Extend Your Search When You Find Discrepancies in Ancestor Records

Linda M. asked in an email titled "Naturilisation [sic] records for Canada for Leo Mason"

My siblings and I have been trying for years to research our paternal grandfathers birthplace. He was supposed to have been born in Germany but became a Canadian citizen and fought in the First World War with the CEF. We have applied to the Canadian government but because we do not live in Canada and my surname is not the same I have been unsuccessful. I would be grateful if you could advise me as to my options. I have been on their website but the database does not open.

Olive Tree Genealogy responds: Linda, I'm sure it was just a typo but the word should be "naturalization". The first thing you should do is check the online CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force) database for World War 1 Soldiers.  Library and Archives Canada is busy digitizing all the personnel records but even if Leo's has not been completed you will still be able to view his Attestation form.

Because there were several Leo Mason names (and variants) on the CEF database I asked Linda for more details. She replied

His name was Leo William Mason birthday 5/8/1880. He married our grandmother Elizabeth Marion Newington on 4/4/1911 in Stonewall. He died in Vancouver on 26/5/1955. He remarried in 1932 without divorcing our grandmother who had returned to England with our father in 1922.

Linda added that she thought he put Ohio on his Attestation papers because he was afraid to put Germany. I am not sure I believe that but she needs to find other records for Leo (census, vital registrations, etc) to verify his country of birth.

Also an index to Naturalization Records from 1915 to 1951 are online and the full record (if a name is found in the index that is of interest) can be ordered. These records can be searched by name up to 1939.  See http://www.naturalizationrecords.com/canada/ for the link

Using Wildcards to Break Down a Brick Wall

Roxanne asked about her great grandfather's arrival in Canada and naturalization date:

I am looking for informationon my great grandfather.  He came over to Canada about* 1913 on a ship.  I'm not sure from which port but he came from Sweden to Ontario.  He started out in Kenora, Ont.  On the ship were two or three of his children and his wife:
Albin Franz Danielson (my great-grandfather)and Charlotte (Wohlin), along with Sonia, Siren and Donald their children. (All the children are under 5).  I can not seem to locate a passenger's list anywhere to find out where in Sweden they came from.  Or when they became citizens of Canada.  I do know that Charlotte his wife died in Kenora, Ontario in 1917 and my great-grandfather died in Eagle River, Ontario 1970.  I've looked at many different passenger lists but still could not find them.

ASK OLIVE TREE RESPONSE: Hi Roxanne. I don't usually do lookups or research on this blog. Instead I try to direct genealogists towards locations to find the records they want or to offer ideas on where/how they might search next.

However your question intrigued me! I wondered why you had not found Albin on a ships passenger lists, since passenger lists to Canada after 1865 are online on Ancestry.com and at Library & Archives Canada. So I headed to Ancestry.com to have a look.

They have the complete set of ships passenger lists to Canada from 1865. I figured it might be the spelling of the names and that perhaps you weren't aware you could use wildcards. That brings me to another point I wanted to make - when you are struggling with a brick wall ancestor, find out WHAT records are available for your needs and WHERE they are kept!

Tip #1: Use Wildcards!

So I started with wildcards and did a search for DANIELS*N. That allows for e, o, i or any number of other substitutions for the *

With this method I found  someone I thought was your Albin travelling to Kenora Ontario in May 1911 on board the Lake Manitoba. I wasn't 100% sure it was the right man but then I found Albin's wife and children arriving later with the notation that Charlotte was headed to her husband in Kenora. Bingo. Albin came first and Charlotte and the children followed in August 1911 on board Empress of Ireland. You can find the passenger lists online and enjoy reading all the details.

Charlotte,  28, was with two children (not 3) named Sonya age 3 and Albin aged 1 1/2. Could Albin Jr be Sorin? Albin was with a man named Axel Adolph Danielson but I can't read his age with certainty. I'm wondering if he was related - a brother perhaps? There is a notation beside Albin's name which you will want to follow up "Continental Bonus Allowed"

It didn't take long and that is why it's important to use wildcards in searches to allow for mis-spellings, mangled readings of surnames and other errors.

Tip #2: Be prepared for errors and inconsistencies when comparing records to family lore/memories

Also you're going to have to be very creative with the wildcard searches because I found the marriage of your Albin to Olga Anderson in 1918 in Kenora. But he is recorded as "DONALDSON". He's a farmer, widower, living in Eagle River born in Sweden and with parents "D. Danielson"  and "Brita Crautch" This also was found on Ancestry.

