Quebec Church Records: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:43, 17 October 2020

Quebec Wiki Topics

Beginning Research
Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder
Record Types
Biography Business Records & Commerce Cemeteries Census Church Records Civil Registration Court Records Crime & Punishment Directories Emigration & Immigration Compiled Genealogies Land & Property	Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Notarial Records Obituaries Online Records Periodicals Probate Records Schools and Education Records Vital Records
Quebec Background
Québécois Word List Gazetteers Historical Geography History Languages	Maps Naming Customs Tanguay's Genealogical Dictionary For Further Reading
Ethnicity
Cultural Groups First Nations	Jewish Records
Local Research Resources
Archives & Libraries Societies FamilySearch Centers

Canada

Quebec

Church Records

For greater success, use all the Wiki Articles in this series:

Historical Background[edit | edit source]

Roman Catholic[edit | edit source]

The largest religious group in Québec is the Roman Catholic Church. The first Catholic parish register was for Notre-Dame de Québec, founded in 1621.
From 1679 to 1993, most vital records for Québec were copies of church records. The province required churches to send copies to government archives.
On 1 January 1994, the government began to keep separate vital records.
Vital records could be registered civilly without a church record as early as 1926. Beginning in the 1960s, many births and marriages were recorded only in civil registers.

Protestant[edit | edit source]

The earliest Protestant records are from 1766, when the Church of England (Anglican) parishes were founded in Montréal. Presbyterian records date from 1770 in the city of Québec and 1779 in Montréal. Other non-Catholic groups came later.
Protestant church records are not as extensive as the Catholic records. Clergy of legally recognized Protestant groups were required to send duplicate copies of their church records to the civil archives. They did not always do it.
Also, baptisms and marriages performed by some non-Catholic clergy were not recognized by civil authorities until 1825 or later. Beginning in 1825, the registers of various denominations were "authenticated" (given legal authority) by the legislative assembly.
Many Protestant registers contain less information than the Catholic records. For example, many marriage records do not list the parents of the bride or groom.

Information Found in the Records[edit | edit source]

To effectively use church records, become familiar with their content. Click on these links to learn about a specific record type:

Minutes or Historical Narrative

Finding the Records[edit | edit source]

Look for online records.[edit | edit source]

Ancestry.com, FindMyPast.com, and MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local family history center or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Online databases are incomplete. This can lead to two common errors:

Near matches: Researchers might mistakenly accept an entry very similar to their ancestor, thinking it is the only one available. Only use information that matches your ancestor in date, place, relationships, and other details.
Stopping research: Researchers might assume the database proves church records do not exist. Actually the record is still out there, just not in this incomplete collection of records. Keep searching!

The Drouin Collection has six databases:

Quebec Vital and Church Records, 1621-1967
Ontario French Catholic Church Records, 1747-1967
Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records, 1695-1954
Acadia French Catholic Church Records, 1670-1946
Quebec Notarial Records, 1647-1942
Miscellaneous French Records, 1651-1941.

For details about this six databases, see The Drouin Collection: Six Databases.

Loiselle Card Index[edit | edit source]

Loiselle card index to many marriages of the province of Quebec and adjacent areas Loiselle, Antonin. This source usually lists the names of the bride and groom, their parents’ names, and the date and place of their marriage. The index is arranged roughly in alphabetical order. This index lists more than a million marriages. It covers about 70 percent of Québec Catholic marriages to 1900, with a few as late as the 1960s. It also includes a few parishes outside Québec where there were large settlements of French Canadians
Supplement to Loiselle card index to many marriages of the province of Quebec and adjacent areasLoiselle, Antonin. This supplement to the Loiselle index adds many more marriages and covers the Ottawa River valley area of Ontario and Quebec. This is a supplement to the original Loiselle Index. It extends the original geographical coverage to the Montréal region, the Ottawa River Valley in both Québec and Ontario, and to a few parishes in western Canada.
Instructions for using the Loiselle Marriage Index

