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.

The registers 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.

Record Content
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 "Place name" ⇒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

 * Canada History Links
 * Canada Historic Maps
 * British Columbia Archives Research Guide: Pre-emption and Homestead Claims

Related Wiki Articles

 * Canada
 * Canada Historical Geography

Citations for this Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation: Image Citation