New Brunswick Genealogical Society

Carman was the founding President of Miramichi Branch and a friend and mentor to not only our members but many on the river who shared his interest in family history and in compiling and preserving genealogical records. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time.

Reminder: you only get the notice if you are a member of the Southeastern Branch - not NBGS. You must email Donald at the address below if you are not a BRANCH member. SEB-NBGS MEETING NOTICE The Southeastern Branch of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society will hold a virtual workshop Saturday, April 17th, 2021, 2:00 P.M. Once again, this session will be via Zoom video conferencing. Southeastern Branch members will receive an email invitation with the meeting login details... prior to the date. Workshop: NBGS-SEB member Leslie Gogan will present Genealogy Trivia Do you really know what you’re looking for? If you know of someone that may be interested in joining us for this workshop but is not a Southeastern Branch NBGS member, please have them send an email to [email protected] and I will add them to the list to receive the meeting login details. I hope to 'see' you on the 17th. Yours in History, Donald Alward President, NBGS-SEB

Changes to Nova Scotia Archives Vital Records Search - For those of you actively researching Maritime families, you will no doubt find yourself visiting the Nova Scotia Archives website just as much as our wonderful Provincial Archives of New Brunswick website. Previously located at www.novascotiagenealogy.com the new address now jumps visitors to the new and improved NS Archives vitals page. Along with the new search function, the NSA states "Many records have been rescanned... to improve readability and zooming capabilities, also making quite a few are available in colour for the first time.". While a couple of tweeks may be needed, NSA is making great steps forward and is trending a close second, behind our own wonderful PANB, for the best genealogical offerings by a provincial/state archives in North America! We also give kudos to NSA on offering a great social media presences (*wink PANB!) What are your thoughts on the changes with the Nova Scotia Archives?

MIRAMICHI BRANCH MEETING NOTICE The next meeting of Miramichi Branch of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society will be held on Tuesday, April 27, at 7:30 PM. Once again this session will be virtual via ZOOM video conferencing. Members will receive an e-mail invitation with the link prior to the meeting. We are pleased to have as our guest speaker, Dr. Shawn McCarthy, who will present Miramichi Tall and True charting the course of six vessels built on tiny Beaubears Island..., their history and their fate after leaving Miramichi. Shawn is the Executive Director, Friends of Beaubears Island, a doctoral graduate of Western University, and specializes in experiential heritage offerings, utilizing on-site, character-based, re-enactment. During his 20 year tenure at the Boishébert / Beaubears Island Shipbuilding National Historic Sites of Canada, he has worn many hats, both figuratively and literally. He is a self-published author, and has lectured for the University of New Brunswick. If you know of someone who may be interested in joining us for this presentation but is not a NBGS member, please get them to send an email to [email protected] and we will add them to the list to receive the meeting login details. Hope you can join us for what is sure to be an informative and interesting presentation.

SAINT JOHN BRANCH MEETING NOTICE Saint John author, Heather McBriarty, will be our speaker at the meeting scheduled for 31 March 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Her presentation is called, "In Their Footsteps 1914-1918 - navigating the tangle of online war records to discover your ancestors' experience". This talk will focus on how to interpret war records and their shorthand, how to read battlefield maps using war diary entries, and where to find information and help beyond the Library and Archives database. This meeting will take place via Zoom so members everywhere can join. Non-members who wish to attend should send a note to [email protected].

Sometimes things happen during our research that make us go....wait, what? While researching my paternal 2nd great-grandmother, I came across an entry in a book. It was a rare book, accessible at a few major libraries (eg. Toronto, New York). There was a digital copy available as well, so of course I registered, put myself on the hold list and waited a few months for my turn to read. The entry turned out to be inconclusive. Fast-forward a year or so later, and I'm unpacking a... box of photos I took when my maternal grandmother passed away 2 years ago. I hadn't gone through this box, it was sitting in storage. I anticipated looking through photos, lo and behold, there was an actual copy of the VERY SAME book that I spent months waiting to read. That whole time, this book was in my possession. Tell us YOUR story of when your research had you going "wait, what?"

