The regular meeting will be held on July 19, 1999 in the Society Room of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic at 7:30 PM.

Greta Himmelman, author of her new book "Skipper Gabe" will be our guest speaker. The book is a celebration of Gabe's life and career - a distinguished resident of Lunenburg County.

The SSGS received two grants enabling the Society office to be open daily. A warm welcome to Trish Joyce, joining us for a second season, and Karen Rafuse who will be assisting in the office.

The LaHave River was once one of Atlantic Canada's major shipping routes.

It also generated many fine ships and master mariners, contributing greatly to the area's strong marine tradition. Local historian Ralph Getson is determined that the contribution is never forgotten.

'It's important that we don't lose this important part of our maritime heritage," said Mr. Getson, curator of education at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic and guest speaker at the Riverport Board of Trade's annual general meeting.

In his "Marine History of the LaHave River", Capt. Frank Smith identified 1,075 vessels that were built on the LaHave. The first shipbuilding on the river took place at West LaHave Ferry in the 1770's. The ships sponsor, Col. Pernette, hired a Mr. Cleversey who settled here along with his brother. One of the Cleversey brothers drowned while searching for mast timber for the vessel, but the other carried on the shipbuilding trade for many years. Many of the later builders, which include names like Moseley, Naugler and Conrad, may have learned their craft in the Cleversey yards.

Between 1800 and 1920 there were about 60 vessels built within Bridgewater's town limits including the clipper barque Stag. Built by Ebenezer and Henry Moseley at their yard near the government wharf, the vessel was employed on the run from Halifax to the West Indies and South America. It made two record passages between Halifax and the Equator and was wrecked in Bermuda in 1860.

Mr. Getson's images also include the barque St. Kilda. Launched in 1879 by Levi Hewitt she was known as the clipper of the fleet for a number of record passages between New York and South America. She was late commanded by Capt. Augustus Wolff, the first mayor of Lunenburg.

Fishing vessels were the most common sight on the river and the most frequently built vessels in the yards. In 1901 there were 63 vessels in the LaHave River fishing fleet, employing 1,149 men with a fish catch valued at nearly a half million dollars.

Between the 1700's and 1890's, there was a large fleet of local vessels engaged in the Labrador fishery. The schooners carried several Labrador Whalers which were sent out, manned, in search of cod. There will be a replica of a whaler launched this summer at the museum, said Mr. Getson.

- Descendants of Henry Trimper, by Wayne Trimper.

- Deeds for Several Northwest Range Properties, Elizabeth Salton

-The Lewis McCarthy/D. Fancy Family Ann Nelson

-NS Vital Stats/Newspapers 1852-1854

-Genealogist Handbook for Atlantic Canada Research by T. Punch

Josephine Masterson. Ireland: 1841/1851 Census Abstracts (Republic of Ireland) (ISBN 0-9063-1586-5), 148 pp. US 25.00

Ibid. (Northern Ireland) (ISBN 0-8063-1587-3), 538 pp. US 50.00, add $3.50 postage & handling for one book, $4.75 for both. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202-3897. Phone orders 1-800-296-6687

In 1908 the Old Age Pension Act took effect in Ireland. To be eligible, a claimant had to establish his/her age as 70 or over. Between then and 1922, the 1841 and 1851 census returns could be consulted by the government to determine people's age. Those census records were housed in the Four Courts building when it was gutted by fire in 1922. The great majority of Irish census information for the nineteenth century was destroyed.

In the years since 1922 great ingenuity has been a hallmark of Irish genealogical research as ways and means of circumventing a major loss of records have been discovered. Josephine Masterson struck on the happy expedient of the pension office files as one such method.

These two books offer her findings.

Undoubtedly, Northern Ireland has fared best. Census abstracts for 3,568 households have been saved, with Derry (1002) and Antrim (916) leading the field. The Irish Republic, with 26 (as opposed to the North's 6) counties has just 867 households saved. Donegal (318) and Kilkenny (192) account for over half of these, though all thirty-two counties in Ireland appear at least once (Clare).

But these 4,400 households account for 29,000 individuals. The entries name the head of household, perhaps his marriage year, his wife (sometimes with maiden name), place of residence by street or town land, children's names and age, lodgers, and deaths in the previous ten years. All in all perhaps one person of every 250 in Ireland is named herein; since these are often people of poorer class, we find those who other records so commonly overlook.

