Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society

Upcoming Events

PEIGS Meeting Location

The next meeting of the PEIGS is scheduled for Saturday, April September 18, 2010 at 12 pm. at the PARO in Charlottetown. See Details Below!

July 16, 2010. this site was moved again to a new server with increased speed and access to the Internet. The move appears to have gone well, and will allow us greater access to the server to perform site maintanance and updates, and will afford you with one of the fastest servers possible. Please report any problems resulting from the move to either Dave Hunter, dhunter@islandregister.com, or to Jeff Hunter, themaskedman@gmail.com

PEI Genealogical Society - 2010/2011 Schedule of Events:

Aug 26, 2010 PEIGS Executive Meeting

Sep 18, 2010- General Meeting

Family History researchers please note a unique opportunity for all levels and experience from novice forward. A General Meeting of the Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society (PEIGS) will be held on Saturday September 18, 2010 beginning at 12 Noon in the Reading Room of the Public Archives and Records Office (PARO), 4th Floor, Coles Building, Richmond Street entrance (next to Province House), Charlottetown. All Islanders and visitors who are interested in Genealogy or Family History research are invited to attend promptly at 11:45 a.m. at the main entrance to the Coles Building on Richmond Street. Due to staffing limitations there will be no entry after 12 noon. The meeting will include a tour and overview presentation of research resources available at the PARO by Provincial Archivist Jill MacMicken-Wilson. This will be followed by a brief business meeting and an extended opportunity (until 4:00 p.m.) to use the resources and receive expert hands-on guidance on any questions you may wish to ask. Whether you are experienced or not, this event promises to be a step in the right direction. Things to remember: Please bring along your own pencil and paper or laptop computer as the use of pens in close proximity to original archival documents is not permitted. Food or drink is not permitted in the PARO Reading Room. The general public is invited to attend. Memberships will be available for those interested. More details Fred Horne 675-4791 or http://www.peigs.ca/events.php

October 1, 2010 Genealogy event:

Ledwell, 'Lunch' and Punch - a celebration of family research and home made desserts on Oct 1 in Summerside Wyatt Heritage Properties presents CBC Radio's Maritime Noon resident genealogist Dr. Terrence M. Punch, (FRSAI, FIGRS) along with rising Island-born comedian Patrick Ledwell for an evening of fun and reflection on the topic of "family ties" of various sorts. In the fine Island tradition of social gatherings and home visits, 'lunch' consists of the Home Made Desserts that are a signature trademark of many Wyatt Heritage Properties' events -- from ice cream to apple pie - all sweet memories. Mr. Patrick Ledwell, will kick off the evening with his unique comedic spin on the subject of Island Families and Island Ancestors. PEI is one of Ledwell's favourite topics. In 2010 he wrote and co-starred (with Tanya Davis) in the hit summer variety show: "The New New Potato Time Review" at PEI's Victoria Playhouse. Patrick's brand of smart comedy is regularly heard on CBC Radio morning and afternoon shows. His national CBC Radio credits include "The Debaters," "Laugh Out Loud," and "Madly Off In All Directions." Ledwell performs at regional comedy and story telling festivals including the Island Story Telling Festival organized by Wyatt Heritage Properties. In an age when the very definition of 'family' seems to be constantly evolving and including new forms, some may question the importance and place of genealogy in our lives. Terry Punch is a long-time promoter of the value of family tree research and the genealogical groups that serve our society. Dr Punch will speak in Summerside on October 1at the invitation of Wyatt Heritage Properties which, in partnership with the PEI Genealogical Society, offers to the public an extensive array of family and community history resources at the MacNaught History Centre and Archives. Dr Punch will talk about history and the relevance of genealogy amid changing social structures, asking whether the popularity of Genealogy is a Contemporary Phenomenon or Something Deeper!

Ledwell, 'Lunch' and Punch happens at the Eptek Art & Culture Centre, Summerside Waterfront, Friday October 1, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at MacNaught History Centre and Archives, 75 Spring Street, Summerside, call 902-432-1332 or email fredhorne@wyattheritage.com to book your tickets early.

More about Terry Punch

Terry Punch has been a speaker, teacher and writer of genealogy and history for over thirty years. His work has been published in Canada, the US, Ireland, Germany, England and France. He is a past chair of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society and the founding president of the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia and the Genealogical Institute of the Maritimes.

