A summary of each meeting is posted here after the meeting.
If available, the handout from a meeting is provided next to the summary.
15 January 2022 – Stephen Young from FamilySearch spoke on “Exploring Ontario Records at familysearch.org.” He demonstrated the website, including how to use the library catalog, and finished by showing the Research Wiki, a comprehensive resource guide.
19 February 2022 – Veronica Steinburg spoke on “The Sisters of Providence Motherhouse History and the Home Children Records.” Veronica is archivist at the Motherhouse. She described other materials beyond the records of home children and other orphans.
19 March 2022 – Janice Nickerson’s topic was “Castlecomer to Montague: A Case Study in Irish Protestant Immigration to Upper Canada.” She followed members of the Salter family from County Kilkenny and outlined the sources she used.
- “Castlecomer to Montague” Handout
16 April 2022 – Lynn Palermo, “The Armchair Genealogist,” spoke about “Writing Family History: Turning Research into Sharable Stories.” She stressed that family histories should be more than a recital of facts: creative non-fiction involves facts, analysis, memories, and imagination or speculation.
- “Writing Family History” Handout
21 May 2022 – Jane Simpson addressed us on “Genealogical Implications of Cemetery Disruption: a Study of St. Thomas’ Church Burial Ground.” When she could not find a particular gravesite in that cemetery in Belleville, Jane learned more about disturbed or disrupted cemeteries.
17 September 2022 – Catharine Wilson spoke on “The Rural Diary Archive: Transcribing Daily Life in Eastern Ontario.” Catharine curates a website at the University of Guelph which now holds or links to over 200 diaries which can be read and searched for free, including some from Lennox & Addington and Frontenac counties.
15 October 2022 – Dawn Kelly and Carol Ufford – “Scandal, Slavery and Survival: More Tales from New France.” This third presentation concluded their series of talks about individuals and about the records available for research.
- “Scandal, Slavery and Survival” Handout
19 November 2022 – Christine Woodcock discussed “Meaningful Gift Giving.” She showed several types of family history books she has assembled for gifts, as well as items like calendars, ornaments and mugs. She mentioned the software used, and several printing suppliers.
Other Links
Brief biographies of some speakers at Kingston Branch meetings are available at:
A more extensive write-up of each presentation may be found in the newsletter which follows that meeting date. The newsletters are available as follows:
- Kingston Branch Newsletters (More Than Three Years Old) – Available to members and non-members.
Further information is available in the Members Only area of this website, by clicking the following links:
- Kingston Branch Newsletters (Less Than Three Years Old)
- Recordings of Past Kingston Branch Meetings
- Handouts from Branch Presentations
- Official minutes of Past Meetings
Kingston Branch members of the Ontario Genealogical Society receive our newsletter, Kingston Relations as one of their membership benefits. To find out how you can join Kingston Branch, please visit our Membership page.