Are you interested in your Scottish roots? In discovering who your Scottish ancestors were and how they lived? The Scottish Genealogy Group is made up of people who share these interests. At our informal meetings we share information and resources and discuss our successes and our brick walls. We all, beginners and experts alike, learn from and encourage each other.
Visit the links page to find information about Scottish research.
Saturday, March 10
Doing Family Tree Research in Your Pajamas (Monthly Meeting)
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Presented by Ken McKinlay
The basics of researching your family tree haven't changed much but what has changed is the availability of information that can be found without even leaving the comfort of your home. The talk will cover key aspects of using the Internet to locate and record information concerning your ancestors. What is needed to record and preserve what is found, web sites that are treasure troves of information and tips to possibly break through that brick wall will be some of the topics covered.
About the Speaker
Ken McKinlay's background is as a computer network and security specialist. His foray into family tree research started with three simple family stories that he wanted to confirm or refute. He has now been researching his family tree for about 12 years making use of the Internet as his primary means of locating relevant documents and also discovering new cousins. He is currently working on the Canadian Records certificate offered through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies.
BIFHSGO Writing Group (Special Interests Groups)
11:45 am
Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Open to BIFHSGO members who want feedback on writing their family history or memoirs, the Writing Group meets after the monthly BIFHSGO Saturday meetings. We bring extra copies of our writing to share with members. Most of us also bring a lunch to eat before we begin our readings. Meetings run from about 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the 5th floor cafeteria at Library and Archives Canada.
Saturday, March 17
Scottish Genealogy Group (Special Interests Groups)
Are you interested in your Scottish roots? In discovering who your Scottish ancestors were and how they lived? The Scottish Genealogy Group is made up of people who share these interests. At our informal meetings we share information and resources and discuss our successes and our brick walls. We all, beginners and experts alike, learn from and encourage each other.
Visit the links page to find information about Scottish research.
Monday, April 2
An Evening with Simon Fowler (Event)
7:00 pm to 9:30 pm - Auditorium, LAC
Presented by Simon Fowler
Come and meet experienced researchers, enjoy some refreshments and
listen to this noted family history expert give two FREE lectures:
Researching your Military Ancestors Online
British Emigration Records
Simon Fowler is one of Britain’s most experienced family history teachers, writers and researchers. He specializes in military family history, with a particular focus on the First World War, and is the author of numerous well-regarded research guides and articles. Simon worked on and off for The National Archives/Public Record Office at Kew for over thirty years and edited their family history magazine Ancestors. He also teaches online military history courses for Pharos Tutors.
Saturday, April 14
A Brick Wall Chisel - The Cluster Research Project (Monthly Meeting)
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Presented by Ruth Blair, PLCGS
You have an ancestor and you know he should be found in that particular parish but he is nowhere to be found in the registers – now what? You have two people with the same name, age and living to adulthood, how do you distinguish the two? Are they related? This is where a cluster research project can be useful. This lecture will describe how to organize and start a cluster research project to help you breakdown a brickwall in your family history. A case study that is based in England will be used to describe the process.
About the Speaker
Ruth Blair is a Professional Genealogist and lecturer based in Oakville Ontario. She has been conducting family history research for over 25 years and has researched her family history from Canada to Ireland, England, Scotland, United States, Australia and New Zealand. She holds a Professional Learning Certificate for Genealogical Studies for Canada, England and Ireland from the National Institute for Genealogical Studies. In addition to being an Instructor at the National Institute for Genealogical Studies she has lectured extensively for the Ontario Genealogical Society and its branches as well as historical societies and public libraries. She is the author of the Passionate Genealogist blog and has written two books “Planning a Genealogical Research Trip to Ireland: The Research Trail in Dublin” and “Remembering Trafalgar Township”.
BIFHSGO Writing Group (Special Interests Groups)
11:45 am
Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Open to BIFHSGO members who want feedback on writing their family history or memoirs, the Writing Group meets after the monthly BIFHSGO Saturday meetings. We bring extra copies of our writing to share with members. Most of us also bring a lunch to eat before we begin our readings. Meetings run from about 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the 5th floor cafeteria at Library and Archives Canada.
Saturday, April 21
Scottish Genealogy Group (Special Interests Groups)
Are you interested in your Scottish roots? In discovering who your Scottish ancestors were and how they lived? The Scottish Genealogy Group is made up of people who share these interests. At our informal meetings we share information and resources and discuss our successes and our brick walls. We all, beginners and experts alike, learn from and encourage each other.
Visit the links page to find information about Scottish research.
