Death or Canada: Uncovering the Plain people of the Irish Famine Migration

Mark McGowan
An exploration of the how average ordinary Irish people, both Protestant and Catholic, are discovered and tracked through manuscript and routinely generated records. This story begins in archives and museums in Ireland and continues in the commemorations, archives, newspapers, and cemeteries of Canada.
Copies of the book Death or Canada will be for sale.

Mini-presentation: Cathy McNamara: My Quilts and Genealogy

Scottish Scoundrels

Melissa Ellis
A look at some databases where our felonious ancestors might be found. English and Scottish records will be examined.

Mini-presentation: Marian Press:

Great Moments in Genealogy
In a series of short presentations, several Toronto Branch members will share with us “great moments” in their genealogical research.

Speakers:

Patricia Sheehan - Did the census-taker drop his folder? - an unscrambling job in Grey County (Ontario)

Douglas Hill - A letter home from abroad-- from a whaling boat in 1835 (New Zealand and England)

Ann Rexe - Lost in the 1850's - Unusual Name Unusual Record put a new perspective on my family (England)

Donna Di Lello - Indentured Chinese in Guyana

Diane Clendenan - From Ireland to India

Melissa Ellis

Greg Marlatt - Mainly Because of the Meat (Ontario with side references to England, Guernsey, and the US)

Judy Gauthier - Serendipity (good fortune; luck: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident)

Paul Jones - What the Photo Detective Saw (England)

Marian Press - Among Strangers: How the Granddaughter of General George Ross Kemp Died (Quebec)

Wikis as Genealogical Information Tools

Marian Press
A wiki is a web site that allows individuals to collaboratively build content. As a result the content may continue to change and is always a work in progress. Over the last year, wikis as genealogical information tools have suddenly begun to flourish and are being used by such institutions as the LDS Church (FamilySearch Wiki), the Allen County Public Library (We Relate Wiki) and by individuals such as Dick Eastman (Encyclopedia of Genealogy). This lecture will cover the technology of wikis, the location of the major genealogy wikis and how to contribute to them, as well as providing information on how to use freely-available software on the Internet to establish one’s own wiki. The pros and cons of such a step will be discussed.

Mini-presentation: Michele Skehilll: "Dearly Beloved"

Criminal Trials: Case Studies in Upper Canadian Justice

Janice Nickerson
Not all of our ancestors were illustrious law-abiding citizens. Some of them were criminals. This talk will use a series of case studies to tell the stories of four Upper Canadian criminals. Along the way, audience members will learn about the early history of justice in Ontario and the records generated by the justice system, including newspapers, government correspondence, court minute and docket books, judges’ benchbooks, jail and prison registers (including how and where to find them).

Why not make your own web site?

Randy Saylor
In the world of facebook and blogs, having your own web site still makes sense. Randy will show how easy it is to set up a free web site, share some of his own experiences and comment on elements that bring focus to good web sites.
Points to be made:
1. How to set up a free web site on Rootsweb and WorldConnect
2. Software needed.
3. Other web site options.
4. Randy's main experiences: Transcription, research teams, feedback.
5. How to bring focus to your web site. Geographic, family surname, military, emigrant groups, etc.

Click here to see Randy's web site.