KaySheldonSummary

Excerpts from the syllabus for this talk. The full syllabus includes 6 pages of talk notes and a 12 page appendix:

Quebec to Central Massachusetts and Connecticut Before the Automobile

Kay Sheldon, West Brookfield, MA

Editor's note: Kay Sheldon presents wonderful insights and examples for the familiar topic of Quebec migrations prompted by the Industrial Revolution. She also explains how these issues apply to other groups, regions and time periods. The following is an outline of the sub-topics covered. The full talk includes many illustrative, and often humorous, anecdotes. Kay Sheldon is a Professional Genealogist, specializing in ethnic and large group migrations, an experienced national conference and local cable TV speaker, and a founder of many innovative projects and organizations. She can be contacted at P.O. Box, Brookfield, MA 01506-0848 Kay Sheldon's material is Copyright 1999 and may not be redistributed without the express permission of the author.

History lessons and genealogy:

Most of us do not have famous ancestors, but we are still searching for all the Nobody's mentioned in our history lessons that moved from one place to another. Descendants want to know who these Nobody's were. Researchers who specialize in identifying large groups spend years providing us with reference volumes such as Paul Bunnel's Loyalist reference volumes [http://members.theglobe.com/loyalists/index.htm ]

Canadian migrations to and from eastern states have several "chain" and "group" patterns, including the descendants of the Acadian, Planter, Loyalist, Irish and French-Canadian groups during the Industrial Revolution.

The New England Industrial Revolution brought many workers from Canada, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine into Massachusetts to work in the industrial mills starting in the early 1800s. [See Mill Girls and general Industrial Revolution references in appendix]

Railroad passenger lists do not exist, but newspaper advertisements and schedules were common. [ Ron Karr's talk details the railroad development in New England and it's affect on migrations.]

These patterns mean that research for any group, not just French Canadian, should include investigating where neighbors and members of ethnic, church and town sections came from and went to.

Between about 1755 and 1763, the Acadians of the Maritimes were expelled into New England, the Carolinas, Georgia, France and England. Then, they often returned, even twenty years later to either the Maritimes or Quebec, as the Quebecois French. They managed to keep in touch and keep track of each other through the priests, even if they could not read and write. Recent reference volumes have been published by Stephen White of the Center for the Study of Acadians. [Al Hamel's talk provides an overview of Acadian patterns with a large annotated map]

They followed the jobs, sometimes in seasonal patterns, and returned home often.

The mills were opened and closed or changed hands many times, forcing immigrants to move to another mill town.

Churches were often organized by where the parishioners came from and provide records to trace them back.

Language and other issues caused many name variations.

[Al and Constance Hamel provided information at the New Hampshire and Quebec resource tables for the American Canadian Genealogical Society resources for name variations, e.g. the previously mentioned Acadian volumes by Steven White]

Migrations progressed beyond the jobs and homes provided by the mills once the families had more means.

There was an enormous amount of traveling back and forth between New England towns and Canadian hometowns. Quebec families used the trains. The Maritimes families primarily used the boats. [Henry Scannell's talk covers ship, passenger list and other resources, including Maritime shipping and trade since the 1600s]

Internal New England migrations form subgroups also. History books may not specifically mention your family, but they do mention group movements. Use general methods and sources to follow these routes, especially along the rivers and railroads.

Question and Answer Topics include Loyalists, Acadians, name changes and town histories.