Friday, March 24, 2017

State Library of New South Wales

The State Library of New South Wales has announced their program of free webinars. Each webinar will focus on the resources of the State archives collection and how to access them.
You can register to attend a webinar live - this will generate an email with a link that you click on at the appointed time to attend the webinar.  If you are unable to attend live, don't worry - the Library will also be recording the webinars so you will be able to view it at a time convenient to you simply by selecting the recorded webinar of your choice.
Currently the library has listed two upcoming webinars :

Using the NSW State Archives website
Date: Wednesday, 29 Mar 2017 10am - 11am
 
Tracing NSW Convicts
Date: Wednesday, 31 May 2017 10am - 11am

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Trove

Trove has a wonderful new addition, with the Commonwealth of Australia Government Gazette from 1901-1957 now available online and fully text searchable.
The Office of Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) has supplied the content and the National Library of Australia has digitised and made these records machine-readable. Users can correct, tag and annotate the contents just as they can with digitised newspaper articles.  It is anticipated that more issues will be added in the future.
The very first issue of the Gazette, published on 1 January 1901, shows the proclamation of the Commonwealth of Australia by Queen Victoria. There were also instructions on a range of protocols, such as directions for appointing the judiciary, what should happen were the Governor-General to become incapacitated, and who would form Her Majesty’s first government.
Each Gazette documents the day-to-day business of governing and administering the Commonwealth. Usually published weekly, they were the principal source of public information on current legislation, and contained notices required by law on decisions made by the various departments and courts.
The subject matter of the Gazette ranges across all kinds of services and authorities, including defence, postal and telegraphic services, taxation and other forms of revenue, immigration, citizenship, trade and foreign affairs, national infrastructure and many others.
Some examples of what you may find in the Gazettes include:
  • notices about people becoming naturalised as citizens
  • results of public service exams
  • details of military service, commissioning, and decorations
  • post office and military tenders
  • despatches from the Secretary of State for the Colonies
  • patent and treasury statements
  • statements of receipt and expenditure for Territories

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

New on Ancestry in 2017

Ancestry has been busy adding records to their database, and below are the records already added this year.  Some are completely new datasets, while others have been updated and expanded.  I always enjoy having a look through what has been added, especially when I find new datasets that might contain something relevant to my research.


Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, 1813-1912
2,262,611
Updated
Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812
1,864,596
Updated
Ireland, City and Regional Directories, 1850-1946
6,171,447
New
Surrey, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1987
519,990
Updated
Lithuania, Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1603-1921 (in Lithuanian)
545,387
New
Eastern Prussian Provinces, Germany [Poland], Selected Civil Vitals, 1874-1945 (in German)
12,202,119
Updated
South Africa, Biographical Index, 1825-2005
147,624
New
Claremont, New Hampshire, Vital Records, 1887-1946
1,318
New
New York, Episcopal Diocese of New York Church Records, 1767 - 1970
873,345
New
Magdeburg, Germany, Cemetery Lists, 1849-1874 (in German)
10,858
New
Hamilton County, Indiana, Compiled Records From Hamilton East Public Library, 1891-1962
22,476
New
Tennessee, State Marriages, 1780-2002
7,475,660
Updated
Quebec, Canada, Notarial Records, 1626-1935
16,529,462
Updated
U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
13,299,715
Updated
Connecticut, Marriage Index, 1959-2012
2,446,654
Updated
UK, City and County Directories, 1766 - 1946
42,741,627
Updated
Germany, World War I Casualty Lists, 1914-1919 (in German)
7,433,005
Updated
Sutton, Surrey, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915
123,760
Updated
Germany, Navy Casualty Lists, 1914-1919 (in German)
106,266
Updated
Sutton, Surrey, England, Church of England Deaths and Burials, 1813-1985
28,258
Updated
San Diego, California, Compiled Records From San Diego Genealogical Society, 1913 -1919
12,749
New
American Protective League Correspondence, 1917-1919
24
New
Sutton, Surrey, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1940
82,210
Updated
Sutton, Surrey, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812
46,825
Updated
DeKalb, Georgia, Compiled Records from DeKalb History Center
7,238
New