Introduction

This notice serves as both the beginning and end point of my family history. It originated from a school journal in Toronto, Canada, and commemorates the wedding of my grandparents in 1932. Growing up, I had little knowledge of my family history due to various factors such as distance and time. In the early 1990s, I made sporadic attempts to inquire about my family history, but I didn't delve further into the research. However, during the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, I took the opportunity to explore and document my findings.

To conduct my research, I utilized genealogical tools such as FamilySearch, Findmypast, and Ancestry. These platforms proved to be excellent resources for quickly finding documents related to individuals and their names. However, it's important to note that there are pitfalls in this process, as it's easy to follow leads that may appear convincing but have no actual connection to my ancestors. I recall spending a couple of weeks researching a town in West Cork based on a hopeful interpretation of documents and sources that lacked evidence.

In some instances, I relied on publicly available pre-researched information for broader family details. Katie Riley from Montreal's family tree provided valuable shortcuts along the way. Additionally, I borrowed some photos and images shared on websites to include in this history. Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion proved to be an invaluable resource for learning about Halifax and its surrounding areas. I also received assistance from David Glover of the Halifax Antiquarian Society and Jane Cooper, who provided numerous clippings about Daniel Dineen and helped track down his obituary. Furthermore, Tom Caw from the Music Library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provided the obituary of Daniel Dineen from the Flutist Journal.

I would like to express my gratitude to Vincent Evans and Judy Evans for proofreading my initial draft, despite its many errors. Their feedback and constructive criticism were immensely helpful. However, any faults or mistakes in the text are solely my responsibility. Lastly, I want to thank my wife, Elizabeth, for enhancing this project beyond what I could have achieved alone. She helped me approach it with care and prevented me from rushing through it.

One challenge I encountered was the rapid proliferation of surnames as I delved further back into the family tree. It became difficult to determine how individuals were connected. To bring some order to the information, I organized the pages into four family groups based on the surnames of the parents of Thomas Riley and Madeline Dineen. At the bottom of most pages, you will find buttons that allow you to navigate back to the start, the current family group, the previous page, and the next page. Additionally, clicking the logo at the top left will return you to this page. The menu bar on the right allows you to select any page within the structure. Trial and error should help you navigate through the pages.

Early on in my research, I decided that when documenting my findings, I wanted to go beyond simply presenting a family tree. I aimed to capture the essence of the lives and times in which my ancestors lived. As a result, I made editorial decisions and focused on certain areas of interest, relying on additional sources and personal fascination. Ultimately, it's up to you to judge whether I have presented a compelling case for the connections I've made.

Regarding the family stories, I have chosen to draw a line at the marriage of my grandparents. There are still living individuals who possess far more knowledge about what happened next, and I don't want to assume the role of narrating a story that isn't mine to tell.

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