An organization of family historians, some with Toronto roots, others who live in Toronto, we have ancestors around the world.

Unusual Lives – Online

Registration is now open for a very special series of Toronto Branch webinars in June titled Uncovering Unusual Lives.

Four seasoned researchers will present four extraordinary case studies, each with its own intriguing twists and turns. Our speakers will tell us about the roadblocks they faced, and the sources and techniques they used to separate fact from fiction. 

Three of the sessions will take place in the evening and the fourth in the afternoon, since our final speaker will be joining us from England! Each session will consist of an hour-long presentation and an opportunity to ask questions.

We’ll be recording the sessions too in case you can’t attend live or you’d just like to enjoy them a second time…

Wednesday June 16 (7:30 p.m. EDT)
Misbegotten, Misled, Mistaken: Tackling the challenging quest to identify a mystery father.
Lecturer: Paul Jones

Thursday June 17 (7:30 p.m. EDT)
The Curious Case of Dr. Henry Head Gray: Piecing together the true fate of a young Toronto doctor.
Lecturer: Jane MacNamara

Wednesday June 23 (7:30 p.m. EDT)
FAKE News! Read all about it!: Debunking myths in the report of a young woman sold into slavery.
Lecturer: Guylaine Pétrin

Thursday June 24 (2:00 p.m. EDT)
The 1815 Murder behind Toronto’s Oldest Ghost Story: Digging up the facts of a lighthouse keeper’s untimely death.
Lecturer: Eamonn O’Keeffe

Click here to find out more and register for Uncovering Unusual Lives. 

Sketch of lighthouse
By Unknown author – Image from volume 2, page 203 of Robertson’s Landmarks of Toronto by J. Ross Robertson, Toronto, published in six volumes from 1893 to 1914 and hosted by the Internet Archive. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4366477