Join Brian Nash in this episode of "How We Got Here" for a captivating conversation with guest Jamie Baillie, who returns to share the latest chapter in his family's remarkable history. ]Jamie recounts the story of his ancestors, the Baillies, who were evicted from their home in Sutherland, Scotland, during the Highland Clearances. He details their arduous five-week journey in 1814 aboard a timber ship, the *Perseverance of Aberdeen*, to start a new life in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. This move from tenant farmers to landowners marked a pivotal moment, setting the stage for generations of prosperity and opportunity that their descendants would come to enjoy.

The discussion takes an exciting turn as Jamie recounts his recent pilgrimage to Scotland, a journey to walk in the footsteps of his ancestors. With the help of a local historian, he located the exact site of his family's former village and the ruins of their home, providing an emotional and overwhelming connection to his past. This personal quest offers a powerful testament to the value of genealogical research, exploring how understanding our origins can provide a profound sense of identity and connection across generations.

Jamie and Brian also delve into the lasting impact of Scottish immigrants on the culture and development of Nova Scotia and Canada as a whole..

How We Got Here: Genealogy is hosted by family historian Brian Nash. Brian helps people not just trace their family tree, but understand the history surrounding the people, places, and events that make up their family's unique story.

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Brian Nash is a family historian and the host of How We Got Here: Genealogy. He focuses on helping people not just trace their family tree, but to understand the history surrounding the people, places, and events that make each family's story unique.

Brian began researching his own family history over 30 years ago. He proudly calls himself a "Celtic Canadian," having traced his own roots from Scotland and Ireland to their arrival in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia in the 18th and 19th centuries. His ancestors’ stories are deeply woven into the fabric of Canadian history—some fled the Highland Clearances in Scotland, while others left Ireland during the Great Famine. They brought their expertise as coal miners from Scotland to Cape Breton and their mercantile skills from Ireland to the streets of Halifax.

This personal connection to the past fuels Brian's passion for helping others discover their own heritage. As a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) and genealogical societies in Nova Scotia, Scotland, and Prince Edward Island, Brian shares his extensive knowledge from his home base on PEI. He currently serves on the boards of the Prince Edward Island Community Museums Association and the Bedeque and Area Historical Society.

Through How We Got Here Genealogy, Brian guides others to connect with their own vibrant family narratives, helping them understand not just who their ancestors were, but how they lived.

About Brian Nash

In this episode, Brian sits down with Historian and Author Sara Underwood to discuss a side of Prince Edward Island history that stands in stark contrast to its famous fictional orphan, Anne of Green Gables. Sara's book, "Awful Kind: The Story of the Middlemore Children and Prince Edward Island," shines a light on the real, and often tragic, stories of British Home Children. You’ll hear how a conversation with a descendant sparked a deep dive into the archives, leading to the remarkable discovery of thousands of individual case files for children sent from the Middlemore Homes to the Maritimes.

Sara reveals the shocking truths she uncovered from the records. These children weren't brought over for adoption; they were primarily a source of cheap labor to fill a shortage of domestic servants and farmhands. Hear the heart-wrenching stories of their lives: children as young as seven expected to do the work of a man , the profound sadness and stigma that followed many for life , and the desperate ways they tried to reconnect with family back in England. For anyone who believes they may have a Home Child ancestor, Sara shares the crucial first steps to begin your own search.

About Brian Nash

As a genealogist, Brian focuses on the people, places, and events that make up people's family stories.

Brian is a genealogist who started working on his own family tree over 30 years ago and has been able to trace one family line back to as early as 950 AD.

Brian traces his own family from Scotland and Ireland to the New World where they wound up in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia in the 18th and 19th centuries. In some cases, they fled their homelands due to the Highland Clearances in Scotland or the Potato Blight in Ireland. They took their Expertise as Coal Miners from Scotland to Cape Breton or their Mercantile and Manufacturing Skills from Ireland to the streets of Halifax

Brian has been a member of the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia, the Scottish Genealogical Society, and the Prince Edward Island Genealogical Society.

Brian currently resides in Prince Edward Island, Canada, with his family.

Check out Brian on Link Tree https://linktr.ee/howwegotheregenealogy

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In this episode, Brian sits down with Peter Kelly, the driving force behind The Woodland Escape, a YouTube channel devoted to bringing 18th-century homesteading and living archaeology to life. From hand-forging nails on an open hearth to building birch-bark canoes and authentic blockhouses, Peter and his team have spent the last four and a half years recreating every aspect of early Canadian frontier life on their “Kelly’s Station” site, nestled midway between Toronto and Ottawa.

You’ll hear how Peter’s fascination with period craftsmanship—from tanning leather by brain-tanning it over coals to casting lead musket balls in historic molds—evolved into a community refuge for living historians, complete with education days for local students. We also dive into the personal side of his work: tracing his own family’s journey from 19th-century Ireland to Northern Ontario, the wild tales of logging-camp kitchens and Revolutionary-era Quaker youths sent on horseback to negotiate land deals, and why those rich narratives matter just as much as names and dates on a family tree.

Together we explore what “living history” can teach us about our ancestors’ values of community, self-reliance, and storytelling—and how unearthing those stories can deepen our own appreciation for where we came from. Whether you’re a seasoned genealogist or just beginning to wonder about your roots, Peter’s experiences remind us that the memories we preserve today will become tomorrow’s family legends.

So sit back and grab your favorite beverage. Perhaps a glass of Canadian rye whisky for sipping. Unless, of course, you’re listening to this while you’re driving—then you better stick to coffee.