GuidedResearch:Why Can't I Find the Record - Newfoundland and Labrador Births

This page will give you additional guidance and resources to find birth information for your ancestor. Use this page after first completing the birth section of the Newfoundland and Labrador Guided Research page.

Civil registration began in 1891. However, some birth records (mainly delayed registrations of birth) date to 1840. Before 1891, births and baptisms can be found in church records.

Additional Databases and Online Resources

 * 1850-1949: Newfoundland, Canada, Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1850-1949  at Ancestry ($)
 * 1793-1899: Newfoundland, Church Records, 1793-1899 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1830s-1940s: Vital Statistics for Newfoundland Listed by District at Newfoundland's Grand Banks
 * 1810s-1950s: Parish Records for Newfoundland and Labrador Listed by District at Newfoundland's Grand Banks

Additional Records with Birth Information
Substitute records may contain information about more than one event and are used when records for an event are not available. Records that are used to substitute for birth events may not have been created at the time of the birth. The accuracy of the record is contingent upon when the information was recorded. Search for information in multiple substitute records to confirm the accuracy of these records.

Tips for finding births
Successfully finding birth records in online databases depends on a few key points. Try the following search suggestions:
 * Spelling variations. Your ancestor's name may be misspelled. Search with spelling variations for the first and last name of your ancestor.
 * Search parents. Search for the parents, if known, as the child's first name may not be on the birth record.
 * Search given name. Search by given name (leave out the last name) with the approximate date of birth.
 * Add information. For common names, add more information to narrow the search such as approximate birth date or parents' names if known.
 * Date range. Expand the date range of the search by 5 years.
 * Search district. Search by the district instead of just by province.

Known Record Gaps
Records Start Records Destroyed
 * 1891 Civil registration of births began in 1891.
 * 1920s Universal compliance was not achieved.
 * Some vital and parish records have been lost as a result of fires.