In 1837, Carol Ufford’s third great uncle, William Brass, was charged with raping a young girl. His defense attorney was young John A. Macdonald. Using documents from the Haldimand collection, the Upper Canada Sundries, and contemporary newspapers, Carol will tell William’s story—his early life, what lead up to the trial, the trial, and the aftermath.
Warning: this presentation contains language and content that some may find disturbing.
Speaker Carol Ufford is a retired librarian and has been researching her family history for over 35 years. Her family has deep roots in Ontario, and she enjoys digging beyond the names and dates of her ancestors stories and learning about the lives they led. Carol is the current Toronto Branch Chair.
This will be a hybrid presentation. No need to register if you are attending in person. To attend online, click here to register and get your unique Zoom link.
The Ontario Genealogical Society is holding its first in-person Conference in five years in Toronto—with the theme An Interactive Experience: Explore, Engage, Enjoy!
Conference 2024 runs from 14–16 June 2024 at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Toronto Airport & Conference Centre near Pearson Airport, a fully accessible venue with lecture rooms, dining areas and vendor exhibits all under the same roof. A special event rate is available for Conference attendees wishing to stay at the hotel. Come early for “prequel” events on 13–14 June, including interactive workshops, tours of key Toronto research repositories and historic sites, and a full-day mini-conference on Artificial Intelligence and Genealogy, which is being presented both in-person and via live-stream.
The Conference weekend, which is in-person only, will be jam-packed with about 50 different sessions of varying lengths and formats, and more than 30 different speakers, including Blaine Bettinger, Paul Milner, Chris Paton, Jonny Perl, and Diahan Southard. Enjoy several special plenaries, including a lunchtime address by a familiar face from the stage and screen—Canada’s own R.H. Thomson.
All full weekend Conference registrants will automatically get access to Bonus Tracks—a special package of 18 additional pre-recorded sessions—most of which are not being offered live during Conference. This package is available for separate purchase for anyone unable to attend in person.
For full program details, registration options, and pricing, click here to visit the Conference website.
Please note that Conference attendees must register before June 1. Walk-in registration will not be possible.
Are you ready to go beyond census and births, marriages, and deaths? Estate files are rich source for finding family connections and revealing our ancestor’s social and financial circumstances, maybe even personality. As court records, they tend to be very reliable—and even come with indexes.
Now that FamilySearch.org has digitized an extensive collection of Ontario surrogate court and Court of Probate records—we can discover these treasures from home.
This session will give a brief overview of how the court system worked in Ontario and a step-by-step explanation of how to access the records. It will concentrate on York County records available through FamilySearch.
Jane E. MacNamara, Toronto, is the author of Inheritance in Ontario: Wills and other Records for Family Historians (OGS/Dundurn) and writes about genealogy at wherethestorytakesme.ca. A long time member of OGS, Jane lectures about research methodology, Ontario, and English family history to genealogical and historical groups throughout southern Ontario. She teaches courses for Toronto Branch, most notably hands-on courses at the Archives of Ontario.
OPENING ACT:
Toronto Branch member Helen Billing will present Why did they go to Australia? What did they do there?
A box of documents and memorabilia given to Helen Billing and her husband spurred them to research why Frederick and Edward Billing went to Western Australia in 1896. Letters, photos, mining certificates and some artifacts provided them with a basis for searching newspapers and other contemporary records. A trip to Kalgourlie/Boulder Archives added more information.
This will be a hybrid presentation. No need to register if you are attending in person. To attend online, click here to register and get your unique Zoom link.