Canada, British Columbia Death Registrations - FamilySearch Historical Records

This wiki article describes a collection that is scheduled to become available for free online at FamilySearch Record Search. 

Collection Time Period
The registration of deaths began in 1872. This collection contains death registrations, 1872-1986; Indian death registrations, 1917-1956 (with delayed Indian death registrations, 1916-1950); and overseas casualties, 1940-1945.

Record History
British Columbia became a province of Canada in July 1871, and registration of vital events began in 1872. The only persons excluded from the Births, Deaths, and Marriages Act of 1872 were Chinese and Indians. This was changed by an amendment in 1897, stating the registration would apply to all races. However, the Act was amended in 1899 to once again exclude Indians from provincial registration until another amendment was passed in 1916, which authorized registration of Indians to begin again in 1917 with information submitted monthly. From 1917 to 1956, the Indian death registrations were recorded in separate volumes. After 1956, the registrations were recorded with the main series. Beginning in 1872, official government registration applied to the whole province of British Columbia except for the Chinese (until 1897) and Indians (until 1917). Early records are very incomplete, chiefly due to the fact that a majority of the population lived great distances from the registry offices and communication was difficult. The “Overseas Casualties, 1940-1945” series contains 3,423 deaths of British Columbians who died overseas during World War II.

Why This Record Was Created
Registration of deaths began in 1872 in order to keep a written record of the population for use by the government.

Record Reliability
Provincial vital registrations are considered a reliable source in family history research because they contain a record of an event usually registered very near the time the event occurred. The reliability, of course, depends on the accuracy of the informant.

Record Description
The death registrations are recorded on individual, printed forms. They consist of completed statements regarding deaths in British Columbia submitted to district registrars and registered by the registrar or director of Vital Statistics. Each death registration should include a supporting record called “Medical Certificate of Death,” which states the cause of death as determined by a physician or coroner, but this statement was not regularly included until 1896 and not with every registration until 1912. Depending on the time period, the medical certificate may be a separate form or printed on the same form as the death registration. Note that these registration or medical certificate forms are not death certificates but registrations of deaths. Death certificates contain information from the original registration records and are only available through the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency. A stillbirth may have been registered as either a birth, death, or both. The Indian death registrations, begun in 1917, had special forms created in 1943 but discontinued in 1956.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts that may be found in the death registrations are:


 * Name, age, sex, and residence of the deceased
 * Date of death
 * Profession (if known)
 * Date of birth
 * Cause of death
 * Name of physician
 * Name and residence of informant
 * Religious affiliation
 * Registration district name or number
 * Date and number of registration
 * Marital status and parents’ names and birthplaces are included in later registrations.

How to Use This Record
Death registrations are the best source of death information in British Columbia beginning in 1872.

Related Websites
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Sources of This Collection
"Death registrations, 1872-1989," database, FamilySearch; from British Columbia. British Columbia. Division of Vital Statistics. "Death registrations, 1872-1986," Ministry of Health, Division of Vital Statistics. [Victoria, British Columbia]. FHL microfilm, 430 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

How to Cite Your Sources
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