A Twig In My Tree

Happy Hogmanay!

2011-12-31T21:24:00.000-05:00

Greeting the New Year with friends and spirits is customary in many parts of the world. Residents of Scotland and those of Scottish Descent mark the arrival of the New Year with particular passion in what is called Hogmanay. It draws on their history of Viking invasions, superstition, and ancient pagan rituals. For many centuries in Scotland, Hogmanay was a far more important holiday than Christmas. Historians suggest this may have been a result of the Protestant Reformation after which Christmas, and its close ties to the Roman Catholic Church, was seen as "too Papist." Others point to the grueling work schedules of laborers during the Industrial Revolution which didn’t provide time off for the Christmas holiday. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that Christmas became a popular holiday. But, New Year's still reigns supreme.

My step-father was from Scottish and English descent and my mother was from Scotland, so Hogmanay was celebrated quite heartily in our home. Although Christmas was a big thing growing up, I think my mom looked forward to New Year’s more. She had always said that that was the bigger holiday “back home”. As we got older and started our own families, it was New Year’s where the whole family got together.

There are many interesting Hogmanay traditions/customs found in private homes and in the Scottish Highlands and islands. A few of them followed my mother from Scotland to Canada.

One custom is to clean the house thoroughly (including taking out the ashes from the fire in the days when coal fires were common) and burn juniper to rid the house of evil spirits in the coming year. There is also the superstition to clear all your debts before "the bells" at midnight. Although I don’t recall her burning juniper, I remember my mom scrambling to get the house in order before the New Year (of course that could also be because she was getting ready for the New Year’s Eve party!) My Aunt Nell (my mom’s sister) used to always say to make sure you have an uncluttered kitchen table when the New Year arrived – a cluttered kitchen table meant a cluttered year in your life. To this day, I always make sure my home is tidy and my kitchen table is uncluttered. I even have a bit of incense burning to replace the juniper (away evil spirits, away!)

Another tradition is First Footing. First footing is central to Hogmanay celebrations. It is the first person to step foot into a home after midnight - that person is thought to determine the fortune for that home in the coming year, be it good or bad. This person can't be just anyone, they have to fulfill certain requirements. Traditionally the person should be a stranger, though this is generally not the case anymore and a friend is usually used. The person MUST be a man (it's considered a very bad omen if the person first entering the home is female), MUST have dark hair (this is believed to date back to the Viking invasion as they were said to be light haired and very unlucky to have entering your home), be tall and fair of face. The first footer should also bring items to ensure good fortune. Traditionally these would be a lump of coal, black bun (rich fruit cake), salt and a 'hawf bottle' (half bottle of whiskey). These represented respectively warmth, food, wealth and good cheer. Once all the criteria were met, the First Footer would be led through the home, placing the coal on the fire and then they would offer a toast to the house and all within it, using the all important whiskey! The first footer is permitted to kiss every woman in the home, hence the desire for the first footer to be handsome.

My step-father, being 6’4” with black hair was always designated the First Footer is our home (if memory serves me right, some of the neighbours asked him to be the First Footer at their home too). We had a lump of coal that was kept specifically for Hogmanay. My mom would usher him out the front door (weather be damned!) with his first footing “`kit”, where he would patiently wait for the signal that the New Year had arrived (usually my mom flicking the outdoor light). He would then ring the bell and be welcomed into the home, hopefully bringing luck with him. He had the “sacred” lump of coal which he placed in the fireplace (the fire wasn’t actually lit as we didn’t want anything to happen to that piece of coal), some of my mom’s shortbread (to replace the black bun), and of course a bottle of whiskey. After making a toast to the house, we would all join in singing "For Auld Lang Syne". My step-dad continued being the First Footer right up until the New Year before he passed away.

Another tradition is to make lots of noise when the New Year arrives, again to keep the evil spirits away. So to keep up with this tradition, we always had a New Year’s Eve party. We would alternate where the party was held – one year at our house, the next at the home of friends. On the years that we were at the friend’s house, my step-dad was required to bring his first footing “kit” with him. As we all got older, these parties seemed to get smaller and quieter, eventually stopping all together when my step-dad became ill.

From my house to yours, I wish you all a Happy Hogmanay!

A guid New Year to ane an` a` and mony may ye see!

QFHS - Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors

2011-11-23T22:31:00.000-05:00

This Saturday (Nov. 26th) the Quebec Family History Society will be hosting a seminar called Tracing Your Scottish Ancestors. I learned of this seminar from Chris Paton via his blog Scottish GENES and got quite excited because 1) most of my ancestors (and step-family) are from Scotland, and 2) the QFHS is only about a 20 minute drive from where I live.

I don't belong to this society, yet, since I don't have any roots here in Quebec, having only moved here when I was 2 yrs. old. My family is still fairly new to this country, only arriving after the first World War. Although my step-grandparents were married in Quebec and my step-father and his sister were both born here, their roots are in Scotland and England and my mother's and father's family are all from Scotland and Northern Ireland. For this reason, I've been reluctant to pay the $65 membership fee. That being said, I do keep an eye out on QFHS's website for any interesting lectures or seminars (although I did manage to miss this one!)

After I read on Chris Paton's blog about the seminar, I quickly popped over to their website for further details. Per the description on their site, "The focus of this seminar will be to examine the major Genealogical sources for Scottish Family History Research. How do I discover information on my Scottish ancestor when the church records are missing? How should you prepare if you are planning a Genealogical research trip to Scotland? There will be a case study of an average family who lived in Kirkcudbright and Wigtown area. You will be meeting the descendants of King Malcolm III of Scotland. There is more Scottish genealogical research sources than the excellent Scotlands People website."

I called up today to see if they still had room and I was in luck - they still had a few places left.

As I mentioned above, I'm quite excited. This will be the first time I've been to a seminar/class hosted by a family history society.

Any advise on how I should prepare for this, what I should bring (i.e. family group records, research notes, etc.)?

©2011, copyright Alana Farrell

The Face of Genealogy

2011-06-06T01:20:00.000-04:00

LA Weekly posted a very offensive and tasteless picture to accompagny an article about the upcoming 42nd Annual Southern California Genealogy Society Jamboree in California, taking place this month. Needless to say, the genealogy community was in an uproar over this picture and flooded LA Weekly with their comments. Within a very short time, the offensive picture was removed.

In response to a post on Geneabloggers on June 5th, I am posting the Face of My Genealogy.

This is a picture of my Great Grandfather, John Burnett, taken in 1889 - a highly respected police detective in Dundee, Scotland. If it wasn't for genealogy, I would never have known what he looked like.

For more Faces of Genealogy on Facebook, click here.

©2011, copyright Alana Farrell

Wordless Wednesday - Easy Rider!

2011-03-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

This is my uncle, William Henry Crossman (1919-1999). I'm not sure when exactly it was taken (or even where), but since he is wearing his army uniform, I'm guessing sometime during the 1940's.

©2011, copyright Alana Farrell

Tombstone Tuesday - David Hume Marshall (1917 - 1978)

2011-03-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

In Loving Memory Of

My Dear Husband

And Our Father

David H. Marshall

Died 18th July 1978 Aged 60

David is my mother's oldest brother. He is the 2nd child of Robert Burn Marshall and Eliza Hamilton Burnett and husband to Elizabeth Dowling. He is buried in Dundee, Scotland however I don't know which cemetery.

©2011, copyright Alana Farrell

Tombstone Tuesday - William Henry Weir and May A. Findlay

2011-02-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

I have run out of my own family tombstones (for now) so I will be posting those that I have taken photos of last summer.

In Loving Memory Of

William Henry Weir

Born July 9, 1850

Died Nov. 29, 1906

His Wife

May A. Findlay

Born July 15, 1850

Died Nov. 9, 1925

William and May are buried at Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Surname Saturday - MAZE

2011-01-29T22:56:00.012-05:00

Now that I have completed the four main family names, I'm now going to start in Ahnentafel order. The information in these posts will be brief (i.e. mostly names and dates only) as I plan to write future posts hightlighting couples, that will be more descriptive.

This weeks surname is MAZE and is on my paternal side of the tree.

1. Alana FARRELL

2. Robert Allan FARRELL (1927 - 1962)
3. Rhona MacDonald MARSHALL (1933 - 2003)

4. Robert FARRELL (1896 - 1965)
5. Helen "Nellie" DEVLIN (1892 - 1980)

8. William Forbes FARRELL (1869 - 1927)
9. Elizabeth Jane MAZE, born 17 Oct. 1870 in Drumoris, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland. Have not found her exact date of death yet, but she was still living in 1944.

18. James MAZE, born about 1835 in Drumoris, Brookborough, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland and died 25 Aug. 1878 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland. He is buried in the Aghavea Parish Church Cemetery in Brookeborough. He married Catherine Fair in 1868 in Drumoris.
19. Catherine FAIR, born about 1843 in Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland and died 14 July, 1916 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland. She is buried in the Aghavea Parish Church Cemetery in Brookeborough.

36. James MAZE
37. Unknown

Unfortunately, this is as far as I have gotten on the MAZE family. If there are any Maze cousins out there, please feel free to contact me at alana.farrell@sympatico.ca

Wordless Wednesday - Three Generations

2011-01-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone says that I look like my mother and that my daughter looks like me. Below are three pictures of my mother, myself and my daughter. Each were taken when we were a year old.

My Mother
Rhona MacDonald Marshall
Taken about 1934

Myself

Taken Nov. 1962. The dress was a birthday present. It didn't fit too well, and was taken back to the store right after this picture was taken!

My daughter, Briana

Taken May 1982. This was taken a week before her 1st birthday. You would never know from her expression, but she had just cut her first tooth that morning!

I think I can see a resemblance. Do you?

Tombstone Tuesday - Annie Constance Pelley (1860 - 1862)

2011-01-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

I have run out of my own family's tombstones (for now), so I will be posting those that I have taken photos of last summer.

Sacred
To the memory of
Annie Constance Pelly
Who died 2 May 1862
Aged 1 year
and 8 months
______

She Sleeps In Jesus

Little Annie is buried in the churchyard at St. Stephen's Anglican Church in Lachine, Quebec, Canada.

St. Stephen's is a beautiful small church and is the oldest Anglican church on the Island of Montreal. Quite a few of the older gravemarkers are flat on the ground, like Annie's. They are starting to sink into the earth and many already have new grass or moss starting to cover them. It's a shame that the caretaker of the church can't try to keep them clear.

New Year – New Plans

2011-01-23T19:47:00.007-05:00

I have been out of the blogging scene for a few months due to other priorities. Although I haven’t been blogging, I did still manage to get some research done – just not as much as I had hoped. I hope to change this in the coming year.

I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions as I never seem to keep them. What I want to do this year is set myself some goals.

1) Last year I wanted to complete the Saskatchewan Pioneer Certificate. It is a Certificate of Recognition that is given to descendants of original and/or early pioneers in the districts and territories that make up present day Saskatchewan. I got as far as printing out the application and filing out a draft to see what I was missing. Turns out I’m still missing quite a bit of information. I plan to continue with this project so that, hopefully, by the end of this year I will be able to send in the application.

2) Work on entering my sources in my database. I had started to do this in Legacy Family Tree but then I switched to Roots Magic. When copying the GEDCOM file, the sources that I had entered didn’t copy properly. Fortunately I hadn’t done that many so it’s not too big of a deal. I’m hoping to get at least 1/2 of my sources entered (I have a lot!)

3) Write mini “Bios” of my ancestors, including relevant documentation. I want to try to write at least one a week.

4) Write a Monthly Progress Report.

5) Post at least twice a week on this blog.

6) Sort and scan my mother’s old pictures, as well as those that belonged to my step-father.

Hopefully this list will be achievable – time will tell. Wish me luck.

Surname Saturday - DEVLIN

2011-01-22T23:50:00.005-05:00

Each Saturday I will be posting one of my surnames. I will be starting with the 4 main lines – my paternal line of FARRELL and DEVLIN and my maternal line of MARSHALL and BURNETT, after which I will post most likely in alphabetical order using the Ahnentafel numbering system.

This week’s surname is DEVLIN, my Paternal grandmother's paternal line.

1. Me (Alana Farrell)

2. Robert Allan FARRELL (1927-1962)
3. Rhona MacDonald MARSHALL (1933-2003)

4. Robert FARRELL was born 15 Dec 1896 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland; he married Helen DEVLIN abt 1921 in Govan, Saskatchewan, Canada; died 27 Mar 1965 in Balcarres, Saskatchewan, Canada.
5. Helen DEVLIN (known throughout her life as Nellie) was born 2 Apr 1892 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland and died 22 May 1980 in Balcarres, Saskatchewan, Canada and is buried in Regina Memorial Gardens in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

10. Peter DEVLIN was born 18 Mar 1864 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland; he married Janet Anderson on 9 Dec 1887 in Gilmilnscroft Colliery, Sorn, Ayrshire, Scotland; died 24 Nov 1924 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland.
11. Janet ANDERSON was born 10 Mar 1867 in Hulford, District of Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland; died 25 Jan 1939 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Peter Devlin and Janet Anderson had the following children:

Jane DEVLIN (b. 18 Nov 1887 – d. 15 Nov 1969)
Arthur DEVLIN (b. 29 Jan 1889 – d. 14 Nov 1954)
Annie DEVLIN (b. 28 Nov 1890 – d. ?)
* Helen DEVLIN (b. 2 Apr 1892 – d. May 1980)
Catherine DEVLIN (b. 6 Feb 1894 – d. ?)
Margaret DEVLIN (b. 3 Oct 1895 – d. 1945)
Alexander DEVLIN (b. 20 Jul 1897 – d. 1962)
Mary Findley DEVLIN (b. 30 Nov 1901 – d. ?)

20. Arthur DEVLIN was born about 1840 in New Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. He died on 2 Sep 1902 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. Married Ann Audrey ANDREW on 12 Nov 1858 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland.
21. Ann Audrey ANDREW was born on 28 Feb 1829 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. She died on 23 Oct 1902.

Arthur DEVLIN and Ann Audrey ANDREW had the following children:

Catherine Dow DEVLIN (b. about 1859 – d. ?)
William Andrew DEVLIN (b. about 1860 – d. ?)
Jessie DEVLIN (b. 1861 – d. ?)
* Peter DEVLIN (b. 18 Mar 1864 – d. 24 Nov 1924).
Ann DEVLIN (b. about 1866 – d. ?)
Agnes DEVLIN (b. about 1869 – d. ?)

40. Peter DEVLIN was born about 1801 in Scotland. He died before 1851 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. Peter married Catherine Dow McConnell
41. Catherine Dow MCCONNELL was born about 1803 in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. She died on 13 Dec 1880.

Peter DEVLIN and Catherine Dow MCCONNELL had the following children:

Agnes DEVLIN (b. about 1825 – d. 26 Mar 1902)
James DEVLIN (b. about 1827 – d. ?)
Peter DEVLIN (b. about 1830 – d. ?)
Charles DEVLIN (b. 11 Dec 1832 - d. ?)
William Bryan DEVLIN (b. about 1835 – d. 23 Jul 1886).
Henry DEVLIN (b. about 1839 - d. ?)
* Arthur DEVLIN (b. about 1840 – d. 2 Sep 1902)
John DEVLIN (b. about 1843 – d. ?)
Edward DEVLIN (b. about 1846 – d. ?)

If you think we may be related, please contact me either at alana dot farrell at sympatico dot ca or by using the "contact" button.

Surname Saturday - Farrell

2010-09-11T18:07:00.024-04:00

This week's surname is FARRELL - the 3rd of my four main branches, and is my paternal grandfather's line.

Robert Allan FARRELL (my father) was born on 26 April, 1927 in Abernethy, Saskatchewan, Canada and died on 12 August, 1962 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada and is buried in Rosedale Cemetery in Moose Jaw. He married Rhona MacDonald MARSHALL (1933 - 2003) on 15 August, 1953 in Balcarres, Saskatchewan, Canada and they had three children, all living. Robert is the second child of Robert FARRELL and Helen "Nellie" DEVLIN.

Robert FARRELL was born 15 Dec. 1896 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland and died 27 March, 1965 in Balcarres, Saskatchewan, Canada and is buried in Regina Memorial Gardens in Regina, Saskatchewan. Robert married Helen "Nellie" DEVLIN between 1921 and 1926, most probably in Govan, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Their children were:

Forbes Peter (b. 18 May 1923 -d. 22 July 2000)
Robert Allan (see above)
John (b. July 1929 - d. 19 Oct. 2007)
Living Farrell

Robert is the second child of Williams Forbes FARRELL and Elizabeth Jane MAZE.

William Forbes FARRELL was born 19 Oct. 1869 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland and died before 1937, most likely in Ballyreagh. William married Elizabeth Jane MAZE (1870-?) on 12 June 1894 in Aghavea, Co. Fermanagh. Their children were:

Joseph (b. 5 Dec.1895 - d. ?)
Robert (see above)
John William b. 26 April 1898 - d. ?)
Lillian Olivia (b. 16 Aug. 1899 - d. ?)
Margaret (b. 4 Nov. 1900 - d. ?)
Maude b. 6 Dec. 1903 - d. ?)
Forbes (b. 4 Dec. 1904 - d. 2 Nov. 1979)
James (b. 14 Feb. 1906 - d. 27 July 1972)
Kathleen (b. 12 Oct. 1912 - d. ?)

