Guest Genealogist Kathryn Lake

Kathryn Lake is the founder and owner of LOOKING4ANCESTORS, the genealogical speaking and research company she founded in 2007 to assist others with their family histories.

Known for her dynamic, humorous and informative presentations, Kathryn is a Canadian and English research specialist in both the on-line and real world genealogy communities

Kathryn has graciously agreed to respond to a query on tomorrow's AskOliveTree blog. Thank you Kathryn for giving your time and epertise to us!

Preserving a Paper Genealogy Document

Dear Olive Tree:

I have the birth certificate from my grandmother dated 1900. It had been folded for years and when I opened it the paper came apart at the folds.

What could I use to piece it back together? I thought of Scotch tape but wanted to ask before I did anything.

Thank you,
Claudia S

Olive Tree Answer: Claudia, how wonderful that you have such a precious document! I guess you've realized that these papers should never be folded, because they will eventually come apart.

One school of thought is that to repair a torn or ripped document, you should use an archival, transparent document mending tape. Do not use cellophane (scotch) tape.

However, the Library of Congress disagrees and states "If a paper item becomes damaged, place it in a folder and contact a paper conservator, who can provide the treatment needed. Avoid using pressure-sensitive tapes (including those called "archival") as they can cause irreversible disfigurement, embrittlement of paper and alteration of inks.."

Personally I would immediately scan the document even though it is torn. Place it
gently together as best you can and scan it as a .tif file. That way you have at least preserved the important facts! Depending how important the document is to you, and how irreplaceable, only you can decide if you want to try the archival tape method or hire a conservator.

The Library of Congress has information on paper preservation

Understanding a Ships Passenger List

Ruth asked

As suggested by you, in a July email, I went onto ANCESTRY & found some of my ALLISON Family. However, the copy is of poor quality, & so far I have gleaned:

(R ) L ALLISON joiner ......?.. County Antrim Vancouver .?...
John ALLISON labourer " " "
Elizabeth ALLISON nil " "

3 Irish listed. NO sign of Joseph? Ship: Lake Erie 18 Oct. Montreal Quebec T 481 from Liverpool aka BEAVER

I am puzzled re the top left ...?...ed States Steerage.Looks like most were going to the US on a Norwegian ship? Wonder who paid the passage for my unemployed family?I wonder if you are able to clear a few queries up re the blanks or illegible parts?

Olive Tree Answer: Hi Ruth, I appreciate your sending me the image you were asking about but I went to Ancestry.com and had a look at the full passenger list for Steamer Lake Erie. You may have noticed that your page of interest is listed as Image 6 of 14. It's always a good idea to look at the first page of any manifest (ships passenger list) for more detail. A check of page one reveals some interesting notes about the non-Canadians who had no family or friends meeting them.

It also shows that the first 5 pages are the lists of Canadians who were returning to Canada. So your names apparently are on the list of non-Canadians who are arriving.

I am not sure where you found the "aka Beaver" but a look through the entire manifest reveals the ship had only one name - the Steamer Lake Erie sailing from Liverpool to Montreal and Quebec. It was part of the Beaver Line, is that where the confusion lies? The Beaver Line was originally part of the Canadian Steamship Line so I am not sure where you saw that it was a Norwegian ship. It was Canadian! In March 1903 it was taken over by the Canadian Pacific line of ships.

Using Circumstantial Evidence to Support a Genealogy Theory

Bob asked

Ancestry. Com has on all the Colgate and Welsh sites that Nancy Welsh is the Daughter of Asaph Colegate. She was born in Huntingdon County Pa. as was her husband. Asaph was living there Both families came to the same area in WV. In the 1850 census Nancy Welsh 60 and Asaph Colegate 85 were in the same household. Nancy names one of her children Rosanna. Asaph's wife's name was Rosanna. Where can I find her name anywhere that shows she is his daughter? The 1800, 1810 census do not show the children's names. He was in the Revolution. Have documentation of that.

Olive Tree Answer: Bob, it sounds like you've done quite a bit of research on your ancestors. You haven't mentioned though if you have looked for documents such as wills, obituaries and other items that might name Nancy as a relative.

Also, have you looked for known children of Asaph? If you can find Nancy sponsoring one of their children at a baptism, or living near them, or witnessing a marriage, you will have more evidence to support the notion that Nancy was Asaph's daughter.

You already have some good circumstantial evidence pointing to a relationship - the naming pattern of Nancy's children; Asaph living with her in his old age... Sometimes we hit a point in our research where all we can do is outline all the documentation we have that supports a theory. It is okay to suggest that Nancy was Asaph's daughter, and present the proof (circumstantial but strong!) that supports your suggestion.

Finding an ancestor's employment history

Laurel asked

My ancestor worked for the CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce) in the early part of the 1900s. Is there any way I can find out more about him during that time?

Olive Tree Answer: Hi Laurel. You may be in luck because the CIBC website has an Archives section for their employees who served in World War 1 and World War 11.

In 1920, The Canadian Bank of Commerce published Letters From the Front, Being a Record of the Part Played by Officers of the Bank in the Great War, 1914 - 1919. This two-volume commemorative set began as a series of eleven pamphlets, published between August 1915 and January 1919, which included letters from bank employees on active duty. There are a few names you can view online but you can write to the Archives at archives@cibc.com to ask about your ancestor. You will receive all the information that the bank has on file.

The Canadian Bank of Commerce also published a book after World War II to commemorate those who served. The War Service Records, 1939 - 1945 was published in 1947. It included staff profiles and anecdotes of banking life during wartime.

There are also staff profiles as well as letters sent from the front.

Response to Question: What Does CWF Mean in 1851 Canada Census

Posted by Lisa in Ontario Canada Genealogy I set up on GenealogyWise. I answered Lisa and decided to publish my response here too as I think it may help others

In the 1851 Census of Ontario, my ggg father is listed being born in CW which I know is Canada West. But what does CWF mean?

Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze
There is an "F" used in the 1851 census in the birth place column but it refers to the person being born of Canadian parents. So if you see CW F it means born in Canada West of Canadian parents.

See Questions Asked on 1851 Canadian Census for more help

How to Prove an Inherited Family Tree That Has No Sources

Greg asked:

Does anyone know of the VanSicle family starting with Andrew D, who married Elizabeth Kirts? He was born 11-6-1865, and Elizabeth June 24, 1879. Most lived in Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota. I am working from a typed family tree starting with the Keartz/Kirtz families in Luxembourg. It was started by Father F.X. Miller from Knox ND, and must have been finished by someone else, as it does his date of birth.
I have this from my Mother, daughter of Annnie Kirz and Robert Kendall.I welcome any help.

Olive Tree Answer: Hi Greg. Since you are working from a completed tree without sources you may want to start at square one. That is, start with yourself (if you are the last person on the tree) or your parents or grandparents and work backwards. Prove each generation through birth, marriage, death. obituaries and census records.

You can search Obituaries on GenealogyBank.com. You may find it helpful to use the free Ancestor Birth Record Finder, Ancestor Marriage Record Finder and Ancestor Death Record Finder. I like Ancestry.com for census searches.

When (or if) you finally get to Andrew, you should be able to find him in quite a few census records, including 1870 with his parents and 1880 (probably still with his family). By using census you will have places of birth and you may even find other relatives in the same household.