Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
These records cover 1720-2001, and dates vary for each parish.

These records include parish registers of baptisms, marriages, deaths, a few censuses, and other records for some Church of England in Canada and Catholic parishes from Nova Scotia. Some parish registers are written in French or Latin.

Nova Scotia church records are generally found in the individual parishes or congregations or in church-diocesan archive centers.

The individual parishes are found in the Nova Scotia Church Records article.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
Baptismal records usually contain the following information:


 * Date and place of baptism
 * Full name of child
 * Birth date
 * Some church records record legitimacy of child
 * Parents' names and their residence
 * Father's occupation

Confirmation records usually contain the following information:


 * Name of child
 * Date of baptism
 * Date of birth
 * Names of parents
 * Place of birth of parents
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Their places of residence
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of officiator at ceremony

Burial records usually contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased and their residence
 * Age of the deceased
 * Date of burial
 * Name of person performing burial ceremony
 * Sometimes, parents' names if deceased is a child
 * Sometimes, a spouse's name if deceased was married

For more specific information about the content available for the area Digby, as well as where to find them, please see the section General Information About These Records.

How to Use the Record
To begin your search for baptisms, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name of parents
 * Approximate year of birth
 * County

To begin your search for marriages, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Names of bride or groom
 * Approximate year of marriage
 * County

To begin your search for burials, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Approximate year of burial
 * County

Search the Collection
To search the collection by image, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select the appropriate "County" ⇒Select the appropriate "City or Town" ⇒Select the appropriate "Denomination and Parish" ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Type and Year Range" which will take you to the images.

Look at the images one by one, comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

As you are searching, it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

General Information About These Records
Because civil registration of births and deaths was sporadic in Nova Scotia until 1908, church records are a very important source for birth or baptism, marriage, and death or burial information.

First Microfilm Reel
When searching for records from Cornwallis, in the first microfilm reel, you will select the following series of links: Kings ⇒ Cornwallis Square ⇒ Church of England in Canada St John ⇒ Baptisms, marriages, burials 1718-1911. When you have reached the images, the following information (ordered by image number) will help you locate the records you need.

First Group
The first group of records seem to be drawn from what is often called the Cornwallis Town Book. These records are not the original contemporaneous manuscript records. They are typescript extracts of, presumably, the original records, presented generally in alphabetical order of the first letter of the surname, with some errors in grouping. For example, a handful of E entries might be found among the F entries. See also the third group for additional civil records.


 * Birth records, Cornwallis, alphabetical by first letter of suname, E (probably incomplete) through W, 1718-1825 (estimated), Image 2 to Image 51.
 * Title Page: RECORD OF BIRTHS for the TOWNSHIP OF CORNWALLIS - CORNWALLIS TOWNSHIP, Births, 1720-1825, pp. 1-50. Also includes some marriages and deaths. [A microfilm copy is mentioned.] Image 52.
 * Birth records, Cornwallis, alphabetical by first letter of suname, B through W, Image 53 through Image 103. This group of records seems to be a complete extraction from scratch that includes the first group.
 * Title Page: RECORD OF MARRIAGES for the TOWNSHIP OF CORNWALLIS - CORNWALLIS TOWNSHIP, Marriages, 1740-1825, pp. 1-32. [A microfilm copy is mentioned.] Image 104.
 * Marriage records, Cornwallis, alphabetical by first letter of suname, B through W, Image 105 through Image 139.
 * Title Page: RECORD OF MARRIAGES for the TOWNSHIP OF CORNWALLIS - CORNWALLIS TOWNSHIP, Marriages, 1740-1867, pp. 1-54. [A microfilm copy is mentioned. This is said to be a copy of the Cornwallis Township Book, Vol. 1, with additional marriages from 1825 to 1867.] Image 140.
 * Marriage records, Cornwallis, alphabetical by first letter of suname, A through W, Image 141 through Image 194. A considerable number of out-of-order entries are recorded in images 192 through 194.

Second Group
These records are not the original contemporaneous manuscript records. They are typescript extracts of, presumably, the original records, generally presented in date order.


 * Title page: RECORD OF MARRIAGES AT CORNWALLIS (St. John's [ms]), HORTON, ETC., by the REV. JOHN WISWALL, RECTOR: CONTINUED BY WM. TWINING, RECTOR from 1789 - CONTINUED BY ROBERT NORRIS, RECTOR from 1806. 1783-1829 . CORNWALLIS &amp; HORTON, St. John's (Anglican) Church, Marriages, 1783-1829, pp. 1-17. Image 195.
 * Marriage records, Cornwallis, Horton, etc., by date, 1783 through 1829, Image 196 through Image 214.
 * REGISTER OF MARRIAGES IN THE PARISH OF ST. JOHN, CORNWALLIS IN THE COUNTY OF KINGS, Parish of ST. JOHN, MARRIAGES, 1839-1911, pp. 1-100. Images 215 through 316.
 * Title Page: BAPTISMS AND MARRIAGES OF THE METHODIST CHURCH - 1814-1827. CORNWALLIS METHODIST CHURCH . Baptisms, 1814-1827, pp. 1-13, with notes on the records by the ministers. Images 317 and 318.
 * Baptisms 1815-1827. Images 319 through 331.
 * Methodist Church Marriages, 1815-1827, pp. 1-5. Images 332 through 336.
 * Title page: RECORDS OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH OF CORNWALLIS. 1804-1822. Baptist Church Records, 1804-1822, pp. 1-8. Image 337.
 * Marriages, 1804 -1822. Images 338 through 345.