He is a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (FRSAI) and he was recently elected a Fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society (FIGRS) in recognition of his work on behalf of the Society and to Irish genealogy. His three volumes, Erin's Sons: Irish Arrivals in Atlantic Canada, 1761-1853, were published recently by Genealogical Publishing Company in Baltimore. Dr. Punch will have copies for signing. Dr. Punch has three graduate degrees from Saint Mary's and Dalhousie universities, and has been a trustee of the Public Archives of Nova Scotia.

Listen for Terry Punch on CBC Radio's call-in show on Genealogy broadcast the first Monday of the month as part of the Maritime Noon program hosted by Costas Halavrezos.

Persons attending the Ledwell, 'Lunch' and Punch event on October 1 who wish to purchase books from the Erin's Sons series, by Terrence M. Punch, during his visit to Summerside are asked to email fredhorne@wyattheritage.com before August 28 indicating which volumes you want. This will reduce the guess work around how many books to carry from Halifax to Summerside! Or to make sure you have a copy on hand for Terry Punch to sign you can order directly from the publisher's webpage http://www.genealogical.com/ , or phone orders in at 1-800-296-6687. Erin's Sons: Irish Arrivals in Atlantic Canada to 1863, Volume Four is hot off the press having just been published this month!

Nov 3, 2010 - PEIGS Executive Meeting:

Saturday November 20,2010 General Meeting, (time, place and speaker to be announced)

2007


In recognition of his contribution to Island genealogy, Greg Hughes (left) was presented with the Orlo Jones Award by Society President Elizabeth Glen at the PEI Genealogical Society Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 21, 2007.	Donna Collings (right) received the Nelda Murray Award at the PEI Genealogical Society Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 21, 2007. The award was presented by Nelda Murray to recognize Donna's contribution to the preservation of Prince Edward Island cemeteries.

2008


In recognition of her contributions, Dorothy Griffin-Farish, was presented the 2008 Orlo Jones Award, shown holding a bouquet of flowers. Next to her is her daughter, Barbara Gallant, who made the flower presentation, and Linda Jean Nicholson, President of PEIGS, who presented the Orlo Jones Award.	George Wright, left, was recently presented with the Nelda Murray Award by PEI Genealogical Society President Linda Jean Nicholson. The award was given in recognition of his outstanding volunteerism and dedication on the society's behalf. This award is presented to an individual who contributes to the preservation and restoration of Island cemeteries.

A notice from the PARO: Transfer of Vital Statistics Records to the Public Archives and Records Office, June 2008:

Background

Over the past two years, staff of the Office of Vital Statistics and the Public Archives and Records Office of Prince Edward Island have been working together to transfer historic vital statistics records to the Public Archives where they can be made readily accessible to members of the public. On 22 May 2008, Royal Assent was given to an amendment to the Vital Statistics Act thereby allowing the Office of Vital Statistics to legally make the transfer of the records after certain time restrictions have passed.

Time restrictions

The time restrictions are as follows:

Birth records - restricted for 120 years after date of birth.

Marriage records - restricted for 75 years after date of event.

Death records - restricted for 50 years after date of death; cause of death remains restricted regardless of when the death occurred.

Baptismal records - all records in the post-1886 Baptismal Records Index will be transferred to the Public Archives and Records Office

Access to records

Several things need to happen before the historic Vital Statistics records can be legally and physically transferred from the Office of Vital Statistics to the Public Archives and then made available to researchers.

1. Retention schedules - The transfer of government records from an active government department to the Public Archives is regulated by retention and disposition schedules which are approved by the Public Records Committee. The retention schedules for the Vital Statistics records must be altered to reflect the amended legislation. This process is underway and it is hoped that the new retention schedules will be ready to go before the Public Records Committee in July 2008. Once passed, legal ownership of the historic records can be transferred to the Public Archives

2. Physical transfer of records - Once legal ownership of the records has been transferred, the records need to be physically moved from the Office of Vital Statistics in Montague to the Public Archives and Records Office in Charlottetown. Once the records have been moved, each type of records has its own access issues:

A. Birth records - because of the time restrictions, no birth records will be transferred to the Public Archives at this time.

