Category Archives: News

Do You Have Ancestors from Leeds & Grenville?

One of the earliest books about the history of Leeds and Grenville Counties is History of Leeds & Grenville, covering the period from1749 to 1879, written by Thaddeus Leavitt.  If you’ve ever wondered about the origins of some of those stories, so has Canadian author and genealogist Robbie Gorr.  Over the past several years he has delved deeper into the tales told by Leavitt, and shared his research in News & Views, the newsletter of the Leeds & Grenville Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. 

The Branch has just published the essays in The Things That Thaddeus Told Us, A Supplement to Leavitt’s History of Leeds & Grenville, complete with an Index.  This book is now available through the OGS Marketplace as a digital download for $15.00, or through the Branch as a print publication for $35.00 plus shipping costs. To order a digital copy, visit the OGS Marketplace here, or for a paper version contact the Branch at [email protected].

Leeds & Grenville Branch Publications Now Available in Marketplace

Happy Holidays from your Leeds & Grenville Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.  We have some exciting news that we couldn’t wait to share!
 
After months of work digitizing, formatting and creating descriptions, Leeds & Grenville Branch is thrilled to announce that our publications are now for sale in digital format in Ontario Ancestors Marketplace.  Simply visit the OGS website, click on Marketplace, then Branch Publications, and Leeds & Grenville.  We are still working on uploading, so if a publication you wish to purchase isn’t listed, please let us know at [email protected]
 
Paper versions of most publications are still available to order from the Branch.  Contact us at the above address to enquire about availability and postage costs.
 
Thank you for supporting the Leeds & Grenville Branch as it works to preserve the genealogical history of the United Counties.

Museum Hours Changes

The Brockville Museum will be closed from December 24th, 2021 through January 3rd, 2022 inclusive.  Beginning in January, 2022 the Museum will open Monday through Friday from 10 am until 4 pm, rather than the Tuesday – Saturday which has been the practice in 2021.

Access to the Leeds & Grenville Branch Archives

Update Effective November, 2021

With the Proof of Vaccination policy:

• All Museum visitors will be asked if they pass screening (don’t have symptoms)
• Museum Front Desk volunteers will ask for and check Vaccine Certificate and government-issued ID for visitors (not for staff and volunteers). They will do this for Archives visitors as well.


The Brockville Museum is now open for visitors to its exhibits by appointment only and with capacity limits.  The Museum building, which houses the Archives of the Leeds & Grenville Branch, is open Tuesday through Saturday between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.

The Leeds & Grenville Branch of OGS is working to re-open our Archives to visitors beginning Tuesday, September 14th, but only by appointment.  Our space limitations are such that we can only accommodate two visitors at a time in order to maintain physical distancing.  Masks must be worn to enter the Museum building, and while in our Archives space.

In order to book an appointment, please leave a message on our Voice Mail system (613-342-7773) or by email at [email protected], telling us your name and contact information (email and telephone preferred), the date and time you would prefer to visit, and alternates if possible.  We would also like to know the names or locations that you wish to research so that we can determine which resources we have available to assist.  Our Archives appointments will begin at either 15 minutes before the hour, or 15 minutes after, to avoid arrivals of Museum visitors and Archives visitors at the front desk at the same time.

Once we receive your request we will reach out to our researchers to determine whether we can accommodate your request, and match up the request with a researcher.  Any further instructions about on-site requirements will be given when we confirm your appointment.  We will advise the Museum once we confirm your appointment.  This process will take at least 48 hours to complete, so please be patient with us.  We are all volunteers.

Please note that drop-ins CANNOT be accommodated at this time.  If you have any questions, please either leave us a voice mail or send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Brockville Museum Feasibility Study

Brockville Museum
Brockville Museum

The Brockville Museum, home to the Archives of the Leeds & Grenville Branch, is undertaking a feasibility study to plan for a new Museum, and as part of that study is asking for input!  If you use the Leeds & Grenville Branch Archives, or participate in our programming, we are asking you to take a few minutes to tell the consultants about your vision and needs for a new Museum space.  You can find out more about the study at the Museum’s website here:  www.brockvillemuseum.com/aboutus.

The community consultation process includes an online survey, open until the end of the year, which asks questions about usage, needs (and wants) for a new facility.  Please take a few moments to share your thoughts on the Museum’s future by answering the survey questions

Our Branch’s vision for a new facility includes an integrated research space that would combine the Museum’s research materials with ours, and with resources from the City of Brockville.  This would allow researchers to access the resources they need to build their family history, as well as meeting space and adequate safe storage space.  What is YOUR vision.

Book: Tales from the General Store, The Untold History of Bishop’s Mills

On May 11th the Leeds & Grenville Branch held its first ever online meeting, with presenter Tom Graham telling us stories from “Tales from the General Store, The Untold History of Bishop’s Mills.” The presentation was very popular, with many attendees asking where they could purchase a copy of the book. The following link will take you to the ordering page for the book: https://www.tdgraham.com/books. We thank Tom for a wonderful presentation.

“Tales from the General Store – the Untold History of Bishop’s Mills”

Leeds & Grenville Branch – Online Presentation May 11

Tales from the General Store – the Untold History of Bishop’s Mills
Tom Graham UE

Leeds & Grenville Branch of Ontario Ancestors is excited to offer all of our members and friends, both near and far, the opportunity to attend our May presentation ONLINE, Monday, May 11th at 7:00 pm. Our presenter, Tom Graham, will give us “Tales from the General Store – the Untold History of Bishop’s Mills”. His presentation will share some of the stories captured in his book of the same name, of the development of the community, the families who settled there, and major events which took place in the village.

You need to register in advance for this meeting – to register.  If you’ve never used Zoom before, you will be prompted to download the software, which can be downloaded in advance HERE. Be sure to download the correct app for your device or browser.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.  You are encouraged to sign in early to ensure that your speakers are working.  All attendee video cameras and microphones are turned off for this presentation.

As always, our meetings are open to everyone, so please encourage friends who may be interested to register too!

Archives Remains Closed

Our Archives remains closed as we abide by public health guidelines to shut all non-essential facilities.

Due to this closure, we are unable to fulfill orders for publications because our supply is located in our Archives.

Our researchers also do not have access to our Archives during this closure, which means they are unable to respond to specific requests for assistance because they are unable to do the necessary research in the documents held in our Archives.

Once the closure has been lifted and we are able to return to “active” duty we will fill orders for publications and begin doing research to respond to requests. In the meantime, please be patient until we can respond.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.