William Forbes was the son of William FARRELL and Eliza PETERS.

William FARRELL was born about 1834 in Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland. He married Eliza PETERS (abt 1834-?) on 6 May 1856 in Aghavea, Co. Fermanagh. Their known children were:

Ann (b. 14 May 1864 - d. ?)
Margaret (b. 29 Sept. 1866 - d. ?)
William Forbes (see above)
Joseph (b. 1 Jan. 1873 - d. ?)

I still have quite a bit of research to do on the Farrell line. If you think we might be related, please contact me at alana dot farrell at sympatico dot ca or by using the "contact" button.

Wordless Wednesday - Mac The Moose

2010-09-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

"Mac" is one of the town's tourist attractions in my hometown of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. He stands 50 feet tall. That is myself and my daughter standing right underneath the "crown jewels!" This was taken in 1987 when my daughter was 6 yrs. old.

Tombstone Tuesday - Sarah Maxwell (1876-1907)

2010-08-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

I have quickly run out of my own family's tombstones, so I will be posting those that I have taken photos of this past summer.

On February 26, 1907 a fire broke out in the Hochelaga School in Montreal, Quebec. Sixteen young children perished in the fire, along with Sarah Maxwell, the school principal. She lost her life while attempting to rescue many of the children.

The inscription reads:

In Loving Memory of
Sarah Maxwell
Aged 31 yrs.

Who lost her life whilst endeavoring to save the lives of the pupils at the Hochelaga School Fire Feb. 26th 1907.

Also the little ones who perished with her.

Sarah is buried at Mount Royal Cemetery in Montreal, Quebec.

Orphan Photos Identified!

2010-08-07T20:26:00.008-04:00

Two of the Orphan Photos that I posted have been identified.

This first one is Roland John Salmon and he is my step-grandmother's brother. (I posted about him here).

This second one, is Roland's wife Ann Hornett (I posted about her here).

With luck, I'll be able to identify some others that I have.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Rhona M. Marshall 1st Passport

2010-08-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

This week for Treasure Chest Thursday I am highlighting my mother's very first passport for when she immigrated to Canada in April 1946.

Considering how old it is, it is still in excellent condition - not a single torn page.

I love the picture - she looks so serious! And the hairdo - check out the bangs!

Wordless Wednesday - Wedding Day!

2010-08-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

This is a photo of my mother (Rhona MacDonald Marshall) and my father (Robert Allan Farrell) on their wedding day, August 15, 1953. They were married at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Balcarres, Saskatchewan, Canada.

They look so young and innocent!

Tombstone Tuesday - Adam S. Kay and Clarice M. Salmon

2010-08-04T00:32:00.006-04:00

Adam Sinclair Kay (1895 - 1966)

Clarice Mable Salmon (1895 - 1988)

Resting together at Jardins Urgel Bougie cemetery in St. Hubert, Quebec, Canada.

Adam and Clarice are my step-father's parents.

Wordless Wednesday - My Two Grandpas

2010-07-21T10:00:00.001-04:00

This is a picture of my paternal grandfathers. The man on the left is my father's father, Robert Farrell and the man on the right is my step-father's father, Adam Sinclair Kay.

They are the husbands of my two grannies from last weeks post.

Tombstone Tuesday - Elizabeth Muirhead (Sinclair) Kay

2010-07-20T15:25:00.013-04:00

Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

KAY

In Loving Memory of
Elizabeth Muirhead
Jan. 18, 1865 - Sept. 15, 1927
Wife Of The Late Adam B. Kay

Elizabeth is my step-great grandmother. After much searching, I finally located her tombstone in June and was able to take this photo.

Wordless Wednesday - My Two Grannies

2010-07-14T17:33:00.006-04:00

This is a picture of my two paternal grandmothers. The lady on the left is my step-father's mother, Clarice Mabel (Salmon) Kay and the lady on the right is my father's mother, Helen "Nellie" (Devlin) Farrell.

The picture was taken two years before my mom married into the Farrell family and 12 years before she married into the Kay family.

My granny and grandpa Kay were visiting their daughter, Helen (Kay) Farrell in Saskatchewan. Helen (my step-father's sister) was married to my father's brother, Forbes Peter Farrell.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Certificate of Discharge (John H. Beare)

2010-06-10T22:54:00.009-04:00

My step-father’s uncle (by marriage) was Captain John Henry Beare, a seaman in the Mercantile Marines. Amongst the treasures that I have are Captain Beare’s Certificate of Discharge papers from the various ships of which he was a member of the crew. I have about 30 of these discharge papers ranging from 1886 when he was just 16 years old to 1912 when he was 41 years old (he retired as Captain in 1935 at the age of 64).

The Certificate of Discharge below is for his time served on the Elizabeth Graham. He joined the crew in Melbourne, Australia on December 10, 1890 at the age of 20 and was discharged on January 13, 1892 in Sydney, Australia. The Master of the ship was a Captain C. Hodge. His station on board was “AB” – not sure what that is. Either on the back of the certificate or stamped on the front the Master would note the character of the seaman. On all of the discharge papers, his “Character of Ability” and “Character of Conduct” was always no less than Very Good.

One of the items on my To Do List is to try and find passenger lists to match the discharge papers. The one below is one that I have found on Ancestry for his time on the Elizabeth Graham (there could be several for his 2 year stint on this ship). On this trip, they left Bluff, New Zealand on January 30, 1891 and arrived in Sydney on February 2,1891.

After he left the Elizabeth Graham, he joined the crew of the Nemesis in May 1892 as 3rd Mate.

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy – Week 21 – States Archives

2010-06-06T20:04:00.020-04:00

Week 21 of Amy Coffin’s 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy is to examine the website of our state or provincial archives. To take time to push all the buttons and click all the links. I’m a week late in this challenge, but better late than never.

The Quebec Archives are called the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Quebec (BAnQ). It is a result of an amalgamation in 2005 of the Grande Bibliothèque du Quebec, the Bibliothèque nationale du Quebec and the Archives nationals du Quebec. The BAnQ is devoted to the acquisition and preservation of Quebec’s published, archival and film heritage. Because this is a joining of the Quebec archives and two libraries (bibliothèque is French for library), there is a whole lot more to it than just your regular archives.

A new building was built in 2005 and is called the Grand Bibliothèque. This serves as a lending library for reference material, non fiction as well as fiction and has everything that libraries would have, such as activities for youth, workshops, exhibitions, etc., and also serves as one of the archive centres.

Although they are in the process of digitizing a lot of the archives, not everything is available online yet and therefore requires a trip to one of the archives centres. The archives branch of Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Quebec offers its services throughout Quebec via a network of nine regional centres. If anyone is looking for a specific type of record, it is best to call to find out which centre to go to.

A few months back I found online the Lovell’s Montreal Directory, which lists the old Montreal municipal directories from 1842-1999. I had a great old time looking up addresses for my step-father’s family from the time they arrived in Montreal and then later directories from when we moved to Montreal from Saskatchewan after my mom married my step-dad. Because they have their own website, I had no idea at the time that these records were part of the digital collection of the Quebec Archives. I only discovered this a couple of weeks ago when I found the BAnQ’s website while trying to locate archived records of the old Montreal Star newspaper.

Part of the collections available is a section devoted to genealogy. There are online research tools, but it also lists resources available in the research rooms. I must make mention here that all the records in the archives are strictly related to Quebec. You will not find any census records for any of the other provinces.

As I mentioned above, a couple of weeks ago I was trying to find where the archives for the Montreal Star newspaper were located as I was looking for an obituary from 1927. In looking around BAnQ’s website, I discovered that they are held at the Quebec Archives (I know that seems logical, but there was also a chance that they would be located at Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa!), but they have not been digitized yet. As there are two archive centres in Montreal, I called to find out which one the newspaper archives would be located (it’s a good thing I did call as they are not located in centre that I thought they would be in). All the newspaper archives (for both of Montreal’s two English newspapers) are on microfilm and are located at the Grand Bibliothèque in downtown Montreal, which being, a library, is open on weekends! So two Saturday’s ago I hopped on the Metro (absolutely no parking available downtown) and decided to make a day of it. I have to say here, this place is huge. It’s so big that they give guided tours twice a month, and there is a boutique and a restaurant!

Now don’t laugh, but this is the first time in 27 years that I have used a microfilm reader! They have changed considerably since 1983. After I was shown how to load and use the machine, there was no stopping me. It took me awhile to find what I was looking for because I kept getting distracted reading the old newspapers! However, I eventually found the main obituary I was looking for as well as another one from 1917.

Although I thought I had only been there for about an hour, it turns out I had spent 3 ½ hours there. I defiantly have to go back soon, as I still have more newspaper obits that I want to look up. Maybe I will go on a day that they have a tour.

1901 Irish Census Now Online!

2010-06-03T00:35:00.006-04:00

All thirty-two counties for 1901 are now available online on the National Archives of Ireland website.

I've been waiting awhile for this day as I have quite a few ancestors from Northern Ireland. I had previously ordered an extract from Emerald Ancestors, but it would prove to be a bit costly if I wanted to search for all the names that I have. They also couldn't guarantee that they had the extracts for everyone. So when the 1911 census went online, free, I was quite excited - even if the county I wanted was one of the last to go online.

For the 1901 census, they have released all 32 counties at once. I have done a quick check and have found my grandfather (aged 4) with his family. Will have to wait until the weekend to be able to spend more time looking more thoroughly.

Tombstone Tuesday - Dulcie Maud Farrell (1903 - 1961)

2010-05-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

In Loving Memory Of

A Dear Wife & Mother

Dulcie Maud Farrell

Died 1st July 1961

Aged 50 years

At Rest

Dulcie was the wife of my great uncle, James Farrell and mother of little Ross Farrell. She was born around 1903 in Dubbo, NSW, Australia, daughter of Thomas Henry McNamara and Heneritta Nicholson. Dulcie, James and Ross are all laid to rest in the Coonabarabran General Cemetery in Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia.

I obtained this picture through the Australian Cemeteries Index and was given permission to post to this blog.

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Orphan Photo #5

2010-05-19T19:38:00.015-04:00

In going through a box of pictures that belonged to my mother, I've come across a lot of photos of people I don't know. I believe they might be friends and/or family of my step-father, Douglas Sinclair Kay. I'm posting these in the hope that someone might come across them and be able to identify them.

My Step-father was a Scout Leader for the 1st Storer Troup in St. Lambert, Quebec. This picture is of the Court of Honour and was taken on October 4, 1955. Written on the back is:

Left to Right:

A.S.M. Rod Eaves
A.S.M. Fred Horrell
J.T.L. Ian MacDougall
P.L. Clifford Macormack
P.L. Brian Denyar
P.L. Don Bunker
A.S.M. George Gage

Held at S.M. D. Kay's house.

On the bottom of the front of the picture is written: A Storer "Court of Honour".

Tombstone Tuesday – Anderson, Devlin & Dunlop – Oh My!

2010-05-18T17:27:00.021-04:00

Erected by Jane Dunlop,

In Memory of her husband,
Alexander Anderson
Who died 21st Dec. 1909, aged 74 years
The above Jane Dunlop,
Who died 24th Sep. 1921, aged 83 years,
Her great-grandson Peter Green
Who died 25th Sep.1913,
Aged 1 year, and 10 months,
Also their great-grand-daughter
Annie Green,
Died 27th June 1914, aged 10 months,
Also Jean died in infancy
Also Henry Green,
Beloved husband of Jean Devlin
Died 21 Aug. 1952, aged 71 years.
The above Jean Devlin
Died 15th Nov. 1969, aged 82 years

(Auchinleck Burial Ground
Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland)

A few months back, a distant cousin, Sean Devlin, sent me a link to some photos of tombstones that he took while he was in Scotland (and kindly gave permission to post any on this blog). I’m guessing that he snapped photos of tombstones with the name “Devlin” on it and sorted them out when he got home (which is what I would have done). Fortunately for me, he took the above photo even though they are not his direct line.

Alexander Anderson and Jane Dunlop are my 2x great grandparents. Their daughter, Janet Anderson married Peter Devlin (my great grandparents) and they are the parents of the above referenced Jean Devlin. Jean Devlin is the oldest sister of my Granny Farrell (Helen Devlin) and is my Grand Aunt.

This stone provides a lot of information that I didn’t have. I knew that Jean had married Henry Green, but I did not have a death date for either of them. It also lists three children with their death dates. In due time, I will search for the birth dates of the children and also see if there might be any more.

Surname Saturday - Burnett

2010-05-09T02:34:00.008-04:00

SNGF - My Mommy's Mommy!

2010-05-09T01:16:00.006-04:00

Randy Seaver has got a really interesting topic for this week’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun over at Genea-Musings. It’s been awhile since I participated, but even I could handle this one.

1) List your matrilineal line - your mother, her mother, etc. back to the first identifiable mother. Note: this line is how your mitochondrial DNA was passed to you!

2) Tell us if you have had your mitochondrial DNA tested, and if so, which Haplogroup you are in.

My matrilineal line is:

1) Me
2) My mother: Rhona MacDonald Marshall (1933 Dundee, Angus, Scotland – 2003 St. Lambert, Quebec, Canada) married Robert Allan Farrell.
3) My grandmother: Eliza Hamilton Burnett (1897 Dundee, Angus, Scotland – 1943 Dundee, Angus, Scotland) married Robert Burn Marshall.
4) My great grandmother: Helen Leighton Marshall (1863 Kirrimuir, Angus,Scotland – 1929 Dundee, Angus, Scotland) married John Burnett.
5) My 2nd great grandmother: Ann Kynoch (1820 Dallas, Morayshire, Scotland – 1885 Dundee, Angus, Scotland) married Robert Marshall.
6) My 3rd great grandmother: Christian Hay (1781 Dallas, Morayshire, Scotland - ??) married John Kynoch.
7) My 4th great grandmother: Mary Ross married Robert Hay

My father’s matrilineal line is:

1) My father: Robert Allan Farrell (1927 Abernethy, Saskatchewan, Canada – 1962 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada)
2) My grandmother: Helen Devlin (1892 Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland – 1980 Balcarres, Saskatchewan, Canada) married Robert Farrell.
3) My great grandmother: Janet Anderson (1867 Hulford, Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland – 1939 Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland) married Peter Devlin.
4) My 2nd great grandmother: Jane Dunlop (1835 Hulford, Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland – 1921 Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland) married Alexander Anderson.
5) My 3rd great grandmother: Margaret Ferguson married James Dunlop.

I haven’t as yet taken any type of DNA test – that is a future “To Do” item.

Surname Saturday (on Sunday) - MARSHALL

2010-04-18T17:23:00.018-04:00

Each Saturday I will be posting one of my surnames. I will be starting with the 4 main lines – my paternal line of Farrell and Devlin and my maternal line of Marshall and Burnett, after which I will post most likely in alphabetical order using the Ahnentafel numbering system. The names in red are my direct ancestors.

This weeks surname is Marshall, my maternal grandfather's paternal line and my maternal grandmother's maternal line. These two lines are connected as my maternal grandparents were first cousins.

1. Me (Alana Farrell)

2. Robert Allan Farrell (1927-1962)
3. Rhona MacDonald Marshall (1933-2003), born 21 Feb. 1933 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland and died 8 Sept. 2003 in St. Lambert, Quebec, Canada. Rhona married Robert Allan Farrell on 15 Aug. 1953 in Balcarres, Saskachewan, Canada. They had three children (all living). Rhona is the daughter of Robert Burn Marshall and Eliza Hamilton Burnett.

6. Robert Burn Marshall, born 23 May 1871 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland and died 12 Sept. 1935 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland. He was the son of David Fenton Marshall and Rachel Wyse Hume. He first married Margaret Roy Weir (1868-1914) on 26 Feb. 1892.

The children of Robert Burn Marshall and Margaret Roy Weir were:

· Rachel Baillie Marshall (b. 22 Nov. 1892, d. abt 1893)
· Isabella Weir Marshall (b. 17 Aug. 1895, d. 13 Oct. 1895
· Robert Wyse Marshall (b. 8 Mar 1901, d. 12 Mar 1902)

Robert Burn Marshall next married Eliza Hamilton Burnett on 23 July 1917 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland.

7. Eliza Hamilton Burnett, born 16 July 1897 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland and died 29 Mar 1943 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland. Eliza was the daughter of John Burnett (1863-1923) and Helen Leighton Marshall (1863-1929). (Side note: Helen Leighton Marshall was sister to aforementioned David Fenton Marshall).

The children of Robert Burn Marshall and Eliza Hamilton Burnett were:

· Helen Burnett Marshall (1915-2007)
· David Hume Marshall (1917-1978)
· Robert Marshall (1919-1989)
· Rachel Margaret Marshall (1922-2009)
· Albert Ferrier Marshall (1924-1926)
· Norman Wilson Marshall (1929-1989)
· Living Marshall
· (#3) Rhona MacDonald Marshall (1933-2003)

12. David Fenton Marshall, born 13 April 1847 in Alyth, Perth, Scotland and died 10 Feb 1922 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland. David Fenton Marshall was the son of Robert Marshall and Ann Kynoch. David married Rachel Wyse Hume on 12 Aug 1870 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland.

13. Rachel Wyse Hume, born about 1851 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. Unfortunately, have not been able to find her year of death. Rachel was the daughter of Hugh Hume (1817-1899) and Agnes Reid (1823-1889).

