Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia Genealogy

Canada Nova Scotia  Cape Breton County

Canada Online Genealogy Records



History
In 1765 Cape Breton Island was set as Cape Breton County. From 1784 to 1820, Cape Breton Island was established as a separate colony of England. Cape Breton Island was re-annexed to Nova Scotia in 1820. In 1835 when the county was divided into three distinct counties; namely Cape Breton (Northeastern District), Richmond (Southern District which later became Richmond County) and Juste au Corps (Northwest District later called Inverness County). In 1852, the present boundaries of Cape Breton County were defined by the colonial government in Halifax.

Maps and Gazetteers
1700-1900 - Nova Scotia.ca Historical Maps of Nova Scotia 1895 - Collections Canada Electoral Atlas of the Dominion of Canada (1895)

Civil Registrations
According to Nova Scotia Archives Records Management: "Civil registration of vital statistics began in Nova Scotia in 1763 with the introduction of procedures for obtaining a marriage licence; the procedure was optional and the surviving records are incomplete. Formalized registration of births, deaths and marriages began in 1864 and continued to 1877, at which time record-keeping lapsed for births and deaths, but continued for marriages. Compliance was not universal during this period and there are gaps in the surviving records. Since 1 October 1908, birth, death and marriage registrations have been collected and maintained continuously."

Birth Records
1661-1959 - FamilySearch Canada Births and Baptisms 1702-1896 - Family Search Nova Scotia Births and Baptisms 1830-1909 - Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Births 1864-1877, 1908-1909; Delayed Birth Registrations 1830-1909 1836-1907 - FamilySearch Contains registered births 1864-1877 and delayed births 1836-1907 1836-1910 - Ancestry $ Nova Scotia, Canada, Births 1837-1904 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia Delayed Births 1864-1877 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia Births

Marriage Records
1711-1909 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia Marriages 1759-1960 - Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Court records of Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, 1759-1960; Marriage Bonds 1763-1864; Marriage Registrations 1864-1934 1763-1932 - FamilySearch marriages 1763-1935 - Ancestry $ Nova Scotia, Canada, Marriages 1864-1918 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia Marriages 1907-1932 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia Marriages A Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia $ a database of Annapolis and Digby marriage records is available to members of the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia.

Death Records
1864-1957 - FamilySearch Contains deaths 1864-1877, 1908-1957 1864-1959 - Nova Scotia Historical Vital Statistics Deaths 1864-1877, 1908-1959 1864-1960 - Ancestry $ Nova Scotia, Canada, Deaths, 1864-1877, 1890-1960 1890-1955 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia Deaths 1956-1957 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia Deaths

Census
In Canada, census returns are closed for 92 years after the time of enumeration.

1861 - For each county, the agricultural returns follow immediately after the personal returns for the whole county. 1871 - The personal returns for each enumeration sub-district appear in schedule one. The agricultural returns are schedules three to five and are keyed to schedule one by page and line number rather than by name.

Searchable Databases, Books and Images
All surviving census returns from 1851 to 1916 have been digitized and are currently available on various websites, some of which require a subscription to access.

Church Records
1720-2001 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia Church Records 1757-1946 - Ancestry $ Acadia, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection) 1823-1905 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia, Antigonish Catholic Diocese 1856-1970 - Ancestry $ U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records Nova Scotia Archives Church Records Nova Scotia Archives Regional Church Archives contact information

See also, Nova Scotia Church Records

City, Provincial, and Business Directories
1758-1952 - Ancestry $ Publications of the governments of Nova Scotia 1868-1869 - Collections Canada PDF file of McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory 1880-1881 - FamilySearch McAlpine's maritime provinces business directory 1890-1897 - Collections Canada PDF file of McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory 1907-1908 - Nova Scotia Archives McAlpine's Nova Scotia Directory

Land Records
1732-1864 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia land grants 1763-1970 - FamilySearch Land records 1854-1953 - FamilySearch Land grants 1965-1970 - FamilySearch Card file index to deeds, grantor and grantee

Online Records
Rootsweb Land Grants. The map numbers correspond to a series of 140 online maps hosted by the Crown Land Information Management Centre. 1760-1993 - FamilySearch Nova Scotia Probate Records 1765-1800 - Nova Scotia.ca Nova Scotia Land Papers 1787-1843 - Nova Scotia.ca Cape Breton Island Petitions

Nova Scotia.ca Historical Map Information

Additional Reference Gilroy, Marion. Loyalists and Land Settlement in Nova Scotia. Halifax: Public Archives of Nova Scotia, 1937.

Smith, Clifford Neal. Whereabouts of Some American Refugees, 1784–1800: the Nova Scotian Land Grants. 7 vols. McNeal, Arizona: Vestland Publications, 1992.

Military Records
The American Civil War : the service records of Atlantic Canadians with the State of Maine volunteers
 * FamilySearch
 * WorldCat

The civil sword : James Delancey's Westchester Refugees
 * FamilySearch

1749-1867 - FamilySearch Index to commissions in the Public Archives of Nova Scotia

Online Sources
Veteran Affairs Canada has a Virtual War Memorial with listings of graves and memorials, some with photographs and personal memorabilia. It also has excerpts from wartime letters and diaries.

Library and Archives of Canada Records and databases of information over an extensive period of time.

1910-1967 - The Royal Canadian Navy Virtual archive of non-governmental materials (postcards, letters, photographs, etc.)

Canadian Military History Gateway, web resource by the Government of Canada

Newspapers and Obituaries
List of Nova Scotia newspapers available on microfilm at Library and Archives Canada: Library and Archives Canada

Nova Scotia vital statistics from newspapers FamilySearch 1752-1857 - Tratt, Gertrude E. N. A Survey and Listing of Nova Scotia Newspapers, 1752-1957, with Particular Reference to the Period Before 1867. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University, 1979.

1752-1988 - Hicks, Brenda, Lynn Murphy, and Anjali Vohra. ''Nova Scotia Newspapers: A Directory and Union List, 1752-1988. ''Halifax, Nova Scotia: School of Library and Information Studies, Dalhousie University, 1990.

Taxation Records
1791-1793 - Nova Scotia Archives & Records Management Poll tax rolls