Jacques-Henri Fabien Collection[edit | edit source]

1657-1974 - Jacques-Henri Fabien Collection This collection of microfilm consists of genealogical information over the period 1657 to 1974, distributed on more than 250,000 cards, mostly for marriages, that indicate date and place, names of spouses and their parents. The collection includes parishes in the Outaouais region of Québec and Ontario, some parishes in Eastern and Northern Ontario, counties of Pontiac, Vaudreuil, Châteauguay, Huntingdon, Beauharnois, l'Assomption, Laval, Deux-Montagnes and Argenteuil, in Quebec.

Other Marriage Indexes[edit | edit source]

1670-1964 - "Index to Marriages of Québec and Adjacent Areas 1670–1964". Rivest, Lucien. It lists 230,000 Catholic marriages in 13 counties northwest and northeast of Montréal, alphabetical by the bride's maiden surname.
"Mariages de Québec (Marriages of Québec)". It lists Catholic marriages to 1970 in the Eastern Townships region southeast of Montréal. It is alphabetical by the groom's name.

Online Indexes[edit | edit source]

BMS2000 ($)

Groupe BMS2000, is a cooperative project for pooling genealogical data from 24 genealogical societies in Quebec and its immediate surroundings. A common database of baptism, marriage and burial records of 14 million records makes this pooling concrete. To this imposing index are grafted the images of the acts of the parish registers of Quebec. This last part, started a few years ago, is being completed by volunteers from genealogical societies of Quebec.

In the 2017 version, the count of indexed acts is as follows:

Baptisms: 7,013,523 files
Weddings: 3,666,101 records
Burials: 3,254,463 files

There is a charge for consulting the BMS2000 database.^[1]

PRDH

The acronym PRDH corresponds to the Historical Demography Research Program of the University of Montreal, as of 1966, gave itself the mandate to exhaustively reconstitute the population of ancient Quebec since the beginning of French colonization in the 17th century. The achievement of this objective takes the form of a computerized population register, made up of the biographical files of all individuals of European origin who have lived in the St. Lawrence Valley. This database represents the ultimate reference for any genealogical research which takes place between the beginnings of New France and 1800. It is the most complete database that a genealogist should consult. The images of the acts of parish registers are matched with the indexes of the database. There is a charge for consulting the PRDH database.^[1]

Canadiana Online

United Church of Canada[edit | edit source]

United Church records include Methodist, most Presbyterian, and Congregational church records dating from before the 1925 merger which formed the church. Many records are still in the hands of local clergymen. Others are at:
United Church of Canada Archives
40 Oak Street
Toronto, ON M5A 2C6
Canada
Tel: 416-231-7680 ext. 1101
Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 1101
Fax: 416-231-3103 attn: Archives
E-mail: archives@united-church.ca

Go to the Wiki article for your ancestors' denomination to find more archives.[edit | edit source]

There are frequently additional, nationwide or regional archives for each denomination. Find the article for your ancestors' denomination and follow the instructions there to access these sources. This is especially important if local archives are not given above.

Wiki Articles for Records of Major Churches in Canada
Adventist Brethren in Christ Amish Anglican Armenian Churches Baptist Church of England	Congregationalists Evangelical Christian Hutterites The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Lutheran Methodist Mennonite	Presbyterian Reformed Roman Catholic Society of Friends (Quakers) Orthodox Churches Ukrainian Orthodox United Church of Canada

Correspond with genealogical or historical societies.[edit | edit source]

Some church records have been given to historical societies. Also, historical societies may be able to tell you where the records are being held. To find a society near you, consult these lists:

Society Hill List of Canada Societies

Carefully compare any record you find to known facts about the ancestor[edit | edit source]

