A journey back to their home county

 

                                                       English Civil War Reenactors

As I write the story about HS Chambers, I'm bringing his tale forward in time which can be counterintuitive to genealogists who are trained to go from the people in current times back into history. But I can remember the voyage of discovery as I took his family lines, both paternal and maternal, back in time. Both family lines took me back to a common place, at least as far as county goes. That place was Northamptonshire, or Northants, as it is sometimes called.

In 2006 when I found out there was going to be a conference in Northampton put on by the Federation of Family History Societies, I knew that I had to go. It would be a perfect opportunity to get to that area of the UK to attend the conference and do some research in the area. I'd attended conferences before but none in the UK where most of my family originated.

The five-day conference was held at the University of Northampton and accommodations were in the student residences. I was a little bit apprehensive based on my own days in student residences, but ended up favorably impressed. We didn't have ensuites back in my school days. Staying on campus made getting to the lectures so much easier.

The theme of the conference was Putting Flesh on the Bones: A Study of the Common Man. It was so interesting attending in-person sessions given by well-known names in English Genealogy, like John Titford, Nick Barratt and Else Churchill, probably old hat to most attendees but I got a kick out of seeing them. Also on campus were reenactors from the English Civil War Society, which makes sense as there was a lot of fighting around Northamptonshire during the Civil War.

The tents of the Time Village with its emphasis on ancient crafts were a draw but I spent most of my time checking out family history goods on offer. Good thing too because I picked up some booklets of graveyard transcriptions which stood me in good stead. More about that later. 

 

                                                                                  Tents in the Time Village

  

DNA Update

 

I began this year with a promise to myself that I would do more DNA posts this year. I figured writing it down would prod me to do more with my genetic genealogy. In the past, I've attended webinars and conferences about DNA where I've taken dutiful notes. The problem was that I just didn't use what I'd learned. I'm hoping to change that.

So, when I needed to interview someone for my writing course, I chose the facilitator for the BC Genealogical Society's DNA interest groups. I thought I might as well kill two birds with one stone. Not only would I fulfill the requirements of the course, but I would also learn more about the subject of DNA and one person's experience in the field.

It was a wide-ranging discussion, touching on what got her interested in DNA, adoptees and search angels, the use of DNA to solve cold cases and TV programs such as The Genetic Detective and Finding Your Roots. The consensus was, that even though research in those programs is shown in an unrealistic light, we still find the shows fascinating.

Something else that we discussed was some emails that she had sent me which compared our GEDmatch kits. At the end of the interview, I asked about the information she had sent which was broken down by chromosome and included other DNA kits as well. I'm currently transcribing the end of the almost two-hour long interview. I think that the details about the information she had sent me will help me to jump start my journey into genetic genealogy.

Deadlines and research

 

                                                                                 

 Sometimes it's hard to delve into just one thing. With the word deadline on the HS Chambers story looming, I had hoped to get the details of his 1911 trip across Canada set. I have the gist of the story and will have to go with that and layer in some of the more evocative details later, once I have found out what they are.

I did run into some luck when I researched Harold's first place of settlement, Craik, Saskatchewan. Gary, a fellow genealogist/family history writer told me about the book Craik - Friendliest Place by a Dam Site which I've sourced in the library of my genealogy society, BCGS. I haven't gone to pick it up yet as the library is currently closed in compliance with public health orders. Gary found out about my interest when I announced that I had found a picture of the train station at Craik in 1911 online at the Canada-Rail website at http://www.canada-rail.com/saskatchewan/c/craik.html#.YAIzfxZ6rct. I don't think the passengers who were used to English towns would have been much impressed by the town of Craik or the station but maybe they would have just been happy to get off the train. The pictures I've seen of the interiors of rail cars for colonists don't look very comfortable!

The other research I've been engaged in this week was for the Tripp family. This time it was for the wife of the founder of the Tripp line in Colonial America, Mary Paine. I'm looking into her English origins but so far, the records in the early 1600s and late 1500s are few and far between.

