Canada, Newfoundland Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes baptisms, marriages and deaths from some Catholic and Church of England parishes in Canada and covers the years 1793-1945. The dates may vary for each parish. Church records are great sources for accurate names, dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Many people who lived in Canada were recorded in church records. The church records are vital records made by church officials. They are often called parish registers or church books. Roman Catholic Church records are sometimes called sacramental records.

The Roman Catholic Church in Newfoundland was not instituted by church law until May 1784. It was at this time that the church in Newfoundland began to establish parishes that maintained baptismal and marriage registers. The oldest records were maintained at the Basilica Parish, St. John's and all records for the church were recorded there. Gradually, new parishes were opened in other areas of the province. In each new parish, baptismal and marriage records were maintained.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Baptismal
 * Name of child
 * Names of parents
 * Date of birth
 * Place of birth
 * Date of baptism
 * Place where baptized

Marriage
 * Date of marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Notes if the bride or groom were single or widowed
 * Names of witnesses.
 * The bride’s and groom’s ages, residences, occupations, names of parents, and birthplaces
 * Names of previous marriage partners
 * A note whether a parent or other party gave permission for the marriage

Death
 * Name of the deceased
 * Date and place of death and burial
 * (Often) the age, place of residence, and cause of death.
 * Names of survivors
 * (Occasionally) date and place of birth of deceased

Inventory
For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see Newfoundland, Church Records Inventory - FamilySearch Historical Records.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

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. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Newfoundland and Labrador.
 * Record Finder
 * Canada Research Tips and Strategies

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * The Newfoundland ancestor : quarterly newsletter of Newfoundland and Labrador Genealogical Society, Inc. St. John's, Newfoundland : Newfoundland and Labrador Genealogical Society, c1987- FS Library 971.8 D25n
 * Catholic Church. Fortune Bay District, Catholic parish registers, 1860-1883
 * Spaniard's Bay, Church of England in Canada. Holy Redeemer, Church records, 1841-1953
 * Waterford, Church of Ireland, St. Patrick's Church, Extracts of baptisms from Church registers, 1756-1770
 * St. John's, Parish registers of the Catholic Basilica of Saint John the Baptist, 1793-1899
 * Freshwater, Parish registers of the Catholic Holy Rosary Parish, 1835-1899
 * Portugal Cove, Parish registers of the Catholic Holy Rosary Parish, 1844-1899
 * Ferryland, Parish registers of the Catholic Holy Trinity Parish, 1837-1899
 * Torbay, Parish registers of the Catholic Holy Trinity Parish, 1845-Feb. 1900
 * Placentia, Parish registers of the Catholic Sacred Heart Parish and Circuit, 1822-1944
 * Salmonier, Parish registers of the Catholic Saint Joseph's Parish, 1874-1899
 * St. John's, Parish registers of the Catholic Saint Patrick's Parish, 1872-1899
 * Bay Bulls, Parish registers of the Catholic Saints Peter and Paul Parish, 1830-1899

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.