Genealogy Information

 

News

Basics Getting started: tips and tools	Resources Books, microfilm and online at the Vancouver Public Library and beyond
Services Facilities, equipment, assistance and more	Workshops Schedule of free workshops

 Church Records

• Records of baptism, marriage and burial began in 1538 though few early records survive.
• Most old registers are now in county or city record offices and have been microfilmed.
• Annual copies called bishop’s transcripts were sent to diocesan offices.
• Most bishop’s transcripts are also in county or city record offices.
• English and Welsh church records on microfilm can be borrowed from the FHL.
• Free indexes of English baptism and marriage records (1700-1900) are available in FamilySearch - Record Search.
• ALE includes several databases of information derived from English church records including Pallot’s Marriage Index for England: 1780-1837 and Pallot’s Baptism Index for England: 1780-1837.  Records are mainly from the Greater London area but many other parishes are covered as well.

Census

• A census has been taken in England and Wales every ten years since 1841.
• Census records are released after 100 years. 
• The most recent available U.K. census is 1911.
• English and Welsh census records (1841-1901) are indexed in ALE, with links to digitized images.
• A free index to 1881 English and Welsh census records is available at FamilySearch.
• Records of the 1911 census are available on a pay-per-view or subscription basis at www.1911census.co.uk
• FamilySearch – Record Search has free indexes to 1841 and 1861 English and Welsh census records.  Links to digital images of original records are provided but are hosted on a remote site that charges a fee.

Recommended Books

Recommended Websites

• The British Library
• GENUKI: England
• GENUKI: Wales
• The National Archives
• The National Library of Wales

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Scotland 

ScotlandsPeople is the major source of genealogical information for Scottish genealogical research. The site offers access to an extensive range of indexes and digitized images on a “pay-per-view” basis.

Civil Registration

• Began 1855.
• Administered by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS).
• All records are open to the public without restriction.
• Commonly referred to as Statutory Registers.
• For detailed information on Scottish civil registration records and how to access them, see separate VPL research guide, British Isles Civil Registration Records.

Church Records

• Earliest surviving records of births, baptism, marriages, banns, deaths and burials date back to 1553.
• Commonly referred to as OPRs (Old Parish Registers).
• Many gaps; very few death and burial records.
• Unlike England and Wales, there are no bishop’s transcripts.
• Records can be accessed directly through ScotlandsPeople.
• Scottish church records on microfilm can be borrowed from the FHL.
• The International Genealogical Index (IGI) includes some data from Scottish church registers. It is available online at FamilySearch.

Census

• A census has been taken in Scotland every ten years since 1841.
• Records are released after 100 years.
• The most recent available is 1901.
• ALE includes indexes (but not images) of all Scottish census records from 1841-1901.
• 1841-1901 Scottish census records (including images) can be accessed directly through ScotlandsPeople.
• Microfilm copies of Scottish census records (1841-1891) can be borrowed from the FHL.

Scottish Ancestry: Research Methods for Family Historians, rev. 2nd ed.
by Sherry Irvine (2003)
929.3411 I72y1

Tracing Your Scottish Ancestry, 3rd. ed.
by Kathleen Cory (2004)
929.3411 C83t1

Tracing Your Scottish Family History
by Anthony Adolph (2008)
929.3411 A23c

Finding Your Irish Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide
by David S. Ouimette (2005)
929.3415 O93f

Tracing Your Irish Ancestors: The Complete Guide, 3rd ed.
by John Grenham (2006)
929.3415 G82t2

Collins Tracing Your Irish Family History
by Anthony Adolph (2007)
929.3415 A23t

Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd ed.
by Alice Eicholz (2004)
929.373 A53e1

The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, 3rd ed.
by Loretto Dennis Szucs (2006)
Ref. 929.1 S72e2

Basics | Key Resources | England and Wales | Scotland | Ireland | Northern Ireland

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Key Resources

 

 

 

 

 

Family History Library (Salt Lake City)

The collection of the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City comprises a vast range of microfilmed genealogical data from around the world including some British Isles BMD indexes and registration records.