Interestingly a birth registration for his son Carl Donald in Kenora in 1912 shows Albin as "Frans Albin Danielson" but a death registration for another son (unnamed) who was born and died in Dec 1916 records him as "Albin Donaldson" We know it is your ancestor from his wife's name in that record - "Charlotte Wallis" So either he called himself Donaldson/Danielson interchangeably or the clerks doing the recording misunderstood what he was saying.

Tip #3: Finding Naturalization Records

Remember you want to find out WHAT records are available and WHERE they are kept. So for naturalization records I went to NaturalizationRecords.com, clicked on Canada and then used the link there to go to the LAC (Library &Archives Canada) searchable index for Naturalization records 1915-1936.

Another bingo! Your great grandfather is found there as Frans Albin Danielson. His two minor children Sonya and Soren are also naturalizing with him so you will want to send for the full record. You can do so by reading how to do this on the LAC website.

And that's all there was to it. If I were you I would now search Swedish records for Frans Albin/Albin Frans and his parents, as well as the Axel Adolph Danielson he was travelling with in 1911. I'd also search records after 1911 for Axel to see if there's a family connection to your Albin. 

Clearing up Confusion re Canadian Naturalization Records after 1854

Danielle asked

I tried to access info regarding naturalization in Canada for the 1854-1917 period. I don't seem to understand how to go about that.
Thank you in advance for your help

OLIVE TREE ANSWER: Hello Danielle. I'm not sure where you tried to access naturalization information for Canada 1854-1917. Was it on my Canadian Naturalization Records part of NaturalizationRecords.com website?

I see where the confusion lies. I did not make it clear that you must read the right hand column titled "Finding Naturalization Records". Scroll down in that column to the text which begins "Requests for copies of naturalization/citizenship records should be mailed to: "

Follow the instructions given and you will be on your way to requesting a search of post 1854 records!

Finding a Canadian Naturalization Record

Arnold's Question (edited):

I can not find the Naturalization Records for my Great Aunt Becky (Pesse) and Great Uncle Isidore (Yitzhak) Yetnikoff, who lived in Montreal, Quebec Canada after they each immigrated to Canada separately and were married in 1914.

Becky (Pesse Meyerowitz) was born in Jacobstadt, Russia on July 23, 1889. She left Russia in September of 1907. My great aunt is listed in both the Hamburg and Ellis Island passenger ship records. My great aunt and uncle were married in 1914 in Montreal. Becky remained in Canada the remainder of her life and died in 1982 at 92 years of age.

My Great Uncle Isidore Yetnikoff was born in Yetaterinslav, Ukraine in April of 1892. He came to Canada with his parents Beryl and Leah (Vashevnikov) Yetnikoff and their 6 European born children, between 1902 and 1906. I do not know the name of the ship, or the port that they entered Canada. I presume that Isidore and Becky became Naturalized Canadian Citizens sometime after their marriage in 1914. Isidore passed away in Montreal in 1974. I would appreciate if you could help me break through this brick wall.

Olive Tree Answer: Hello Arnold, it seems you have done quite a bit of research on your great aunt and uncle. One thing that you might be overlooking is that they may never have naturalized. Naturalization was optional, not mandatory.

However, if you have not already done so, you may want to take a look at the Canadian Naturalization Records website.

You may be in luck because Citizenship and Immigration Canada holds records of naturalization and citizenship from 1854. The originals of records dated between 1854 and 1917 have been destroyed. However a nominal card index survives. It provides information compiled at the time of naturalization, such as present and former place of residence, former nationality, occupation, date of certification, name and location of the responsible court. The index rarely contains any other genealogical information.

You can also search The Canadian Naturalization databases which contain references to people who applied for and received status as naturalized Canadians from 1915 to 1932. A new Version of the Canadian Naturalization 1915-1932 Database became available as of July 22, 2009, held at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). It now includes the names of 206,731 individuals who applied for and received status as naturalized Canadians from 1915 to 1932. It is searchable online. I am having trouble connecting to it this morning, but you can use the link provided at the Canadian Naturalization Records website.

Don't overlook the 1940 Registration File. This resulted from the compulsory registration of all persons, 16 years of age or older, in the period from 1940 to 1946. This is another way to find an ancestor in that time period. This is a Census Substitute, not a naturalization record. However the forms did ask if the person was naturalized, and if so, what year and what place they naturlalized in. The forms also ask the year of immigration to Canada if not born in Canada.