The children of David Fenton Marshall and Rachel Wyse Hume were:

· (#6) Robert Burn Marshall (1871-1935)

24. Robert Marshall, born 7 October about 1819 in Alyth, Perth, Scotland and died 18 June 1981 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland. Robert was the son of George Marshall and Isabella Mitchell. He married Ann Kynoch of 26 Sept. 1841 in Alyth, Perth, Scotland.

25. Ann Kynoch, born about 1819 in Dallas, Morrayshire, Scotland and died 13 March 1885 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland. Ann was the daughter of John Kynoch and Christine Hay.

The children of Robert Marshall and Ann Kynoch were:

· Ann Marshall (1844-1913
· (#12) David Fenton Marshall (1847-1922)
· Robert Marshall (1849-?)
· John Kynoch Marshall (1851-1889)
· William Ramsay Marshall (1853-1853)
· James Grant Marshall (1855-?)
· George Smith Marshall (1858-?)
· Francis Ferguson Marshall (1860-?)
· Helen Leighton Marshall (1863-1929)

48. George Marshall, born about 1792. No further information is known on George Marshall.

49. Isabella Mitchell, born 21 Sept. 1795 in Alyth, Perth, Scotland and died 18 July 1866 in Kirrimuir, Angus, Scotland. Isabella was the daughter of David Mitchell and Elizabeth Colville.

The children of George Marshall and Isabella Mitchell were:

· (#24) Robert Marshall (abt 1819-1891)

Although George Marshall and Isabella Mitchell never married, their son Robert took the Marshall name.

Tombstone Tuesday - Maze

2010-04-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

In Loving Memory of

James Maze,

Drumoris

who died 25th August 1878

Aged 43 years

Also his wife Catherine

who died 14th July 1916

aged 73 years

Also their daughter-in-law

Sarah Maze

who died 1st September 1925

James Maze (1835-1878) and his wife Catherine, nee Fair (1843-1916) were my great great grandparents, my paternal grandfather's mother's parents. Sarah Maze (nee West) was married to their son, Robert. They are buried in the Aghavea Parish Cemetery in Aghavea, Brookborough, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland. I'm not sure where Robert is buried.

Closing Ceremonies - Winter 2010 Geneabloggers Games

2010-02-27T21:06:00.015-05:00

The Medal Ceremonies took place today followed by the Closing Ceremonies of the Winter 2010 Geneablogger Games. It was a gruelling two weeks of blood, sweat and tears for the 51 participants as they worked to be the best that they could be!

This was the first Games that A Twig In My Tree participated in and what a phenominal job (if I do say so myself), winning 1 Bronze Medal, 2 Silver Medals, 1 Gold Medal and 1 Diamond Medal.

Congrulations to all the participants and we will see you all again at the 2012 Geneablogger Games.

Robert Burn Marshall (1871 - 1935) Part 2

2010-02-27T00:06:00.011-05:00

Robert Burn Marshall (1871 - 1935) Part 1

When last we left off, my 43 year old grandfather, Robert Burn Marshall, had just become a widower when his wife Maggie (née Weir) passed away on April 13, 1914. I can’t begin to imagine how he was feeling. This was another devastating event after already losing three children.

Fortunately for Robert, he could take solace in the fact that his grandfather (Robert Marshall) and an aunt (Helen Leighton Burnett – née Marshall) lived in Dundee and were able to help him grieve.

Also there to help him grieve was Helen’s very lovely youngest daughter, Eliza Hamilton Burnett. Eliza was 26 years younger than Robert, being only 17 years old at the time and was also his first cousin. If teenage girls in 1914 were anything like they are today, Eliza must have been extremely flattered by the attention paid to her by a good looking older man and I’m sure the thought of him being her cousin didn’t even cross her mind! And I’m sure the grieving widow didn’t mind the attention of such a lovely young lady either.

It wasn't long before their relationship showed results. On December 19, 1915 my aunt Helen was born. It wasn’t until July 23, 1917, however, that Robert finally made an honest woman out of Eliza, probably because she was six months pregnant with their second child. Was it love, guilt or pressure from Eliza’s parents, Helen and John Burnett that made him finally marry her? The romantic in me is going with love, however I’m sure there was a wee bit of pressure from Eliza’s father, the Police Constable!

Robert and Eliza were married for 18 years and had eight children together:

Helen Burnett Marshall, born December 19, 1915, died April 12, 2007
David Hume Marshall, born October 8, 1917, died July 16, 1978
Robert Marshall, born September 20, 1919, died December 1989
Rachel Margaret Marshall, born January 15, 1922, died May 2009
Albert Ferrier Marshall, born November 6, 1924, died November 6, 1926
Norman Wilson Marshall, born May 16, 1929, about 1990
My Auntie Vina (as she is still living, I won’t give her full name and birth date)
Rhona MacDonald Marshall, born February 21, 1933, died September 8, 2003 (my mother)

At the age of 64, Robert suffered from chronic rheumatism of the heart and passed away on September 12, 1935.

Winter Games - Final Progress Report

2010-02-26T23:10:00.008-05:00

Well, the games are over and it is time for the final results. Unfortunately, work priorities took a precedence this past week so I didn’t get as much done as I hoped; however, considering these were my first Geneablogger Games, I’m quite pleased with the end results.

Here is my final progress report for the categories I participated in:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

Cited 21 sources in my database. Did not achieve the Gold that I was aiming for, but it has gotten me started.

Results: 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Silver Medal

2. Back Up Your Data!

Totally wiped out in this field!

Results: Zippo!

3. Organize Your Research!

Task E – Completed 21 data entries in my database. Was aiming for a Diamond and ended up with a Bronze.

Results: 1 Bronze Medal

4. Expand Your Knowledge!

I did fairly well in this category.

Task A - Used Google Maps to map out my great grandfather’s ancestral location.
Task B - Created a timeline for my great grandfather.
Task E - Created a surname visualization.

Results: 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Silver Medal, 1 Gold Medal

5. Write, Write, Write!

Task C – Prepared two posts in draft mode and pre-published them (and it actually worked!).
Task D – Wrote a biographical sketch of my maternal grandfather.
Task E - Created two pages on my blog, one listing the surnames I’m researching and one showing awards that I have been given.
Task F - Participated in a 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy Challenge #7.

Results: 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Silver Medal, 1 Gold Medal, 1 Diamond Medal

6. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!

Task A – Commented on several new (to me) genealogy blogs.
Task G – Used the Follow feature on a Blogger-based genealogy blog.

Results: 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Silver Medal

Total medals earned for these games:

5 Bronze
4 Silver
2 Gold
1 Diamond

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday - Orphan Photo #4

2010-02-24T09:00:00.003-05:00

In going through a box of pictures that belonged to my mother, I've come across a lot of photos of people I don't know. I believe they might be friends and/or family of my step-father, Douglas Sinclair Kay. I'm posting these in the hope that someone might come across them and be able to identify them.

The older gentleman right in front (turning towards the camera) is my step-grandfather, Adam Sinclair Kay and the older lady straight across from him is my step-grandmother, Clarice Mabel Kay (nee Salmon). I don't know who the other people are.

This must have been taken at Adam & Clarice's house because I recognize that old grandfather clock in the background - we had it in our house all the time I was growing up. By the looks of their age, I'm guessing this was when they lived in St. Lambert, Quebec, but probably before my step-father married my mother so I'm thinking probably in the late 1950's.

Tombstone Tuesday - Rhona M. Marshall and Douglas S. Kay

2010-02-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Douglas Sinclair Kay
October 31, 1927 - April 7, 1989

Rhona MacDonald (Marshall) Kay
February 21, 1933 - September 8, 2003

Together Forever

This is my mother's and step-father's gravemarker. The are buried together at Urgel Bourgie Cemetery in St. Hubert, Quebec

Winter Games Progress Report

2010-02-22T00:20:00.009-05:00

I've been a little behind in posting my progress report, but that's not to say I haven't done anything. I'm only posting new results to avoid a long post! A complete tally will be posted at the end of the week.

Category #1 - Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

I spent the day on Saturday entering sources (and boy do I have a lot to enter!). I finally completed 20 sources (actually 21!). It's taking me longer than originally anticipated as I'm still learning how to enter them properly.

Results: 1 bronze medal, 1 silver medal.

Category #5 - Write, Write, Write!

Today I attempted to prepare two posts in draft mode and pre-published them for Tuesday and Wednesday. Now let's hope it works!

I also completed Part 1 of a biographical sketch of my grandfather, but I won't count this until Part 2 is complete (hopefully tomorrow).

Results: Added a Gold medal.

Total Medal results to date:
5 Bronze
4 Silver
2 Gold

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-02-21T23:40:00.007-05:00

Rhona MacDonald Marshall

(married names: Farrell and Kay)
February 21, 1933 - September 8, 2003

Today would have been my mom's 77th birthday. Happy Birthday Mommy.

Robert Burn Marshall (1871 - 1935) Part 1

2010-02-19T00:08:00.021-05:00

My grandfather, Robert Burn Marshall, was born on May 23, 1871 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, the only child of David Fenton Marshall and Rachel Wyse Hume. At the time of his birth, his parents were living at No. 1 Montgomery Place West in the District of St. Andrew.^[1] David Marshall, at this time, was working as a Stationer’s Apprentice.

It is not known at this time what happened to Rachel after Robert’s birth as no further documentation can be found for her in Scotland. David changed occupations, becoming a commercial traveller (or travelling salesman), and by 1881 Robert, at the age of 9 was living with David’s parents, Robert and Ann Marshall (née Kynoch) in Glenprosen (near Kirrimuir) and attending the school there. The Senior Robert was the schoolmaster.^[2] Did Rachel die young (perhaps in childbirth)? Did Rachel and David separate?

Sometime in his early teens, Robert moved to Dundee with his grandparents (Robert and Ann) where Ann died on March 13, 1885,^[3] only 1½ months before her daughter, Helen, was to marry.

What he got up to in his late teens is unclear, but there is a record in the 1891 Scotland Census for a Robert Marshall, aged 19 born in Edinburgh as being in the local prison in Dundee.^[4] This Robert Marshall worked as a General Labourer. If this is my Robert Marshall, who knows what he got up to, but my guess at this point would be that, being single and 19 years old, he probably had just gotten paid and went and had a good time at the local pub and then had the unfortunate luck to be picked up and thrown in the local jail to sober up – being there on the night that the census was taken. Further investigation has to be done to confirm if this is my Robert Marshall.

On February 26, 1892 Robert married Margaret Roy Weir in Dundee. Robert, aged 20 was working as a Ticket Writer (or sign writer) and Margaret, aged 23 was a Jute worker. They were living in adjacent tenement flats at 41 and 43 Step Row.^[5]

This marriage was marred by tragedy. While living at 19 Barrack Street in Dundee, their first child, Rachel Baillie Marshall, was born on November 22, 1892.^[6] She was to die a few months later (a death record has yet to be found). On August 17, 1895 a second daughter, Isabella Weir Marshall, was born.^[7] Unfortunately, she was only to live a few months and passed away on October 13, 1895.^[8]

By 1901 Robert and Maggie were living in Glasgow where they had a son, Robert Wyse Marshall, born on March 1, 1901.^[9] According to the 1901 Scotland Census, they were living at 68 McLellan Street in the District of Govan and Robert was working as an Iron Borer.^[10]

At this time, Glasgow was a booming industrial city and there were plenty of jobs. Robert probably worked in one of the factories in the area where they lived, possibly at the Maclellan Works just across the road from where they lived. Unfortunately, tragedy was to strike once again when their son passed away on March 12, 1902, just a few days after his 1st birthday.^[11]

The couple moved back to Dundee, living at 65 Main Street in the Hilltown district, where Robert became a house painter. It was here that Maggie died at the age of 46 on April 30, 1914.^[12]

Stayed tuned for Part 2 as Robert does the “hanky panky” with his cousin!

Footnotes:

^[1] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 31 May 2009), birth entry for Robert Burn Marshall, 1871, District of St. Andrew, Burgh of Edinburgh; citing Statutory Registers no. 685/02 0490.
^[2] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 13 October 2009), 1881 Scotland Census, entry for Robert Marshall (age 9), Glenprosen, Kirrimuir, Page 1; Line 3, citing no. 299/00 017/00 001.
^[3] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 31 May 2009), death entry for Ann Marshall, 1885 District of St. Andrew, Burgh of Dundee; citing Statutory Registers no. 282/04 0319.
^[4] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 4 August 2009), 1891 Scotland Census, entry for Robert Marshall (age 19), Dundee, Angus, Dundee Prison, Page 1; Line 16, citing no. 282/02 027/02 001.
^[5] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 31 May 2009), marriage entry for Robert Burn Marshall – Maggie Weir, 1892, District of St. Peter, Burgh of Dundee; citing Statutory Registers no. 282/ 01 0053.
^[6] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 31 May 2009), birth entry for Rachel Baillie Marshall, 1892 District of St. Clement, Burgh of Dundee; citing Statutory Registers no. 282/03 0851.
^[7] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 31 May 2009), birth entry for Isabella Weir Marshall, 1895 District of St. Clement, Burgh of Dundee; citing Statutory Registers no. 282/03 0544.
^[8] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 31 May 2009), death entry for Isabella Weir Marshall, 1895 District of St. Clement, Burgh of Dundee; citing Statutory Registers no. 282/03 0452.
^[9] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 31 May 2009), birth entry for Robert Wyse Marshall, 1901 District of Plantation, County of Lanarkshire, Glasgow; citing Statutory Registers no. 646/01 0160.
^[10] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandsPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 4 August 2009), 1901 Scotland Census, entry for Robert Marshall Household, District of Govan, Lanarkshire, Glasgow, citing no. 646/1L 039/1L 016.
^[11] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 31 May 2009), death entry for Robert Wyse Marshall, 1902 District of Plantation, County of Lanarkshire, Glasgow; citing Statutory Registers no. 646/01 0089.
^[12] Scotland, “Search the Records,” database, ScotlandPeople (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 26 June 2009), death entry for Margaret Marshall, 1914 District of St. Andrew, Burgh of Dundee; citing Statutory Registers no. 282/04 0415.

I feel so bad!

2010-02-18T17:47:00.004-05:00

I made such a boo boo today. Claudia (Claudia's Genealogy Blog) left me a wonderful comment on yesterday's post. When I went to publish it, I accidentally hit the reject button!!!

I want to sincerely apologize to Claudia - I really didn't mean to do that.

Is there any way to un-reject a comment?

Winter Games Progress Report #5

2010-02-17T23:28:00.008-05:00

With staying up too late last night and after a long day of data entry at work, my brain was a little too fuzzy to work on the bio of my grandfather that I was planning to do, so after watching Faces of America and posting this week's Orphan Photo, I decided to read some new blogs. This prompted me to enter another category - Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness. What a nice way to spend an evening.

Here is my progress report so far for the categories I am participating in:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

Results: No medals here yet, but still anticipating at least a Silver.

2. Back Up Your Data!

Haven't started on this one yet.

Results: No medals yet, but hope to achieve at least a Bronze.

3. Organize Your Research!

Task E - Create at least 20 data entries in your database.
Completed on Feb. 16th.

Results: 1 Bronze Medal (my goal is a Diamond)

4. Expand Your Knowledge!

Task A - Use Google Maps to map out an ancestral location.
Completed on Feb. 13th

Task B - Create a timeline.
Completed on Feb. 16th

Task E - Create a surname visualization.
Completed on Feb. 13th

Results: 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Silver Medal, 1 Gold Medal

5. Write, Write, Write!

Task E - Create a page on your blog listing surnames, ahnentafel reports or other topic.
Completed on Feb. 15th.

Task F - Participate in a 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy Challenge.
Completed on Feb. 15th.

Results: 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Silver Medal

6. Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!

Task A: Comment on a new (to you) genealogy blog
Completed on Feb. 17th. I commented on three new (to me) blogs today during my lunch hour. Hopefully tomorrow I can read some more new blogs and post more comments.

Task G: Use the Follow feature on a Blogger based genealogy blog.
Completed on Feb. 17th

I became a follower of 14 new blogs tonight.

Results: 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Silver Medal

Totals Medal results to date:

4 Bronze
3 Silver
1 Gold

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Orphan Photo #3

2010-02-17T21:00:00.007-05:00

In going through a box of pictures that belonged to my mother, I've come across a lot of photos of people I don't know. I believe they might be friends and/or family of my step-father, Douglas Sinclair Kay. I'm posting these in the hope that someone might come across them and be able to identify them.

On the back of this picture is written "Ann, Plymouth Sound, Devon. July 1957". Because this was taken the same month/year and in the same place "Jack" from last week's post, I assuming they are related in some way. Mother and son perhaps? They are even wearing the same type of shoes!

If anyone recognizes this woman, please feel free to contact me.

Winter Games Progress Report #4

2010-02-16T23:55:00.014-05:00

As I came home late from work tonight, I didn't get as much done as I hoped. I was hoping to get more sources done, but that didn't pan out.

Here is my progress report so far for the categories I am participating in:

1. Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

So far have only inputted 5 sources.

Results: No medals here yet, but still anticipating at least a Silver.

2. Back Up Your Data!

Haven't started on this one yet.

Results: No medals yet, but hope to achieve at least a Bronze.

3. Organize Your Research!

Task E - Create at least 20 data entries in your database.
Completed on Feb. 16th.

