Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador became a Canadian province on March 31, 1949.

Before that:

  • The first peoples were the Beothuk, who became extinct in 1829. Today there are Inuit, Innu, Mi'kmaq and Southern Inuit peoples.
  • In 1610, the first colony was founded by the London and Bristol Company, followed by other small fishing villages.
  • In 1662, the French established a colony in Plaisance.
  • In 1713, the British gained full control of the colony, but the French retained some fishing rights.
  • In 1907, it became the Dominion of Newfoundland.

Civil registration (birth, marriage and death records)

Civil registration is a provincial jurisdiction. In Newfoundland, records date from 1891. Microfilm copies for the following years are available at the provincial archives (The Rooms):

  • births (1891 to 1899)
  • marriages (1891 to 1922)
  • deaths (1891 to 1949)

Learn more about vital statistics and parish records held at the The Rooms on their Genealogy Research page.

Official copies of vital records for any years must be ordered from the Newfoundland and Labrador Vital Statistics Online Services.

Some records are indexed and digitized on FamilySearch:

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Criminal records

Land records

Newfoundland and Labrador was divided into districts and municipalities.

The Rooms holds records of Crown land purchases from 1830 to 1930.

The provincial government maintains the Registry of Crown Titles and the Registry of Deeds. Visit their Land Registries page to learn more about the records.

Wills

Wills and estate records are a provincial jurisdiction. Most are held at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland. See Wills, Estates, and Guardianship. Indexes to some of the records are available on the Grand Banks genealogy website. See Newfoundland Wills Indexes.

Other resources

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