Tag Archives: Genealogy

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.

May 2021 Leeds & Grenville Branch Presentation

Join us on Monday, May 3rd at 7:00 pm on Zoom for a Branch presentation on Canadian Copyright and Images.

Many family historians struggle to understand the “do’s and don’ts of copyright” as it applies to their genealogy – photos, digital images, hand-drawn charts!  In this session, Elise Cole will discuss what images are, and how Canadian Copyright applies to them. She’ll take us through how to determine if copyright exists, how to apply fair dealing when appropriate, and provide ideas of how to properly use others’ images in our own works.

Elise C. Cole, BAH, MLIS, is the Local Collections Librarian at Oakville Public Library and volunteers as Ontario Ancestors’ Copyright Consultant. She holds multiple certifications in Canadian Copyright law and is a passionate advocate for local and family history.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but registration is required.  To register, click this link.

You can also locate the meeting registration link on our website: leedsandgrenville.ogs.on.ca. You will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the meeting.

April 2021 Branch Meeting

Please join us on Monday, April 5th at 7:00 pm as we enjoy a presentation by Sue Warren on The Sweeney Diary.

The diary of Peter Sweeney is the only personal record of a lockmaster on the Rideau Canal. From 1839 until 1850 he faithfully recorded his daily life in South Crosby Township. It remains a great record of life in Leeds County, as well as life in the early days of the canal.

Sue Warren, a graduate of University of Toronto and Queens University, is the retired head librarian of the Rideau Lakes Public Library, as well as the author of two books on Leeds County History.  In the early 1980s she worked as a historical interpreter on the Rideau, where she had the opportunity to transcribe the Sweeney journal from the original source.

Everyone is welcome but you will need to register in advance for our presentation using the Zoom platform.  Click this link to register:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArceqorz8iG9XAzGbL-5F5Q37iBqGknfaN Once registered you will receive an email with a link to join the meeting.

March 2021 Branch Meeting

Leeds & Grenville Branch March 2021 Presentation

Please join us online on Monday, March 1st at 7:00 pm for a presentation from military historian Glenn Wright entitled Advance!  Suggestions for Researching Our Military Ancestors in 19th Century Ontario.

Advance! is the motto of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa and in this presentation, Glenn hopes that his suggestions for researching your military ancestor in the 19th century will lead you to new discoveries. We will look at the most important resources for military events such as the War of 1812-1815, the 1837 Rebellion, the Fenian Raids, 1866-1870, the Northwest Resistance, 1885 and finally, the South African War, 1899-1902. The role and the relevant records of the Militia, the British Army in Canada and Canada’s Permanent Force will also be described.

To register for this presentation, please click here! 

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqduuqpzIpHdEVEJ-I8FKY4fc4P1vV5mwi

Glenn Wright has given numerous presentations at OGS conferences, Gene-o-Rama, local genealogical and historical associations in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia. Subjects have varied from Mounted Police records, pre-1865 immigration sources, Ontario vital records and all aspects of our military history.

Announcing Our 2021 Meeting Dates

For the first half of 2021 we will be holding our meetings virtually using the Zoom platform provided by OGS.  We will be meeting on the first Monday of each month beginning February 1st (no January meeting).  We will post information about each meeting as it becomes available.  Please check back here for links to register for our meetings.

February 2021 Meeting

Please join us on Monday, February 1st at 7:00 pm to learn about The GEDCOM Toolkit.

Bob Dawes
Presenter Bob Dawes

The GEDCOM format file is a largely misunderstood and underutilized genealogy tool, according to presenter Bob Dawes.

It can be used to migrate a genealogy family file into other genealogy software programs to take advantage of their unique features while keeping your own program. GEDCOM can be used for building on-line trees quickly or to transfer your file to a portable device like a tablet or smartphone. GEDCOM can also be used for matching with cousins much like DNA does by comparing your file to other GEDCOMs.

This presentation will explore the many benefits of using a GEDCOM for more than creating simple back up files.

To register for this presentation, please click here! 

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtc–grjguHdXqaunTMYhl1xDCM_yC_pB1

Bob Dawes is a retired technology industry executive who got turned onto genealogy in the early nineties. He enjoys combining technology and travel to research his family. Bob and his wife, Barbara also an avid genealogist, have traveled throughout North America and the United Kingdom in pursuit of their ancestors. Their most recent trip was to Scotland for thirty-five days in the fall of 2019 where they filled in for the staff at the Buchan Family History Centre, in Peterhead, for a week. Bob is a past chair of Quinte Branch – OGS and has given presentations to many societies, branches and conferences. He currently manages Quinte’s IT and research databases.

December 2020 Meeting – Online

On Monday, December 14th please join us at 7:00 pm via Zoom for our first ever Virtual Genealogy Show & Tell.  If you have a family history story to tell, a family heirloom you would like to show off, or just a great genealogy adventure to talk about, we would love to have you be part of our show.  You can participate with either live oral storytelling (microphone only), or with a video clip you submit in advance, or by sending us a photo or photos of your heirloom which we will display while you talk about them.  This will require some advance planning, so if you are interested please contact us at [email protected] to work out the details.  Then on December 14th, grab your favourite winter beverage, and maybe a Christmas cookie or two, and we’ll share stories.

To register for this free online presentation, click on this link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcod-GtqjwrGtHNNTdx9fDc3SC2CVqbe9_D

February 2020 Meeting

February 10, 2020 at 7:00 PM at the Brockville Museum

Join us on Monday, February 10th at 7:00 pm to find out what’s new at the north end of the Counties.  Our speaker will be David Shanahan, Society Historian for the North Grenville Historical Society, and he will talk about the resources held in their Society’s Archives, as well as its current and future activities.  Our meetings are held in the Brockville Museum, 5 Henry Street in Brockville. Everyone is welcome to attend.

December 2019 Meeting

Branch Presentation:

Monday, December 9th at 7:30 pm

Brockville Museum, 5 Henry Street

Speaker Paul Cote on his recently released book “Sheatown:  A Vanished Irish Catholic Community” and about the families that lived there.

The book “Sheatown: A Vanished Irish Catholic Community” is a metaphor about many things:

  • It is about the families that settled in that part of Yonge Township, both Catholic and Protestant
  • It is about the development of the Front and Rear Townships
  • It is about the changing nature of society in general and how it affected life in the rural areas of the county and all of Ontario for that matter
  • It is about the death of the small mixed farms that were once the backbone of rural economies.

The focus of the presentation will be on the families that settled in the Sheatown area, and how they developed a vibrant community in what today is considered inhospitable wilderness.

The Presenter:

Born and raised in Gananoque, Paul Cote has always had a passion for history and genealogy.  In retirement he has found the time to follow these passions, resulting not only in the book he will speak about, but in other books and articles on local history and families. Refreshments to follow presentation.  Everyone welcome!

October 2019 Meeting

Annual Pot Luck

Our October meeting is coming a little earlier than usual because we have moved the date of our October meeting forward.  Due to the federal election on October 21st, we are holding our annual Pot Luck Dinner on Monday, October 7th, beginning at 6:30 pm.  For those attending, please bring a dish to share, along with your plate and cutlery. Drinks will be provided. We will be meeting in the lower room of the museum. There is an elevator.

Rather than having a speaker, we are using this opportunity to share our research successes and challenges with the group.  If you are able to attend the meeting, please think about sharing a five-minute story about your family history research.  We would love to hear about artifacts that have a genealogical meaning in your family, or discoveries which have helped you tell the stories of your ancestors.  If you can’t attend the meeting, please think about sending us a story that we can share with those in attendance..