The author's indexing methods are less than ideal, and this obliges the user to spend time discovering how the books are arranged and to what the several indexes may refer.

In the Republic volume, p. 107, we read of a place called "Globally Town land, Upper Drumcannon Drumcommon? Middle Third Barony". This should properly read Crobally Upper Town land, Drumcannon Parish, Barony of Middle third. The other mentions on that page of Drumcommon should also be amended to Drumcannon. A useful Newfoundland reference occurs on p. 32 of Aglish, Kilkenny. Numerous others are mentioned as being in unspecified parts of "America".
....................

George Palling & Pauline Linton. Beginning Your Family History in Great Britain, Th. Ed., 1998. Genealogical Publishing Co. Inc., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD. 21202-3897, for $11.45 US, ppd. (ISBN 0-8063-1585-7) 96 pp.

The late George Penning wrote the first edition of this small book almost twenty years ago, and the fact that it continues to be revised and updated indicates its acceptance and worth to those tracing their roots in the British Isles from Tudor times to the present day.

The sources one would expect to find are here: headstones, civil registration (in Britain this information is not top secret as in certain Atlantic Canadian provinces), census, church registers, probates and registries of deeds. Each is explained and their use facilitated thereby.

There are particularly interesting sections here that deal with topics as varied as a relationship chart (p. 10), the Latin names for the days of the month (p.35), and the research path to locate a pre-1858 will (p.82).

This book is an entry-level introduction to British research, and the user will eventually graduate to other, more massive and detailed tomes.
....................

Marthe Arends. Genealogy Software Guide. Order from Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD. 21202-3897, for $28.45 (US), postpaid. (ISBN 0-8063-1581-4) 8-1/2 x 11", 269 pp., illus., indexed, paperback, 1998.

Genealogy software changes quickly. For this reason the book concentrates just on software that is currently and is still supported by the author or publisher. Ms. Arends covers her topic in six chapters: genealogy and computers, what to expect in genealogy software, locating genealogy software, genealogy database programs, genealogy utilities and research tools, MacIntosh and other software. Fifty pages of appendixes offer a database comparison chart, genealogy software vendors, looking for an old file? internet software resources, programs not reviewed, the mystery of GEDCOM, and computer genealogy publications.

Five elements are common to all the reviews: (1) basic information about the provider, (2) program features (e.g., GUI), (3) types of reports & their limits, (4) sourcing & documenting capabilities, and (5) the bells & whistles so dear to some. Timely and helpful.

The final Senate debate on Access to Census Information for this session was presented June 10, 1999 and the debate has been concluded until it is taken up again in the fall session.

The Canada-wide 'petition' forms are now downloadable. Sorry only Canadian citizens/residents may sign petitions.

http://www.globalgenealogy.com/census/index.htm

Henry E. Ross, aged 77, who played a leading role in the 1885 Riel Rebellion, died at Prince Albert, Sask., on Friday October 23, 1936.

Born at New Ross, NS, Mr. Ross went west in 1879 as a member of the old Royal North West Mounted Police, from which he retired four years after he went to Prince Albert.

When scouting near Duck Lake, Sask., on the morning of the first battle of the uprising, Mr. Ross was captured by Riel's forces. Held by the rebels until the movement collapsed, he was liberated after the battle of Batoche.

He attributed to the timely intervention of Louis Riel the saving of his life. Riel's lieutenant ordered Ross to be shot, but just as the execution was about to be carried out, Riel rode up and ordered the lives of Ross and other prisoners spared.
Submitted by Mary Saul

(Note: The Bulletin cost 3 cents in 1936 or $1.00 a year in Canada)

CM = Christian Messenger
HR = Halifax Reporter
MC = Morning Chronicle
MJ = Morning Journal

