Archive English 10/4/01 1:46 PM Page 1 National Archives Archives nationales of Canada du Canada TTRRAACCIINNGG YYOOUURR AANNCCEESSTTOORRSS iinn CCaannaaddaa Archive English 10/4/01 1:46 PM Page 3 TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS The National Archives of Canada wishes to thank The Friends for its financial support in publishing in Canada this guide. For information/membership: 613-992-9367 or http://www.friendsofnationalarchives.ca National Archives of Canada 395 Wellington Street Ottawa,Ontario K1A 0N3 Genealogy Reference Desk Phone:(613) 996-7458 Toll free:1-866-578-7777 (Canada & U.S.) Fax:(613) 995-6274 www.archives.ca Revised in 2001 by Lorraine St-Louis-Harrison PUBLISHING HISTORY and Mary Munk Fourteenth edition 2001 This publication is printed on alkaline paper. © Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada 2001 Cat.No.:SA2-42/2001E ISBN:0-662-27228-5 Archive English 10/4/01 1:46 PM Page 5 TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS IN CANADA I TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Getting Started 2 Visiting the National Archives 2 Writing to the National Archives 3 Microfilm Loans 3 Internet 4 Copying Service 4 Referrals 4 The Family History Library 5 Published Sources 6 National Library of Canada 6 Geographical Information 6 Specialized Guides 8 Biographies and Family Histories 10 Census Records 11 Voters Lists 15 FRONT COVER PHOTOS German immigrants,Quebec City,Quebec,ca.1911. Records of Births,Marriages and Deaths 16 By William James Topley (PA-010254) Provincial Offices 16 Personnel of the 13th Royal Regiment of Hamilton placed on Adoption Records 20 active service and sent to Prescott,Ont.,to guard the frontier during the closing months of the American Civil War,May 1865. Church Records—Parish Registers 20 (PA-089325) Marriage Bonds 21 Noel Marples with his wife Sheila and their nine children upon Cemetery Recordings 21 the family’s arrival as immigrants from England.Vancouver, Acadian Sources 22 B.C.,ca.1958.Ralph Bower/Vancouver Sun/National Archives of Canada (C-045085) Land Records 23 S.S.Bremenarriving from Germany to dock at Pier 21,Halifax, N.S.,April 20,1957.Unknown photographer.(PA-187858) Land Petitions 23 Patents,Deeds and Other Land Records 24 Assessment Rolls 27 BACK COVER PHOTOS Claims for Losses—Upper Canada (Ontario) 28 A group of Chipewyan children at Lake Claire,Alberta,1917. Métis Land Claims 28 (PA-017928) Assiniboin Mother and Child,n.d.(C-020815) Wills and Estate Records 29 Archive English 10/4/01 1:46 PM Page 7 II TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS IN CANADA 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) INTRODUCTION Military and Naval Records 32 The National Archives of Canada was founded in 1872. French Regime 32 In addition to serving as a repository for federal British Records 32 government records of historical value, the National Canadian Militia 33 Archives also holds microfilm copies of documents First World War Records 35 relating to Canadian history in the possession of other Post-First World War Records 36 governments (principally France and Great Britain) and the papers of individuals who played a significant role Loyalist Sources 37 in Canadian affairs. Aboriginal Peoples 39 The functions of the National Archives are threefold: to acquire material of historical interest, to preserve Immigration Records 41 this material and to make it available to researchers. Passenger Lists,1865-1935 42 This last function, which is of special interest to the Home Children 43 genealogist, may sometimes be subject to restrictions Border Entry Records,1908-1935 43 placed upon the use of documents by the originating Arrivals after 1935 44 department or donor. Immigrants from China 45 Russian Consular Records 45 The most popular sources for genealogical research in Canada may be divided into the following categories: Records of Citizenship and Naturalization 46 census records, vital statistics (records of births, Records from 1854 to the Present 46 marriages and deaths), land records, wills and estate records, military records and immigration records. Addresses of Provincial and Territorial Archives 48 Each of these categories is described briefly in the pages that follow. A booklet such as this cannot provide Addresses of Major Genealogical Societies 51 exhaustive listings. Archive English 10/4/01 1:46 PM Page 9 2 TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS IN CANADA 3 INTRODUCTION Getting Started Writing to the National Archives The first step in genealogy is to talk to family members Persons who are unable to visit the National Archives and learn as much as possible about your family's can send a written inquiry. Due to the large volume of history. Assemble names, dates and places from old inquiries we receive, our staff cannot undertake extensive family documents such as bibles, wills, marriage genealogical research assignments. However, if you certificates, etc. Record each generation, starting with have specific questions concerning a particular yourself and working backwards from the present. ancestor, we will be pleased to attempt to answer them. Please provide identifying details such as full Next, visit your local library and consult genealogy name, approximate birth and death dates, place of handbooks. Learn what sources exist for genealogical residence, etc. research and where to find the records. In many cases, we will provide suggestions for further Besides regular meetings and publications, genealogical research, including