Please read the following FAQ before sending an email question to an Ontario GenWeb county host.
I don't have time to read this FAQ, can you answer all my questions?
This FAQ was created so that we can spend our time where it's needed, not wasting time answering the same questions repeatedly. Everyone involved with OntarioGenWeb is a VOLUNTEER. We're doing this in our spare time. If all of our spare time is spent answering repeated questions, no more transcripts will appear online, no more hints & tips will appear online, no more... anything. Please help us by helping yourself.
How Do I Do Ontario Genealogy From...
How & Where Do I Start?
How Would I Use...
Where Would I Find...
I Need To Know More About...
- Adoption In Ontario
- Birth Records
- Black History
- Death Records
- Disasters
- Epidemics
- Famous Ontarians
- Grosse Īle
- History of Ontario
- How Gender Influences Work on Wolfe Island, Frontenac Co. Ontario
- How To Get Past A Roadblock
- Languages In Ontario
- Marriage Records
- Migration: Into Ontario
- Migration: Out of Ontario
- Military Actions
- Ontario Genealogy News
- Ontario Newspapers: Past and Present
- Petworth Emigration Scheme
- Population
- Religion In Ontario
- To the Red River Valley
- United Empire Loyalists: What? Who Were They?
- WANTED: Settlers
- Writing An Effective Query
I Need To Know More About...
If you email the county host with a specific question, he or she will do his best to try to answer it, or to point you to someone else who can. Please limit this to questions pertaining to that host's county of interest. Also, please make sure that the answer to your question isn't right there on their county web page - hosts become frustrated when visitors email with questions which are answered by the web page. And when a host helps you, please take the time to say thank you!
Can you look something up for me in a local library or archives?
Maybe, maybe not. The thing is, very few county hosts actually live in the county they have the web page for. For example, Suzanne Schaller hosts the Perth County page and people email asking if she will look things up at the Stratford-Perth Archives. This is a bit difficult since she doesn't live in Stratford! A county host's job requires knowledge of the local resources, but it does not require actually living in that area of Ontario (or in Ontario at all!).
So, who can do this lookup for me?
If you're seeking an archive lookup, write to the archive itself. Include an SAE and 2 IRC's and keep your request short and simple. Some archives are very small and short-staffed so a nominal fee may be required.
I know that we can't all afford to buy every single book out there, especially when we only need the index checked or one page photocopied. Each county page may have a lookups page. Also check Helplist Canada.
If the book you need checked isn't listed on any of these pages, try posting on a mailing list or two to see if anyone out there has it. Please don't email the county host, who, believe it or not, doesn't have a list of who owns what books worldwide!
You could also look for the book yourself. Visit your local library & LDS FHC. Both can have books brought in through inter-institional loan (which means if the book isn't available in your city, it can be borrowed from another city).
Will you do my research for me?
Errr... Probably not. Giving advice is one thing, doing the work for you is another matter. We hosts are all volunteers, and we all put a lot of time into our web pages, and it leaves us little time for research, even our own. We aren't allowed to accept money as a Canada GenWeb host (although some of us also work as professional researchers for pay), and most of us will not do extensive research for free. Some of us may offer to do lookups for free, but that is an offer. We are not obligated to do research for anyone, and many of us feel that by giving our free time to maintain the web site (and to put the information online in the first place) we are doing our part.
But I really don't have time to do all this work. I just want something fast, and I don't mind paying for it.
GenWeb hosts aren't allowed to accept payment, but we do have a list of Ontario Researchers who work for a fee.
The Trading Post is for people who will do some research in their area in exchange for some work they need done elsewhere.
I Need To Know More About...
Only if it says so on my web page. If you don't see it, the answer is probably no. Some county pages have a lookups section, which is the place to check. If you don't see a lookups section, there isn't one. There's also Helplist Canada. Also, try mailing lists for Ontario. If those sources prove fruitless, visit OCFA and read the FAQ for information on how to contact contributing organizations (the ones who submitted the cemetery indices). Then write to the organization and include an SAE and 2 IRC's. Most will do the lookup for you for a nominal fee. Whenever possible, before writing, find out more about the organization. Most have OCFA policies that are explained on their websites, and these policies may state that the fee is required before they will do a lookup. Also, you should look for a publications list, because you might find that purchasing the entire cemetery transcription is only a few dollars.
