Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada Genealogy
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Guide to Digby county ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.
History
Digby, which was named in honour of Rear Admiral Robert Digby. Digby County was established in 1837. Previously, from August 17, 1759, when Nova Scotia was first divided into counties, this area had been part of Annapolis County.
Maps and Gazetteers
1700-1900 Nova Scotia.ca Historical Maps of Nova Scotia
1895 Collections Canada Electoral Atlas of the Dominion of Canada (1895)
Populated Places Table
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|
POPULATED PLACE |
FORMER NAME, if applicable | TYPE |
FHL CATALOG |
WIKIPEDIA |
| Bear River | Link | Link | ||
| Brier Island | Link | Link | ||
| Church Point | Link | Link | ||
| Clare | Link | |||
| Digby | Link | Link | ||
| Freeport | Link | Link | ||
| Long Island | Link | |||
| Saint-Bernard | Link | Link | ||
| Salmon River | Link | Link | ||
| Sandy Cove | Link | Link | ||
| Smiths Cove | Link | Link |
Neighboring Counties
Annapolis County * Queens County * Shelburne County * Yarmouth County
Civil Registrations
According to Nova Scotia Archives Records Management:
"Civil registration of vital statistics began in Nova Scotia in 1763 with the introduction of procedures for obtaining a marriage licence; the procedure was optional and the surviving records are incomplete. Formalized registration of births, deaths and marriages began in 1864 and continued to 1877, at which time record-keeping lapsed for births and deaths, but continued for marriages. Compliance was not universal during this period and there are gaps in the surviving records. Since 1 October 1908, birth, death and marriage registrations have been collected and maintained continuously."
Birth Records
- 1661-1959 Canada Births and Baptisms, 1661-1959, index.
- 1702-1896 Canada, Nova Scotia Births and Baptisms, 1702-1896, index.
- 1830-1909 Births 1864-1877, 1908-1909; Delayed Birth Registrations 1830-1909, index & images.
- 1763-1957 Canada, Nova Scotia Vital Records, 1763-1957, index.
- 1836-1910 Nova Scotia, Canada, Births, index & images. ($)
- 1836-1921 Canada, Nova Scotia Births, 1836-1921 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1837-1904 Canada, Nova Scotia Delayed Births, 1837-1904, index & images.
- 1864-1877 Nova Scotia Births, 1864-1877 at FamilySearch — index & images
Marriage Records
- 1711-1909 Canada, Nova Scotia Marriages, 1711-1909, index.
- 1759-1960 Court records of Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, 1759-1960; Marriage Bonds 1763-1864; Marriage Registrations 1864-1934, index & images.
- 1763-1957 Canada, Nova Scotia Vital Records, 1763-1957, index.
- 1763-1942 Nova Scotia, Canada, Marriages at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1763-1947 Canada, Nova Scotia Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1864-1918 Nova Scotia Marriages, 1864-1918 at FamilySearch — index & images
- 1907-1932 Canada, Nova Scotia Marriages, 1907-1932, index & images.
- Annapolis and Digby marriage records, images ($)
Death Records
- 1862-Onward Canada, Nova Scotia Deaths at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1864-1877 Nova Scotia Deaths, 1864-1877 at FamilySearch — index & images
- 1763-1957 Canada, Nova Scotia Vital Records, 1763-1957, index.
- 1864-1959 Deaths 1864-1877, 1908-1959, images and index.
- 1864-1960 Nova Scotia, Canada, Deaths, 1864-1877, 1890-1960 index. ($)
- 1890-1955 Canada, Nova Scotia Deaths, 1890-1955 index & images.
- 1956-1957 Canada, Nova Scotia Deaths, 1956-1957 index & images.
Census
In Canada, census returns are closed for 92 years after the time of enumeration. Census returns prior to 1851 are rarely complete for any area, and the census returns for Annapolis County in 1851 did not survive.
- 1861 - For each county, the agricultural returns follow immediately after the personal returns for the whole county.
- 1871 - The personal returns for each enumeration sub-district appear in schedule one. The agricultural returns are schedules three to five and are keyed to schedule one by page and line number rather than by name.
