Genealogy Chat

see below....

I'm thinking of trying my luck at doing my Canadian fathers line. My father was born in Hamilton Canada b1913 and I think his father was too but not sure. All I do know is that either my grandfather or his father before him was born in Scotland. Met and married a girl from Surry (not known if they met there or here) Are there any FREE sites that I can access from here? Or do I have to shell out the $200 to GR? Heres the juicy bit........ It was either my grandfather Stevens or my g/grandfather Stevens that owned what is now 'The Chigago Hilton Towers'! It was then named 'The Stevens' He married a divorcee named Mrs Palmer and when Stevens died she renamed it 'The Palmer' but she herself died soon after and the 'Hilton' bought it. Apparently they still have table wear with the Stevens emblem, burried in thier linen room. Oh boy! would I love to get my hands on a napkin!!!! lol Any help to start me off is much appretiated... Gerri x

Hi Jerri. I wonder if you could give us a lead by giving us your father's name and dates. Family search.org have a section on research tips for Canada plus 1881 census free. I do hope you get an invite to the hotel. The chicago site says the hotel was briefly the biggest in the world. There were at least two earlier Palmer hotels including one that was burnt in the great fire. The Stephens Palmer family lost the hotel in the great depression of the 30's due to bancrupcy. My son was working in America last summer and visited Chicago which he really liked. Regards Anne

Gerri The Canadian Censuses are online at http://automatedgenealogy(.)com/census/index.html If the town is Hamilton, Ontario, there is lots of genealogy stuff online about that province. Try google.ca (Canadian sites only) and put in what names you know. Try this site too - lots of links on there. http://www.islandnet(.)com/~jveinot/cghl/links-etc.html Hope this helps Sue

Thanks girls...your all stars! Annie My father was Albert Gerald Stevens b1913c he had two brothers....george and Stanley (younger I think) I also think the father was named Albert but maybe wrong. He must have died 1949ish (year I was born) as my father had to return to Canada to collect his inheretence(Mrs Palmer payed off all the Stevens) when I was 10 months old. Feb 1950. Not to be seen again untill I found him in 1990ish. The wife that was born in Surrey was Ethel Charlotte (no surname). She was a house keeper come cook for some royal household in Surrey before she went to Canada. I do wish my Mum was still alive to ask more details!! or I wish I had listened! hey ho! Thanks again girls Gerri<<< on a mission

Gerri I'm trawling through my Canadian sites (my Dad was Canadian) and found this free one. http://www.teamapproach.ca/genealogy/census.htm I'll add more as I find them. Sue

Thanks Sue.....I'll pop back now n then :-))) Gerri <<<<I WANT A NAPKIN! lol

Gerri Just found on the Ontario Cemetery finding aid site http://www.islandnet(.)com/ocfa/homepage.html a reference to a Charlotte Ethel and an Albert William Stevens, buried in Woodland Cemetery, Wentworth, Flamborough Head, Ontario. There are no other details but there is an address in Hamilton on the site where you can enquire for further details. Sue

OMG! this is exciting!!!! off to see if i can see it...

This is the Ontario Vital Statistics project. Lots of info on there. http://www.rootsweb(.)com/~onvsr/

Why wasnt I born with brains!!!!! I cant find it :-(( I have to go to work now but will try again later tonight. Whats confussing me is things like..they ask for county! is that Flambourgh? or Wentworth? I tried both but both came up 0...aaaggghhh! Off to find some brains and take my frustraitions out on the lads at work lol Thanks again Sue x

Gerri I just put his name in on the search page and didn't bother with anything else. Then I tried Ethel Stevens and it came up with Charlotte Ethel, buried in the same cemetery as Albert. I have to go to work too in a little while, but I'll pop back in the morning if I can find anything else. Sue x