It's been a revelatory couple of weeks. In this post, I'll share the story of how I learned that Ottawa journalist and jazz pianist Peter Hum is my cousin, and how he solved the mystery of my lost maternal family village.
Author: wanderernolonger
Accredited Genealogist® professional in the region of Canada Western Provinces (BC, AB, SK, MB). I love sharing what I've learned through blogging and public speaking. Member of genealogy societies across the country. My specialities are Western Canada and Chinese Canadian genealogy, and I have a deep interest in SOE F136.
Explore Canadian Pacific Ship Records on Ancestry
Ships have personalities and lives, and humans have been sailing since time immemorial. The Canadian Pacific Steamship Company records help us family historians fill in the dry details of dates of immigration and departure with colour and life. As is always the case in genealogy, I had no idea how the story would turn out when I began writing, nor that I would find the stories of ten year old Ng Choy in 1913, or the Pike family in 1950.
On becoming an Accredited Genealogist® professional – Canada Western Provinces
After recovering from the emotional roller-coaster of testing, it was wonderful to receive dozens of congratulatory messages. I am proud to be the second genealogist - and first Canadian - to accredit in the Canada Western Provinces region.
Why gratitude matters: Thanksgiving insights
To me, Thanksgiving is synonymous with gratitude. Gratitude is a personal practise. Years ago I wrote a weekly blog post about gratefulness - forty-eight essays in total. The first topics came easily: they were the things I loved without complication, from my red Miata to my tabby cat. I explored bathrooms, bookstores, booze, lying, and smoking. Over the months, I began to see things differently - to see positives even in despair. Eventually I began to reconsider my part in bad breakups, family dynamics, and life-threatening encounters. Gratitude is the antidote to the thiefs of joy: envy, grudge-keeping, regret, and toxicity. In addition, gratitude has a host of benefits from reduced blood pressure inflammation, and stress, to increased humility and happiness.
How to use AI to illustrate family history
I'd like to offer some philosophical thoughts on AI. I believe AI is as big a change to our world as the invention of the internet. Love it or hate it, it is already changing everything. I'm as nervous as the next person about the downsides (ex: deepfakes), but here's the thing: I'm not going to get less nervous by avoiding it. I believe it is incumbent on all of us, and especially genealogy professionals, to be upfront about how we are using AI in our work. If we're not sure if we are using AI, it's up to us to figure out how AI is a part of our workflow, and identify it as such.
The search for my mystery ancestor – a guest post by Jennifer Jang
In Chinese Canadian genealogy, we are both constrained and bolstered by the laws of the day. In the case of Jennifer's ancestor known only as a title - Dai Gung - she was able to piece together a family tree, family story, a photo, plus records to not only put a name to the face, but also fill in the unknown story of his life. The Chinese Immigration Act (1885-1947) laws which created such strife for so many is today an invaluable set of records for Chinese Canadian genealogy.
A trip to the Lincolnshire Archives – part 4: the treasures we found
We had a two day blitz at the Lincolnshire Archives, and the second day was helped enormously by having my husband as research assistant...we were able to answer all our previous genealogy questions, and think up ten more.
Visiting the Lincolnshire Archives: Tips for Genealogists, part 3
A love of genealogy follows me wherever I go. In retrospect it was silly to think I could leave it behind while visiting England. What surprised me was how much I wanted to research, like I was missing a limb. Finally, I realized that researching a fresh, new area was like a holiday, filled with the joys of discovery. I was and am captivated by British records, English laws, and Quakers.
A trip to the Lincolnshire Archives – part 2: a brief guide to researching English Quakers
Building a research guide may seem daunting but it rewards the effort. In retrospect I could have asked ChatGPT to build it for me, like anything, I learn better when I do the work. Now that I have a better understanding of the zeitgeist, I have a new appreciation of what the Quakers suffered to practise their faith.
A trip to the Lincolnshire Archives, Lincoln, UK – part 1: The story begins
A genealogist never goes on holiday. Despite my solemn plans to do no genealogy while in the UK, I ended up not only doing genealogy, but digging into my husband’s Quaker roots in Lincolnshire. Along the way I learned about non-Conformist records, the Quaker movement, and how one dedicated researcher left his work for the benefit of all who came after.