Review: Build Your Family Tree: A Guide for Canadians with Local and Global Roots by Lynne Butler

Build Your Family Tree:  A Guide for Canadians with Local and Global Roots by Lynne Butler, Self-Counsel Press, 2022, 222 p.

            Oddly, this book’s title doesn’t mention wills or probate records even though the entire focus of Build Your Family Tree is on these types of records. I hope this oversight hasn’t resulted in it being overlooked on bookstore shelves, because this handy guide could help genealogists locate records containing rich details about their ancestors, even though these documents can sometimes be tricky to locate.

            The opening chapters provide an overview of the wide variety of information that can be discovered in wills and probate records. These are often details impossible to find in other places. Since it is necessary for researchers to understand legal terms and the probate process, Butler dedicates an entire chapter to defining various probate processes and the documents they generate. In addition, she provides helpful lists of terms and abbreviations.

In Canada, there are very few online access points for wills and probate records, so in-person research is often required. More genealogists are now relying on their computer to locate records, and as a result, many family tree hobbyists are unfamiliar with researching in archives. Chapter Five provides information about visiting archives: what to expect, what to know before travelling to an archive, how to obtain copies, what to bring, the etiquette of archives, and how to create abstracts. The author also provides search strategies and tips for a successful archives visit.

Since there is not one single repository in Canada for wills and probate records, the book lists the many archives, libraries, museums, and other locations that house wills, probate records, and related documents across Canada, many of the collections are little known and specialized. There are some online sources for probate-related documents here, as well. These listings, along with the provincial resources, are hands-down the most valuable chapters of the book. The author has allotted a chapter to each Canadian province and territory and details the unique and varied collections available in those regions.

The final chapter covers International Records, which is a useful addition because so many Canadians have ties to other lands. At first glance, this three-and-a-quarter-page chapter seems far to short to cover a topic so broad. However, the author has included a “Download Kit” along with the book, accessible through an online URL, that provides information about wills and probates in other countries, complete with links to online records, as well as addresses for those archives whose records are not yet digitized. While over 30 countries have resource pages in the kit, not all countries are represented. For example, none of the Scandinavian countries are included in the downloadable files. Still, it is much like having a second book at your fingertips.

The Download Kit also includes handy blank forms, mostly for abstracting information from assortment of records described in the book.

Initially, I was taken aback by the price of the paper bound book: $49.95 CDN plus tax. After reviewing the book and realizing the scope and density of detail it contains, the price is more understandable, though it's still on the higher end of most genealogy how-to books of this type. I can recommend this title to genealogists and librarians who need a detailed, current guide on this topic. The inclusion of in-person research topics will help the book maintain its usefulness for years over titles that rely exclusively on online resources.

Review: The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide: How to Find, Record & Preserve Your Ancestors’ Graves by Joy Neighbors

 The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide: How to Find, Record & Preserve Your Ancestors’ Graves by Joy Neighbors, Family Tree Books,  2017, 239 p. 

            As someone who enjoys strolling through historic graveyards and reading gravestone inscriptions, I’ve never understood the squeamishness of some when it comes to cemeteries. Yes, graveyards are “repositories for the dead,” as author Joy Neighbors describes them, but more importantly they are “a place to memorialize, visit and remember” our ancestors. Genealogists understand this, and can appreciate such repositories for their societal importance. This definitive guide was written for “tombstone tourists” searching for departed family members in these resting places, in an attempt to better understand their ancestors’ lives.

            The author has divided this comprehensive guidebook into four parts. The first section, “Planning Your Trip to the Cemetery,” takes a look at the history and cultural significance of cemeteries, types of cemeteries, burial customs and practices. Neighbors also examines the various types of records that are generated around a burial, including permits, deeds, plot records, maps, sexton’s records and cemetery ledgers. This section concludes with an in-depth look at online tools such as BillionGraves and Find-a-Grave, that can help genealogists find the location of a gravesite before even stepping onto the cemetery grounds. Missing, unfortunately, are non-US-based cemetery transcription and photo projects such as CanadianHeadstones.com and GravestonePhotos.com. A checklist of useful items to take on a cemetery trip is also included.

            The second section, “Researching on Hallowed Ground,” provides research strategies for having a successful cemetery outing and gives instructions on how to safely enhance the readability of hard-to-read stones.  The author also discusses how to interpret inscriptions, read old script and how to take digital photographs that capture even the most weathered inscriptions. A particularly helpful chapter, “Headstone Iconography Guide,” provides a listing of symbols and abbreviations that sometimes appear on gravestones along with their meanings.

            “Part 3: Making Sense of Your Research,” concerns itself with organizing, analyzing and sharing the information obtained at the cemetery and records office.  Neighbors also provides suggestions for building upon the information found at the cemetery. She gives examples, through case studies, to show how cemetery records can be built upon to create a more complete life history of your ancestor. The importance of sharing the findings is also emphasized. A description of several tombstone transcription projects and websites are included that provide an opportunity for uploading cemetery data for the benefit of other researchers.

