Canada, Nova Scotia Delayed Births - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes delayed birth records from 1837-1904 from the Archives of Nova Scotia in Halifax. This type of certificate not only shows the facts of birth for the child but also shows the types of evidence presented to Vital Registration to back up the facts of birth. Certificates are not always in chronological order. There are often miscellaneous certificates with varying dates at the end of a volume. Delayed birth registrations began to be kept in 1876.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Delayed birth records may contain the following information:
 * The full name of the person at the time of birth
 * Date of birth
 * Place of birth (city and state)
 * Mother's full maiden name
 * Mother's place of birth (at least state or country)
 * Full name of the father
 * Father's place of birth (at least state or country)

How Do I Search This 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

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page then:
 * 1) Select the Year

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 the Person I Was 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 Nova Scotia Archives, Halifax 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

I Can’t Find the Person 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.


 * Try looking through the other Nova Scotia Births collection, as your ancestor's birth registration may not have been delayed.

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.

"Nova Scotia Delayed Births, 1837-1904." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : accessed 2017. Citing Nova Scotia Archives, Halifax.
 * Collection Citation:

Top of Page