Why Immigrate?

In 1911 my grandfather immigrated to Canada. Records show that he made the trip alone. What made him leave the country of his birth and why was he by himself? The family story was that he saw a poster advertising Canadian immigration in a railway station. Could it really have been a simple as that to leave family and country? Armed with these questions, I uncovered a story that explained so much and shed light on a scourge that devastated so many people that there were few families not affected by it. The scourge was tuberculosis.

Historian/genealogist

Which came first, the genealogist or the historian? In my case, I am not really sure. At school history fascinated me but at home I listened to my mother's family stories. Maybe one fed upon the other.

And what stories they were; part myth and part fact but which was which? My research has brought the facts to light but it has also made me realize that the paths that we take in this life are influenced by the events that our ancestors lived through. The good circumstances could elevate a family for generations but the bad could shadow a family's lives for at least as long.

These circumstances came from the history which each family lived through. The wars and famine and pestilence that make up social history changed their lives forever. This blog will explore this history and will use genealogical research as its inspiration.