You will possibly find many different people with the same name as your ancestor, especially when a family stayed in a locality for several generations, and several children were named after the grandparents or aunts and uncles. Be prepared to find the correct church records by organizing in advance as many of these exact details about the ancestor as possible:

name, including middle name and maiden name
names of all spouses, including middle and maiden name
exact or closely estimated dates of birth, marriage, and death
names and approximate birthdates of children
all known places of residence
occupations
military service details

Carefully evaluate the church records you find to make sure you have really found records for your ancestor and not just a "near match". If one or more of the details do not line up, be careful about accepting the entry as your ancestor. There are guiding principles for deciding how to resolve discrepancies between records that are seemingly close. For more instruction in evaluating evidence, read the Wiki article, Evaluate the Evidence.

It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately. Here are some resources for learning to read French records.

During the reign of Napoleon, a different calendar was used. You will want to translate the dates written in these records back to normal Julian calendar dates. Charts in this article will help you:

French Republican Calendar

Also, see:

Alsace-Lorraine: Converting French Republican Calendar Dates - Instruction

There is a three-lesson course in reading handwriting in old French records:

These lessons focus on reading church record and civil registration records:

Another resource is the French Records Extraction Manual, Full Manual. Much more is covered, but these first four lessons are especially useful.

Some Catholic Church records will be written in Latin:

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 "Genealogy in 8 Lessons", at Quebec Federation off Genealogical Societies, http://federationgenealogie.qc.ca/guide-ressources/8-lecons, accessed 17 October 2020.

[QFGS-1] 1.0 ^1.1 "Genealogy in 8 Lessons", at Quebec Federation off Genealogical Societies, http://federationgenealogie.qc.ca/guide-ressources/8-lecons, accessed 17 October 2020.

[1]

