Colchester County, Nova Scotia Genealogy

Canada Nova Scotia  Colchester 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
1830-1909 Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Births 1864-1877, 1908-1909; Delayed Birth Registrations 1830-1909 1661-1959 FamilySearch Canada Births and Baptisms 1702-1896 Family Search Nova Scotia Births and Baptisms 1837-1904 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Delayed Births 1864-1877 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Births 1836-1910 Ancestry $ Nova Scotia, Canada, Births 1836-1907 FamilySearch Contains registered births 1864-1877 and delayed births 1836-1907

Marriage Records
1759-1960 Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Court records of Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, 1759-1960; Marriage Bonds 1763-1864; Marriage Registrations 1864-1934 1711-1909 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Marriages 1763-1935 Ancestry $ Nova Scotia, Canada, Marriages 1864-1918 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Marriages 1907-1932 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Marriages 1763-1932 FamilySearch marriages A Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia $ a database of Annapolis and Digby marriage records is available to members of the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia.

Death Records
1864-1959 Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Deaths 1864-1877, 1908-1959 1864-1957 FamilySearch Contains deaths 1864-1877, 1908-1957 1890-1955 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Deaths 1956-1957 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Deaths 1864-1960 Ancestry $ Nova Scotia, Canada, Deaths, 1864-1877, 1890-1960

Census
In Canada, census returns are closed for 92 years after the time of enumeration.

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.

Searchable Databases, Books and Images
All surviving census returns from 1851 to 1916 have been digitized and are currently available on various websites, some of which require a subscription to access.

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
1830-1909 Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Births 1864-1877, 1908-1909; Delayed Birth Registrations 1830-1909 1661-1959 FamilySearch Canada Births and Baptisms 1702-1896 Family Search Nova Scotia Births and Baptisms 1837-1904 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Delayed Births 1864-1877 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Births 1836-1910 Ancestry $ Nova Scotia, Canada, Births 1836-1907 FamilySearch Contains registered births 1864-1877 and delayed births 1836-1907

Marriage Records
1759-1960 Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Court records of Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, 1759-1960; Marriage Bonds 1763-1864; Marriage Registrations 1864-1934 1711-1909 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Marriages 1763-1935 Ancestry $ Nova Scotia, Canada, Marriages 1864-1918 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Marriages 1907-1932 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Marriages 1763-1932 FamilySearch marriages A Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia $ a database of Annapolis and Digby marriage records is available to members of the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia.

Death Records
1864-1959 Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Deaths 1864-1877, 1908-1959 1864-1957 FamilySearch Contains deaths 1864-1877, 1908-1957 1890-1955 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Deaths 1956-1957 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Deaths 1864-1960 Ancestry $ Nova Scotia, Canada, Deaths, 1864-1877, 1890-1960

Church Records
1720-2001 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Church Records 1757-1946 Ancestry $ Acadia, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection) 1823-1905FamilySearch Nova Scotia, Antigonish Catholic Diocese 1856-1970 Ancestry $ U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records Nova Scotia Archives Church Records Nova Scotia Archives Regional Church Archives contact information

See also, Nova Scotia Church Records

City, Provincial, and Business Directories
1880-1881 FamilySearch McAlpine's maritime provinces business directory 1758-1952 Ancestry $ Publications of the governments of Nova Scotia 1868-1869 Collections Canada PDF file of McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory 1890-1897 Collections Canada PDF file of McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory 1907-1908 Nova Scotia Archives McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory

City, Provincial, and Business Directories
1880-1881 FamilySearch McAlpine's maritime provinces business directory 1758-1952 Ancestry $ Publications of the governments of Nova Scotia 1868-1869 Collections Canada PDF file of McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory 1890-1897 Collections Canada PDF file of McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory 1907-1908 Nova Scotia Archives McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory

Land Records
1965-1970 FamilySearch Card file index to deeds, grantor and grantee 1854-1953 FamilySearch Land grants 1763-1970 FamilySearch Land records 1732-1864 FamilySearch Nova Scotia land grants

Online Records
Rootsweb Land Grants. The map numbers correspond to a series of 140 online maps hosted by the Crown Land Information Management Centre. 1760-1993 FamilySearch Nova Scotia Probate Records 1765-1800 Nova Scotia.ca Nova Scotia Land Papers 1787-1843 Nova Scotia.ca Cape Breton Island Petitions

Nova Scotia.ca Historical Map Information

Additional Reference Gilroy, Marion. Loyalists and Land Settlement in Nova Scotia. Halifax: Public Archives of Nova Scotia, 1937.

Smith, Clifford Neal. Whereabouts of Some American Refugees, 1784–1800: the Nova Scotian Land Grants. 7 vols. McNeal, Arizona: Vestland Publications, 1992.

Maps
1700-1900 Nova Scotia.ca Historical Maps of Nova Scotia

1895 Collections Canada Electoral Atlas of the Dominion of Canada (1895)

Military Records
The American Civil War : the service records of Atlantic Canadians with the State of Maine volunteers
 * FamilySearch
 * WorldCat

The civil sword : James Delancey's Westchester Refugees
 * FamilySearch

1749-1867 FamilySearch Index to commissions in the Public Archives of Nova Scotia

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 of 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.)

Canadian Military History Gateway, web resource by the Government of Canada

Newspapers and Obituaries
List of Nova Scotia newspapers available on microfilm at Library and Archives Canada: Library and Archives Canada

The Annapolis Valley Newspaper Extracts Project has published online transcriptions of vital statistics from selected newspapers covering 1866-1931.

Nova Scotia vital statistics from newspapers FamilySearch 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.

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.

Taxation Records
1791-1793 Nova Scotia Archives & Records Management Poll tax rolls