The Community Services Librarian at the Saint John Free Public Library has requested assisstance in finding, historical photographs relating to Black history in Saint John or New Brunswick. The library will be presenting a slideshow in the library atrium for Black History Month in February 2021. It will run the whole month and people/organizations who allow the Library to use their photos will be credited. The highest possible quality image is requested - as they will be shown on a large screen. Deadline for submissions is January 23, 2021. You may send your photos to Sarah Gladwell at: [email protected] Thank you for your help!

Happy holidays are upon us, and kids are out of school. This holiday season looks a little different, and we want to know how YOU are celebrating. Tell us, are you celebrating with family? Are you celebrating with other folks who would otherwise be alone? How will you be spending your holidays in 2020? Please share with us your plans for the holidays in the comments below Here is a great idea we stumbled on while browsing pinterest! Conversation-starters with grandkid...s can be difficult, and Zoom family gatherings take some effort. Here's a great checklist of questions the kids can ask the grandparents! Original article and credit: https://www.theinspirationedit.com/family-history-question/ Where were you born? Do you know why you were given your first name? Tell me about your siblings? Did you have a nickname growing up? What was the first trip you took in a car? Who was your best friend as a child? What was your favourite subject at high school? What do you remember about your grandparents? What was it like growing up in your home? What was your first date? What music did you like as a teenager? What is your earliest memory? Did you go on holiday as a child? If so where to? What is the most important lesson you have learnt during your life? What were your favourite hobbies growing up? What games did you play as a child? How did you celebrate Christmas when you were young? What was a naughty thing you did as a child? Did you have a pet as a child? Have you ever been in an accident? If so what happened? What advice would you give to your children now?

Chag Sameach to one and all - as we find ourselves immersed in this holiday season, we at NBGS find ourselves reviewing our important holiday traditions. This season we pay special attention to tradition, since our normal holiday season is usually filled with parties, shopping, informal get-togethers and general indulgence. The lack of distraction has us focusing even more on what is really important. This year, tradition becomes more important than ever. What family traditio...ns do you celebrate, when did they start, and what is your favourite NEW tradition that you've introduced? Photo credit: The History of the Christmas Card https://www.smithsonianmag.com//history-christmas-card-18/

I will be going to production for my Christmas Podcast at the end of the week. I'll be compiling a Christmas Wishlist for Genealogists as well as talking about... Christmas Memories and Traditions. I'm inviting you to become a part of the Christmas podcast. If you would like to share what's on your Genealogy Wishlist or share your family Christmas memories or traditions let me know by messaging me or replying to this post. Don't forget to Subscribe to How We Got Here on your favourite podcasting app, #genealogy #ancestors #christmas Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia New Brunswick Genealogical Society My Island My Roots- Prince Edward Island (PEI) CA Genealogy DNA GEDmatch

Check this out! A research team at the University of Newcastle in Australia (Drs. Shaw, Donnelly, Burke and Parkes from the School of Education) is conducting research into family history and DNA testing and its impacts on people’s understanding of themselves and their place in history as well as some general demographic information. To this end, they are conducting an online survey, which is expected to take about 20 minutes. This study is an Australian first and provides NB...GS members with an opportunity to be involved in a new worldwide project about exploring the past. The following link will provide some additional information about this project and a link to the survey itself: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2DDTC2L

The Spanish Flu pandemic was one of the deadliest pandemics in recorded history. Did you know that the Spanish Flu didnt even begin in Spain? Read more here...https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu We are all concerned about the COVID pandemic as we enter the second wave, and many of you may have ancestral pandemic stories to share. We would love if you could share anything about your ancestors during the last pandemic (or any other pandemic) - were they untouched? Were they suffering? Did they lose family, children? How do you think we will be remembered in 100 years?

