OGS Barrie 2015

The annual conference for the Ontario Genealogical Society is being held in Barrie this year. More specifically at Georgian College in Barrie.

One of the issues about using colleges for conferences is the distance involved in getting from point A to point B, especially for people who have mobility issues. And Georgian is no different. Residence is, in my humble opinion, fantastic. Like a hotel room but with a kitchen. The walk to the administrative building is a good 7-10 minutes depending on energy levels and mobility. And the Marketplace is in a building in between. The walk back and forth is neither uphill nor down, so that is certainly a bonus. The Marketplace is situated next to the campus pub, an even bigger bonus, and truly a great little place for the genies to get together and renew friendships built both online and from a distance. And the residence is situated next to the hospital, which might be incidental to most, but to a Canadian, a hospital generally means a Tims. Aahh... bliss

The conference had pre-conference workshops yesterday with some very high calibre presenters. The Keynote Speaker was Kirsty Gray, and following the keynote the was a reception and social time. In the pub. 

Today was a fairly early start with breakfast on offer at 7. By 7:10 the coffee had run out and only about 2% of the attendees had made it down to breakfast - oh yes, the hospital! Off to Tims it was. 

Coffee over and energy levels starting to rise, it was time to toddle off to the Admin building for the Panel discussions. The panel consisted of Dick Doherty, Kirsty Gray, Dave Obee and Maurice Gleeson. The moderator was Thomas McEntee who did a fantastic job. The questions were thought-provoking and the answers brilliant. It really was a great, great start to the day.

Next up was the OGS annual general meeting followed by lunch, which allowed for loads of time in the marketplace. I was assisting Kirsty who was selling FTDNA kits and must say we were HOPPING. Although two hours had passed, I felt like I had just sat down. Next it was time to attend workshops where I was introducing and thanking speakers. 

This is always a humbling experience because we get to hear from some of the best of the best and it is always amazing by how much knowledge that they have and are willing to share. 

Back to Marketplace, over to residence to blog and change and now it is time for the banquet, and more time to connect and re-connect. 

Registration Now Open for One World One Family Conference

The One World One Family Conference registration is now open. Once again this day has a line up of great speakers on a variety of topics.

Keynote and Plenary speakers are Lesley Anderson and Glenn Wright

Workshop choices are available at:
http://www.oneworldonefamily-theevent.com/Conference/Details/6

Registration for the event is available at: http://www.oneworldonefamily-theevent.com/Registration

Early bird registration fees are $20 until July 2.

Make this a double bonus by attending the Scottish SIG Symposium the day before the One World One Family event. The Symposium is being held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Brampton. 

Fees include breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks. We have a line up of 4 great speakers as well as a marketplace

To register: 

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/scottish-sig-symposium-tickets-15845340841

Genealogy Talk at New Lanark Heritage Centre

Elizabeth Irving: The Genealogy Detective will be speaking at New Lanark on Friday 22nd May 2015 about the Robert Owen's School for Children

The description of the talk from the New Lanark website is:

Elizabeth Irving is a professionally qualified genealogist and family historian with wide experience of researching Scottish records from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. She’ll be describing some of these fascinating sources and explaining how they can add facts, context and colour to your family tree. Our ancestors’ lives can be revealed in intimate detail if you know where to look.

Tickets are €4 and can be purchased in advance online at http://www.newlanark.org/visitorcentre/talkseries-events.shtml

Registration for BIFHSGO Conference 2015 Opens May 9

The annual conference of the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa takes place Sept 18-20, 2015. This year's conference focuses on:

• Scottish Family History
•  Photographs in Genealogy
• Technology for Genealogists

 Online registration opens May 9th at 8:30 EST. Here is a video showing the process of registering online:

https://youtu.be/hs4UgY4Sc2g

And here is the webpage with all of the conference details, including speakers and topics:

http://www.bifhsgo.ca/aem.php?eid=1

Hope to see you there!

