Newfoundland and Labrador Land and Property Records

Online

 * Administration books and miscellaneous probate records for the Central District, 1798-1937, Supreme Court (Central Circuit)
 * Land records, 1803-1990, Newfoundland. Crown Lands Department These records can be used at a Family History Center near you.
 * INDEXES OF MISSING VOLUMES LOST IN THE GREAT ST. JOHN'S FIRE OF 1892
 * In July 1892, the Registry of Crown Titles and Records experienced the devastating loss of 20 volumes of Crown grants, numerous maps, and other records, during the Great Fire of St. John's. While some documents were re-registered from duplicate copies held by individual land owners, a large number of grants are still missing.


 * Bonavista District Crown Land Grants, 1856-1929
 * Ferryland District Crown Land Grants, 1748-1926
 * Fortune Bay District Crown Land Grants, 1849-1927
 * St. John's Crown Land Grants, 1831-1848

FamilySearch Library

 * Land records, 1825-Feb. 1931; indexes, 1825-1938, Registrar of Deeds

Registry of Deeds
Most records for Newfoundland are found in the provincial capital of St. John’s. The system of record keeping was not the same as the other provinces as Newfoundland was late joining the union, and so their records were not under the federal government jurisdiction prior to 1949. Over the years, the diverse nature of recording Crown Land Grants has left the surviving records spread out over a number of collections held in various government departments and locations. The main collection is housed at the Registry of Deeds.

The Registry of Deeds has the largest database of information of all the registries within the Commercial Registrations Division. The records maintained relate to real estate in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador dating back to the early 1800’s. Registry records from 1825 to 1981 can only be searched at the Registry’s office at 59 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s through a paper-based index and bound volumes manual system.

Registry records from 1982 to present can be searched electronically through our Companies and Deeds Online (CADO) system either at the Registry’s office or online at Companies and Deeds Online (CADO).

Digital Government and Service NL Commercial Registrations Division P.O. Box 8700 St. John’s, NL A1B 4J6 Canada Tel: (709) 729-3302 Fax: (709) 729-0232
 * Registry of Deeds

Physical Address: Address: 59 Elizabeth Avenue

Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador

 * The Rooms, Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador 9 Bonaventure Avenue P.O. Box 1800, Station C St. John’s, Newfoundland A1C 5P9 Telephone: 709-757-8030 Email: [mailto:information@therooms.ca information@therooms.ca]


 * A register of crown grants after 1831 to 1931 is at The Rooms Provincial Archives. The entries for 1831 to 1880 have been indexed.
 * They do not have copies of the grant themselves.
 * They also have a Register of Deeds for 1845 to 1872, although there are many gaps in the coverage.
 * Other land records include a record book of Crown rents from 1821 to 1864 and various Plantation Papers from 1809 to 1854.

Registry of Deeds
The land deeds are filed annually and date from 1825. There is an alphabetical index for each year of both the purchaser and purchase’s surnames. There is also a miscellaneous collections of Wills from 1774. You may visit this facility to research but they will not do it for you. They will provide a list of researchers for hire on request.


 * Registrar of Deeds Service NL Commercial Registrations Division P.O. Box 8700 St. John’s, Newfoundland A1B 4J6 Telephone: 709-729-3302