Saturday, May 12
ROOTS: A Genealogical Snapshot of a Sandy Hill Congregation (Monthly Meeting)
10:00 am to 11:30 pm
Presented by Dr Glenn J. Lockwood and Janet Uren
When the church of St. Alban was built in 1867 in the emerging neighbourhood of Sandy Hill, it attracted a congregation that included many of the movers and shakers of a very young Ottawa. In that year, members of parliament and civil servants were only beginning to arrive in the brand new Canadian capital, and many built their houses in Sandy Hill. The young congregation included Sir John A. Macdonald and his wife, whose first home was in Sandy Hill. But where did they and their neighbours come from? Using St. Alban’s as a focal point, the speakers will look back at the origins of a new neighbourhood to show how a typical Canadian community was constructed out of largely British building blocks in Confederation-era Canada.
About the Speakers
Dr Glenn J. Lockwood is a professional historian and the descendant of pioneers in Leeds County. He has written a dozen major works on community history in Eastern Ontario, recently including The Story of Brockville: Men and Women Making a Canadian Community on the United States Frontier, 1749-2007 (2006) and The History of the St. James’ Parish in Perth (2011). He currently serves as Archivist of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and has recently been editing his grandfather’s diaries, which portray daily life on an early 20th-century farm in the Rideau corridor.
Janet Uren is a professional writer who specializes in historical subjects. She is the author of three books on local institutional history: VOICES from Elmwood School, 1915-2000; MINTO Skating Through Time, 1904-2004; and PLACE OF PEACE: The Story of Bruce House, 1988-2008. She has also written numerous historical exhibitions including, for example: “On the Road North: The Journey of Black Canadians to Freedom” for Parks Canada and Canadian Heritage and “Canada Face to Face,” a permanent exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization featuring famous Canadians. She has also written many family histories for clients and is on the organizing committee of next year’s Sandy Hill Historical House Tour, June 8-9, 2012, organized by the IODE Laurentian Chapter.
BIFHSGO Writing Group (Special Interests Groups)
11:45 am
Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Open to BIFHSGO members who want feedback on writing their family history or memoirs, the Writing Group meets after the monthly BIFHSGO Saturday meetings. We bring extra copies of our writing to share with members. Most of us also bring a lunch to eat before we begin our readings. Meetings run from about 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the 5th floor cafeteria at Library and Archives Canada.
Are you interested in your Scottish roots? In discovering who your Scottish ancestors were and how they lived? The Scottish Genealogy Group is made up of people who share these interests. At our informal meetings we share information and resources and discuss our successes and our brick walls. We all, beginners and experts alike, learn from and encourage each other.
Visit the links page to find information about Scottish research.
Saturday, June 9
Great Moments in Genealogy (Monthly Meeting)
10:00 am to 11:30 am
Finding Uncle Percy’s Naval Service Record
By Betty Warburton
Old photos told his family that Uncle Percy had served in the navy during World War I. Lettering on his cap H.M.C.S ---BE, suggested that he had served with the Canadian Navy. BUT the Genealogy Centre at Library and Archives Canada could not find his name in their index. This is the story of breaking through that brick wall.
About the Speaker
Born in England, Betty Warburton (née Morris) came to Canada with her parents as a child. With a degree in Library Science, she worked as a librarian in Cape Breton and Hamilton, Ontario. After her marriage and while raising a family, she worked part-time in nursery schools in Ottawa. A long time member of BIFHSGO, Betty has been searching for her ancestors in England and for her late husband’s ancestors in Toronto for over fifteen years. For much of that time she has been actively involved in the society’s library.
My Journey to the Middle of Nowhere
By Judy Thamas
Judy’s WOW moment actually took place in the middle of nowhere in northern Cumbria in England. The family rumour was that they were somehow connected to the Armstrong family in England. Her story started in the 1970s when she began to gather information. About 10 years ago, she found information that confirmed the Armstrong connection. From there, she found the information needed to take her to the family of parents and 12 children along with the church that the parents were married in and the children christened in as well as the farm that they lived on. The story culminates in her finding the church and the farm and walking the ground.
About the Speaker
Judy Thamas grew up in southern Ontario and has spent a good majority of her adult life either as a wife of a member of the Canadian Forces or as a reservist in the Primary Reserve or a combination of both. Thanks to the military, she has lived on both coasts of Canada, in Ottawa, and in Germany. She has worked for the private sector as a bookkeeper, factory worker, and in administration. Judy retired from the Reserves in September of 2010 after 24 years as a musician, a cook and a clerk. She first started working on her family history in 1976. Since her retirement, she fills her days with family history.
