Timeline Oct 30 to Nov 2

Oct 30
1911  The Evangelical Lutheran Seminary of Canada opened on the campus of present-day Waterloo University.
1938  The radio play "The War of the Worlds," starring Orson Welles, aired on CBS. The live drama, which employed fake news reports, panicked some listeners who thought its portrayal of a Martian invasion was true.
1961  The Soviet Union tested a hydrogen bomb.

Oct 31
1517  Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Palace church, marking the start of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
1632  Jan Vermeer, Dutch painter, was born. Died Dec. 15, 1675.
1873  The International Bridge at Niagara opened.

Nov 1
1838  Lord Durham sailed for London, England after resigning as governor.
1867  Bishop John Strachan died at age 89.
1952  The United States exploded the first hydrogen bomb, in a test at Eniwetok in the Marshall islands.

Nov 2
1833  William Lyon Mackenzie was expelled from the Upper Canada legislature for the third time.
1905  The Department of Militia and Defence was empowered by order-in-council to acquire 22,430 acres of private property and 52,000 acres of crown lands, in the Petawawa area as a site suitable for artillery practice.
1936  The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, succeeded the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Corporation.
1947  Post WW II food rationing ended in Canada.

Early Settlers Bytown

In this weeks CHOO newsletter under Nepean Museum
They have a display on the cabin representative of the one Ira Honeywell's [1774-1852] family would have lived in when they arrived to settle in Feb 1811. He arrived with his wife Charlotte Andrews [1785-1861] and infant son Rice [1802-1885]. They were the first permanent settlers in what is now Ottawa.
I have yet to see the display but on a previous visit I was told that they would build the display from slabs obtained from the sawmill at the Cumberland Museum.
We have now entered the era of the 200th Anniversaries.
FYI, Braddish Billings was in the Bytown area. He settled in Gloucester Twp where the present day Billings Museum is located

War of 1812

Battle of Chateauguay 26 Oct 1813

Ref: Guidebook to the Historic Sites of the War of 1812, pg 196 by Gilbert Collins
'In the autumn of 1813, General Wade Hampton, with an army of over 4,000 men, moved against the British defence system on the Chateauguay River. Opposed to him was the advance guard under the command of Lt. Colonel Charles Michel de Salaberry, a French-Canadian. His force consisted of about 1500 troops, mainly militia, from the surrounding Counties.' The battle did not go well for the Americans and Hampton withdrew his forces.
'The Battle of Chateauguay, along with the victory at Crysler's Farm, 11 Nov 1813, prevented the capture of Montreal'
Visit Parks Canada website www.pc.gc.ca for info on the Battle of Chateauguay National Historic Site near Ormstown, Que
Ref; Pierre Burton's Flames across theBorder, 1813-1814 pg 228
'In this battle in which some 460 troops forced the retirement of 4000, the victors have lost only 5 killed and 16 wounded with 4 men missing. (The Americans casualties number about 50). It has been a small battle for Canada, profoundly significant. A handful of civilian soldiers, almost all French Canadian, has, with scarcely any help, managed to turn back the greatest invasion threat of the war. Had Hampton reached the St. Lawrence to join Wilkinson's advancing army, who would give odds on the survival of Montreal?? With Montreal gone Upper Canada would be cut off..

Timeline Oct 26 to 29

Oct 26
1774  The first US Continental Congress adjourned in Philadelphia.
1806  On the eve of his departure for an important post in India, John Graves Simcoe died in Exeter, Devon at age 54.
1825  The Erie Canal opened, connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River in upstate New York.
1881  The gunfight at OK corral took place in Tombstone, AZ.

Oct 27
1728  James Cook, British naval captain, was born. Died Feb 14, 1779.
1783  John Collins, deputy surveyor general, surveyed the town plot of Kingston. This survey was undertaken to provide lands for Loyalists.
1951  In London, the cobalt therapy unit at Victoria Hospital treated its first patient.
1867  Expo '67 closed in Montreal.

Oct 28
1818  The remainder of the Mississauga Tract was purchased from the Mississauga Indians "inhabiting the river Credit, Twelve and Sixteen Mile Creeks."
1886  The Statue of Liberty, a gift of the people of France, was dedicated in New York Harbour by President Grover Cleveland.
1914  Dr. Jonas Salk, American medical researcher, Who developed the first polio vaccine, was born.
1955  Bill Gates was born.

Oct 29
1682  William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, landed at what is now Chester, PA.
1929  "Black Tuesday" - Prices crashed on the world's stock markets, and Canada was plunged into the Great Depression.
1969  The Internet had its beginnings when the first host-to-host connection was made on the Arpanet - an experimental military computer network - between UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, Calif.
2004  European Union leaders signed the EU's first constitution.

