Saturday, I had the honour of delivering the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) Ottawa Branch’s 2017 Ryan Taylor/J. Brian Gilchrist Memorial Lecture.
The men after whom the lecture was named were long-time family historians with lengthy resumés. They were only in their fifties when they died.
Memorial lecture
When Ryan Taylor passed away suddenly in October 2006, the Ottawa Branch honoured his memory by holding an annual Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture. Brian Gilchrist was a great friend of Mr. Taylor’s, and he gave the second Ryan Taylor Memorial Lecture in 2008.
In May 2014, just before Mr. Gilchrist was scheduled to speak at the OGS’ conference, he passed away after spending several weeks in hospital. The Ottawa Branch decided that an appropriate memorial to both of these Ontario genealogists would be to rename their October presentation to the Ryan Taylor/J. Brian Gilchrist Memorial Lecture.
While I knew the names of the men and that their passing has been a big loss for their families, friends, and the genealogy community, as a family historian and someone delivering a lecture named after them, I needed to learn more about them.
I discovered Messrs Taylor and Gilchrist devoted a tremendous amount of time and energy to the world of genealogy. Their contribution was even greater than I had realized.
Ryan Taylor
Mr. Taylor was born and raised in Oshawa and educated at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. He began his career as a librarian in 1972 in a small town in Manitoba and later worked in libraries in Ontario. From 1994, he worked as a genealogy reference librarian at the Allen County Public Library, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, which holds one of the largest genealogical book and periodical collections in the world.
He first became interested in genealogy as a teenager in 1964 and worked on a series of family histories, both his own and others. He was active in the OGS, serving as chairman of Waterloo-Wellington Branch and as editor of its newsletter. In 1988, he became the editor of the OGS journal, Families, and stayed in that position until 1997.
Mr. Taylor lectured extensively on genealogical and historical topics, particularly British and Ontario research and methodology. He was always willing to share his expertise and experience with others.
In a tribute, fellow genealogist Dave Obee wrote, “The death of Ryan Taylor is a loss for genealogists across Canada and the United States. He touched hearts and minds from coast to coast as a speaker and as an author.”
Mr. Taylor was a panelist on the History Channel TV series, Ancestors in The Attic. He also produced a long list of published works, including books, articles in magazines and genealogical journals, as well as a weekly column in the Kitchener newspaper, The Record. On Mr. Obee’s website, CanGenealogy, links to these newspaper columns are available, along with a list of publications Mr. Taylor wrote and tributes.
J. Brian Gilchrist
Brian Gilchrist also started tracing his family tree at a very young age. Eventually, he became a popular speaker, prolific author, and frequent guest on radio and television programs.
Mr. Gilchrist had more than 40 years of genealogical research experience, first becoming a member of OGS in 1971 and founding several OGS branches.
He was also a member of the Ontario Historical Society, the Association of Canadian Archivists, a founding and charter member of the International Society for British Genealogy and Family History, and a founder, charter member and director of the Board of The Friends of The Archives of Ontario. When he died, he had been the reference archivist at the Region of Peel Archives in Brampton, Ontario.
Mr. Gilchrist contributed to many OGS branch newsletters and was the author of many publications, including Genealogy and Local History to 1900 and Index to Canadian Parliamentary Divorces, 1867-1930. He was a compiler and editor of Inventory of Ontario Newspapers 1793-1986. His last book is considered a definitive genealogy, entitled The ‘Clan’ McClure: Historical Highlights about his pioneer McClure family roots. In 2013, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for “contributions to genealogy and local heritage, having inspired people not only in Canada, but indeed around the world.”
When he passed away, Mr. Gilchrist had been a reference archivist at the Region of Peel Archives in Brampton, Ontario.
In their tribute to Mr. Gilchrist, the Ottawa Branch wrote, “Listening to Brian speak, there was always humour, good cheer and a vibrancy to his presentations that is rarely surpassed. His unmatched style of delivery drew crowds whenever he spoke. When you listened to him, you realized how much knowledge he had and how much enthusiasm he had for genealogy.”
Passion, education, and generosity
While many will never have the careers Messrs Taylor and Gilchrist built, most genealogists, if not all, share similar attributes with them. We are passionate about family history, we like to learn, and we enjoy sharing our knowledge and expertise with others.
With thanks to the OGS Ottawa Branch for sharing their biographical notes.
