British Columbia Vital Records: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 03:39, 15 February 2024

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Canada

British Columbia

Vital Records

Online Indexes

The following links provide further information:

Background

British Columbia became a province of Canada in 1871. Provincewide registration of birth, marriage, and death records began in 1872. A few records were made for events which took place before 1872 but were registered later. Many births, marriages, and deaths were not registered in the early years, and not all British Columbians were included in registration. Vital records began to be kept more systematically in 1920.

Availability Vital records of births more than 120 years old (and up to 1903), marriages more than 75 years old, and deaths more than 20 years old are available online and on microfilm. Vital records that are more recent must be requested on forms available from the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency.

Some births, marriages, and deaths not recorded in vital records may be in church records. British Columbia vital records are restricted for many years before they can be made public:

Birth records, 120 years. (But years up to 1903 are available as they were before the legislation was changed.)
Marriage records, 75 years.
Death records, 20 years.

For additional information about vital records in Canada, including research strategies, see Canada Vital Records.

Finding the Records

How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records For British Columbia, Canada

British Columbia Archives - Royal British Columbia Museum

Birth (1854-1903), Marriage (1872-1936), Death (1872-1992) Online index with some registration page images - free. This online index includes World War Two Overseas Casualties for the years 1940 to 1945 (3,423 names).

FamilySearch.org Online indexes with some registration page images - free.

British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency

818 Fort Street

Victoria, BC V8W 1H8

CANADA

Phone: 250–952–2681

Fax: 250–952–2587

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 9657

STN. PROV. GOVT.

Victoria, BC V8W 9P3

CANADA

Vancouver Public Library

350 W. Georgia St.

Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1

CANADA

Phone: 604–331–3740 (newspapers, magazines)

Phone: 604–331–3710 (history, government, genealogy)

Fax: 604–331–3744

Cloverdale Library

5642 - 176A Street

Surrey, BC V3S 4G9

CANADA

Phone: 604-598-7320

Copies of vital records are 50 cents per copy in person or $5 if ordered by mail or e-mail.

    FamilySearch Library[1]

Many births, marriages, and deaths are listed in the Master Index Card File, British Columbia Genealogical Society. (BCGS) The BCGS card index of over 100,000 names giving mainly births, marriages and deaths compiled from cemetery transcriptions, church records, published histories and misc. sources for ca. 1850-ca. 1986 is available at the Society's Walter Draycott Library in Surrey, BC, Canada.

Originals of the BCGS Master Index Card File, then over 51,000 records, were filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986–7 at the British Columbia Genealogical Society, Richmond, BC.

British Columbia films of death registers are no longer available at the FamilySearch Library. See the free online index and images listed above in Finding the Records - British Columbia Archives-Royal British Columbia Museum and in the FamilySearch collections listed below.

Wiki articles describing these collections are found at:

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{British Columbia-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
+| link1=[[Canada Genealogy|Canada]]
+| link2=[[British Columbia Genealogy|British Columbia]]
+| link3=
+| link4=
+| link5=[[{{PAGENAME}}|Vital Records]]
+}}
+== Online Indexes  ==
+The following links provide further information:
+===Births===
+*'''1836-1885''' [[Online Index to Baptisms, 1836-1885, for British Columbia, Canada|Online Index to Baptisms, 1836-1885]]
+*'''1836-1903''' [http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy British Columbia Archives, Birth and Baptism Index, 1836-1903] Index
+*'''1854-1903''' {{FSC|733604|item|disp=Birth registrations, 1872-1903 (for birth years, 1854-1903), vols. 1-322; delayed birth registrations for birth years, 1869-1903, vols. 700, 900-914; delayed birth registrations for birth years, 1859-1903, photocopied from vols. 323-1058 (excluding volumes 700, 795, 900-914, and 995-998); delayed registrations of Indian births, 1868-1903, vols. 795, 995A-998A}}
+*'''1854-1903''' [https://www.familysearch.org/#form=historical_records FamilySearch Record Search Births 1854-1903]
+*'''1872-1903''' [[Online Index of Births, 1872-1903, for British Columbia, Canada|Online Index of Births, 1872-1903]]
+===Marriages===
+*'''1859–1932 and 1937''' {{RecordSearch|1307718|British Columbia Marriage Registrations, 1859-1932; 1937}} at FamilySearch — index and images
+*'''1859-1932''' {{FSC|662575|item|disp=Pre-confederation marriage records, 1859-1872}}
+*'''1859-1872''' [[Online Index of Colonial Marriages, 1859-1872, for British Columbia, Canada|Online Index of Colonial Marriages, 1859-1872]]
+*'''1859-1942''' [http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy British Columbia Archives, Marriage Index, 1859-1942] Index
+*'''1872-1930'''[[Online Index of Marriages, 1872-1930, for British Columbia, Canada|Online Index of Marriages, 1872-1930]]
+===Deaths===
+*'''1872-1985''' [[Online Index of Deaths, 1872-1985, for British Columbia, Canada|Online Index of Deaths, 1872-1985]]
+*'''1872-1997''' [http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy British Columbia Archives, Death Index, 1872-1997] Index
+*'''1872–1986 and 1992–1993''' {{RecordSearch|1538285|British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986; 1992-1993}} at FamilySearch — index and images
 == Background  ==
-British Columbia became a province in 1871. Provincewide registration of birth, marriage, and death records began in 1872. A few records were made for events which took place before 1872 but were registered later. Many births, marriages, and deaths were not registered in the early years. Vital records began to be kept more systematically in 1920.
+British Columbia became a province of Canada in 1871. Provincewide registration of birth, marriage, and death records began in 1872. A few records were made for events which took place before 1872 but were registered later. Many births, marriages, and deaths were not registered in the early years, and not all British Columbians were included in registration. Vital records began to be kept more systematically in 1920.
-'''Availability''' Vital records of births more than 100 years old, marriages more than 75 years old, and deaths more than 20 years old are available on microfilm. Vital records that are more recent must be requested on forms available from the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency.
+'''Availability''' Vital records of births more than 120 years old (and up to 1903), marriages more than 75 years old, and deaths more than 20 years old are available online and on microfilm. Vital records that are more recent must be requested on forms available from the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency.
-Some births, marriages, and deaths not recorded in vital records may be in church recordsBritish Columbia vital records are restricted for many years before they can be made public:
+Some births, marriages, and deaths not recorded in vital records may be in church records. British Columbia vital records are restricted for many years before they can be made public:
-*Birth records, 100 years.
+*Birth records, 120 years. (But years up to 1903 are available as they were before the legislation was changed.)<br>
 *Marriage records, 75 years.
 *Death records, 20 years.<br><br>
@@ Line 13: / Line 45: @@
 For additional information about vital records in Canada, including research strategies, see [[Canada Vital Records|Canada Vital Records]].
-British Columbia information can be found at:
+== Finding the Records  ==
+*[[How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records For British Columbia, Canada|How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records For British Columbia, Canada]]
+:[http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy '''British Columbia Archives - Royal British Columbia Museum''']
+:Birth (1854-1903), Marriage (1872-1936), Death (1872-1992) Online index with some registration page images - free. This online index includes World War Two Overseas Casualties for the years 1940 to 1945 (3,423 names).<br>
+<br>
+:[https://www.familysearch.org '''FamilySearch.org'''] Online indexes with some registration page images - free.<br>
