stirling_rawdon

Welcome to the Genealogy Room!

The Stirling-Rawdon Historical Society maintains a genealogy and local history reference room at the Stirling-Rawdon Public Library located at 43 West Front Street in downtown Stirling. Whether you're just getting started with your family history or are an experienced researcher, we hope that there is something in our collection that will help your research. While our primary focus is central Hastings County, our resources go far beyond our shores. Since our collections are always growing it is important to check back with this site from time to time to see what has been added. Our volunteers help staff the reference room on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons to provide personal assistance with your research.

MORE GOOD NEWS FOR GENEALOGISTS!!!
The Heritage Years is now available at the Stirling Municipal office. Plus, the Heritage Years, Volume 2 will be coming out in July 2008 in time for the Stirling's 150th!

More history of the village of Stirling will include:
- Updates on hundreds of family histories.
- More school days photos.
- Updates on churches.
- New township stories and photos.
- Business histories
- Hundreds of previously unpublished photographs.
- An updated index.

Both the Heritage Year and the Heritage Years, Volume 2 will be indispensable to anyone researching family in the Stirling area and a fabulous companion to the first volume. Order forms are available at the Stirling Municipal office or contact Lewis Zandbergen at 613-395-3022.
Order yours today! Only $65.00 prepaid!

Library Hours
Sunday	Closed
Monday	Closed
Tuesday	3:00 pm- 6:00 pm
Wednesday	3:00 pm- 8:30 pm
Thursday	3:00 pm- 7:00 pm
Friday	3:00 pm- 7:00 pm
Saturday	11:00 am- 4:00 pm

We are always available to provide assistance by special request either through our email address at history@stirling-rawdon.com or by making arrangements through the SRHS President, Lewis Zandbergen, at 613-395-3022.

If you are unable to view these documents you may need to download the Adobe Acrobat reader, which is available here .

For those just beginning their ancestor quest, here are a few valuable points to follow:
- Always start with what you know and work backwards.
- Record your research even if you have not found anything.
- Prove your relationships using government, census, church and other official records.
- Document the sources of your research.
- Interview your family elders now before it's too late.
- Join a local genealogy/ historical society to get guidance and assistance.
- Stay focussed with one family line at a time.

To help you get started the Stirling-Rawdon Historical Society has provided two basic forms you can use: An Ancestral Chart to document your direct blood pedigree and a Family Group Sheet to record the details of each family.

The resources available in the research room include the following:

Microfilm	- Women's Institute Tweedsmuir Histories – North Hastings - Ontario Marriage Registrations (1868-1885) (NOTE: These are the actual registrations and not just an index. Since more than one county are on some reels, click here to see the entire list.)
CD-ROMs	- An ever growing collection of LDS and FTM titles. Click here to see the list.
Databases	- We have tried to assemble a range of helpful, searchable databases. Click here to see the full list.
Books	- A wide range of helpful guides, maps, directories, local histories, family genealogies, cemetery transcripts and much more.
Computers	- There are 4 computers available for public access free of charge. These include one connected to the Internet, two for CD-ROM use and one dedicated to the CemSearch program. There are several printers available to help document your research. To see a list of the ready to use web sites on the Internet Computer click here.
Reader/ Printer	- A new reader/ printer is available for use with the microfilm reels.
Projects	- Stirling-Rawdon Historical Society volunteers are just getting started with several genealogical transcript projects which include the early Rawdon assessment rolls and local cemeteries.

NEW! Transcripts from 1838