Digital Family Lineage project

UEL Heritage Centre (Bay of Quinte Branch)

The United Empire Loyalist Heritage Centre and Park, located in Adolphustown, Ontario, has completed a project aimed at creating digital family lineage resources. The project was made possible through grant money from the Museums Technology Fund of the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Funds allowed for the purchase of new computer, printer/scanner, family tree software, and other related digitizing equipment to carry out the project. In addition, money was provided for hiring of staff to carry out the project during the 2013 operating season of the UEL Heritage Centre. Most items for digitizing were provided by the Bay of Quinte Branch UEL.

The aims of the project are: to provide a secure digital backup of all printed membership file resources for the UEL Hertitage Centre & Park, and its partner, Bay of Quinte Branch UEL, to increase and improve the digital collection of the UEL Heritage Centre & Park, to create Loyalist Family tree resources using information and images from these files, and to increase awareness of the overall collection of the UEL Heritage Centre & Park, for research by staff, Loyalist descendants and the general public.

Over 5000 items have been digitally scanned or photographed during the project. Some highlights of the digitized items included are:

  • All Old branch membership files, covering 1956-1971
  • Some of the current membership files, from 1972-present
  • Adolphustown School papers (original documents) 1840-1900
  • Miscellaneous documents and images of artefacts

Up to date family tree software was installed in the library/research room at the UEL Heritage Centre so these records could be added to the existing Database, giving a total of over 100,000 names linked to Loyalist families that can now be researched. Some of the digital scans were linked to the names, but due to privacy regulations, not all records will be accessible to the general public.

Should you wish to have more information or to do research using these records, you may contact the UEL Heritage Centre and Park through its website at www.uel.ca.

– Brian Tackaberry