Celebrating 198 Years of Our Family in Canada

It is exciting to reflect that the Allison surname in my ancestral family tree arrived in Canada long before it was known as a Dominion.  Of course, they were here millennia after the First Nations, who are in every corner of this great country.  While our ancestors were considered “settlers” at the time, they really weren’t.  Being a settler implies that no one was already there, that you are breaking new ground, that you are exploring a wilderness where no person had yet learned how to survive. 

This was a fiction perpetuated by the Europeans who declared much of North America terra nullius, and therefore able to be settled without consideration for the existing inhabitants.  It was the same attitude that the British had when setting out to conquer Ireland, considering the inhabitants savages and therefore needing a British influence. 

The first of our ancestors to arrive in what is now Canada were of Scottish ancestry – living under the yoke of the British, farming British land taken from the Irish in Londonderry.  Tiring of toiling the land without the benefits of ownership, our Allison ancestors took a ship to this new land to try their hand at settlement.  This was 1769, almost 100 years before men representing the colonies met in Charlottetown to create the Dominion of Canada and begin the process of peacefully freeing ourselves from British command.  Our family followed British settlement from Scotland, to Ireland, then to Nova Scotia, and stopped here on the east coast of a country that would, 98 years later, become part of a vast Dominion.

A picture of my great-grandparents house, from my grand-
parents, on Allison Drive in Rothesay, NB, looking
over the Kennebecasis River

The family spread across the country, eventually settling in various provinces.  By the time of the 100^th anniversary of the founding of Canada, I found myself, an ancestor of those early immigrants, celebrating at Expo ’67 in Montreal, where we were then living.  I was a very little and remember only seeing legs – lots of legs – mostly in mini skirts.

And here we are 150 years after the birth of Canada, 198 years after the landing of our ancestors on the shores of Nova Scotia, reflecting on this land.  We have had a history that in its current incarnation has learned the value of diversity and respect, but in its earliest history was about taking advantage of the First Nations and their territories, disrespecting the Metis, their heritage and their rights to rule their own land, treating Chinese immigrants as cheap labour and forcing them to live apart, imprisoning Japanese Canadians because of their heritage at a time of war, denying women the vote and rights to own property, and in very recent history finding increasingly cruel ways of separating our First Nations, aboriginal and Metis peoples from their families, their history, their language and their culture.  

In many ways, the survival of all of these peoples whom Canada treated with such disdain, is the story of Canada: perseverance, strength, resilience and pride.  With the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Canadians are starting to see the damage that was caused by us to the First Nations.  We are coming to terms with it and trying to find ways to correct it.  We are realistically generations away from finding our way from this past to our common future, but talking about that history, reconciling with it, correcting the damage and then building a new future is our path forward, hand in hand with the First Nations, Aboriginal people and Metis.  This is what really sets Canada apart.  We have apologized formally for the head tax imposed on Chinese immigrants, for the racist refusal of entry to Canada of the Punjabis on the Komagatu Maru, to Japanese Canadians for their imprisonment on a false pretext based on racism, and most recently to Indigenous Canadians for the heinous policies that led to residential schools and the violence perpetrated on their families, the traumatic effect of which continues today.  As Canadians, we no longer see our past with rose coloured glasses, but with a desire to forge a future that truly celebrates diversity - and enshrines it in our Constitution.

I am celebrating this Canada Day by contemplating the strength and resilience of my ancestors, how they found their way to virtually every corner of this great country, and the strength and resilience of the First Nations who came long before us and understood how the land contributed to their wealth and culture, and how their communities thrived.

