Saturday 27 October 2018

Gerald Robert Vincent - the author who started it all

His work started it all and helped many a Vincent researcher from the Maritimes find their roots, especially with "46 Acres, 5 Hoggs AND A FAMILY" ......he will be remembered.

Victoria Times Colonist, 12 May 2018

VINCENT, Gerald Robert 1929 - 2018 Born on May 03, 1929, in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Jerry spent his childhood in New Glasgow and Halifax, with happy summers at the family farm in West New Annan, Nova Scotia. He attended local schools, followed by high school at Horton Academy (Wolfeville) and King's College, Halifax. Then, riding his beloved Indian motorcycle, he took off for Ontario and a variety of occupations, including radio work at CBC in Toronto, and eventually quality control inspection at Algoma Steel, Sault Ste Marie. There he met his wife, Margaret Parker, whom he married in Sarnia, Ontario on October 11, 1952. Their son, David, was born there in 1953, and accompanied his parents to British Columbia where Jerry was employed by the Pacific Naval Laboratory in Esquimalt. Daughter Elizabeth arrived in 1954, and in 1956 Jerry was transferred to the Naval Laboratory in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Son Simon was born in Halifax in 1958. Having developed an interest in mining, Jerry then attended the Colorado School of Mines in Colorado while Margaret returned to teaching in Sarnia and Orangeville, Ontario. From 1962 to 1974 Jerry was Mill Manager at the mine in Baie Verte, NL. He served as Mayor of Baie Verte for two terms, during which he was instrumental in the building and operation of the town's recreation centre and housing development. In 1974, he moved to work for Cassiar Asbestos in Cassiar, BC and then as Mine Manager at the Cassiar Asbestos mine, Clinton Creek, Yukon. Jerry and Margaret moved to Stewart, BC where he managed the Granduc copper mine until returning to Victoria in 1980. He then worked with DK Partners in Vancouver and eventually turned his talents to research and writing history and genealogy. His passions included photography, travel, writing and gardening. Jerry's extensive genealogy work on the Loyalist history in Nova Scotia resulted in several books, including The Civil Sword, which earned him recognition from the Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor in 2008. Upon Margaret's retirement from the University of Victoria Macpherson Library in 1992, they moved to Duncan, BC, to enjoy 23 years of writing and travel before illness required a move back to Victoria, where he died on May 07, 2018. He was predeceased by his parents Earl and Jean Vincent, Halifax; his brothers-in-law: Dr Robert Munn, Vancouver, John G Lees, Egerton, Nova Scotia, James M Babcock, West Vancouver, and Dr David Forster Parker, Jacksonville, Florida. He is survived by Margaret, his wife of 65 years; his sister, Alice Lees in Nova Scotia; his son David (Carolyn); daughter, Elizabeth Wedd (Robert), all of Victoria; and son Simon (Katherine), Calgary; grandchildren, Colin Vincent, Vancouver; Katie Vincent, Calgary; Geoffrey Vincent, Christine Vincent and Jennie Wedd, all of Victoria. Cremation has taken place, and ashes will be interred at the family plot in the Bell Gift Cemetery, West New Annan, Nova Scotia, at a later date. Condolences may be offered at www.sandsvictoria.ca


Sunday 14 October 2018

How do you handle it?


I have run into adopted children before and I struggle every single time with whether or not I should flush out that line.  

Some answer themselves - for example the SSN entry identifies the birth parents which means the family knows - usually these kids were raised by an extended family member, but knew.

Then there are the folks who were adopted, names were changed and lived their entire lives with the adopted names - knowing or not the identity of their birth parents.

I  recently filled out a line as the family lore is that the child was adopted after his parents were killed - killed or died, I can't find the truth of it either way or the name of his birth family.

How do you handle these ones - do you flush them out or just add the person in the first instance with a notation of adoption? 

I'd love to hear how you handle these!

Wednesday 10 October 2018

Reviewing My.....

I have been AWOL for a while now....lost....buried in it...struggling....

Well ok, enough of the dramatics.  


A while ago I made a decision to start from the beginning to review my research - looking for mistakes and new connections.......well haven't I!  There are/were so many mis-connections, wrong information and huge gaps.  


I remember when I started - I trusted everything I found without question and when I say that, I mean I trusted the other researchers on Ancestry.  Pure unadulterated bunk!  


The amount of re-work I have had to do has me wondering if I will ever get back to where I was....sigh.....neck deep in it and hoping World Connect one day re-emerges so I can post the updates....

(NY Times - Krauss)