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, to help them better understand their ancestors’ lives.

The author has divided this comprehensive guidebook into four parts. The first section, “Planning Your Trip to the Cemetery,” looks at the history and cultural significance of cemeteries, types of cemeteries, burial customs and practices. Neighbors also examines the types of records that are typically 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, which 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 helpful.

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 used to create a more complete life history of your ancestor. The author also includes a survey of tombstone transcription projects and websites 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 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.

 

Review: Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace by Elizabeth Shown Mills

Evidence Explained:  Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace by Elizabeth Shown Mills, Genealogical Publishing Company,  2009, 855 p.

Even though my copy of Evidence Explained (2nd edition) was published in 2009, this guidebook is such an important and must-have resource for anyone seriously interested in genealogical research, I felt it warranted an entry here on the 929 Bookcase. The third edition was published in 2017 and has several updates, most significantly, in the citing of DAR databases, the Ellis Island website records, and how the National Archives (US) website documents are recorded.

An aphorism that circulates in the genealogy community says, “genealogy without documentation is mythology.”  While there is some debate about the origin of the saying and its exact wording, the idea that genealogical information must be accompanied by sources is widely accepted by professional researchers and most hobbyists. Sometimes, though, information is shared among amateur researchers that has not been sourced. If the unsourced information is shared online, it can spread misinformation far and wide. It’s up to us, as good genealogists, to ensure the information we share is accurate, documented and sourced properly. Even if the intended recipients of this information are only close family members, it is still advised that all source information be diligently cited so that anyone who might want to retrace your research steps can find the same documents used in building your family tree.  Sourcing also benefits the researcher by making it easy to retrace their own steps when encountering conflicting information in their research. It is easier to double-check the details if you know where to look. The more detailed the citation, the easier the documentation is to locate again.

Mills’ 885-page reference book is the most comprehensive guide to citing historical sources out there. It contains virtually every type of source, whether it be online, in print, on microfilm or fiche, or in other less common formats, that a genealogist might encounter when engaged in genealogical research. The author first explains the fundamentals of evidence analysis and citation in order that the reader understands why researchers need to create proper citations, as well as the rationale behind the citation formats that Mills has created. Then she provides model templates, based on the type of record being sourced, that can be duplicated as the researcher puts these citation rules into practice. By using Mill’s templates and models, we can ensure some consistency with methods used for sourcing in the wider genealogical community.

Beginners may find Mills’ tome a bit overwhelming at first glance, but an easy-to-use comprehensive index will help them pinpoint the type of document they are trying to cite. Mills has included “quick-check models” which are examples of more commonly used document citations.

Personally, citing sources is my least favourite part of genealogy. I find it to be mind-numbingly dull work, but necessary, especially as I pass on my findings to others. Elizabeth Shown Mills’ book belongs on any genealogist’s bookcase to make the mundane work of citing sources a little bit easier.