PROGRAM
9:00-9:45 Registration and coffee
9:45-11:00 (Plenary): Welcome, Introduction, and Session A.
Session A:
Advances in Irish Research (developments over the last 5 years)
This presentation will discuss changes and developments that have occurred over the last five years in Irish research. The many records and indexes now online at commercial and archives web sites will be reviewed, as well as ways that researchers can keep current on online offerings. Changes at Irish repositories such as the National Library in Dublin and the PRONI in Belfast will be detailed, as well as records now available on microfilm through the Family History Library and records to be found at Irish county libraries. Other topics include newly published guides and sources, activities of genealogical societies, Irish genealogy blogs, the annual Back to Our Past conferences in Ireland and “The Gathering” upcoming in Ireland in 2013.
Speaker: Kyle J. Betit.
11:15-12:15 Concurrent Sessions
Session B
Understanding Religion and Politics in Ireland
Since the sixteenth century religion and politics have had a tumultuous interconnection in Ireland. This presentation shows how the evolution of the state church under Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Cromwell, and William of Orange eventually reduced Catholic land ownership to a fraction of what it had once been. Non-conformist Protestant religious groups also had their civil rights restricted by the established church. Dr. Elliott will show how all of this impacted the type of genealogical documents being created by various religious bodies.
Speaker: David R. Elliott
Session C
Irish Research at Toronto Repositories – Part I
There are many helpful resources for Irish genealogy at the Toronto Public Library and at university libraries and Family History Centres (FHCs) in Toronto. This is the first part of a two-part presentation describing these perhaps unexpected treasures, and discussing how they can be of great help even to intermediate and advanced researchers. The resources which will be highlighted include, in addition to items in the collections, some intriguing subscription databases which are freely accessible at these repositories. The presentation is continued in the afternoon session Irish Research at Toronto Repositories -- Part II.
Speaker: James F.S. Thomson
12:15-1.15
Lunch
There are several food outlets and restaurants close to the Library, or bring a lunch.
12:30-1:00
Session D
Around the Brick Wall: Tracing Back through Collateral Lines
Using siblings’ records may be the route to finding earlier ancestors. The case studies in this presentation include a marriage settlement in the Registry of Deeds (Dublin), a will, and a visiting Irish niece in an English census– all to find earlier generations of the family when the direct path seemed to end.
Speaker: Linda Reid
1:15-2:15
Concurrent Sessions
Session E
Irish Church Records; Catholic and Protestant
Prior to the advent of civil registration in Ireland (1864; or 1845 for non-Catholic marriages), church records are one of the most important sources for tracing ancestors. The starting dates of Catholic records vary widely, with an average about 1820. Many Church of Ireland records were destroyed in 1922. This presentation will discuss how to find and use surviving records for Roman Catholics, Church of Ireland members, Presbyterians, Methodists, Quakers and other groups. This includes not only baptisms, marriages, and deaths, but also items like parish censuses; vestry or session minutes; convert records; records of ministers, priests and religious orders. Information will be give about where to find such records in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, outside Ireland, and online. Strategies for making the most effective use of the data in the records will also be given.
Speaker: Kyle J. Betit
Session F
Irish Research at Toronto Repositories – Part II
This presentation takes further our exploration of very helpful resources for Irish genealogical research at libraries and FHCs in Toronto. For a description of the content of this presentation, see Irish Research at Toronto Repositories -- Part I.
Speaker: James F.S. Thomson
2:30-3:30 Concurrent Sessions
Session G
Making the Most of Irish Sources Online
Irish genealogy, as everyone knows, has been made difficult by the loss of many of the usual records (parish records, census, wills) as the result of either civil war or government order. This loss is reflected in the online sources, which also suffer from the lack of a coordinated government digitization strategy. But the situation for Irish research online is beginning to improve quite dramatically and although it is necessary to use a number of different sources, a family historian can make significant discoveries online. This presentation will cover the main Irish sources online, as well as many of the minor ones. Emphasis will also be given to showing how a researcher can keep up to date with all the new and promised developments for Irish genealogy on the Internet.
Speaker: Marian Press
Session H
Irish Estate Records
Many Irish ancestors were tenant farmers who leased or rented their land directly from a landowner or indirectly from a "middleman." Only a small percentage of people in Ireland owned their land outright. Estate records are the private papers of the landlords of Ireland. Estate papers are relevant to the common tenant because the landlords often kept detailed records, such as rent rolls and leases, of the people living on their estates. Before surviving church records begin, estate papers may be among the only sources available for tracing the common classes. This presentation will discuss the types of estate papers and the information held in them, how to identify the appropriate landlords, and how to find their estate papers. Also included in the discussion is the large body of records generated in the 19th century by the Incumbered Estates Court.