@@ Line 104: / Line 104: @@
 ::There is a charge for consulting the BMS2000 database.<ref name="QFGS">"Genealogy in 8 Lessons", at Quebec Federation off Genealogical Societies, http://federationgenealogie.qc.ca/guide-ressources/8-lecons, accessed 17 October 2020.</ref>
 *[https://www.prdh-igd.com/en/home '''PRDH''']
-::The acronym PRDH corresponds to the Historical Demography Research Program of the University of Montreal, as of 1966, gave itself the mandate to exhaustively reconstitute the population of ancient Quebec since the beginning of French colonization in the 17th century. The achievement of this objective takes the form of a computerized population register, made up of the biographical files of all individuals of European origin who have lived in the St. Lawrence Valley. This database represents the ultimate reference for any genealogical research which takes place between the beginnings of New France and 1800. It is the most complete database that a genealogist should consult. The images of the acts of parish registers are matched with the indexes of the database. There is a charge for consulting the PRDH database.<ref name'"QFGS">
+::The acronym PRDH corresponds to the Historical Demography Research Program of the University of Montreal, as of 1966, gave itself the mandate to exhaustively reconstitute the population of ancient Quebec since the beginning of French colonization in the 17th century. The achievement of this objective takes the form of a computerized population register, made up of the biographical files of all individuals of European origin who have lived in the St. Lawrence Valley. This database represents the ultimate reference for any genealogical research which takes place between the beginnings of New France and 1800. It is the most complete database that a genealogist should consult. The images of the acts of parish registers are matched with the indexes of the database. There is a charge for consulting the PRDH database.<ref name="QFGS"/>
 *[http://www.canadiana.ca/?usrlang=en '''Canadiana Online''']
-====Canadian Research Knowledge Network====
-In 2018, CRKN merged with Canadiana.org, an organization dedicated to the preservation and access of Canada’s documentary heritage since 1978. <br>
-[https://www.crkn-rcdr.ca/en '''Canadian Research Knowledge Network''']<br>
-- 11 Holland Avenue<br>
-Ottawa, ON <br>
-K1Y 4S1<br>
-Canada<br>
-Phone:(613)907.-7040
-*[http://www.canadiana.ca/?usrlang=en '''Canadiana Online''']
-*[https://www.crkn-rcdr.ca/en/canadian-national-digital-heritage-index-0 '''Canadian National Digital Heritage Index (CNDHI)''']
-===Look for digital copies of church records listed in the FamilySearch Catalog. ===
-[[File:Family History Library.jpg|right|thumb|<center>'''Family History Library'''<br>'''Salt Lake City, Utah'''</center>]]
-*The [[Family History Library|Family History Library]] (FHL) has microfilmed and/or digitized records for churches in the Canada.
-*Online church records can be listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under Québec, the county, or a town.
-*Because the churches gave copies of their records to the government for civil registration, search under both thhe '''"Church records"''' and '''"Civil registration"''' topics.
-*If you find a record that has not yet been digitized, see [https://beta.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-request-that-a-microfilm-be-digitized '''How do I request that a microfilm be digitized?''']
-*Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a [https://www.familysearch.org/help/fhcenters/locations/ '''Family History Center'''] near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations.
-*To find records:
-:::a. Click on the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=305&query=%2Bplace%3A%22Canada%2C%20Qu%C3%A9bec%22 '''records of Canada, Québec'''].
-:::b. Click on the '''"Church records"''' and '''"Civil registration"''' topics. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
-:::c. Or, click on '''Places within Canada, Québec''' at the top of the page, and a list of provinces will appear.
-:::d. Click on your province.
-:::e. Click on the '''"Church records"''' and '''"Civil registration"''' topics. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
-:::f. Next, click on '''Places within Canada, Québec, [COUNTY]''' and a list of towns will appear.
-:::g. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
-:::h. Click on the '''"Church records"''' and '''"Civil registration"''' topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
-:::i. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record. [[File:FHL icons.png|75px]].  The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.
------
-===Consult available finding aids.===
-'''These aids generally provide lists of records that are known to exist and information on their location.'''
-*Broadhurst, R. Neil. [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/725748 '''"A Checklist of Registers of Protestant and Jewish Congregations in Québec"''']. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Kintracers, 1994. See [https://www.worldcat.org/title/checklist-of-registers-of-protestant-jewish-congregations-in-quebec/oclc/31517655 '''WorldCat'''] to locate a copy.
