Canada, British Columbia, Crown Land Pre-emption Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
These records include registers of pre-emptions which is purchased land that has not been fully surveyed. The registers summarize the information from the pre-emption certificates. The pre-emptions are listed in numerical order, with an alphabetical index at the back of each volume.

Many people in Canada owned land and thus a very high percentage of the population is named in land records. The availability of land attracted many immigrants to Canada and encouraged westward expansion.

Land ownership was generally recorded in an area as soon as settlers began to arrive. These were often the first records available in an area.

In eastern Canada, most land records begin in the late 1700s. They include land petitions, fiats and warrants, land grants and patents, and deeds. The federal homestead era in the Prairie Provinces lasted almost 60 years (1872 to 1930). Homestead record files cover all those years.

The British Columbia Archives has a research guide about the pre-emption process used in Canada.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
These land records may contain the following information :


 * Name and age of landowner
 * Name of spouse
 * Names of children, heirs, relatives, and neighbors.
 * Place where landowner lived previously.
 * Occupation.

How to Use the Record
To begin your search for land records, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name of ancestor
 * Place of residence

Search The Collection
To search the collection image by image, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select the appropriate "District" ⇒Select the appropriate "Register Number, Volume Number and Years" category which will take you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Search the Canadian Census to locate your ancestor’s residence.
 * Search for the name of the spouse instead of your deceased ancestor.

Related Websites

 * British Columbia Archives Research Guide: Pre-emption and Homestead Claims

Related Wiki Articles

 * Canada
 * Canada Historical Geography

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
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A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata &gt; San Ponciano &gt; Matrimonios 1884-1886 &gt; image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clementina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata, Buenos Aires.