Newfoundland and Labrador

The Atlas of Canada. [http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/index.html]

Europeans settled Newfoundland slowly because of the commercial considerations of the fishery. The first attempt goes back to 1583 with the efforts of Sir Humphrey Gilbert.

Around 1660, the French established colonies in Plaisance and near St. John's. Most of the current population has ancestors who were immigrants from southwest England and southern Ireland. Newfoundland and Labrador became a Canadian province on March 31, 1949.

The official provincial government Web site [www.gov.nf.ca/] contains useful information about the province and its historic records.

Researchers interested in ancestors who lived in Newfoundland and Labrador use mostly the old church records, to which many guides have been produced by the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the main repository of official records pertaining to the history of this province.

A guide called Family History [www.gov.nf.ca/panl/family.html] provides information about records of interest to genealogists.

The Family History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador [www3.nf.sympatico.ca/nlgs/] is currently working on a project to make an index of these records and of cemeteries. Several census are also available to researchers, the most recent going back to 1945.

Planet, the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Archives Network [www.anla.nf.ca/] gives you access to other important resources held in many archives.

Many libraries hold reference books, local histories, family histories and other books on genealogy. Library and Archives Canada allows you to Browse Lists of Canadian Library Web Sites and Catalogues by province.

Each province and territory has its own GenWeb [www.rootsweb.com/%7Ewebsites/international/canada.html] site where you can access many databases and obtain information on resources available in each province.

The Canadian Encyclopedia Online [www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/] allows you to learn more about the history, geography and people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The sections on Sources by Topic and Links of this site can provide more useful information about how to do genealogical research in Newfoundland and Labrador. You can also access databases from our Directory of Canadian Genealogical Resources - AVITUS.

You can also consult the following books:

• Genealogist's Handbook for Atlantic Canada Research, edited by Terrence M. Punch with the help of George F. Sanborn, 1997.
• Researching Your Family History in Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador Genealogical Society.