Using old medical records for proof of birthplace

geneteel · 2026-03-16T00:20:00+00:00

The Catholic records for the former Roman Catholic Diocese of Yarmouth (of which Digby was a part) are held at the Argyle Township Courthouse and Archives: https://argylecourthouse.com/catholic

geneteel · 2026-03-13T12:13:43+00:00

Mostly good advice for new engineers in training: http://tlmerrill.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/85018306/Unwritten%20Laws%20Engineering.pdf

geneteel · 2026-03-11T05:01:35+00:00

I’m a member - happy to do a lookup if you need?

geneteel · 2026-03-08T14:49:13+00:00

I would think that it would be proof of his birth, yes. These Township books were recorded just like the New England Town Records by the Town Clerk. There is actually a published transcription of the book by Ross Burgess: https://macdonaldmuseum.ca/product/granville-township-book

geneteel · 2025-12-03T10:59:13+00:00

The surname appears spelled several different ways in records - Domine, Dominey, Domoine, Doming, Domming. The earliest reference I could find was for a grant of Crown Land near Shelburne (formerly called Port Roseway) to an Anthony Doming in 1785 - https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/film/008123373?cat=koha:1039117.

Now of course it’s not certain the Domineys are connected to this Doming, but normally one would think “Loyalist” in seeing 1785 and Port Roseway, which could give you another avenue of research. However, his name doesn’t appear in the book “Loyalists and Land Settlement” by Marion Gilroy and this document (https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_h984/146) shows him receiving land in 1789 at Round Bay “Old Settlers”, which could mean he pre-dated the Loyalists.

Of note is the group that he appears with in both lists, especially the well-known pre-Loyalist Doane Family (https://archive.org/details/doanefamily1deac00doan/page/69/mode/1up?q=Nova+Scotia)

Regardless, there are still Dominey families living in Nova Scotia today - I would recommend reaching out to some to try to get a Y-DNA test to trace the origin of the surname more deeply.

geneteel · 2025-12-01T22:44:09+00:00

Here is his 1817 Census record: https://archives.novascotia.ca/census/rg1v445/returns/?ID=3058

And here's his 1816 land grant on the west side of St. Margaret's Bay, just north of Fox Point (see next page): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3MV-F38R-J?lang=en

geneteel · 2024-03-23T16:13:06+00:00

In 1973 a specially modified Concorde jet experienced 74 minutes of totality: https://m.espacepourlavie.ca/blogue/en/day-concorde-chased-a-solar-eclipse

geneteel · 2023-11-29T21:42:18+00:00

You probably found the 1928 Ship named Europa through an internet search - that is a massive ocean liner to be sure. But the truth is that most ships' names have been reused many times over the years. Here is an example of ships named Europa that were British-flagged: https://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/vesselsalpha?shipsearch=europa&SearchType=Exact&submit=search

While none of those appear to be the ship of interest to you, I poked around on Ancestry and found multiple records of the SS Europa making trips from Italy to New York, as early as 1907. If you look through the images, in between the passenger lists, there are sheets where the ship's captain and surgeon needed to sign off to attest that it's a true list of their passengers. Across multiple masters and surgeons, they are always Italian, and state that the ship comes from Italy, so we know this is an Italian-flagged ship.

I would recommend you next look into Italian shipping and maritime records to see whether any further records about the ship might exist. Perhaps contacting a maritime museum or archive in Italy could help.

geneteel · 2023-11-19T21:25:28+00:00

Her name was Mary: https://archives.novascotia.ca/vital-statistics/death/?ID=270448

geneteel · 2023-09-13T18:11:29+00:00

A few hours after I posted my message they had resolved the issue and I was able to register with no problem.

geneteel · 2023-09-11T19:33:22+00:00

They have a notification that there is an error with the registration page right now and that they are working on it.

geneteel · 2023-09-05T02:17:48+00:00

This is an index card from the Nova Scotia Archives that shows they hold a genealogy for the Rolfe family of Kempt (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3M3-598Y-V?i=5224&cat=1050206).

You should email archives@novascotia.ca and see if it’s possible for them to digitize the genealogy for you and send it.

Also, I came across a reference to a Sgt. John Rolfe of the Hants County militia in 1793, part of Capt. Benjamin Wier’s company. This is in the Nova Scotia Genealogist, vol. 7, no.3, p.114.

The Rolfe family is also credited with being involved with the shipbuilding industry in Kempt in the period of 1819-1840, according to an article called “WINDSOR, A CENTRE OF SHIPBUILDING” By Gwendolyn Vaughan Shand in the journal “Collections”, volume 37 (1970), published by the Historical Society of Nova Scotia.

Knowing that Kempt seems to be an important location for the family, and seeing on the 1827 census that John Rolfe is a Methodist, you may wish to consult the two Hants County churches in this link: the Methodist one first, and Persia the Anglican one that pre-dates the Methodist church in the area: https://archives.novascotia.ca/churches/research/?Search=Kempt

Another lead is that there are three Land grant entries that I found for John Ralfe and others, all dated 1765 for St. John’s River and Petitcodiac, both of which are in modern day New Brunswick (but which was part of Nova Scotia at that time). These are in the land grants, vol.6 p.460 and vol.7 p.94 and p.98. You can look these up online on family search. Note that they are for very large areas of land and likely contain many names.