FHL microfilms can be borrowed through the Vancouver Public Library’s interlibrary loan department at a cost of $6.00 per reel. For more information see:
Borrowing Microfilms from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City

FamilySearch.org

FamilySearch.org, operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, provides access to a vast range of free genealogical data. The site includes two components of particular interest to those searching for British Isles BMD registration records:

• The International Genealogical Index (IGI) is a large online database of information compiled from a variety of information sources. It includes a significant amount of British Isles civil birth and marriage index information. The IGI is available online at www.familysearch.org

• The Record Search Pilot sub-site provides access to a wide range of indexes and digital images of genealogical records at pilot.familysearch.org/recordsearch including indexes to Irish BMD records. New genealogical data collections are regularly added to this quickly expanding site so check back regularly to see what is new.

Administered by:	General Register Office (GRO)
Start date:	1837
Contact information:
Postal address:	General Register Office (England and Wales) Certificate Services Section P.O. Box 2 Southport  PR8 2JD U.K.
Email:	certificateservices.ips.gsi.gov.uk
Web:	www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/ Registeringlifeevents/index.htm

Searching BMD Indexes in England and Wales

 

The GRO indexes to births, marriages and deaths in England and Wales are compiled in large, heavy, printed volumes. If you travel to England and Wales, you can search the GRO indexes at several locations including The National Archives at Kew in London. Searching in person is free.

Searching English and Welsh BMD Indexes from a Distance

 

General Register Office

You can submit a postal or online request to the GRO for a search of English and Welsh BMD indexes. In both cases there is a fee. If an index reference is found, a copy of the full registration record will be provided. If a reference is not found, part of the fee will be refunded.

Ancestry Library Edition

Ancestry Library Edition (ALE) is a vast electronic collection of genealogical records available to the public for free at all Vancouver Public Library locations (access from home is not available). The ALE collection includes 7 databases comprising English and Welsh GRO index data:

England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1915

England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005

England & Wales, Death Index: 1837-1983
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Death Index: 1984-2005

To access English and Welsh GRO index data using Ancestry:

• Open Ancestry Library Edition on a Vancouver Public Library workstation. Staff will assist you in locating the next available machine.
• Click on the Search button in the navigation bar at the top.
• On the Search page, click on Card Catalog (in the Search Resources box at top-right).
• Enter one of the above database names in the Database Title search box.
• Click on the title of the database when it appears. This will open the database’s search form so that you can begin your search.
• If you find an entry of interest, note the full details of the index entry.

FreeBMD

FreeBMD is a massive volunteer project aimed at creating a full transcription of the GRO birth, marriage and death indexes for England and Wales and making it available for free on the Internet. As of November 2009, the database contained almost 176,000,000 complete records. Coverage is almost complete for 1837-1929 while a very large number of 1930-1949 index entries have also been finished. The search interface is very good but response time is sometimes slow due to the popularity of the database. FreeBMD is available at http://freebmd.rootsweb.com.

Family History Centre

The Family History Centre in Burnaby provides free access to English and Welsh BMD indexes on microfilm or microfiche for the following years:

• Births, 1837-1945; uneven coverage after 1945
• Marriages, 1837-1968
• Deaths, 1837-1964

Getting the Full Registration Record - England and Wales

 

There is no direct access to full registration records for England and Wales. Records are only available by application to the GRO. A fee must be paid.

Applications for full registration records can be submitted online, by telephone, by regular mail or in person.

For more information see: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Registeringlifeevents/Familyhistoryandresearch/Birthmarriageanddeathcertificates/index.htm

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Scotland

Administered by:	General Register Office for Scotland (GROS)
Start date:	1855
Contact information:
Postal address:	General Register Office for Scotland New Register House 3 West Register Street Edinburgh EH1 3YT U.K.
Email:	www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/contacts/contact-form.html
Web:	www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

Searching BMD Indexes in Scotland

The GROS indexes to Scottish BMD records can be searched in person at the ScotlandsPeople Centre in Edinburgh. For more information see www.scotlandspeoplehub.gov.uk

Searching Scottish BMD Indexes from a Distance

 

General Register Office for Scotland

You can submit a postal request to the GROS for a search of Scottish BMD indexes. There is a fee for the search.

ScotlandsPeople

The computer indexes to Scottish BMD records can be searched directly online at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk. There is a charge for using the website but it provides access to both indexes and printable digitized images of corresponding full BMD registration records.

