Ontario Parish Registers: LAC and Héritage

As we progress in our research we often expect to find records in unexpected places. Such is the case for parish registers. Generally these books and microfilm copies are held by the parish or in a centralized archive for that religion in a specific region. There are always exceptions to that such as the Drouin collection held by Genealogy Quebec with copies available from Ancestry.

Here is another exception: the microfilms held by Library and Archives Canada. Some of these microfilms have been digitized and placed online as part of the Héritage Project.

Those that have used the digitized microfilms from the Héritage project on the Canadian Research Knowledge Network site know that it can be difficult to find the content that you are hoping to find. The challenge for any researcher using this site is that the search facility is based not necessarily on the content in the microfilms but the descriptions and associated metadata.

What do I mean by that?

How about we look at microfilm C-3030 that came from Library and Archives Canada and has been digitized and hosted on the Héritage site.

Screen capture from Héritage about page for Parish registers: Ontario : C-3030.

That description doesn't tell you anything except that the microfilm has parish registers from Ontario. But what parish registers and how many? And therein lies the problem.

At Library and Archives Canada there are two red binders that are finding aids to the various microfilms containing parish registers. Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 pandemic, that building is closed to us at the moment and, until Library and Archives Canada gets around to putting these very useful finding aids on-line, it can be frustrating to figure out what they have in their collection.

Even if we had access to those finding aids it is important to remember that not all microfilms have been converted to a digital medium and placed on line either on the Library and Archives Canada site or on Héritage. Generally only microfilms that start with C, H, and T have been digitized and placed on Héritage. Even then, not all of those microfilms are online yet. Additionally, a number of the parish registers at Library and Archives Canada are held on microfilms that start with "M".

Searching through the Héritage catalog for Ontario Parish Registers there are 14 reels of microfilms available for your review. However, we still have that quandary of not know what parishes are on those reels. Hopefully this list that I've compiled from reviewing these films will help you out.

C-11775

• Army Book 91 (RG 9, II J 1) Vol 29 - Registry of Marriages, Births, and Baptisms: B 1871-1911, M 1780-1915, D 1895-1905, Royal Canadian Artillery at Kingston, "A" Batter and Royal School of Gunnery, 1871-1915

C-15709

• The Reverend Allen Salt (1818-1911) MG 29, D 53 [Note: The Reverend Allen Salt (1818-1911) was a Methodist missionary to the Indians of western Ontario. His journals include scattered entries for baptisms, marriages, and burials]

C-15758

• Department of Agriculture: Statistics RG 17 Vol 2429
• RG 17 Vol 2429 No. 62 - Returns of coroners' inquests for the Counties of Grey, Wellington, and Bruce, D 1873
• RG 17 Vol 2429 No. 56 - Essex County B 1826, 1845-1862

• Christ Church (Anglican Church), Amherstburg, B 1861
• Congregation of the Rev. R. R. Disney, B 1861
• Congregation of the Rev. P. D. Laurent, Maidstone, B 1861
• Congregation of the Rev. Isaac Christian, B 1861
• Congregation of the Rev. I. F. Elliott, Colchester, B 1845, 1848, 1854, 1856, 1858, 1860-1861
• Rev. Mr. Fauteau, B 1861
• St. John the Baptist (Roman Catholic) Church, Amherstburg, B 1847, c. 1852, 1855-1861
• Congregation of the Rev. John H. John, Sandwich Township, B. 1826, 1847, 1849-1851, 1855-1856, 1859-1862
• Wesleyan Methodist Church, Sandwich Township, B 1860-1861

• RG  17 Vol 2429 No. 63 - Returns of coroners' inquests for the Counties of Leeds, and Grenville, D 1873
• RG 17 Vol 2429 No. 62 - Returns of coroners' inquests for the Counties of Grey, Wellington, and Bruce, D 1873
• RG 17 Vol 2429 No. 64 - Returns of coroners' inquests for Oxford County, D 1873
• RG 17 Vol 2429 No. 61 - Civil registers of Stormont County
• Wesleyan Methodist Mission, Roxborogh, M 1866

• RG 17 Vol 2429 No. 2-55 - Waterloo County Civil registers B 1836-1861, M 1854-1855, D 1854-1855, 1858, 1860

