A powerful collection of wartime letters, diaries, and photographs – never before shared with the public – has been unveiled online today to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

The Watson Collection, released as part of the Their Finest Hour project at the University of Oxford, tells the story of Frank Watson, an RAF serviceman captured by Japanese forces in 1942, and his wife May, who waited more than four years for his return. Frank’s journey took him from the fall of Singapore to a brutal POW camp in Japan, where he endured forced labour, beatings, and near-starvation. Back in Orpington, May wrote to Frank almost daily, not knowing if he was alive. While Britain celebrated VE Day, Frank remained in captivity. His long-awaited return came months later, to a country eager to move on.

The story is told through more than 2,600 scanned items, including diary entries, official documents, handwritten memoirs, photographs, mementos from captivity, and May’s letters – many never sent or intended for others to read.

Dr Matthew Kidd, who prepared the materials for publication, said: ‘The Watson Collection offers an unusually complete picture of wartime life, both overseas and at home. It is incredibly rich, honest, moving, and full of material that will be of interest to anyone interested in the human side of the war.’

The digitisation was funded by Andrew Watson, the couple’s son, who generously made the materials publicly accessible through the Their Finest Hour Online Archive. The collection is freely available to explore online from today.

Visit the Main Library on Saturday, August 23, 2025 (08/23/2025) for the Family History and Genealogy Fair!

Drop in and meet representatives from genealogy, family history, and local history organizations between 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Free and open to the public. No reservation is required.

Professional Genealogist Diane L. Richard will present two programs on August 23, 2025, at the Gaston County Public Library in Gastonia, N.C. Sponsored by Friends of the Gaston County Public Library.

EVENT SCHEDULE

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM   Meet representatives from local historical societies, genealogy or family history organizations, and museums

11:00 AM  -  12:00 PM  A “Hand-out” for Your Poor Ancestors: Local Parishes, and Counties Stepped Up. Presentation by Diane L. Richard.  [You may also continue to meet with organizations]

12:00 PM  -  1:00 PM     Meet representatives from local historical societies, genealogy or family history organizations, and museums

1:00 PM  -  2:00 PM   Let’s Focus on Colonial Records – Off-the-Beaten-Track Resources and Documenting Our Female Ancestors. Presentation by Diane L. Richard.

Diane L. Richard is a nationally recognized Professional Genealogist with special expertise in researching North Carolina records of all types.  She is the owner of Mosaic Research and Project Management,  and co-leader of Tar Heel Discoveries, which provides guided North Carolina genealogical research support one-on-one or via a weeklong program.

Diane has M.Eng. and M.B.A. degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She has been doing genealogy research since 1987 and since 2004 professionally focused on the records of North Carolina, other Southern States and migration paths to the Mississippi River.

Since 2006 she has authored almost 300 articles on genealogical topics for a variety of publications including Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today (was Family Chronicle).  From 2010-2017, Diane served as the editor of Upfront with NGS, the blog of the National Genealogical Society and published over 2000 posts. She is current editor of the North Carolina Genealogical Society Journal and past editor of Wake Treasures, the journal of the Wake County Genealogical Society. She is a member of the national and local chapters of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the National Genealogical Society.  She has researched NC roots for the popular TV show Who Do You Think You Are? and appeared on the Bryan Cranston episode. She also appeared on The Dead Files season 12, episode 7 “Detox”.

She is a member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild (GSG) and as a speaker she has done webinars (coast-to-coast), conference presentations (FGS, NGS, TxSGS, FxGS, NERGC, SCGS Jamboree, etc), workshops, and local meeting programs about the availability and richness of records documenting North Carolinians, genealogical research techniques and tips, under-utilized resource collections and much more.

A “Hand-out” for Your Poor Ancestors: Local Parishes, and Counties Stepped Up. Presentation by Diane L. Richard. 