In order to create a timeline, I actually had to enter the information that I had! While I was at it I entered information for three other individuals. Ended up creating 21 data entries.

Results: 1 Bronze Medal (my goal is a Diamond)

4. Expand Your Knowledge!

Task A - Use Google Maps to map out an ancestral location.
Completed on Feb. 13th

Task B - Create a timeline.
Completed on Feb. 16th

Task E - Create a surname visualization.
Completed on Feb. 13th

Results: 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Silver Medal, 1 Gold Medal

5. Write, Write, Write!

Task E - Create a page on your blog listing surnames, ahnentafel reports or other topic.
Completed on Feb. 15th.

Task F - Participate in a 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy Challenge.
Completed on Feb. 15th.

Results: 1 Bronze Medal, 1 Silver Medal

Totals Medal results to date:

3 Bronze
2 Silver
1 Gold

Always The Wanderer!

2010-02-16T23:04:00.017-05:00

In keeping with my great grandfather, David Fenton Marshall, I created a chronological timeline. Most of my ancestors tended to stay in one place - not David. He was a travelling salesman in the pharmaceutical business, so he moved around a lot.

Just a little side note to emphasize how important it is to look at all possible scenarios. It got confusing tracking David in 1901 using the census reports. When I first started looking at the census reports back in May of last year, I found two David Marshalls, one listed as "David Marshall" in Dundee living with a wife named Christina, and another as "David F. Marshall" (married) living in Montrose. The birth year and birth place on both census reports coincided with what I already knew about him from his birth record that I already had. However, since the census taken in Montrose specified David with his middle initial (and at this point I assumed (!) that he was still married to his wife, Rachel), I knew that this had to be my David and not the one in Dundee. Boy was I wrong - sort of!

I found David's death record and lo and behold it mentions that he had two wives (hopefully not at the same time!) - 1st wife - Rachel, 2nd wife - Christina. Apparently what happend with the census reports is this: when the census was taken, David was physically in Montrose on business. Back in Dundee, although not physically there, Christina did list him on the census as being the head of the household. Did this happen because Christina filled out the census report herself or did the census taker ask "who lived at that address" and Christina misunderstood assuming the person didn't necessarily have to physically be there? Guess I'll never the answer to that.

Just another quick note: I've lost track of David's 1st wife, and mother of my grandfather, after my grandfather's birth in 1871. I can't find any record at the moment of her anywhere. Needless to say, she is a brickwall that needs further research.

Back to the main point of this post. Using Legacy's Chronology feature, I created a timeline from David's birth to his death. Because of all his travells it's three pages! This is the first time I've used this feature in Legacy and I'm quite impressed (with Legacy and myself!). Below is a screen shot of the first page. This is definately a feature that I am going to make regular use of in the future.

Winter Games Progress Report #2 and #3

2010-02-15T22:56:00.009-05:00

Progress Report #2

I didn't get my progress report posted last night as it got to be too late. Most of the day was a washout! Well not really. I entered a lot of information in my database that my Aunt sent me before Christmas in order to send Family Group sheets to a couple of cousins to see if they can help fill in blanks on their immediate family. When I finished that I began working on entering my sources for the category "Go Back and Cite Your Sources!". Unfortunately, I didn't get as many done as I hoped - only 5.

Progress Report #3

Tonight I worked on the category "Write, Write, Write!" I managed to complete two of the tasks for this category:

Task E: In order to "clean up" my blog a little and make it less crowded, I created two pages at the top of the blog (under my heading). In one I have listed all the surnames that I am currently researching. The other is for all the wonderful awards that I have received. I plan to expand on this feature to include Ahnentafel reports (as soon as I get them done) and an "About Me" or "About This Blog" page.

Task F: Participate in a 52 Weeks To Better Genealogy Challenge. This challenge was fun. Once again I got to play around with Google Maps. On the weekend I created a Timeline for my great grandfather and tonight I used the street view to locate the actual houses where he lived. You can read about that here.

Medal standings so far are:

Category 1) Go Back and Cite Your Sources!: 1/2 a Bronze Medal (ha! ha!)
Category 4) Expand Your Knowledge: Silver Medal
Category 5) Write, Write, Write!: Silver Medal

52 Weeks To Better Genealogy – Challenge #7

2010-02-15T21:01:00.030-05:00

This weeks challenge for the 52 Weeks To Better Genealogy by Amy Coffin is to play around with Google Maps to determine the locations of addresses in our family history. I've used this feature before to locate places where my mother and her family lived in Scotland, before she immigrated to Canada. Unfortunately, the pictures that I saved are on my computer at work!

However, this past weekend, while working on the GB Games category, " Expand Your Knowledge", I used Google Maps to create a timeline, with a map, for my great grandfather, David Fenton Marshall. You can see the map here. While I was creating the timeline, I again used the street view to see if the buildings where he lived still existed (that's why it took me so long to create the timeline - I get so distracted when playing with things). For the most part they did, but in some instances the address no longer existed or the building was now being used as something completely differenct. In a couple of cases, there was only and empty lot. Because of his many locations (he was a travelling salesman), I'm only posting pictures of a few of the buildings.

This first picture is where he was living in April 1861. He was living with his aunt, Margaret Kynock and her family at 19 MacDowall Road, Edingburgh, Scotland. If this is the original building, which it looks like it might be, it was a really nice house! They lived where the white door is on the right hand side of the picture.

This next picture shows the general location of where he lived in August 1870, at the time of his marriage to Rachel Wyse Hume. He lived at 11 East Adam Street, Edinburgh. Unfortunately, the address no longer exists.

In May of 1871 he and Rachel were living at No. 1 Montgomery Place West, Edinburgh. It is shown in this picture where the yellow door is with the sign reading "Harlies". It looks to be all closed up now, but looks like it used to be a TV/video game store.

Skipping ahead a few years, he and his second wife, Christina Lynton, were living at 17 Caldrum Street in Dundee (where the white door is). This was were he lived at the time of his death in 1922.

Just for a little extra fun, I decided to see if I could find the house where my parents lived when I was born. Sure enough, I found it. I was surprised because the last time I checked Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan still did not have the street view available. We lived at 732 9th Ave., NW, Moose Jaw (it's the house on the corner). That is where we lived when my sister got hit by a car when she was 5 yrs. old. Right up until the last time I was there, in 2005, the house was always a greenish blue colour. The little white house next door is where my Aunt Nell (Helen Crossman, nee Marshall) lived.

I also found the house where I'm living now (for obvious reasons I won't give the address). It's a duplex. I didn't see my car parked on the street so this must have been taken while I was at work.

I enjoy working with Google Maps. I think it's a wonderful tool to be used for locating ancestral homes, creating timelines and I'm sure a whole lot more. There are many features that I haven't yet explored but plan to in the near future.

Winter Games Progress Report #1

2010-02-13T22:19:00.004-05:00

Today I worked on the category "Expand Your Knowledge". I created a Surname cloud, which was a new experience for me.

I also mapped out a timeline for my great grandfather, David Fenton Marshall, using Google Maps. This was quite a chore with him travelling a lot. I've used Google Maps before, but not to this extend.

All in all, I think it was a productive day. My medal standings so far are:

Expand Your Knowledge: Silver Medal

A Mapped Timeline for David Fenton Marshall (1847 - 1922)

2010-02-13T21:31:00.014-05:00

I spent the better part of 3 hrs. playing in Google Maps creating a timeline for my great grandfather, David Fenton Marshall. It took awhile to do because 1) he was a travelling salesman so he moved around alot and 2) a lot of the places no longer exist (or they've been renamed). I was also using the street view (which I love), to get a closer look at the houses, which I've saved to post at a later date.

I wanted to embed the link in this post but it kept causing problems and shutting blogger down. Besides, it wouldn't show all the locations at once. So I saved two screen shots to show.

This first one shows just the map of all the locations where my great grandfather lived.

This second shot shows both the map and a list of the locations (minus the last one as it got cut off!)

Creating a Surname Cloud

2010-02-13T18:20:00.007-05:00

Using Word It Out, I entered most of the surnames that I am researching and created a Surname Cloud. I initially wanted to try Wordle, but couldn't get it to work because I apparently don't have JAVA on my computer.

Not having JAVA caused a little bit of a problem trying to embed the cloud as html, however I was able to do a screen shot and copy it to the paint program and then, after fixing it up a bit, saved it as a jpeg.

This is the end result. Not too bad in my opinion.

Let The Games Begin!

2010-02-13T16:14:00.013-05:00

The Winter 2010 GeneaBloggers Games have begun. This will be my first time entering the Games and I hope to achieve at least a couple of Bronze medals if not Silver. Maybe I can be the first Canadian to win Gold in Canada (or maybe I can leave that to the Hockey Team!).

The Flag that I will be carrying represents my heritage. The Canadian Flag is because I am Canadian – born and raised. Most of my ancestors hail from Scotland (with a few trickling over to England) and Northern Ireland so I have chosen the Flag of the United Kingdom to represent them. I also chose the Flag of Ireland because, although my paternal grandfather’s family is from N. Ireland, it is my wish to one day visit the whole of Ireland.

The Categories that I will be entering are:

· Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

I’ve never been very good at citing sources (not that I don’t have them). When I transferred everything over from FTM 2008 to Legacy, the few sources I had entered were completely messed up. I have since purchased Evidence Explained, and with the help of this book, I am now prepared to enter all my sources – properly.

· Back Up Your Data!

With the experience I had a few years ago, both at home and at work, you would think that backing up my data would be something that I would do on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it’s not! By entering this category, I hope to make backing up my data a regular thing.

· Organize Your Research!

For the most part my hard copies are filed in a semi-organized way in file folders and I can usually find what I’m looking for; however, I do need to improve on this. My digital files are another matter altogether. I have a lot of work to do on those.

· Expand Your Knowledge!

Since I like to play with things, I should be able to complete at least two of the tasks: using Google Maps to map out an ancestral location and Wordle to create a surname visualization.

· Write, Write, Write!

I’m not a writer – never have been! I hope that by entering this category I can improve on this.

So, wish me luck and Let The Games Begin!

(Not so) Wordless Wednesday - Orphan Photos (#2)

2010-02-10T00:54:00.009-05:00

Tombstone Tuesday - Ross Farrell (1939 - 1939)

2010-02-10T00:36:00.007-05:00

In Loving Memory Of
Dear Little Ross
Daughter of J & D Farrell
Died 16/10/39
Aged 5 Months

Ross Farrell was the first child of my great uncle James Farrell and his wife Dulcie Maude McNamara. She died on October 16, 1939 at the tender age of 5 months.

She spent 4 days in the Burnside Private Hospital in Coonabarabran, NSW, the cause of death being listed as cellulitis of the face. She was buried the same day that she died and was laid to rest in the Presbyterian Cemetery (now called the General Cemetery) in Coonabarabran.

I obtained this photo through the Australian Cemeteries Index and was given permission to poste to this blog.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - My Other Interests

2010-01-23T18:07:00.015-05:00

This week's SNGF posted by Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings is to tell about our other interests besides genealogy and family history.

First and foremost is spending time with my family! I also love to crochet but never seem to find enough time to do it. I am currently working on an afghan for my boss, which is taking a long time to do. I am also working on one for myself (although the items for myself always end up on the back burner!).

Reading is another hobby of mine. My favourite authors are Diana Gabaldon and Anne Rice. My favourite books are the Outlander Series (got the newest one for Christmas) and the Vampire Chronicles. I also enjoy reading books by Maeve Binchy. Other than books about vampires (I know, I'm strange!), I don't really have any particular genre that I favour. If it's a good book, I'll pick it up.

The 3rd activity that I am involved in is The Order of the Eastern Star. It is the largest fraternal organization in the world in which both men and women can belong, although it is run by the women. To be a member, the men must be a Master Mason and the women must have a masonic affiliation. My father, uncle and grandfather were all Masons as well as my step-grandfather. My mother, step-aunt and step-grandmother and step-grandfather were all members of the Eastern Star. One of my sisters is also a member.

I was initiated at the same time as my mother, in 1991 and have been an active member since 1994 when I finished taking night classes. I've served in many capacities in my local chapter and am currently serving my eight term as their Secretary. In 2006 I was elected Worthy Grand Matron, which is the highest office one can obtain in the Jurisdiction (quite an honour to be elected by the membership). I am also the editor of the Jurisdiction's monthly newsletter (this is my sixth year doing that). As you can see, the Eastern Star takes up a lot of my time.

Last (and at times certainly least!) is work. I work for a large valve manufacturer as an Executive Assistant and Quotations Administrator for the VP of International Marketing.

Wordless Wednesday - Orphan Photos (#1)

2010-01-20T20:17:00.008-05:00

In going through a box load of pictures that belonged to my mother, I've come across a lot of pictures of people I don't know. I believe that they might be friends and/or family of my step-father, Douglas Sinclair Kay. I'm going to start posting these on Wordless Wednesday in the hopes that someone might come across them and be able to identify them.

The man in this picture is my step-father but I have no idea who the lady and children are. He looks to be between the ages of 18 - 21 yrs old (a good 15 yrs before he married my mother), which would put the timeframe between 1945 - 1948. He lived in St. Lambert, Quebec, Canada at this time but I'm not sure if that is where this picture was taken.

Tombstone Tuesday - James Farrell (1906 - 1972)

2010-01-19T23:11:00.008-05:00

In Loving Memory of

A Dear Husband & Father

James Farrell

Died 27th July 1972

Aged 64 Years

At Rest

James Farrell was my great uncle - my grandfather's brother. He was born on February 14, 1906 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland and died on July 27, 1972 in Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. He immigrated to Australia sometime in the early 1920's.

I obtained this photo through the Australian Cemeteries Index and was given permission to post to this blog.

Tombstone Tuesday - Robert and Nellie Farrell

2010-01-05T00:38:00.006-05:00

Farrell

Robert - Nellie

1896-1965 * 1893-1980

These are my grandparents. They are buried at Regina Memorial Gardens in Regina, Saskatchewan. The birth date for my grandmother is actually wrong - she was born in 1892. Nellie was the name she went by but her actual name was Helen.

Thanks to Jim Slough for doing a Random Act of Kindness and taking this photo for me.

I'm In a Quandary!

2010-01-05T00:25:00.004-05:00

A few months back my Aunt promised to send me the address of a new cousin that I didn't even know I had. She is a daughter of one of the little girls that my grandmother left behind in Scotland when she immigrated to Canada. You can read about that here. Well, she finally did.

I'm asking for help! I've never written to a total stranger before (except for archivists, etc). How does one go about writing to someone they've never met and then ask for information: "Hi Nettie, this is not a junk letter so don't discard it. I am your cousin, Alana in Montreal and was given your address by _____!" That just does not seem like a good start!

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Out There In Genea-World!

2010-01-05T00:20:00.002-05:00

Just thought I would let my readers know (and anyone else who's interested) that I have not fallen off the face of the earth - although sometimes it does feel like it. The last few months at work have just been crazy and has not left me with much time for blogging.

However, a new year has begun and one of my resolutions is to be more faithful to this blog and my family history.

So stay tuned, folks - there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

A Portrait of my Irish Grandfather – Robert Farrell (1896 – 1965)

2009-11-01T19:17:00.005-05:00

It is unfortunate that I don’t remember my grandfather as he died when I was only 3 1/2 years old. It is only while doing my research this past year that I have been able to learn a little about him.

My grandfather, Robert Farrell, was born in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh in Northern Ireland on December 15, 1896. He was the second oldest of nine children born to William Forbes and Elizabeth Jane (Maze) Farrell. His father and grandfather were both farmers and Robert, too, became a farmer - both in Ireland and later after immigrating to Canada.

In 1912, when Robert was 16 years old, he (along with his father, mother, and oldest brother Joseph) signed the Ulster Declaration in support of His Majesty King George V and against Home Rule in Ireland. He, as well as most Protestants in the Province of Ulster felt that Home Rule would be disastrous to the well being of Ulster as well as the whole of Ireland. His brother, John William, at the age of 14 was too young to sign.

It is my belief that the unrest in Ireland is the reason that Robert and his brothers, Joseph and John William decided to immigrate. John William immigrated to Australia, Joseph went to New Zealand and Robert immigrated to Canada. His next two youngest brothers, Forbes and James would later immigrate to Australia. Robert’s sisters, Lillian Olivia, Margaret, Maude and Kathleen all remained in Ireland.

According to his ship’s passenger list, Robert arrived in St. John, New Brunswick on March 22, 1920 aboard the Minnedosa via Liverpool, England. His final destination was to be Winnipeg, Manitoba with the intended occupation to be a farmer, later making his way to Saskatchewan. It is not known yet when or where he met my grandmother, Helen “Nellie” Devlin (she immigrated to Canada in 1921 from Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland), but I have been told that they were married in Govan, Saskatchewan (I have yet to confirm the exact year and place), where they worked for a farmer for a short time before moving to the Balcarres district in Saskatchewan. While there they farmed for a Will Wright in the Tipperary district. Later they rented land from John and Charlie White and lived on what was called the old Bateman farm.

In 1936, Robert and Nellie moved to the Abernethy district to a farm owned by a Mr. Jim Behrns. They spent a year there and in the spring of 1937 moved back to the Tipperary district and rented a farm called “Stoney-Lonesome.

Robert and Nellie had six children, four surviving to adulthood and two that died in infancy. In the 1950’s, Robert and Nellie moved back to Balcarres and finally purchased their own farm, where they both lived until their deaths.