This post is about YOU! Share with us a bit about yourself, where you are, why you joined NBGS and tell us about your recent genealogical searches. Photo credit:... Wm. Notman & Son - This image is available from the McCord Museum under the access number VIEW-3267 This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. See more

In honour and remembrance of those who served, this week we would like YOU to share the stories of your ancestors who fought in World War I. 26,000 New Brunswick-born men and women served in Maritime units of World War I. 1 in 10 did not return. The war effort brought together the community, as the families left behind rallied behind the troops to bring them home. Please take a moment to share a story about your ancestors who served, and let us never forget.... Photo credit Patent and Copyright Office, now in the collection of Library and Archives Canada, C-026125 [1] - The officers and members of the 26th Battalion of the Second Canadian Expeditionary Force prior to embarking for Europe, Saint John, 1915.

It's spoooky season, and while our Hallowe'en might look a wee bit different this year, we can still celebrate in our own way. Tell us all about your spooky ancestry! If you don't have any ancestors with a sinister tale, do yourself a favour and look up the story of Rebecca Lutes and her concrete grave. Myth? Or legend? Have you experienced the haunting of her grave site?... https://mynewbrunswick.ca/folklore/rebeccas-concrete-grave/

We want to know what your research space looks like. Is it messy? Clean and organized? Digital or paper-based, or a combination of all of the above? Share with us what your space looks like.

Another great resource has been added to the NBGS website! Descendants of Benjamin Christoffel Stymiest UEL United Empire Loyalist From Long Island, New York to Parrtown (Saint John), New Brunswick 1783 was prepared by Carl Stymiest, a longtime member of the United Empire Loyalists Assoc. of Canada. Thoroughly researched and well documented, the report contains an all-names index. Carl has seventeen known Loyalist ancestors and is currently working on additional descendant r...eports. Meanwhile, we hope that other NBGS members will be inspired to submit their own reports. We look forward to all submissions and seeing the new work that Carl's research produces. https://nbgs.ca/cpage.php?pt=226

There will be a genealogy workshop at the Moncton Public Library Feb 18 and 20 -1:30 to 3:30

The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick will open for in-person visits by appointment only beginning Monday, July 6, 2020. To book an appointment and for more details, please call Heather Lyons at 506-457-3561 or email [email protected]. Staff continue to be available for consultation by email: [email protected] and by phone: 506-453-2122.

NBGS Saint John Branch booth at the Wellness Fair at YMCA

Free Scottish Family History Virtual Conference - 1 May 2020 [Glasgow, Scotland 16 April 2020] Learn how to trace your Scottish family history from home. After their successful first event in April 2020, www.scottishindexes.com will again bring together some of Scotland's leading genealogists for a full day of family history. The Scottish Indexes Conference will start at 7 am (BST) on Friday 1 May 2020 and finish after 10 pm (BST). The virtual event will be live-streamed to t...he Scottish Indexes Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/groups/scottishindexes) and will be available on Zoom. The interactive programme will feature the presentations "DNA Testing for Family History" by Michelle Leonard, "Tracing the Irish in Scotland" by Chris Paton, "Sources in Scotland for Tracing Scottish Emigrants" by Kirsty Wilkinson, among others. George MacKenzie, former Keeper of the Records of Scotland, will deliver an intriguing presentation, "...bread & cheese & kisses is not enough...". There will be opportunities to ask the expert panellists questions throughout the day. Speaking about the last conference, professional genealogist Cinda Baxter said, "A huge and hearty thanks again to Emma and Graham for providing the virtual conference. What a labor of love (and terrific gift) during these crazy times." Attendee Lyn Fogarty said, "Thanks to your guest speakers. Informative, funny and interesting." To register simply join the Scottish Indexes group on Facebook (www.facebook.com/groups/scottishindexes), or to register on Zoom follow the directions on www.scottishindexes.com. About www.scottishindexes.com www.scottishindexes.com is run by husband and wife team Graham and Emma Maxwell, both experienced Scottish genealogists. As well as helping clients with their family history, Graham and Emma also index historical Scottish records and make them available for free on their website.