Images:

Photo of New Brunswick by myself, circa 1984, taken with a Kodak Instamatic

Photos of Expo 1967 from my father

1885 photo of Robert Harris' 1884 painting, Conference at Quebec in 1864, to settle the basics of a union of the British North American Provinces, also known as The Fathers of Confederation. The original painting was destroyed in the 1916 Parliament Buildings Centre Block fire. The scene is an amalgamation of the Charlottetown and Quebec City conference sites and attendees. Photographer: James AshfieldThis image is available from Library and Archives Canada under the reproduction reference number C-001855 and under the MIKAN ID number 3194982 

How I Spent My Winter Vacation or "Genealogical Mistakes I Have Made"

When  started my most recent genealogical journey 18 months ago I was pretty excited. To me, genealogy is fascinating because we uncover true stories behind family myth and legend.  I love the search and discovery.  I have some training in research through post-secondary education, and genealogical research is similar.  The cardinal rule is: check your facts.  Ancestral research is so much easier now; so many records are online.  Social media tools support sharing information between family trees simple and straightforward.  It wasn't until my first feverish month was over that I realized not all of the family trees online have been fully researched.  I started to find a number of inconsistencies:  records that didn't make sense, conflicting census reports, and so on.  It didn't take long to realize that I had made a hot mess of my family trees.

Over time I have been able to clean up some of my ancestral research, particularly as I prepared blogs on certain ancestors.  However, I needed a focused period of time to really clean up the trees on Ancestry.  So, for the last three weeks, that has been my priority.  I decided to forego blog writing while I worked through the family trees.  In going through this work, I have learned some important lessons which I thought I would pass on:

• Using other family trees as a source is a surefire way to take you off track on your family tree research.  Many users of Ancestry use other family trees as their key source.  This is fine if the original source tree is well researched.  What I found, however, is that the trees usually refer to one another.  Family trees are a great way to find other sources easily. Use their sources to inform your tree, but avoid simply merging all of the information from one tree into yours without double checking the facts.
• Use the wildcard searches regularly, particularly for older census searches.  Spelling variants for names were very common.  While this will greatly increase the number of records you must sift through, it will also greatly increase the chances of a proper match with your ancestor.  It's a lot more work, but the benefits outweigh the effort.  There were a number of ancestors which I was finally able to locate through wildcard searches where others' research led them in a different direction.

I found this record with a wildcard search - confirming a relationship
that I had made assumptions about.

• Don't settle until you are sure.  I have left a couple of ancestors as questions because I have simply been unable to find the records to support the assumptions.  This is particularly true the further back you go in history.  Actual on site research may answer those outstanding questions, but that is an endeavour outside of my scope right now.  
• Look for supporting evidence.  I have had the greatest success by double-checking all of the aspects of a record: addresses, ages, family relationships, birthplaces, dates.  Naming conventions for traditional western (read Scottish, British and German) family ancestry has been both annoying and helpful.  It can lead you astray but is great for confirming family relationships that you maybe aren't entirely certain of.
• Don't forget loads of other sites you can go to for your research.  I had breakthroughs using Google searches, scotlandspeople, FamilySearch, the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia archives, and loads of other resources I stumbled upon.  A Google search is how I found an ancestor who abandoned his family and fled to New Zealand. I also learned more about the workhouses which my ancestors frequented.  I used scotlandspeople to verify information on my Scottish side that I couldn't get any other way(and I love having the original record to verify other family members).  Searches have turned up sites with passenger records for emigrants from Germany, Scotland and Ireland.  There is a wealth of information available to you (much of it free of charge) with a little perseverance.

I found this through a
Google search -which
answered the mystery of
the disappearance of
Alexander Peden

• Go back often to search.  New records come online all of the time.  Search engines improve as well.  You also improve your own approach, so with experience your searches will turn up more information.
• Share everything you learn.  I have found a number of relations through the blog and facebook site and more through my Ancestry account.  I share, they share.  Be generous.  Karma is real :-)
• Create a decent workspace.  I spent some time organizing the space.  I got all of my materials and research out of a bin I had and into magazine boxes.  I got rid of the conventional desk (which had features I didn't need and very little appropriate storage space.  I used an old table top which I cut in half, then built very simple storage on either side as well as shelves stretching between.  I put up print outs of my family tree on the adjacent wall to help me remember relationships (which are all out of date now).  Since I like to sit and stand and can't afford an expensive hydraulic desk, I made the desk high enough to stand and bought an inexpensive bar stool from Home Depot, so I can sit or stand as I feel fit.  I have been working at this space for a month now and it's perfect for me.  I am pretty glad I waited before doing it though, because I know how I work and what I need.  Most important for me was easy access to stored materials and the ability to sit or stand.  I recommend that you think about how you work (my set up won't work for everyone), and do some planning before you re-construct your space.  