Robert passed away on March 27, 1965 in Balcarres, Saskatchewan and is buried at Regina Memorial Gardens in Regina, Sask. Nellie was to follow on May 22, 1980 and is laid to rest beside Robert.

Wordless Wednesday - The Three Little Twigs

2009-09-16T23:48:00.002-04:00

This is a picture of myself (the baby) and my two sisters, Heather and Judy, with our mother, Rhona. We are the three little twigs that the branch from Scotland and the branch from Ireland created. This photo was taken about 1964.

Tombstone Tuesday - William and Helen Crossman

2009-09-15T23:10:00.005-04:00

This is the grave marker for my Uncle Harry and Aunt Nell. They are buried in the Veteran's Section of Rosedale Cemetary in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan.

Inscription reads:

Crossman

William

"Harry"

L7080 PTE

1919 - 1999

Helen M.

"Nell"

War Bride

1915 - 2007

Remembered With Love

I would like to thank Marge Cleave, who lives in Saskatchewan, who did a Random Act of Genealogy Kindness for taking this picture for me and sending it to me. I have yet to actually see it in person. She was even nice enough to lay some flowers.

Fate or Coincidence?

2009-09-15T22:25:00.019-04:00

My sister is forever telling her kids, and myself, that everything that happens in our lives is preordained in the Book of Life. Was it my destiny to buy a new car last month? Was it my destiny to have my tooth extracted last Saturday (they could have rewritten that chapter!)? Some people say that we make our own destiny. If that were the case, it wouldn’t have been my plan to have my tooth pulled!

All the time growing up, we had heard the story that my stepfather, Douglas Kay, had been in Halifax, Nova Scotia on the day that my mom arrived in Canada. My mom (Rhona MacDonald Marshall) was 13 years old when she left Scotland aboard the Aquitania via Southampton, England on April 4, 1946, landing in Halifax on April 10th. She traveled with two of her older sisters, Vina (aged 15) and Helen (Marshall) Crossman (aged 31). My Aunt Helen (or Nell as she was always called) was a War Bride and was coming to Canada to be with her new husband, William Henry Crossman (uncle Harry). When my grandmother, Eliza Hamilton (Burnett) Marshall, passed away in 1943, my Aunt Nell made a death bed promise to look after the three youngest children, my mom, my Aunt Vina and my Uncle Norman. As “fate” would have it, just before leaving, my Uncle Norman turned 18 years old and had to do his mandatory 2 years military service, causing him to stay behind in Scotland. After spending a few days in Halifax, my mom and her sisters boarded a train and headed west to Balcarres, Saskatchewan to live on the Crossman farm.

My stepfather always loved ships and trains and loved taking pictures of them. In April 1946, when he was 19 years old, he traveled from Montreal to Halifax to see the ships arriving, of which he took many pictures. On April 10th, he happened to take a picture of the Aquitania as she was arriving and on April 11th he took another picture of her while in dock, with all the War Brides at the railing. Was it fate that he was there that day or just a coincidence?

Was it fate that just after the war ended, Doug’s sister Helen married Forbes Peter Farrell (my future father’s oldest brother) and she moved to Balcarres to live on a farm not too far from the Crossman farm? At this time, Doug (still living in Montreal) was working for Canadian Pacific Railway on the cross-country train. When the train got to Indian Head he would jump off and go visit his sister in Balcarres, eventually becoming good friends with the Farrell’s; Forbes, his brother-in-law, Robert Allan, John (Jack) and their sister Lillian (who apparently had a big crush on Doug).

When my mom left school at 16 years old and was out working, she started dating Jack Farrell, who later dumped her for his future wife, Cathy! My mom then starting dating Jack’s older brother Robert Allan (or Allan as he was always called), eventually marrying him on August 15, 1953, making my mom and Doug’s sister, Helen, sisters-in-law. Fate or coincidence? Of course, my mom and Helen (by this time my Aunt Helen) became good friends and she was often at Helen’s house when Doug was there visiting (my mom, not being able to hold a grudge if her life depended on it, also became good friends with Cathy!).

In 1955, my mom, dad and my sister Judy (then just 2 years old), moved to Moose Jaw, Sask. (about an hour from Balcarres), where my Aunt Nell and Uncle Harry had already moved to. This is where my other sister, Heather and I were born. Doug remained friends with my mom and dad after they moved, often going to visit them when he was “out west”.

On August 12, 1962, my father passed away at the age of 35, due to complications from his diabetes, leaving my mom a widow with 3 young children. He was buried on August 15th, my parents 9th wedding anniversary. Of course all the Farrell family and the Crossman family and my Aunt Vina’s family were all at the funeral. Was Doug there? Who knows? I do know that after my dad died, Doug would still come to visit my mom when he was in town, making sure that she was doing o.k. Eventually, their friendship grew into much more and they were married on December 21, 1963 in Moose Jaw. After they were married, we all boarded a train and headed for Montreal.

My mom and stepfather were married for 26 years when he passed away on April 7, 1989 at the age of 61, from complications due to his Parkinson’s Decease. My mom passed away on September 8, 2003 from cancer, at 70 years of age.

So was my mom and stepfather meeting and eventually getting married preordained or was everything just one big coincidence?

Saturday Night Fun - Trading Cards

2009-09-13T18:27:00.009-04:00

This weeks Saturday Night Genealogy Fun at Genea-Musings is to create our own Trading Cards, inspired by Sheri Fenley of the Educated Genealogist on her post Trading Cards, Get Your Trading Cards.

I had a lot of problems getting the picture right, but it finally worked. You can make your own by going to Big Huge Labs.

So, without further ado, here is mine:

Saturday Night Fun - My 16 Great Great Grandparents

2009-08-09T17:54:00.008-04:00

Randy Seaver’s Saturday Night Genealogy Fun this week is to list your 16 great great grandparents in pedigree order. The assignment is:

1) List your 16 great-great-grandparents in pedigree chart order. List their birth and death years and places.

2) Figure out the dominant ethnicity or nationality of each of them.

3) Calculate your ancestral ethnicity or nationality by adding them up for the 16 - 6.25% for each (obviously, this is approximate).

4) If you don't know all 16 of your great-great-grandparents, then do it for the last full generation you have.

5) Write your own blog post, or make a comment on Facebook or in this post.

Here are mine:

Paternal Line:

1. William FARRELL was born about 1834 in Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He married Eliza Peters on May 6, 1856 in Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Date of death unknown. (Irish)

2. Eliza PETERS was born about 1834 in Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Date of death unknown. (Irish)

3. James MAZE, son of James Maze (mother unknown) about 1835 in Drumoris, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He married Catherine Fair in 1868 in Drumoris, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He died on August 25, 1878 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. (Irish).

4. Cathering FAIR was born about 1843 in Drumoris, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. She died on July 14, 1916 in Ballyreagh, Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. (Irish)

5. Arthur DEVLIN, son of Peter Devlin and Catherine McConnell, was born on January 19, 1840 in New Cumnock, Ayreshire, Scotland. He married Ann Andrew on November 12, 1858 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. He died on September 2, 1902 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. (Scottish)

6. Ann ANDREW, daughter of William Andrew and Eliza Douglas Goldie, was born about 1831in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. She died on October 23, 1902 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. (Scottish)

7. Alexander ANDERSON, son of Robert Anderson and Helen McClarin (?) was born about 1837 in Hulford, District of Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland. He married Jane Dunlop on March 20, 1857 in Hulford, District of Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland. He died on December 21, 1909 in Auchinleck, Ayrshire, Scotland. (Scottish).

8. Jane DUNLOP, daughter of James Dunlop ad Margaret Ferguson, was born on January 26, 1835 in Hulford, District of Riccarton, Ayrshire, Scotland. She died on September 24, 1921 in Prestwick, Ayrshire, Scotland. (Scottish).

Maternal Line:

9. Robert MARSHALL, son of George Marshall and Isabella Mitchell was born about 1819 in Alyth, Perthshire, Scotland. He married Ann Kynoch on September 26, 1841 in Alyth, Pershire, Scotland. He died on June 18, 1891 in Dundee, Scotland. (Scottish).

10. Ann KYNOCH, daughter of John Kynoch and Christine Hay was born about 1819 in Dallas, Morrayshire, Scotland. She died on March 13, 1885 in Dundee, Scotland. (Scottish)

11. Hugh HUME was born August 5, 1817 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. He married Agnes Reid on November 11, 1842 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. He died on March 15, 1899 in the District of Canongate, Edinburgh, Scotland. (Scottish).

12. Agnes REID, was born September 22, 1823 in Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland. She died on December 19, 1889 in the District of Canongate, Edinburgh, Scotland. (Scottish).

13. John BURNETT, son of Alexander Burnett and Margaret Crabb, was born on March 1, 1838 in Fetterncairn, Kincardineshire, Scotland. He married Elizabeth Smith on May 28, 1859 in Glenbervie, Kincardineshire, Scotland. He died on August 16, 1900 in Dundee, Scotland. (Scottish).

14. Elizabeth SMITH, daughter of Charles Smith and Helen Longmuir was born about 1836 in Glenbervie, Kincardineshire, Scotland. She died on August 13, 1872 in Logie Pert, Forfar, Scotland. (Scottish).

15. Robert MARSHALL, son of George Marshall and Isabella Mitchell was born about 1819 in Alyth, Perthshire, Scotland. He married Ann Kynoch on September 26, 1841 in Alyth, Pershire, Scotland. He died on June 18, 1891 in Dundee, Scotland. (Scottish).

16. Ann KYNOCH, daughter of John Kynoch and Christine Hay was born about 1819 in Dallas, Morrayshire, Scotland. She died on March 13, 1885 in Dundee, Scotland. (Scottish)

Nos. 15 and 16 are duplicates of Nos. 9 and 10 due to the fact that my mother’s parents were first cousins.

The predominant ethnicity is Scottish with a sprinkling of Irish.

I think this was an excellent exercise as it helps me to know where I still have lots work to do.

Constable John Burnett (1863 - 1923)

2009-08-09T16:34:00.011-04:00

On a previous post I mentioned how I contacted the Tayside Police Department’s Museum in Dundee, Scotland to see if they might have my great grandfather’s work record, which they did and were able to send to me. They also mentioned that they should have a picture of him in his uniform. On July 28th, I received an email saying that they were able to get a picture of him taken off and they were putting it in the mail that day. Just 4 days later on July 31st, I received the picture in the mail (I can’t believe it only took 4 days from Scotland when it takes nearly a week and a half for local mail!). This was very exciting as this is the first picture I have of any of my great grandparents. They actually sent two copies of the picture so I will be sending one to my Aunt in Saskatchewan.

Constable John Burnett was born on July 29, 1863 in Fettercairn, Kincardineshire, Scotland to John Burnett and Elizabeth Smith. He married Helen Leighton Marshall on April 24, 1885 in Dundee, Scotland and died on March 2, 1923 in Dundee, Scotland.

Digitized Newspapers for New Zealand

2009-08-06T15:42:00.006-04:00

While goofing around today on my lunch break, purely by accident I came across the website for digitized newspapers for New Zealand called Papers Past, put together by the National Library of New Zealand.

According to their Intro page, Papers Past contains more than one million pages of digitised New Zealand newspapers and periodicals. The collection covers the years 1839 to 1932 and includes 52 publications from all regions of New Zealand. What's even better, from what I can see, it is completly free!

If you have ancestors hailing from New Zealand, this might be a great place to look.

Wordless Wednesday - Life on the Prairies?

2009-07-29T19:07:00.009-04:00

This is a picture of my Aunt Nell (Helen Marshall Crossman - 3rd from the right) along with some of her War Bride friends. Is this what life on the Canadian Prairies did to them?

The picture on the left is my Aunt Nell with one of her best friends, Lena Hammer, who was also a War Bride. These pictures were taken in Regina, Saskatchewan at a War Brides Reunion in April 1988 when my aunt was 73 yrs. old. She passed away two years ago at the young age of 91.

Check It Out

2009-07-13T14:20:00.004-04:00

Deez from Cemetery Explorers was kind enough to do a new banner for me, and I just love it. I love the effect of the branches/twigs.

I am trying to send a "thank you" note by way of a comment on his blog, but for some reason Blogger is not letting me (I will keep trying), so I am publicly thanking him here.

Thank you, Deez. You're a gem for doing this.

Wordless Wednesday - Ain't She Cute?

2009-07-09T00:09:00.003-04:00

This is a picture of my daughter, Briana. It was taken at La Ronde amusement park when she was six year old.

Tombstone Tuesday - Lieut. James Kay

2009-07-07T22:38:00.022-04:00

Lieutenant

J. Kay

Can. Garrison Artillery

28th July 1917

Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery

Souchez, Nord-pas-de-Calais, France

This is the tombstone of my step-great uncle, Lieut. James Kay. I found this picture this past weekend while going through some old pictures of my mothers. I was very excited to find this as I didn't think that one was to be found. I had found one online on a war memorial site, but the engravings were all worn off so I hadn't ordered it yet. Although the above picture is very faint (it was taken in 1937), it is still better than what I had previously seen. What's even better is that I have the original negative as well! I'm going to take it to a camera store to see if they can produce a better copy.

Along with the picture was a letter sent to James' sister, Helen and her husband, Captain John Beare, sent by a Captain Lawson. Captain Beare was a Merchant Seaman and I'm assuming that Captain Lawson was a friend of his.

May 1st, 1937
SS Holmbury
Port of Santa Fe

Dear Capt & Mrs. Beare,

I am afraid that you will be thinking that the snaps did not come out, but I am pleased to say that most of them in spite of the rain are very good.

Unfortunately we were only 24 hours at both Antwerp and Le Havre, so were unable to get the films developed at either port.

However please find enclosed the negative and a print of your brothers grave, which I am very pleased to be able to send to you, especially considering the weather, that it is so clear. The other print is the best out of two.

I hope that neither of you felt any ill effects after the dampness and the rain. It was unfortunate that we chose such a bad day, but my wife and I were exceedingly pleased that we did go.

I should like to know if you receive this in good order so would you kindly drop a card to my wife just to say that you have received the snaps. Hoping that we meet again sometime.

Kindest regards,

Yours sincerely
Capt. Lawson

The full story of Lieut. James Kay can be read here:

1. Lieut. James Kay
2. Lieut. James Kay (1888 – 1917) - Update
3. Lieut. James Kay (1888 – 1917) – Part 3
4. Lieut. James Kay (1888 – 1917) – Part 4

Free Credits on Scotlands People

2009-06-26T14:03:00.005-04:00

In a message from the Angus Mailing List, a gentleman posted that the Glasgow Herald made reference that Scotlands People is giving away 20 free, I repeat free, credits in celebration of Homecoming Scotland 2009.

Log into scotlandspeople.gov.uk as usual and go to the section "need more" in the upper right hand corner. Scroll down past the normal "select number of units" box and in the voucher box type in: heraldmag

You must register by 1:00 p.m. (Scotland time) on Saturday, June 27th, and the credits are valid for 90 days.

This is not a scam, I just did it and got an extra 20 free credits.

Wordless Wednesday - The Town Drunks

2009-06-24T17:19:00.003-04:00

Oktoberfest 1982

Plattsburgh, NY

The Puckerbrush Award

2009-06-21T19:50:00.009-04:00

June has been very busy at work so I have gotten behind in blogging. When I wasn't looking, I was awarded the The Puckerbrush Award - not once but 3 times! I want to thank Linda over at Flipside, Harriet at Genealogy Fun and Jessica at Jessica's Genejournal. I'm not sure how deserving I am of this prestigious award, but am truly honoured to receive it. Thank you.

Because I am so late in posting this, everyone that I can think of to give this to has already received it. I've learned at lot about researching through reading everyone's blogs. Without all of you, I wouldn't have known where to start.

Happy Father’s Day – Douglas Sinclair Kay

2009-06-21T18:58:00.012-04:00

When I was 2 yrs. old, my mother married my Aunt Helen’s brother, Douglas Sinclair Kay. My mom first met my step-dad when she was still married to my father, Allan Farrell. My father’s brother, Forbes and his wife Helen Kay lived on a neighbouring farm in Balcarres, Saskatchewan. Doug (as he was always known) lived in Montreal and worked for Canadian Pacific Railway, working on the cross-country train. He would get off the train at Indian Head and go and visit his sister and her family. He became very good friends with my mom and dad. When my father passed away in 1962, it seemed inevitable that my mom and Doug would get married. They were married on December 21, 1963 and after a couple of days honeymoon, we all boarded a train for Montreal.

Douglas Sinclair Kay was born on October 31, 1927 in Lachine, Quebec to Adam Sinclair Kay and Clarice Salmon, the younger of two children. When he was 8 years old the family moved to the South Shore of Montreal, to St. Lambert.

While growing up, Doug was very active with the local sports clubs as well as Scouting, becoming a Scout Master for the St. Lambert Storer Troop. In 1957, he played hooky from work and took his troop to the Jubilee Jamboree in England. After he married my mom, he gave up scouting. He would say that 3 little girls were much harder to handle than 35 boys! Even after he gave up his scouting, he still kept in touch with “his boys”, many of who invited him to their weddings. One of his boys even named a son after him.

Although Doug never legally adopted my sisters and I, he always considered us as his own. Because I was so young when he married my mom, to this day he is my daddy.

