United Counties of Leeds & Grenville

29 posts

Leeds & Grenville Branch – May 2026 Presentation: Navigating FultonHistory.com – With Jeanette Sheliga

Meetings

Join us on Monday, May 4th, 2026 at 7:00 pm via Zoom for a presentation by Jeanette Sheliga. Her topic is Navigating FultonHistory.com.

FultonHistory.com, or Old Fulton NY Postcards, is a free, historic newspaper website that contains archives of over 50 million pages of microfilmed newspaper images (mostly New York State newspapers, along with collections from other states and Canada). There are many articles and news items for Leeds & Grenville in some of the northern New York papers.  This presentation will give an overview of the content and a variety of search strategies.

Jeanette is a professional genealogist who lives in Lockport, NY. She has been speaking on genealogy subjects since 2011. Jeanette is the owner and President of the Virtual Genealogical Association (VGA).  VGA was founded in 2018 and has virtual programs at least twice a month in addition to Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and an annual conference.

To register for this presentation, click here

Leeds & Grenville Branch – December 2025 Presentation: Show and Share

Meetings

Join us on Monday, December 1st  at 7:00 pm on Zoom for a Show and Share experience!  Do you have a genealogy success story you want to share?  Is there a family history heirloom that you want to show off?  How about a challenge that you’re looking for help to solve?  Want to learn what’s new in our Archives?  Our December genealogy event on Zoom will have all of these elements!  If you want to send us a photo or document in advance to share with the audience, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll make it happen.  If you simply want to tell a story or ask a question, all you need is a microphone on your computer or tablet. If you prefer, you can type questions into the chat section of the Zoom platform.  We’ll usher in the Christmas season with some family history stories! To register for this year-end presentation, click here.

Leeds & Grenville Branch – October 2025 Presentation: Lost Cemeteries – Charleston Lake; and A Road Trip Through Grenville County – Exploring the Records

Events

Join us on Monday, October 6th at 7:00 pm on Zoom for a “Double Header” Presentation Mary Anne McAllister, Co-Chair, Program Committee

Lost Cemeteries – Charleston Village, Lot 22, Con. 9, Rear of Escott Township, Leeds & Grenville

Another puzzle to solve! Take a peek into what the Cemeteries Committee at Leeds & Grenville Branch of Ontario Ancestors does for fun. Using a historic note, land information and satellite images we will refine the location of a lost but not forgotten cemetery. This will be presented by Chuck Buckley, Cemeteries Coordinator.

A Road Trip Through Grenville County – Exploring the Records

Come with us on another road trip.  This month explore what Grenville County has to offer and what records we can find. The presentation was prepared by Branch volunteers and will be presented by Patti Mordasewicz, Chair of the Leeds & Grenville Branch of The Ontario Genealogical Society.

This “double header” presentation is free and open to everyone, but registration is required.  For information and registration link, click here.

Leeds & Grenville Branch – May 2025 Presentation: Old Hay Bay Church: Loyalist Yesterday & Today – With Peter and Angela Johnson, UE

Meetings

Join us on Monday, May 5th at 7:00 pm via Zoom for a presentation by Peter and Angela Johnson, UE. Their topic is “Old Hay Bay Church: Loyalist Yesterday & Today”.

Peter and Angela Johnson UE have been members of UELAC since 1982, having served in several positions including National Secretary (Angela) National President (Peter), Bay of Quinte & Toronto Branch President (both), and are currently serving their second term as Co-National Genealogists since 2016. Angela & Peter are part of the Board of Trustees since 2012 and 2014 for the Old Hay Bay Church, as well serving on the Restoration Committee, and are Custodians each summer at the church. Angela & Peter are long time members of Quinte Branch OGS and both have served as Branch Chair. Angela & Peter have been part of the re-enactment regiment the Kings Royal Regiment of New York which just celebrated its 50th Anniversary of the formation of the re-enactment group. Both Peter and Angela have been interested in Genealogy since they were teenagers. When they are not busy doing genealogy they help their 4 children raise their 9 grandchildren.  To register for this presentation, click here.

Leeds & Grenville Branch – December 2024 – Genealogy December Event: Show and Share

Meetings

Join us on Monday, December 2nd at 7:00 pm on Zoom for a Show and Share experience!  Do you have a genealogy success story you want to share?  Is there a family history heirloom that you want to show off?  How about a challenge that you’re looking for help to solve?  Want to learn what’s new in our Archives?  Our December genealogy event on Zoom will have all of these elements!  If you want to send us a photo or document in advance to share with the audience, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll make it happen.  If you simply want to tell a story or ask a question, all you need is a microphone on your computer or tablet. If you prefer, you can type questions into the chat section of the Zoom platform.  We’ll usher in the Christmas season with some family history stories! To register for this year-end presentation, click here.

