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Genealogical Research

Reference

Dictionaries, Directories, Handbooks, Encyclopedias, etc. - Reference works are useful when you need to obtain quick facts, define the terms and scope of your search, or get a broad overview of a topic. Best Bets! are marked with aBest Bet!.
Products available to registered McMaster Students/Staff/Faculty Only are marked with a McMaster Use Only.

The Reference collection is located on the 2nd floor of Mills and consists of encyclopaedias, dictionaries, short biographies, bibliographies and directories that cannot be removed from the library. Research Help staff are available during service hours if you need assistance.

For information about resources held at Mills Memorial Library or hours of opening and services, call (905) 525-9140, extension 22533 or check the web at: http://library.mcmaster.ca/

Some Genealogical Sources Found in the Reference Collection

Bibliographies

A bibliography is a list of books, journal articles or other forms of publications on a certain topic. While a bibliography may not provide specific information on your topic, it can lead to other sources of interest.

To locate bibliographies, do a subject search on MORRIS using the following LC subject headings:

specific topic - Bibliography
(example: Genealogy - Bibliography)

Example of a genealogy bibliography found under this heading:

Filby, P. William.
American and British genealogy and heraldry: a selected list of books.

LOCATION: MILLS Reference (2nd floor)
CALL NUMBER: ZCS 25 .F5 1983

 

Biographies

A biography is a written history of a person's life. Biographies are generally found in two forms: a book devoted entirely to the life and times of one person, or, a book listing the birth and death dates of many people.

To find collective biographies (books containing multiple biographies), complete a subject search on MORRIS using the following format:

specific place - Biography
(example: Great Britain - Biography)

Example of a title found under this heading:

Dictionary of National Biography.

LOCATION: MILLS Reference (2nd floor)
CALL NUMBER: CT 773 .D55 1963

OR

Do a subject keyword search on MORRIS using the following format:

genealog* and biograph*

Example of a biography title found under this heading:

Collen, Henry.
Debrett's genealogical peerage of Great Britain and Ireland.

LOCATION: MILLS Reference (2nd floor)
CALL NUMBER.: CS 420 .D28

 

Handbooks

A handbook is a guide on how to do something, in this case, genealogical research. Handbooks often include lists of valuable addresses which can further your search.

To find handbooks on this topic, do a subject search on MORRIS using the following format:

specific place - Genealogy - Handbooks
(example: Canada - Genealogy - Handbooks)

Example of a title found under this heading:

Baxter, Angus.
In search of your Canadian roots: tracing your family tree in Canada.

LOCATION: MILLS Reference (2nd floor)
CALL NUMBER: CS 82 .B389 2000

 

Heraldry

Heraldry is defined as the study and classification of armorial bearings. Most people associate heraldry with a coat of arms.

To find books on heraldry, do a subject search on MORRIS using the following format:

Heraldry
or
Heraldry - specific place
(example: Heraldry - Ireland)

Example of a title found under this heading:

De Breffny, Brian.
Irish family names: arms, origins, and locations.

LOCATION: MILLS Reference (2nd floor)
CALL NUMBER: CR 492 .W66 1988

 

Local Histories

Local histories are books written about specific communities in the world. Mills Library has a good selection of Canadian and British local histories.

To find them, complete a subject search on MORRIS using the following format:

Specific place - History
(example: Toronto (Ont.) - History)

Example of a title found under this heading:

Middelton, J. E.
Municipality of Toronto: a History

LOCATION: MILLS Reference (2nd floor)
CALL NUMBER: FC 3097.4 .M53

If you check under your specific community and no books are found, try broadening your search to a larger geographical area. For example, if you were searching for a village in Great Britain and MORRIS found no books, you could broaden your search to the parish name or the name of the county. Mills Library holds several good collections of British local histories. One such group is the Victoria History of the Counties of England. To obtain a complete listing of titles under this heading, do a title search under: Victoria History of the Counties of England.

