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Episode 068-December 1, 2017
Whether you’re looking for a gift for the genealogist on your list, or your family doesn’t have a clue what to get you, here are some suggestions.
Holiday Gifts for the Genealogist
Books
Timothy J. Kent from Silver Fox Enterprises is a prolific author. His books are detailed, yet very readable. Much of his research is in original French records translated into English. Besides being a genealogist, he is a re-enactor. In fact, his entire family was involved for years recreating the life of a French fur trader and his Native family. They used original or meticulously recreated tools, utensils, clothing, canoes, and other articles familiar to our ancestors.
Tim’s books are ideal for capturing the social history surrounding our forebears. Here is a summary of some of his books:
Birchbark Canoes of the Fur Trade (1997)-Birchbark Canoes (2 volumes) describes in detail a voyageur’s most important asset–his canoe. It also describes the crews, the equipment, and the dangers that were part of a fur trader’s life.
Tahquamenon Tales (1998)-This book re-creates the daily life of a French fur trader and his Native family. Tim, his wife Doree, his sons Kevin and Ben, and even the family dog learned to survive in the wilderness using just the tools and objects that would have been available to their ancestors.
Ft. Ponchartrain at Detroit: A Guide to the Daily Lives of Fur Trade and Military Personnel, Settlers, and Missionaries at French Posts (2001)-This 1,145-page, 2-volume set provides a history of Fort Ponchartrain and Detroit, but it is so much more. It covers all aspects of social history. If you want to know what life was like for your ancestor living in or around a fort, then this reference is what you want.
Rendezvous at the Straits: Fur Trade and Military Activities at Fort de Buade and Fort Michilimackinac, 1669 to 1781 (2004)-This 2-volume set provides a historical look at this area. It includes translations of several original documents and a chapter on slavery during the fur trade era.
A Modern-Day Voyageur Family: Paddling the 3,000 Mile Fur Trade Canoe Route across the US and Canada (2009)-For fifteen summers, Tim, his wife, and their two sons paddled sections of the 3,000-mile route his voyageur ancestors traveled centuries before. Using authentic equipment, they experienced their ancestors’ lives as few others do.
Phantoms of the French Fur Trade: Twenty Men Who Worked in the Trade Between 1618 and 1758 (2015)-Tim provides biographical sketches of twenty of his voyageur ancestors. Included in these three volumes are translated original records pertaining to these families.
The fur traders and their wives covered in these three volumes are:
Abraham Martin/Marguerite Langlois
Olivier Letardif/Louise Couillard, Barbe Émard
Charles Sevestre/Marie Pichon
Jean Gagnon/Marguerite Cauchon
François Perron/Jeanne Suire
Daniel Perron dit Suire/Louise Gargottin
Claude David/Suzanne Denoyon
Alexandre Turpin/Catherine Delor, Marie Charlotte Beauvais, Marie Gauthier
François Brunel dit Le Bourbonnais/Barbe Beauvais
Pierre Girard/Suzanne de Lavoie, Élisabeth Lequin
Mathieu Brunet dit Létang/Marie Blanchard
Robert Réaume/Élisabeth Brunet dite Belhumeur
Jean Baptiste Lalonde/Marguerite Masta, Jeanne Gervais
Jean François Brunet dit Le Bourbonnais Jr./Françoise David
Pierre Maupetit dit Poitevin/Angélique Villeray
Guillaume Lalonde (1)/Sarah Allyn (Marie Madeleine Hélène)
Simon Réaume/Charlotte Turpin, Angélique Hunault
Étienne Tremblay/Marie Fortin
Guillaume Lalonde (2)/Marie Angélique Brunet dite Bourbonnais
Guillaume Lalonde (4)/Marie Charlotte Sauvé dite Laplante, Marie Rose Legardeur de Repentigny
- You can purchase any of these books at Tim’s website. [not an affiliate]
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Security
- During the last few months, Mother Nature has thrown everything at us–hurricanes, fires, floods, tornadoes. To keep your data safe no matter what type of disaster strikes, you need a three-pronged strategy:
- Your genealogy data should be kept on your home computer.
- You should keep a duplicate copy of everything on another device. It could be a second computer or an external hard drive. If you ever need to retrieve your data, this is the fastest way to transfer it to a new computer.
- At least one copy should be kept in the cloud. Companies like Backblaze and Carbonite are designed for this purpose. For less than $60 a year, you can sleep easier at night. If you have lots of videos, be sure video backup is covered by your plan. Depending on the amount of files on your hard drive, allow days to a week or more to complete the initial upload. It will also take quite a while to restore files to a new computer, so plan accordingly. Be sure to take advantage of any apps that allow you to access your backed up files from a smart device.
- So perhaps a backup plan or an external hard drive should be on your Christmas wish list!
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French-Canadian News
The Quebec Family History Society
- December 2, 1:00-4:00 PM, at the QFHS Heritage Centre and Library in Pointe-Claire, Quebec-Find My Ancestors in Quebec with Jackie Billingham, Cecilia Karwowski and Gary Schroder. Learn to use the QFHS databases, books and other resources to find your family in Quebec.
- December 9, 10:30 AM- Join sociologist Dave Flavell for Oral Histories from Montreal’s Pointe St. Charles, Griffintown and Goose Village. This meeting will be held at the Briarwood Presbyterian Church Hall in Beaconsfield.
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The Vermont French-Canadian Genealogical Society
- December 2-Denyse Beaugrand-Champagne will present Quebec Coroners Inquests: A Unique Genealogical Resource.
Classes run from 10:30 AM until noon and are held at the Vermont Genealogy Library in Colchester, Vermont. -
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