            “Digging Deeper,” the fourth and final section of the guide deals with other records, not found at the cemetery, but that pertain to records surrounding death, such as death certificates, obituaries, probate records, funeral home records, coroner’s reports, and other genealogy records. This helpful guide also discusses the need for cemetery restoration and preservation projects to ensure that these very important places remain for future generations.

Review: Counting Canada: A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census by Dave Obee

 Counting Canada:  A Genealogical Guide to the Canadian Census by Dave Obee, Self-published, 2012, 220 p.

            Counting Canada is a much-needed guide to Canada’s federal and provincial censuses specifically for genealogists. Obee is the Editor/Publisher of the Times Colonist newspaper in Victoria, BC, and has written a dozen books on various genealogical topics, five of which are currently offered as free downloads on his website (https://www.daveobee.com/).

            The first five chapters provide background information on the history of censuses in the world and their introduction to Canada, pre-confederation. Obee also discusses how to research in these records and the many ways genealogists can access them. He also delves into the terms “de jure” and “de facto” and why the way census information was recorded has a bearing on statistical accuracy and a genealogist’s ability to locate their ancestors in the returns. If an ancestor can’t be found, Obee provides reasons for their apparent absence which may assist in eventually locating them.

            The next 14 chapters deal with specific censuses by year, detailing the information included in each census, the availability of the returns and if they are complete or partial. Maps, photographs, and charts are interspersed in the text to illustrate and add visual interest and explanation. Appendix A provides a complete list of Canadian Censuses in chronological order, while Appendix B provides readers with an original transcript of  “An Act Respecting the First Census Assented to 12 May, 1870.” Of course, this refers to the first census of the Dominion of Canada (Canada being officially formed in 1867) and not the first census taken in the area known as Canada. The book also contains an excellent bibliography of other books relating to censuses in Canada, “Internet sites of note” (some now defunct) and a comprehensive index. It should be noted that, even though the 1931 Canadian Census had not been released at the time of publication, Obee presciently included a chapter on it, along with the list of questions asked by enumerators, so researchers would know what information they should expect to find.

            Even though some of website information is now out-of-date, I can recommend this title wholeheartedly for anyone wanting to know the ins and outs of Canadian Census information as it pertains to genealogy.

Review: Finding Your Canadian Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide by Sherry Irvine and Dave Obee

 Finding Your Canadian Ancestors:  A Beginner’s Guide by Sherry Irvine and Dave Obee, Ancestry Publishing, 2007 (Second printing, 2008), 269 p.

             I was reluctant to review this title because it is truly the definitive guide to Canadian genealogy. Most public libraries in Canada have copies, and most researchers have probably consulted this book at one time or another if they have Canadian roots. But a ubiquitous book is still deserving of a review, especially since there are people new to genealogical pursuit who may not know of its existence. A second look, 17 years after publication, may help readers assess if the book is still valuable to today’s researchers. It remains available for purchase online although, to my knowledge, there have not been any new editions.

             The book is initially organized by topic and record type, starting with a chapter on the holdings at Library and Archives Canada as well as their online databases. As I browsed this chapter of the book, I was brought back to 2000s when searching on the LAC website for census and immigration information was extremely painful. In book’s introduction, Irvine and Obee remind readers that, “the web is always changing.” I headed on over to the LAC’s genealogy website to evaluate that theory (since it had been so bad for so long) and I was pleasantly surprised about the improvements made to the search functions for the censuses. However, the pleasure was short-lived when I tried to find naturalization records, which have not made the transition to the “new site.” It looks as if the LAC website is a mixed bag. Some of the records are easy to use, and other interfaces are exactly as they were in 2008 (and earlier).

             So, heed the authors’ warning about web addresses and websites. URLs will have changed and there will be additions to the records available since then. For example, at the time of this book’s publication, the 1931 Federal Census had not been released. It is now available on the LAC website. However, even with these changes the book is still valuable to the Canadian researcher. The historical information presented about the specific record types provides researchers with solid information about the availability and access to these records. There are chapters covering the topics of vital records, censuses, immigration & naturalization, probate, military records, land and homestead records, cemetery records, and newspapers. The book is further divided into chapters for each of the provinces and territories and include a brief history of each place and any specialized records that may be unique to that geographic location. There are also snail mail addresses for important local archives, a bibliography for further research, and a listing of websites available at the time.

             The authors have included separate chapters on significant groups whose research is specialized, such as Indigenous People, the Acadians, and Loyalists. The book concludes with useful appendices dedicated to research methodologies, as well as a Canadian history timeline. Appendix C “The Internet,” can be, for the most part, ignored since so many of the websites have changed or disappeared from the web. A table of contents and comprehensive index are also included.

             I recommend this book to researchers of Canadian genealogy, especially those new to Canadian research, even with the out-dated bits. A revised edition would be most welcome, but that, too, would become out-dated in a short period of time. Most genealogists know how to use a search engine, so locating the tools to access the records described should not be a problem. The value of this book lies in the historical information it provides, the discussions around the who, why and when of each of the record sets, and the identification of likely repositories for these records.