Angus Baxter (1912–2005)

Title: In Search of Your Canadian roots; Tracing your family tree in Canada
Author: Angus Baxter
Publishing Information: MacMillan of Canada, 1989, 350 pgs
General Statement: From the back cover: This book...is the most comprehensive handbook ever written on genealogical research in Canada. Province-by-province listing of where records can be found and how to get started and use these records.
Basic Review: After reading this book, I am inclined to search out other titles by this author, several of which are held by the Mesa County Public Library as it is well presented.
As a French-Canadian Filles du Roi, Irish-Canadian, and Canadian fur trapper (voyageurs) descendant I found the sections on Ontario and Quebec to be very helpful.
Interestingly, the most fascinating part of the book was ‘The Great Migrations’ chapter, most of which had nothing to do with my French ancestors, but detailed the migration of all the different immigrants into Canada. If you have United Empire Loyalists who may have gone to Canada during the American Revolutionary War, this chapter might be very interesting.
There is a section at the beginning of the book that details the abbreviations used which is helpful.
Chapters:
Starting Off on the Right Foot:
Basic information on how to get started with genealogical research with a few fun anecdotes included.
How to Start the Family Tree:
Another chapter on beginning basics using an imaginary family.
The Great Migrations:
This was, to me, the most fascinating chapter. It is presented in sections related to The Scots and the Irish, German-Speaking Settlers, The Huguenots, The United Empire Loyalists, The Ukrainians, and the Jewish. There is also a brief paragraph on Passenger Lists [note: there are very few].
LDS Church (Mormon) Records:
Very brief chapter, probably not of much interest unless you are living in/visiting Canada and need addresses of the local family history centers.
The National Archives [of Canada]:
With much of the Canadian Archives Catalog now accessible online, and many
images of records on familysearch.org this chapter is a great overview of the
holdings such as Family Histories, Parish Registers, School Records, Military
Records, etc.
Censuses [Canadian]:
Very short chapter.
Church Records and Registers:
Details on where the various records listed by denomination might be found.
Coats of Arms:
An interesting chapter on why a Coat of Arms is not what you think it is.
Province Sections:
Each province section has a brief history and details of the types of records you
might find. Examples include Civil Registration, Archives, Genealogical Societies,
Census Returns, Religious Denominations, Land Records, etc.
Writing a Family History
Interesting chapter where the author gives an example of a brief family
narrative.
Bibliography: Listed by provinces
Index
MCGS Librarian… (mer)