Prince Edward Island, Canada Genealogy

Guide to Prince Edward Island ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

History
In 1534, Jacques Cartier was the first European to see the island. In 1604, France claimed the lands of the Maritimes, including Prince Edward Island, establishing the French colony of Acadia. The New Englanders captured Prince Edward Island When an English detachment landed at Port-la-Joye. The troops fled and New Englanders burned the capital to the ground. The French troops and their allies were able to drive the New Englanders to their boats. Roughly one thousand Acadians lived on the island, many of whom had fled to the island from mainland Nova Scotia during the first wave of the British-ordered expulsion in 1755. However, many more were forcibly deported during the second wave of the expulsion. The high influx of Scottish Highlanders in the late 1700s resulted in P.E.I. having the highest provincial percentage of Scottish immigrants in Canada. This, in turn, led to a higher proportion of Scottish Gaelic speakers and thriving culture surviving on P.E.I. than Scotland itself. In 1853, the Island government passed the Land Purchase Act which empowered them to purchase lands from those owners who were willing to sell, and then resell the land to settlers for low prices. This scheme collapsed when the Island ran short of money to continue with the purchases. 

Getting Started


Prince Edward Island Map




Counties of Prince Edward Island

 * Prince County
 * Queens County
 * Kings County

FamilySearch Resources
Below are FamilySearch resources that can assist you in resourcing your family.
 * Facebook Communities - Facebook groups discussing genealogy research
 * Learning Center - Online genealogy courses
 * Historical Records - databases and record images on FamilySearch
 * Family History Center locator map