VGS Genealogy News & Events
Victoria Genealogical Society
No. 156 - February 18, 2024 |
Distributed free of charge to interested subscribers and former members.
PLEASE SHARE: You can help our non-profit by forwarding this newsletter to other like-minded people.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: To subscribe for this newsletter visit VGS Website and click on the Free Newsletter Signup tab, at top left hand corner.
| Testimonial
As I turned off my computer connection at the end of our most recent Irish SIG meeting, it occurred to me that if that monthly SIG meeting was the only VGS activity that I participated in, it alone would be worth my annual membership fees. But, oh my, there is so much more. Two days from now we have our monthly evening meeting with speaker. And on Saturday, the morning workshop. And, and….
Testimonial from VGS member Susan
[Susan refers to a 'SIG meeting' which is the acronym for Special Interest Group. A benefit of membership in the VGS is participation in any or all of our various topical SIG groups. SIG meetings are an opportunity to discuss your genealogy experiences and challenges with members who are interested in the same kind of research that you are. More information at SIGs]
| Inside This Edition
Scroll down for more information on each of these topics:
Feature Upcoming VGS Events
List of Upcoming VGS Events with New Additions
VGS Social Media Accounts Update
Magnus Thompson, A Distant Shetland Family Member by Walter J. Balfour
Three Steps for Beginners
| Feature Upcoming VGS Events:
| Feature Workshop: Beyond the Basics of Scottish Research, presented by Heather Shave, Feb. 24th
Note: video recordings of this event will be available online for 30 days to registered attendees only
| | | What records are available for Scotland besides the census, civil registration and parish records?
Heather has a wealth of knowledge and will share techniques that go beyond the basics.
Heather Shave is a long standing member of the Victoria Genealogical Society. She has instructed many workshops over the years, especially about England and Scotland, her areas of expertise.
She is an accomplished researcher, a well-respected genealogist and librarian, and is the leader of the VGS Scottish Special Interest Group (SIG).
Date and Time: Saturday, 24 Feb. 2024, 10AM until 12PM, Pacific Time
Speaker: Heather Shave
Location: via zoom and in-person at VGS Genealogy Learning & Research Centre
Price: VGS members $14; non-members $21 REGISTRATION REQUIRED
| Feature Workshop: 10 Steps to Success - A Guide For Your Genealogy Research presented by Merv Scott, Mar. 9th.
Note: video recordings of this event will be available online for 30 days to registered attendees only
| | | Whether you are new to genealogy, or not-so-new, this workshop should have something for you. By using an easy to follow, step-by-step guide, the workshop reviews many important genealogy research techniques and tools. Starting with the genealogy basics, the workshop progresses to an introduction of how today’s technologies are used by genealogists. There is even a section on how to put the internet to work while you sleep. There are tips along the way, anecdotes to help you avoid some common mistakes beginners make, a section on taking an ancestral journey, and a short case study just for fun. It’s a full workshop but handouts are provided for easy reference afterwards.
Merv Scott and his wife are retired and now reside in rural North Saanich after nearly 40 years of city living in Victoria. Merv joined the Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS) shortly after retiring and has volunteered in several capacities over the years since. “So many strangers, around the globe, have assisted my research that I felt I had to give back by volunteering. What I didn’t expect was how much fun I would have volunteering and how many friends I’d make. I recommend it to everyone and I look forward to meeting you.” Merv
Date and Time: Saturday, March 9th, 2024, 10:00AM until 12:00PM Pacific Time
| Updated List of Upcoming Events with Exciting New Additions
The following VGS events are now open for registration via our Events Calendar
NEW ADDITION - Speaker Event: Loyalists Come West! - United Empire Loyalists In Early Victoria
Date: Thursday, March 14, 2024
Presenter: Mike Woodcock, UE
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
Workshop: Researching Historic Letters
Date: Saturday, March 16, 2024
Presenter: Mark Thompson
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE.
Archives Field Trip: Guided Tour of Archives at Military Museums, Bay St. Armoury
Date: Saturday, April 6, 2024
Presenters: John Azar and Archival Staff
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE.
Please note there are limited spaces so register early to avoid disappointment.
Speaker Event: Rumrunners in Victoria in the 1920's
Date: Thursday, April 11, 2024
Speaker: Kate Humble
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE.
NEW ADDITION - Seminar: The Road Ahead For Genealogy (details coming soon)
Date: Saturday April 13, 2024
Presenter: Dave Obee
Limited seating so check the VGS Website often for registration opening
NEW ADDITION - DNA Seminar: Harness the Power of Genetic Genealogy (open for registration)
Date: Saturday April 20, 2024
Presenters: Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, Bonnie Bossert and Katy Rowe-Schurwanz
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
Workshop: Researching Swedish Ancestry - Even if You Don’t Speak the Language
Date: Saturday April 27, 2024
Presenter: Joanne Barnard
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE
Workshop: Tracing Descendants of British Home Children
Date: Saturday, June 8, 2024
Presenter: Lois Chamberlain Thompson
For more information or registration visit REGISTER HERE.
To review more details of these events and more, go to our Events Calendar.
| VGS Social Media Accounts Update
See what's happening in the VGS neighbourhood. Join the discussion with just a click. Register for events with just a click. And so much more....with just a click.
VGS FaceBook private group with over 400 members to help you with your genealogy related questions; join the discussion at VGS Facebook Group
VGS FaceBook public page: click Follow (currently 548 followers) for event notices and other VGS news at: vicgenealogy
VGS X (formerly Twitter): click Follow (currently 775 followers) for genealogy news from VGS and our friends: vicgenealogy | Magnus Thompson, A Distant Shetland Family Member
By Walter J. Balfour, VGS Member
Article from recent VGS Members Update newsletter distributed approximately biweekly to VGS members.
