Canada Church Records: Difference between revisions

=== Locating Records Not at the Family History Library ===

As Canada has no single repository of church records, the location of records depends on the religion and the location of the church.  

A few early church records of various denominations have been microfilmed and are available from the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa. Public libraries may request an interlibrary loan. These microfilms are described in:  

Campeau, Marielle, and Patricia Birkett. ''Checklist of Parish Registers,'' 1986. Ottawa: Manuscript Division, National Archives of Canada, 1987. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=252791&disp=Checklist+of+parish+registers%20%20&columns=*,0,0 971 K23p] 1987.) This source lists the available parish registers by place-name within each province. It also gives the National Archives of Canada film numbers. Public libraries can use these numbers to order the films through interlibrary loan.  

Provincial archives have some copies of church registers. See research outlines of the provinces for their addresses.  

'''Anglican or Roman Catholic Records.''' For Anglican or Roman Catholic records, there is no central Canadian repository. Many, but not all, of their records have been transferred to diocesan archives; some are still at the parishes. These guides are helpful:  

''Guide sommaire des archives des diocèses catholiques au Canada (Abridged Guide to the Archives of Catholic Dioceses in Canada)''. In French and English. Ottawa: Centre de Recherche en Histoire Religieuse du Canada, Université Saint-Paul, 1981. (Family History Library  book[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=708067&disp=Guide+to+the+holdings+of+the+archives+of%20%20&columns=*,0,0 971 K23g; film 1698288 item 6].)  

''Annuaire de l’église catholique au Canada (Canadian Catholic Church Directory)''. In French and English. Montreal: B. M. Advertising, annual. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=1125049&disp=2003%20%20&columns=*,0,0 971 K24a].) This book lists names, addresses, and telephone numbers of Canadian dioceses and parishes.  

The Anglican Church of Canada is publishing a series of guides to church records and where they may be found. Some records remain in the parishes and are not listed in these guides. Records pertaining to a particular locality are listed under the diocese where they are stored. The following guides are available:  

''Guide to the Holdings of the Archives of the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert’s Land''. Winnipeg: St. John’s College Press, 1986. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=643556&disp=Guide+to+the+holdings+of+the+archives+of%20%20&columns=*,0,0 971 A3m].) This guide covers ten dioceses in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and northern Ontario. It lists record types and years covered and includes a place-name index.  

''Guide to the Holdings of the Archives of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario''. Agincourt, Ontario: Generation Press, 1990. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=480216&disp=Diocese+of+Ontario+%28Anglican+Church+of%20%20&columns=*,0,0 971.3 K23].) This guide covers seven dioceses.  

''Guide to the Holdings of the Archives of the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon''. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=708067&disp=Guide+to+the+holdings+of+the+archives+of%20%20&columns=*,0,0 971 K23gh].) This guide covers six dioceses.  

These and other inventories are in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:  

CANADA - CHURCH RECORDS - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS [or] CATALOGS  

[PROVINCE] - CHURCH RECORDS - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS [or] CATALOGS  

'''Presbyterian Records'''. Many early records have been transferred with those of other constituent churches to The United Church of Canada Archives in Toronto and to other regional United Church archives. Most of the remaining parish records at the Presbyterian Church Archives have been filmed to 1900 or later. They are at the Family History Library. To find microfilm numbers, check the Author/Title Search of the Family History Library Catalog under PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN CANADA or the Locality Search under the towns of interest to you.  

'''Congregationalist''' '''Records.''' Very few early records are at United Church or Presbyterian archives.  

'''United Church of Canada''' '''Records.''' The system of regional United Church archives is described in:  

Committee on Archives and History, The United Church of Canada. ''Guide to Family History Research in the Archival Repositories of The United Church of Canada.'' Toronto: Ontario Genealogical Society, 1996. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=684182&disp=Guide+to+family+history+research+in+the+%20%20&columns=*,0,0 971 J5gf].) This guide lists names, addresses, and telephone and fax numbers of archives; it also contains brief summaries of their services and major holdings. One chapter covers the histories of The United Church of Canada and of the uniting denominations.  

Some records remain in local congregations, called "pastoral charges." Addresses are in:  

''The United Church of Canada Yearbook and Directory''. Etobicoke, Ontario: Department of Education and Information of The United Church of Canada, annual. (Family History Library book [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=803901&disp=Yearbook+%28United+Church+of+Canada%29%20%20&columns=*,0,0 971 K25y]. 1982 edition on Family History Library microfilm /[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=244022&disp=Yearbook+%28United+Church+of+Canada%29%20%20&columns=*,0,0 1320688 items 8 and 9].)  

You may wish to visit:  

'''United Church of Canada Central Archives'''<br>Victoria University <br>73 Queen’s Park Crescent East <br>Toronto, ON M5S 1K7 <br>CANADA <br>Telephone: 416-585-4563 <br>Fax: 416-585-4584 <br>Internet: http://unitedchurcharchives.vicu.utoronto.ca/  

'''Other Records.''' Jewish records of births, marriages, and deaths usually remain with synagogues. A few have been transferred to national or provincial archives. Lutheran Church records often remain with local congregations.  

Descriptions of selected church archives in Canada are in:  

''Archivaria: The Journal of the Association of Canadian Archivists 30,'' (Summer 1990), Special Issue on Religious Archives. (FHL periodical 971 B2ar.)  