• Wilmot Anglican Mission, Wilmot Township, B 1842-1855, MD 1854-1855
• St. James' Anglican Church, Wilmot Township, DB 1860
• German Baptist Church of the Rev. Henry Scheider, B 1861, M 1855*, D 1855*, 1860 [* in German]
• Evangelical Associations, BD 1860
• St. James' Evangelical Lutheran Church, Elmira, B 1853-1860, D 1860
• Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mannheim, New Dundee, and New Hamburg, B 1858, 1860, D 1860
• German Evangelical Lutheran Congregations, Phillipsburg, Wellesley Village, and New Baden, B 1836-1855, 1858, 1860, D 1858, 1860
• German Evangelical Lutheran Church, Preston (later Cambridge), B 1853-1855, 1860, M 1855, D 1860
• Unorthodox Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of the Rev. Frederick W. Bindemann, Waterloo Township, M 1855
• German Evangelical Lutheran Church, Waterloo Township, B 1860-1861, D 1860
• Lutheran Congregation of the Rev. Frederick W. Wunderlich, B 1850-1855, M 1855
• Amish Mennonite Congregation of Bishop Peter Litwiller, Wilmot Township, BD 1860, M 1855* [* in German]
• Mennonite Church, Wilmot Township, BD 1860
• Mennonite Congregation of the Rev. Mose. S. Bowman, Latshaws, Wilmot Township, BD 1860
• Mennonite Congregation of Bishop Joseph Hageys, BD 1860
• Mennonite Congregation of the Rev. Abraham Kepler, BD 1858
• Mennonite Congregation in New Germany (near Guelph), BMD 1855
• Mennonite Congregations, B 1858, D 1858, 1860
• Primitive Methodist Church, Peel Township, Wellington Co.; and Wellesley Station, Waterloo Co., B 1845-1858, D 1858
• Wesleyan Methodist Congregation, Galt (later Cambridge), B 1860, M 1854-1855
• Wesleyan Methodist Church, Berlin (later Kitchener), B 1860
• New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) Church, Berlin (later Kitchener), B 1855-1860, D 1860
• St. Andrews' Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) Church, Galt (later Cambridge), B 1837, 1839, 1852-1855, 1860
• Association Presbyterian Church of the Rev. James Strang, Galt (later Cambridge), BD 1855
• Presbyterian Church of Canada, Ayr, M 1855
• Roman Catholic Mission, Berlin (later Kitchener), BD 1860
• Roman Catholic Mission, Preston (later Cambridge), B 1860
• Roman Catholic Mission, New Germany (near Guelph), BD 1860
• St. Agathe's Roman Catholic Church, Wilmot Township, BD 1860
• Congregation of the Rev. David Fisher, New Hamburg, B 1852-1860, D 1860
• Congregation of the Rev. Mr. Smith, B 1853-1860

• RG 17 Vol 2429 No. 65 - Wentworth County Returns of coroners' inquests, D 1873
• RG 17 Vol 2429 Np. 1 - Civil registers of York County
• Return of St. Paul's Roman Catholic Graveyard, Toronto D 1854

H-1456

• MG 9 D 7-50 - Our Lady of Czestochaw, Queen of Poland, Parish registers, 1877-1975 (in French, Latin, and English)

H-1457

• MG 9 D 7-50 - Our Lady of Czestochaw, Queen of Poland, Parish registers, 1877-1975 (in French, Latin, and English) [continued]

H-1808

• MG 9 D 8-78 - McMillan, Angus Alexander (1806-1844), and Family. Farmer of Glengarry County, Ont.

• Births, Marriages, Deaths, Books 1-11, 1862-1910 - Transcripts of the births, marriages, and deaths recorded in the almanac diaries and notebooks, arranged by Mary Beaton according to the places of residence given Included are entries for many lots and concessions as well as for named settlements and towns in Glengarry County, and in the neighbouring counties of Prescott and Stormont.

H-1809

• MG 9 D 7-21 - Pembroke Circuit of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, B 1841-1843
• MG 9 D 7-62 - Register of Baptisms in the Methodist Episcopal Church, Mississippi Circuit, Upper Canada, B 1829-1843
• MG 9 D 8-73, Vol 58, Files 19-22 - Fitzroy Township

• Civil registrations of births and deaths, BD 1870-1895
• Civil registrations of births (registrations slips), B 1887-1889, 1892
• Civil registrations of deaths (registration slips) D 1887, 1888, 1892, n.d.
• Civil registrations of marriages (registrations slips), M 1886, 1888, 1889, 1891, 1892, 1894

H-1810

• MG 9 D 7-11 - Peterborough: St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, M 1834-1857
• MG 9 D 7-41 - Simpson, Rev. Dr. Robert J. Douglas. Methodist and United Church of Canada Clergyman. M 1923-1536
• MG 9 D 7-45 - Toledo: St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Ba 1846-1852, 1863-1913, M 1863-1907, Bu 1894-1911
• MG 9 D 7-56 - Mecklenburg (later Midland) District - Extracts from mission registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials in the counties of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, Hastings, Northumberland, and Prince Edward