-* ''[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/976413 '''"Guide des registres d'état civil du Québec = Guide to Quebec's Parishes and Civil Registers 1621–1993"''']. Fortin, Francine. See [https://www.worldcat.org/title/guide-des-registres-detat-civil-du-quebec-1621-1993-catholiques-protestants-et-autres-denominations-index-toponymes-usuels-et-localites-actuelles-annotations-des-repertoires-disponibles-aux-4-lieux-de-genealogie-a-montreal-guide-to-quebecs-parishes-and-civil-registers-1621-1993-catholic-protestant-and-other-denominations-index-usual-toponyms-and-actual-town-names-annotations-of-repertories-available-at-4-genealogical-research-locations-in-montreal/oclc/71811230 '''WorldCat'''] to locate a copy.
-*[https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/504786-redirection '''Parish town guide to the province of Quebec''']
-----
-===Correspond with or visit the actual churches.===
-Some records are still held in the local churches. Contact the current minister to find out what records are still available.
-*'''Make an appointment''' to look at the records. Or ask the minister of the church to make a copy of the record for you.
-*To find church staff available, you might have to visit on Sunday.
-*Ask for small searches at a time, such as one birth record or a specific marriage. Never ask for "everything on a family or surname".
-*A '''donation''' ($25-$40) for their time and effort to help you would be appropriate.
-*If the church has a website, you may be able to '''e-mail a message'''.
-*See the [[French Letter Writing Guide|'''French Letter Writing Guide''']] for help with composing letters.
-====Addresses====
-*[http://churchdirectory.ca/ '''Canadian Church Directory''']
-*[https://www.catholicdirectory.com/search_results?q=Quebec&location_value=canada&country_sn=CA&location_type=country&stateSearch=&swlat=41.6765559&nelat=83.6381&swlng=-141.00187&nelng=-50.9766&lat=56.130366&lng=-106.346771&faddress=Canada&place_id=ChIJ2WrMN9MDDUsRpY9Doiq3aJk '''The Catholic Directory'''] Enter the province, town, or parish name to narrow down the results.
-===Check the church records collections in archives and libraries.===
-Some church records have been deposited for preservation in government archives or in libraries. Watch for links to '''digitized, online records''' offered by the archives. Some archives provide '''research services''' for a fee. For others, if you cannot visit in person, you might hire a researcher.<br>
-<br>
-====National Archives of Québec: Catholic and Protestant Records====
-[https://www.banq.qc.ca/archives/genealogie_histoire_familiale/ '''National Archives of Québec (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec--BAnQ''']<br>
-, avenue Viger Est<br>
-Montreal (Quebec) H2L 2P3<br>
-Canada<br>
-Telephone: 514 873-1100 or 1 800 363-9028 or 514 873-1101 extension 6260<br>
-Fax: 514 873-2980<br>
-E-mail:archives.montreal@banq.qc.ca<br>
-[https://www.banq.qc.ca/archives/entrez_archives/centres_archives/ '''Branch Addresses''']
-*[https://www.banq.qc.ca/archives/genealogie_histoire_familiale/ '''Genealogy at BAnQ''']
-*[https://www.banq.qc.ca/archives/genealogie_histoire_familiale/ressources/ '''Genealogy Resources''']
-*[https://cap.banq.qc.ca/ '''Search Engine''']
-*[https://www.banq.qc.ca/formulaires/formulaire_reference/index.html '''Ask a Question''']
-*[http://numerique.banq.qc.ca/resultats '''Civil Status Registers'''] Remember these were created by copies of church records.
-**Before 1900 can be requested. Application forms are available at any regional branch.
-**Send the completed form to the branch holding the records: [[Quebec Archives and Libraries#Quebec National Archives Branches|'''Branch Addresses''']].
-***'''1695-1954''' - [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1111 '''Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records, 1695-1954'''] ($) (Ancestry).
-----
-====University of Montreal: Catholic and Protestant Records====
-[http://www.archiv.umontreal.ca/ '''University of Montreal Archives'''] <br>
-*[http://www.genealogie.umontreal.ca/en/accesLibreBD.htm#RepertoireDesActes '''Quebec and French Canadian Genealogy Database'''] is a paid subscription service that allows users to instantly search all registers. The university (for research into demography) has each person numbered and all appearances of each individual (subject, witness, parent, child, etc.) are linked together. This is a database only. While it is based on parish and other original records, it&nbsp; does not have links to those original records.&nbsp;&nbsp; A number of&nbsp; burials for individuals dying after 1799 have been added to this database.&nbsp; Generally these are individuals born before about 1750.&nbsp;
-----
-====Anglican Church of Canada====
-'''For the Anglican Diocese of Québec''' <br>
