The first event of the year for the Toronto Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society is a series of three online talks about a key area of early Ontario family history research — land.
Over three Thursday evenings in January, three popular speakers will explore some of the lesser-known, but richest sources of land and family information — many of which are now digitized and available for free.
Each session will consist of a presentation and an opportunity to ask questions. The lectures will be recorded, so that registrants who can’t attend the live presentations can watch at a more convenient time.
January 12, 7:30 p.m. Eastern time
The Beginning: From Indigenous to Loyalist Hands
Linda Corupe will explain how land formerly occupied by First Nations was granted to early settlers, including many United Empire Loyalists, and take us on the research journey of an American Loyalist descendant.
January 19, 7:30 p.m.
The Heir and Devisee Commissions for Early Ontario Research
Janice Nickerson will talk about the commissions set up to help sort through early land claims and the wealth of genealogical information that can be found in the records they generated.
January 26, 7:30 p.m.
Untangling Township Papers
Jane E. MacNamara will show how to search a special collection of “orphaned” land-related records sorted by township and lot, how to understand the documents in it, and how to follow the clues they provide.
The cost for the series is $35, or $30 for OGS members.
You can learn more and register on the Toronto Branch’s website.
