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"On Earth, one gentle soul the less; in Heaven, one angel more." So reads the epitaph of Scottish nursemaid Janet Smith, the victim of a 1924 tragedy that ignited racial tension in a very young Vancouver. At the core of the issue were the mysterious circumstances surrounding Smith's death, particularly the fact that the only other adult in the house at the time was the Chinese house boy. When Smith's death was followed by the assassination of Davie Lew, a well-known Chinese man, it only strengthened the European view that Vancouver's Asian community was a hotbed of violence and corruption. Newspaper editors and most of Vancouver's white community raised an outcry, charging the police with incompetence and demanding arrests, while Presbyterian indignation called for law and order as well as an end to Chinese immigration. Before the summer was over, the tongs of Chinatown and the clans of Canada's West Coast were set to defend their own, and one Scottish minister went so far as to declare it a time of 'holy war'. ... Read more

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Since the creation of the Canadian honours system in 1967, more than 250,000 Canadians have been rewarded, yet little has been written about it. This full-colour illustrated book recounts the history of Canada’s various national orders, decorations, and medals, from New France’s Croix de St. Louis, through the British Order of the Bath, to modern Canadian awards such as the General Campaign Star.

Each award in the modern Canadian honours system is examined in detail, including historical background, design, and criteria for bestowal. With special chapters on heraldry, protocol, and the proper mounting and wear of medals, it is an essential reference for anyone interested in Canadian honours. ... Read more

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Graveyards tell us a great deal about our country, as Nancy Millar discovered when she toured cemeteries across Canada to explore the history, mysteries, and stories found there.Here are stories about pioneers and settlers, missionaries and Native people, artists and politicians, and the ordinary people whose often unsung lives reveal so much about our past.

Millar highlights the "best" graveyards in each province, the most popular epitaphs, the most original gravemarkers, the most carefully guarded grave, the most poetic graveyard in the country, and much more.With more than ninety photographs, the book also provides interesting observations on graveyard architecture, Indian burial customs, and the variations in epitaphs among religions, genders, races, and provinces. So join Nancy Millar, Canada's Tombstone Tourist, for an engaging and unusual look at our history.

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The transcribed letters of Charles McDowell and his wife, Nancy, display remarkable devotion, and offer readers a unique perspective of the Civil War. Read little known details about: hangings; prostitution; amputations; desertions; theft and murder among Union troops; personal contacts with Lincoln and Seward (of "Seward's Alaskan Folly"); battles of Cold Harbor, Jerusalem Plank Road, Monocacy, Opequon, Fisher's Hill, Cedar Creek, the Siege of Petersburg, Moseby's Men, and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. This story is cohesive and informative yet charming and romantic in a very personal way. Vintage photographs enhance the text.2004, 5½x8½, paper, 202 pp. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

History Brought to Your Door
EVER TRUE sweeps the dust off history, reading makes one look forward to the next letter as if we were waiting for the postman.

Can't put it down!
A really great read for the Civil War history buff.Highly recommended, very readable and hard to put down. Excellent work by Lisa Saunders.

GREAT BOOK
I started reading yesterday and could not put it down.It is so interesting to have a look at the Civil War through the eyes of those that lived it, and Saunders' historical notes are facsinating.It amazes me to think that those letters were waiting for her to find and bring back out to the light of day.I am eagerly looking forward to being able to read more later today!

Ordinary folks in extraordinary circumstances
"Ever True" is a stunning account of ordinary folks in extraordinary circumstances, folks who never lose their down-to-earth qualities while they learn the ways of a more sophisticated world.

David Sisson, Professor of English and avid genealogist ... Read more

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A richly illustrated chronicle that captures more than a century of life on a landmark Fraser Valley farm. This fascinating account details farming methods of a bygone era and all the toil, triumph and tragedy behind the establishment of a championship dairy herd.When Allen Casey Wells passed through the valley of the Chilliwack River en route to the Cariboo goldfields in the spring of 1862, he observed some lush natural meadows on the prairie. Several years later, he returned to take up land here for himself and his young family, establishing a farm on Luckakuck Creek that would come to be known as Edenbank--home to the Wells family for the next four generations.A.C.'s grandson, the late Oliver N. Wells, tells of the days when teamsters rode horses and cows were milked by hand. He relates how several generations of his family, with extraordinary determination and vision, pioneered farming techniques and developed an award-winning herd of Ayrshire cattle that they exhibited across the country. His account also provides insight into the life of a contented man who loved the land and his birthplace and left an important legacy. ... Read more

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Translated from Dutch, this collection of letters makes Available for the first time in English a detailed view of the Dutch pioneer community in southern Alberta. The letters reveal much about the immigrant experience and detail how these pioneers fared in the early years of Alberta's history. They document a slice of early life in Alberta just before and after the province was born in 1905, a time when the great land rush for free homesteads lured thousands of new settlers to the prairies from eastern Canada, the US and Europe. The book pictures the pioneer experience in elaborate detail, from the lonely homestead on the bald prairie to a well-developed rural community with new railroads and towns, new churches and schools, and even rural telephone service - all within the rapid course of a decade. Includes a map of a Dutch settlement in Alberta in addition to a wealth of genealogical information. ... Read more