20 Jan 1861, at Lunenburg: Elizabeth, wife of John HECKMAN. (MC 24 Jan 1861)
27 Jan 1861, at Chelsea: Mary Barbara, 70, wife of Thomas FISHER (MJ 15 Feb 1861)
9 Feb 1861, at Spryfield: Catherine HARTLEY, 89, formerly of Lunenburg. (MJ 13 Feb 1861)
10 Feb 1861, at Halifax: Mrs. Christiana MORRISON, 62, late of Lunenburg. (MJ 15 Feb 1861)
11 Feb 1861, at Lunenburg: Robert BREMNER, 76 (MJ 22 Feb1861)
11 Feb 1861, at LaHave: Sarah, 58, widow of Henry ZWICKER, and oldest dau of the late George KEDDY, Mahone Bay. (MJ 8 Mar 1861)
16 Feb 1861, at New York: Joseph HARRISON, 38, formerly of Lunenburg. He left a widow & child. (MC 28 Feb 1861)
01 Mar 1861, Mrs. Sarah BATES , 78, formerly of Liverpool. (MJ 13 Mar 1861)
11 Apr 1861, at Liverpool: Margaret, widow of James DECKMAN, Sr. (MJ 12 Apr 1861)
22 Apr 1861, at St. Margaret's Bay Rd: Alexander HUBLEY, 46, leaving a widow, 4 children. (MJ 24 Apr 1861)
5 Jun 1861, at Chester: Joseph FRAIL, Jr., 44 (CM 28 Aug 1861)
8 Jun 1861, at Halifax: Nelson MARVIN, 54, carpenter (MJ 12 June 1861)
17 Jun 1861 at Cornwall: John William, 14 yr. 3 mos., son of Paulus & Lucy DAUPHINEE (CM 3 Jul 1861)
19 Jul 1861, at Liverpool: William BREWITT, 45, leaving a widow, 3 children. (HR 10 Aug 1861)
29 Jul 1861, at Mahone Bay: John Edward REES, native of Halifax. (HR 6 Aug 1861)
9 Sep 1861, Chester Basin: Mr. L. CLARK, leaving 6 orphan children. (CM 25 Sep 1861)
16 Oct 1861, at Lunenburg: Henry ERNST, J.P., Prothonotary for Lun. Co., 63. (CM 6 Nov 1861)
26 Oct 1861: Alexander ZWICKER, 31, leaving a widow and 2 children. (MJ 30 Oct 1861)
28 Oct 1861, at Chester: Helen, 18 yrs., 8 mos, youngest dau. of George W. RICHARDSON (MJ 30 Oct 1861)
8 Dec 1861, at Chester: Caroline, 35 widow of David CORKUM, leaving also a child. (CM 25 Dec 1861)
13 Dec 1861, at Indian Point, Mahone Bay: Capt. Peter ERNST, 75 (MJ 18 Dec 1861)

Biography of Andreas Jung

Clyde Westhaver, author of "The Family Tree of Westhavers", is currently working on a biography of Andreas Jung who was prominent in the life of early Lunenburg, particularly as one of the founders of Zion Lutheran Church. He is hopeful to have it completed by this fall.

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The 2003 Committee

The 2003 Committee held its first meeting July 5, 1999. Some of the proposals have to be presented for approval at the next full meeting of the SSGS.

In the meantime, we would like to get input from our members about the type of activity they would like to see the Society involved in, to commemorate the "250th Anniversary of the Founding of Lunenburg".

We expect to keep a report going on the SSGS website, as well as placing regular reports in this Newsletter.

The Committee members consist of Sheila Chambers, Ralph Getson, Paul Jodrey, with Pat Smith co-ordinating. Write or send E-Mail to anyone of us: ssgsoc@hotmail.com or plsmith@ns.sympatico.ca

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Events

July/August - SSGS Bakeless Bake Sale - a fund raiser to help with the purchase of the new photocoper. Please include your favourite recipe, along with your donation as we are considering publishing a 'Cook Book' if enough interest is shown.

July 17 - Terry Punch, CG(c) will be speaking at the Education Centre of the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic from 2:00 - 4:00 PM. "Everyone Welcome"

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Smile

Only a Genealogist regards a step backwards as progress.

Submitted by Joane T.

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Web Site

Lost at Sea by S. Nelson, member of SSGS. Alphabetical lists of names of those lost at sea listed by province, state or country.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/7527/index.htm

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Queries

(SILVER) Smith - Francis and Catherine of Lunenburg, NS. m. 1844

Children: Lemuel Nathaniel, Joseph Obidiah, Alfred Francis, Obadiah Alexander and Anne Louisa. After parent's death, guardianship to Jacob Hirtle of Upper LaHave. Where did parents die? Joan Parks, jm.parks@ns.sympatico.ca

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