Thank you for registering for the online course, Researching Atlantic Canadian Ancestors!
Surrounded by beautiful rocky shores on the Eastern Canadian coast, Atlantic Canada is home to a unique patchwork of cultures and histories including those of indigenous, French, British, Scottish, and Gaelic populations. The region comprises the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. This five-week online seminar will provide a detailed overview of essential record sets, repositories, and research strategies for exploring your Atlantic Canadian roots. We will also discuss the historical context of the changes and events that transformed the region and influenced the lives of your ancestors.
This course includes five 90-minute classes and exclusive access to handouts and recordings of each presentation. These recordings and all course materials will be available for the foreseeable future.
COURSE SCHEDULE
August 2 - Class 1: Introduction to Atlantic Canada
Presented by Judy Lucey
This first class will cover the foundations of Atlantic Canada research, providing a historical overview of the region’s settlement and its early populations, including First Nations, Loyalists, Planters, Acadians, and immigrant groups. We will also discuss key repositories and resources for Atlantic Canada research.
August 9 - Class 2: Census and Census Substitutes
Presented by David Allen Lambert
Canada has census records dating back to 1640, however, these records can vary in their availability, the information collected, and in populations and regions covered. In this class you’ll learn how to use these Canadian census records in your research, as well as important census substitutes. We will also discuss the exciting new release of the 1931 Canadian census.
August 16 - Class 3: Church and Vital Records
Presented by Melanie McComb
Canadian baptisms, burials, and marriage records date back to the early 17th century for some parishes, though there is no central repository for these records making it difficult to know where to look. This class will help you understand where to find these church records as well as civil vital records which have been recorded since the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Substitutes for these church and vital records, such as newspaper records, will also be discussed.
August 23 - Class 4: Immigration and Naturalization
Presented by Rhonda R. McClure
Atlantic Canada has long been a region comprised of distinct populations in cultures, due in part, of course, to immigration to the region. This class will provide an overview of immigration to Atlantic Canada from the 17th through the 20th centuries, and we’ll discuss essential records and repositories for tracing your immigrant ancestors.
August 30 - Class 5: Land Records
Presented by Melanie McComb
There are a variety of records available that can help you research land ownership of your Atlantic Canadian ancestors, including land board records, land grants, land petitions, land patents from the Indian and Inuit Affairs Program, maps, and more. This class will help you understand how to navigate the many record sets available and how to apply them to your research.
COURSE HANDOUTS
RECORDED PRESENTATIONS
Class 1:Introduction to Atlantic Canada
Live broadcast: August 2, 2023
Presented by: Judith Lucey
Running time: 1:43:46
Class 2: Census and Census Substitutes
Live broadcast: August 9, 2023
Presented by: David Allen Lambert
Running time: 1:35:46
Class 3: Church and Vital Records
Live broadcast: August 16, 2023
Presented by: Melanie McComb
Running time: 1:17:46
Class 4: Immigration and Naturalization
Live broadcast: August 23, 2023
Presented by: Rhonda R. McClure
Running time: 1:43:27
Live broadcast: August 30, 2023
Presented by: Melanie McComb
Running time: 1:31:27
OTHER RESOURCES
Webinar: Atlantic Canadian Resources at American Ancestors
Webinar: French Canadian Resources at American Ancestors
Webinar: Researching New England Planters to Nova Scotia
Research Guide: French Canadian Genealogy
Book: New England Captives Carried to Canada Between 1677 and 1760 During the French and Indian Wars
INSTRUCTOR BIOS
David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist has been on the staff of American Ancestors since 1993 and is the organization’s Chief Genealogist. David is an internationally recognized speaker on the topics of genealogy and history. Lambert has published many articles in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the New Hampshire Genealogical Record, Rhode Island Roots, Mayflower Descendant, and American Ancestors magazine. He has authored and or co-authored in the published genealogies presented to David McCullough, Ken Burns, Angela Lansbury, Michael and Kitty Dukakis, Nathaniel Philbrick, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. He has also published eleven books including A Guide to Massachusetts Cemeteries (American Ancestors, 2018), and Vital Records of Stoughton, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1850 (Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2008). David received his B.A. in History from Northeastern University. David is an elected Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, Mass., and a life member of the New Hampshire Society of the Cincinnati and the General Society of the War of 1812. David also serves as the tribal genealogist for the Massachusett Tribe at Punkapoag in Massachusetts.
Judy Lucey, Senior Genealogist oversees the management and preservation of the American Ancestors Special Collections. She received a B.S. in Education from Northeastern University and an M.S. in Library Science from Simmons College. She is co-author of the Genealogist's Handbook for Irish Research and frequently contributes to American Ancestors magazine. Her areas of expertise include Irish genealogy, the Atlantic Canadian Provinces of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and New England.
Rhonda R. McClure, Senior Genealogist is a nationally recognized professional genealogist and lecturer. Before joining American Ancestors in 2006, she ran her own genealogical business for 18 years. She was a contributing editor for Heritage Quest Magazine, Biography magazine, and was a contributor to The History Channel Magazine and American History Magazine. In addition to numerous articles, she is the author of twelve books including the award-winning The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Genealogy, Finding your Famous and Infamous Ancestors and Digitizing Your Family History. She is the editor of the newly released 6th edition of the Genealogist’s Handbook for New England Research. Her areas of expertise include, immigration and naturalization, late 19th- and early 20th-century urban research, missionaries, State Department Federal records, New England, Mid-West, Southern, German, Italian, Scottish, Irish, French Canadian, and New Brunswick research as well as Internet research, genealogical software and online trees.
Melanie McComb, Genealogist assists library visitors, both on-site and online, with their family history research. She is an international lecturer who teaches on a variety of topics. Melanie holds a B.S. degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. She previously served as the social media coordinator for the NextGen Genealogy Network, a non-profit that creates a community for younger genealogists, where she managed the Facebook and Twitter accounts. She continues her interest in helping younger genealogists get involved at American Ancestors by assisting with educational programs from local schools, scout groups, and universities.