The Countdown is On for the Great Canadian Genealogy Summit

2016 Great Canadian Genealogy Summit Speakers. © 2016.

The countdown is on for the Great Canadian Genealogy Summit. In just under two months time, the newest genealogy conference in Canada will be underway.

It's the only genealogy conference of its kind because it features all Canadian speakers presenting on topics important to family historians researching their ancestors in Canada. Ancestors in Canada who were from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Quebec. Ancestors who were loyal to Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War - Loyalists.

Not only that, but guess what? As an attendee you get to hang out with the speakers. Seriously. It's built right into the schedule. Also, the opening and closing plenary speakers are Canadian authors, Jennifer DeBruin, and Lynn Palermo, The Armchair Genealogist.

As if that weren't already enough, there is the Marketplace Exhibit Hall filled with vendors such as Forever®, Shop the Hound, National Institute for Genealogical Studies, Global Genealogy, the Drouin Institute and more!

Plus, there are the fantastic sponsors such as Find My Past, Ancestry.ca, MyHeritage, The In-Depth Genealogist, Shop the Hound, Forever®, and more who are sponsoring our speakers, providing name tag lanyards, digital copies of the handouts, laptop bags, give-aways and prizes.

The best part is the Early Bird pricing on registration has been EXTENDED! Deadline is this Saturday, August 27, 2016 at 12:00 noon ET.

So what are you waiting for?
Register now!

Otherwise, you'll miss out, and you'll be waiting another whole year before the Great Canadian Genealogy Summit happens again.


© Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2016. All Rights Reserved

A Canadian Connection to Richard III

Have researchers at the University of Leicester found the remains of Richard III?

Since August, I have been following the fascinating story about Richard III and his Canadian 17th generation grand nephews and niece.

Researchers from the University of Leicester have been digging at the site of Grey Friars Church with the hope of finding human remains. Recently, a grave was discovered beneath the church. The researchers are currently analyzing the remains. There is strong evidence the corpse could be Richard III. According to Leicester University director of corporate affairs, Richard Taylor "the skeleton displayed spinal abnormalities consistent with contemporary accounts of Richard's appearance."
However, the real proof is Canadian. The Canadian connection to Richard III comes from his 16th generation grand-niece, Joy Ibsen. Ibsen was born in England and immigrated to Canada after World War II. Her children have taken DNA tests which confirm they have mtDNA that matches Richard III's mother, Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. The Ibsens are direct descendants of Richard III's eldest sister, Anne of York.

It will be a few months before the tests are complete, and the results revealed. In the meantime, you can follow this story as well.

Sources:
Canadian family holds genetic key to Richard III puzzle
Canadian's DNA key to confirming whether new found corpse is Richard III
Richard III dig:'Strong evidence' bones are lost king
Canadians DNA sought to prove human remains belong to King Richard III


Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2012.

Tuesday Teachings - Two Essential Resources for English and Welsh Research

One of the most important things you need to know when researching English and Welsh ancestors is the parish and the registration district in which they were born, married and died, especially before 1974. Knowing this information will save you some money and a whole lot of aggravation when ordering birth, marriage and death registration certificates from the General Register Office.

 

For example, my ancestor Joseph George was born in Wales. From information on the 1861 Wales Census (RG 9, Piece 4170, Folio 106, Page 4, Schedule 16) it states he was born in St. Dogwells, Pembrokeshire. Funny, I thought he was born in the parish of St. Dogmells. Perhaps there is a spelling error. Which registration district is this parish located?

 

The Phillimore Atlas & Index of Parish Registers, 3rd Edition, edited by Cecil R. Humphery-Smith is an essential resource. A search in the Index reveals St. Dogwell's and St. Dogmael's are two different parishes. St. Dogwell's is in Haverfordwest registration district. St. Dogmael's is in the registration district of Cardigan. The cost of this book may be prohibitive to some researchers as it is quite pricey at £50.00. Check your local library or Family History Centre (FHC) to see if they have a copy you can use.

 

 

A far more affordable option is a book titled Parishes & Registration Districts in England & Wales... by Dr. Penelope Christensen. It costs $18.00 at the GenealogyStore.com. Click on Heritage Books from the left side menu, then "The England Series" link. You will find the book listed there.

 

 

 

Now that I know the registration district for St. Dogwell's and St. Dogmael's, I can search for my ancestor, Joseph George on FreeBMD to find the information I need to order the birth registration certificate. I don't necessarily need the registration district in order to do a search, but it certainly helps to narrower the search results. This especially true if your ancestor had a common name like David Davies. Again, from the census records I know Joseph George was born about 1855.

 

A search for Joseph George born between March 1854 and December 1856 in Cardigan registration district resulted in no matches. The same search in Haverfordwest registration district yielded the result below.

With this information, I can now order the birth registration certificate for Joseph.

In next week's edition of Tuesday Teachings I will discuss how to order birth, marriage and death certificates from the General Register Office in England.

Wordless Wednesday

Unknown Infant. Photograph. Walsall, Staffordshire, England. Digital Image. Privately held by Kathryn Lake Hogan UE, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Windsor, Ontario. 2008.

Wordless Wednesday

Portrait of Unknown Family by J.A. Draycott. Photograph. Walsall, Staffordshire, England. Digital Image. Privately held by Kathryn Lake Hogan UE, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Windsor, Ontario. 2008.