Do the family history of your genealogy

Often genealogists get very excited about connecting the generations. Finding the previous generation is our goal. But we can't forget to spend a minute to learn about the people on that pedigree chart and family group sheets. Don’t forget to do the family history part of genealogy. I was reminded of this recently.

I have known for years that one of maternal lines goes back to the 1600s in Massachusetts. Whenever I participate in the FamilySearch Relatives Around Me at RootsTech or other conferences, I have two groups of relatives: French Canadian and early American cousins. The names and dates are all researched. I didn’t need to do any more research work for these people as far as genealogy goes, so I ignored them. That was bad, because, as I found out last month, there are some cool heritage I was missing because I had not done my ‘family history.’

While at American Ancestors, part of the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference, I looked for book on my ancestors the Bigelows. There was a whole long shelf for them. There are journals by the Bigelow Society there. There was a big book The Bigelow Family Genealogy Volume I, Six Generations of Descendants of John Biglo (1617-1703) of Watertown, Massachusetts. The book looked interesting, so I grabbed it. I think it is cool to see your ancestors’ names in a book. Some of you might agree. At the back of the book was the index. There were pages upon pages of an alphabetical listing of just Bigelow names. There was another smaller index for non-Bigelow names. I found my ancestors and followed my line, reading about each member of my direct line. I learned some family history. 

Quick side note. I speak on Canadian genealogy. One of my favourite topics to research and talk about is the filles du roi (King’s Daughters). Over 800 amazing ladies who helped form Canada. I did the researching in the 1980s but it was 20 years later before I researched some of these people. I have done this family history. I believe those who are their descendants should be proud to be part of that legacy. I am related to a few and I am very excited to claim them. In the United States, many are proud to be descendants of the Mayflower and Daughters (DAR) and Sons (SAR) of the American Revolution.   

The family history I learned from the book was about my ancestor, Paul Bigelow, born 21 Jan 1740 in Westborough, Worcester, Massachusetts. The Bigelow book states at the beginning of the American Revolution, Paul served for 11 days as a drummer in the local militia, beginning on 19 April 1775 in the battle of Concord and Lexington (the day the war began). The book continues to say that he also served near the end of the war, in 1783, and additional few months in between. I quietly started laughing because this made me a Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR). I have a close friend in Utah who loves the fact that she is a DAR. It is good to know about and be proud of your ancestry. I messaged her later that night to share the news.

I took a photo of the page and went downstairs where Katherine Borges was doing some research and helping others on another floor of the American Ancestors. Katherine Borges is a member of the DAR and spoke on DAR and DNA at the ECGGC that weekend. She has recently become the National Chair of the DAR DNA Network. Katherine is working on the efforts to introduce DNA evidence into the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) lineage verification process. I showed her my ancestor and she shared my enthusiasm. She emailed me the information to become part of the DAR.
Link: https://www.dar.org/discover/become-member 

The Bigelow book listed sources, which I recorded. I would have loved to look at those other books, which were available at American Ancestors but I had to go start the rest of the ECGGC conference.

I didn't know much about drummers during the Revolutionary War. This sparked my curiosity about the role of military drummers in the war. Following the conference, I delved online to learn more. Interestingly, most military drummers were typically young boys, making it notable that Paul was 35 years old in 1775.  His age raises questions about his enlistment as a drummer instead of a soldier. One of the videos, I have listed below, mentions he might not have been able to carry a musket in the ranks. Maybe, he was already a drummer. Despite whatever the reason, he chose to volunteer and serve. I found another Bigelow book that gave more information on his first service. His first service, he was part of the Westborough company of Minute Men. Unfortunately, I have yet to locate detailed records that provide further insight into his life to explain his choice.

The role of a drummer in the military extended far beyond simply energizing soldiers for a march, that I knew about. Drummers served as the camp's alarm clocks, using specific beats to signal key events throughout the day. These included reveille in the morning, mealtimes, work details, as well as fetching water or wood, and curfews at night.

During battles, distinct drum rhythms communicated critical commands to the troops. They indicated when to march forward, retreat, halt, turn, load weapons, and fire. Although Paul wasn’t firing a musket, his musical contributions were vital. Amid the chaos of white smoke, the thunder of musket fire, and the sounds of marching feet, no commander's voice could penetrate the battlefield; it was the drummers who kept the order amidst the turmoil. I am proud of Paul’s contribution. I also love listening to drums.

