Magna Carta and Charter of the Forest in Canada

What is the Magna Carta? It's an 800 year old document that, as one journalist wrote:

is one of the most important documents in history as it established the principle that everyone is subject to the law, even the king, and guarantees the rights of individuals, the right to justice and the right to a fair trial.

One of Durham Cathedral's copies of the Magna Carta and the related Charter of the Forest, is currently on tour here in Canada. They are currently on display in Ottawa at the Canadian Museum of History and will then travel to Winnipeg, Toronto and Edmonton.

Learning Opportunity: East European Genealogical Society, Winnipeg, MB

The East European Genealogical Society of Winnipeg, Manitoba will be holding their Seminar 2015 on August 1 and registration is currently open. The EEGS covers the current countries of Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine, not to mention multiple religions and historical areas. If you have Eastern European ancestry and you can get to Winnipeg for this day-long learning experience, don't miss out!

Marriage (Bond) Monday

Protestant marriages in Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Quebec) can be more difficult to research than Catholic marriages, particularly before the introduction of civil registration in many provinces. Here's what Marriage Bonds are according to the database of these records made available by Library and Archives Canada:

Marriage bonds were prepared only for Protestant marriages by licence. The groom was required to enter into a bond with one or two people (sureties) who knew him and who were prepared to guarantee to the Crown that there was no legal impediment to the marriage. After obtaining the bond, a licence was issued and the marriage took place a few days later.

The records available for Ontario cover the period from 1803 and 1865 while Quebec records range from 1779 and 1858, though they are much fewer in number: just around 7900 for Ontario, and just over 2900 for Quebec.

Be sure to check out this database if you have potential Protestant marriages in your family tree from this area and timeframe that you haven't been able to find elsewhere.

Bonne fête nationale or Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day!

For those of you in Quebec enjoying today's holiday, I hope you have good weather to accompany your day!

In honour of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (as my calendar tells me it is) I thought I'd bring to your attention Qui êtes-vous? or Who Do You Think You Are? on Radio-Canada (CBC in French.) They have completed two seasons and the third is now in production. Genealogy Rockstar 2014 Kirsty Gray from England is involved with one episode, though she's giving nothing else away about the celebrity!

Interested in past episodes? More information about each episode is available online on the SRC website.

À la prochaine!

P.S. Courtesy of a friend of mine from the library world of Northern Ontario:
"400 ans de présence française en Ontario : Prêts pour la nouvelle année!"

Learning opportunity: Glengarry Pioneer Museum's Celtic Fair July 19th

Glengarry Pioneer Museum will present their first Celtic Fair on Sunday, July 19 from 11am to 5pm. There are admission fees (cash only) which will give you access to entertainment and multiple displays by groups like Ontario East British Home Children, Glengarry County Archives and Centre culturel Les trois p’tits point where you can learn about all things Celtic! There is even a Whiskey Tasting, so be sure to preregister so you don't miss out!

As the Museum's website explains, "This group of people traditionally included Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Breton, Manx, Cornish, and other Indo-European peoples." Whether or not you have Celts in your family tree, it's sure to be a great time! Be sure to check it out!