-[https://www.ubishops.ca/library/old-library/archives-special-collections/ '''Archives and Special Collections''']<br>
-Bishop's University<br>31 rue des Jardins <br>Québec QC <br>CANADA G1R 4L5 <br>Phone: 418-692-3858
-::The University Archives are stored off-site; arrangements must be made with the archivist prior to your visit.
-<br>
-[https://www.anglican.ca/resource-category/archives/ '''Archives of the Anglican Church of Canada''']<br>
-The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada<br>
-Hayden Street<br>
-Toronto, Ontario M4Y 3G2<br>
-Canada<br>
-Phone: (416) 924-9192<br>
-*[https://www.anglican.ca/archives/incanada/ '''Directory for Canadian Anglican Archives across the country'''], including General Synod archives and archives for dioceses and ecclesiastical provinces. Contains contact information and chief archivist for each. Each Diocesan archives is responsible for retaining records created by the respective diocese and they also hold the '''historical parish records for each diocese which includes the parish birth, marriage and death records.''' Where noted some archival records are accessible at the local university or provincial archives. '''Genealogical enquiries requiring baptismal, marriage, or burial parish registers need to be addressed to the diocese in which the event took place.''' If you don’t know what diocese the event took place e-mail the General Synod Archives at archives@national.anglican.ca
-*[https://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/GSA-Parish-Registers-Inquiry-Form-2019.pdf '''Parish Registers Inquiry Form'''] '''Send to the diocese where the baptism, marriage, or burial took place.'''
-----
-====Baptist Records====
-[https://www.mcmasterdivinity.ca/welcome/canadian-baptist-archives '''The Canadian Baptist Archives''']<br>McMaster Divinity College<br>1280&nbsp;:Main Street West&nbsp; Room 152<br>Hamilton, ON&nbsp;&nbsp; L8S 4K1&nbsp;:<br>CANADA <br>Fax:&nbsp; 905-577-4782<br>Phone: (905) 525-9140&nbsp;:x23511 or x23512<br>
-*Several hundred Baptist congregations have deposited their original records in the Archives, which also contains the official records of the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, Union d’Eglises Baptist Francaises au Canada, and other organizations.
-*'''Genealogical Research Policy''' (1 August 2020): Genealogical researchers have found the Canadian Baptist Archives (CBA) to be of assistance in accessing important information about family members. Genealogical researchers are always welcome to come and use the archives in person at no cost. Before researchers arrive at the archives, the archivist can provide upon request a list of material that may be relevant to their research. All other information relating to fees and services can be found on the Fees Information web page. Starting September 1, 2011, due to our limited hours of operation, the CBA will no longer perform genealogical research for patrons. Patrons that cannot come to the archives in person will need to hire a professional researcher to do this work for them.
-----
-====Lutheran Records====
-[http://library.wlu.ca/research-materials/archives '''Wilfrid Laurier University Archives and Special Collections''']<br>
-University Avenue West<br>
-Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5<br>
-Canada<br>
-Phone:519.884.0710 x3906<br>
-E-mail:libarch@wlu.ca<br>
-*[https://libarchives.wlu.ca/index.php/informationobject/browse '''Catalog''']
-*The Archives holds the records of the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (and predecessors) and also the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (and predecessors).  Holdings include the records of hundreds of Lutheran congregations across Canada.
-----
-====Presbyterian Church Records====
-Once the largest Christian denomination in English-speaking Canada, in 1925 some 70 per cent of its congregations joined with the Methodist Church, Canada and the Congregationalist Union to form the '''United Church of Canada'''. <ref>"Presbyterian Church in Canada", in Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbyterian_Church_in_Canada, accessed 26 July 2020.</ref>
-*A few pre-1925 Presbyterian records are available through the Presbyterian Church in Canada:
-::[http://www.presbyterianarchives.ca/'''Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives]<br>'''50 Wynford& Drive<br>Toronto, ON M3C 1J7<br>Canada <br>416-441-1111 ext. 310<br>
-*Most Presbyterian records are at archives of the United Church of Canada.&nbsp;<br>
-::[http://www.united-church.ca/leadership/church-administration/united-church-canada-archives '''United Church of Canada Archives''']<br>40 Oak Street<br>Toronto, ON  M5A 2C6<br>Canada<br>Tel: 416-231-7680 ext. 1101<br>Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 1101<br>Fax: 416-231-3103 attn: Archives<br>E-mail:  archives@united-church.ca
-*'''The Québec-Sherbrooke Presbytery Records'''<br>
-'''Montréal-Ottawa Conference of the United Church of Canada''' <br>
-Bishop's University<br>31 rue des Jardins <br>Québec QC <br>CANADA G1R 4L5 <br>418-692-3858
-----
 ====United Church of Canada====