We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, but we never wanted for anything. If he could afford it, we usually got what we wanted, and he always paid in cash. Nothing was put on credit. He always said that if you don’t have the cash for something, then you can’t afford it and you really don’t need it – something I still follow today. He was never burdened with a mortgage because he had been saving for many years to buy a house (plus he got a really sweet deal on a house when the previous owner died!). We lived in that same house until I graduated from High School, when he sold the house and bought a duplex.

Because he was always careful with his money (but by all means not stingy), he was able to finally take my mom on a long overdue honeymoon back to Scotland in 1970. Three years later we all went to Scotland. My middle sister, Heather, was going with her school on an exchange so he decided we should all go (I even got to miss a month of school).

When I started school, I was enrolled in the newly established French Immersion program. Because my step-dad grew up in Quebec, he already knew French (albeit street French) so we would always have these secret conversations together, which would drive my mom and sisters crazy because they couldn’t understand us!

Having three girls to raise, you could say that my-step dad was a little over protective. Although he never spanked us (and believe me, we deserved it sometimes), just one look from him and we knew we were in trouble. When I was about 15 yrs old, I asked him what he would do if one of us came home pregnant (I think I was trying to see how far I could push him). He would say, “you’d see the fastest shot gun wedding you ever saw”! Needless to say, when at 18 yrs old I did come home pregnant, I was petrified to tell him. Well, there were no shut guns and thankfully no wedding! He told me that if I didn’t want to keep the child, he would adopt it. This child was a part of his family and was not going anywhere else! When the time came for my daughter to be born, he was the one that was with me in the delivery room. After she was born, he would do everything a father would have done, from feeding her, to changing her and taking her for walks. The two of them were inseparable. And when I went back to school, I had the best babysitter.

My daughter and I lived with my mom and step-dad until my daughter was about 7 yrs. old, when I could finally afford to get a place of our own, even if it was in the upper part of the duplex.

When my step-dad was 58 yrs. he was diagnosed with a severe case of Parkinson’s disease causing him to take an early retirement. The next 3 years were extremely hard as the disease got worse. He was a big man, standing 6’4” and 250 lbs., and was always in the best of health, so it was heartbreaking to see this disease take from him what it did. His Parkinson’s had progressed very quickly, even quicker than the doctors had anticipated, and within 3 years of being diagnosed he passed away in 1989 at the age of 61.

Although Douglas Sinclair Kay was not my father, he was and always will be my Dad. Happy Father’s Day daddy – we miss you.

Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a DADDY!

Madness Monday – Family Secrets!

2009-06-08T23:55:00.012-04:00

Warning: This is going to be a long post!

I am currently reading the book Annie’s Ghosts by Steve Luxemberg. He writes about the shock of learning that his mother had a secret sister and his search to find out all he can about her (I highly recommend this book). As I’m reading it, I’m thinking, “how would I react in this situation?” Well, I have since found out!

When I first began my family research, I didn’t have much on my father’s side. I received a few names from my cousin on my paternal grandfather’s family – the Farrell’s – that have proven very fruitful. However, my paternal grandmother seemed to have just appeared out of thin air, that my grandfather wished for a bride and there she was! Actually, I did have a couple of tidbits – I always knew that she was called “Nellie” and she was born on April Fool’s Day. I never got to spend too much time with her because I lived clear across the country and we only visited maybe every 3-5 years. When she passed away in 1980, I was sent a copy of her funeral card, which gave her full name as well as her birth and death dates and where she was born (Ellen Devylin, b. April 1, 1892 in Euckenleck, Ayrshire, Scotland, d. May 22, 1980).

I tried searching on Ancestry for Ellen Devylin born on April 1, 1892 in Euckenleck. I soon found that her last name is Devlin and it’s Auchinleck (so much for accuracy on funeral cards!). I revised my search and still came up empty. I decided to try something way off base and used her nickname, Nellie, and the first entry that showed up was the 1901 Scottish Census showing a Nellie Devlin born about 1892 in Auchinleck, daughter of William Devlin and living in Auchinleck. O.K. that’s a possibility. I scroll down a little further and find another Nellie Devlin born about 1892 in Auchinleck but living in Sorn, Ayrshire (which is not too far from Auchinleck). O.K. now I’m beginning to think that someone is just playing with my mind – how can this same person be on the same census report living in two different places. I look at the file and see that this Nellie Devlin is the daughter of Peter Devlin. Turns out that Peter and William are brothers and they both had a daughter named Nellie born about 1892. By now I’m pulling my hair out. How can two brothers have a daughter born the same year and call them both the same name? Why are they doing this to me!! How am I supposed to know which one is my grandmother and why hasn’t my Aunt answered my letter of two months ago where I asked her for this information! I decided to give up for now and go concentrate on my mom’s side of the family – they were a lot easier to find!

I have a little tree up on Ancestry of my Farrell family and a couple of weeks ago I noticed a little green leaf next to my grandmother’s name. I clicked on it to see the “hint”. Someone is also researching the Devlin line and has a Helen Nellie Devlin born April 2, 1892 in Auchinleck. Well, that’s pretty darn close, especially the “Nellie”. I do know that Nellie is a nickname for Helen so my grandmother’s name could have been Helen instead of Ellen. The birth date is also nearly bang on. The Helen Devlin posted on Ancestry has a father named Peter (maybe I’m getting somewhere here, I think), but, and that’s a big BUT, this Helen had a child named Peter Gibb Devlin who died at 4 months old, father unknown (I kind of figured that with the same last name that the child was illegitimate). Frustration has fallen in my lap once again because “I know” that my grandmother only got married and had a family AFTER she immigrated to Canada.

I decided to continue to search, this time on Rootsweb and found someone else searching the Devlin line. He also had a Helen Devlin born April 2, 1892 in Auchinleck, whose father was Peter Devlin, with a child named Peter Gibb Devlin that died at 4 months old (father unknown). This was getting way too coincidental. But I just “knew” this couldn’t be my grandmother because she didn’t have kids until she came to Canada – or so I thought!!!

The time had come to pick up the phone and call my procrastinating Aunt! Here is how the conversation went:

Ring, Ring

Aunt Lily: Hello?
Me: Is this Lily?
Lily: Yes.
Me: Hi Auntie Lily, it’s Alana.
Lily: From Montreal? (I think I shocked her that I was calling because I haven’t spoken to her in 3 years)
Me: Ya, how are you doing?
Lily: I’m doing great (which was good to hear since she had a 7 by-pass operation 2 years ago). I bet you’re calling to find out when I’m going to answer your letter.
Me: Kinda!
Lily: I don’t know how much I can help, I think you have everything.
Me: Any little bit would help. What I was wondering, though, was if you remember what your mother’s parents names were.
Lily: Her parent’s names – no I don’t. (crap!). Your granny and her parents didn’t get along very well and she didn’t speak of her life before coming to Canada. I don’t know if you know this, but she had two little girls before coming here.
Me: What? (after picking myself up off the floor) Really?
Lily: Yes – and she left them behind when she immigrated.
Me: What? (picking myself up for the second time) Was Granny married before she came to Canada.
Lily: Oh no, but she did have a boyfriend and they were planning on getting married. See, you never know what you're going to find when you start searching (no kidding!)

By now I’m so stunned I’m speechless. I was hoping for her to maybe mention a little boy, but two little girls? She never did mention a little boy and I was too stunned to ask.

Apparently my grandmother had two illegitimate girls while still living in Scotland. She and her boyfriend were planning on getting married but this caused a problem with her mother. Because my grandmother was still living at home, with the little girls, her mother was getting money, my Aunt thinks possibly from the government. If my grandmother married or moved away and took the girls with her, her mother would no longer receive this money. This caused such a rift between my grandmother and her mother that my grandmother got so upset that she up and left. Not just the house, or the town, but the country – and left her two little girls behind. That must have torn her apart.

I asked my Aunt if my grandfather knew about this and she said no, that my grandmother kept this a secret during their 45 years of marriage. I assumed that she decided that she was going to start fresh in this new country and forget what was past. Not so - my grandmother kept in contact with her sister who updated my grandmother on the little girls and how they were doing, but destroyed the letters before my grandfather saw them. She carried this secret with her to her grave. My Aunt only found this out by accident in 1990 – 10 years after my grandmother died. On her way home from a visit in Montreal, she made a stop over in Winnipeg to visit her cousin, Nettie. While there, Nettie says to my Aunt “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m really not your cousin – I’m your niece!” Nettie is the child of one of these little girls that my grandmother left behind. She has been living in Canada for a long time and has been “posing” as my Aunt’s cousin to protect my grandmother’s secret (she would really be my cousin). All that time my grandmother knew that Nettie was her granddaughter but couldn’t acknowledge it for fear that her secret would come out.

My Aunt has promised to send me the stuff I requested as well as Nettie’s address so I can write to her to get the whole truth.

Since speaking with my Aunt I have managed to find my grandmother’s birth record, which lists her father as Peter Devlin (one mystery solved). Just out of curiosity, I searched for the death record of this Peter Gibb Devlin and I found it on ScotlandPeople. He is listed as illegitimate, mother’s name is “Nellie” Devlin, and grandfather is Peter Devlin. So, did my grandmother actually have 3 children before coming to Canada. Who are these little girls, how old were they when my grandmother left and who is the father (or fathers)? The questions are just coming from everywhere. Now the wait is on again for my Aunt to send Nettie’s address.

I just hope I don’t have to wait another two months. I don't think I could take it!

Mailing Lists and How They Helped Me

2009-06-04T23:16:00.014-04:00

I have seen recommendations from other GeneaBloggers about joining mailing lists to help in their research. I decided to check them out so I went over to RootsWeb to see what they had. I found one pertaining to one of my areas of research, the Scotland-Angus list so I decided to join. I haven’t posted anything as yet and so far the messages received, although very interesting, don’t pertain to any of my family. However, I did check out the archived messages and there was a very interesting post regarding the Dundee police force saying that if you had an ancestor who was a member of the force you can contact the Tayside Police force’s museum and they might have your ancestor’s work records.

The Tayside Police was formed on the 16th of May 1975 and is made up of a number of smaller City, Burgh and County Constabularies (namely Angus, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross), which over the course of more than 150 years have successfully merged together to form the present Tayside Police Force.

My great grandfather, Robert Burnett (my mother’s maternal grandfather), was a member of the Dundee Police force in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s. The 1891 Scottish Census lists him as a Police Constable and according to his death record he retired as a Detective Inspector. Unfortunately, I don’t have any record of when he joined the force.

Fortunately, the person who posted the message on the mailing list also gave the website to the Tayside Police Force. I logged on and found their History and Museum section, which gives a brief history. You can contact the museum by filling out an online form with your request. There is a warning on the site that the email is not monitored 24 hours a day. The form is only for contacting the Force Museum and comments will be sent directly to museum staff. I filled out the form with the details that I knew of John Burnett and hoped for the best. That was on May 23rd.

On May 30th I received a reply from the website co-ordinator saying that they had received my email and that it had been forwarded to the Museum Curator who may be able to help. So far so good – at least I got a response! The same day I got another email from the curator himself, Mr. Willie MacFarlane, saying that with the information I had provided he was fairly sure that they should have some record of my great grandfather and unless it had been removed from the file, there should be a black and white photograph of him when he joined the Force. He mentioned that he would attend to the matter on his next visit to the Museum. I was very excited to learn that there might be a picture of him as I don’t have any pictures at all of any of my great grandparents.

Today, not two weeks since my original request, I received a very exciting email from Mr. MacFarlane. He found my great grandfathers work record – a very detailed one at that. Here is what he provided:

Dear Alana:- Further to our emails to each other I now have some information on your great grandfather.

John Burnett PC No. 128 was 22 years of age when he joined the former Dundee City Police on 24th November 1884. Formerly he had been employed as a warehouseman. He was single and lived at 37, Stirling Street, Dundee. He stood at 5ft 9 and1/2 inches in height and was born in Kincardine-shire.

On 19th May 1898 he was promoted to Sergeant, and then on 3rd June 1908 he was promoted to Det Officer and then on 16th May 1914 he was promoted to Det. Inspector. On 24th November 1920 he resigned from the Force on medical grounds and was awarded a pension of £198 3/- pa. He died at Dundee Royal Infirmary on 2nd March 1923. His widow Helen Marshall or Burnett received a widow's pension of £40 pa.

John Burnett was clearly well thought of and in fact he received a reward of 5/- for his part in the arrest of a Sarah Milne who had stolen jewellery on 13th February 1896.

You will be pleased to know that we do have a photograph of John Burnett in uniform and once this has been developed I will sent it to you by land mail.

Best wishes

Willie MacFarlane Hon. Museum Curator.¹

How exciting is that! I can’t wait to get the picture and will post it as soon as it arrives.

According to the 1891 Scottish Census Robert Burnett and his family were living at 5 Stirling St. and in 1901 were living at 36 Carmichael. However, they must have moved back to 37 Stirling Street, as that was his residence at the time of his death.

So, I’m going to join those other GeneaBloggers and recommend joining a mailing list. 95% of the time the messages may be irrelevant, but that 5% could just be the missing link you are looking for.

Source 1: Willie MacFarlane , " Constable John Burnett". e-mail to Alana Farrell, sent 04 June 2009.

Farrell or Fearghail

2009-05-24T18:59:00.017-04:00

I have been doing most of my research lately on my father’s line – the Farrell Family. At this point I have only gone back to my great great Grandfather and so far I have found that we come from Ballyreagh in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. But apparently this is not where the name Farrell originates from.

This Irish surname, with variant spellings O'Farrell, (O) Ferrall, and cognates O'Farrelly and O'Ferrally, is an Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic Ó Fearghail. The Gaelic prefix "O" indicates "male descendant of", plus the personal byname "Fearghal", composed of the elements "fear", man, and "gal", valour; hence, "descendants" of the man of Valour" (I like that!).

This great sept originated in the Leinster Co. of Longford and their chief known as Lord of Annaly resided at Longphuirt Ui Fearghaill (i.e. O'Farrell's fortress) from which the name of the county derives. So important was the sept that much space is accorded to them in the "Annals of the Four Masters". There were two main branches of the O'Farrell's, the chiefs of which were distinguished as O'Farrell Boy from "buidhe", meaning yellow or Golden, and O'Farrell Bane from ban meaning "fair" or "white". Several of the family distinguished themselves in the Irish brigade in France, and Sir Thomas Farrell (1827 - 1900), was a noted sculptor many of whose statues adorn the city of Dublin.

A Coat of Arms granted to the (O) Farrell family depicts a gold lion rampant on a green shield. The colour symbolizes Hope, Joy and Loyalty in Love. It also reflects the hopes, ambitions and aspirations of its original bearer. On the Crest there is a black greyhound springing from a ducal coronet.

The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Father Richard O'Farrell, which was dated circa 1615 - 1663, in Annaly, Co. Longford, during the reign of King James I of England and VI of Scotland (1603 – 1625).

Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

This post was written for the 13th edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture , Irish Names, hosted by Lisa at Small-leaved Shamrock.

What good are Census Reports?

2009-05-17T19:47:00.004-04:00

My sister told me recently that when the last Census was taken a few of years ago, her youngest son balked out filling it out. His comment was "What good are Census Reports? It's just another way for "Big Brother" to keep his eye on us!" At 20 yrs. old, he is that cynical! She told him that it will help future generations to know more about us and how we lived.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at her house and updating her on things that I had found on our family. I was rattling off information that I had found using the Scottish Census Reports. Her oldest son was in the room and she turned to him and said "You see, that's what Census Reports are good for!"

When the next Census is taken, make sure you fill it out. And try to do it as accurately as possible to avoid giving headaches to your descendants when they are trying to find you!

Another Award - Wow!

2009-05-17T19:40:00.006-04:00

I've been offline for a few days so was surprised to see that two geneabloggers gave me the Friendly Blogger Award. Thank you to Judith at Tennessee Memories and Robin at Where I Come From. It is very much appreciated.

I know that this award has been going around for awhile, so I'm going to cheat and take the easy road out and present this to everyone who hasn't received it yet, as you are all friendly bloggers!

Our Prince

2009-05-10T16:03:00.014-04:00

After four years of marriage, my mother and step-father didn’t have any children of their own, so they decided that they would try adoption. Since my mom already had three girls, they were hoping for a little boy. Back in the mid 1960’s there were a lot of restrictions with adoptions with regards to race, religion, etc. At the time the only boys that were up for adoption were either children of colour or children of the Catholic faith (we were Protestant), both of which my parents didn’t “qualify” for.

Now at this time, I was about 6 or 7 years old and used to go to bed at 7:00 p.m. Because of his work shift, my step-dad only got home around 8:00 p.m. After about a year of trying to adopt, my step-dad called home one night and told my mom to keep me up until he got home as he had a surprise. He said it was a little boy about 9 weeks old. I was so excited because I thought, finally I was getting a little brother and I wouldn’t be the baby any more. Around 8:00 p.m. that night in walks my step-dad carrying a cardboard box. I thought it very funny that my new baby brother would be in box! My step-dad put the box down on the floor and, to my surprise, out popped this little brown head that started licking me in the face. It was a new puppy and boy did he every look funny! He looked like an oversized sausage. I didn’t know it was because he was a dachshund and he was supposed to look like that. He was soooo cute and tiny and we called him Prince.