11:00 AM

Providing relief to those in need is not a modern concept. Throughout history, the records reflect the provision for assistance or relief to those in need. Whether one received food, a dispensation to not pay taxes, support money for a bastard child, was apprenticed, hospitalized in a sanitarium, or facing other struggles, they may have been the recipient of some form of relief for the poor.

Let’s Focus on Colonial Records – Off-the-Beaten-Track Resources and Documenting Our Female Ancestors.

1:00 PM

Details on “where” to look for colonial records and the gaps that exist in them. Includes examples of places where women “would” be documented in the colonial era.

The following is a press release written by the folks at TheGenealogist:

TheGenealogist is pleased to announce the release of a fascinating collection of historic occupational records for medical and nursing professionals, opening new research opportunities for family historians.

These newly added publications cover doctors, surgeons and nurses from the mid-19th to mid-20th century and contain nearly 200,000 names. Researchers can now explore details such as qualifications, training, addresses and career histories, invaluable for building a fuller picture of an ancestor’s life.

Included in this release is Sophia Jex-Blake, one of the most influential figures in British medical history. As the first female doctor to practise in Scotland and a leader in the fight for women’s access to medical education, her entry sits alongside those of thousands of other medical professionals from the era. Read her story here:www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2025/from-victorian-roots-to-medical-pioneer-8732/.

[ Sophia Jex-Blake in the newly released Medical Records ]

Mark Bayley, Head of Content at TheGenealogist, says:

“These directories provide a detailed snapshot of the lives of medical professionals, from the pioneers who broke barriers to the everyday practitioners who served their communities. For family historians, they offer an invaluable source of biographical detail that can bring your ancestor’s story to life.”

The new records are available now to all Diamond subscribers at TheGenealogist.co.uk.

The new records include: The Medical Register 1897; The Medical Register 1906; The Medical Register 1939; Medical Directory for Ireland 1856; Register of Nurses for Scotland 1947; Register of Nurses for Scotland 1948.

Don’t miss out! For a limited time, you can subscribe to TheGenealogist for just £118.95 - Save Over £75

Not only will you get a lifetime discount, but you'll also receive a 12-Month Subscription to Discover Your Ancestors Online Magazine! 

Explore these new records and start your genealogical journey today with TheGenealogist by claiming this offer here:https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/MGBMED825

Offer expires 30th November 2025.

About TheGenealogist

TheGenealogist is an award-winning online family history website, who put a wealth of information at the fingertips of family historians. Their approach is to bring hard to use physical records to life online with easy to use interfaces such as their Tithe and newly released Lloyd George Domesday collections. 

TheGenealogist’s innovative SmartSearch technology links records together to help you find your ancestors more easily. TheGenealogist is one of the leading providers of online family history records. Along with the standard Birth, Marriage, Death and Census records, they also have significant collections of Parish and Nonconformist records, PCC Will Records, Irish Records, Military records, Occupations, Newspaper record collections amongst many others.

TheGenealogist uses the latest technology to help you bring your family history to life. Use TheGenealogist to find your ancestors today!

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The Delaware Public Archives is excited to announce the launch of an enhanced State of Delaware Historical Markers Map, now available on our website. Built on ArcGIS in collaboration with DE FirstMap, this dynamic tool brings Delaware’s rich history to your fingertips.

With just a few clicks, users can explore all the state’s official historical markers, discover detailed information about each site, and easily navigate to related content on our website. The map offers powerful filtering options, allowing you to search by marker category, city, and Historical Categories such as America’s 250th anniversary, Black History, Hundreds, Native American heritage, and Women’s History.

Whether you’re planning a road trip, researching local history, or simply curious about the stories that shaped the First State, the State of Delaware Historical Markers Map is your gateway to exploring Delaware’s past in an interactive, user-friendly format.

Discover it now at: https://archives.delaware.gov/delaware-historical-markers/

If you have questions, or for more information, please email historicalmarkers@delaware.gov.

