Backstory I have spent the last little while researching my Knight family. While some like my great grandmother were easy to find, others proved quite elusive. I thought I would share some of the sites that helped me with my research. These are only a few but they are ones I use time and time again and they prove very helpful. There are also many good sites about homesteaders in the west that are available online for those of you who have the need. To find out more about my Knights follow the above link. Helpful Aids for Research Over the years, I have been collecting data on my family history. A few years ago I decided to design website to pass my findings on to anyone who might be so inclined. Being tired of the simple genealogies that presented just the facts like birth, marriage, death, parents and numbers of children I wanted to share pictures, stories and family lore. This has actually become a vehicle for me to write a book about several of my family ancestors. Most who want to do research tend to join genealogy sites that provide the information at your fingertips. However these sites sometimes miss the small details that can make a story come to life. They also are not available to those who do not have the money to join. I will try to present you with some sites I have found very useful. It is by the thanks to genealogists like myself that have given their time to provide us with tools that help us along the way. Remember to send the occasional thanks to these wonderful souls who are helping us preserve our family history. Remember the free sites count on volunteers and information we can provide to keep them abreast. Ancestry, one of the largest sites for family history has a library version that is available to all. Just go to your local library and check it out. Plan to spend some time there as it take awhile to understand how to maneuver around it and find what you are looking for. I love the censuses. The Canadian Censuses are available to all of us free of charge. There is a lot of information in these documents depending on the year. All include the family members and marital status. Age and even birthdate is available on some, as well as religion and occupation. These have helped me greatly over the years. There are some other areas in the Government site that are very helpful as well. Once there you can search the entire site for information that may be pertinent to you. Another excellent choice is the Family Search website, a nonprofit organization which supplies you with a multitude of options, I have been using this site for as long as I can remember. It is one of the first I used when I started my search into my ancestors. It has evolved over the years but has continued to remain free for all. Most of my research has been in Ontario and Quebec, of late more in Ontario. I have found Ontario offers a number of newspaper archives that have given me a plethora of information right down to the going away dress my grandmother wore in 1907. News of the day as well as current events were just at my fingertips. The site for the Halton area of Ontario was a lifesaver, as was some of the other town newspaper sites. The following cemetery sites are just among a few but have also been essential in my research. Once in particular has been extremely helpful and when I wrote the administrator to report an error they were most accommodating. Some cemetery sites in Ontario and elswhere Billiongraves Cemetery Project This Cemetery site covers 72 countries including 52 US States and 10 Canadian Provinces. Not entirely free and not too familiar with the site. CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project This one is extensive for Canada Cemsearch In Search of our Roots Specifically for people who are "in search of their roots" in a 10 county area in south-central Ontario. I was able to find ancestors in a tiny Pioneer Cemetery not available elsewhere. These are just a few. There are so many more that can be of help as well The Ontario Vital Statistics Project a site I used over the years and at one time even transcribed Ontario marriage records. It offers, births, deaths, and marriages in Ontario. Now part of Rootsweb which is also an A1 research aid. McGill Maps: A collection maps from 1880, of Ontario Counties. One can actually find the original homestead of their ancestors from that time period. There is also information as to their profession in some cases. Summing it up Many of the local historical societies can offer help. Check to see if there is one available for the area of your ancestor.
Some are easier to navigate than others but I am amazed that I find new information constantly. I am presently exploring my Knight family history. This family has given me some trouble and confusion over the years. Yesterday I made a great breakthrough with several of the children of Richard Knight and Frances May-Knight. Through a new cemetery site I visited recently Cemsearch I was able to sort out several of the children that posed a problem for me. Even though I had visited the cemetery in question, a few years back, where most of the stones are worn and in disrepair. Thanks to the creators of Cemsearch you helped me uncover new information My Knight family are showcased this week. There are still much more information that I am discovering about the Knights. I will post as I find it. Visit my families (any or all) and perhaps find out a link between yours and mine. If you have anything to share that I have missed please post a comment and I will get back to you. If it can help me get the info out I will be glad to post it.
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Stephanie Bell-Boissonneault"When researching Family never leave a stone unturned, not even a pebble." Archives
July 2023
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