The conference also gave me another family history opportunity, which I had planned before I arrived. Part of the same family line as Paul, I have ancestors who were part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. While in Boston, I took a couple of hours to walk where my ancestors had lived way back in the 1600s.  

For those interested in learning more about military drummers, I recommend checking out the videos listed below.

Army Music of the Revolutionary War | In 3 minutes
https://youtu.be/03uRjm_klGs?si=Kp_2JnmHckweIwI7 

The History of Military Music, Episode 1: Music of the Revolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9FBfCWnEgY

Fife and Drum: Instruments of the Revolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0eN_XIFVJk

Fife and Drum Music and Communication during the American Revolution
This video shows examples of the different sounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3kR_h0xFHY

Do you have any war drummers in your ancestry?

American Ancestors visit during East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference

The East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference (ECGGC) just finished its fifth annual conference. We have had two previous virtual conferences and two hybrids: virtual and in person in Baltimore.

This year we were in Boston for America’s 250-year celebration. Dr. Adina Newman asked me to consider holding the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference in Boston, MA. We were looking for a new location. Dave Lambert, from American Ancestors, also thought that would be a good idea. Unfortunately, he was gone during the time of the conference, so he didn’t join us to walk around our conference like he does at RootsTech. (photo below. RootsTech 2026)

Once we had booked and started planning, I contacted American Ancestors and asked if they had tours of their building. They did and yes, we could have tours added to our conference package. They have a variety of different types and genealogical experience level.

We picked the following two items. The description for these two items is from their website. One is a tour, and the other is the opportunity to do research for up to 6 hours. The research was not a “tour” but their staff were so helpful and friendly we were able to find what we wanted.

Guided Tour of the Brim-DeForest Library at American Ancestors
Discover the Brim-DeForest Library, a leading center for genealogical research and scholarship. During this tour, your group will learn about the library’s archives, services, and research tools, gaining insight into how family history and historical documents are preserved and explored. This tour is an ideal starting point for groups planning to spend additional time conducting research.

Brim-Deforest Library Research at American Ancestors
Spend time exploring your own family history in the Brim-DeForest Library. With access to millions of genealogical records and resources, your group can begin to uncover personal connections to the past. Library staff are available to assist with general questions as you navigate the collections. We recommend allowing at least 3–6 hours to make the most of your research experience.

Although they are located in Boston, their resources go beyond the Boston area. They have many Eastern Canadian records – since they are so close. But they also have books and records for all over United States. American Ancestors is an amazing resource.

All conference participants who went loved the tour, the opportunity to see the building, and to do research. We were only able to do two tours and the numbers are limited. Those who could not attend the tour were still able to go and do research and they loved it as well.

Family Bible

In 2005, I wrote an article for Brigham Young University Studies Journal. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have letters in their archive, written between brothers in the 1830s. One lived in Tynsborough, Massachusetts and Timothy Bancroft lived in Clay County, Missouri. The letters mentioned many family members. I was asked to research the genealogy of all mentioned and how they were related. In my research, one set of records sited a Bancroft family bible as the source.

At RootsTech in 2024, American Ancestors had their library index on a computer. Dave Lambert, from American Ancestors and I looked for this Bible. It was listed in their inventory. There is an article written in the American Ancestors Journal about this discovery.

Before coming to American Ancestors while at ECGGC, I emailed them and asked if they could have this ready for me. They had it out for me to see. The actual Bible is still with the family. I would have loved to see the actual book, but I wouldn’t give up the family bible if it was my family, either. American Ancestors had copies of the pages with the genealogical information on it. I got to see that and was given a PDF version as well.

Check out what American Ancestors has available for your genealogical research. Their website has information about all their resources and their tours along with some free downloads.

https://www.americanancestors.org/ 

BYU Technology Lab: Relative Finder app

 The BYU Technology Lab is found at: https://fhtl.org

"This site is a non-profit student research lab focuses on connecting the human family through innovative information technology and genealogy, operating alongside related resources like the BYU Library Family History."

Students have created apps and programs to help with the family history work. These programs are available on this website.

Below is the website's home page showing their photo from RootsTech 2026. 

Relative Finder 

One of their most popular apps is Relative Finder. To use this app you must have your family tree on
FamilySearch. The description of the app is: 

"Find your relatives today! Relative Finder allows you to find relatives through the built in groups provided, and allows you to create your own groups to see how you are related to your friends, co-workers, and other famous people."

Direct link to Relative Finder click here.

When within the same building at a conference or church, we can use FamilySearch's Relatives Around Me. This is so much fun. Cousins can connect and possibly share information about ancestors. 