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This guide to research in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia,Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Acadians, isthe major genealogical primer for the Atlantic Canada provinces. Thebook provides addresses of most research repositories, with theiraddresses and hours of opening, and a description of their majorcollections and how to access them. A historical background to themajor classes of genealogical records in each province is alsoincluded. Libraries and institutions, and all those with interests inAtlantic Canada, need this up-to-date guide in their referencecollection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Useful
At the time of both the first edition (1989) and this current edition (1997) the Internet was not the substantial resource for genealogists that it is today. Although most of the factual information contained in this volume is now available online, those interested will still want to have this reference for its many short overviews of the source materials, and the convenience of having all this information in one place.

Each section is written by a different author, a genealogist certified by the Genealogical Institute of the Maritimes. The following is taken from the preface: "The Genealogist's Handbook for Atlantic Canada Research is intended to be a companion to a similarly named book for research in New England. It is not a methods manual, but a guide to the location of records, repositories and genealogical societies in Atlantic Canada: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island."

Each geographic section is further broken down into concise subsections (generally 2 pages or less): Historical Overview; Major Archives; Vital Records; Census Records; Land Records; Probate Records; Church Records; Cemetery Records; Immigration; Museums, Libraries and Societies; Newspapers; Periodicals; and Bibliography.

Readers should note the author's statement that the book is not a methods manual. Inside you'll find no general advice, subjective analysis or professional insights. Rather, this handbook is a list of what resources exist, generally why they exist, the time periods they cover, and the information they contain. References are given to books with more in-depth information on certain topics. The extensive bibliographies are a highlight.

Information on emigration from the 5 provinces is evidently considered outside the scope of the work and therefore not mentioned. One rather glaring omission is the lack of any information on the native peoples of Atlantic Canada. Those interested should note that ethnic origin was specified for all individuals enumerated on federal Censes. Indian Censes also exist.

Although the focus of the handbook is on resources within Atlantic Canada, other repositories exist. In a postscript, the publisher, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, notes that they have microform copies of all extant Canadian federal censes through 1901, in addition to other resources. Although noted only once (on p25) the family history centers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also have much of this information.

Although not a standalone work, this handbook is a worthwhile addition to any interested researcher's library.
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The Dictionary of Canadian Biography is the definitive biographical reference work in Canadian history."No serious student of Canada's past can function without access to this thorough, balanced and reliable source." R. Hall, Globe and Mail. ... Read more

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The Dictionary of Canadian Biography provides authoritative biographical information about significant figures of Canada's past, including both detailed arcticles on Canada's major historical figures, and short articles on minor personages who have hitherto found no place in reference works or general histories. The DCB was founded through the benefaction of the late James Nicholson, who bequeathed the residue of his estate as a permanent endowment for a Canadian biographical dictionary. The French-language edition, Dictionnaire biographique du Canada, is published simultaneously by Les Presses de l'universite Laval. ... Read more

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Jean Morrison has written a fascinating and important book, full of drama and colourful historical figures. Rare paintings, drawings, maps and archival photographs complement her impeccable research and lively text. Superior Rendezvous-Place encompasses the French predecessors of Fort William, Native Peoples of the time and the evolution of the fur trade, with an emphasis on the North West Company era.

This most important work concludes with details of the reconstruction of the fort and the development of Old Fort William, one of Ontario's "must see" attractions.

"Jean Morrison is a natural story teller, and hers is an essential historical document in the compelling history of Fort William, once the centre of the North American commercial universe."
- Peter C. Newman, author of Caesars of the Wilderness

"This book is wonderful reading. Jean Morrison's prose is beautiful."
- Carolyn Podruchny, fur trade historian, Newberry Library, Chicago

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The Dictionary of Canadian Biography is the definitive biographical reference work in Canadian history."No serious student of Canada's past can function without access to this thorough, balanced and reliable source." R. Hall, Globe and Mail. ... Read more

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For more than 150 years, Africville endured as a community of African Nova Scotian families. In the 1960s, Halifax's city government decided to acquire the land and demolish the houses, destroying the community. Africville was demolished, but the spirit of the community lived on.
This book tells the story of Africville in words and pictures. It includes an account of the origins of Nova Scotia's Black residents, a history of Africville itself and an account of the events leading up to its demolition. Many key participants in the events of the 1960s offer their reflections on the destruction of the community, highlighting the lessons learned from a decision widely considered to be wrong--even by those who supported and implemented it at the time.

The Spirit of Africville is a beautiful, poignant account of a proud African Nova Scotian community, and of the systematic neglect, ignorance and arrogance that destroyed it. ... Read more