The Family History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador's database of cemetery and parish records is available for research by members and the general public. FHSNL is in the midst of an ongoing project to index all the cemetery and parish records in Newfoundland and Labrador. More than 100,000 birth, marriage, death, and burial events have been indexed resulting in around 500,000 name references.
All details found in the parish records or recorded on the headstones of the cemeteries are included in the event records. These details include names of persons, spouses, parents, and witnesses; places of birth, baptism, and death; dates; occupations; and similar important information. Everything in the registers has been transcribed to our database.
Use of the database is in two stages. In the first stage the index is searched for matches on the Name you submit. The search scope can be limited by Region, Community, Religion, Parish, Type of Event, or Date Range if any of this additional information is known. The search result lists all matches and a code reference to the Event that created the index entry. Several references can refer to the same Event since many names are captured from each Event. A special feature of the index allows all variants of a surname to be automatically included in a surname search. Having reviewed the results of your first stage search, you indicate which Event records you wish to receive. You will receive a print-out of all the recorded information about the Event.
The following parish records are currently available:
| Trinity, Trinity Bay | St. Paul's (Church of England) | 1753-1905 (baptisms, marriages, deaths) |
| St. John's | Basilica (Roman Catholic) | 1851-1905 (baptisms) |
| St. John's | Basilica (Roman Catholic) | 1793-1874 (marriages) |
| Eastport, Bonavista Bay | Holy Cross (Church of England) | 1895-1969 (baptisms, marriages, deaths) |
| Flat Islands, Bonavista Bay | St. Nicholas (Church of England) | 1888-1955 (baptisms, marriages, deaths) |
| Gooseberry Islands, Bonavista Bay | St. Alban's (Church of England) | 1888-1935 (baptisms, marriages, deaths) |
| Greenspond, Bonavista Bay | St. Stephen's (Church of England) | 1815-1888 (baptisms, marriages, deaths) |
| Salvage, Bonavista Bay | St. Stephen's (Church of England) | 1842-1968 (baptisms, marriages, deaths) |
| King's Cove, Bonavista Bay | Roman Catholic | 1816-1856(marriages) |
| King's Cove, Bonavista Bay | Church of England | 1834-1901 (baptisms) |
| Red Cliff, Bonavista Bay | Church of England | 1880-1901 (baptisms) |
| Keels, Bonavista Bay | Church of England | 1840-1902 (baptisms) |
| St. John's | Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Church of England) | 1810-1818, 1828-1836, 1858-1878 (baptisms) |
| St. John's | Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Church of England) | 1836-1842 (marriages) |
We are currently working on parish records from St. John the Baptist (Church of England) and the Basilica (Roman Catholic, marriages 1874-1905) in St. John's; and King's Cove (Church of England, marriages and burials).
FHSNL has collected headstone inscriptions from some 1000 cemeteries across Newfoundland and Labrador. So far we have managed to enter data from close to 800 cemeteries representing nearly 200 communities into our database. Please check the list of communities that have headstone inscriptions in our database.
FHSNL is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to developing and providing genealogical information in Newfoundland and Labrador. To support the continuing work to compile this valuable information and cover administrative costs FHSNL is charging fees for access to its database.
| FHSNL Members | Non-Members | Payment by VISA now accepted |
|---|---|---|
| $5 | $10 | Stage 1 Index Searches: for each Surname (including variants) submitted, for a printout of up to 50 references. Each additional 50 references will cost another $5/$10. |
| $2 | $4 | Stage 2: for each Event record requested. |
US residents please pay in US funds to cover
the higher cost of mailing. To submit a request for a Stage 1
Index Search, please prepare your request as in the example below
and send it with your fee to: INDEX SEARCH
Family History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador
Suite 101A - 66 Kenmount Road
St. John's, NL A1B 3V7
Canada
| SURNAME | NAME VARIANTS | SEARCH DELIMITERS (region,community, date range, etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| Brown | Brown/Browne | Trinity Bay |
| Smith | Smith, John; Smith, Mary | Marriage between 1850-1875 |
For persons conducting a lot of research, membership in the FHSNL is recommended. For a $42 annual fee, one receives membership, our quarterly publication "The Ancestor", reduced fees to access our database, and access to our extensive collection of genealogical information. Link here for more information about FHSNL membership.
If you plan to use our database a lot, you may want to consider establishing an account with our office. By placing an amount on deposit, you can draw down on your account as various searches and event print-outs are prepared for you.
For more information contact the Society at fhs@fhsnl.ca.
This page was last updated: Wednesday - 7th April, 2010.