NEWS RELEASE
BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY PUBLIC LIBRARY
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The BWG Library is pleased to announce the release of the second instalment of a local WWI database, now accessible to the public.
Following the successful launch of the first edition of the South Simcoe WWI database last spring, we proudly introduce the second instalment. This expanded version includes the names of 178 veterans with deep connections to the South Simcoe area.
The database project was started by local historian Jan Coward who began gathering information on all military personnel, soldiers, and nurses, connected to South Simcoe.
Coward spent six years researching and creating an extensive database with her findings prior to her untimely death on Sept. 30, 2021.
Coward's extensive research involved gathering information on veterans' military service through various sources, such as community war memorials, local histories, church, school, and club memorial lists, plaques, Women's Institute records, newspaper clippings, and public digital archives. She amassed a wealth of research, all with the aim of sharing this valuable information with the public as a tribute to the veterans.
For four years, a group of amateur genealogists joined forces with Coward to identify local First World War veterans. Following her passing, these dedicated individuals continued to work diligently to fulfill her vision of creating a public digital memorial.
Last spring, Coward's exhaustive research became accessible to the public, initially featuring 65 names in the database. Since then, the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library has been collaborating with Coward's team of research assistants to expand the list. As of today, the database boasts 178 names out of the over 1,100 veterans with South Simcoe ties, and more names will be added soon.
“Ms. Coward was an active member of the Bradford Genealogy Club, the Bradford West Gwillimbury Local Historical Association, the Tecumseth and West Gwillimbury Historical Society, and Simcoe Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society (Ontario Ancestors),” said David di Giovanni, the library’s manager of cultural services.
“She played an instrumental role in collecting and preserving our communities’ local histories and is sorely missed by those who knew her. Through this database, part of her legacy lives on.”
If you have any questions about this database, come across any errors or omissions, or wish to contribute to this commendable project, please don't hesitate to contact the Local History Association at [email protected].
Jan Coward’s World War I Database Edition One can be found at: http://archives.bradford.library.on.ca/index.php/jan-cowards-world-war-i-database-edition-1
Jan Coward’s World War I Database Edition Two can be found at:
Jan Coward's World War I Database Edition 2 - BWGPL Archives (library.on.ca)
For more information, visit the BWG Library website at www.bradford.library.on.ca
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