Tracing Ancestors to the Isle of Man

Question: I have an ancestor who was born on the Isle of Man in 1812. He was living in Rochester, N.Y., at the time of the 1850 census. Is there an Isle of Man genealogical organization?

Answer: The Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea, is not part of the United Kingdom, but is a Crown possession. Its history dates back to 9th-Century Vikings settlements. Write to the Manx Society in care of Manx Museum, Douglas, Isle of Man, England, and Mrs. I. J. Lyle, the Family History Society, the Old Manse, Kirk Michael, Isle of Man, England.

When writing overseas always enclose three International Postal Coupons and a No. 10 self-addressed envelope. These coupons are available from the post offices and can be exchanged overseas for proper stamps in foreign countries.

Angus Baxter’s “In Search of Your British and Irish Roots” has an entire chapter pertaining to genealogical records of the Isle of Man. This outstanding guidebook ($15.95 ppd.) is available from Genealogical Publishing Co., 1001 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, Md. 21202.

Q: Where can I find vital records (birth, death and marriage) for Saskatchewan and Quebec, Canada? And what about fees?

A: Custodian of vital records in Saskatchewan is Office of Vital Statistics, Department of Public Health, 3475 Albert St., Regina, Saskatchewan S4S6X6. It will make a search covering a three-year period. Fees constantly change, so you will have to write for this information. Most of its records begin about 1889.

Quebec is a bit complicated. However, many Canadian records have been microfilmed by the LDS (Mormon) Genealogy Library. Check the Canada locality fiche files at your library first; also consult Angus Baxter’s “In Search of Your Canadian Roots.”