Approved by Kent OGS "Branch Council" 13 March 2009

Kent Branch OGS
Research Policy
14 March 2009
 E.&O.E. and "Subject to change without notice."

. . Please note that ALL requests for research MUST come by Post
. . [Kent Branch OGS, P.O. Box 964, Chatham, Ontario, Canada N7M 5L3]
 . . . and include the "research fee".

1.
"Basic research" for a fee of $25.00 per individual name.
Research requests will be conducted in our:
(1) Kent Co. census [1851-1901] -- about 74 separate books to be checked
(2) Kent Co. transcribed cemeteries -- about 115 cemeteries with thousands of names
(3) Kent Co. church records -- an assortment of Register entries
(4) The Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Kent -- 874 pages (plus index), some 25,000 names
(5) The Western District Marriage Register (1786-1856)
(6) County Marriage Register (1858-1869)
(7) Kent County Marriages (1869-1911)

Research can involve AT LEAST 3 or 4 hours of research per individual name. Due to high demand, it may take several weeks before your research can be undertaken by our volunteers
The fee of $25.00 for each individual person to be researched can include up to 10 photocopies and the postage to mail the results.

Research will be undertaken only after payment has been received.
Fees are for research; we cannot guarantee information will be found.

2.
Photocopies of cemetery transcription pages
 . . Photocopies of single pages of cemetery transcription are $5.00 per order for postage and handling plus $1 per page.
. . To determine which entries you want from the Tombstone Inscriptions, consult OCFA and/or OGS Ontario Cemetery Ancestor Search
. . These transcriptions were made from the tombstones at the time the Branch did the transcribing (circa 1978-1982) and inscriptions made subsequent to that time have not been added.
3.
Copies of Newspaper articles
Our volunteer researchers do not search area newspapers. The Chatham-Kent Public Library has an extensive card file index of the Chatham newspapers [up to about the year 2000]. These are their holdings. Please contact them for copies of those obituaries, birth, marriage, & death announcements, etc. Please see their web page of Available Services and scroll down to the Local History section for their fee-based research service prices or telephone them at 519-354-2940.
4.
Specialized or extended" research
If you feel you need more in-depth research, you might like to contact the Association of Professional Genealogists. [We do not assume responsibility for agreements contracted between individuals.] Kent Branch does not have volunteers who will do individual contracted research.
5.
Newsletter Queries
. . Members -- free (may be submitted by mail or e-mail).
. . Non-members -- $5.00 per Query submitted only by mail with accompanying cheque or money order.
. . Queries are short messages about a specific person or family from Chatham-Kent (former Kent County) that you are researching. Include your contact information (Limit 75 words).
. . Queries may be submitted for inclusion in the Kent Branch newsletter -- Roots, Branches & Twigs -- at the discretion of the editor, for circulation to our 200+ members.
6.
Kent Branch Library
 . . Kent Branch's Family History Library, is located within the Chatham Public Library, but in our own room and are an entity separate from the Public Library.
. . Usually open Monday to Saturday, 1pm to 5pm.
. . Library may be closed earlier due to volunteer non-availability.
. . Members of the public are invited to do their own research using materials on our open shelves. A volunteer on duty will assist you in finding the materials we have.
. . The Libraries will be closed on Statutory and Recognized Canadian Holidays and on the Public Library's staff development days.
. . While there is "metered" parking around the Chatham Library, also there is free parking for library patrons in a lot just a block west of the Library.

. . Kent Branch Library . . Kent Branch does not receive any funding from the Municipality nor from the Provincial O.G.S.
. . Kent Branch has an excellent Research Library with "open shelves" so the public can do their own research. Currently we do not charge a fee to use the Library but we are dependant on your generous donations to help us pay for the rent, maintain our holdings, and acquire more research materials.
. . Research "fees", received by Kent Branch, also help with our Library's expenses. Our researchers donate their time to try to help those living at a distance and unable to visit and do their own research.

. . We are not a "lending library" and do not participate in "inter-loan" but you are welcome to come and read what we have.

7.
Research opportunities outside our Library
. . Also, just outside the door to our room, you will find the McKeough Local History "Room" which houses a comprehensive local history collection. This resource, of course, is available during normal Library hours (usually opens at 9:30am) and many visitors find it helpful (newspaper indexes, newspapers on microfilm, historical collections, etc.) especially while waiting for our usual 1pm opening.
. . While in Chatham you might also wish to visit the W.C. McGeorge Building and explore the archival records available in their collection.
. . Also there is the Chatham-Kent Museum where you may view their displays. They do have an "archival collection and research area" but much prefer that you make an appointment, in advance, for the use of those.
. . Speciality locations in Chatham-Kent include The Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society and their "Black Mecca" exhibit; Buxton National Historic Site & Museum; and Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site

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