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Church Records

Archives of the Anglican Church of Canada - Diocese of Rupert’s Land In 1820, the first Anglican clergyman, Reverend John West arrived. For many years the Anglican Church was the only protestant religion practiced. Therefore, those who wanted sacraments went to the Anglican clergy.

When James Evans arrived in 1840 the Wesleyan Methodist Church was represented and then the first Presbyterian clergyman, Reverend John Black arrived in Red River in 1851. Remember to search the records that would have been created at the time, not necessarily the religion your ancestors were or are now.

Baptism, marriage and burial records for the Anglican Church will be of great value to those looking for early settlers. Many of those early records, most significantly those first registers kept by Reverend John West, can be found in the Archives of the Diocese of Rupert’s Land, Fort Garry, Winnipeg. This is a small archive with part-time staff so calling or writing first is a prerequisite. Their website states that “information is available to the public to the extent that the records have been processed for research.” The search fee is $20 per hour to a maximum of two hours (as of January 2013) for each search (baptism, confirmation, marriage or burial) and $20 for each Certificate of Verification of Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage or Death. Fees paid by cash, cheque (payable to Diocese of Rupert’s Land), Visa or MasterCard.

You will need to know a specific geographic location and time period to determine which register will be used. Another thing to remember is that often there was not the benefit of clergy when people needed them and life continued anyway. When Reverend John West arrived he found himself solemnizing marriages and performing baptisms although the actual wedding celebration and births had taken place years earlier.

If you suspect the time period was the early 1800s but are unsure of the location, there is a card catalogue at the Provincial Archives of Manitoba that represents a name index. The time period covered is approximately 1820 to 1930. This is not a complete index, though.

Other records of correspondence and diaries are found at the Diocese of Rupert’s Land Archives. Records of missions located within the Diocese are also there. Check the Guide to the Holdings of the Archives of Rupert’s Land: Records of the Anglican Church of Canada (published in 1986). Some early church records are not found here.

The records of the first St. John’s College and Miss Davis’ School for girls are found at St. John’s Ravenscourt and Balmoral Hall respectively. Lists of pupils for the former native residential schools at Middlechurch and Elkhorn are held with the records of the Church Missionary Society which posted most of the early Anglican clergy to Red River are held at the University of Birmingham in England with copies at the Provincial Archives of Manitoba (there is a finding aid).

A final important note is necessary regarding the geography. Although the Diocese of Rupert’s Land originally covered a huge area and included most of what is now Western Canada, the current area covered by the diocese is much smaller (generally southern Manitoba). As the other dioceses of Western Canada were created they took custody of the records for their parishes.

In Manitoba, there are now two other dioceses; Brandon (from 1913), which covers the western third of the province and Keewatin (from 1899), which covers most of Northern Manitoba and North-western Ontario. The addresses for their archives are given below. The names and addresses of the other dioceses of Western Canada can be obtained from the Anglican Resource Centre in Winnipeg.

Anglican Church of Canada - Diocese of Rupert’s Land Archives 935 Nesbitt Bay Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 1W6 Telephone: 204-992-4203 Email: archives@rupertsland.ca Website: http://www.rupertsland.ca/about/archives/

Anglican Church of Canada - Diocese of Brandon, Synod Office Mail Address: Box 21009, W.E.P.O. Brandon, Manitoba R7B 3W8 Telephone: 204-727-7550 Email: diobran@mts.net Website: http://www.dioceseofbrandon.org/office.html

Anglican Church of Canada - Diocese of Keewatin 915 Ottawa Street P.O. Box 567 Keewatin, Ontario P0X 1C0 Telephone: 807-547-3356 Email: dioceseofkeewatin@shaw.ca Website: http://www.dioceseofkeewatin.ca/modules.php?name=c_Archives

United Church Records The United Church of Canada Archives holds the local church records of the United Church and its uniting denominations (Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian (1925 union); and Evangelical United Brethren—joined in 1968). The records of the churches which did not join at union but remained part of the continuing Presbyterian Church in Canada after 1925 are held in Toronto.

Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives and Record Office 50 Wynford Drive Toronto, Ontario M3C 1J7 Telephone: 416-441-1111 Website: http://www.presbyterianarchives.ca/

Geographic Distribution: The Manitoba and Northwest Conference includes more than just Manitoba. You will also find records of some bordering municipalities in Ontario. Other United Church local church records are available in Conference archives across Canada.

United Church of Canada Archives (as of September 16, 2013) 40 Oak Street, Lower Level Toronto, Ontario M5A 2C6 Email: archives@united-church.ca Website: http://www.united-church.ca/local/archives/on

Conference of Manitoba &amp; Northwestern Ontario - United Church of Canada University of Winnipeg Library 515 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 Telephone: 204-783-0708 By appointment only Email: d.haglund@uwinnipeg.ca Website: http://www.mnwo.united-church.ca/

[Ukrainian Catholic] Archeparchy of Winnipeg Museum and Archives 233 Scotia Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3V 1V7 Telephone: 204-338-7801 Email: uccarchives@gmail.com Website: http://www.archeparchy.ca/museum.htm

Other Church Records Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada Suite C140 - 123 Doncaster Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3N 2B2 Telephone: 204-477-7460 Email: jewishheritage@jhcwc.org Website: http://www.jhcwc.org/

Lutheran Church-Canada Archives - Lutheran Historical Institute 7100 Ada Blvd. Edmonton, Alberta T5R 0S7 Telephone: 780-474-8156 By appointment only Email: kbaron@lccarchives.com Website: http://www.lccarchives.com/

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