My mom spent 3 months sleeping on the sofa training him. She trained him not to go on the furniture, not to go up the stairs to the second floor where the bedrooms were, and not to go in the dining room where we always ate. We had a huge front lawn with no fence and she even trained him to stay on the lawn. Not one paw touched the sidewalk without permission.

With the type of shift that my step-dad worked (he worked on the commuter trains), he was always able to come home during the day for a nap. One day he came home, took one look at Prince and said “come on boy, let’s go to bed”. That’s all it took – after all that training, he was now allowed to go upstairs and sleep on my parents bed. Next thing we knew, he was allowed up on the sofa. But that’s all my mom gave into – Prince was still not allowed in the dining room unless my mom gave the O.K. If we were eating dinner, Prince would sit on the edge of the doorway and not even his nose would cross that threshold. If my step-dad called him in to get a piece of food, Prince would look at my mom first and wait for her to give the O.K. and then he would slink in, take the food and then dash back out.

Whenever we would be playing outside the front of the house, Prince would always be out there too, sitting on the lawn. There were no concerns that he would run away. The only time that he was allowed off the front lawn was when my step-dad would be coming down the street. My step-dad would take the bus home whenever he came home during the day and he always had a set time to arrive. Mom would let Prince out the front to sit and wait. We always knew when my step-dad would be coming down the street because Prince would be sitting on the corner of the lawn wagging his tail so much you would think he was going to take off. My mom would wait a few minutes and then say “go on Prince” and Prince would take off down the street to meet my dad, give him a big Hello and then run back home to wait. It got to the point the neighbours all knew when my step-dad would be coming down the street just by watching Prince’s tail go.

My step-dad was a big hockey fan and Prince would always sit and watch the games with him. My step-dad would sing the National Anthem and Prince would sing right along with him. I thought this was so great to think we had a dog that could sing that I entered him in a talent show put on by our local park. I watched as all the other dogs did these really neat tricks. When it came to my turn, I got up my courage and started singing the National Anthem expecting Prince to join right along. All he did was lie there and sleep! I was so embarrassed! I guess my voice just wasn’t deep enough. I should have gone with the "cookie on the nose" trick.

When Prince was about a year old we got a kitten we called Mittens (she was allowed to sleep with me). For the most part Prince and Mittens got along fine, unless the cat was in a bad mood. If she was, she always took it out on Prince and would knock him upside the head with her paw! One day we found a stray kitten, that couldn’t have been more than 5 or six weeks old. Prince became very protective of this kitten. I think he was afraid Mittens would do something to it. He would let it sleep in his bed and make sure that it ate its food. We eventually gave the kitten to a little girl who’s cat had just got hit by a car.

Prince was my step-dad’s baby and they did everything together. As Prince got older, he went deaf and blind and could barely walk because of his arthritis. After 17 years, we knew it was time to put him down. My step-dad took this very hard and couldn’t do it, so I was the one that had to take Prince to the vet. It broke my heart to have to leave without him. Prince wasn’t just a dog, he was the baby brother I never had.

P.S. I’m still the baby of the family!

This post was written for the 13th Edition of Smile For The Camera - All Creatures Great and Small.

One Lovely Blog Award

2009-05-07T23:31:00.015-04:00

I was so pleased to read Jessica's Genejournal and see that she nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award. I haven't been posting too much lately so it was really nice of her to give me this. It's going to be tough to nominate 7 more - there are so many to choose from. My nominees are:

Amanda at A Tale of Two Ancestors

Lucie at Acadian Ancestral Home

Miriam at AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors

Apple at Apple's Tree

Valerie at Begin With "Craft"

Claudia at Claudia's Genealogy Blog

Delia at Delia's Genealogy Blog

Lieut. James Kay (1888-1917) - Part 4

2009-04-26T23:57:00.035-04:00

1. Lieut. James Kay
2. Lieut. James Kay (1888-1917) - Update
3. Lieut. James Kay (1888-1917) - Part 3

On July 22, 1915 James enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force and was sent to England where he was later posted with the 5th Canadian Siege Battery – Canadian Garrison Artillery. While he was in England, he sent a postcard home to his mother, dated January 16, 1916. It reads:

“Haven’t heard from you for a long time – what’s up? Still in England. Expecting to move any time. Weather gorgeous. Have hired cycle. Don’t mind staying here. Jim”

I’m not sure when James’ unit was finally shipped out, but having found the War Diaries of WWI at Library and Archives Canada, the 5th Canadian Siege Battery were in Poiziers (France?) in October 1916. By July 1917 they were in Angres. These diaries give a day to day account of everything that occurred. Although these are very interesting to read, my goal was to see if there was an account of when James died. Since I knew he died on July 28, 1917, I quickly scanned the diaries until I found that day. I found the page that I was looking for and this is what was written:

“28-7-17: The Battery Position was shelled today with H.E. Lieut. J. Kay was seriously wounded and died on way to Dressing Station. 346828 Cpl. H. Sheldon was also wounded.”

Lieut. James Kay was commissioned from the ranks and laid to rest at Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery in Souchez, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. A Memorial Plaque and letter from Buckingham Palace were sent to his mother, Elizabeth, after his death.

Online memorials have been set up for those who died during WWI and James’s memorials can be found here, here and here.

“All Gave Some
And Some Gave All”

Rest In Peace Uncle James.

Lieut. James Kay (1888-1917) - Part 3

2009-04-26T23:44:00.008-04:00

1. Lieut. James Kay

2. Lieut. James Kay (1888-1917) - Update

James Kay was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on January 22, 1888 to Adam Bishop Kay and Elizabeth Muirhead Sinclair. Already knowing that he was living in Montreal in July 1915 (the date he enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force), I was curious as to when the Kay’s had arrived in Canada. In searching the 1911 Canada Census, I came up empty.

I then decided to see when they were last in Scotland and found them on the 1901 Scotland Census. According to this census, they were living at 37 Queensferry Street in Edinburgh. Adam Bishop Kay (listed as Head of the family) was a Joiner and Cabinetmaker. James was 13 years old and his brother Adam Sinclair (my step-grandfather) was 5 years old. Going back a little further to the 1891 Scotland Census, I found Elizabeth, aged 27, living with her mother, Helen Sinclair, and a sister, Catherine Sinclair, living at No. 14 Melville Place, Edinburgh. Elizabeth was married at the time (she is listed as Elizabeth Kay), but Adam Bishop is not listed as living with them. James was 3 years old and a daughter, Helen aged 2 months, is also listed. Adam Sinclair was not born until 1896. If Adam Bishop was serving in the Military in 1891, he obviously made it back home safe and sound since he still had one son to father! (and as mentioned, he is listed on the 1901 Census.

I then decided to check the Canadian Passenger lists from 1865-1935. I found an Elizabeth M. Kay, age 44 (widowed) and Adam S. Kay, aged 16 arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia on the Numidian on December 14, 1911, via Glasgow, Scotland (they obviously arrived after the 1911 census was taken). James was not with them at this time. There is also no mention of a daughter Helen . (I have not found any records of a daughter Helen, except for the 1891 Census and the 1923 income tax receipt – was she perhaps living with another family member?).

On continuing my search of the Canadian Passenger Lists, I found James Kay arriving on the Carmania, leaving Liverpool, England and arriving in New York City on November 24, 1913. He was listed as a returning Canadian with a final destination of Montreal. It shows that he originally arrived in Canada in 1908 and had lived here for 5 years. I haven’t found the passenger list for this arrival yet.

It’s Data Back Up Day

2009-04-01T16:39:00.003-04:00

I work in the Quotations Dept. of a large manufacturing company. Every day I work on large multi-million dollar quotations that take weeks to prepare. The last thing I want is to lose my data. Every night our servers are backed up, once a week my computer backs up to the one beside me, that backs up to the one beside it, etc. and once a month I’m very vigilant about backing up my data directory onto flash drives or CDs. I’m not so vigilant at home – or at least I didn’t use to be.

As previously mentioned, I belong to the Order of the Eastern Star (Masonic affiliated) and I am my local chapter’s secretary. I also put together their jurisdictional newsletter. Between correspondence, mailing lists, chapter by-laws, etc., the newsletter, I have a fair amount of data on my computer. About four years ago, I had a Trojan Horse sneak in the back door that shutdown my computer. Of course, I didn’t have anything backed up! I lost everything! Most of the data lost wasn’t that important, but having to retype from scratch the by-laws and redoing the newsletter just broke my heart.

Lesson learned - I now back up at least once a month if not twice. I was going to do it this coming weekend, but with the threat of the Conficker Worm that was supposed to strike today, I did my back up last night, both at home and at work. I certainly don’t want to retype those by-laws again and I certainly don’t want to lose all the work I have done on the family history.

Have you done your back up yet?

Blogs and Sourcing

2009-04-01T15:30:00.001-04:00

I have been reading with interest the discussions about the validity of blogs in genealogy research and whether or not to post sources.

Being new to genealogy and blogging, I enjoy reading the various blogs to aid me in the “how-to” aspect of my research. I have learned many things with regards to where to search for information, ideas on how to break down brick walls and reading about other’s frustrations and happy moments in their research, all the while nodding my head. I do not, however, use these blogs as sources in my own research (I have a family booklet that my cousin put together and I don’t even use that as a positive source as he didn’t include any sources).

I started my blog, for my benefit to keep myself organized and motivated and to share with those who are interested, my findings and my trials & tribulations in my research.

Should anyone who might be researching the same surnames be interested in my sources, they are more then welcome to contact me and I am more than happy to share. However, I will not be listing my sources on my posts. If this, in turn, causes others to stop following my blog – so be it (although I certainly hope that doesn’t happen!).

My two “unsourced” cents.

Tombstone Tuesday - Robert Allan Farrell

2009-04-01T00:02:00.012-04:00

Ever Remembered, Ever Loved

Allan Farrell

1927 - 1962

In God's Keeping

Allan Farrell was my father who passed away when he was 35 yrs. old. from complications due to Diabetes. He was buried on my parents 9th wedding anniversary. I took this picture about 20 years ago when I visited his grave for the first time.

Anyone else in the distant family would have a hard time finding this tombstone because his full name is not one it! His full name was Robert Allan but he always went by Allan. For some reason either my mother or my grandparents didn't think to put his full name on the tombstone! The below picture is a closer look of the stone before it was placed on his grave.

Lieut. James Kay (1888 – 1917) - Update

2009-03-28T20:35:00.008-04:00

As mentioned in my previous post, my sister had given me some medals and a dog tag belonging to my step-great uncle James Kay. With these I embarked on a search of his military records.

My first step was to check the Canadian Soldiers of World War I on Ancestry. I didn’t have much to go on except his name and that he lived in Montreal. I found a record for a James Kay with a relative of Elizabeth Muirhead Kay. On selecting that one, I found an Attestation Paper indicating Elizabeth Muirhead Kay as next of kin, who lived at 38 Overdale Ave., Apt. 4, Montreal. Overdale Ave. rang a bell, so I double checked some papers that I had and found an old Income Tax receipt for a Helen Kay dated 1923 (she owed a whopping $.72) that said that she lived on Overdale Ave; however, the street number was 36 Overdale. I knew that my step-grandfather had a sister named Helen. I printed off the Attestation Paper just in case this was my James. I then decided to go a different route and typed in my step-grandfather’s name, Adam Sinclair Kay. First record that showed up had a relative of Elizabeth Muirhead Kay. It was Adam’s Attestation Paper listing Elizabeth Muirhead Kay as next kin (mother) living at 38 Overdale Ave.! I have a postcard that James wrote to his mother in January 1916 and it was addressed to E. M. Kay. This was the clincher that confirmed that I had found the right James Kay. I couldn’t believe my luck that within a ½ hour I had found both James’ and Adam’s Attestation Papers. The papers had their date of births, location of birth, their occupation and their service number. It also listed previous military service. James had served seven years with the Royal Highlanders of Canada. One of James’ medals that I have is from the Royal Highlanders!

The Attestation paper was for the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force. I had never heard of this so I decided to google it. The first link that showed up had a complete explanation of this special force. Apparently during World War I, Canada didn’t have a fighting militia so Canadians signed up to fight with England. This force was later disbanded in 1919. The article I found had links to other sites and one of them was Veteran’s Affairs Canada. Veteran’s Affairs Canada has a Canadian Virtual War Memorial. The introductory paragraph says “This site contains a registry of information about the graves and memorials of more than 116,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served and gave their lives for their country. Included on this site are the memorials of more than 1500 soldiers who died in service to Canada since the Korean War, including peacekeeping and other operations.”

I plugged in James’ name (you can also enter date of death if you have it, which I didn’t). Two entries showed up. The first was for a James Kay, Regimental Sergeant Major (WO.I) who was part of the Canadian Infantry, Manitoba Regiment (which also showed his service number) who died in 1919 – not my James. I selected the second record and hit pay dirt! Lieutenant JAMES KAY who died on July 28, 1917. Force: Army; Unit: Canadian Garrison Artillery; Division: 5th Siege Bty. The dog tag that I have says Lieut. J. Kay, 5th Can. Siege Battery. I now had a date of death and a location in France where he is buried. The memorial lists the cemetery and even a location within the cemetery where his grave is.

(To Be Continued…..)

Lieut. James Kay

2009-03-15T02:42:00.022-04:00

As mentioned in previous posts, my mother remarried when I was 2 years old, after my father passed away. Although I knew that my step-father and his sister were born in Lachine, Quebec and that my step-grandmother was born in England, I didn’t really know too much about the Kay family, other than the fact that my step-father’s sister, Helen was married to my father’s brother, Forbes Farrell, making my blood cousins my step-cousins! (I’ll post more on that in a future post).

Last weekend my sister Judy brought out a box of medals that belonged to my step-great uncle, James Kay that I hadn’t seen in years. She wanted me to take them as she knows that I am working on the family history and thought I would be interested in them.

James Kay was a name that we had heard about but whom we knew virtually nothing. All we knew was that he was my step-grandfather’s brother and that he was killed during WWI. I don’t even remember ever seeing a picture of him. My step-father didn’t know anything about him and my step-grandfather died when I was little so we couldn’t ask him. James Kay was just a name from the past.

While looking through the box of medals, we found a picture of him. Now we had a face to a name and James became a real person! This picture was the front of a post card that James sent to his mother dated January 1916.

We also found two tiny pictures, one of which was of his grave and temporary cross, with a hand drawn map on the back showing the cemetery where he is buried, but no name of the cemetery (although I could tell from the map that it was in France).

With the medals we also found his dog tag, which mentioned his Unit name. I told my sister that with this little bit of information, I would try to see if I could find James’ military information. The next couple of days were spent researching (after which my elbow gave me grief) and did I hit a gold mine! Not only did I find James's military information, I also found some information on my step-grandfather that I knew nothing about.

Stay tuned to see what I found.

The Marshall Clan

2009-03-08T19:29:00.030-04:00

The word prompt for the 11th Edition of Smile For The Camera is brothers & sisters? Were they battling brothers, shy little sisters, or was it brother & sister against the world? Our ancestors often had only their siblings for company. Were they best friends or not? Show us that picture that you found with your family photographs or in your collection that shows your rendition of brothers & sisters. Bring them to the carnival and share. Admission is free with every photograph!

The brothers and sisters that I have chosen for this edition of Smile For The Camera are my mother and her siblings. My mother had six siblings and they were all very close, especially the 3 youngest (they did everything together – especially getting into trouble). My grandparents passed away when my mom was very young - my grandfather when she was 2 years old and my grandmother when my mom was 11 years old. The oldest of the siblings, my Aunt Nell then became guardian of the 3 youngest kids. She was married but her husband, a Canadian soldier, was off fighting. The next 3 oldest, my Uncles Dave and Robert and my Aunt Rachel were also married and in the service. When the war ended, my Aunt Nell was to immigrate to Canada as a War Bride and was going to bring the 3 youngest, my Uncle Norrie (17 yrs), my Auntie Vina (15 yrs.) and my mom (13 yrs.), with her. Up until about 2 weeks before departure, all but my Aunt Nell received their papers. While waiting for her to received her papers, my Uncle Norrie turned 18 and was called up for his mandatory 2 years of service, causing him to remain behind in Scotland.

The first picture is of all the brothers and sisters (minus my Aunt Rachel) taken just shortly before my mom and her two sisters left for Canada in April 1946. Left to right – back row: Dave Marshall, Muriel (Robert’s wife), Robert Marshall and Norrie Marshall. Left to right – front row: Lizzie (Dave’s wife), Nell (Marshall) Crossman, Vina Marshall and Rhona Marshall (my mom).

The second picture is of the brothers and sisters taken in October 1970 when my mom returned home for the first time in 24 years. It was a great reunion for her seeing her brothers and sisters again (my Aunts Nell and Vina were absent from this gathering). Back row: Norrie and Dave. Front row: Rhona (my mom), Robert, and Rachel.

The last picture is of the four sisters. This was taken in the mid 1980’s and was the only time that all four sisters have been together since before the war ended. Left to right: Vina, Rhona and Rachel. Nell is the one sitting.

Unfortunately, only two of the seven siblings are still alive, my Aunts Rachel and Vina.

I'm Still Alive!!

