lot of time in the house visiting with her grandmother and great aunt Margaret, when she was a young girl.

This has been written for the Canadian Carnival of Genealogy

photo from the collection of Margaret Love, in the possession of the author.
© 2009 Janet Iles

Wordless Wednesday - John Thomas Love, my grandfather

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:43:00 +0000

Visiting an Ancestral Place - Inspirational Writing

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Most of us who are genealogists wish to have the opportunity to visit places where our ancestors once walked. We want to see the places where they might have gone to church or to school or where they worked and to see the rivers and hills that were in the area. Perhaps, we can understand a little more about their lives, if we get the opportunity to make this journey. Perhaps, we will get a sense of their presence in these locations.

Later this week, I will be posting a photo of the home of my maternal great-grandparents, but today's posting is not about my journey to an ancestral place.

Thanks to a friend, I was recently introduced to the wonderful writing of Kim Bullock who writes on a blog called What Women Write. There you can read the writing of six women.

In a recent article, Kim describes her visit to East Aurora, New York where she visited the Roycroft Inn. Here is a short excerpt describing her reaction

As I retraced my great-grandmother’s path up the stairs from the reception room to the Morris Room, I felt a chill against the back of my neck. Once inside the room, images and voices from the past flashed through my mind with such speed and force, I had to grip a table to keep from falling over.

Kim is currently working on a book about the life of her great-grandfather, Carl Ahrens, an Ontario born artist and author. She has decided to write a novel, The Oak Lovers, based on his most interesting life. In this blog posting, she describes her explanation why she decided not to do a biography but a fictional work. Another blog article, I found most interesting was Finding Inspiration in Landscape.Take the time too to read the comments to her blog articles. To read more about Carl Ahrens, check out her website.

Kim's writing style draws you in to the story. You can picture the scenes she is describing. Perhaps, she will be an inspiration to others to put their research to paper.

© 2009 Janet Iles

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - my three favourite blogs

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:46:00 +0000

Randy Seaver challenged us as part of Saturday Night Genealogy to post our three favourite blogs. Family Tree Magazine has requested nominations for the sites we read the most. It is hard to say that one is better than another. I learn something from each one. I read a variety of different blogs. I like to read the Canadian genealogy blogs, but I am not limited to reading only those. I enjoy the ones that share the family stories. Here are the three that I have nominated so far.

Brenda at Brenda Dougall Merriman has been researching for many years and her posts talk about her ongoing research. I enjoy her writing style. From time to time, she will write about camels or share family stories.

George at George Geder blog is a great storyteller. I also enjoy reading about his African-American roots. His stories are well illustrated with photos from his collection. George does a great job of restoring damaged photographs.

Diane at CanadaGenealogy or "Jane's your aunt" provides news on genealogy in Canada on her blog. She shares her family treasures and participates in the various Carnivals telling her family's story.

© 2009 Janet Iles

Wordless Wednesday - Memory Garden Retreats

jiles@bmts.com (Janet Iles) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:26:00 +0000

Memory Garden Retreats, Owen Sound

photos August 4, 2009 by Janet Iles