sources available on microfilm. societies offer seminars and workshops, which are helpful for both beginners and experienced researchers. Requests can be sent by mail or fax, or using the online Many societies also sell family group sheets and pedigree forms on our Web site. See the copyright page of this charts on which family information can be recorded. publication for our address. Visiting the National Archives Microfilm Loans The National Archives observes regular office hours, Many popular genealogical sources are available 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, when on microfilm. No single catalogue lists them all. consultant services are provided at 395 Wellington Street Special catalogues and checklists have been prepared in Ottawa. Reading Rooms, equipped with microfilm for certain types of material, such as census returns and readers, are open to researchers as follows: parish registers. Researchers may consult our microfilm at the National Archives of Canada or through the 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday to Friday interinstitutional (interlibrary) loan arrangement. 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., statutory holidays Any institution that possesses a microfilm reader may borrow, on behalf of their patrons, up to six reels of A personal visit must be made during office hours to microfilm at a time for a loan period of six weeks. obtain a research pass for access to the Reading Rooms. Requests for loans must be submitted to the National Researchers are encouraged to come as early as Archives of Canada by the borrowing institution, possible in the day so as to take full advantage of clearly specifying the sources, volumes and reel available reference services. numbers required. Many of the provincial archives and some larger public libraries hold copies of our most requested microfilm. Archive English 10/4/01 1:46 PM Page 11 4 TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS IN CANADA 5 INTRODUCTION Internet The Family History Library Information about the National Archives of Canada can The Family History Library based in Salt Lake City has be found on our Internet Web site (www.archives.ca). microfilmed genealogical records from around the world The section on genealogical sources includes lists of and makes them accessible to all researchers through microfilm reel numbers for some of our major collections local Family History Centres. Most records are pre-1900, such as passenger lists. Several online databases are and the strength of the collection lies in areas outside of currently available under ArchiviaNet. Other databases Canada, in particular the British Isles and the United will be added as they become available. States. However, they do have microfilm copies of many vital records, parish registers and other genealogical You can link to numerous Canadian genealogy sources held by various Canadian institutions. To locate Web sites from the CanGen Web Project the Centre nearest you, consult your telephone book (www.rootsweb.com/~canwgw/). There are thousands of under Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints other sites on the Internet. Many sites have searchable (Mormons) or visit their Web site (www.familysearch.org/). databases, for which there may be a search fee. Copying Service For a modest charge, the National Archives of Canada is able to provide photocopies of original documents and reader-printer copies from microfilm. Copyright or access restrictions may prohibit reproduction of some collections. Limitations on the amounts copied are imposed when demands exceed the capacity of the National Archives' facilities. Orders must be prepaid and must include exact references. Referrals The Archives maintains a list of freelance researchers willing to perform genealogical research in Ottawa for a fee. While there is no guarantee of the quality of their work, they are familiar with our holdings. If you wish to hire a researcher to conduct a comprehensive search of our sources, we will send you a copy of the list. German immigrants,Quebec City,Quebec,ca.1911. By William James Topley (PA-010254) Archive English 10/4/01 1:46 PM Page 13 6 TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS IN CANADA 7 PUBLISHED SOURCES Once you have compiled a basic family tree, you should Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0E9. (http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca). visit your local library and become familiar with the many Suggestions on the use of maps can be found by reading how-to books available on the subject of genealogy. Betty M. Kidd's article “Maps in Genealogical Research,” Whichever publication is consulted, keep in mind that published in the Ontario Genealogical Society journal fees, addresses and other details are subject to change, Families(vol. 16, no. 4, pages 152-165). and that errors do occur. The newsletters, journals and other publications of genealogical societies often provide City, county and provincial directories, dating back to the the most up-to-date information. 