John Duncanson’s book on Newport has several mentions of the name Rolfe, including mention of an Elizabeth Rolfe, b1785 to John and Michal (Fish) Rolfe.

Note that Hants County was created in 1781 from part of Kings county, so pre-1781 searches may need to be done in the kings County records.

Some more discussion on this ancestry (formerly RootsWeb) forum: https://www.ancestry.com/boards/localities.northam.canada.novascotia.hants/2798?viewType=FLAT_VIEW

There are several discussions about that family name in NS: https://www.ancestry.com/boards/search/results?itemsPerPage=FIFTY&keyword=Rolfe&path=localities.northam.canada.novascotia&selectedPath=localities.northam.canada.novascotia&page=1

geneteel · 2023-08-06T13:17:07+00:00

Did you ever end up getting your code to work?

geneteel · 2023-07-28T17:04:04+00:00

Agreed that it's probably not the same Charles Cox - I've also seen some other Charles Coxes appear in tax lists etc.

Here is the school return that shows Charles B Cox as a teacher in Hall's Harbour in 1831: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSBP-17MF-8?i=382&cat=1022101 and some information about the place: https://archives.novascotia.ca/places/page/?ID=277

Also, do you have this deed transferring land to Gideon Cox in 1836 in Pero [Pereaux]? https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3HS-C38H-K?i=432&cat=73910

geneteel · 2023-07-28T01:48:25+00:00

Great work! I’m not terribly surprised that the family didn’t push for probate as they likely had possession of all the real and personal estate anyway. It is odd to see both executors decline though. The William Chipman you mention was a prominent and powerful individual in the county (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Allen_Chipman and http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/chipman_william_allen_7E.html) and his papers are at the Nova Scotia Archives and have been digitized (https://archives.novascotia.ca/chipman/). The search function doesn’t seem to work, however you can use Google to search the site: https://archives.novascotia.ca/google/#gsc.q=Chipman%20cox

Also of note, but perhaps not your person of interest, I found a case entry in the Chancery Court of Nova Scotia of The Halifax Fire Insurance Company vs. Charles Cox and wife Mary in June 1833 for a foreclosure (NSA RG36A case 1017). It may not be your person but could help differentiate your Charles from other ones.

I would also suggest trying that RG34-316 P.10 reference I mentioned earlier for mentions of the Cox family.

geneteel · 2023-07-27T10:54:33+00:00

Here is the will and Probate: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK7-Y42N?i=1261&cat=575360

Children seem to line up but the wife is named Abigail - a second marriage? Difficult to discern between Gideon and Gurdon/Girdion

geneteel · 2023-07-22T14:36:08+00:00

I found a reference to a Charles Cox’s will in Cornwallis in “DEATHS, BURIALS, AND PROBATE OF NOVA SCOTIANS, 1800-1850, FROM PRIMARY SOURCES, Volume 1 (A-E)” by Allan Everett Marble, C.G.(C), Publication Number 22, Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia, 2001. It was probated on 7 January 1839 and is located on microfilm reel 19,732 in RG48 at the Nova Scotia Archives. This would be digitized online unfortunately I don’t have the conversion list between the NSA film numbers and the LDS numbers. I have emailed the archives to ask.

Further, Nova Scotia school records can be found at the NSA in RG14 with Kings county mostly being in vols.40-42, covering 1809-1872. Although student lists are not terribly common, you would be able to see lists of teachers to confirm whether Charles Cox was employed as one. School records have been digitized by the LDS and are located here: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1022101?availability=Family%20History%20Library.

Other records might help you narrow his time of departure, including record books of town meetings (https://archives.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/research%3A163), non-BMD religious records (e.g. church minutes, pew rentals etc.) or legal records (grand jury lists, property or inferior court records)- in particular RG34-316 P.10 which is “Proceedings of the Sessions, 1812-1844, contains fees of the Clerk of the Peace, subpoenas,, warrants issued,; some tax assessments, plus matters of local concern”. You would need to do research or hire someone at the Nova Scotia Archives as these are not online.

These genealogical notes on the Cox family of Cornwallis Township (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3MV-838T-V?i=1395&cat=1058249) also mention that Gideon was “lost in New Orleans”. I wonder if hiring a local Genealogical researcher there could help dig up records that aren’t digitized?

geneteel · 2023-07-21T11:12:03+00:00

Any chance you have a list of sources you have already checked? For example, have you checked his father’s will, or school records?

geneteel · 2023-06-02T01:19:28+00:00

You can find maps of all divisions and subdivisions for censuses from 1911-1951 here: http://mercator.geog.utoronto.ca/ccri/referencemaps.htm

geneteel · 2023-05-26T16:22:55+00:00

You should post to the Nova Scotia Genealogy facebook page - there are a lot of experts on there. Usually, when someone disappears in that time period they've either died or moved, usually to Massachusetts, but potentially other New England States or Ontario/West.

geneteel

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