A gravestone in Ross Bay cemetery, Victoria BC marks the final resting place of Magnus Thompson a native of the Shetland Isles. At first sight the location would seem strange given that Thompson had no family connection to Canada. I was intrigued, given that Magnus was the husband of a Helen Tait an ancestor of mine. The picture became clear upon examination of the gravestone's inscription: Capt. Magnus Thompson, a native of Shetland who died at Carmanah through the wreck of the ship "Janet Cowan" on the 31 December 1895 aged 52 years, buried here on 23 May 1896.
According to the Parish record Magnus Thompson was born 04 September 1840 at Germatwatt Walls, Shetland. He married Helen Tait (22 June 1843 - 24 December 1915) on 03 November 1871. A daughter Joan had been born 1868.
The "Janet Cowan" was a four-masted steel sailing vessel of 2498 registered tonnage built at Glasgow in 1889. She was named after the maiden name of the ship's first owner. The vessel left Cape Town, South Africa with a crew of 29 on or about 11 September 1895 bound for Royal Roads, Vancouver Island. She arrived at the Straits of Juan de Fuca in moderate weather on the evening of 30 December and burned blue lights for a tug or pilot but none were obtained and it was thought best to wait for daylight before making sail.
Unfortunately as the evening progressed winds increased until, around 1 a.m., there was a violent gale blowing with a heavy sea and thick snow squalls. The "Janet Cowan" was driven onto the rocks at Carmanah Point (27 km north of Port Renfrew). A crew member volunteered to swim ashore with a rope but the rope tangled in the rocks and he had to let go and make it to the beach. Next a lifeboat made it ashore, secured a line and crew members made it to safety. When Captain Thompson called a muster three crew members were found missing, presumably swept away and drowned.
Some younger men decided to attempt to reach Cape Beale lighthouse but found that impossible due to the snow, dense forest and terrain. Returning to the wreck they found that Captain Thompson and some others had died from exhaustion and exposure.
By morning the weather had sufficiently moderated that a boarding party was able to rescue provisions and sail for tents to camp on the beach. It was not until January 11, 1896 before they were able to attract the attention of the steam-tug "Tyee" that rescued the mate and 12 crew and brought them to Port Townsend. Remaining survivors were later picked up by the "Princess Louise" and brought to Victoria.
A board of inquiry was held at Port Townsend on January 18 and 20 1896 to investigate the circumstances attending the loss of the "Janet Cowan". It unanimously exonerated officers and crew. The men who died were temporarily buried at Carmanah and subsequently brought to Victoria for reinternment in a ceremony conducted by Rev. W. Leslie Clay, a detachment of bluejackets from "H.M.S. Royal Arthur" acting as pall bearers.
The "Janet Cowan" shipwreck shone a light on the necessity of building more light houses and constructing a coastal lifesaving trail. Little was done until 1907 when the present West Coast Trail was begun.
Much of the above account was gleaned from reports of the time in the Victoria Daily Colonist. The author is deeply indebted to a correspondent Paul Eaton for many details.
| New to Genealogy Research?
3 Steps for Beginners
The VGS offers several benefits of membership for those new to genealogy research and for those who would like to brush up on their skills. Check these 3 easy steps below:
Step 1 - The Centre. If you haven't already visited our Genealogy Learning & Research Centre, we recommend you do. It's a great place to start and our friendly and experienced volunteers are available to help you with your questions and show you the basic research tools, techniques and resources. For a modest fee volunteers can provide various personal research services which can be viewed at RESEARCH SERVICES. The Centre is located in Royal Oak Shopping Centre and is free for members. Non-members are welcome and their first visit is free with a nominal fee of $5 for subsequent visits. Free parking, free wifi, free computers, a large library collection, and access to Ancestry library edition. Check our LOCATION page for open hours.
Step 2 - Family History 101 and CSI SIGs are a great place to start. After becoming oriented to genealogy research at the Centre, members often find it a smooth transition to join a discussion group that focuses on their area of research. We call these Special Interest Groups or SIGs for short. Currently there are 9 SIGs that meet regularly either by zoom, in person or in combination. Our most recently added SIG was designed for those who are new to genealogy. It's called Family History 101, which was introduced last season and proved to be very popular. Our CSI SIG (Crowd Sourced Information) is a chance to do research with others, hands on. Once you get basics in the Family History 101 and CSI SIGs you may want to start signing up for one or more of the other SIGs. They are all free to members. Click on SIGs to learn more about them.
Step 3 - Workshops, Seminars and Speaker Events. Another benefit of membership is the price breaks for our regular workshops and seminars, and access to our monthly Speaker presentations. These events not only offer the opportunity to learn about a topic, but they also provide members the opportunity to meet other members who may be researching in the same geographic area or the same surname. These are important networking opportunities and often prove useful in breaking down research brick walls. To learn more, go to our Events Calendar
We believe that by following these 3 steps you will have the opportunity to learn about the genealogy research tools and techniques more quickly than by reading or surfing the web. For membership details, please go to Membership Options | Visit our VGS Website often to get updated information about us and our upcoming events.
Get help with your research by accessing the Research menu. | Copyright © 2023 Victoria Genealogical Society, All rights reserved.
~~organization_name~~
~~organization_address~~
~~organization_city~~, ~~organization_state~~ ~~organization_zip~~
~~organization_country~~
Distributed by free subscription to non-members and VGS past members | |