Canada, Ontario Roman Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Canada Ontario

What is in this Collection?
This collection includes Catholic Church records from 1760 to 1923. This collection includes Catholic Church records from various Ontario parishes. The records include baptisms, marriages and deaths. Church records are an important way to track ancestors prior to civil registration. Civil registration began in Ontario in 1869 but was not fully implemented until 1930.

Records are included for the following dioceses:
 * London
 * Moosonee
 * Pembroke
 * Peterborough
 * Sault Ste. Marie
 * St. Catharines
 * Thunder Bay
 * Timmins

Records are included for the following archdioceses:
 * Kingston
 * Ottawa
 * Toronto

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The name of a relative or date of the event

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select County
 * 2) Select City/Town
 * 3) Select Parish
 * 4) Select Record Type and Year Range

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.

I Found Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Cite the record. See below for help citing this collection.
 * Look at an image of the original record. The original may contain information that was not recorded in the index. To find a copy of the original record, visit the Dioceses and Archidioceses in Ontario page.
 * To help keep track of your research, you may want to keep a research log. FamilySearch has an example example research log which you can download.
 * Use the information you have found to find the person in census records.
 * 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?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This can help you find possible relatives.
 * Search the records of nearby areas.
 * Check for other names. An individual might appear under an unexpected name for a variety of reasons:
 * - They might have been listed under a middle name, nickname, or abbreviation of their given name.
 * -A woman may have returned to her maiden name after the death of her husband

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org.] Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used. Collection Citation:

Image Citation:

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