Speaker: Kyle J. Betit
3:45:4:45 Concurrent Sessions
Session I
A Practical Tour of various Irish Archives and Record Repositories
Visitors to Irish Archives and Record Depositories are confronted by a variety of rules and regulations that are somewhat perplexing. This lecture is a guided tour of various archives in Dublin and Belfast, explaining their holdings, regulations, and procedures. For Dublin Dr. Elliott will cover the National Library of Ireland, the National Archaeological Museum, the National Archives, the Dublin City Archives, the General Registry Office, the Registry of Deeds, the Valuation Office, and the Representative Church Body (Anglican Archives). For Belfast we will tour PRONI, GRONI, the Central Library Newspaper Library, the Linen Hall Library, the Presbyterian Historical Society, and the Ulster Historical Foundation. The Migration Centre near Omagh and the resources of local public libraries are also introduced.
Speaker: David R. Elliott
Session J
Irish Sources you may never have considered
Because so many records were destroyed or never very well kept, the Irish researcher will want to try to access as many types of records as possible. There are numerous record types to try beyond the most commonly known ones. This presentation includes such important sources as freeholders, freemen and voting records; militia and yeomanry records; prison records, school and educational sources; Catholic Qualification Rolls, the 1841 Morpeth Roll, Registry of Deeds, Land Registry, occupational records, and more!
Speaker: Kyle J. Betit
SPEAKERS’ BIOGRAPHIES
Kyle J. Betit is a Senior Genealogist at ProGenealogists in Salt Lake City, Utah, a division of Ancestry. He specializes in Irish, Eastern European, Canadian and French research. He was a co-editor of the popular journal The Irish At Home and Abroad, and is co-author of A Genealogist's Guide to Discovering Your Irish Ancestors. He is an instructor for the Internet genealogy certificate course program offered by the University of Toronto and the National Institute of Genealogical Studies. He has spoken on Irish genealogy for numerous groups and conferences in the United States, Canada, and Ireland. He makes regular research trips to Ireland for clients. He has written articles for many genealogical publications including Ancestry, Heritage Quest, Family Chronicle, and New England Ancestors. He also has a keen interest in genetics.
Dr. David R. Elliott has taught Canadian and European history at a number of Canadian universities. For the past ten years he has operated Kinfolk Finders, a company that specializes in Canadian-Irish genealogical research. He has made nine research trips to Ireland where he has conducted research for his clients and has indexed cemeteries, parish registers and poor law union records there. He is the author of the recently published Researching Your Irish Ancestors at Home and Abroad. He is also the past-chair of the London & Middlesex OGS and the vice-chair of the OGS Irish Special interest group.
Marian Press MLS, MA, is a retired academic librarian who has been tracing her roots for over 25 years. She is a frequent speaker at genealogical workshops and conferences, teaches courses for the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society and writes regularly for Internet Genealogy and Family Chronicle. She recently published Education and Ontario Family History: Resources for Genealogists and Historians, OGS/Dundurn Press, 2011.
Linda Reid MLS is a retired librarian who has been tracing her British and Irish roots for over 25 years. She is program co-ordinator for Toronto Branch and a volunteer in the Toronto Family History Centre. She has taught Toronto Branch courses and presented at meetings, workshops and conferences throughout Ontario, most recently at Toronto Branch’s Great War Workshop in November 2011 and the BIFHSGO Conference in Ottawa in September 2011.
James F. S. Thomson has designed and taught over a dozen very popular advanced and expert-level family history courses co-sponsored by Toronto Branch OGS and the Toronto Public Library. For these courses and in his articles and presentations at conferences and workshops, as well as in his capacity as a University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies instructor, James draws on over thirty years of experience of family and local history research.
HOW TO GET TO THE WORKSHOP
By public transit: North York Central Library is connected directly to the North York Centre subway station, on the Yonge line. Inter-city trains and buses link with the subway at Union, Dundas, or York Mills stations. Allow at least 35 minutes from Union or Dundas, or 15 minutes from York Mills, to get to North York Centre.
By car: North York Central Library is at 5120 Yonge Street, Toronto M2N 5N9, on the west side at Park Home Avenue (about halfway between Sheppard and Finch). From Highway 401, exit northbound at Yonge Street; proceed north to Park Home Avenue (6th or 7th traffic light) and turn left. The most convenient parking ($5 per day on Saturdays) is under the building—enter from Novotel on Park Home, or from Beecroft Road (parallel and west of Yonge Street).
ACCOMMODATION
Novotel Toronto North York is adjacent to the North York Central Library. To obtain the group rate ($134.00/night), please call the hotel directly at 416-733-2929 #2 and refer to booking #22858. Rooms will be held until October 16. For general information about the hotel, visit www.novotel.com
ACCESSIBILITY
The venue for this workshop is wheelchair accessible with easy elevator access between the library entrance and the auditorium. If you are a person with a disability and you need a support person to accompany you to this workshop, he or she is welcome at no extra charge.
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