Family History

85 posts

June 2019 Meeting

Meetings

Finding Your Ancestors with FamilySearch.org

June 10, 2019 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm at the Brockville Museum

Shirley-Ann Pyefinch

Wondering how to find your ancestors in FamilySearch and manage your Family Tree?  Learn what free resources about your ancestors are available for you at FamilySearch.  Learn how to use other free tools like Family Tree, and Memories to preserve your family history for generations.

Our presenter, Shirley-Ann Pyefinch, has been researching her family history for over 40 years, and has taught workshops on family history and preservation throughout Ontario.  She volunteers at the Ottawa Family History Centre and works as a professional Records Manager for the Canadian federal government.

Ontario Ancestors OGS Conference June 2019

Events

A reminder that the Ontario Ancestors’ 2019 Annual Conference and Family History Show, presented by The Ontario Genealogical Society, will be held at the London Convention Centre, London, Ontario, June 21-23, 2019. The 2019 event provides a great opportunity for family historians to get together, learn new stuff, see what’s available in the genealogy Marketplace, catch up with old friends and make new ones, all while pursuing the hobby we love and enjoy!

Questions? Call us toll free at 1-855-MYROOTS (1-855-697-6687) ext: 260 or email Registrar Conference 2019.

April 2019 Meeting

Meetings
Bob Dawes

On Monday, April 8th at 7:30 pm, the Leeds & Grenville Branch of Ontario Ancestors (The Ontario Genealogical Society) will learn about The Family History Reno Project (the easy do-over) from speaker Bob Dawes.

If you’ve ever wanted to clean up your family history file, this is the easy way to approach it. Normally, a Do Over involves re-entering all of your family information from scratch while this approach allows you to continue using your file for research while cleaning it up. It also allows you to take advantage of everything you’ve learned over the years as well as new resources and tools.

Bob Dawes is a past chair of Quinte Branch and currently responsible for their database and computer maintenance. Bob and his wife, Barbara, have traveled extensively throughout North America and the United Kingdom in search of their ancestors and enjoy using technology to enhance their research.

Location: Brockville Museum

December 2018 Meeting

Meetings

Days Gone ByAt the Brockville Museum on Monday, December 10th at 7:30 pm, the Branch welcomes Dave and Sandra Wells, introducing their new book Days Gone By, containing stories and pictures of Mallorytown and Front of Yonge Township. This third book on the history of the area is sure to be a welcome Christmas gift for anyone with ties to Front of Yonge.

The Leeds & Grenville Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society meets at the Brockville Museum, 5 Henry Street, and meetings are open to everyone. Come out and learn some fascinating history – you may even discover ancestors you didn’t know you had!

Requests for Research – New Policy

News

Effective December 1st, 2018 the Leeds & Grenville Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society will respond to requests for research with as much information as we can locate within our Archives. There will be no minimum charge or advance payment required. We instead ask for a donation to the Branch to help offset our operating costs, with donations being collected through the Canada Helps link on our website.

December 2017 Meeting

Meetings

DATE: Monday, December 11th
TIME: 7:30 PM
LOCATION: Brockville Museum

North West Company
Library and Archives Canada, acc no 1957-101

Presenter Peggy Stewart will talk about Daniel McKenzie, a Wintering Partner of the North West Company, whose grave is located in Blue Church Cemetery in Augusta Township. Mr. McKenzie was imprisoned at Fort William by Lord Selkirk in 1816. He subsequently successfully sued Lord Selkirk. Mr. McKenzie’s life is an interesting story, connected with fur trader and cartographer Peter Pond and with Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the namesake of Canada’s Mackenzie River. Ms. Stewart is a descendant of this notable Canadian.

Come and join us at 7:30 pm on Mon. Dec. 11th at the Brockville Museum to hear about this fascinating character.

September 2017 Meeting

Meetings

Date: September 11, 2017
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Brockville Museum

George Neville will be speaking on Monday, September 11th about Joseph Jessup, his land and Mill sites at Lyn Falls off the Lyn-Yonge Mills Road.  George’s talk will be introduced through an early map (1810) of the St. Lawrence Front Royal townships extending from Edwardsburg Twp. in the east to Leeds Twp. in the west, wherein Jessup’s Mill sites are indicated in Lots 24-26 and E.½ Lot 27 of Elizabeth Town Twp., a location better known now as ‘Lyn Falls’.  This map depicts the early route of the King’s Highway, pathways, creeks and waterways and emerging settlement communities.

Little personal information is known of Capt. Joseph Jessup, but insight will be shared from obscure documents of Jessup’s dilemma in later sale of parcels of his holdings to different purchasers only to learn before ‘the ink was dry’ that he was committed to greater total acreage than to which he held title by Crown Deed, and the efforts he invoked with the Survey General’s Department in York for favourable resolution.

Brockville Museum and Branch Archives Closed Sundays

News

Archives

Our host facility, the Brockville Museum, will no longer be open on Sundays, and so we must reduce our schedule of access to the Branch Archives.  We will be open Monday – Saturday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm from Victoria Day until Labour Day.  After Labour Day we will be open Monday – Friday 1:00 to 4:00 pm.  We may be able to make arrangements for visits outside those hours, as long as the Museum is open and we have a volunteer available.