2009-03-05T20:06:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note (against doctor's orders) for those who follow this blog. I did not fall off the face of the earth - I'm still here. I have been suffering from Tennis Elbow and have been in excruciating pain for the last month and a half. I finally caved in and went to the doctor 3 weeks ago when I couldn't take the pain anymore. I've been on meds for two weeks and have been taking physio therapy twice a week for 3 weeks now. It is slowly getting better. Strict instructions from the doctor to try to stay off the computer as much as possible and to rest the arm, which of course is really hard since I'm a secretary and am on the computer all day. Needless to say, I've stayed off it at night (I think I'm having withdrawal symptoms!)

I used to snicker at people when then said they had Tennis Elbow thinking this was just an excuse not to do things (a few people at work use excuses like this not to work), but snicker no more. It really hurts!! It not only affects the elbow, but the swelling and pain affects the whole arm, and even makes the fingers numb. It doesn't help either that it's my right arm and I'm right handed!

I caved on the weekend and did some research on the Scottish Census on Ancestry (of which I found loads of information), but paid for it the next day. I will be posting what I have found, but it may take a few more days rest before that happens, so just be patient with me. I do hope, however, to get my post done for the Brothers & Sisters carnival that is due on Tuesday.

That's it for tonight, folks.

My Number 21

2009-02-22T18:51:00.010-05:00

This week's Saturday Night fun over at Genea-Musings, Randy Seaver is asking who is your Number 21 on your Ahnentafel list. Unfortunately, my Number 21 is still undiscovered so I went with the next closest that I have, which is my Number 24, Robert Marshall.

Robert Marshall is my maternal great, great grandfather. He was born in 1819 in Alyth, Perthshire, Scotland and died around 1891 in Dundee, Scotland. He was married to Ann Kynock of Dallas, Morrayshire, Scotland. Ann was also born in 1819 and died in 1895 in Dundee. They were married on September 26, 1841 and had 9 children. I still have to find out their exact dates of birth and deaths. These are some of the many things on my To Do List.

Robert and Ann were married in the new parish church, which is still standing today. The parish record states simply “Robert Marshall, teacher, Alyth, and Ann Kynoch of the parish of Dallas, were 3 times preached on September 26, 1841”. This is, of course, the Scottish custom of reading the “banns” to the congregation to announce the marriage.

Robert was a school teacher in the village school of Glenprosen. With it went the school house. It was a Society school set up by the church (The Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge).

Robert and Ann’s children were:

Anne Marshall – born around 1844
David Fenton Marshall – born April 13, 1847 (David is my great grandfather)
Robert Marshall – born July 16, 1849
John Kynoch Marshall – born June 18, 1851
William Ramsay Marshall – born September 15, 1853
James Grant Marshall – born November 24, 1855
George Smith Marshall – born August 30, 1858
Francis Ferguson Marshall – born November 28, 1860
Helen Leighton Marshall – born 1865 (Helen is my great, great aunt as well as my great grandmother).

You will notice that I mentioned that Helen Leighton Marshall is both my great, great aunt as well as my great grandmother. David Fenton’s son, Robert (my grand father) and Helen Leighton’s daughter, Eliza (my grandmother) married. Which means that my grandparents were first cousins! I somehow think that is illegal and could explain why my family is as strange as it is!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-02-21T15:46:00.013-05:00

Today would have been my mom’s 76th birthday. She was born on Feb. 21, 1933 in Dundee, Scotland and passed away on Sept. 8, 2003. When I was Worthy Grand Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star, I did a talk about Mothers that I wrote and I thought I would post it here in tribute to my mother.

During the years that passed from when I was born until my sisters and I moved away from home, my mother didn’t have a job. If she had been asked to fill out a questionnaire about her personal data, she would have left the question “Employment” empty. She believed that her job was to be our mother – full time. That was the way she had chosen it to be.

Here is an old photograph of my mother. In the photo I think she looks very beautiful. She was about 16 years old then. When I look at the photo, I see a woman who could have had an unlimited number of opportunities in life. Although she didn’t always look it, Mom was a tough bird.

Like a lot of people her age, she had a rough childhood. She grew up in Scotland during the worst of the Second World War. Many a time she could be found hiding under her bed, because of the bombings near by. That is, when she wasn’t busy getting into trouble. Mom had six sisters and brothers. Three were off serving their country and the oldest was always working, so that left the three youngest kids plenty of time to get into trouble! In 1946, at the age of 13, she immigrated to Canada with two of her sisters, the oldest being a War Bride. They arrived in Halifax and then rode the train to Balcarres, Saskatchewan to live on a farm, and with a new family she had never met. Coming from the modern city of Dundee to a farm, she always said she never knew what was worse, the war or not having indoor plumbing! Although mom quit school at 16 years old she never let that stop her. She was never one to sit around. She would always be out working – be it on the farm, at the local hospital or at a seafood canning plant in Toronto where they once spent the winter. I know that if she had put her mind to getting a career, the whole world would have been at her feet. Yet she always contemplated herself as housewife and mother.

Mom got married at 20 years old to Robert (Allan) Farrell, a boy from the next farm. Allan, my father, was a diabetic since the age of 13. Due to complications, he passed away at the age of 35 leaving my mother a widow with 3 kids at the tender age of 28 (by this time we had moved to the “Big City” of Moose Jaw). Two years later mom re-married a family friend who lived in St. Lambert, Quebec (his sister, Helen Kay, was married to my dad’s brother! That’s a whole other story!). As soon as we moved to St. Lambert, Mom got involved in the Women’s Church Guild. She became a constant worker at the church bazaars and rummage sales and later, as we grew up, with the Girl Guides. She was an avid crocheter and made a lot of afghans. Everyone in the neighbourhood we grew up in admired her for the great effort she put into charity work, but if someone asked her what she did for a living or who she was, she answered that she was Douglas Kay’s wife, and Judy, Heather and Alana’s mother.

The thing I remember best from my childhood is how it felt to come home from school. She was always there and when we swarmed through the door, she was getting supper ready to put on the table. Today there are probably many women who will see what she did as a waste of her good abilities. Why would a determined woman be content with making soup and sandwiches? I don’t know the answer myself. But it must have been good for something when I, many years later, still remember how it felt to rush through the kitchen door – and there was mum, waiting for us. I just wish I could have given that to my daughter.

I belong to a generation who by and large grew up in families with mothers who were home all day. And there is no way I could have had a better childhood. If my mother suffered privations from being a housewife not working away from home, she did not transfer any of them to us, her children. And whatever we may have of good qualities, we have because we had a mother who considered it her job to be our mother.

In the middle of all of life’s confusion, it is actually very reassuring to know that you always have a simple rule of thumb: how would I act if my mother could see me right now? In a way I think that we in our generation have fooled ourselves into believing that we can reinvent the whole world and alter the fundamental rules of life overnight. But deep inside we all know that we are actually the same people we were at the time our mothers could look into our eyes and see what we had done without needing to exchange one word. And believe me, in my case that happened a lot! I remember that as a little girl I believed that there were monsters living in my closet. Before I could fall asleep, I had to have mum chase them out of my room. Only then could I sleep.

I’m shrinking a little as I write this. But only if I tell it exactly the way it was can I explain what I mean: most of the time in our lives we have to chase out the monsters from our closets ourselves. But during a few short years in the beginning of our lives, our mother takes care of them for us.

Today I think that many women would be afraid of a life like the one my mother had. So many things have changed that if an intelligent woman would have to do today as my mother did then – devote herself to a husband and children – she would not only feel that her options were limited, but she would also feel outright threatened. I hope that my mother felt that she did the right thing.

We all go through our adult life with the conception that we have never been anything but fully developed grownups. But we have; we have all been small children once, who hurried home from school completely assured that someone was waiting for us at home. It meant something then and it means something today. And I am eternally grateful that the woman in the photograph was waiting for me.

Who’d have thought I’m a KreativBlogger?

2009-02-21T14:38:00.009-05:00

What a nice surprise to receive a message from Amanda at A Tale of Two Ancestors telling me that she has awarded me the KreativBlogger Award. As a new genea-blogger I certainly didn’t expect this. Thank’s so much Amanda.

The in rules for the Kreativ Blogger Award are:
1. Copy the award to your site.

2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.

3. Nominate 7 other bloggers.

4. Link to those sites on your blog.

5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate.

There are so many to choose from that I compromised on 6.

My nominees for this award are:

AncesStories: The Stories of my Ancestors
Claudias Genealogy Blog
Delia’s Genealogy Blog
kinexxions
Twig Talk

Olga’s Daughter

Tombstone Tuesday - Unknown

2009-02-17T10:57:00.009-05:00

I don't have too many pictures of tombstones as yet, but I had to post this one. This is a picture of my daughter when she was 2 years old. It was taken at the Abbey in Kelso, Scotland when we were over there for my sister's wedding. I have always had a fascination for old cemeteries, especially those attached to a church. The grave in this picture had sunk into the ground and my daughter decided to jump right in. I don't think she knew what she was "getting into"!

You’re going where without me?

2009-02-14T19:30:00.030-05:00

It’s been a busy week so I haven’t had much time to post anything. This is the other story I have been told about when I was a baby (actually I was two years old). My mother always liked to tell the story about when she re-married when I was 2 years old. We were all sitting in the front row watching. I was sitting (I’m sure very quietly) next to my uncle Harry. When it was time for Mom and my new Step-dad to go to the side room to sign the register, I decided that I should go along too. My uncle, who had just had a cast removed, reached over and grabbed me with his very tender arm. Apparently, with his face quite red and beads of sweat popping out, it was the one time that he nearly cursed in church! Everyone seemed to think it was quite funny!

My mom re-married and old family friend, Douglas Kay on December 21, 1963 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. They met through his sister, Helen, who was married to my Uncle Forbes Farrell. My mom was a young widow, aged 30 yrs. old, with three little girls. It was a small wedding with the reception held in the church hall. It’s nice to know, that even though she was re-marrying and would be moving away, her former in-laws and the rest of the Farrell family attended the wedding. My mom’s sister, my Aunt Vina as well as my cousin Bob stood as witnesses. This is a newpaper clipping of the wedding announcement. Unfortunately, it’s not very clear.

The top picture is one of the few pictures that I have of my paternal grandparents, Robert and Ellen (Nellie) Farrell. That’s me sitting in my grandmother’s lap.

The picture on the bottom is just some of my cousins who attended the wedding.

The High School Years

2009-02-10T22:23:00.011-05:00

My first meme! Randy Seaver over at Genea-Musings has Saturday Night Fun – Your High School Years. Thought this would be a great one for my first time. I know its Tuesday, but better late than never, right?

1. What was your school's full name, where was it, and what year did you graduate?

Chambly County High School, St. Lambert, Quebec – 1979. It’s now called Chambly Academy.

2. What was the school team nickname, and what are/were your school's colors?

I don’t think we had a school team but our colours were red and white.

3. What was the name of your school song, and can you still sing it?

We didn’t have one.

4. Did you have a car? How did you get to and from school?

No car. Wasn’t old enough to drive until after I graduated. I walked to school.

5. Did you date someone from your high school? Or marry someone from your high school? Were you considered a flirt?

No, no and defiantly NO.

6. What social group were you in?

I didn’t belong to any “groups”, but two of my best friends did!

7. Who was/were your favorite teachers?

Mr. West, my old English teacher. He was the one that really got me into reading. I always remember him wearing an old tweed jacket with the patches on the elbows and his glasses perched on the end of his nose. When not in class he always wore a scarf around his neck and an old fedora type hat. He was great.

8. What did you do on Friday nights?

Usually stayed home and watched TV. That’s because I didn’t belong to any social groups!

9. Did you go to and have fun at the Senior Prom?

Didn’t go.

10. Have you been to reunions, and are you planning on going to the next reunion?

I went to my 25 year reunion 5 years ago. It was really good seeing everyone again. I believe they are planning a 30 yr. reunion this year, but not sure if I will go. There is also a reunion for the whole school, all years, coming up next year.

Where to Begin?

2009-02-09T22:09:00.011-05:00

In the words of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield, “To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born.”

I was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (and I’ve heard ALL the jokes!). My mom and dad had moved there from Balcarres only 5 years before. I have two older sisters, Judy and Heather (in below picture). Judy was born in Balcarres and Heather was also born in Moose Jaw. My Aunt Nell (my mom’s oldest sister seen in the picture with me on my christining) and Uncle Harry also lived there. My mom’s other sister, my Auntie Vina, and her family lived in Marquis, Sask. I don’t remember too much of my life in Moose Jaw as my father passed away when I was 9 months old and my mother remarried a family friend (who was actually my aunt’s brother! I’ll explain that one in another post), and we moved to Montreal. I have, however, heard a few stories from when I was a baby.

One story was about the time I was tossed on the bed and forgotten about! Judy and Heather were outside riding their bikes across the street in the Safeway parking lot. When it was time to come home, Judy told Heather to stay put while Judy took the bikes across the street and would come back for Heather. Well, Heather, being the stubborn 5 yr. that she was, didn’t listen and decided to cross the street on her own. There was a car that was going to cross the intersection at the same time – he was only going about 5 mph. They both hesitated – they both started and stopped and then both started again at the same time. Crash! Heather gets hit and manages to break both headlights (we still haven’t figured out how she managed that!). Heather was screaming, Judy was hysterical and the poor man driving the car was beside himself. Fortunately there was a police officer right there and saw the whole thing. Mom tossed me on the bed (o.k. she laid me down gently) and her and my aunt came running out of the house to see what the ruckus was all about. The police officer didn’t want to wait for the ambulance so he, Heather, my mom and my aunt drove off to the hospital. Judy went inside to tell my dad what happened. It was only after about 2 hrs that my mom remembered about me! She called home and my dad checked and there I was, sleeping peacefully like there was not a care in the world.

The other story I remember being told was when my Uncle Harry nearly cursed in church, but I’ll leave that for tomorrow.

How my journey began

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Way back in high school (I think it was either Grade 8 or Grade 9), my history teacher, Mr. Holmes, made us students write a mini family history, going back at least to our Grand parents. I went looking through some old photo albums to find pictures of myself (which was a requirement for the assignment) and started writing a bit about myself. I then asked my mom about her life and that of my father. She told me stories of when she was a little girl living in war torn Scotland and her journey to Canada in 1946. As far as my grandparent’s information, she told me to write to my Aunt Nell who lives in Saskatchewan, which I did. Aunt Nell provided me with the names of my grandparents (both on her father’s side and mother’s side), their birth dates and marriage dates, all her siblings along with their birth dates and she even had the names of my Great Grandparents. As for my father’s side of the family, it was a little sketchy. My mom, of course knew my father’s information, along with his siblings and the names of my grandparents and that my grandfather came from Ireland, but that was all. I wasn’t able to ask my father himself as he died when I was only 9 months old and my mother re-married (that’s when we moved to Montreal). I put all this information together (even made my own charts) and handed it in at school, after which everything got put into a box to be forgotten! As like most teenagers in the mid ‘70’s, family history was not my top priority!

In 1987, when my daughter was 5 years, I took a long overdue trip to Saskatchewan to visit the family. While we were at my aunt Nell’s sister-in-laws house in Abernethy, I was shown a book called “Furrows In Time – The History of Balcarres”. As this was where my mom and dad lived and where my oldest sister was born, I found it quiet interesting. Along with the history of the district, there was also a history of all the local families. I looked up the Farrell Family and found a bunch of information about my father and his family that I never knew. As I was reading, I got the biggest surprise to see mine and my sister’s names in the book! Well, of course I had to buy this book (which now has an honoured place on my bookshelf). When I got home, I added all this new information to the stuff in the box, and then put it all away to be forgotten about again. Having a young child, working and going to school at night didn’t leave much time for family history.

In 2003 my mother passed away at the age of 70. It was then that I decided that it was time to do something with all this information that I had (it wasn’t a lot, but it was a start). My mom was the youngest of eight kids and I realized that sooner or later all those in my family, who were much older, that would have information or stories would soon be gone. Unfortunately, life once again got in the way. I belong to the Order of the Eastern Star and was elected, in 2003, to the highest position you can achieve in the province. This is a four-year commitment and very busy so needless to say the family history got put on hold once again.

In 2005 I made a trip back to Saskatchewan after an absence of 18 years. My Aunt Nell had just turned 90 and I thought (correctly too) that this might be the last time that I saw her. When I was there, she showed me a family book that my cousin had prepared for her. It was the story of our family in Scotland right back to 1795. What a treasure trove of information. I was able to make a copy to bring home and add to my collection, along with some old pictures that my aunt had. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time that visit to discuss much as I was only there for 10 days. It was Christmas and all my cousins were home for the holidays so I spent most of the time getting re-acquainted with them. As I assumed, that was the last time that I saw my aunt as she passed away the following year. I’m kicking myself now for not pinning her down and not quizzing her on everything. She had a memory like a sponge and I could have gotten so much from her. Fortunately, there is still one aunt left in Canada and one left in Scotland (both of them my mom’s older sisters) and you can bet that I will be contacting them real soon!!

Now that my life has slowed down a little I find that I finally have the time to devote to our family history. I have entered a lot of the information that I have in genealogy software. Although my cousin in Scotland had a lot of names and dates, I have found that some of the dates don’t jive. As I don’t have copies of any of his documents, I have a lot of work ahead of me to prove what he has found. I have an even bigger road ahead on my father’s side since I don’t even know what ship he came to Canada on. I’m hoping my dad’s sister can help with that side of the family.

I will be posting on how things are progressing as well as posting pictures and stories that I do know. I am looking forward to the journey ahead (or should I say behind me!).