Genealogy of the Newfoundland Garland
and related families
The intent of this page is to make it easy for you to access family tree information. Please note that this site should not be used as a primary source of genealogy information but can be used as a pointer to primary sources and as a framework to guide your own research. The information on this site was derived from primary sources (census data, wills, church records, immediate family data, etc.) and secondary sources (second and third hand communication, etc.). It is an evolving story that you can help write. If you find mistakes, have comments or you have new information, please let me know. This site has grown largely because of the contributions from people who have visited this site and found links to the information that they have. So, don't hesitate to contact me to make your contribution, however small.
William J. Garland

, HOME (url: www.nuceng.ca/bill)

What's all this about?

  • These web pages document family tree information for William (Bill) Chesley Garland and Elsie Frances Benson (my parents) that has been gathered by their brood (and the better halves). This genealogical data has been compiled into a database containing some 3500+ names including my personal family tree (GARLAND + maternal lines BENSON / ALCOCK / LETHBRIDGE ...) and that of my spouse and the spouses of my siblings (PECKHAM / FRANCIS / ROBERTS / PERFECT / GOSSE / LESTER). Each individual has been assigned a unique (but arbitrary) ID # for reference purposes.
  • The geographical focus of this web site is the east coast of Newfoundland. See the Maps page for some maps of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • On these pages I use 'Conception Bay Garlands' to denote the branch that came from the Harbour Grace District and surrounding areas in Conception Bay. This is a misnomer that I will correct at the next major site update.
  • There are three main branches of Garlands in Newfoundland: the Conception Bay Garlands (my line), the Trinity Bay Garlands (the famous merchants of the 1700's) and the Lower Island Cove Garlands (north shore of Conception Bay North). The available evidence is given below. No links have been confirmed for these three branches but the search for connections continues. Tradition has it that the Conception Bay Garlands (Harbour Grace and area) are not related to the Lower Island Cove Branch (north shore of Conception Bay North). For an quick overview of the main branches in the database, view the following charts:
  • Speculation #1: Are the Trinity Bay Garlands connected to the Conception Bay Garlands?
  • Got a story about the Newfoundland Garlands and related families? Join in to help me write a collaborative document at http://www.writely.com/View.aspx?docid=ag6gjjf8h934.

The database

  • Disclosure policy: The full database contains information on living people. Out of respect for their privacy, it is general practice to not make public any information on living people other than their names and position on the family tree. Thus, details on living people have been 'cleaned' from the files and reports that follow. The full versions of the reports and files are also given here as password protected files. Only immediate members of my family have access to these protected files, denoted [protected] on this web site. Unless so noted, all files and reports on this web site have been 'cleaned'.
  • The database is big and it is easy to get lost. To help you get your bearings when you are viewing the database by the methods given below, try starting with the roots of the main branches (oldest known persons) that are stored under the surname AAA (eg Garland_Conception_Bay AAA leads to the root of the Conception Bay Garlands).
  • The database, zipped here as bk6all.zip [protected], was created using a shareware program called Brother's Keeper version 6 (BK6). I have not been able to figure out how to create a 'cleaned version' of the BK database for general distribution.
  • If you want to import the data into another program, download the database, clean.ged, in the generic GEDCOM format.
  • Browse the database via the self-viewing GEDCOM file, GV-clean.exe, created with Mudcreek's GENViewer software. Download it or view it from your browser. This is the best GEDCOM viewer I have found. You can view, search, sort and sift through the whole database with ease to see the big picture or zoom in on the details. You can use the 'Extract GEDCOM' button on the opening page to extract the clean.ged GEDCOM file for your personal use.
  • You can also view the whole genealogy database by browsing the database online in two different, but complementary, ways. These links will open up in a separate window with no frames to permit better printing. Adjust the text font size in your browser to get more or less text on a line.
    • Ancestry and descendants - This is really cool - generated by ged2web. Elegant and free! This view is great for seeing the bigger picture of how people are related over the generations. Unfortunately, ged2web does not retain the sources or the ID numbers of the original BK database.
    • Family group sheets on-line - generated by Brother's Keeper. Go to this view when you want to get the details on a family or individuals, including sources and notes.
  • Finally, the Indented Book Report (pdf 320kb) of all people in the database in a format suitable for easy searching and printing. This includes all dates, notes and sources for each person.
    • You might find the associated Alphabetical Index of names useful (pdf 90kb).
    • Hint: Search on the phrase '? link' in the above Indented Book Report to find names with speculative links made in the database.
  • Brother's Keeper was used to generate Reports (trees, indented book reports, etc) that are suitable for printing. Other views are possible; all you have to do is ask.
  • I am looking for better ways to display genealogy information on-line. Did you find the above forms convenient and complete? Let me know.
  • PhpGedView
  • Stay tuned for updates...monitor this site.

