Despite pulling birth, marriage, and death records (BMDs) back in 2018, I'd forgotten this trick for reading registration codes.
Tag: British Columbia
Canada Day reflections: on accrediting, Western Canadian genealogy, and diverse ideas for celebrating
In the past four years, the accrediting process has challenged me to the limits. My questions - where are our records, who or what created them, and how can they be used for genealogy - are the foundations of my work. Digital records are fabulous. More is coming online every day. All that is true, and yet I'd estimate for every record online, there are nine that are not. With the greatest respect, I'd say Canada funds its archives minimally. We in Western Canada, with our challenges of privacy and recency, need to understand our archives, because not every archive can afford subject matter experts. To answer the question of where are the records, I have made visiting archives a priority.
Western Canadian migration before the CPR: the 1860 voyage of Susan Moir Allison
Genealogists suffer from equal parts insatiable curiosity and squirrel syndrome. I can't now recall why I picked up "A PioneerGentlewoman in British Columbia," but it wasn't for this purpose. As soon as I read Susan's account of her journey, I dropped the bio and picked up my computer. With this post, I gained insights about possible British and European emigration routes to western Canada.
When my house became a museum – celebrating the new Chinese Canadian Museum
I've been working on Chinese Canadian genealogy for almost three decades. It's almost laughable how forgotten our history has been. I think of how I have spent twenty years visiting used bookstores looking for any mention of Chinese Canadian history. The idea that it was possible for one person to collect nearly all significant titles in this genre speaks volumes about its underrepresentation. But no longer. There are entire groups across Canada, the United States, and in Jiangmen, Guangdong, that are devoted to the study of Chinese diasporic history. Our rich stories are being uncovered, our records released.
Coffee Chat Series: Canadian voters lists for Asians and other disenfranchised folks
In this post I'd like to talk about navigating a "common record" set - voters lists - when the population was disenfranchised. There's an assumption in genealogy of "common records." Voters Lists fall in this category, along with censuses, vital records, and city directories. Chinese, Japanese, South Asians, and Indigenous were disenfranchised for decades, meaning that entire record sets that would generally be available for others have gaps for these groups. Knowing when this does and does not apply is important work for a genealogist.
My trip to the archives: how I prepare and what I found
Like you, I spend inordinate amounts of time researching obscure documents at odd hours. (Truthfully, sometimes it's research and sometimes it's getting lost down rabbit holes.) If only everything was online. I read archival finding aids like a Christmas wish list: I want this, and this, and this too. My curiosity is far bigger than my budget (to pay external researchers).
What you need to know to visit the BC Archives today (Sep 2022)
How to read the codes for vital statistic records at the BC archives:I'm excited to share this with you. Despite pulling birth, marriage, and death records (BMDs) back in 2018, I'd forgotten this little trick for reading registration codes and was utterly confused my first day. Now I'm sharing it with you (and my future self, who will forget again). There are two different methods depending on whether the records were produced before or after 1944. We will start with the easier ones: record produced after 1944.
Disenfranchised: Having, losing, and regaining the vote, a quick look at the laws 1872-1948
Come with me as I look at the exact wording of the disenfranchising laws for the Chinese from 1872-1948, including 16 links to finding original Acts and legislation in Canada.
The cemeteries of New Westminster, BC, from the BC Pen to Woodlands, and the ones under the high school
This is a post about the various cemeteries serving historic New Westminster, including the ones under the high school, and those used by hospitals and prisons: Essondale, Woodlands, BC Pen, Oakalla.
What if the record is wrong?
It may come as a surprise to learn that not all historic records are accurate. Here's my unofficial ranking of genealogy records, with an example.