For the first 20 years or so of my genealogical life, my efforts at researching in New Brunswick were generally restricted to soulful sighs of regret that a portion of my forebears didn’t have the good sense to live in New England, where they could be properly tracked down and documented.

Then came the Internet, where sites such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ www.familysearch.org and Cyndi’s List at www.cyndislist.org brought New Brunswick within reach.

After finding my Irish ancestors through a contact I made on an Internet message board, it was time to visit Saint John, birthplace of my Given great-grandmother and my Steeves grandfather.

Most of the three-day trip was spent visiting places my ancestors had lived, though I hope the next visit will include a stop at the Provincial Archives in Fredericton.

But I also had a grand few hours at the Saint John Free Public Library at One Market Square – located conveniently in the indoor complex of shopping and other services downtown. You can get there from the parking garage on Union Street.

During the school year, the library is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday and Saturday, 10-5 Tuesday and Wednesday, 10-9 Thursday and Friday. Summer hours are 9-5 weekdays, 9-9 Thursday, closed weekends.

City directories – some in books, some on microfilm – and 1851-1901 censuses on microfilm helped me find out that my Steeveses lived in the Crouchville and Little River sections of Saint John.

I didn’t have specific street addresses, and couldn’t get much of an idea of locations from current city maps. But I saw a woman perusing a large map with each page encased in plastic, and I decided to have a look once she was finished.

The item turned out to be the “Roe and Colby Atlas of 1875,” covering Saint John County – including a Crouchville Street and a Little River Road.

Crouchville appeared to match up with the current Mount Pleasant Avenue East, so my husband and I drove up that street pondering the view my family would have had of the river.

On Little River Road, which seemed to be where Bayside Drive is now, it was more difficult to narrow down where they might have lived. Much of the area is now taken up by Irving Oil Refinery.

Burial permits for 1889-1919, issued by the Saint John Board of Health, also are on microfilm at the library in Saint John. The index is available online.

The burial permits on film listed Erin Street as the residence of my Givens, so it was back to the 1875 maps. The street isn’t there any more, but I found out where it used to be, not too far from the intersection of Union and Wentworth.

You can get some information about New Brunswick people on-line. The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick recently added 1926 to its marriage index and 1903 to its birth index, both on-line at http://gov.nb.ca/archives/ols/ols.asp. Some of the indexes are:

. Provincial Registrations of Births, 1900-1903.

. New Brunswick Marriages, 1887-1926.

. Death Certificates, 1920-1951.

. Saint John Burial Permits, 1889-1919.

. Marriage Bonds, 1810-1932.

. Land Petitions: Original Series 1783-1918.

. Late Registrations of Births, 1810-1906.

Obviously, we hope that many more vital records will be indexed on this site as time goes on.

It’s time to register for the next “Introduction to Genealogy” class through Bangor Adult Education. Phil Getchell teaches the class from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, Oct. 4-Nov. 15.

The first class is held at Bangor High, and the rest are hands-on classes at Bangor Public Library.

Preregistration is required, in person, at the adult ed office at Bangor High School off Broadway. The cost is $30 for Bangor residents, $40 for nonresidents. For information only, call 941-6310.

In Rockport, Royce Miller will speak about the Gushee Diaries, written by two Appleton women in the 1880s, at the meeting of the Mid-Coast Genealogy Group. Join the group at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the LDS Church on Old County Road, Rockport. For information, call Marlene Groves at 594-4293.

3140. HATCH-BENNETT-HASKELL. Seeking parents and origins of William John Hatch, b. about 1759, md. 1) Isabella Bennett, 1794, at New Gloucester; 2) Mary Haskell, 1808. He was on 1815 tax list. Children: James Munroe; William Jr., 1795; Isabel, 1797; John, 1800; Stedman, 1803; Mary, 1809; Hannah, 1810; Hiram, 1814; Oliver, 1819; Nancy, 1824; Dorcas, 1826; Hiram, 1828. William Sr. d. April 27, 1849, age 79 years 6 months, at New Gloucester. Jeanne Finley, 292 Old Alfred Road, Hollis, ME 04042; or e-mail jeanne@loa.com.

3141. CURTIS. Am interested in Curtis genealogy of my ancestors. Henry came here 1620 from Isle of Man, England. Son John, in Boston, then son Daniel, son Samuel, son James, son Asa, son Charles, and my deceased dad, Charles Samuel, 1919-1998. Linda Curtis Brawn, 128 High St., Camden, ME 04843; or e-mail Lindabrawn@aol.com.

Send queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.