Reference Information

Miscellaneous Information

  • I'm My Own Grandpa (pdf 3 kb)
  • Calendar for 1999 [protected] (pdf format, 42 kb) showing birthdates of people in the database.

Links to Other Sites

  • Newfoundland Grand Banks - Super site with lots of information and links, including links to personal web pages. The purpose of this site is to provide original genealogical and historical data in the form of census information, Provincial wide directory publications, church, parish, and cemetery records, and many other original source documents. It has been created for those desiring to do research in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • Family History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador (formerly Newfoundland and Labrador Genealogical Society (NLGS) - Start here for links to other web sites on genealogy in Newfoundland.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador GenWeb - Super site with lots of information and links, including links to personal web pages.
  • Dorset (England) Online Parish Clerks - researches available historical data on a given parish, transcribes records and makes them FREELY available.  Links to other areas in England. Lots of online records here.
  • Garland Family Genealogy Forum - a popular forum on the Garland surname brought to you by genealogy.com. Most of the messages are US and Canada based.
  • Garland Family Research Association - US based. Contains many links to other Garlands, an email list that you can join and a huge, searchable database.
  • The Genealogy Web Project of Surname Resource Centers - A searchable Registry, consisting of over 50,000 surnames links!
    • Garland surname - gives links to Garland sites and researchers, and offers a Garland email list.
  • Excerpts from the Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador: [uh oh, looks like the site is permanently down]
  • Dictionary of Newfoundland English Online - very handy reference.
  • Canadian Genealogy and History Links - Newfoundland - lots of great links.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage - great site for general background heritage information on Newfoundland to help put the genealogy in context. Don't miss the Gazetteer section for tracking down place names.
  • Centre for Newfoundland Studies, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Genealogy link.
  • Newfoundland and Labrador Historic Map Archive - just a few maps here so far.
  • Wessex Newfoundland Society - The Wessex Newfoundland Society fosters links between the people of Poole and Dorset and the surrounding areas of Wessex and those of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Society publishes a quarterly newsletter called The Link and seeks articles, and items of interest for inclusion. It welcomes suggestions for pursuing the aims as set out in its Constitution. Contact Brian Galpin.
  • Behind the Name - The etymology and history of first names.
  • Cyndi's List - perhaps the best site for general information about genealogy.
  • Identity theft concerns
  • Personal web pages:
    • Rebecca Garland #2020, b 18 May, 1885, Lower Island Cove, dau. of Thomas Garland and Elizabeth (Betsy) Snelgrove, married Hector MacNeil #2021, b. 26 June, 1880. One of their son's, Raymond Hector MacNeil married Elisabeth Carones (Nancy) Burke. For more on the Burkes, see Sonny Burke's web site. A web site for the MacNeils and related families is being planned and will be linked here when it is available.
    • Larc's Genes - look under 'Cook' to see a Lower Island Cove Garland connection: John COOK , born bef. 1894; deceased bef. 1903; buried in England, UK. He married bef. 1897, Elizabeth CRITCH , born 9 Feb 1875 in Lower Island Cove, Newfoundland, daughter of Charles and Mary Ann (GARLAND) CRITCH . [uh oh, looks like the Cook section is not available at the moment]
    • Garland-Gernon Genealogy - by Patrick Garland - US based, nice article on the origins of the Garland surname.
    • Billy D. Garland's genealogy site - US based. [uh oh, looks like the link is broken]
    • Climbing the Garland Family Tree from John and Susannah Nichols Garland - US based.
    • Coish genealogy - by Maureena Jordan. Not directly related to the Garlands except through my wife's side (Perfect from Ochre Pit Cove).
    • Australian Garland site - by Bernard Garland.
    • Lady Newfoundland - lots of general Newfoundland links, including genealogy, tourism, music ...
    Families Of Newfoundland
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