Utilizing Canadian Databases for Genealogical Research

Description

Utilizing Canadian Databases for Genealogical Research
A Monthly Brown Bag Presentation hosted by the St. Lawrence Center for History & Culture

As St. Lawrence County is just across the river from Canada, it is not surprising that families here have Canadian ancestors. For the past 7 years, Pamela Brant Wright has been researching the Wright family, who came to St. Lawrence County in 1815 from Canada. In the process, she has become very familiar with the resources available for genealogical research in Canada, particularly from 1770 to 1830.

In this Brown Bag Presentation, Pamela will discuss her experience utilizing sources like Canadian databases for genealogical research and original Canadian land documents. She will also go over some of the challenges associated with using Canadian sources and detail how to navigate two useful databases for finding Canadian ancestors. Pamela will also be available to provide hands-on research assistance in person following her presentation.

• Please bring your compiled research and/or a laptop or other device if you would like to participate in a hands-on demo.
• Registration is required for this portion of the presentation as there are limited slots available
• Pre-registration is recommended. Register online, call the main office at 315-386-8133, or e-mail carlene@slcha.org

About the Presenter:
Pamela Brant Wright received her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University. She spent over 20 years conducting biomedical research, eventually transitioning into research administration. She holds two Master’s degrees, one in administration and another in theology.

She retired in 2017 from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and currently works part-time as a freelance scientific editor and grant writer. Pamela began genealogical research shortly after retiring, first her mother’s French Canadian roots and then trying to complete the Wright family history started by her father-in-law.

The latter opened up a whole new area of research into loyalist history. While she has still not found her husband’s family, she did discover the Wrights of St. Lawrence County, only distantly connected to Silas Wright, and has two manuscripts submitted concerning them.

She has written for The Quarterly, with several more articles planned, and completed an update to the history of her church in Baltimore, which was published last year. Since 2018, she and her husband head to the Adirondacks for the summer, where they have a camp in Chateaugay, NY.