1840s for some areas, generally offer little beyond an individual's name, address and occupation or status. Nonetheless, they can be helpful in determining the city National Library of Canada ward or enumeration district when you are starting a census search. They are also useful in narrowing down If your library does not hold a copy of a particular the approximate year of arrival or departure in an area, publication, an interlibrary loan request can be submitted and possible year of death. Since many directories were on your behalf to the National Library of Canada, published by subscription, their coverage is far from 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N4. complete. Your librarian can consult the Canadian The National Library has a large collection of published Directories, 1790-1987: A Bibliography and Place-name sources that are useful to genealogists, including Index(1989) to determine what directories are available newspapers, city directories, family and local histories and which library holds them. Only microform copies will and periodicals of genealogical and historical societies be available through interinstitutional loan. from across Canada. The many town, township and county histories are useful You can visit the National Library's reference room in providing information about the early settlement of a from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, region and identifying the location of source materials except statutory holidays, or visit their Web site for further study. Bibliographies of local histories have (www.nlc-bnc.ca/). The library also responds to been published and are available in many libraries. specific reference questions submitted by telephone Examples are Barbara B. Aitken's Local Histories of (613-995-9481), e-mail ([email protected]) Ontario Municipalities, 1951-1977: A Bibliography or in writing. (1978), and Local Histories of Ontario Municipalities, 1977-1987 (1989). Geographical Information A series of county atlases was published in the Knowing the geography of the area where your ancestors 1870s and 1880s, covering mainly Prince Edward Island, resided is an important aspect of genealogical research. Ontario, the Eastern Townships of Quebec and Provincial gazetteers and books on place names can help scattered counties of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. you identify a particular locality. Names that have been Each volume gives the names of landholders or tenants changed can be traced through the Secretariat, on each lot, sketches of communities and biographical Geographical Names Board of Canada, 615 Booth Street, notes on the prominent citizens, with occasional portraits. Archive English 10/4/01 1:46 PM Page 15 8 TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS IN CANADA 9 PUBLISHED SOURCES Copies of original and reprinted atlases are available at Dictionnaire généalogique des familles du Québec(1983) many libraries, the National Library of Canada and the often includes more accurate information, but does not National Archives of Canada. go beyond 1730. Numerous indexes to Roman Catholic marriages in Quebec and parts of Ontario have been published. Specialized Guides The most comprehensive are the Institut généalogique For the Loyalists, there are a number of studies available. Drouin's Dictionnaire national des Canadiens-français, Both Esther Clark Wright's Loyalists of New Brunswick 1608-1760(3 volumes, 1965) and Répertoire (1965) and Marion Gilroy'sLoyalists and Land Settlement alphabétique des mariages des canadiens-français, in Nova Scotia(1937) are based on land records in the 1760-1935(113 volumes, 1989, 1991). Many of the provincial archives and identify the individual heads of smaller indexes are listed in Kathleen M. de Varennes' families. W.D. Reid's monograph Loyalists of Ontario, Annotated Bibliography of Genealogical Works in Sons and Daughters of American Loyalists of Upper Canada(1986). Canada(1973) offers more biographical detail. The Bibliography of Loyalist Source Materials in Archives Of special note are the publications of the Archives in the United States, Canada and Great Britain(1982) nationales du Québec, in particular the Inventaire lists not only manuscripts but also newspapers and des greffes des notaires du Régime français and other printed sources. theInventaire des contrats de mariage sous le Régime français. Researchers interested in Acadian ancestry can find help in the works of Bona Arsenault: L'Acadie des ancêtres; Some obituaries and marriage notices from newspapers avec la généalogie des premières familles acadiennesand and periodicals have been indexed and transcribed. Histoire et généalogie des Acadiens(6 volumes, 1978). Examples include W.D. Reid's Marriage Notices of Arrangement of both works is regional, with alphabetical Ontario, 1813-1854(1980), Rev. D.A. McKenzie's Death listings. Also of use is Placide Gaudet's 16 volume study Notices from the Canada Christian Advocate, 1858-1872 Généalogies acadiennesand the Inventaire général des (1992), New Brunswick Vital Statistics from Newspapers sources documentaires sur les Acadiens, produced by (New Brunswick Genealogical Society, 1982-) and Births, the Centre d'études acadiennes at the University of Deaths, Marriages from Regina Newspapers, 1883-1889 Moncton. For those Acadians who settled in Quebec, (Saskatchewan Genealogical Society, 1990). you can consult Adrien Bergeron'sLe grand arrangement des acadiens au Québec(8 volumes, 1981). Most provincial archives have prepared booklets or information sheets concerning their sources. Examples For families of French origin, the standard source is are the Nova Scotia Genealogical Sources County Guide Cyprien Tanguay's Dictionnaire généalogique des familles Seriesand Exploring Family History in Saskatchewan. canadiennes(7 volumes, 1871-1890), and Joseph Arthur Detailed guides to sources have also been published for Leboeuf's Complément au dictionnaire généalogique particular