Family History Centre

The FHC provides free access to Scottish BMD indexes on microfilm or microfiche for the following years:

• Births, 1855-1954
• Marriages, 1855-1956
• Deaths, 1855-1956

Family History Library (Salt Lake City)

The FHL collection includes microfilm copies of Scottish birth, marriage and death indexes covering the period from1855-1956.

FamilySearch.org - International Genealogical Index

The IGI includes Scottish birth and marriage index information for the period from 1855-1875.

Getting the Full Registration Record - Scotland

 

General Register Office for Scotland

Records can be ordered in person at New Register House or the ScotlandsPeopleCentre. Records can also be ordered by telephone or regular mail. For more information see: www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/famrec/bdm.html.

ScotlandsPeople

As described above, the ScotlandsPeople website provides access to printable digitized images of full Scottish BMD registration records. There is a charge for using the site.

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The following information applies to Irish BMD registration records for the whole of Ireland until 1921 and for the Republic of Ireland after 1921 as well. See Northern Ireland for information on post-1921 BMD registration records for Northern Ireland.

Searching Irish BMD Indexes in Ireland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRO birth, marriage and death indexes for the whole of Ireland up to 1921 are available to the public at the Irish Life Centre. The Centre also holds post-1921 BMD indexes for the Republic of Ireland. There is a search fee.

Searching Irish BMD Indexes from a Distance

 

Irish Life Centre

You can request a search of the indexes at the Irish Life Centre by mail or fax. There is a search fee.

Family History Centre

The Family History Centre in Burnaby holds the following Irish BMD indexes:

All of Ireland

• Births, 1864-1921
• Marriages, 1845-1863 (Protestant only); 1864-1921
• Deaths, 1864-1922

Republic of Ireland

• Births, 1922-1958
• Marriages, 1922-1926
• Deaths, 1932-1937

Family History Library (Salt Lake City)

The Family History Library collection includes indexes to Irish civil registration records for the following years:

All of Ireland

• Births, 1864-1921
• Marriages, 1845-1863 (non-Catholic only); 1864-1921
• Deaths, 1864-1921

Republic of Ireland

• Births, 1922-1958
• Marriages, 1922-1958
• Deaths, 1922-1958

FamilySearch.org – International Genealogical Index

The International Genealogical Index includes birth and marriage index information for the whole of Ireland from 1864-1868.

FamilySearch.org – Record Search Pilot

Record Search Pilot includes Ireland, Civil Registration Indexes, 1845-1958, a database derived from Irish civil registration records. Search results include full references to original records.

Getting the Full Registration Record - Ireland

 

General Register Office

Irish birth, marriage and death registration records to 1921 (for the whole of Ireland) and from 1922 forward (Republic of Ireland) can be ordered in person at the General Register Office or by fax or regular mail. Downloadable forms are available on the General Register Office website.

Family History Centre

The FHC has the following Irish BMD full registration records:

All of Ireland

• Births, 1864-1913, 1930-1955
• Marriages, 1845-1863 (Protestant only); 1864-1870
• Deaths, 1864-1870

Republic of Ireland

• Births, NOT AVAILABLE
• Marriages, NOT AVAILABLE
• Deaths, NOT AVAILABLE

Family History Library

The FHL collection includes the following full Irish civil registration records:

• 1864-1955 births
• 1845-1870 marriages (1845-1863 records are non-Catholic only)
• 1864-1870 deaths

For information about locating Northern Irish BMD records for the period prior to 1922, see Ireland.

Administered by:	General Register Office (Northern Ireland) (GRO(NI))
Start date:	1922
Contact information:
Postal address:	General Register Office (Northern Ireland) Oxford House 49/55 Chichester Street Belfast BT1 4HL
Email:	.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web:	www.groni.gov.uk/index.htm

 

Searching BMD Indexes in Northern Ireland

 

 

 

 

The GRO(NI) has computerized birth, marriage and death indexes for Northern Ireland. These cover BMD records for Northern Ireland since 1864 (since 1845 in the case of non-Catholic marriages). They are available for searching at Oxford House in Belfast. There is a search fee.

Searching Northern Ireland BMD Indexes from a Distance

For information about remote searching of Northern Ireland BMD indexes prior to 1922,  the section on Ireland (above).

General Register Office (Northern Ireland)

Searches of the computerized indexes can be requested by mail or online. There is a search fee.