Addresses of many regional church archives are in the following guides, listed in "[[Canada Archives and Libraries|Archives and Libraries]]":  

''Directory of Canadian Archives.'' 5th ed. Ottawa: Association of Canadian Archivists, 1990. (FHL book 971 J54d 1990.)  

''The Official Directory of Canadian Museums and Related Institutions'', 1987–1988. Ottawa: Canadian Museums Association, 1987. (FHL book 971 J54dc.)  

Addresses of church headquarters in Canada are in:  

''Canadian Sourcebook.'' Don Mills, Ontario: Southam Inc., annual. (FHL book 971 B5c.) Editions before 1998 were called:  

''Corpus Almanac &amp; Canadian Sourcebook.'' Don Mills, Ontario: Corpus Information Services, annual. (FHL book 971 B5c.)  

''Canadian Almanac and Directory.'' Toronto: Canadian Almanac and Directory Publishing Co., annual. (FHL book 971 E4ca.)  

Jacquet, Constant H. ''Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches.'' Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, annual. (FHL book Ref 970 K2wh.)  

Addresses of major archives or central headquarters of some denominations are given below. You can write and ask for names and addresses of their regional archives. The staff of most of these archives cannot search their records for you but may be able to furnish names of professional researchers who can. Some require fees for their services; others appreciate a donation. Do not forget to enclose proper postage or international reply coupons when writing.  

'''Baptist'''  

Many Baptist records have been centralized at McMaster University where they have been filmed by the Family History Library. A larger collection is at Acadia University.  

'''Canadian Baptist Archives'''<br>McMaster Divinity College <br>Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 <br>CANADA<br>Telephone: 905-525-9140, extension 23511 <br>Fax: 905-577-4782 <br>Internet: http://www.macdiv.ca/students/baptistarchives.php  

(covers all of Canada except the Atlantic Provinces)  

'''Acadia University Archives'''<br>50 Acadia Street <br>Wolfville, NS B0P 1X0 <br>CANADA<br>Telephone: 902-585-1412 <br>Fax: 902-542-1748 <br>Internet: http://library.acadiau.ca/archives/links/  

(Atlantic Baptist Historical Collection)  

'''Lutheran'''<br>Archivist <br>Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada <br>302-393 Portage Avenue <br>Winnipeg, MB R3B 3H6 <br>CANADA <br>Internet: http://www.elcic.ca/  

'''Mennonite'''  

Mennonite records are usually gathered into archives.  

'''Mennonite Heritage Centre'''<br>600 Shaftesbury Boulevard <br>Winnipeg, MB R3P 0M4 <br>CANADA <br>Telephone: 204-888-6781 <br>Fax: 204-831-5675 <br>Internet: http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/programs/archives/  

'''Methodist'''  

See United Church of Canada Central Archives, above.  

'''Presbyterian'''  

Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives and Records Office <br>50 Wynford Drive <br>North York, ON M3C 1J7 <br>CANADA<br>Telephone: 416-441-1111 <br>Fax: 416-441-2825 <br>Internet: http://www.presbyterian.ca/archives/  

'''Society of Friends''' '''(Quaker)'''  

These records may be at the central archives or at one of the meetings.  

Genealogical Enquiries<br>The Dorland Room <br>Pickering College <br>16945 Bayview Avenue <br>Newmarket, ON L3Y 4X2 <br>CANADA<br>Telephone: 905-895-1700 <br>Fax: 905-895-9076 <br>Internet: http://www.quaker.org/  

An important guide to Quaker records is:  

Hill, Thomas C. ''Monthly Meetings in North America: A Quaker Index''. 4th ed. Cincinnati: Thomas C. Hill, 1997. (FHL book 973 K22h 1997. The second (1993) edition of this book is on FHL film 1698282 item 11.) This guide is organized alphabetically by the name of the monthly meeting. It gives the meeting address and sometimes indicates the location of the records. A geographical index lists by province the names of the 50 monthly meetings in Canada.  

Very early records of monthly meetings in Canada were sent to the New York Yearly Meeting Archives. These records have now been transferred to:  

Friends Historical Library<br>Swarthmore College <br>500 College Avenue <br>Swarthmore, PA 19081 <br>USA <br>Telephone: 610-328-8496 <br>Internet: http://www.swarthmore.edu/x7556.xml  

Some of these early records have been used to compile this early church census, which lists more than 250 Quaker families in Canada:  

Fay, Loren V. ''Quaker Census of 1828: Members of the New York Yearly Meeting, The Religious Society of Friends at the Time of the [Hicksite] Separation of 1828''. Rhinebeck, New York: Kinship, 1989. (FHL book 974.7 K2fL.) This book contains the names of adults and the names and sometimes ages of children. A "key number" indicates the monthly meeting to which the family belonged.  

Records not on microfilm or at a central archives may be in local parishes. If possible, write in French to French-speaking areas, but a letter in good English is better than one in bad French.  

When writing to local Canadian parishes for genealogical information, include the following:  

*Check or money order for the search fee, usually about $15.00.  

*Full name and the sex of the person sought.  

*Names of the parents, if known.  

*Approximate date and place of the event.  

*Your relationship to the person.  

*Reason for the request (family history, medical, and so forth).  

*Request for a complete extract or photocopy of the original record.

International reply coupon, available from your local post office, when writing from outside the country. Within Canada, enclose a self-addressed envelope with proper postage.  

If your request is unsuccessful, search for duplicate records in other archives or in civil registration offices.