Canada, Newfoundland Vital Statistics - FamilySearch Historical Records

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Collection Time Period
This collection contains records dating from 1753 to 1893.

How to Use the Records
The information in some of these records may not be complete. Because the transcription project was so large and because some of the names in the registers may not have been clearly legible, mistakes may have been made. It is advisable to check the original registers whenever possible.

Record Description
Burial records were not systematically gathered for this collection so only a very small number are found in the collection.

Record Content
Baptism Records may contain:

• Date of birth

• Place of birth

• Parent’s name (often just the father’s name)

• Name of child

• Sex of child

•Date of baptism

• Religious denomination of child

• Parishes were baptized.

Marriage Records may contain:

• Date of marriage

• Place of marriage

• Name of groom and bride

• Age (if known)

• Bachelor or Spinster

• Occupation

• Religion Denomination

• Residence at time of marriage

• Witnesses for each marriage.

Burial Records may contain:

• Name of Deceased

• Date of Burial

• Place of Death

• Name of Deceased

• Religious Denomination

• Age

• Place of Birth (on some records only)

• Place of Internment (on some records only)

Record History
Civil registration started in Newfoundland and Labrador in 1891 and 1892. At that time, all clergy were required to register every baptism, marriage, and burial conducted within their jurisdiction. Prior to 1891, no central registry existed, so the only record of a baptism, marriage, or burial was the one held by the church.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Sir John Charles Puddester was disturbed that the original parish registers were in bad condition and some of the records had been lost in fires and other disasters. So, he initiated a program of transcribing the pre-1891 church records. Burial records were not requested, although some churches did submit them. The collection is not complete because many clergy and churches did not respond to the request. The collection contains mostly Protestant records; only 6 of the 124 volumes are Roman Catholic records.

Why This Collection Was Created?
Civil registration did not exist in Newfoundland and Labrador until 1891 or 1892. The Newfoundland Registers of Vital Statics were created in order to gather birth and marriage information from churches for the time period before 1891.

Record Reliability
These records are generally reliable, but not all churches and clergy responded to the request for records, so the collection is not complete. Also, because most of the records were handwritten and then copied, there may be transcription errors and mistakes in the spelling of some individuals’ names. It is important to check for alternate and similar spellings.

Related Web Sites
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Related Wiki Articles
Canada Archives and Libraries

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

Please add sample citations to this article following the format guidelines in the wiki article listed above. Examples of citations:


 * United States. Bureau of the Census. 12th census, 1900, digital images, From FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: September 29, 2006), Arizona Territory, Maricopa, Township 1, East Gila, Salt River Base and Meridian; sheet 9B, line 71
 * Mexico, Distrito Federal, Catholic Church Records, 1886-1933, digital images, from FamilySearch Internet (www.familysearch.org: April 22, 2010), Baptism of Adolfo Fernandez Jimenez, 1 Feb. 1910, San Pedro Apóstol, Cuahimalpa, Distrito Federal, Mexico, film number 0227023

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Style Guide
For guidelines to use in creating wiki articles that describe collections of images and indexes produced by FamilySearch, see: FamilySearch Wiki: Guidelines for FamilySearch Collections pages

Sources of Information for This Collection:
Newfoundland registration of Vital Statistics, 1753-1893, database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org/); from Newfoundland. Department of Public Health and Welfare. Registers of Vital Statistics collection, 1753-1893, Provincial Archives of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland. FHL microfilm, 18 rolls. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.