Online Searchable Databases, Books and Images
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! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Name of Collection
! scope="col" | Where Available
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"|
1671
|style="padding-left:5px"|
Acadian genealogy exchange - v. 5, no. 4 Oct 1976;
|style="padding-left:5px"|
FamilySearch Digital Library Acadian Families in 1671 begins on page 118
At various libraries (WorldCat)
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1708
| style="padding-left:5px"| East Coast of Arcadia 1708
| style="padding-left:5px"| At various libraries (WorldCat)
FamilySearch
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1714
| style="padding-left:5px"| Acadian families in 1714
| style="padding-left:5px"| At various libraries (WorldCat)
FamilySearch
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1752
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1752 census of Isle Royale (Cape Breton, Nova Scotia)
| style="padding-left:5px"| At various libraries (WorldCat)
FamilySearch
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1770
| style="padding-left:5px"| Nova Scotia 1770 census
| style="padding-left:5px"| Nova Scotia Archives
Ancestry ($)
FamilySearch
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1800-1842
| style="padding-left:5px"| Ontario and Nova Scotia Census, 1800-1842
| style="padding-left:5px"| Ancestry ($)
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1811-1818
| style="padding-left:5px"| Nova Scotia Census Returns, 1811, 1817 and 1818
| style="padding-left:5px"| Nova Scotia Archives
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1827
| style="padding-left:5px"| Nova Scotia Census Returns 1827
| style="padding-left:5px"| Nova Scotia Archives
Ancestry ($)
FamilySearch
WorldCat
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1838
| style="padding-left:5px"| Nova Scotia Census Returns 1838
| style="padding-left:5px"| Nova Scotia Archives
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1851
| style="padding-left:5px"| Canada Census, 1851
| style="padding-left:5px"| Archives of Canada
FamilySearch
Ancestry ($)
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1861
| style="padding-left:5px"| Census of Canada, 1861
| style="padding-left:5px"| Archives of Canada
FamilySearch
Ancestry ($)
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1871
| style="padding-left:5px"| Census of Canada, 1871
| style="padding-left:5px"| Archives of Canada
FamilySearch
Ancestry ($)
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1871-1901
| style="padding-left:5px"| Jewish residents of the Maritime provinces in the 1871-1901 censuses of Canada
| style="padding-left:5px"| FamilySearch
WorldCat
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1881
| style="padding-left:5px"| Census of Canada, 1881
| style="padding-left:5px"| Archives of Canada
FamilySearch
Ancestry ($)
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1891
| style="padding-left:5px"| Census of Canada, 1891
| style="padding-left:5px"| Archives of Canada
FamilySearch
Ancestry ($)
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1901
| style="padding-left:5px"| Census of Canada, 1901
| style="padding-left:5px"| Archives of Canada
FamilySearch
Ancestry ($)
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1911
| style="padding-left:5px"| Census of Canada, 1911
| style="padding-left:5px"| Archives of Canada
FamilySearch
Ancestry ($)
|-
| style="padding-left:5px"| 1921
| style="padding-left:5px"| Census of Canada, 1921
| style="padding-left:5px"| Ancestry ($)
|}
Cemeteries
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Print (Often more complete) |
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Church Records
- 1720-2001 Nova Scotia Church Records, images.
- 1757-1946 Acadia, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), images ($)
- 1823-1905 Nova Scotia, Antigonish Catholic Diocese, images.
- Nova Scotia, Canada, Antigonish Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1823-1905, index & images ($).
*1856-1970 U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, images ($) - Nova Scotia Archives, Church Records, index & images.
- Nova Scotia Archives, Regional Church Archives contact information
See also, Nova Scotia Church Records
City, Provincial, and Business Directories
- 1758-1952 Ancestry $ Publications of the governments of Nova Scotia
- 1868-1869 Collections Canada PDF file of McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory
- 1880-1881 FamilySearch McAlpine's maritime provinces business directory
- 1890-1897 Collections Canada PDF file of McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory
- 1907-1908 Nova Scotia Archives McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory
Court Records
- 1885-1900 Nova Scotia Archives Court of Appeal Casebooks
Wills and Probate
- 1760-1993 Canada, Nova Scotia Probate Records, 1760-1993, images.
Land Records
- 1732-1864 Nova Scotia land grants, microfilm.
- 1763-1970 Land records, microfilm.
- 1854-1953 Land grants, microfilm.
- 1965-1970 Card file index to deeds, grantor and grantee, microfilm, Index.
Online Records
- Land Grants, Images.
- Crown Land Information Management Centre maps, images
- 1760-1993 Canada, Nova Scotia Probate Records, 1760-1993, images.
- 1765-1800 Nova Scotia Land Papers images.
