Toronto Trust Cemeteries Project with FamilySearchIndexing
In 2006, FamilySearch announced the intention to index all the records in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and the launch of an online tool called FamilySearchIndexing or FSI.
In FSI, digital images of a series of records are published online, along with an on-screen form into which a volunteer extracts the information. Every record is transcribed independently by two different volunteers. The computer finds any discrepancies between the two transcriptions, and a third volunteer, an arbitrator, makes the final decision. There are now more than 100,000 volunteers from around the world involved in FSI.
We’re very pleased to announce that a new project is now in process —cosponsored by FamilySearch and OGS Toronto Branch. We are going to index the burial registers of the “Toronto Trust Cemeteries” (as the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries was known prior to 1990.) At this point we will be going up to 1935, so that will include:
- York General Burying Ground (Potters’ Field) 1826-1855
- Toronto Necropolis 1850-1935
- Mount Pleasant Cemetery 1876-1935
- Prospect Cemetery 1890-1935
This is an exciting group of records particularly for researchers with late 19th and early 20th century Toronto ancestors. At present, an index is only available by appointment at the Mount Pleasant Group’s corporate office in Toronto. Our new FSI index will be available free to anyone in the world with an Internet connection.
The project is limited to members of OGS Toronto Branch and those we choose to invite as “guest” transcribers. To help us create a high-quality index, all transcribers should be reasonably familiar with Toronto street and neighbourhood names—but you don’t have to live in Toronto.
You will need access to a high-speed Internet connection.
If you are interested in volunteering for this project, please contact us at: fsi@torontofamilyhistory.org.