Primary Texts

Primary texts may be the literary works themselves (manuscripts, novels, poems, short stories, diaries, etc.) or first-hand accounts of an event or a person's life or work. These include letters, autobiographies, posters, diaries, archival materials, and photographs. Best Bets! are marked with aBest Bet!.
Products available to registered McMaster Students/Staff/Faculty Only are marked with a McMaster Use Only.

William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections

The William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections is housed on the lower level of Mills Memorial Library. This area keeps rare and special materials that can be used ONLY within the department. Of interest to genealogists are the records of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara. This collection includes baptism, confirmation, marriage and burial records for the Niagara area.

For information about the holdings of Research Collections or hours of opening and service, please contact the archives.

Canadian Baptist Archives

The Canadian Baptist Archives are located in Room 152 of Divinity College. The Archives contain materials from all Baptist churches in Canada which are part of the Canadian Baptist Foundation, with the exception of the Atlantic region. Charges are levied for research completed by the archives staff.

For further information about the archives and hours of opening, please call 905-525-9140, extension 23511 or visit their website.

Books

Use McMaster's Library Catalogue to find books on your topic. Click the Help link for searching tips & strategies.

To search for materials in all the libraries on campus, use the Library Catalogue.

  • From the BASIC SEARCH screen, choose an appropriate option from the pull-down menu.

Sample Search Screen

The most used search options are:

  • Title
  • Author
  • Subject - Library of Congress [LCSH]
  • Subject Keyword(s)
  • Keyword(s) Anywhere

To search for a TITLE:

  • Click on Title in the Search box.
  • Type the title of the book in the box to the right. (Do not include a, an or the if these words appear as the first word of the title.)
  • Click the GO button.

 

To search for an AUTHOR:

  • Click on Author in the Search box.
  • Type the author's name in the box to the right. (Always type the last name first).
  • Click the GO button.

 

To search for a SUBJECT:

When you visit the library, you will frequently be looking for books ABOUT a certain topic, place or person. To find these types of books, you must do a SUBJECT search on MORRIS.

  • Click on Subject in the Search box.
  • Type the subject in the box to the right.
  • Click the GO button.

    To do a proper subject search on MORRIS, you need to use the correct Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). A few subject headings that may be of interest to genealogists are:

    • Registers of births, etc. - specific place
            (Example: Registers of births, etc. - Ontario)
    • specific place - Genealogy
            (Example: Canada - Genealogy)
    • Ships - Passenger lists
    • Probate records – specific place
            (Example:       Probate records – England)
    • Wills – specific place
            (Example: Wills – Scotland)
    • Epitaphs – specific place
            (Example: Epitaphs – Ontario – Glengarry)
    • Obituaries – specific place
            (Example: Obituaries – Ontario)

    For further suggestions, a list of subject headings can be found in a red, five volume set of books called the Library of Congress Subject Headings. These volumes are kept next to the Research Help Desk on the 2nd floor of Mills Library. If you need any help understanding these lists, please ask for assistance at the Research Help Desk. Once you have a list of the proper subject headings, you can sit down at one of the computer stations and search for relevant books on your topic(s).

    If you do not have access to the set of LC Subject Headings, use the MORRIS SUBJECT KEYWORD(S) index. This option allows you to search for keywords in the subject record. Place an asterisk (*) after each word to broaden the possible search term (e.g. regist* will look for the words register, registers, registry, etc.). Typing in the words regist* and birth* will find entries dealing with the subject of registers and births.

 

To Search for KEYWORD(S) ANYWHERE:

To search for keywords anywhere in the MORRIS record, choose the KEYWORD(S) ANYWHERE index. Place an asterisk (*) after each word to broaden the possible search term (e.g. genealog* will look for the words genealogy, genealogical, genealogist, etc).

  • Click on one of Keyword(s) Anywhere indexes in the SEARCH box
  • Type the keyword(s) in the box to the right
  • Click the GO button.

Interpreting the Record

If your search found only one item, it's bibliographic record will appear on the screen. Information will include the title, author, subject headings, and publishing information. Beneath this will be the holdings information. This will tell you which campus library the item is housed in, as well as its location within the library and call number. To find out if the item is on the shelf, click on Current Location and Status on the left side of the screen. The next screen will tell you if the title is available.