But when attending a conference virtually Relatives Around Me does not work, as you have to be within 100 feet for it to work. As more and more conferences are now virtual, this is one reason why you would want to use Relative Finder. 

Virtual Conferences

For the virtual attendees of the East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference 2025, we created a group. Everyone attending the conference could join the group and view their relatives who were also attending the conference. A link to the group was sent only to those attending the conference. 

My closest relative is another one of the committee planning members! We both have ancestors in Quebec. To see the relationship between you and a relative, click on the relative's name. 

The following new screen appears illustrating how you are related. This is at the top of the screen. 

Below the two of you, is listed the specifics of the relationship. Your family is listed on the left. Relatives line is on the right. I have only shown our partial relationship below, for privacy. This will list the connected line back to you. 

Famous People
You can also use this app to see if you are related to any famous people. 
Below is the right side of the Home screen which has a list of famous people topics. Click on the boxes of the topics you want to see if you are related to any famous people of that topic. 

I clicked Astronauts. Here is a partial list of the results.

The list continues on, to the 15th cousin. A total of 20 astronauts. 

Try it out. Have some fun with the famous people. 

Create a group of friends, church members, or genealogical society. If you are organizing a virtual conference at it to your fun. 

BYU Students promoted family history resources at RootsTech 2026. Read the full article at:
https://universe.byu.edu/campus/byu-students-promote-family-history-resources-at-rootstech-2026

Genealogical Education

I would like to share my genealogical educational journey so far, with emphasis on what I am doing now. I will also list some options for you to think about if you are interested in learning more about family history research. Before I explain my current education, I would like to share my previous genealogical education. I enjoy learning and taking courses, probably from the teacher in me.

I took some individual genealogical courses online from Brigham Young University such as Ireland Genealogy research, American Law, and life history writing. I then began working on a bachelor’s degree which included a certificate and an associate degree in Family History Research from Brigham Young University – Idaho. The courses were very well presented and taught. At graduation, I walked across the same stage I had 45 years earlier.

I was able to research and write multiple research reports according to their format. The last course, 499 specialty research, I had the opportunity to do work on a narrative report to prepare for what I thought at the time would be my next step. This class also explained two certifications I might want to complete next. The options highlighted were the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) and the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen).

My first choice was Board for Certification of Genealogists because they had a Lecturer certification. Once the BCG is earned, I would work on the lecturer certification. As a speaker and educator I wanted this certification. To learn about this certification visit the following.

• Board for Certification of Genealogists   https://www.bcgcertification.org
• Legacy Family Tree Webinars has a webinar
  Applying for BCG Certification: A Step-by-Step review of the 2025 Application Guide.
  The video explains the process of obtaining the BCG Certification.
  https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/applying-for-bcg-certification-a-step-by-step-review-of-the-2025-application-guide 

The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists certification is done for a specific location. They had recently added Western Canada as one of the locations. A friend, Linda Yip, was the first to certify in the region. ICAPGen had also created a Lecturer certification.

With the Western Canada region created and the lecturer certification added, I decided to start with the ICAPGen. At BYU Idaho I learned what was needed for their classes. For ICAPGen certification, I needed to know their requirements. ICAPGen provides study groups. I signed up for the Four Generation Project Study Group. The study group was amazing. I learned exactly what was expected and how they grade the report. It is a little bit different than what BYU-I asked for. The purpose of the study group is to revise and improve one generation of the Four Generation project. We were taught as a group and then broke into small groups with our mentor. Mentors helped two students with what they specifically need to improve to be able to pass and answer questions.

After submitting the first half of one generation of our full report, two other classmates read and commented on our report. We had the opportunity to evaluate two other students’ reports. We then finished the second half of the first generation. Two other students read and added their thoughts, and I read two more reports. All of this was very educational. They also have study groups for the testing part of the certification. To learn more about ICAPGen certification visit the following

• Website https://icapgen.org
• The Study Group information https://icapgen.org/study-groups.

I am working on finalizing my research report to submit. Some people register for a second study group to fine tune another generation before submitting their project. Once I earn my AG, I will work on my AGL.

Are you thinking about wanting to learn more or hone your skills? Here are some additional options.

First, the following are two websites that list many educational options.

FamilySearch Wiki has a page listing education opportunities, which is divided by country. 
https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Professional_Genealogy_Educational_Opportunities_-_International_Institute

Conference Keeper website also has a list 
https://conferencekeeper.org/genealogy-education/

Different types of education opportunities
The following are options I wanted to highlight. Some are listed on the sites above.