Third Group
These records are not the original contemporaneous manuscript records. They are typescript extracts of, presumably, the original records, generally presented in date order.


 * Title page: A BOOK OF RECORDS IN WHICH IS RECORDED THE TRANSACTIONS OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF CORNWALLIS. CORNWALLIS TOWNSHIP. Town meetings, 1795-1862, pp. 1-42. Image 346. There appear to be gaps of many years in the record.
 * Town Meetings, 1795-1862. Images 347 through 387.
 * List of Heads &amp; Families, 1771-1822. This is a census, in effect, intended to fill gaps in the vital records of the province. Images 388 through 390.
 * TOWN MEETINGS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF CORNWALLIS. 1771-1792. CORNWALLIS TOWNSHIP, Town Meetings, 1771-92, pp. 1-3. Images 391-394.
 * A folder of 47 loose docs. of births, marriages and deaths, 1718-1852, arranged alphabetically by name. (See Cornwallis Township Book (Typed), Births, 1801-1826, pp. 1-8.) Images 395 through 421.
 * Title page (cover): CORNWALLIS TOWNSHIP BOOK, VOLUME 1 (WITH TABLE OF CONTENTS). Image 422.


 * 1) Marriages, 1740-1825, pp. 1-97 (Includes some births.) Generally in alphabetical order of surname. Pages 14, 16, 29-30, 34, 58, 60 and 93 are blank. Images 423 through 472.
 * 2) Births, 1720-1825, pp. 96-201 (Includes some marriages and deaths.) Generally in alphabetical order of surname. Images 473 through 527.
 * 3) Deaths, 1760-1825, pp. 201-200 (Includes some births. See the listing on the title page.) Generally in alphabetical order of surname. Images 528 through 574.
 * 4) Township Meetings 1771-1792 (a few only), pp 300-302. Images 575 and 576.


 * Title page: CORNWALLIS TOWNSHIP BOOK, VOLUME 2

Digby
When searching for records from Digby, you will select the following series of links: Digby ⇒ Digby ⇒ Church of England in Canada Trinity Church ⇒ Baptisms, burials 1807-1838. When you have reached the images, the following information (ordered by image number) will help you locate the records you need.


 * The first block of christening records begins in 1807 with Image 2 and ends in 1813 with Image 17. One may see (through the back of the facing page) that there are earlier records that were not included. Perhaps they are available on microfilm.
 * The first block of marriage records appears to start in 1786, beginning with Image 18, and ends in 1834 with Image 85.
 * A second block of christening records starts in 1814 beginning with Image 86 and ends in 1828 with Image 144.
 * A block of burial records starts in 1786 beginning with Image 145 and ends in 1811 with Image 166.
 * An account of the lives of the family of the Reverend Roger Viets is presented in Images 167 and 168.
 * A second block of burial records starts in 1814 beginning with Image 169 and ends in 1839 with Image 188.

Some of the records of this parish have been indexed here: Digby Trinity Parish.

Granville
When searching for records from Granville, you will select the following series of links: Annapolis ⇒ Granville Centre ⇒ Church of England in Canada All Saints ⇒ Baptisms, marriages, burials 1779-1933. When you have reached the images, the following information (ordered by image numbers) will help you locate the records you need.


 * Christening records, 1790 - 1801, Image 1 to Image 7
 * Marriage records, 1790 - 1801, Image 8 to Image 12
 * Christening records, 1829 - 1858, Image 13 to Image 38
 * Burial records, 1828 - 1918, Image 39 to Image 55
 * Marriage records, 1814 - 1882, Image 57 to Image 153
 * List of Town Clerks, Image 154 to Image 155
 * Family registers, marriage records, from 1761 to 1834, Image 156 to Image 229
 * Christening records, family registers and burial records, from 1830 to 1834, Image 230 to Image 301

Note that the "family registers" may have been included in this collection by mistake, due to a filming error, and may actually belong to Trinity Anglican Church, Digby. This gives the appearance of two events, such as a marriage occurring in Digby and another in Granville, when in fact there was only one couple and one event.

Related Websites

 * Canada History Links
 * Canada Historic Maps
 * Church of England in Canada

Related Wiki Articles

 * Nova Scotia
 * Nova Scotia Church Records

Citations for This Collection
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