About the State of Delaware Historical Markers Program:

The State of Delaware Historical Markers Program traces its origins to 1929, when Governor C. Douglass Buck appointed a committee to review Delaware’s notable historic sites and develop a way to identify them. In 1931, the General Assembly of Delaware passed an act establishing a commission to erect historical markers throughout the state. The markers in each county were numbered sequentially as they were proposed, preceded by NC (New Castle), K (Kent), and S (Sussex) to note the county in which they were located. Since the 1930s, the State of Delaware has erected over 700 markers. The Delaware Public Archives has administered the Historical Markers Program since 1990.

For more information about the Delaware Public Archives or to learn more about events and other items of interest at the Archives, visit the website at archives.delaware.gov.

A California man has been sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl 40 years ago. Gary Gene Ramirez, 78, entered a no contest plea in May to the murder of Karen Stitt, who was stabbed 59 times after she was left waiting at a bus stop in Palo Alto in 1982.

Karen was on a date with her boyfriend David Woods on September 2, 1982, where they played video games and mini-golf before he dropped her off at the bus stop just after midnight. Woods left the teen, who was waiting for the route 22 bus to take her the 10-mile (16km) journey home to Sunnyvale, after he became anxious about being late and his parents finding out.

A delivery driver found the girl’s naked body behind a blood-stained cinder block wall just 100 yards from the bus stop the next morning. She had been stabbed in the neck, abdomen and chest and had her wrists tied with her shirt, with her jacket tied around her ankle.

Breakthrough After Decades

Police had been baffled by the crime for almost 40 years until a tip-off in 2019 told them Karen’s killer was one of four brothers from Fresno, California. Detectives then started working with genetic genealogy experts who compared DNA found at the crime scene with samples from the brothers’ children.

This led them to Ramirez, who was arrested at his home in Maui, Hawaii on August 2, 2022. The 75-year-old simply replied: “Oh, my gosh” when police approached him. 

Ramirez had led an unassuming life with no prior criminal record and had various jobs, including working as an exterminator in Hawaii after serving in the US Air Force. He had been married twice and had two children and nobody had ever suspected he was involved in one of the West Coast’s most notorious unsolved crimes.

Emotional Sentencing Hearing

At his no contest plea, Ramirez sat motionless in the courtroom as victim impact statements were read out. Karen’s best friend Tracy Lancaster said: “Since Karen was brutally taken from us, there have been many unanswered questions - ‘why’ being the biggest.”

Friend Michael Calhoun added: “Just because you’ve been caught, finally, and you will start serving your sentence - your punishment for your brutally gruesome crime - there will still never be closure. Karen is gone. We will never get her back.” 

Karen’s boyfriend David Woods, who was on that final date with her, was in court with his wife for the hearing. He told the court: “His heinous crime, that ended her life in such a horrific way, has caused deep heartache and continued suffering for the many that loved Karen Stitt.”

Ramirez was sentenced to life in prison and will only be eligible for parole after 25 years. Karen’s father and sister had died before seeing justice done, but her remaining family members expressed relief at finally getting answers after more than four decades of uncertainty.

Wyoming’s museums, historical societies, archives and cultural heritage institutions can access free, professional archival expertise through the Wyoming Roving Archivist Program.

The program is welcoming Morgan Stence as the new roving archivist, ready to visit institutions across the state to help preserve and share Wyoming’s irreplaceable historical collections.

“We know that many of Wyoming’s cultural heritage institutions want to better care for their collection, but may not know where to start or lack the resources for professional consultation,” Marcie Blaylock, reference historian and archivist for the Wyoming State Archives, said in a news release. “The Roving Archivist Program brings that expertise directly to you — at no cost to your institution.”

The program offers comprehensive, on-site assessments that help institutions understand their collections’ needs and develop realistic improvement plans.

Applications are now open, and institutions across Wyoming are encouraged to apply. The program serves museums, historical societies, archives, libraries with special collections, tribal cultural centers and any organization caring for historical materials.

Apply online at tinyurl.com/wyo-roving-archivist-app.

For more information about the Roving Archivist Program, visit online at rovingarchivist.wyo.gov.