Institutes
There are a few institutes held throughout the year. These are usually a weeklong intense learning about a specific subject such as a language to read documents in another language, research in an area, recording family history. Many now include an online option. Well known options are GRIP is in Pittsburg and SLIP is in Salt Lake City.

Genealogical Studies (International Institute of Genealogical Studies: IIGS)
IIGS provide courses for 12 different certificates. The certificates include different locations throughout the world, methodology, historian, and DNA. To learn more check out their website at https://genealogicalstudies.com/.

Area Certifications
Check out areas you are researching to see if courses are offered in your research area. If there are courses, check to see if they also have certificates as well. Here are two unique Canadian certificates.

Genealogical institute of the Maritimes
https://www.genealogicalinstitute.ca

Saskatchewan Genealogical Society Certification Courses
https://saskgenealogy.com/education/certification-courses

DNA Certification
Investigative Genetic Genealogy Accreditation Board (IGGAB).
As I volunteer with mitoYDNA.org, I want to earn this certificate. This will most likely be my next project after the AG and AGL. I will also at some time complete the CG and CGL.

From their website they state:
“IGGAB has addressed the urgent need for ethical standards and proof of proficiency in this rapidly developing field by developing professional standards and an examination process that allows applicants to become an Accredited Investigative Genetic Genealogist (AIGG).”
https://www.iggab.org

Conferences and webinars
These are always great opportunities to learn in a variety of places. Many genealogical societies hold webinars. Check out the genealogical society where you are researching to see what they offer.

What are your next plans?
Enjoy the learning and have fun!

Legacy FamilyTree Webinars (MyHeritage) announce French sessions

You may or may not have received an email from MyHeritage announcing their launch of a French-language Webinar Series.

Daniel Horowitz stated:

"Starting October 7, a new series of live genealogy webinars will be offered entirely in French, alongside more than 100 French-language sessions now available on demand.

"This is an exciting addition for French-speaking genealogists worldwide, and a great resource to share with anyone in your community who speaks French or researches in French-language records."

Why is this exciting for me?

During the summer, I received an email from Geoff at Legacy Webinars telling me about this French launch. Then more exciting, he asked me if they could add one of my sessions to this new library! Of course I said, yes! 

The link to my session filles du roi aux meres dune nation in French is below. You need a Legacy Webinar account to watch and obtain handout.  

https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/filles-du-roi-aux-meres-dune-nation/

The handout has also been translated into French. 

My original session Daughters of the King to Mothers of a Nation in English is at:

https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/daughters-of-the-king-to-mothers-of-a-nation/

How does this benefit you?

The first three live sessions (all free to attend) are:

Filae : la maison des archives originales françaises with Yann Guillerm, Community Manager and Editor at Filae, Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST
Explorer vos racines en France : méthodes et ressources en ligne avec les collections de MyHeritage with Marie Cappart, historian and professional genealogist, Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST
Explorer vos racines au Luxembourg : archives locales et ressources MyHeritage with Liliane Hierro, professional genealogist and author, Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST

The full list of French sessions are at:

https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar-library/?language=french

AI and Genealogy

Why AI and is it scary?

You have used AI and probably didn't know it.

Have you ever done a Google search? 

How about in Facebook: Have you seen other people suggested as new people to become friends to ask to be your friend? This is similar with Netflix and Amazon Prime when they show movies you would like based on what you have previously watched. 

Have you ever asked Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa a question? Do you use a NEST thermostat, or similar company in your home that regulates your heat? That learns from what you have one in the past.

All of these and much more use AI to perform their tasks. 

FAQ webpages
Do you remember the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) webpages? A page designated to a list of questions that were frequently asked by others consumers, to help navigate the website or complete tasks on the website. Many of these webpages have been replaced by a bot on the main webpage of a website ready to answer your questions. FAQ are still around. We are using it for our East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference (ecggc,org) but they are not used as much. 

To create a way for users to ask a question and receive an answer, before AI, the programming would have had been a lot of what are called IF.. THEN statements. 
A IF THEN statement would ask a question with a Yes or No / True or False answer. 

A user would ask a question. The programmer would have to have a question such as
IF the word Genealogy is in the question THEN say this... 
IF the word DNA is in the question THEN say this...

