Congratulations to the Missisquoi RootsWeb volunteers who last week reached the 10,000-image mark in their transcription project of Quebec non-Catholic parish registers for the years 1763-1967. It has taken them ten years to reach this milestone, transcribing the browsable registers available on FamilySearch. Their transcriptions can be searched for free on their blog.
Map of the Eastern Townships of Lower Canada, 1862. H.H. Miles, Canada East at the International Exhibition, p. 31.
Missisquoi was an historical county located in Quebec’s Eastern Townships along the American border. It was heavily Protestant and English-speaking with many immigrants from Vermont and Great Britain.
To work on the project, the Missisquoi RootsWeb group created a volunteer sign-up sheet system through SignUpGenius that allows the volunteers from around the world to work together on projects.
Nancy Cunningham, coordinator of the project, said, “We haven’t limited our projects to FamilySearch digital records. We have also transcribed Library and Archives Canada microfilm notary records, Google newspapers, Internet Archive eBooks of local directories, and posted images and burials to Find-A-Grave.”
The Missisquoi RootsWeb group encourages people with ancestors who lived in their area to search their records and perhaps join their group on RootsWeb.
Ms. Cunningham said, “We believe strongly in paying it forward in genealogy and think this is a little way we can give back for all the help we’ve been given by others in the past.
Take a look at their Missisquoi Genealogy blog for a list of Missisquoi parish records, cemeteries, directories, notary records, land and property records, digital books, and links to sites to research in the former county. You can also sign up to help transcribe.
The Missisquoi RootsWeb Mailing List is available here.
These volunteers know how to do it. Bravo!
Courage Gail ! and keep us posted …