Sifting through evidence to find the “truth” is a skill all serious family historians need, as the information left by our ancestors is all-too-frequently misleading, inaccurate or just plain wrong! Experience reveals that they had many reasons to be economical with the truth, and sometimes they simply didn’t know the answer to the questions thrown at them by clerks, registrars or enumerators. Using real examples, Dave will look at some reasons for the mistruths and offer suggestions on how to recognize their varying degrees of ignorance, half-truths and wilful deception.

This talk covers migration within and beyond Wales. Unlike the Irish or Scots experience, Welsh migration is less about a new life across the oceans; more about migration within Wales itself and in England. Not to say that the Welsh didn’t leave their homeland—Welsh communities were to be found across the globe, from Patagonia to Ohio to Canada to Australia. Prompted by a mix of politics, economics and religion, Welsh families struck out for a brave new world. Gill will explore the historical factors underpinning the motivation for migration, including the rise of religious worship outside the Church of England.

Derek will review some of the many Welsh records now available online and how to find them, using examples of each of these records. Civil, military and parish records will be discussed, as well as occupations, newspapers and Welsh heraldry. Derek will also provide a list of county records offices and archives.

These representatives of the Library and Archives Canada and the Ottawa Public Library will make a presentation on the new joint LAC/OPL facility, Ādisōke, during which participants can give feedback on the genealogy proposals.

Join us for a session with fellow genealogy societies. There will be breakout rooms, open concurrently, and attendees will be able to move freely from room to room and visit as many breakout rooms as they wish during the session. So far, we know there will be local Ontario societies (e.g. Archives of Ontario, Ontario Ancestors, Ottawa Public Library and Huntley Township Historical Society) other Canadian societies (e.g. Manitoba Genealogical Society and Québec Genealogical eSociety) and the Family History Federation from the UK. 

Visit Expo Hall for more societies associated with the conference.

This talk will bring to life the relatively unknown stories of the plucky women who made new lives overseas after the death of their husbands in the Great War, with a particular emphasis on widows emigrating to Canada.

In this talk, Alan will discuss the importance of maps for research, as well as providing a history of the science of cartography, the scope and range of maps and of their development since the 18th century. His focus will be on the mapping of London, one of the most complex in the world. He will also outline how to find the maps available online.

Regular sailing schedules between Liverpool and North America began in 1818, and during the 19th century Liverpool became the primary departure port for emigrants from the British Isles, Northern Europe and Russia to North America, Australia and the rest of the British Empire. Paul will reveal how and why this came about and what the experience of going to, being in, and leaving from Liverpool was like. You will also learn how to identify, access and use the available records of the port and its shipping.

Caroline’s talk begins with an overview of the various types of emigration from England by destination. It explores the religious, political, and economic considerations that motivated emigrants and describes the encouragement to emigrate they received from national and local authorities, companies, charities, and landowners. Caroline also explains the factors that both influenced and limited emigrants' choice of destination at different periods. She then provides a comprehensive account of emigration records available in England, covering the 17th to 20th centuries. 

Newspapers are a wonderful resource for all aspects of family and local history, as the content is so diverse. Searching and discovering information has become much easier with the digitization of so many titles, including Welsh newspapers. Beryl will explain how best to use the National Library’s free website for Welsh newspapers and where to access those that are not available online.

Many researchers find it a somewhat daunting task when their ancestors moved into, around or out of London, particularly if they moved for the anonymity that doing so could create. Researching ancestors in the capital has its own peculiarities: what’s needed is an understanding of the civil and ecclesiastical administration, how the records are organized and where they are located. This talk suggests how to be a successful researcher, including “thinking outside the box.” Ian will also highlight the variety of records available and provide vital tips on a research strategy for success.

Join us for a session with genealogy vendors. There will be breakout rooms, open concurrently, and you can move freely from room to room and visit as many breakout rooms as you wish during the session. Currently, the following vendors plan to attend:

Archive CD Books Canada

Family Ancestrees

Geni

Legacy Family Tree Webinars

Linda Corupe

MyHeritage

Sher Leetooze

Shop the Hound

Scottish Indexes will offer a presentation "English and Welsh Ancestors at www.scottishindexes.com” from 3:30-3:45 p.m.

Visit Expo Hall for more vendors associated with the conference.

You’ll be able to visit one of several breakout rooms, each covering a conference theme, where experienced researchers will be available to share their knowledge and exchange ideas with you. You can move from room to room as you wish. Ask questions, trade tips with fellow genealogists and learn from the specialists!

These speakers have volunteered to attend the breakout rooms so far:

• England – Ian Waller / Gill Blanchard / Mia Bennett / David Annal
  
• Wales – Gill Thomas / Beryl Evans / Derek Blount
  
• Migration – Caroline Gurney / Dr. Janet Few / Andrea Hetherington
  

Join us!

The enumerators first went to work on the UK census in 1841 and have performed a vital role in each successive decennial census ever since then. It hasn’t always been an easy ride: confronted by hostile householders and at the mercy of the decisions made by the census authorities, their stories shed a fascinating light on one of the most important sets of records used by family historians today. Using original documents, contemporary newspaper reports and the census returns themselves, this talk will turn the spotlight onto the men and women who created the UK’s census returns.

Three-quarters of those leaving England for overseas destinations in the Victorian era went to the USA. In North Devon, however, the overwhelming majority chose Canada as their new home. In this talk, Janet uses a case-study approach to investigate what motivated these emigrants and the role played by the Bible Christian Church (a Methodist denomination) in their decision to start a new life across the Atlantic.

With the help of old diaries, newspaper articles and postcards sent from around the world, Mia pieced together the life story of her great-great grandfather, who was a ship’s steward. Her research revealed that he was lucky enough to experience mingling with famous people and seeing eclipses, but that he also loved just going out in the rowing boat when home on the Isle of Wight. Mia will also describe the helpful research techniques and websites/sources she used while researching his life.