Page 79 - index
P. 79
Some Illustrated Examples 7 7
Local History
Local histories became popular in the late nineteenth and
early twentieth century when communities wanted to
record the history of their area - often by oral interviews
with descendants of pioneers. In this Cape Breton county,
note the references to "drowned at sea" and "died in the
United States" that recur regularly in many families of that
region. At least one informant's reference to drowning was
proven erroneous, when, in reality, the man in question
had lost touch with his birth family, made his way to
Manitoba and produced a large and healthy family. Again,
these are derivative sources, with secondary information
about ancestors, and depending on the commonality of the
surname in that area, could be indirect or direct evidence.
J.L. McDougall, Histor of Ini*emess County, p 247. Belleville, Ontario:
hIika Publishing, 1972 reprint of 1922 original publication.