If the question mentions the word "genealogy" then say this. (Directing them to a spot on the website for genealogy) 
If the question mentions the word "certification" then say this. 
For each of the important word(s) the site is expecting users to ask about there would have been a IF..THEN statement type of programming. This would take too many lines of code taking many of hours of coding with cost. This much code would also slow down the answer appearing. Way to long and this would be very slow, that is why there were pages called FAQs.

Have you noticed that bots have gotten better at answering your questions and understanding you? That is because of the improvement in the AI programming.

What AI is used for has also increased. Here are some examples in the Genealogy world. 

MyHeritage

MyHeritage has utilized AI in some fun family history ways.

The first was adding movement to an ancestor from their photo. Their head, eyes, and mouth moved. Not everyone was happy about that. Some thought it was a little creepy but either way it was pretty cool technology. It is called Animate your family photos.
For an example, check out their website at: https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia 

MyHeritage also has the AI Time Machine. 
Upload 10 - 25 photos of one person and then tell the AI Time Machine what time in history you want the person to be by selecting from one of the many themes representing different time in history. 
https://www.myheritage.com/ai-time-machine

For Genealogists
Besides what MyHeritage has, what else can AI do you the genealogists? There are a few AI website that will create graphics for you to use for free. As a presenter for PowerPoint presentations or images to add when writing your family history. 

Using AI to analyze DNA data is being worked on but nothing specific yet.

Marketing for a Genealogy Company
For a genealogist who has a company or a genealogical society you might want a good tagline to get people's attention. At Grammarly Slogan generator webpage you can answer three questions and it generated 5 slogans for you. 

Slogan Generator
Enter in information about your company and the Grammarly Slogan Generator will come up with some great tag lines for your company - all for free. 

https://www.grammarly.com/slogan-generator
There are other websites that can do the same thing. 

Step 1:  Enter Target Audience
My target audience is genealogists who need help with using technology, software, DNA, and Canadian records.

Step 2:  Add business, product, or campaign details
I present webinars about genealogical research, DNA, Canadian genealogical records,
Name is ifamilyhistory

Step 3:  Add Tone of voice
Describe the tone(s) you want your slogan to have.
My tone should be professional and upbeat.

Taglines the AI produced for me based on above information

• "Unlock Your Ancestral Story with iFamilyHistory: Embrace Technology, Discover Your Roots"
• "Connect the Past with the Future: iFamilyHistory, Your Gateway to Canadian Genealogical Records"
• "Tech-Savvy Solutions for the Modern Genealogist: iFamilyHistory, Where DNA Meets Technology"
• "Unleash the Power of DNA: iFamilyHistory, Your Expert Guide to Canadian Genealogy"
• "Discover Your Canadian Heritage: iFamilyHistory, Empowering Genealogists with Technology"

The instructions said to put the company name in step 2. 
I changed one answers slightly. I said the tone should be "upbeat" instead of "Positive". I received similar results.

1:  My target audience is genealogists who need help with using technology, software, DNA, and Canadian records  
2: I present webinars about genealogical research, DNA, Canadian genealogical records. Company name is ifamilyhistory
3: My tone should be professional and positive. 

• "Unlock Your Ancestral Legacy with iFamilyHistory"
• "Leading the Way in Genealogical Technology and DNA Research"
• "Discover Your Canadian Roots with iFamilyHistory"
• "Empowering Genealogists with Cutting-Edge Technology and Expertise"
• "Navigate the Digital Era of Genealogy with iFamilyHistory"

Sessions on AI
RootsTech website has AI sessions.

Upcoming
There will be more sessions on AI at different conferences. Maybe, AI will be able to analyze our DNA results quicker. Exciting but not everyone is ready or want someone else to do their work for them. Doing the work helps us connect with our cousins and ancestors.

Watch for more ways AI will be able to help you with your genealogy and DNA and enjoy the possibilities.

One Place Study: Ogdensburg, PQ Table of Records

To go along with the Surname study, I am conducting a One Place Study on Ogdensburg, Quebec. 

For my One Place Study I created a Table of Records for the area.
The first records I added to the table was census records which included the area before and after my family arrived in the area. 

I want to know why they picked this remote area in a French Catholic province when they were neither. How did they know about this area? They might have learned about the area from other family who came before them to this area, therefore I am looking at the census records before they arrived. It is part of the FAN research. Family/Friends, Associates, and neighbours. I am looking for family who arrived before my direct line. 

This is a screen shot of part of the census section of the Table of Records. 

I searched each census for Dowd/O'Dowd and Donoughy/Donoughoo (mother's maiden name).