See also this page: OCFA: What it is and how to use it, an article written by a member of the Perth County Branch OGS in response to OCFA queries.
Can you give me the address for a certain cemetery?
That would depend upon what is meant by 'address'. Most cemeteries are rural (not in cities) and don't have a postal address. So if you're seeking an address to write to a rural cemetery there won't be one. Even some city cemeteries don't have postal addresses. But all known cemeteries have location addresses (for rural cemeteries, this may mean Con 1 Lot 29 of such-and-such Township) that will allow you to find the cemetery for a visit.
If you're seeking an address to a cemetery and it's not on the county page, the county host still might be able to tell you, if you email and ask. Or you can try CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project, or the Ontario Genealogical Society. Your OGS branch will be able to tell you where a cemetery is, and they may even do a better job of locating it than the GenWeb host, because if they have transcribed the cemetery, they have actually visited it (and the GenWeb host hasn't necessarily been there!). You can get the address for a particular branch of OGS from the OGS Branch List.
Can I buy cemetery transcriptions? How much would it cost?
In Ontario, transcribing cemeteries has been the responsibility of the Ontario Genealogical Society. They do sell transcriptions of the ones they have done. See if there's a web page for the County branch of OGS, where you might find a price list. If they don't have a web page, snail mail is your other option. What you should ask for is a publications list. The prices of transcriptions vary depending on the size of the cemetery; one can be anywhere from $1 or $2 to $40 or $50. The larger cemetery transcriptions tend to be sold in sections, so you won't necessarily have to buy the whole thing if it's a big one.
Some OGS branches have finished transcribing all cemeteries in their area (YAY OGS!), but some branches just have too many cemeteries to handle and not enough volunteers - yes, OGS is run by volunteers. Just to name one, Mount Pleasant in Toronto has about 180,000 burials in it! That's bigger than most Ontario cities, and it's still growing! Also keep in mind that if a cemetery is still in use, a transcription will become outdated after a few years because new stones will have been added, but if you're just looking for older stones, then that won't matter.
I Need To Know More About...
Yes and no. It depends which township and which year you're seeking. Our Census Records has information on what is available (check the 'Related Interest' section of the census records page).
Don't panic if the census you want isn't indexed. Any census can be anywhere from 5 to 1000 pages, but in my experience most townships cover about 40-100 pages and take about half an hour to an hour to scroll through, as long as you know which township you should be looking under. The only ones I've ever had a problem with are the large cities like Toronto, Ottawa and London.
You also need to know the specific area to be looking in, like which particular township your ancestor lived in - plus, many of the borders changed over time; don't assume that your ancestor will be listed in the same township for every census. My ancestors in Whitchurch were listed in York township in 1851, in Whitchurch township in 1861 & 1871, and in the town of Aurora after that! They did not move; it was border changes.
If you can't scroll through census films because of your eyes, or if you can't get the films by Inter-Library Loan or at your local FHC, consider hiring a researcher to do it for you. Check the Ontario Researchers page or the Research Trading Post.
The census record I found is for Monck County, Cardwell County or Bothwell County. I can't find these counties on a map! They don't seem to exist! What's going on?
You're right, they don't exist. :-) Monck, Cardwell and Bothwell were three counties created for municipal purposes by "borrowing" townships from other counties for the purpose of enumeration and political representation. You can find out more about these three counties in Research By Area.
I found someone in the 1871 census index and I want more information on this person. Now what?
Don't assume that what you see in the index is all there is - this index only shows heads of households and strays, so to get the rest of the family's names, you are going to have to order the microfilm. This is worth the extra time and effort! It will tell you the names and ages of every family member, as well as place of birth, religion, occupation, and other information too. See if you can order it by Inter-Library loan through your local library or Family History Center.
What are the census film numbers for Interlibrary Loan?