Throughout the fall, visitors at Ohio University’s Alden Library will have an opportunity to view historical materials collected by the League of Women Voters of Athens County (LWVAC) in a student-curated exhibit. The exhibit will be on display on the 4th floor and will be celebrated with an opening reception on September 16th at 6pm in the 4th floor lounge.

The exhibit, Venturing Into Voting , includes publications, pamphlets, and ephemera which document the League’s history of activism and outreach since the Athens County chapter formed in April 1949. While the materials cover a wide range of issues spanning 70+ years, they also underscore the organization’s steadfast mission to promote informed voting.

Materials featured in the exhibit are sourced from the LWVAC records, an archival collection housed in the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections. Since 1972, LWVAC organizers have donated local League records, publications, research files, and memorabilia to the Libraries’ archives where they can be accessed by students and researchers.

During the spring 2025 semester, Manuscripts Archives Intern, Alexis Reynolds, was tasked with processing the LWVAC records. Under the supervision of Manuscripts Archivist, Greta Suiter, she reviewed, arranged, and documented more than 30 boxes of content to be added to the collection finding aid so that future users can navigate it with ease. Reynolds reflects on this experience in a blog post, noting the connection between past and present through LWVAC’s 75-year legacy and continuous involvement here in Athens.

Reynolds, a junior studying English and World Religions, also curated the exhibition which highlights some of the unique artifacts she uncovered while processing the collection. In addition to national publications, the display features documents, reports, and print materials produced by the League’s local chapter.

Items selected for display illustrate the broad range of issues addressed by LWV throughout the years, including civil rights, climate action, health care reform, foreign policy, and more. According to Reynolds, “anyone who sees these pamphlets will understand just by looking at them that LWV was involved in various different issues across the years, some or all of which are still relevant today.”

The exhibit opening planned for September 16th coincides with National Voter Registration Day and will feature remarks from Professor Emerita Dr. Katherine Jellison about her involvement with the League.

For more information, please contact Greta Suiter at suiter@ohio.edu.

Ontario Ancestors is currently accepting proposals for our monthly 2026 Webinar Series. Our live webinars will take place on the first Thursday of the month at 7pm ET using the Zoom platform. These sessions are open to everyone.

Topics of Interest

We invite proposals on a wide range of topics, but the most popular topics for our members are:

Methods and Tools for Research - AI use in Genealogy, Where to Research - Archives, Digital Collections,

Municipalities, Public Libraries, Universities, Organizing & Storing Digital & Physical Records, Research

Methodology & Procedures (proof standards, citation, copyright...), DNA/Genetic Genealogy –

Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced, Research Planning/Execution – effective & efficient

Preserving and Communicating Our Family History - Writing/Publishing Your Family History, Preserving

Family Heirlooms & Photographs, Personal Legacy & Genealogy Will, Contributing to Your Genealogy

Community (indexing, transcribing, donating, volunteering, mentoring, researching), Writing/Publishing

Using Digital Media – Blogs, Social Media, Websites

Records for Research - Land Records (Ontario & Canada), County-specific Research Resources,

Immigration Records, Newspapers, Cemeteries, Religious Records

Researching Ethnic, Religious and Cultural Communities - Protestant Ancestors, Female Ancestors /

Women’s History, Catholic Ancestors, Quaker Ancestors, Indigenous Ancestors.

We are looking for topics on basic, intermediate and advanced levels. Selected speakers need to be prepared to  provide Ontario and/or Canadian specific examples in their presentations as applicable.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: Monday, September 15, 2025 at 11:59pm ET. To submit your proposal please follow this link: https://ogs.on.ca/webinar-submissions/.

Further Information

Speakers may submit up to 3 proposals for consideration.

All submissions will be reviewed but only those chosen will be contacted by Monday, October 1st.

All other submissions will be retained and reviewed throughout the year for potential series, mini-conferences or special topic webinars in the future.

Those chosen speakers will receive an honorarium for their webinar presentation.