Below is a screen shot of the Civil Registration of the Table of Records.

This shows the purpose for the first column. 

As I find more records I will add it to this table. 

As I search each of these records I will put the result in my Research Log. 

If family is found, I will save a copy of the record, along with the source, the URL, of the record

FNMI in the 1901 Canada Census

Canada Census, 1901 includes two columns which are unique to other Canadian censuses. They are colour (column 5) which only appears in this census and for Ethnicity (column 11) which contains unique answer options.

Colour
Library and Archives Canada defines the colour column as follows.

“…the letter "w" or “b” for white, "r" for red (Indigenous peoples), "b" or “n” for black (Black Canadians), "y" or “j” for yellow (individuals of Asian descent). Individuals of mixed heritage were designated by their relevant non-white race.”[1]

Ethnicity
The ethnicity listed in column 11 is the same for other censuses if the ancestry is from Europe or Asia but unique for the FNMI Peoples, and is different for each of the Peoples. 

First Nation
The First Nation people have an "r" in the colour column, and an r in the Ethnicity field as well. It does not say Cree,  Iroquois, Chipewyan, Algonquin or any other nation, just the letter "r".

Metis
Metis are those who have an ancestry couple where one spouse was First Nation and the other is European. French was the most Metis ancestry. Metis people are designated as R in the colour field. In the ethnicity column, they are designated as follows. The first table is English. The second table is French. [2]

Fb	French Breed
Eb	English Breed
Sb	Scottish Breed
Ib	Irish Breed
Ob	Other breed

m.f.	métis français, French breed
m.a.	métis anglais, English breed
m.e.	métis écossais, Scottish breed
m.i.	métis irlandais, Irish breed
a.r.	autre race/métissage, other breed

Inuit
The Inuit are designated as R in the colour field. In the ethnicity column they are identified as Eskimo. That term is no longer used. For more information, read my blog post FNMI The Indigenous Peoples of Canada at https://ifamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2023/11/fnmi-indigenous-peoples-of-canada.html.

These are Racial or Tribal Origin. Inuit are found in the Unorganized Territories, District 206. These are records are found only at:  http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/District.jsp?id=206

• Sub-district c, Keewatin
• Sub-district d, Mackenzie
• Sub-district e, Ungava

The following page is results from the Keewatin sub-district.

Source: http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/ViewFrame.jsp?id=112674

Territories Search page by area
Yukon results do not appear on Ancestry, FamilySearch, or Library and Archives Canada. 

http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/District.jsp?id=206

Library and Archives Canada website has a Inuit genealogy page which includes Census Records at https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/research-help/indigenous-heritage/Pages/inuit-genealogy.aspx.

The search page for this census is found at the following websites

• Library and Archives Canada https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Census/Index
• Ancestry  https://www.ancestry.ca/search/collections/8826/
• FamilySearch  https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1584557

---

[1] Library and Archives Canada, Dominion of Canada, 1871 to 1931, Census of Canada, 1901, https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/research-help/genealogy-family-history/censuses/Pages/dominion-canada.aspx#1901, accessed Nov 2023.

[2] Library and Archives Canada, General census guide, Other abbreviations, https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/research-help/genealogy-family-history/censuses/Pages/census-records.aspx, accessed Nov 2023.

Red River Ancestry website

If you are Métis you need to check out this site for your ancestors. If you are not Métis, you might want to check out this website because it is well organized with amazing information. If you are thinking of, or trying to, create a family website, I suggest you check this out. This site is also what every genealogists wants to find. 

A friend told me about an ancestor of hers who stood out, who she wanted to get to know more. She asked me if I had anyone that has stood out over the years. I do. She is a several great Aunt of mine. Not my direct line but someone I always remember. 

My friend, Tracey, has given me permission to share what found about her family. 

After telling me what she knew about this lady, Tracey asked me if I could find out more about her. Tracey is Métis so I went to the Red River Ancestry website to see if her (a few greats) grandmother was on the site. This is what I found. I have given explanations of each part of the website along the way. 

The link to the website is: https://www.redriverancestry.ca/ 

Red River Ancestry website Home page
The main page begins by welcoming everyone and stating the purpose of the website. The site “is devoted to descendants of early explorers, fur traders and settlers who first inhabited the great Northwest Territory or Rupert’s Land, and more particularly the region of the Red River of the North.”

Below is the top menu, which appears on every page for easy access. 

Ancestor Index
To find an ancestor, click on Ancestor Index. This is an alphabetical list of the husbands of the couples. Their name is the hyperlink to go to their individual couples page.  