William Smyth Militiaman of 1812
By Dave Roger and Jean Roger
William Smyth, early Ottawa settler and Roger family ancestor, left quite an imprint in the Ottawa area. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1794 and died at Billings Bridge, Carleton County in 1877. He married into a UEL family and had an illustrious post-war career.
Family and historical documents show that his militia service, marriage, family, and community projects and service made him a significant contributor to our local heritage. This talk explores William Smyth and his immediate family’s place in history. It corrects some misconceptions and includes a great moment discovery confirming family lore of his participation in the War of 1812.
About the Speakers
Dave Roger, Ottawa native, graduated MD from the University of Toronto, interned in Ottawa and New York and served as R.C.A.F. Medical Officer until 1946 in U.K, France and Holland.
Post-war, Dave completed qualifications in London, Canada and US and dual specialties in Cardiology and Radiology. In Ottawa consultant practice, he saw patients in the Ottawa Valley and adjacent regions and as far away as Baffin Regional Hospital, Frobisher Bay (Iqualuit). He retired in 1995. Dave is Past-President, Emeritus Director, Beechwood Cemetery. Interests include a love of learning, history and family genealogy. He has 3 children and 5 grandchildren.
On graduating from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba, Jean Roger worked in Architecture and Commercial Interior Design in Ottawa and Montreal. Her career then evolved into new specialties in Facilities Management and Telecommunications. She retired as Senior Telecom Officer, Canadian National Railways in 2004. Free time is now spent helping run non-profit Arthritis West Island Self-Help Association in Montreal and in genealogy, cookery and sailing.
Scottish and English Architects of the Chateau Laurier and Union Station
By David Jeanes
On 1 June 1912, Ottawa's grand Chateau Laurier and Union Station opened with little fanfare. These spectacular buildings were the work of a newly-assembled team of architects led by two Scottish-Canadians born in Montreal, George Allen Ross and David Huron MacFarlane. Many members of their team had just arrived from Scotland or England and most of them established close ties to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Some common and some unusual British sources yielded interesting insights into their backgrounds and the creation of these two Beaux-Arts landmarks. A particularly rich resource for these individuals was found in the archives held at RIBA’s remarkable library in London, which were recently transferred to the Victoria and Albert Museum. British genealogical sources have also proved useful in identifying the little-known architects of some grand railway stations in other Canadian cities, including Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg.
About the Speaker
David Jeanes is a retired professional engineer with long-standing interests in genealogy, heritage architecture and railways. Born in southeast London he came to Ottawa in 1957, attending Lisgar Collegiate and the University of Toronto, and working at Nortel. He is a BIFHSGO member since its early days, vice-president of Heritage Ottawa and president of Transport Action Canada (a public transport advocacy group). His British research for his own and his wife’s families covers all the coastal counties from Essex to southwest Wales. He has spoken a number of times at BIFHSGO and also elsewhere on architectural and railway history.
BIFHSGO Writing Group (Special Interests Groups)
11:45 am
Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Open to BIFHSGO members who want feedback on writing their family history or memoirs, the Writing Group meets after the monthly BIFHSGO Saturday meetings. We bring extra copies of our writing to share with members. Most of us also bring a lunch to eat before we begin our readings. Meetings run from about 11:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the 5th floor cafeteria at Library and Archives Canada.
Friday, September 14 through Sunday, September 16
BIFHSGO's 18th Annual Family History Conference (Conferences)
Celebrate your Anglo-Celtic roots and share your family history knowledge and stories. This year's focus is Scotland.
For more information, visit our Conference pages.
Saturday, September 22
Scottish Genealogy Group (Special Interests Groups)
Are you interested in your Scottish roots? In discovering who your Scottish ancestors were and how they lived? The Scottish Genealogy Group is made up of people who share these interests. At our informal meetings we share information and resources and discuss our successes and our brick walls. We all, beginners and experts alike, learn from and encourage each other.
Visit the links page to find information about Scottish research.
Saturday, October 20
Scottish Genealogy Group (Special Interests Groups)
Are you interested in your Scottish roots? In discovering who your Scottish ancestors were and how they lived? The Scottish Genealogy Group is made up of people who share these interests. At our informal meetings we share information and resources and discuss our successes and our brick walls. We all, beginners and experts alike, learn from and encourage each other.
Visit the links page to find information about Scottish research.
Saturday, November 17
Scottish Genealogy Group (Special Interests Groups)
Are you interested in your Scottish roots? In discovering who your Scottish ancestors were and how they lived? The Scottish Genealogy Group is made up of people who share these interests. At our informal meetings we share information and resources and discuss our successes and our brick walls. We all, beginners and experts alike, learn from and encourage each other.
Visit the links page to find information about Scottish research.