• Church of England
• St. Thomas' Church Ernestown Township, M 1787-1813, 1814 1816
• St. Pauls' Church, Ernestown Township, M 1788-1813
• Dutch Reformed Church, Classis of Albany, 1800-1819, Presbyterian Church of Scotland in Canada, 1819-1841

• MG 9 D 7-58 - Becket, Rev. John. Presbyterian Minister, Register of Marriages 1905-1915
• MG 9 D 8-43 - Peterborough County, M 1859-1873
• MG 9 D 8-48 - Prince Edward County, Hillier Township, BMD 1880-1898
• MG 9 D 8-53 - Northumberland County, Alnwick Township, M 1858-1864, 1867, 1869-1872, 1875-1882
• MG 55/29, No. 126 - Tovell, Rev. Dr. Isaac. Methodist and United Church of Canada Clergyman, M 1875-1835

H-1811

• MG 9 D 7-28 - Gould, Rev. John Nelson. Methodist and United Church of Canada Clergyman, BMD 1916-1961
• MG 24 I 33 File 10 - Keefer, Jacob (1800-1875), and Family. Businessman of Thorold, Ontario.
• Marriage License and Customs Blotter Book, 1825-1874

• MG 25, G 271 Vol 18, File 1 - Gravelle Collection: Saint Raphael West, Ontario: St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church. B 1805-1815, 1809, 1825, 1831, D 1805-1810, M 1805-1815, BMD 1832-1836

C-2894

• FM 8 G 8 Vol 2 - Registre du fort Portchartrain de Detroit, 1755-1788
• FM 8 G 8 Vol 3 - Registre du fort Portchartrain de Detroit, 1783-1800
• FM 8 G 8 Vol 4 - Registre de la paroisse L-Assomption de la Pointe-de-Montreal, 1761-1783

C-3029

• MG 9 D 7-6 - Glengarry, St. Raphel's Roman Catholic, register of baptisms, marriages, and burials, 1805-1831
• MG 9 D 7-7 - Kemptville Roman Catholic Mission, register of burials, 1846-1874, baptisms and marriage 1844-1868
• MG 9 D 7-8 - London St. Paul's Anglican, register of baptisms, 1829-1833, marriages 1829-1834
• MG 9 D 7-10 - Perth Presbyterian Church, register of baptisms and marriages, 1817-1857

C-3030

• MG 9 D 7-10 - Perth Presbyterian Church, register of baptisms and marriages, 1817-1857 [continued]
• MG 9 D 7-12 - Rideau Circuit Methodist Church, register of baptisms 1824-1843
• MG 9 D 7-13 - Sandwich St. John's Anglican, 1802-1827, register of baptisms, marriages, and burials, 1802-1827
• MG 9 D 7-14 Vol 1 - Williamstown Presbyterian Church, register of baptisms and marriages, 1779-1810
• MG 9 D 7-14 Vol 2 - Williamstown Presbyterian Church, register of baptisms, marriages, and burials, 1811-1817
• MG 9 D 7-18 - Canabruck and Lunenberg Presbyterian Church registers, B 1852-1909, M 1860-190, D 1906-1909
• MG 9 D 8-8 Vol 2 - Eastern District Marriage register of Church of Scotland, Lutherans, Congregationalists, Baptists, Independents, Methodists, Menonists, Tunkers, Presbyterians or Moravians, 1831-1865
• MG 9 D 8-14 Vol 2 - Johnstown District Marriage register, 1801-1850

C-3031

• MG 9 D 8-14 Vol 2 - Johnstown District Marriage register, 1801-1850 [continued]
• MG 9 D 8-20 - London District Marriage register, 1784-1833

C-3196

• RG 4 A 1 Vol 106 - Civil and Provincial Secretary Lower Canada ("S" Series), 1760-1840
• RG 4 A 1 Vol 107 - Civil and Provincial Secretary Lower Canada ("S" Series), 1760-1840
• RG 4 A 1 Vol 108 - Civil and Provincial Secretary Lower Canada ("S" Series), 1760-1840
• RG 4 A 1 Vol 109 - Civil and Provincial Secretary Lower Canada ("S" Series), 1760-1840
• RG 4 A 1 Vol 110 - Civil and Provincial Secretary Lower Canada ("S" Series), 1760-1840

As you can see from this list, the parishes cover a wide range of places and dates in Ontario. There are also parish registers for Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and even a reel for the United States of America for the Register of St. Martinville, Louisiana with entries from 1756 to 1794.

 

You might even come across a drawing or two on the pages.

 

Rideau Circuit, Methodist Church, register of baptisms, 1824-1843, p 42 (MG 9, D 7-12, microfilm C-3030, image 147).