In Finding Mr. Wong, Susan Crean (b. 1945; Toronto, Ontario, Canada) weaves together the histories of two significant men in her life: her grandfather Adam Gordon Campbell Crean, a second-generation Irishman from County Roscommon; and Gordon's cook-cum-consigliere (see below), Wong Dong Wong (黃宗旺) (pinyin: Huang Zong Wang) (1895-1970), a first-generation Chinese from Taishan County. Their… Continue reading The holiday read: “Finding Mr. Wong” by Susan Crean
First and Second World War Files at LAC and Ancestry
On Remembrance Day I share my two most recent posts on the World Wars, PLUS Ancestry's free military collection offer, good to Nov 12th.
Requesting Second World War Files from LAC in Oct 2021: what you need to know now
In this post I share my experience in a recent application for a Second World War military service file, and then look at the surprising depth of military files online at Library and Archives Canada
Exploring First World War Files online at LAC: A Top 10 List
In this two part series, I begin exploring military files at Library and Archives Canada, beginning with the First World War.
The Six: Interview with Grant Din
Have you seen "The Six" a documentary about the six surviving Chinese from the sinking of the Titanic? I watched it this weekend and was immediately inspired to learn more. Here's my interview with Grant Din, who worked on the project.
Using Asana for genealogy
In this post I'll introduce you to one of my most important, can't live without it, tech tool: Asana. It's project management software that is robust enough to run large companies but customizable enough for starting small. And it's free.
How to find your ancestral locations in China: geography basics, maps, and the UBC Register of Chinese immigration
In this post I'll take you through navigating the tricky world of Chinese maps and places. Regardless of where in China your ancestors originate, some basic Chinese geography will be useful. In the previous post Finding Mrs. Yip Sang, I located the immigration of my second great-grandmother, "Mrs. Yip Sang," or Dong Shee (鄧氏) on… Continue reading How to find your ancestral locations in China: geography basics, maps, and the UBC Register of Chinese immigration
Finding Mrs. Yip Sang: a case study of the General Register of Chinese Immigration 1885-1949 (Canada)
A case study for finding people on the General Register of Chinese Immigration 1885-1949
Not all Canadians: July 1st
The Tyee interviews Linda Yip and Catherine Clement on the impact of the Chinese Immigration Act - July 1, 1923.
Order-in-Council PC 2115: When immigration met the X-ray machine
In this post I look at the follow up to the Chinese Immigration Act and share a startling period in Canadian immigration: the use of X-rays to determine the chronological age of Chinese teenagers and young adults. Put simply, X-rays were used to measure bone formation, called ossification, and by comparing the measurements of bone… Continue reading Order-in-Council PC 2115: When immigration met the X-ray machine