Another activity this week should help to increase my DNA knowledge. It was an interview of someone I know from the genetic genealogy community. I'm currently transcribing the very long interview. It might take me a while but not too long because I need to write an article based on said interview and there's a deadline on that as well. 

 

Finding more about an immigration story

                                                       Pier 21 - the site of The Canadian Museum of Immigration

I've been working on the story of HS Chambers as I need at least 5000 words written for the Family History Writing Retreat I will be attending at the end of January. Happily, the words are mounting up and the magic number is getting close. The most recent chapters have been about his immigration to Canada and the place where he first settled. Finding out information hasn't been easy.

When I first looked into Harold Chambers' immigration to Canada it was the 1911 census that told me he had immigrated in that same year. A search of the Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960 on Find My Past showed that the Harold Chambers with the closest birth year left Liverpool for Quebec on May 6th on the Laurentic. His occupation was listed as labourer but perhaps that was how a railway clerk was classified or maybe he had changed jobs.

The 1911 Canadian census was taken on June 1, 1911, so a departure date at the beginning of May would have seen him in Canada in time to be counted and he should also have been counted in the English census taken the same year but I searched for him in vain on the 1911 English census. He should have been there because that census was taken on April 2nd of the year.

It wasn't until I visited The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax and someone in one of the booths there at Library and Archives Canada searched for Harold Chambers' immigration record at my request that different information came up. This entry was for HS Chambers whose occupation was listed as a clerk. He travelled in March of the year, which would explain why he wasn't on the 1911 English census. The occupation fit better than the entry I had found although he was listed as being older than the man I was targeting. But a check of the Arriving Passengers Lists 1865-1935 at Ancestry for the same ship, the Empress of Ireland, gave the right age and occupation. It seemed like the correct entry but why would he arrive at St. John, New Brunswick if he was going west? A further search provided the information. St. John was used when the St. Lawrence was blocked by ice.

Knowing the correct ship helped me to find out more about the trip across the Atlantic. There was lots of information about the Empress of Ireland online such as details about the amenities for second class passengers, which was how HS Chambers had travelled. Photos of the ship also helped me to picture the staterooms and common areas he would have been privy to.  I don't know if this wealth of information is because of the ship's history or if similar information is available for other vessels. I do know that the Empress of Ireland is of interest because it sank in 1914 with significant loss of life after a collision in the St. Lawrence.

I wrote about the end of the Empress of Ireland in previous blog posts on July 21 and 28, 2018. The first of the posts can be found at http://genihistorypath.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-story-end-of-empress-of-ireland.html.

Changing Harold Chambers' date of arrival from May to March, 1911 puts a whole different complexion on things. His initial views of the country wouldn't have been warm ones to say the least. I'll have to see what I can find out about the rest of his trip to his destination.

 

Sources:

ancestry.ca 1911 Canadian Census; Canada, Arriving Passengers Lists, 1865-1935

findmypast.com.uk, 1911 English Census; Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960

The R.M.S. Empress of Ireland Community https://www.theempressofireland.com/theempressofireland

 

 
 

Planning for a New Year

 

The switch to a new year feels too close to get right back into posting a regular blog article so, I've made the initial post for 2021 a planning one of sorts. No doubt there will be changes as the year rolls out but hopefully not as drastic as the changes after last years inception. Here's a look at the broad strokes of what I will be doing this year.

I have been falling down on my exploration of DNA but I anticipate there will be more DNA posts coming up. Currently I'm writing about a young woman who is learning more about genetic genealogy for her business so, I think that will help nudge me to explore DNA further. That character is in a book I'm working on while attending SFU's The Writer's Studio. 

Also anticipated this year is a move. That will, no doubt, lead to discoveries as I go through my stuff in an effort to reduce what needs to be transferred to a new abode. Most of my research is still in physical rather than digital form and then there's the books!

There will also be new neighbourhoods to explore in the search for a new home. That will get me out of the cocoon in which I've spent the last year but hopefully there will also be further travel as restrictions are lifted so, you may see articles inspired by that activity.