Alberta Church Records: Difference between revisions

Alberta Church Records (view source)

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 *Also held are the records of some congregations of Western Canada Synod, Lutheran Church in America from 1898–1983 (76 congregations), which include registers of baptisms, marriages, burials, and confirmations, as well as church minutes, synod newsletters, correspondence, and accounts.
-== History of Churches in Alberta  ==
-Although a few Catholic priests traveled through Alberta prior to 1840, making short stops at prairie forts or in Indian camps, it was Wesleyan Methodist missionary Reverend Robert Rundle who made the first concentrated effort to perform and record baptisms, marriages and burials in District of Alberta. He arrived in 1840 and spent nearly eight years traversing the country between present day Saskatoon and the British Columbia border and from Banff north to Lesser Slave Lake, making Fort Edmonton and Pigeon Lake his headquarters. His travels brought him in close contact with the native people. He kept a diary of his travels and records of baptisms and marriages he performed which are held by the Glenbow Archives, although they are reported hard to decipher.
-Another Methodist missionary, Reverend James Evers, worked in the Peace River Country in 1841-1842. Following Rundle’s return to England, the work of the Methodists in Alberta was carried on by Reverend Henry Steinhauer at Whitefish Lake. In 1862 Reverend George McDougall and his son John arrived to establish the Victoria Mission, 75 miles north of Edmonton.
-In 1842 the Catholic Church made its first permanent inroads in the area. Father A. Thibault, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate, a missionary order from France, established the small mission at Lac Ste Anne. Four years later he was joined by Father Bourassa, who spent the year before in the Peace River country. Although the mission served the native population in the area, it was primarily the home of descendants of Red River Settlement Métis families. The hardships and loneliness of the life caused the recall of both Thibault and Bourassa and in 1852 Father Albert Lacombe was sent to Lac Ste Anne to replace them.
-Meanwhile, in 1847, Father Taché was working in the Fort Chipewyan area and was replaced there in 1848 by Father Fafard. Father Rémas was at Lac La Biche while Father Lacombe was at Lac Ste Anne. In 1861 Lacombe established the mission of St. Albert which became a flourishing Métis community. At the end of that decade, Bishop Vital Grandin, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, chose St. Albert as his Episcopal See. The Diocese of St. Albert remained the headquarters of the Catholic Church and the Oblates until 1912 when the Diocese was changed to the Archdiocese of Edmonton with headquarters in that city. The Oblates are still involved in some of the early parishes they established, including St. Albert.
-The Anglican Church was not a presence in Alberta until 1858-1859 when Archdeacon James Hunter arrived. He was followed by Reverend W.W. Kirkley who worked in the northern part of the district. Both spent a minimal amount of time in the province, making only short stops on their way further north. The first Anglican Church in Alberta was in Edmonton, built in 1877 by Reverend Newton.
-These early churchmen generated records of their baptisms, marriages and burials. Some were meticulous (the Oblates kept very acceptable registers); others did not. Reverend William C. Bompas and Father Grouard are reported to have kept excellent records. Do not be surprised to find a family appearing in two or more different registers. It was not uncommon for a group of Indians to be visited and baptised one day by a Methodist minister, then visited and baptised a few days later by a Catholic priest or vice versa.
-As the immigration of white settlers grew, established churches tried to provide them with clergymen. Some settlements, such as Neerlandia (Dutch Reformed Church) and Girouxville (French Catholic), were built specifically for the retention of religious beliefs. In groups such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) and Mennonites, religion played a very strong role. Communities with no church to serve specific denominations may have been visited by a circuit minister.
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 === Anglican  ===