About Ontario Ancestors

The Ontario Genealogical Society, founded in 1961, is the leading society in all aspects of Ontario-related family history research, preservation and communication. Our mission is to encourage, bring together and assist those interested in the pursuit of family history and to preserve our Ontario genealogical heritage. The Ontario Genealogical Society is the largest genealogical society inmCanada. Visit us at https:/ /ogs.on.ca

If you have any questions, please contact: Kim Barnsdale at webinar@ogs.on.ca.

Stephen White, who wrote the definitive publication on the early Acadians, "The Genealogical Dictionary of Acadian Families," died Aug. 13.

He was 78 years old and died in a nursing home.

White was born in Massachusetts and is of Acadian descent. He was a resident of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

After becoming a lawyer, he spent 49 years fulfilling his life's work as a full-time genealogist at the Anselme-Chiasson Centre for Acadian Studies at the University of Moncton.

White "dedicated his whole life to preparing the genealogy of every Acadian in the world," Warren Perrin of Lafayette said.

Perrin, an author, attorney and advocate for preserving the Acadians' heritage, said White was "the foremost expert on Cajun genealogy in the world."

White visited Louisiana several times, Perrin said, and would help anyone who asked with their genealogy.

He was awarded many honors for his work, including the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and in May was named an Honorary Member of the Order of Canada, the second-highest award of merit in Canada. He also belonged to several Acadian family associations, including the Fédération Associations de Familles Acadiennes. 

The first Acadians were residents of France who, in the 1600s, settled first in Port-Royale, Nova Scotia, then colonized other parts of Canada's Maritime region.

In the mid-1700s, the British gained control of the region called Acadia and deported the Acadians in what is now called the Great Upheaval or Le Grand Dérangement. Many made their way to Louisiana where their descendants today are called Cajuns.

A new museum telling the story of Clydebank through a range of never-before-displayed objects was officially opened today. 

The facility – located in the basement of Clydebank Library – features displays on the town’s proud industrial past from the world-famous Singer Sewing Machine production to the iconic shipbuilding legacy of John Brown’s and Beardmore Yard .

It also commemorates the bravery and resilience of the people of Clydebank during World War II, when the town was hit by one of the worst bomb strikes in Europe, as well as remembering those who lost their lives during those two days, now known as the Clydebank Blitz.

Members of the public, including two survivors of the Clydebank Blitz, were joined by elected members at the museum today to mark its official opening, while also marking the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan (VJ) Day when WWII ended on 15 August 1945.

Councillor William Rooney, Convener of Corporate Services, said: “We’re proud to officially open Clydebank Museum, and it is all the more poignant that we are also marking the anniversary of VJ Day, which signalled the end of World War II, today.

“The Clydebank Blitz has shaped this town, and the museum provides a fantastic opportunity and insight into the strength and spirit of its people in the aftermath, so it’s fitting that we are marking both occasions today.

“This is an absolutely fantastic space which has something of interest for everyone — whether you're looking to trace your family history, explore the town’s industrial roots, or simply enjoy learning more about the place we call home. It's an important part of how we preserve our shared story for future generations.”

The space features a wide range of objects, photographs and artwork reflecting life in the community as well as offering digital access to historical newspapers, maps, and family records.

It has been designed to be welcoming and easy to use, with helpful staff on hand and facilities including digital terminals and a dedicated research room. Community groups and schools are also encouraged to make use of the new centre, with group visits and workshops available to book through the Council.

Councillor Lawrence O’Neill, Vice-Convener of Corporate Services, added: “This new space brings history to life in a way that’s accessible and engaging. It’s not just about looking back—it’s about helping people connect with the stories and heritage that continue to shape Clydebank today.”

The museum and archive is open Monday to Saturday, with late opening on Thursdays. Admission is free.

To find out more about opening hours, current displays, and how to book a group visit, go to https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/leisure-parks-events/museums-and-galleries/clydebank-museum-and-local-history-archives/