Research: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Index:
- How do I go about researching my Guelph and area ancestors?
- How can I find out more about the history of my house?

How do I go about researching my Guelph and area ancestors?

There are several sources in Guelph for discovering more about your family history. The Guelph Public Library Archives houses local directories, census records, history books, newspapers, photographs, and other sources for undertaking genealogical research. You can also contact the Wellington Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society whose informative newsletter often contains information on local families, available research tools, and queries from people seeking relatives. Many genealogists are hard-working volunteers who have created a host of indexes to historical sources to make searches quicker and easier. The Guelph Civic Museum holds photographs and files on local business and people.

If you know that your ancestors were farmers, they likely lived in one of the townships near Guelph, and not in the city proper. The Wellington County Museum and Archives (WCMA) holds documents relating to the people of these townships, as well as some Guelph City sources and photos. The WCMA houses census records, newspapers, family files, and history books. The WCMA database of collections can be accessed online through the "Online Research Tool" listed on its website. Also available for viewing at the WCMA are the local Women’s Institutes’ Tweedsmuir History scrapbooks that contain reams of information. These have been indexed by name and subject.

When contacting any of the above institutions with genealogical queries, be sure to provide the specific information you are looking for, any names, dates, places you already know, and list what resources you’ve already checked (to avoid duplication). Be sure to include your mailing address, telephone number, and email address.

An institution should let you know if there is a research charge and how much it will be. They will likely ask you in advance how much time you want them to spend on a search, and may require a credit card number in order to begin research. Some people worry about giving this information over the internet so, to be safe, phone or fax your number. Remember that an unsuccessful search takes just as much time as a successful search. The more information you can give researchers, the better chance they'll have to provide you with something new.

How can I find out more about the history of my house?

Start by talking to your neighbours. They may remember the people who lived there decades before you did, and may also remember fires, important visitors, or other events relevant to your home's history. Make notes of any information they give you and bring that with you when you start your research.

Depending on how much information you’d like to discover, expect to spend between four and twenty hours researching. Why so long? Unless someone has already compiled a book detailing the history of your house (very rare), you’ll have to check many different sources to piece together the history of your property.

You will first need to consult the Land Abstract Index. This lists, in chart form, the history of transactions on your property such as sales and mortgages, their dates, and who did the buying and selling. These indices are organized by lot number (not street number) so you’ll need to know the legal address of your property. You’ll find the lot number on your gas bill or deed of sale. Land Abstracts from present to past are available at the Wellington County Land Registry Office at the south-west corner of Stone Road and Gordon Street. Some local archives also have this information on microfilm.

Once you’ve consulted the Land Abstract Index and have a list of owners and their dates of ownership, you can begin looking in local history books, family and clipping files for information on those people.

If you’re hoping to find old photos of the house, remember that when Archives receive donations of photographs, they usually don’t come with a lot number or street address written on the back. Look for photos of the various owners of the property, and you might find that they were taken in the house or outside it. Likewise, a photo might be catalogued as "Harry Jones’ house on Dublin Street".

The house you live in, even if it’s old, might not be the original house on the site. Some census records list what type of structure a family was living in, and how many storeys it had. This will usually give you a clue if this is the house that still stands. Census records will also tell you who was living there at a given time. Were they an elderly couple with two dogs, or a family of eighteen with many servants? Census records will give you the occupants’ names, ages, occupations, marital status, religion, and more.

If you can estimate the approximate age of your house by its stylistic features and method of construction, you will likely be able to guess which owner was the one who had it built. To cofirm the name, you can look at tax assessment records for further clues. If the owner paid $100 in property taxes in 1883 and 1884 and then taxes jumped to $700 in 1885, you can make a pretty good guess that he undertook some major improvements that year, usually building a new house, or constructing on an addition.

Local newspapers can also provide great information on your home at various stages of its life. As the Land Abstracts give a specific date when the property was sold, check the weeks leading up to the sale to see if a real estate ad was posted in the paper. Newspapers were a lot chattier than they are now. Check the gossip columns in the week after the sale as you’ll sometimes discover a note about the sale. A report might read something to the tune of, "We hear that Mr. George Smart has just sold his stately brick home on Oxford Street, and we wish him every success in his new teaching post in Orangeville. Dr. Gordon Smith of Hamilton has purchased the home, and plans to move his family there this Spring".

These are just some of the resources available at local archives for undertaking property research. Staff at the archives should be able to answer your questions and point you to further resources.