Timeline Oct 23 to 25

Oct 23
1707  The first Parliament of Great Britain, created by the Acts of Union between England and Scotland, held its first meeting.
1873  Dufferin bridge, connecting Ottawa's Rideau and Wellington streets across the Rideau Canal, was opened by Governor General Earl of Dufferin.
1885  Lawren Harris, landscape painter, founding member of the Group of Seven, was born in Brantford.
1979  The 118 year old Rideau Club on Wellington street in Ottawa was demolished by fire.

Oct 24
1852  The Toronto Stock Exchange was opened.
1899  The first Ottawa contingent - the 43rd Battalion (Carleton Blazers) and the Governor General's Foot Guards - departed for South Africa and the Boer War
1917  The Alexander Graham Bell Memorial, recognizing the first telephone call in history was unveiled in Brantford.
1945  Franklin Carmichael of Orillia, a member of the Group of Seven, died.
1945  The United Nations charter took effect.

Oct 25
1400  Geoffrey Chaucer, author, died in London, England.
1783  In October, at Carleton Island, Captain William Redford Crawford of the King's Royal Regiment of New York, purchased from the Mississauga Indians a large tract of land east of the Bay of Quinte. This is now refered to as The Crawford Purchase.
1854  The "Charge of the Light Brigade" took place during the Crimean War, in the Battle of Balaclava.

Timeline Oct 19 to 22

Oct 19
1781  British troops under Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, VA.
1814  An American army under Major-General George Izard advanced from Sacket's Harbour, NY to assault Fort Niagara. At Cook's Mills, after a sharp skirmish, about 750 British troops under Lt-Col Christopher Myers forced the Americans to withdraw.

Oct 20
1803  The US Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase.
1867  Ottawa was proclaimed as the seat of the national government of Canada.
1873  Nellie McClung, ardent advocate of women's rights in Canada, was born at Chatsworth, Grey County.

Oct 21
1805  A British fleet commanded by Adm. Horatio Nelson defeated a French and Spanish fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar; Nelson was killed in battle.
1841  Monseigneur Charles-Auguste-Marie Joseph de Forbin-Jansen, the bishop of Nancy in exile, laid the cornerstone of Notre Dame Basilica in Bytown.
1879  Thomas Edison invented a workable electric light at his laboratory in Menlo Park, NJ.

Oct 22
1846  The first telegraph company was formed to serve Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara.
1876  The Ottawa Normal School was opened in Ottawa by Egerton Ryerson, in his final act after 32 years as superintendent of education in Ontario.

Blogs about the Leslie Huber talk

Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture Ottawa Branch OGS

For more on an interesting talk by Leslie Huber please see the following blogs.
http://anglo-celtic-connections.blogspot.com/
http://kippeeb.blogspot.com/

OGS 50th Anniversary

October 15, 2011.

While we have been celebrating our 50th Anniversary all year, it's worth sharing that today, October 15th, is the actual birthday of The Ontario Genealogical Society.

On October 15th 1961 The Ontario Genealogical Society was established in a meeting at the University of Waterloo. The fledgling Society was sponsored by the Pennsylvania German Folklore Society of Ontario, and Dr. G.E. Reaman of Waterloo Ontario was made the first President.

Dr. Reaman's first President's Message is found on the front page of the very first Bulletin (now Families) which OGS members may view in the Members Only section of our website.

Through the hard work of enthusiastic genealogists across the province, we have changed and grown a great deal since that day in 1961.

Thank you to all members of The Ontario Genealogical Society for your tireless efforts and contributions over the years. Your dedication has made us who we are today.

Happy Birthday and welcome to our 51st year!

Sarah Newitt
Executive Director OGS
ed@ogs.on.ca

Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture October 15th, Ottawa, Ontario

This morning the Ottawa Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society had a very successful lecture by Leslie Albrecht Huber author of The Journey Takers. Leslie and her family took a driving tour to Quebec City and Montreal before arriving in Ottawa.

In her talk she spoke about the places where her ancestors came from in Germany (Mecklenburg-Schwerin) and Sweden and what their life was like in the mid to late 1800s. She also spoke about what the immigration experience was like for them.

