An Apple A Day – Linda Corupe
Records left behind by health professionals and patients are an often overlooked source of information that can be valuable to a genealogist.
One area of research that is not commonly pursued are the records left behind related to the health issues of our ancestors. There are a great variety of these, many of which can be useful to the genealogist. For example, Dr. John Hutchison of Peterborough kept a register of the births which he attended, ranging from 1817-1846. Records of the prescriptions issued by several pharmacies in the 19th and early 20th centuries can be consulted at the Archives of Ontario. Prominent among surviving health records are those relating to mental issues. Some such afflicted individuals were sometimes housed in the local jails, where registers reveal their personal details.
Another overlooked source is the multitude of advertisements for patent medicines, so popular in the 19th century newspapers. These ads often contain testimonials, showing the names and addresses of the satisfied customers, and in some cases, even sketches.
This presentation will discuss how to access these health records, and the types of information that can be found therein.
The video can be viewed in fullscreen by clicking on the expand icon (four diagonal arrows) in the black video control bar.
Linda Corupe
Linda Corupe, U.E., the author of over 50 books on genealogy and history and a well-known researcher and presenter, is a descendant of a United Empire Loyalist from the Napanee area. Among her notable publications are annotated transcriptions of court records, heir and devisee records, and bastardy affidavits.
Linda earned her B.A. from McMaster University and is a member of the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada, the Ontario Genealogical Society and the Ontario Historical Society. One of her favourite places to be is at the Archives of Ontario, where she has spent countless hours researching for both clients and her own interests.