I scrolled down to the Flett listing. Only 4 of them. 

Catherine Flett is not one of them. Our hope was that she is a child of one of these men. Her father is John Flett, but not John Alfred Flett, as far as she knew. 

There are two ways I could look for her. 

1. I could look at each family. Since there are only 4 that doesn't take too long. But if there were more I wouldn't want to look at each one individually. 

2. Instead, I could use the SITE command in Google to search for Catherine Flett just in this website. This is good as it will list any page that Catherine Flett appears. This is a good idea to search for anyone in a website. 

In the address bar of a web browser type 

site:redriverancestry.ca catherine flett

There are no results for Catherine Flett because she is not on the website. So I searched for Catherine's father John Flett. He doesn't have his own page, so I used the Google search.

site:redriverancestry.ca william flett

The following are the results from this search.  

From the results I found that he appears on his father's page William Flett (1786-1852). Below is the beginning of William's page. Husband and wife listed at the top. Their parents' and birth information is listed. If their father has a page on this website there will be a link to their page. 

A summary of their life with world and country history during their lifetime. At the bottom of William Flett's page is the list of their children, shown below.  

I then searched for Catherine's mother Eleanor Ellen Atkinson. 

site:redriverancestry.ca eleanor atkinson

Eleanor Ellen Atkinson is listed as a child on her father's page George Atkinson (1815-1846).
I clicked on George in the list. George Atkinson's page. 

History 

If you click History from the top menu the following screen appears. 
Each is a hyperlink to another page with history, photos, maps, names, families, and links to other forums. 

Forum Pages
Below is the forum page for George Atkinson and family. This is a place to ask questions with others who have the information. Just before the list of children is a link to their forum page.

Below is the top of the forum page for George. 

To be able to make comments or start a new discussion, you must create a username with a password. 

Register and Log in 
To get the webpage to log in or to register, try to reply to a post in a forum or create a new post. 

The following page will appear.

Log in

1. If you have already created an account, then enter your username and password. 
2. Click the box to Remember me if you are on your own computer then you won't have to log in each time. 
3. Hide my online status this session 
4. The second box is asking if you want your name showing in the forum when you are on, to anyone else on the site. 
5. Click Login.

If you do not have a username yet then create a username by:

1. Click Register (bottom left corner).
   The following screen appears.
   
2. Read, and click I agree to these terms
   The following screen appears
   
   

3. Fill in the form with a username, password and email address.

4. Click Submit. 

    Enjoy the site. 

Métis Scrip

A friend of mine asked me if I had an ancestor that really stood out for me? One that I wanted to get to know better. I said yes. For me, it is a several great aunt. For my friend Tracey, it is her twice great grandmother. She wanted to learn more about her. She gave me her name and mentioned she was Metis. I then went to the Red River Ancestry webpage where we found her ancestors. This search process is found on another blog post. 

On George Atkinson’s page on the Red River Ancestry page, it states the following.

                In 1875 Nancy claimed her Half-breed Scrip as the widow of George Atkinson.

We, of course, then had to go find the scrips of Tracey’s family. This post will illustrate the search steps to find her families scrip and the information on these documents.

Before searching it is good to understand what these documents are. Library and Archives Canada states, “Metis scrip was administered in Western Canada from 1870 until 1924 as a means of extinguishing the Aboriginal title of mixed-ancestry Aboriginal peoples. This policy was implemented in three basic phases: in Manitoba from 1870 to 1886; in the North West from 1885 to 1887; and in conjunction with First Nation treaties from 1887 to 1924.” [1]

The Canadian Encyclopedia states "Scrip is any document used in place of legal tender, for example a certificate or voucher, where the bearer is entitled to certain rights. In 1870, the Canadian government devised a system of scrip -referred to as Metis scrip - that issued documents redeemable for land or money." They continue explaining it was give to Metis people living in the West in exchange for their land rights.[2]

To search for scrip records, we went to the Library and Archives Canada website.

1.       Go to Collection Search webpage at 
https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Search

2.      Click on Advanced search , located on the right side, above the search boxes. 
The following screen appears.

3.       In the All these words search field, enter "RG15, scrip", plus the name of the Metis applicant. 
        Hit the Tab key. For example: "RG15 scrip Nancy Atkinson"

4.      In the next section of options, click All for the Database option.
        The following menu appears.

5.      Select Collections and Fonds. More options appear below.

6.       Click the All box for Hierarchical level. (Indicated by arrow).

The following menu appears.

