Annex A1; L2
Date of the items: 1968-2005
Physical description: 2.75 m. [9 cu ft.]
Title: Betty Craw Fonds
Creator: Betty Ann Simnett Craw
Repository: Trent Valley Archives
Reference number: TVA Fonds 626
Scope and contents: Fonds consists of correspondence, databases related to cemeteries and genealogy. In file 319, Betty Craw in 1982 made the following observations:
“Compiling a record of Memorial Stones in over 200 Cemeteries in the counties of Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Durham began in 1966. These publications are simply a labour of love – a memorial to my father and sister. The research developed into a rather onerous task when I realized how much information was being eroded by neglect, indifference, weather and sheer vandalism.” She thanked Alice and Marianne MacKenzie for their help in recording cemeteries. She also thanked Eileen Gariepy and Andre Dorfman.”
Series A: Cemeteries series; listing of stones within the cemeteries recorded, 1975-1980, files 1-164 (vols. 1-4) The cemeteries are from the counties of Peterborough, Victoria, and Northumberland and Durham
Series B: Genealogical research inquiries, mostly 1980s, 1990s, files 165-221 (vols. 5-6)
Series C: Archival research records, originals and copies, files 222-334 (vols. 7-11) Includes marriages, cemetery records, assessment and census records, and other documents with potential for genealogical research.
Series D: Maps, 1940s, files 335-342 (vol. 11)
Series E: Voters’ lists and assessments, 1964-1967, files 343-353 (vol. 11)
Series F: Marriages, Newcastle District mainly 1870-1872, transcribed c. 1975-80 (files 354-362) (vol. 12)
Series G: Genealogical resources (files 363-431) (vols. 13-17)
Series H: Genealogical cards recording individuals by birth, marriage and death; and cards cross-referencing to cemetery listings. (vols. B1 to B15)
Series I: Books and pamphlets
Access Conditions: No Restrictions
Finding aid: See file listing below and in Excel
Accruals: No further accruals are expected
Custodial history: The Craw papers were created by Betty Craw and her associates during the 1970s and 1980s when she operated a genealogical service for researchers interested in records from the counties Peterborough, Victoria, Durham and Northumberland. The papers were donated to the Trent Valley Archives on August 27, 2016 by John DeVroom of Ennismore, who is an accountant based on Chemong Road, Peterborough acting for the Craw estate.
Biographical sketch: Betty Craw was born in 1936 to parents Sarah Murphy and Jack Simnet. She worked for many years as a bookkeeper for Whelan Carpets in Bridgenorth. Her consuming hobby after 1966 was the transcribing of stones in cemeteries in Peterborough, Victoria and Northumberland and Durham. She was married to Robert Craw and Larry Moore, and had two daughters, Cindy Elmhirst and Catherine Donnelly. She passed away on January 9, 2016.
Related fonds at TVA: There are other fonds at TVA with an emphasis on genealogy, including
F320 Rosemary McConkey;
F321 Doran Genealogical Collection and
F403 Peter McConkey.
Access Points:
Peterborough County
Victoria County
Northumberland County
Cemeteries
Genealogical research
Ashburnham, Ontario
Peterborough, Ontario