Some of the research tips she presented to the audience were:

- Use maps from the appropriate time period to help you understand the place.
- Take time to understand changes in jurisdictions and boundaries.
- You must know the name of your ancestor's hometown and the town where they went to church.
- Try to gain a basic understanding of the time and place in which your family lived.
- Sometimes you need to visit the village where they lived to find the record you need; many sources have not been microfilmed.
- In Western Europe, parish records become the backbone of your research.
- Remember, even original records can be wrong!
- Use family sources as a starting point only.
- Verify all information in the original records.
- Be flexible in spellings of names and places.
- Pay attention to the details in a record beyond names, dates and places.
- Try to put your ancestors' lives in the historical context, especially religion.
- If you have no letters or biographies your ancestor wrote, then look for first-hand accounts written by others who shared the experience.

Let it be noted how quickly we lose the past if we do not preserve it and pass it on.
Otherwise our ancestors fall into the vastness of forgotten history.
I know this happened with the history of my father's and mother's families (Ed).

The Journey Takers, is available from Amazon.
www.thejourneytakers.com
www.thejourneytakers.blogspot.com
www.understandingyourancestors.com

Timeline Oct 16 to 18

Oct 16
1758  Noah Webster, American lexicographer, was born. Died May 28, 1843.
1962  The Cuban missile crisis began as President Kennedy was informed that reconnaissance photographs had revealed the presence of missile bases in Cuba.
1978  Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was elected pope. He took the name John Paul II.

Oct 17
1777  British forces under Gen John Burgoyne surrendered to American forces in Saratoga, NY; Revolutionary War.
1919  The Radio Corporation of America was created.
1979  Mother Teresa of India was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on behalf of the destitute of
Calcutta.

Oct 18
1595  Edward Winslow, English founder of the Plymouth Colony, was born. Died May 8, 1655.
1685  King Louis XIV of France revoked the Edict of Nantes, which had established the legal toleration of the Protestant Huguenots.
1919  Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and 1980-4, was born.
1931  Thomas Edison, inventor, died at age 84 in West Orange, NJ
1962  Dr. James Watson of the US and Dr. Francis Crick and Dr. Maurice Wilkins of Britain, were named winners of the Nobel Price for Medicine and Physiology for their work in determining the double-helix molecular structure of DNA.

War of 1812

Battle of Queenston Heights 13 Oct 1812

Ref: 'A Very Brilliant Affair' by Robert Malcomson
From Outside Back Cover " As summer turned into fall in 1812, two armies watched each other warily across the turbulent Niagara River that formed the border between the United States and British Canada. On the American side, regular soldiers and state militia trained under the inexperienced, politically-appointed General Stephen Van Rensselear, while on the British side General Isaac Brock worried about defending his long frontier with a meagre force of regulars and militia and a group of native warriors about whom he had serious doubts"
Genealogy wise, a list of British side personnel is listed in Appendix G pg 262
Upper Canada Militia personnel listed Appendix H pg 268
American Army personnel Appendix C pg 237
During this battle Sir Isaac Brock, born 1769 was killed this date 13 Oct 1812
On page 32 it mentions that both Napoleon and Wellington were both born the same year as Brock [1769]

RYAN TAYLOR MEMORIAL LECTURE Saturday October 15, 2011

Saturday, October 15, 2011
RYAN TAYLOR MEMORIAL LECTURE
Location:  Library & Archives Canada, 395 Wellington, Ottawa
Time: 10:00 a.m. in the auditorium
Speaker:  Leslie Huber, author
Topic:  The Journey Takers, Leslie’s latest book.
www.understandingyourancestors.com

Timeline Oct 12 to 15

Oct 12
1492  (Old Style calendar; Oct 21st New Style), Christopher Columbus arrived with his expedition in the present-day Bahamas.
1957  Lester Bowles Pearson, minister of external affairs, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1960  Nikita Khruschev, Soviet Premier, disrupted a UN General Assembly session by pounding on his desk with a shoe.

Oct 13
1812  Major-General Isaac Brock died during an attempt to regain Queenston Heights from the Americans who had attacked across the Niagara River.
1812  After Brock's death, Major-General Roger Sheaffe took the Heights, capturing 958 prisoners. This victory ended the American offensive of 1812.
1833 Edward Blake, premier of Ontario from 1871 to 72 and leader of the National Liberal Party from 1880 to 1887, was born in Adelaide Township.
1975  Prime Minister Trudeau announced the imposition of wage and price controls.

Oct 14
1066  Normans under William the Conqueror defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings.
1644  William Penn, English Quaker and advocate for religious liberty, founded American colony of Pennsylvania, was born. Died July 30, 1718.
1844  John A Macdonald was elected to the House of Assembly for Kingston.
1952  Lester Pearson, minister of external affairs, was elected president of the United Nations General Assembly.