- 1787-1843 Cape Breton Island Petitions, images
Additional Reference
- Gilroy, Marion. Loyalists and Land Settlement in Nova Scotia. Halifax: Public Archives of Nova Scotia, 1937. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
- Smith, Clifford Neal. Whereabouts of Some American Refugees, 1784–1800: the Nova Scotian Land Grants. 7 vols. McNeal, Arizona: Vestland Publications, 1992.
- Land Registration Office - Annapolis County
396 Main Street
Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia
(902) 584-7185
Military Records
- The American Civil War : the service records of Atlantic Canadians with the State of Maine volunteers
- The civil sword : James Delancey's Westchester Refugees
- 1749-1867 Index to commissions in the Public, index.
Online Sources
- Veteran Affairs Canada has a Virtual War Memorial with listings of graves and memorials, some with photographs and personal memorabilia. It also has excerpts from wartime letters and diaries.
- Library and Archives Canada Records and databases of information over an extensive period of time.
- 1910-1967 The Royal Canadian Navy Virtual archive of non-governmental materials (postcards, letters, photographs, etc.)
Newspapers and Obituaries
- List of Nova Scotia newspapers available on microfilm at Library and Archives Canada:
Library and Archives Canada - Nova Scotia vital statistics from newspapers FamilySearch
- 1752-1988 - Hicks, Brenda, Lynn Murphy, and Anjali Vohra. Nova Scotia Newspapers: A Directory and Union List, 1752-1988. Halifax, Nova Scotia: School of Library and Information Studies, Dalhousie University, 1990.
- 1757-1957 - Tratt, Gertrude E. N. A Survey and Listing of Nova Scotia Newspapers, 1752-1957, with Particular Reference to the Period Before 1867. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University, 1979.
Taxation Records
- 1791-1793 Nova Scotia Archives & Records Management Poll tax rolls
Repositories
Nova Scotia Archives & Records Management, formerly the Public Archives of Nova Scotia (PANS):
6016 University Avenue
Halifax, Nova Scotia
(902) 424-6060
www.gov.ns.ca/nsarm/
The library holdings are only available for use on-site, but there are numerous databases and materials available through the Virtual Archives, including the searchable database of Historical Vital Statistics. If you're planning a visit to the library, you can search a portion of the catalogue online in advance (as of July 2010, 20,000 entries); the remaining 50,000 titles are listed in the Archives Reading Room Card Catalogue, available onsite. Search for 'Annapolis' in Acadia University's Planter Database for a more convenient way to view NSARM's record holdings.
Websites
- Nova Scotia Genealogy Records Online
- Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia
- Canadian Genealogy and History Links
- Acadia University's Planter Studies Centre, focused on the New England residents who settled in Nova Scotia in the late 1700s.
References
- Genealogy Source: Where to Find Genealogical Information in Nova Scotia. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Council of Nova Scotia Archives, 2002.
- Elliot, Noel Montgomery, ed. The Atlantic Canadians, 1600–1900: An Alphabetized Directory of the People, Places, and Vital Dates. 3 vols. Toronto: Genealogical Research Library, 1994.
- Marble, Allan E. A Catalogue of Published Genealogies of Nova Scotia Families. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Genealogical Association of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society, 1984.
- Morris, Julie. Tracing Your Ancestors in Nova Scotia. Halifax: Public Archives of Nova Scotia, 1987.
- Morse, William I. Gravestones of Acadie: And Other Essays on Local History, Genealogy and Parish Records of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. London: A. Smith & Co., 1929.
- Peterson, Jean, Lynn Murphy, and Heather MacDonald. The Loyalist Guide: Nova Scotian Loyalists and Their Documents. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Public Archives of Nova Scotia, 1983.
- Punch, Terrence M. Erin's Sons: Irish Arrivals in Atlantic Canada to 1863. 4 vols. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2008-2010.
- Punch, Terrence M. Genealogical Research in Nova Scotia. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Petheric Press, 1978.
- Punch, Terrence M. Genealogist's Handbook for Atlantic Canada Research. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1989.
- Punch, Terrence M. In Which County?: Nova Scotia Surnames from Birth Registers, 1864 to 1877. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Genealogical Association of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society, 1985.
- Smith, Leonard H, and Norma H. Smith. Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867. 2 vols. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992. Online at: Vol. I - Ancestry ($), Vol. II - Ancestry ($), Internet Archive.
- County Guide Series, No. 5. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Public Archives of Nova Scotia, 1990.
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