Irish Ancestry and Family History - Answering Your Questions

Have you hit a wall in your family genealogy research? Melanie McLennan, specialist in Irish, Scottish and Canadian records, may be able to shed some light on your path.  Melanie offers a genealogy presentation every year at IRL and this year it’s all about your questions.  Submit your queries on the registration form and join us on Monday, March 11 for Melanie’s presentation.  The deadline to submit is Monday, Feb 26.  Please read the following guidelines for your submission.

Keep the question relevant to one family or ancestor. Explain briefly what you know (and what records you have to back it up) and what you are trying to find out. Give some background as to where they came from in Ireland (if known) and where they settled in Canada. Provide some dates to set the story on a timeline. If you know their religion (from Canadian records) mention this. If you know they have a military, medical, clerical or business occupation, describe it. If they were farmers, do you know where they settled and lived in Canada? Include any unusual or interesting facts about your family.

Please note that for the purposes of the presentation, answers may be combined to demonstrate to the larger group how to problem-solve a research query.

Donations to the IRL Festival to host these events are always welcome!

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Melanie McLennan

Melanie was born in Toronto and raised in the Muskoka region of Ontario. The young Melanie was always fascinated by stories of the “old days” of farming and the pioneers told to her by her elder family members. Her father was a land surveyor by profession and a farmer by interest. History, geography, antiques and artefacts were strong family interests while she grew up on a farm west of Huntsville, Ontario. Among her ancestors were United Empire Loyalists, shipbuilders, a ship’s captain, land surveyors, soldiers, ministers, farmers, lumbermen, seamstresses, merchants and spirit grocers.

Melanie has been working as a genealogical researcher part-time for ten years with her company Ancestral Tapestry. Specializing in Irish, United Kingdom and Canadian records, she is available to work for her clients sharing with them her knowledge, methodology and analytical skills, her extensive research library and her enthusiasm for family history research.