Oct 15
1954  Hurricane Hazel killed 82 people and caused $24 million damage in the metro Toronto area.
1957  The Queensway, a throughway bisecting Ottawa, was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth.
1989  Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings surpassed Gordie Howe's NHL career scoring record of 1,850 points.

Volunteering Outside the Box

As members of the Ontario Genealogical Society should be aware, the lack of volunteers to run the Society and the branches is reaching a critical stage. Three of the ten Directors positions on the OGS Board are vacant and two positions are filled by Past Presidents. In Ottawa Branch, the Chair, Treasurer, Secretary and Program Coordinator positions are empty and many of the other directors have served for long times. I was Chair for almost eight years because we could not find anyone willing to take on the role (and still cannot). Most other branches are in similar situations.

Despite these opportunities, many of the four thousand members of the Society seem to be willing to sit back and hope somebody else will do the job. I am sure that some of them are involved in other organizations and others have done their time with the Society. But groups like OGS need volunteers to operate. There are a few paid staff at the Provincial Office but we cannot afford to have all the work done by them. As a result, tasks are falling through the cracks and the remaining volunteers are getting tired of doing extra work.

I am not a great one for looking outside the box but perhaps there are other ways to handle some of these jobs. In Ottawa, we have one volunteer who lives in Hamilton and handles our publicity for us. We are hoping to hold at least some of our Board meetings on line, so that some of the volunteers would not have to live in the area. OGS has already done this with Executive meetings to save on travel costs.

I know that some branches have two or more people handling one task. At least one branch has co-chairs, so that they need only do part of the work. Another has a snowbird for a Chair, and others fill in when she is away for the winter. Others have committees so that they can share the work of producing the newsletter or arranging the meetings. There are probably other ideas for handling the work that needs to be done.

I have talked to some branches about sharing their workload but have yet to see this put into practice. Could one person do the same task for a couple of branches? With the use of e-mail and on-line meetings, I don’t see why not? It would mean more work for that person but not necessarily twice the workload, as there should be some overlap.

Consider what will happen to you if the Branch disappears? Or even the Society? What will you lose? What will you miss? How will it impact on your research and your enjoyment of the hobby? Will you do anything to prevent this? Do you have any ideas to help out? Let me know at pastchair@ogsottawa.on.ca

Timeline Oct 9 to 11

Oct 9
1635  Roger Williams, religious dissident, was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.(He was one of my ancestors - Ed)
1855  Thomas McKay, pioneer Ottawa businessman, died at his home, Rideau Hall, New Edinburgh (Ottawa).
2008  Financial markets went into a rout.

Oct 10
1738  Benjamin West, American painter, was born. Died Mar. 11, 1820.
1886  The tuxedo dinner jacket made its American debut at the autumn ball in Tuxedo Park, NY.
1979  Wayne Gretsky made his National Hockey League debut as the visiting Edmonton Oilers took on the Chicago Blackhawks.

Oct 11
1776  The first naval battle of Lake Champlain was fought during the American Revolution.
1910  The Ontario Hydro Electric System was opened at Berlin (Kitchener) Ontario.
1917  An order-in-council prohibited strikes and lockouts during WW I in Canada.

RYAN TAYLOR MEMORIAL LECTURE Saturday October 15, 2011

Saturday, October 15, 2011
RYAN TAYLOR MEMORIAL LECTURE
Location:  Library & Archives Canada, 395 Wellington, Ottawa
Time: 10:00 a.m. in the auditorium
Speaker:  Leslie Huber, author
Topic:  The Journey Takers, Leslie’s latest book.
www.understandingyurancestors.com

Timeline Oct 5 to 8

Oct 5
1793  Lt Gov Simcoe viewed the harbour at Penetanguishene, "Place of the White Rolling Sands."
1813  Battle of the Thames took place at Moraviantown (present-day Thamesville). Indian Chief Tecumseh was killed and the town of Fairfield was destroyed by the Americans.
1878  The Marquis of Lorne, married to Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, was appointed 4th governor general of Canada.
1962  The Beatles' first hit, Love Me Do, was released in the UK

Oct 6
1744  James McGill, Scottish born Canadian fur trader, merchant and politician, was born. Died Dec. 19, 1813.
1768  Sir Isaac Brock, British politician and soldier, War of 1812, was born.
1948  A Newfoundland delegation arrived in Ottawa to discuss terms for entering Confederation.

Oct 7
1763  The Proclamation of 1763, which provided boundaries and terms of government for territories Britain acquired from France under the Treaty of Paris, was issued.
1765  The Stamp Act Congress convened in New York to draw up colonial grievances against England.