The National Archives published them in a book called Catalogue of Census Returns on Microfilm. Actually, there are two books; one covers 1666-1891 and 1901 has a book all to itself.
Your local library or Family History Center may have the numbers; if they don't, ask if they can purchase the above-named books. They are also available online
What about census information online?
Ontario GenWeb volunteers are working on the Ontario GenWeb Census Project, the goal of which is to transcribe all Ontario census records & put them online. It's a big project, so if you want to speed it up, Volunteer! :-)
Besides the 1871 Heads of Household & Strays Index, the 1881 Canadian Census, and 1901 Canadian Census is also online.
There are a few other census sites online, those that OntarioGenWeb knows about are linked from the Census Records page
Be aware that all transcripts are subject to interpretation and should never be taken as fact until you viewed the original census microfilm with your own eyes.
What about census records after 1901?
This is a very hot topic among genealogists right now. Right now, we only have access to census records up to 1901, and furthermore we may never even see another census opened to the public. Statistics Canada claims that we are violating privacy laws by wanting to see the 1911 census. (How can we violate the privacy of someone who has been dead for fifty years, I'd like to know!?)
Open Canada's post-1901 Census!
I Need To Know More About...
That depends on the date of the record. There is an explanation of the way it works on the Perth County Vital Statistics page - this info applies to all of Ontario.
Are any of these records online?
Volunteers have begun transcribing the records, but it will be some time before even a small dent is made in the records which exist. See our links page for links to online vital statistics.
Can I get Ontario Vital Statistics by Inter-Library Loan?
You should be able to regardless of where you live. Family History Centre's worldwide can order the vital statistics microfilm you need for viewing in your local FHC. If you're in Canada you can have your local library borrow the film through inter-library loan.
I'm Researching The Year...
I'm Researching a Specific Area/Town/City...
Research By County or District
- County/District GenWeb Sites
- Genealogy Addresses
- Maps
- Not sure which County/District you need?
Why are there some counties the Ontario GenWeb doesn't have county pages for? They don't match the counties on my map of Ontario.
Some counties have ceased to exist, county borders were changed and changed again, and new counties have been created which you won't find listed on old documents like census records. Also, many counties have been amalgamated, like Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry, which was originally three separate counties. The Ontario Locator is the best source here; it will tell you about those places which seem to have disappeared. Also, further on in this FAQ (in the census section), you will find information on the "fictional" counties of Monck, Bothwell and Cardwell, which have never actually existed. :-)
My reference isn't to a county, it's to a district. Is this the same as a county?
Nope. The system of districts was in use before the county system was created. The districts stopped being used in the late 1840s. The districts were divided into counties. However, there's some overlap between the two systems. You can compare the two systems with these two maps:
However, there are some modern districts, such as Nipissing District, or Kenora District, which cover too large an area to be called a county.
Where Can I Post My Information?
Where Can I Request Information?
- Ontario Q&A
- Submit an Ontario Query
- OntarioGenWeb Mailing List
- Lookups: Genealogy Helplist Canada
- Ontario Researchers For Hire
- Need Help?
Have you, the county host, heard of my surname in your GenWeb area? Can you tell me where my ancestor came from, within your county?
Maybe, maybe not. But the county host is just one person, and unless by some rare coincidence s/he's a cousin, the fact that he's heard of [your surname here] in his area probably won't be much help to you. There are many other people out there who have access to the web site. Instead of asking the county host this, why not place a query where everyone can see it? Each county should have its own query page, and there's a page for "unknown location in Ontario" too. There's also Surnames of Ontario that allows visitors to post their surname interests and state which area of Ontario they were in.
How long will it take for my query to be posted?
That depends on the page you post it to, and whether they are using the Ancestry Message Boards system or a manual posting system. For Ancestry Message boards, it's instantaneous. Most county pages are now using this system. But if the county host posts queries manually, it may take a day, or as long as two to three weeks. The page where you submitted the query should have some information on this. Go back and check. TAKE NOTE: Whether a county page is using an Ancestry query board, or posting queries manually, each query is reviewed by a human being. This means that your query can be rejected if necessary. The administrator can delete messages that don't belong on the board.