Family History Centre

The FHC collection includes the following indexes to Northern Ireland BMD indexes:

• Births, 1922-1925, 1946-1950
• Marriages, 1922-1937
• Deaths, 1922-1929

Family History Library (Salt Lake City)

The FHL collection includes indexes to the following civil registration records for Northern Ireland.

• Births, 1922-1959
• Marriages, 1922-1959
• Deaths, 1922-1959

Getting the Full Registration Record - Northern Ireland

General Registration Office (Northern Ireland)

Full registration records for Northern Ireland (all BMDs beginning 1864; non-Catholic marriages beginning 1845) can be ordered online, by telephone or by regular mail. Records can also be ordered in person at Oxford House in Belfast. There are printable forms on the GRO (NI) website that can be used to order records by mail.

Family History Centre

• Births, NOT AVAILABLE
• Marriages, NOT AVAILABLE
• Deaths, NOT AVAILABLE

Family History Library

The Family History Library collection includes full civil registration records for Northern Ireland births, marriages and deaths, 1922-1959.

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The Three-Step Process:

Locating copies of B.C. civil birth, marriage and death records is a 3-step process:

 

1. Use the B.C. vital events index to find an entry for the person in whom you are interested. Note the index information.
2. Locate the correct microfilm.
3. Find the actual record of the person's birth, marriage, or death on the microfilm.

The following example of a death registration search uses the name of Hewitt Bostock, who died in 1930. The same 3-step strategy can be used to search for birth and marriage records.

Step 1 - Using the B.C. Vital Events Index

The index to B.C. vital events is available on the B.C. Archives website.

When you get to the website, scroll down and select the index you wish to search, or choose All Vital Event Indexes. Enter your query in the search fields (Help screens are available). In our example, Surname, Given Name, and Year are entered. Note that if you are unsure of the exact information in any field, you can select an "Approximate Match" or "Range" using the drop-down menus at Step 2 of the search screen. (See Fig. 2).

Figure 2


If your search is successful, you will see one or more index entry displayed. Each index entry will give you the Name, Event Date, Place, and Age (deaths only). If you determine that the person for whom you are searching is among the index entries displayed, note the Reg. Number and the Microfilm #. In the example, only one index entry is returned (Fig. 3), the person we are seeking:

Figure 3

If your search is not successful, try broadening your search areas by using partial or range searches, possible alternate spellings, surname only or by trying the other type of index.

If you are still unsuccessful and you believe that there should be a record, the British Columbia Vital Statistics Agency maintains the official record of births, marriages, and deaths and may be able to assist you in locating a registration through other means, for a fee.

Step 2 - Finding the Microfilm Roll

B.C. vital events microfilms, with reproductions of full certificates, are located in Fine Arts and History on Level 6 of the Vancouver Public Library (350 West Georgia Street), adjacent to the Genealogy section. Films are divided into separate sections for Births, Marriages and Death, and are stored in numerical order within these sections.

The B.C. Archives Microfilm Number, which always starts with a B-, appears on the label of each box, in the upper left hand corner. (See Fig. 4). The number in our example, which was obtained from either the microfiche or online index, is B13140.

Figure 4

Step 3 - Finding the Record

Once you have found the correct microfilm, use the Reg. Number to find the actual record on the microfilm roll. In the example, the Registration Number is: 1930-09-444275. The last set of 6 numbers are the important ones. The first 3 numbers 444 represent the volume number. (Volume numbers are also noted on the microfilm box labels). When you have the film mounted on a microfilm reader, look for the volume number displayed on a slip of paper, either above or below the form. (See Fig. 6 on the following page).

The last 3 numbers of the Registration Number (275 in the example) will appear somewhere on the top right hand corner of the document. In this case, it appears as part of a number (32275) stamped on the record. (See Fig. 5) In later records, there is a box for this number but on earlier ones it could be placed at random. Warning: Some records will be listed out-of-order, usually at the front of a volume, if they were missed in microfilming or the event was registered late.

Figure 5

Information Provided

Although the information provided varies according to time period, many B.C. vital event records provide a wealth of information. Death registrations, for example, may indicate the name, address, age, birth date and occupation of the deceased, as well as cause of death, length of residence in Canada and British Columbia, parents' names and birthplaces, and much more (see Fig. 6). Birth and marriage records provide similar kinds of information.