To find the book on the shelf, make note of the location and call number. To determine which floor your book is located on use a Mills Library Book Locator slip. These can be found next to the computers in the library.

If your search resulted in multiple titles, click on each individual title to access the full record.

 

Newspapers

McMaster owns newspapers from around the world, both in print and online. Search the library calatogue for the name of the newspaper to see our holdings and for more information on how to find newspapers, see "How to Find" on the library main page, then click "Newspapers".

The newspaper collection is located in the Periodicals Area on the 3rd floor of Mills. For information about holdings and service, call (905) 525-9140, extension 22533 for the Mills Research Help Desk.

Newspapers are an abundant source of information for genealogists, recording birth, marriage and death announcements, personal and legal notices, as well as detailed accounts of life in the community. The library has a strong collection of early Canadian newspapers as well as an excellent collection of British newspapers from the 17th - 21st century. Selected papers from other countries are also available.

For reasons of space and preservation, newspapers are transferred to microfilm. The microfilm for heavily-used newspapers is housed in the black microfilm cabinets at the east end of the 3rd floor, opposite the compact shelving. These newspapers are in title order. All other newspaper microfilm is housed in the compact shelving units in call number order. Call numbers may be obtained by consulting MORRIS.

The microform reading room is next to the microfilm collection at the east end of the 3rd floor and has a number of microfilm readers. Reader-printers are available in the main area of the floor for making paper copies. An instruction manual is available to assist with the reader-printers.

A library debit card is required to make prints, and can be purchased in the library.

Newspaper Reference Sources:

If uncertain of the name of newspapers in a particular city, you may find some of the following books of interest.

CANADA

Union list of Canadian newspapers held by Canadian libraries, by the National Library of Canada. Newspaper Section
(MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZAN 1 .C2N37)

CANADA - British Columbia

Union catalogue of British Columbia newspapers, by Hana Komorous, British Columbia Library Association.
(MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZAN 1 .C22B84)

CANADA - Manitoba

A historical directory of Manitoba newspapers, 1859 - 1978, by D.M. Loveridge
MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZPN 4917 .M32L6)

CANADA - New Brunswick

New Brunswick newspaper directory, 1783 - 1996, by Helen C. Craig
(MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZAN 1 .C22N53 1996)

CANADA - Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia newspapers: a directory and union list, 1752 - 1988, by Lynn Murphy
MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZAN 1 .C22N86 1990

CANADA - Ontario

Inventory of Ontario newspapers, 1793 - 1986, by J. Brian Gilchrist
(MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZAN 1 .C22O64)

Ontario ethno-cultural newspapers, 1835 - 1972, an annotated checklist, by Duncan McLaren. (MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZPN 4918 .O5M3)

CANADA - Quebec

Mauricie et centre du Québec: liste des journaux et périodiques régionaux, by Philippe Houyoux.
(MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZPN 4917 .Q4 H6

CANADA - Saskatchewan

Historical directory of Saskatchewan newspapers, 1878 - 1950, by Office of the Saskatchewan Archives, University of Saskatchewan
(MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZAN 1 .C29M3)

GREAT BRITAIN (and beyond)

Catalogue of the Newspaper Library, Colindale, by British Library, Newspaper Library.
(MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZAN 1 .A1B7) (Online: http://prodigi.bl.uk/nlcat/ )

UNITED STATES

American newspapers, 1821-1936 : a union list of files available in the United States and Canada by Winifred Gregory Gerould
(MILLS Reference (2nd floor) ZAN 1 .U5 A512 1967)

Websites

The Internet is home to useful web sites on many subjects. Unlike the resources on other tabs, the following resources are selected from the free web. Remember to critically evaluate web resources, since web site content is usually unmonitored and unregulated.

General

Guides/Tutorials

Census

Charts and Forms

Geographical Sites

Religious Affiliations

 

Of Interest...