provinces, such as Tracing Your Ancestors in Tanguay(3 volumes, 1957-1964), which cover the period Albertaby Victoria Lemieux and David Leonard, and from the early 1600s to the late 1700s. René Jetté's Genealogy in Ontario: Searching the Records by Brenda Dougall Merriman. Archive English 10/4/01 1:46 PM Page 17 10 TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS IN CANADA 11 Biographies and Family Histories CENSUS RECORDS A host of biographical reference works offer information about prominent individuals of the past. Among these are Census records, which contain the official enumeration of the British, American and Canadian editions of Who's our population, are one of the most valuable sources of Who; theDictionary of National Biography(British) and genealogical information. Returns prior to 1851 usually the Dictionary of Canadian Biography; W.S. Wallace's are either aggregate (containing no names, just statistics) Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Henry Morgan's or list only the heads of households and the total number Canadian Men and Women of the Time(1898 and 1912 of individuals residing in each household. editions), and L. LeJeune's Dictionnaire général du Canada(two volumes, 1931). For most provinces, the census returns of 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 are nominal, listing each Many family historians deposit copies of their family person individually, with details as to age, sex, country or histories with genealogical societies, archives and province of birth, religion, ethnic origin, occupation, libraries in the region where their ancestors resided. marital status and education. The 1901 returns also The National Library of Canada holds a growing include date of birth, year of immigration, and address or collection of published and unpublished genealogies. location of land. For 1851, 1861 and 1871, there are some agricultural returns, which give lot and concession The names of federal civil servants are listed in the numbers of the farm, and provide considerable detail Civil Service List dating from 1883 to 1918, and the such as acreage, livestock and agricultural products. Blue Bookof 1864, 1866, 1867 and 1872, most of which Additional schedules have survived for the 1871 census, are indexed. Date of birth, rank, salary and date of including business returns and schedules of deaths in the appointment can be found in these volumes. preceding year. The Canadian Parliamentary Companion, later known as In order to undertake a search of our census records, the Parliamentary Guide, dates from 1862 to the present. the researcher must know the approximate locality, These little volumes give biographical sketches of federal as the arrangement of the returns is by township within and provincial members of the various legislatures. each county. Small towns and villages are enumerated The Canadian Directory of Parliament 1867-1967(1968) within their respective townships; larger towns and cities is a comprehensive biographical reference work for are listed separately. In the case of cities, particularly federal members of Parliament. the larger centres, it is very helpful to know the ward in which the person lived. Some nominal indexes have been compiled and published by various genealogical societies. In particular, the Ontario Genealogical Society has produced a head- of-household index to the 1871 returns of that province. The index is available in 30 published volumes and can be purchased from that society. An online database of the index can be accessed on our Web site (www.archives.ca) under ArchiviaNet. Archive English 10/4/01 1:46 PM Page 19 12 TRACING YOUR ANCESTORS IN CANADA 13 CENSUS RECORDS Census records in the custody of the National Archives of The following list identifies the main series of our census Canada are listed in our two checklists, Catalogue of holdings and some of the scattered earlier returns. Census Returns on Microfilm, 1666-1891(SA2-95/1987; $22.50) and Catalogue of Census Returns on Microfilm, N — nominal returns listing all members of households 1901(SA2-95/1-1901; $23.95). These catalogues list HF — returns listing heads of families only alphabetically the names of villages, towns, townships and counties within each province, giving the microfilm Newfoundland reels on which the returns appear. 1691, 1693 N 1704 HF Copies of our checklists may be purchased from The 1921, 1935, 1945 N Friends of the National Archives of Canada. For more Plaisance only: information call (613) 992-9367 or 1-866-578-7777 or 1671, 1673 N e-mail ([email protected]). 1698, 1706, 1711 HF Unless you are engaged in extensive research Acadia in many localities, it is not necessary to purchase 1671-1753 N and HF these catalogues. Many libraries hold copies in their reference sections, or you can contact our office and Nova Scotia we will provide you with microfilm reel numbers for 1770-1838 HF specific places. 1851, 1861 HF 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 N Once you have a reel number, you can borrow that microfilm from the National Archives through Prince Edward Island the interinstitutional loan arrangement. Microfilm copies 1841, 1861 HF of our census records are also available for consultation 1881, 1891, 1901 N at many provincial archives and larger public libraries. Those institutions are authorized to make copies from New Brunswick our census records on behalf of their patrons. 1851, 1861, 1871 N 1881, 1891, 1901 N Quebec 1666-1681 N 1825, 1831, 1842 HF 1851, 1861, 1871 N 1881, 1891, 1901 N