Fairfield Shipyard Museum

After my tour around Govan Old Parish Church and seeing the Govan Stones, I wandered a bit further down Govan Road to what was once the offices of the Fairfield Shipping Company. The offices have had a major refurbishment and are now a museum in honour of the shipyard that once proudly stood there.

Fairfield was the first to combine the works of the ship builders and the engine fitters into the same shipyard. It is built on land that was once a farm, named Fairfield. It was the largest shipyard on the Clyde and built more ships than any of the others. 

While Fairfield did some work for Cunard, they were likely best known for their Empress line - Empress of Britain, Empress of Scotland, and the ill-fated Empress of Ireland. 

Fairfield also partnered with the Canadian Pacific Railway and their ships were the links to the west for many immigrants. Included in these immigrants were British Home Children.

During both world wars, Fairfield build naval ships and submarines as well as air craft carriers in more recent years. 

I was fascinated with the opportunity to see and hold a "riveter", having an ancestor who worked as a riveter. The weight of it was astounding and one can barely imagine standing holding it for hours and hours on end, not to mention the kick-back one would experience every time it "fired" No ergonomics in those days and repetitive strain injuries were a way of life 

A fascinating glimpse into a once illustrious industry, the Fairfield Shipping Museum is open daily from 2 pm - 5 pm. It is a short walk from the Govan subway station. 

Govan Old Parish Church and the Govan Stones

After watching the Time Team episode on Govan and the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde, I decided that a visit to Govan Old Parish Church to see the Govan Stones was in order. 

I ventured out on April 26th in the chucking rain and was not disappointed. What an amazing history this church has. 

During an excavation, a number of ancient stones, dating back to between the 9th and 11th centuries, were uncovered in the church yard. It is thought that these stones are so large and elaborate because they originally were carved to commemorate the lives of some of the more powerful kings and families in the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde. 

The church has done an amazing job of showcasing the 31 stones, which are displayed throughout the church, with storyboards explaining the carvings and thoughts behind their meaning. 

Perhaps the most impressive part of the collection are the 5 Hogback stones. These date from the 11th century and are relics from the time when Viking lords were settling in the area. The stones are thought to be in the same shape as the Viking longhouses. The stones are referred to as Hogbacks because the curved carvings look similar to a pig's back. 

This historic display of old gravestones, including the very rare Hogbacks is open to the public every day from 1:00 - 4:00 and only a couple of blocks from the Govan subway station. The display is free to view, although a donation is a terrific idea. The guides are very knowledgeable and eager to share the rare display with others. 

If you have an interest in: grave slabs, old stones, graveyards, ancient history, vikings, archaeology, Scotland, Glasgow or old churches, I highly, highly recommend a visit. 

http://www.thegovanstones.org.uk/

Tombstone Tuesday: St Cuthberts Cemetery Edinburgh

One of my favourite things to do when I visit Edinburgh each year is to wander around the old cemeteries. I try to pick ones I have not yet wandered through so that the history of the cemetery is new to me each time. Although I must admit, a trip to Edinburgh wouldn't feel complete without a wander through Greyfriars. It has become an annual pilgrimage. And my preference now it to take the guided tour offered by Historic Edinburgh Tours where I can learn the stories behind the people interred. 

One cemetery I have wanted to wander through for some years now is St Cuthberts. My initial fascination with St Cuthberts was my first sighting of the guard tower, watching over the burial sites and protecting them from the notorious grave robbers and body snatchers. 

St Cuthberts is on Princes Street at the far end of the West Gardens. It takes in an amazing expanse of land and while situated on the very busy Princes St, it is surprisingly tranquil. 

Like most of the old cemeteries in Edinburgh, St Cuthberts is the final resting place of some of the elite in Scotland's history. 

I am always in awe, as I wander amongst the headstones, of the wealth of genealogical information that can be gleaned from the old headstones. In the days when paying tribute was the most important part of a headstone and estates and families weren't charged per letter or per word: