Canada, Prince Edward Island Baptism Card Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Canada Prince Edward Island

What is in this Collection?
This collection contains an index of baptism and birth records from 1721 to 1885.

This collection provides an index of church records of baptisms and births. The baptism card index was created to provide vital record information for the time period during which the government did not record such information on Prince Edward Island. This index is made up of index cards with an individual’s name typed onto the card. There is one card per baptism record. They are arranged alphabetically by family name. On some of the records the ink has faded or the image was blurred when the photo was taken, although almost all the records are legible.

Before 1906, there was no systematic recording of births, deaths, and marriages on Prince Edward Island. The Vital Statistics Services created this index of baptism records from the church baptism records in the region. The earliest records date from 1721, but the majority date from 1830 onward.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
Baptismal records usually contain the following information:


 * Full name of child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Father’s name
 * Mother’s maiden name
 * Church holding the record, including book and page number
 * Name of officiating clergy

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The name of a relative or date of the event

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Collection Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select Beginning Surname to Ending Surname

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the information to find other records such as marriage, census, church, land and death records.
 * Use the occupations to find employment or military records.
 * Use the information to establish a migration pattern and find additional family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of Prince Edward Island, Canada Genealogy.
 * Search in the Prince Edward Island Archives and Libraries.
 * Search in the FamilySearch Library Catalog

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

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation:

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