Oct 8
1843  Old Christ Church, on Sparks St. in Ottawa, was consecrated by Bishop John Strachan, The original church had been built in 1832.
1884  Pembroke became the first Ontario town to use electricity for street lighting.
1951  Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip began a tour of Canada which lasted until November 12.

Ottawa Branch - Meeting Location Survey

We are in the process of reviewing the location of our general meetings. Some of our members may be too far away to regularly attend our meetings but we would would appreciate you taking a few minutes to fill in the attached survey.

SURVEY LINK: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BGJSDGD

As background:

 

a. effective January 1, 2012, Public Works and Government Services Canada ( PWGSC ) will assume responsibility for the booking of spaces on the ground floor of Library & Archives Canada (LAC), including the rooms we have traditionally used. We have been unable to determine if we will be able to continue holding our meetings at LAC or the conditions and cost of any rooms;

b. the new City of Ottawa Archives has suitable rooms for our meetings and the Partners (including Ottawa Branch) can obtain them for free if not already booked. However, there is a charge for security if the room is required outside normal working hours (9am to 5pm Mon to Friday, 10am to 5pm Saturday); this is normally $85.00 for an evening or $45 for a shorter period.  We currently hold four meetings in most months: the Board meeting, the general meeting, the Computer Special Interest Group and the Irish Research Group. These have traditionally been held on weekday evenings and so moving all to the City Archives would cost us $340 per month.

c. the recent OGS/National Institute of Genealogical Studies partnership has provided us with the opportunity to use LiveMeeting to "broadcast" general meetings to members via the Internet. At least one other branch has done this already with good success. Out of town members could "attend" meetings by using their computer. We need a location that provides Internet access.

We continue to look for other options and to hope that PWGSC can resolve their situations soon. We have come up with a few options and I would appreciate your feedback:

SURVEY LINK: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BGJSDGD

War of 1812

Battle of the Thames, Thamesville, ON 5 Oct 1813


Info taken from Gilbert Collins' "Guidebook to the Historic Sites of the War of 1812" pg 74
A more detailed account is Pierre Burton's "Flames Across the Border 1813-1814" pg 191-208
This battle occured during General Proctor's retreat from Amherstberg
"On the morming of 5 Oct. 1813, General Proctor deployed the 41st Reg., which consisted of less than 297 men rank and file, across the main road to Burlington. Tecumseh, with 800 Indians, was deployed in the woods on the British right. It was here, near the Moravian village, that they would try to stop the Americans advance.
When the American Army, 3000 strong under Major General Harrison approached, Harrison noted that the British line looked rather thin. He decided to charge with his mounted infantry, and the attack succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. After one ragged volley, the British line went to pieces under the inpact of the charge. The Battle of the Thames was small, but one of the most decisive of the war. The British were never able to field an army in the western half of the province for the remainder of the war.
Thamesville would hardly be remembered today but for the death of the great Tecumseh
The battle site is located on Hwy 2, about 4k's east of Thamesville

War of 1812

On Monday night. 10 Oct 2011 at 9PM all PBS stations with a Canadian audience will be telecasting a program on the War of 1812. More info at www.pbs.org/1812. The bicentennial starts on 18 June 2012 and the war ended on 24 Dec 1814. There is no direct involvement in the war for present day Ottawa area but the war lead to the building of the Rideau Canal 1826-1832. Also a large number of soldiers of the 100th Reg. of Foot [the 99th Reg. after Feb 1816] settled in the Richmond Military Settlement mainly in Goulbourn Twp. Visit the Goulbourn museum. the home of the 100th/99th at www.goulbournmuseum.ca They also have a Blog and are on Facebook and they 'Tweet'
Enjoy

Timeline Oct 2 to 4

Oct 2
1883  A women's medical college was founded at Queen's University, Kingston, by Dr. Jennie Trout.
1950  The comic strip "Peanuts" by Charles M Schulz was first published.

Oct 3
1882  A.Y. Jackson, landscape painter, was born in Montreal. He later became a member of the Group of Seven.
1914  The first contingent of Canadian troops, numbering 33,000, left Quebec City in 30 transport ships for England.
1990  West Germany and East Germany ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring the creation of a new unified country.

Oct 4
1798  York's first newspaper, the Upper Canada Gazette or American Oracle, relocated from Niagara.
1957  The Space Age began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite into orbit.
1958  The first trans Atlantic passenger jetliner service was begun by British Overseas Airways Corp. with flights between London and New York.