What do you mean, reject or delete my query? If I submit it, you have to post it, right?
Queries can be rejected or deleted if:
- ... they do not fall into the geographical area covered by the page you posted it to. This is common sense. If your query covers Toronto, and you post it to the Middlesex County GenWeb page, the people who can help you won't even see it. If your query doesn't get posted, or goes missing after being posted, and you think maybe it's because you submitted it to the wrong county, check the Ontario Locator. If the board administrator isn't swamped with work (and we can be), he may take the time to email your query back to you, so at least you don't have to remember all that stuff you typed! However, you most likely will not receive any notice that your query has been deleted.
- ... they are posted to the "General / Unknown" query board when you specify a location (ie, Smith in Toronto). If you know where your ancestor was, post to the query board that covers that area. Do NOT post to the "general / unknown" query board. The general/unknown query board is only for queries that do not have a specific location, or apply to more than one area within Ontario. If you post your specific area query to the general board it buries the queries of others who are seeking a specific area. Please be considerate and post responsibly.
- ... they are too long. You needn't give every bit of information you have. A good size is five to fifteen lines, and if your query takes up too much space some hosts may not post it. For the format of a proper query, please look at some of the queries which are already there, and also visit this page: Writing an Effective query.
- ... they aren't a query. A descendancy chart, for example, is not a query. The words "Send me my family tree" or "anyone researching?" are not a query either. This sort of query will not be posted, & most moderators should delete them. For the format of a proper query, please look at some of the queries which are already there, and also visit this page: Writing an Effective query. If you're looking to find what others are researching, read the queries already posted, or use Surnames of Ontario.
What makes a good query?
See this page: Writing an Effective query
I didn't get an answer to my query - why not? and what next?
Don't think that just because you posted a query your work is done, and you can sit back and wait for someone to bring you the information. One thing you can do is to browse through some of the query boards and see if your surname has already been posted by someone else. You should also check the Surnames of Ontario page.
If you didn't get an answer to your query, there could be several reasons. Most likely, no one else researching that family is online and looking at the right place. You should also place queries on the newsgroups and mailing lists.
Another reason you may not get an answer is that you didn't write a query which will get results. A query like "Researching Smith in Toronto, does anyone have any Smiths in Toronto?" will not get results. People are not obligated to respond to your query. Most people just browse them by surname - they do not read each query.
How long will my query stay up?
Again, it depends on the page, and what system the host is using. It should be a minimum of three months, but on some pages it may stay up longer. Some hosts leave queries up as long as there's space for them; others have limited space on their server and can't leave them up more than the minimum three months.
With the Ancestry board system, there is a search function so that even when your query no longer shows, people can still find it. Search for it yourself to see if you need to resubmit - chances are there is no need to resubmit.
There's a mistake in my query, or my email address is wrong or has changed. What do I do?
Yet again, it depends on the page, and what system the host is using. If you posted on the Ancestry/Rootsweb Message Boards you must log on to the system and change your profile. GenWeb CANNOT do this for you. If the query board is a manual or guestbook type page, contact the person who runs the page where your query was posted. Usually he or she will be the only one who can go in and change things. Or, you can simply reply to your own message with the corrected information.
Who owns Ontario GenWeb?
OntarioGenWeb as a whole isn't owned by anyone. Each GenWeb page however is "owned" by whomever is hosting the page you're viewing. As hosts change, so does ownership.
What about copyright?
Copyright belongs to the host/co-ordinator who created the page.
I really like these GenWeb pages!
That's what hosts love to hear! Let us know by email.
How Can I Help?
- Volunteers Needed
Can I help Ontario GenWeb?
Absolutely! If you see a note saying Host needed on the county list, and you think you can do the
job, we welcome you! There's more than just web-page hosts needed - Ontario GenWeb also needs typists, transcribers, and other types of volunteers. See the Volunteers Information Page. OGW also has projects such as the Census Project which need volunteers!
Special thanks to Suzanne Schaller, knowledgelady@yahoo.com, host of Perth County GenWeb and former host of Toronto & York County GenWeb, for her compilation of this FAQ, 1998-2002
|