Leeds & Grenville Branch – Picnic on August 30th!

Events

Hello, Leeds & Grenville Branch Members and friends!
 
We’re excited to announce that we are taking a lesson from Kingston Branch about getting folks together to talk genealogy! Although late in the “picnic” season, we are hoping to entice members and friends from Leeds & Grenville to join us for a picnic on Friday, August 30th beginning at noon, at Brockville Museum’s patio located on the Kincaid Street side of the Brockville Museum.  This is an informal affair, just to get together with those who love family history, and talk about our successes, challenges and activities.
 
Bring your own food and beverage, and a comfortable chair. Bring a friend, if you like! There is limited two-hour free parking in front of the Museum and on Kincaid Street, and we don’t anticipate exceeding that timeframe.
 
Should the weather not cooperate, we’ll send out a cancellation notice that morning, along with a “rain date”.  But we remain hopeful that it won’t rain on our gathering!  We hope to see many of you who haven’t had a chance to talk genealogy lately!
 
See you on August 30th!

Leeds & Grenville Branch Council

Leeds & Grenville Branch – June 2024 Presentation – Mallorytown Glass Works – With Bob Greenhorn and Reg Hunt

Meetings

Did you know that Mallorytown in Leeds County is the location of the first glassworks in what we now call Canada? In 1839 Amasa Mallory realized the need and market for locally produced glass, and he founded the Mallorytown Glass Works. The factory produced household items such as plates, bowls, jugs, pitchers, jars and bottles.

(Photo courtesy of the Royal Ontario Museum Online Collection.)

Join us on Monday, June 3rd at 7:00 pm on Zoom for a presentation about the Mallorytown Glass Works, and a virtual tour of the permanent exhibit featuring historical and replica examples of the goods produced at the factory. Bob Greenhorn and Reg Hunt from the Mallory Coach House Museum will talk about the man and the business and will give us a virtual tour of the permanent exhibit housed in the Museum.

To register, click on this link.

Everyone welcome!

Do You Have Ancestors from Leeds & Grenville?

News Publications

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 – November 2023 Presentation – Informal Discussion

Meetings

The Leeds & Grenville Branch will host an informal discussion on Monday, November 6th at 7:00 pm online using Zoom.  This is a chance to ask questions about genealogy, to brag about recent family history discoveries or to tell the story of a veteran in your ancestry.  If you are new to genealogy, or are interested in getting started, join us to talk about the hobby.  If you’re a veteran genealogist, give us some tips on research strategies for success. To register for our discussion, click here or visit our Branch website [email protected] for more details.

Celebrate Family Day Weekend with Leeds & Grenville Branch

Events

To celebrate Family Day 2023, Leeds & Grenville Branch, along with several other branches and a SIG of Ontario Ancestor, will be offering access to the members’ section on their websites for the Family Day weekend! Anyone can purchase a “weekend access pass” to the thousands of records in these members’ areas. Other Branches /SIG participating include: Eastern European Special Interest Group, Essex Branch, Huron Branch, Kent Branch, Lambton Branch, Niagara Peninsula Branch, Oxford Branch, Simcoe Branch.

Access will begin on Friday, February 17th at 6:00 pm until Monday, February 20th at 6:00 pm. Access passes can be purchased from the “Marketplace” on the main Ontario Ancestors website https://ogs.on.ca/. Be sure to create yourself a free account on the site before you begin shopping. The cost of each access pass is $20.00 per branch/SIG.

How to get in on this great opportunity:

Head to the Ontario Ancestors’ website – www.ogs.on.ca

  • Log in or, if you do not already have a free account, create one (your access pass will be emailed to you)
  • Click on the green “Marketplace” button
  • On the “Products” page, click on “Branch/SIG Members Only Access”
  • Click on the branch/SIG you would like access to by clicking the “Add To Cart” button
  • Add another Branch/SIG by clicking on the “Continue Shopping” button
  • When finished, click on “Proceed to Checkout” button
  • Fill in your billing/payment preferences then click on “Place Order”
  • an email with your Family Day Weekend Access pass will be emailed to you

This is a great opportunity to check out thousands of resources available to assist you in your family history journey.

Happy Family Day Weekend!