Cemetery Lists

Genetics

Handwriting

Mailing Lists/Newsgroups

Maps

Miscellaneous

Newspapers

Photographs

Preservation and Conservation

Ship/Passenger Lists

 

Associations & Organizations

Professional, academic, advocacy and other types of associations and organizations involved in your subject area.

Archives of Ontario
77 Grenville Street, Toronto
1-800-668-9933 (Ontario only)
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/index.html

Hamilton Public Library / Central Library - Special Collections
55 York Boulevard, Hamilton
(905) 546-3200
http://www.myhamilton.ca/myhamilton/LibraryServices/Genealogy/

The Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society
P.O. Box 896, LCD 2, Hamilton
(905) 521-3060
http://www.headofthelake.ca/

Land Registry Office, Hamilton
Ellen Fairclough Building
119 King St. West (in person only)

LDS Family History Centre, Hamilton Branch
701 Stonechurch Road East, Hamilton (905) 385-5009

Library and Archives Canada - Canadian Genealogy Centre
395 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N3
Toll free: 1-866-578-7777 (Canada and U.S.A.)
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/genealogy/index-e.html

Ontario Genealogical Society, Hamilton Branch
Box 904, LCD 1 Hamilton, Ontario Canada L8N 3P6
http://www.hwcn.org/link/HBOGS/

Wentworth County Genealogical Source Page
http://www.hwcn.org/link/wengenweb/

Government Sources

Governments (national, provincial, local and regional) and inter-governmental organizations (like the United Nations) publish documents, reports, articles and books relevant to many fields of study.
Use McMaster's library catalogue and/or consult our guides to government publications to find government sources.

 

The Government Publications collection is on the 2nd floor of Mills Library and consists of the official publications of Canada's three levels of government (federal, provincial and municipal) as well as selected publications of other countries' governments. Government publications can be accessed through the library catalogue.

Please visit the Government Publications page for contact information.

Some Genealogical Sources Located in the Government Publications Collection

Census

In Canada, the federal government is responsible for recording and preserving nominal census information. For settled areas, the nominal census begins in 1851. Government Publications has all published nominal census records on microfilm. Nominal census information is available for the years 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881,1891, 1901 and 1911. These years usually contain no names, just statistics or list only the heads of households and the total number of individuals in each household.

Facts to be gleaned from the census records include age, sex, place of birth, religion, occupation, marital status, education and physical disabilities. To speed the location of ancestors, genealogists should know the name of the city and ward or county and township where the ancestor resided.

Local branches of the Ontario Genealogical Society have published alphabetical name lists to the 1871 Census. These works greatly speed the location of ancestors for this time period. Approximately twenty of these guides have been published and are located in the Reference Area of Mills Library. Call numbers can be found by doing a title search in MORRIS under the heading: Index to the 1871 census of Ontario: (name of county).

Another source of interest to genealogists is a six volume set compiled and published by the National Library of Canada. This 1986 set, provides a list of published family genealogies located in Canadian archives and libraries, and can be found in MORRIS under the title Annotated Bibliography of Genealogical Works in Canada CA1.. LC....-86A511.

Please also see the Government Publications guide to Genealogical Materials

Geographic Sources

Sources specific to geography. Information About Places will help you find find statistics and descriptions of regions and countries worldwide. The Lloyd Reeds Map Collection has Maps and Atlases for every country.

The Map Collection is located on the first floor of Mills Library. This area houses historical atlases, city directories and selected fire insurance maps. Please visit the maps pages for additional information about the holdings of the map collection or hours of opening and service.

The Map Collection's historical atlases and gazetteers can be helpful in identifying the location of villages, hamlets and townships of the past. City directories for Hamilton are available from 1853 onward. These directories often include surrounding areas such as Ancaster, Aldershot, Burlington, Dundas, Stoney Creek and Waterdown and provide an alphabetical listing of adult persons including their addresses, occupations and employers.

A limited number of fire insurance maps for Hamilton and various other cities can be consulted in the Map Collection. These maps provide detailed information on structures such as building material, size, number of stories, usage and property lines.