My new workspace - and room for cats!

• Electronic file storage is critical.  I basically had to go back through each individual in the tree and ensure that I properly backed up the copies of primary sources from my ancestry account as well as other sites.  Also, I had to re-organize my filing system.  Previously, I had files under the male surnames (because this is how they generally were recognized at first).  However, the more I researched the more files I got, and the harder it was to locate the maternal lines in the ancestral tree.  At first I thought it would be easier to have just one copy of the files.  However, locating records specific to one ancestor was much more complicated.  I ended up creating one folder for each surname, sub folders for each individual (named as follows: lastname_firstname_birthyear_deathyear).  Then each record was named as follows: lastname_firstname_yearofrecord_typeofrecord.  As I was downloading many primary records from ancestry, I used the settings tool, set to print with the source information, and then saved as a pdf.  This means that I had copies of each applicable record saved under each individual to whom the record applies and the sourcing information in the event I am ever lucky enough to do onsite research.  It was a little extra effort but has made researching each individual much simpler.

I wish that I had learned these tips earlier because it would have saved a lot of time.  Now that things are cleaned up, though, from my workspace to my file storage to my trees, I am much more confident in my research and the accuracy of my blogs.  It meant slowing down on the blog for a month or so, but it was time well spent.  I am pretty sure that my approach won't work for everyone, but hopefully some of you will appreciate the tips.

Reach more of our relations!

Just reminding our readers that there is a Facebook page dedicated to this blog so you can stay in touch with what I am researching and learning.  I add lots of little facts and tidbits there, pose questions and seek input.  Follow the Beyond the Names Facebook page to really know what I am discovering, with the help of the rest of the family.

Take a moment to click on the Google+ gadget on the blog so we can increase the readership.  Reaching more relatives is the best way to learn about us.

Do you have any other suggestions about how we can reach more readers?  Let me know.  

Beyond the Names - The First Post

Families reflect a very personal aspect of history:  its impact on individuals.  Some people have family trees that can be traced to historical figures deemed sufficiently important to be included in books and films.  For others, like mine, ancestral figures took part in historical events as merchants, farmers, bankers,
manufacturers and servants.  Researching a family tree helps understand those historical events from a perspective that is more rooted in the reality of every-day lives, rather than the perspective of the people about whom movies are made.

I started my family tree journey decades ago while a student at Mount Allison University, in Sackville, New Brunswick.  I knew I shared this alma mater with my mother, and my grandmother and grandfather, and I knew that I must be linked in a familial way somehow to its founder, as the name reflects my mother’s maiden name.  I discovered that, indeed, there was a link.  I found lots of information on my family history at the university.  As part of a school project, I did a little digging and discovered some interesting stories.

Over the years, I have delved from time to time into that history, when I uncovered a photo, a story, or a memory that deserved further research.  However, until recently, resources that make genealogy accessible were not available.  So, my interest has waxed and waned with my time and my pocketbook.

Some weeks ago, my mother came by with a box of memorabilia which she thought I could have a look at.  It was a treasure-trove of information that lit my genealogical fire once again.  I soon discovered that with a little investment (primarily in ancestry.com) I could uncover primary and secondary research that could open my eyes to my family history in ways I could have never imagined.  I started re-building the dusty family tree that I had kept in a binder.  Soon it became so large and unwieldy that it covered a 4 foot by 4 foot square on the wall by my computer.  I kept adding and adding, finding more and more people to whom I was related.  I discovered story after story, and made a lot up from the facts at my disposal! 

I have been checking and re-checking facts and sources.  Where I base my understanding on secondary research, I dig and dig until I find some primary sources which can support my understanding.  Even then, some of what I believe is based on supposition.  Still, history has come alive for me: from the Loyalist exodus to the Maritimes, to the Civil War, from farmers to merchants, from soldiers who died at Gallipoli to those who died in the fields of France. 

This blog is about sharing what I know and encouraging others of my family to share as well.  We can build these stories together and really and truly understand our family tree.  Discovering these stories is part of the fun, but sharing is the best.