Author name: Ruth Blair

Please Support Family History Societies

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Supporting the family history societies in the areas where my family originated has been important to me. As a result I am a member of the Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society, Glasgow and West of Scotland Family History Society and the Genealogical Society of Ireland. I also support the Ontario Genealogical Society including the Halton-Peel Branch and the Ireland Special Interest Group. There are no family connections to these areas I just feel it is important to support their activities for future generations.

Being a member of the societies in Ireland, England and Scotland has helped with my research. There is a journal that comes out every quarter or once a year filled with articles about current record releases, research stories, publication lists and sometimes there are indexes to some records that are small and relate to the area. You can find a synopsis of lectures given at the society. I have written articles for the GWSFHS and GSI journals and have found distant family members who are also members. By being in contact with these groups I keep up to date of what is available for those areas. If I have a question then the chances are that sending them an email may result in an answer.

Occasionally the records that would help me with my research are not available in any form on this side of the Atlantic. You can sometimes find local members of the society who are happy to help you with your research for a small fee and/or a reimbursement of expenses. Some societies offer a research service. If they can not help you they can recommend someone who can.

Lately I have been catching up with my reading and while reading The Manchester Genealogist the journal for the Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society I came across an article about the future of Clayton House where the society has been housed for about twenty years. I had the privilege to visit Clayton House in 2003 and while there I did some research, picked up a few interesting publications and got some advice.

The Society has been considering a move because the rent has become too much for the society and their membership has dropped by over one thousand in recent years. This is very sad news indeed.

Family history societies are the backbone of the genealogical community. The people who began and continue these groups have a true passion for family history research. They have spent countless hours transcribing, indexing, creating and typing many of the databases we take for granted today. The latter members have worked diligently in getting some these databases published and put online.

It can not be said enough that you will NOT find everything for your family history online. At some point you will have to go to the area where your family originated and the family history society for the area would be a true asset to your research. If you do not support them now they will not be there when you need them.

Another consideration is that not everyone is online and they could be members of these societies who read the journals. Are you missing out on finding someone who has a wealth of family history information relating to your family simply because you are only looking online for information?

The closure of family history societies due to lack of membership would be an enormous loss to the genealogical community. Please join your local family history society today and at least one in the homeland of your ancestors.

©2011 – Blair Archival Research

Ireland’s 1740 Cold Snap

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This holiday season the news was full of pictures and stories of stranded airline passengers because of the snow in Dublin and other parts of Europe.

In the Irish Independent newspaper there was an article on 30 December 2010 about the cold snap of 1740. There is a new book written by Trinity College Dublin history Professor David Dickson called “Arctic Ireland.” I have not read the book but am looking forward to getting a copy.

Hundreds of thousands of Irish died during “The Great Frost.” It brought the country and Europe to a standstill. They believe “The Great Frost” may have been the result of volcanic activity in Russia. The devastation began on 29 December 1739 and went into 1741.

To find out more you can read the article here.

©2011 – Blair Archival Research

The New Brunswick Archives Irish Portal Databases

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The Archives of New Brunswick have added The New Brunswick Irish Portal to their website. The portal opens with an essay by Dr. Stewart Donovan of St. Thomas University. You can read it online or download versions in PDF and Word. The portal has exhibits and databases.

The databases include Saint John Almshouse Records; Brenan Funeral Home Records: Traces of Ireland; Fitzwilliam Estate Emigration Books 1847-1856; RS555 Provincial Secretary: Immigration Administration Records; Immigrant Letters; Newspapers; Passenger Lists; Teachers Petition Database and Irish Immigrants in the New Brunswick Census of 1851 and 1861.

The Saint John Almshouse Records has a name index. There are PDF files about the records and social welfare in New Brunswick from 1784 to 1900. The records are from the St. John [sic] City Almshouse Admission Registers from 1843-1897 and the Saint John Almshouse Admission Registers, 1843-1884. These records are for people who were admitted to the Alms and Work House, the Emigrant Infirmary, and the St. John Emigrant Orphan Asylum.

When you click on Name Index you come to the list for the letter A and can choose another letter from the alphabetical listing above. When you click on a surname of interest you get a transcription listing of the people found. The information includes a surname, given name, date of admission, age, condition (health), nativity (county/country of origin), vessel, religion, departure and landed.

When you click on details you get a more complete transcription, microfilm number and a digital image of the record in question which you can download.

The Brenan Funeral Home Records has a complete transcription of records from 1901-1960. Brenan’s dealt mainly with Protestant clients. The information found on the transcriptions is some basic information that can be found in a death record with the added bonus of finding other pertinent information.

Fitzwilliam Estate Emigration Books 1847-1856 this database consists of the 383 people that travelled on the sailing vessel called “The Star” to St. Andrew’s New Brunswick. The results are listed alphabetically and include name, age, townland, townland official, civil parish, year, ship, departure, arrival, and notes.

RS555 Provincial Secretary: Immigration Administration Records does not have a searchable database. There is a finding aid for the records and an essay on “New Brunswick as a Home for Immigrants” by Koral Lavorgna.

Immigrant Letters consists of several indexes: subject, place and collection as well as a full text search.

Newspapers have a subject and newspaper index and a full text search.

Passengers Lists describe the act to “regulate Vessels arriving from the United Kingdom with Passengers and Emigrants” and passenger statistics from 1816 to 1865. You will also find a vessel and name index.

The Teachers Petition Database is a searchable database with information on 509 petitions requesting a teaching license or payment for the teaching services that were provided from 1816 to 1858. These records relate to those who said their place of birth was Ireland.

The last section is Irish Immigrants in the New Brunswick Census of 1851 and 1861. Here you will find statistics, a name index and other indexes where you can search by county, religion, where from and year landed.

There is an exhibit called “In the Wake of Dark Passage Irish Famine Migration to New Brunswick.” More exhibits are coming.

This website is a great resource for those who have New Brunswick Irish connections. It is also a valuable resource to learn about the Irish immigrants and how they contributed to their new homeland.

©2011 – Blair Archival Research