7.       Select File.

8.       Leave the other fields blank.

Click the green button at the bottom Search.

A new screen appears with the search results.

Not all the results were Nancy’s. Two were not the right family.

Three were scrips for George and Nancy’s daughters: Mary, Sarah, and Jane.

Two documents were Nancy Atkinson’s script, widow of George Atkinson.

 9.     To view a scrip, click on the title (blue underlined text) to view the document.

The following appeared.

Full title of above

Scrip affidavit for Atkinson, Nancy; widow of George Atkinson; born: 1815; father: George Kippling (Métis); mother: (Indian); claim no: 8; date of issue: May 1, 1876; amount: $160 = Demande de certificat pour Atkinson, Nancy; veuve de George Atkinson; né(e): en 1815; père: George Kippling (Métis(se)); mère: (Indien(ne)); no de réclamation: 8; date d'émission: le 1er mai, 1876; au montant de: 160$

The following information was given on the scrip

 “I, Nancy Atkinson (born Kippling) of the Parish of St. Andrews in the County of Lisgar in said Province, widow of George Atkinson make oath and say as follows:

I am a Half-breed head of a family resident in the Parish of St. Andrew in the said Province, on the 15th day of July, A.D. 1870, and consisting of myself and children – and I claim to be entitled as such head of family to receive a grant of one hundred and sixty acres of land, or to receive Scrip for one hundred and sixty dollars pursuant to the Statue in that behalf.

I was born on or about the –– day of –– A.D. 1815 in the North West Territory

George Kippling a Half Breed was my father;
and ––– an Indian was my mother.

I have not made or caused to be made any claim of land or Scrip other than the above in this or any other Priah in said Province, nor have I claimed or received, as an Indian, any annuity moneys, from the Government of said Dominion.

10.   The other item was a digitized copy of the actual scrip. There are 8 pages showing each of the $20 scrips amounting to $160.00.

There was another scrip, of Tracey’s direct line, daughter of George and Nancy was Eleanor Fleet, wife of John Flett.

Full title of above

“Scrip affidavit for Flett, Eleanor, wife of John Flett; born: 1837; father: George Atkinson (Métis); mother: Nancy (Métis); claim no.: 93; date of issue: May 1, 1876 = Demande de certificat pour Flett, Eleanor, épouse de John Flett; né(e): en 1837; père: George Atkinson (Métis(se)); mère: Nancy (Métis(se)); no de réclamation: 93; date d'émission: le 1er mai, 1876”

This is a 2-page document which be downloaded by individual pages or both at the same time. The following information is given.

“I, Eleanor Flett (born Atkinson) of the Parish of St. Andrew in the County of Lisgar, wife of John Flett, in said Province, farmer make oath and say as follows:

1.       I am a Half-breed head of a family resident in the Parish of St. Andrew in the Province on the 15^th day of July, A.D. 1870, and consisting of myself and husband and children and I claim to be entitled as such head of family to receive a grant of one hundred and sixty acres of land, or to receive Scrip for one hundred and sixty dollars pursuant to the Statue in that behalf.

2.       I was born on or about the   day of   A.D. 1837.

3.       Eleanor indicates that George Atkinson, a half breed, is her father.

Eleanor indicates that his wife Nancy, a half breed, is her mother. “

·         Eleanor gives her mark of an x for her signature.

 

Print, Download, and Fullscreen 

Immediately below the document screen, on the left side, are three icons.

Print
The first is to print the document directly from the web browser.

Download
The middle icon is to download the document to your computer.
When you click on the download icon, the following little window appears.

1. Click in the check box so the check mark appears.

2. Click Download file or Download all images (PDF).

3. The file(s) will download to your Downloads folder on your computer.

4. The document will open in Adobe Reader, or your default PDF program.
The first page is a terms of use and Copyright page in French and English.

Fullscreen Mode
The last is to Enter Fullscreen mode. This removes the web browser from the top and the document is bigger and easier to read.

To get out of Fullscreen mode, Click on the same icon in the bottom left corner.

Information on other records
The above was good information and proof for her family, but other records have more information such as the following.

 

__________

EndNotes

[1] Library and Archives Canada, Aurora, The scrip solution: the North West Metis scrip policy, 1885-1887, https://bac-lac.on.worldcat.org/oclc/77378472?lang=en

[2] The Canadian Encyclopedia, Métis Scrip in Canada,  https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/metis-scrip-in-canada, accessed Oct 2023.