One of my favourite genealogy blogs is John Reid’s Anglo-Celtic Connections. I don’t know how he does it, but he always has the latest scoop on the LAC (everything from hirings and firings to new collections to updates of existing collections, and so on). Yesterday at Anglo-Celtic Connections, I read the following notice from the LAC:
Ottawa, July 14, 2011 – Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the addition of 484 digitized microfilm reels representing 1,125,141 new images regarding British military and naval records (RG 8, “C” Series) to its website. These records include a wide range of documents related to the British army in Canada, Loyalist regiments, the War of 1812, the Canadian militia, and more. Both microfilm reels for the nominal card index and the archival documents have been digitized and are now accessible online. Through the research tool “microform digitization,” you can browse the microfilm reels page by page.
Since I’m currently looking for military records pertaining to my 3x great-grandfather Denis Killeen, this sounded promising. So I followed the hyperlink provided by John Reid.
Here’s how I found a record of Denis Killeen’s recent arrival at Québec:
Browsing through British Military and Naval Records (RG 8, C Series) – INDEX ONLY, I found the “Ks” in C-11827, with the following at image/page 861 (btw, I did not go through 860 images before arriving at this one: I started going by the hundred — 100, 200, 300, etc. — to narrow things down):
I then searched for the actual document, to which the above index card refers.
Having no idea where to begin, I first clicked on “Help” to arrive at this page. Here I discovered that I could have saved myself some time by consulting How to Search the Index Cards before clicking around in the index to find the Ks in C-11827 (which covers Kerr, Robert to Lacroix, Joseph F; but Ks are also found in C-11826, which covers Jones, John to Kerr, Robert). On the same “Help” page, under Consulting the Records, I also found a link to RG 8, C Series: Microfilm Reel Numbers for Records.
In the bottom left corner of the above index card is the number C-190. The above-linked RG 8, C Series: Microfilm Reel Numbers for Records indicates that volume 190 is found in microfilm number C-2780, which covers volumes 187 – 192, p. 50.
Next I went to British Military and Naval Records (RG 8, C Series) – Documents to find C-2780. As per the above index card, I was looking for page 162 of volume 190 (note: this page number does not refer to the image/page number of the digitized version of the records, but to a previous numbering of the pages within each volume). C-2780 begins with volume 187, with volume 190 starting at image 660. I found page 162 of volume 190 at image/page 941 (again, I did not go through 940 images to find this, I began with clicking by the hundred [100, 200, 300, and so on] to narrow things down). Click thumbnail preview to see larger image:
The letter is from Thomas Stott, Paymaster Detachments, Quebec, to Thomas Bowles, Military Secretary, and is dated 12 October 1819. It reads:
Sir,I have the honor to report the arrival in this Garrison of several Pensioners named in the Margin who have been paid to 24th September on their producing Affidavits, Letters of Instruction, and Certificates of Admission, shewing they were entitled to this benefit, but as these Men have not appeared in the Lists recently received by the Commissary General from the Treasury, the Deputy Commissary of Accounts is desirous of an Authority to cover the disbursement which I have included in my Abstract now under examination, and it is therefore under these circumstances I beg you will be pleased to grant the document required.I have the honor to beSirYour most obedienthumble ServantThomas StottPaymaster Detachments
In the margin are the names of ten recently arrived military pensioners, with regiment numbers. The tenth in this list is Denis Killeen — 97th Foot.
Amazing to have this online (and in both .JPG and .PDF formats!).