+<br> '''     [http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/ British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency]'''
-:'''Vital Statistics Agency'''
 :818 Fort Street
 :Victoria, BC V8W 1H8
 :CANADA
-:Telephone: 250–952–2681; Fax: 250–952–2587<br><br>
+:Phone: 250–952–2681
+:Fax: 250–952–2587<br><br>
 :Mailing Address:
@@ Line 25: / Line 67: @@
 :STN. PROV. GOVT.
 :Victoria, BC V8W 9P3
-:CANADA
+:CANADA <br><br>
-:Internet: [http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/ www.vs.gov.bc.ca]<br><br>
-:'''Vancouver Public Library'''
+:'''[https://www.vpl.ca/ Vancouver Public Library]'''
 :350 W. Georgia St.
 :Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1
 :CANADA
-:Telephone: 604–331–3740 (newspapers, magazines)
+:Phone: 604–331–3740 (newspapers, magazines)
-:Telephone: 604–331–3710 (history, government, genealogy)
+:Phone: 604–331–3710 (history, government, genealogy)
-:Fax: 604–331–3744
+:Fax: 604–331–3744 <br><br>
-:Internet: http://www.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/<br><br>
-*http://www.vpl.ca/branches/LibrarySquare/his/StudyGuides/finding_bc_civil.html
+:[http://www.surreylibraries.ca/location-hours/4684.aspx '''Cloverdale Library''']
+:5642 - 176A Street
+:Surrey, BC V3S 4G9
+:CANADA
+:Phone: 604-598-7320
+:Copies of vital records are 50 cents per copy in person or $5 if ordered by mail or e-mail. <br><br>
-*An index is available on the Internet: http://www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca:9000/sn-4BA3024/gbsearch
+     [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog '''FamilySearch Library'''][http://www.bcgs.ca]
-=== Family History Library  ===
+Many births, marriages, and deaths are listed in the [https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/629258 ''Master Index Card File'', British Columbia Genealogical Society. (BCGS) ]The BCGS card index of over 100,000 names giving mainly births, marriages and deaths compiled from cemetery transcriptions, church records, published histories and misc. sources for ca. 1850-ca. 1986 is available at the Society's Walter Draycott Library in Surrey, BC, Canada.  <br>
-Many births, marriages, and deaths are listed in the ''Master Index Card File'', British Columbia Family History Library {{FHL|629258|title-id|disp=films 1464497–501}}.) Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986–7. The original records were filmed at the British Columbia Genealogical Society, Richmond, BC.
+Originals of the BCGS Master Index Card File, then over 51,000 records, were filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986–7 at the British Columbia Genealogical Society, Richmond, BC.
-=== Related Articles ===
+British Columbia films of death registers are no longer available at the FamilySearch Library. See the free online index and images listed above in [[British Columbia Vital Records#Finding_the_Records|Finding the Records - British Columbia Archives-Royal British Columbia Museum]] and in the FamilySearch collections listed below.<br>
-[[British_Columbia_Births_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)|British Columbia Births]]
+'''Wiki articles describing these collections are found at:'''
-[[British_Columbia_Deaths_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)|British Columbia Deaths]]
+*[[British Columbia Birth Registrations - FamilySearch Historical Records|British Columbia Birth Registrations - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
+*[https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/British_Columbia,_Birth,_Marriage,_and_Death_Information_from_the_Victoria_Times_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records) British Columbia, Birth, Marriage, and Death Information from the Victoria Times (FamilySearch Historical Records)]
+*[[British Columbia Death Registrations - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
+*[[British Columbia Marriage Registrations - FamilySearch Historical Records]]
-[[British_Columbia_Marriages_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)|British Columbia Marriages]]
+<br>
+[[fr:Colombie Britannique : Registres d'Etat Civil]]
-=== Online Indexes  ===
+[[Category:British Columbia Vital Records]]
-The following links provide further information:
-*[http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails&c=fs%3A1307731 FamilySearch Record Search Births 1854-1903]
-*[[Online Index of Births, 1872-1903, for British Columbia, Canada|Online Index of Births, 1872-1903]]
-*[[Online Index to Baptisms, 1836-1885, for British Columbia, Canada|Online Index to Baptisms, 1836-1885]]
-*[http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails&c=fs%3A1307718 FamilySearch Record Search Marriages 1859-1932]
-*[[Online Index of Colonial Marriages, 1859-1872, for British Columbia, Canada|Online Index of Colonial Marriages, 1859-1872]]
-*[[Online Index of Marriages, 1872-1930, for British Columbia, Canada|Online Index of Marriages, 1872-1930]]
-*[[Online Index of Deaths, 1872-1985, for British Columbia, Canada|Online Index of Deaths, 1872-1985]]
-*[http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/start.html#p=collectionDetails&c=fs%3A1538285 FamilySearch Record Search Deaths 1872-1986]
-[[Category:British_Columbia]]