Figure 6

Reading and Printing

Microform reader-printers are available in Fine Arts and History on Level 6. It is not necessary to pre-book. There are additional machines in the Newspapers and Magazines on Level 5. Copies are 40 cents each, using coins or a copy-card.

One of Ancestry Library Edition’s (ALE) most popular features is its digitized images of original documents such as census records, draft cards, and other items. User options associated with ALE images include View, Print, Save and Share.

Viewing, printing, saving or sharing (emailing) images may be affected by various factors. This especially applies to viewing and printing saved or emailed images on a laptop or home PC. Factors which may affect your results include:

• The browser you are using (e.g. Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox).
• The image viewer you are using (Basic or Advanced).
• The database from which you are extracting the images.
• The way your laptop or PC and printer are set-up.

Because of these varying factors, it isn’t possible to provide a complete, accurate set of instructions. If you plan to print, save or email a large number of images, it might be worthwhile to experiment to find what works best for you.

View

Digital images of ALE records can be viewed using either the Basic Image Viewer or the Enhanced Image Viewer.

 

• Choose the Basic Image Viewer if you want to obtain the largest image print-size possible.
• Choose the Enhanced Image Viewer for superior online viewing features such as Drag and Magnify.

When using library workstations, you will see the following message the first time that you click on an icon to open a digital image during an ALE session:

Please contact your system administrator to install the Ancestry Image Viewer. To continue without installing the Ancestry Image Viewer, click here.   If you are a system administrator, please click here to proceed to the Ancestry Image Viewer installation.

• To open the Basic Image Viewer, click on the first "click here" link.
• To open the Enhanced Image Viewer, click on the second “click here” link. (Don’t worry about the fact that you are not a system administrator.)

Print

Image printing from ALE can be done at any Vancouver Public Library location. Please do not send a print job within 30 minutes of library closing.  Otherwise, it may not be available for pick-up before the library closes.

You cannot customize the size of the printed image. To obtain the largest size possible, use the Basic Image Viewer to open digital census images on your workstation.

To print and retrieve a document image from a library workstation when using the Basic Image Viewer:

• Click on the Print icon at the top right. (IMPORTANT: Do not use File > Print).

• The digital image will open in a new window with printing instructions at the top.  you can follow the on-screen instructions but those provided below are clearer.
  
  
  • Click on File at the top-left of the screen.
  • Click on Page Setup... Click on Landscape.
  • Click on OK.
  • Once again, click on File at the top-left of the screen.
  • Click on Print...
  • Click on the radio button to the right of Pages.
  • Check to see that the number 1 is entered in each of the two boxes to the right of Pages. Enter it if necessary. (This step is important because otherwise, ALE may print a blank second page for which you will be charged.)
  • Click on OK to send the job to the printer.
  • After sending the print job, note the number on your library workstation (this appears at the top of the monitor, e.g. CEN640).
  • Find the network printer to which the job has been sent. Follow the posted instructions to release your print job. Printing costs 20 cents per page.
  • Be prepared to wait. ALE images may take a long time to be released and printed, in some cases as long as 20 minutes.

Save

ALE document images can be saved to a USB memory stick or to a compact or digital versatile disk (CD or DVD).

To save an image:

• Insert your USB memory stick or a blank CD or DVD into the library workstation’s USB port or DVD drive.

•  Click on the Save icon at the top right of the image and follow the procedure you would normally use to save a file to a memory stick, CD or DVD. (IMPORTANT: Do not use File > Save or Save As).

• You should now be able to access the image from the USB memory stick, CD or DVD on your own computer and save it to your hard drive.

Share

• The Share function allows you to email an image to yourself or another person.

• To email an image, click on the Share button at the top-right of the screen.

• A form will open which you can complete and send with the image.

• The recipient will be able to view the image for a limited period.

If you require any assistance using this resource, please ask the Information staff in Fine Arts and History on Level 6 at the Central Library.

 

Alma VanDusen Room, Central Library

 

Learn the basics of English family history research. This free, two-hour genealogy workshop will introduce resources available at the Vancouver Public Library and on the Internet

 

Pre-registration is required and begins on Wednesday, May 12th. For more information or to register, please contact Fine Arts and history at 604-331-3716.