Your Ancestor's Migration

Photo by Art Institute of Chicago on Unsplash

​As genealogists we love to find those dates and facts about our migrating ancestors. Sometimes if we are lucky, we find the ship manifest records that tell us when they came and who they came with. There are other ways to enhance their story. Let’s look.

​I was fortunate to listen to a great webinar this week presented by the Bruce Genealogical Society of Ontario, Cannada. The webinar was “The Old Woman Went Along: Senior Migration in 1800” by Dianne Brydon. Besides having a great title,  Brenda’s presentation discussed the journeys that her elderly women ancestors experienced in Ontario and even moving on to the Prairie Provinces much later in life. It was a fascinating look into their lives. Dianne went beyond the usual databases and records to find records and histories that provided context. One example that I found interesting was the statistical information regarding the number of women over eighty in the census location where the ancestor lived as well as a comparison across all of Ontario. It really put into perspective that she was a rare occurrence. It gives you some clue as to her fortitude and willingness to travel and start again with her family.
So, what kind of information could we be looking for to help enhance our family story of migration? Here are a few ideas that I gleaned from her presentation.

1. Diaries. We are not all so lucky to have an ancestor’s diary but we can learn a lot from people who had a similar experience or lived in the same area and documented this information. Good places to look for this type of information are at the Internet Archive or Hathi Trust.
2. Booklets and information for emigrants. Often in an effort to entice more people to settle in an area, companies developed booklets that provided practical information about the area, including exactly what the travelers should bring with them to be successful.
3. Travel. Spend some time looking at how people typically traveled from place to place during the time of your ancestor. There are likely common routes for covering the distance from the coast to further inland. Some were able to take trains to cross the country or steamboats on the Great Lakes. Once there perhaps they used carts or wagons to get to their homestead. Read regional histories or firsthand accounts of people from your area. Your ancestor may have had a similar experience.
4. Maps. You can often find migration route maps with local and regional historical societies. Or try searching online. It helps to picture the distance and obstacles they faced crossing large tracts of land.
5. Census Records. As I mentioned above, Dianne used the statistical information to give her another view about her ancestor.
6. Land. I love land records. I think they will tell you a lot about the family and what motivated them to stay or move on.

I hope this has given you more ideas for exploring your family’s story. Staying curious is key to finding those tidbits about our families and the time they lived in. Happy exploring!