B. Marriage records - dating up to 1932, these records, which are in bound volumes, can be retrieved for researchers or may be viewed on microfilm. PARO will not have an index to these records.

C. Death records - dating up to 1957, these records will need to be re-microfilmed (approximately 37 reels) so that cause of death is not visible. Once microfilming is completed, the reels will be made available in the Reading Room. Due to the high cost involved, the death records will be made available in stages. More information will follow on this issue.

D. Baptismal records - post 1886. These records, which are on index cards, will be made available as soon as card catalogues can be acquired and space can be made in the Reading Room. The information from this index is also being entered into the existing Baptismal database which is available on the Public Archives website. This database will be updated periodically as new records are added.

The staff of the Office of Vital Statistics and the Public Archives and Records Office appreciate your patience during the upcoming months as we make every effort to make the historic Vital Statistics records available for public research.

MacNaught History Centre and Archives:

MacNaught History Centre and Archives invites all PEI Genealogical Society members and other readers of this newsletter to visit Wyatt Heritage Properties and experience the range of services and amenities we offer. Also check us out online at www.wyattheritage.com <http://www.wyattheritage.com/> where we sport a new look webpage.

Admission to the MacNaught History Centre and Archives is free.

Watch for more details on our Genealogy for Beginners course spread over 6 Saturdays from March 28 to May 9. (no class Easter Saturday April 11) Email fredhorne@wyattheritage.com or call 902-432-1332 for information or to put your name on the list to attend -this may be the perfect time to introduce some friends to the rewarding hobby of Genealogy! The course offering will be a slightly condensed version of the course designed by Bill and Elizabeth Glen for the PEI Genealogy Society and it will be offered at MacNaught History Center and Archives so after less than 3 hours of presentation the rest of the day will be free to practice your research at the Centre.

Watch for more details on our Genealogy Conference to be held October 1st to 3rd this year! Yes, this year, our big event is coming up fast. We hope that the high profile speakers and topics will be of interest to a wide range of family history enthusiasts and genealogists from all over the Maritimes and beyond. During Heritage Week February 16th to 20th we will announce all the details of what to expect in October. In some ways it will be two conferences in one as we plan an exciting selection of cultural activities for the spouses and significant others of the genealogy add**ts. Or perhaps it will be the perfect thing for the whole family to do if a genealogy session is just not up to your level. Ambitious or not, you might say we want to put the 'family' back into family history.

Within the past several months we held a successful Genealogy Day, launched a new look (and new content) for our Membership Service - now called www.PEIancestry.com <http://www.peiancestry.com/> - and continued to respond to requests for genealogical information on Island families.

On October 18 we raised the profile of genealogy by holding a Genealogy Day. Activities included an introductory to Genealogical research session at MacNaught History Centre and Archives in the morning. At 1:00 pm we welcomed visitors to the Wyatt Heritage Properties' Lefurgey Cultural Centre for a 'scavenger hunt' where participants tried to guess the identities of Summerside-connected personalities from the past. An eclectic crowd it was ranging from Gene MacLellan to Honourable Thane Campbell to Elaine Harrison. Each character was depicted and provided 'clues to their identity' in a separate room of the house. The Summerside Katimavik group of young people from across Canada played the mystery guests - complete with costumes. After all the guesswork was finished all stayed on for a special meting of the PEI Genealogical Society held in the beautifully restored ball room of the Lefurgey Cultural Centre. Guest Speaker Glenda Coughlin treated everyone to a passionate information-packed talk on her research work capturing the names of Islanders in the US census.

Watch the News and Events section of our webpage http://www.wyattheritage.com/mainsite3/index.asp for further information.

Thank you to the PEI Genealogical Society for all the continuing support and for this opportunity to update society members.

Fred

Fred Horne,

Archivist/Collections Coordinator, City of Summerside, 275 Fitzroy St, Summerside, PEI, Canada C1N 1H9;

Located at: 75 Spring St, Summerside, PE, C1N 3E5

Welcome to to our latest project. This web site officially opened for business on April 23, 2005. We hope that you will find this site, and the on-line Computerized Master Name Index database debuting along with it helpful to you. Good luck to one and all researching P.E.I. Families!