A little while ago - a far off cousin in the USA, that I didn't even know existed, found me thru facebook.... my oldest aunt on my mother's side (my mom is #12 out of 13 kids) was her grandmother. I know, weird. However, she has been going thru her grandmother's old photos trying to figure out who everybody was - she's been scanning them onto FB for some of the family to decipher. Which made me think about Dad's mystery of being adopted and even on his deathbed - being convinced that his birth mother didn't want him.
I've also been watching Ancestors in the Attic on the History Channel. It's an amazing show, with all sorts of people helping Canadians find their lost families. I even wrote to them, after my 'cousin' got me interested in digging once again. But alas, the show will not be renewed for another season. :-(
http://www.history.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=235306
In the meantime I've been chatting lots and lots to my Aunt Jean, my Dad's older sister. She was able to give me some insight into Dad as a child... I know he must have been a difficult child to deal with, but in another way, my heart goes out to that poor little boy, who felt unloved, for whatever reason... (BTW - Aunt Jean, if you are reading this.... THANK YOU!!)
Last night on tv, on the History Television channel, they had this 2 hr television story called "Death or Canada" about the Irish famine migration back in 1847. What a show it was!
http://www.history.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=106396
Today, I did some more digging... into the show, into the details, and OMG!! I found this!
http://www.irelandparkfoundation.com/
And in the engraved names link, I found the names of 4 Walsh's that had died coming over in 1847!!! Ellen Walsh, Mary Walsh (which is supposed to be dad's birth mother's name - I know, the age isn't right), William Walsh, Michael Walsh. 4 dead Walsh's, but.... some of the family had to have survived out of the 38,000 that arrived!! I got so VERY excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, so I can't backtrack Dad's history, how about if I try to follow the family lines from 1847? Providing they are the same family line that Dad was from. He was born 86 years AFTER this mass migration, but who knows.... maybe something will show up!! So instead of doing history in reverse from him, I'm going to try it the other way! At least I have a starting point now! 1847!! I'm going to check the ships and see how many other Walsh's were on board... there should be a few more than just the 4 of them that died!!
Okay, I'm soooooo excited! Finally, something to work with! :-)
TTFN
Oh! And I found this! City of Toronto Tax Assessment Transcription Project 1853
http://www.ontarioroots.com/ogs/
If I type in Walsh - there's a shit load of them!! OMG!!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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