Acadian-Cajun Genealogy & History

Acadian Genealogy

The True Acadian Period: 1604-1755

CHURCH RECORDS

     Religion was an important part of Acadia.  The following church parishes were included in old Acadie.  Several other parishes developed later at Ile Royale and Ile St. Jean.  Check out the Religion page for more on the churches, as well as a map of their locations.

Church Parish
St. Jean Baptiste
St. Charles
St. Joseph
St. Pierre & St. Paul
L'Assomption
La Sainte Famille
St. Anne
Location
Port Royal
Grand Pre
Riviere aux Canards
Cobequid
Pisiquid
Pisiquid
Beaubassin
     Although many Acadian church records were destroyed by the British over the years, some records have survived. They are recorded in several books. The bulk of Acadian church records have been published in a series called Acadian Church Records. Winston DeVille's first volume includes records from Beaubassin (1679-1686), Chipoudy, and Petitcoudiac. The next four volumes of Acadian Church Records (compiled by Milton and Norma Reider) contain additional records [V. 2 Beaubassin (1712-1748), V. 3 Port Royal (1702-1721), V. 4 Port Royal (1716-1729), V. 5 Port Royal (1730-1740)].Surviving records from Grand Pre (1707-1748) can be found in the first volume of the Baton Rouge Diocese' Catholic Church Records.  George Bodin also has records in his 2 volume work, Selected Acadian and Louisiana Church Records.  Various church records also survive from the Ile Royale and Ile Saint-Jean areas, but are only available in microfilm.
      The last set of pre-exile Acadian church records from St. Jean the Evangelist of Port LaJoye, Ile St. Jean (1749-1758) were transcribed by Tim Hebert.
     The Archives of Nova Scotia has put the information from the Registers of St. Jean-Baptiste, Annapolis Royal, 1702-1755 online for the years 1702-1755 in a searchable database.
     For more information on the various parishes and religious life of Acadia, go to the Religion section of the Acadian Encyclopedia.
     The National Archives of Canada has a publication, Checklist of Parish Registers, that lists the microfilm of church records in Canada.  The table below lists those with the most Acadian information, though there will probably be scattered Acadian records around the eastern Canadian region.  Copies of the church records of Acadia can be found at Ottawa and Moncton. You may want to borrow microfilm through interlibrary loan or purchase your own copy.
Acadian Church Records on Microfilm
B-Births          M-Marriages          D-Deaths
NOVA SCOTIA
[Public Archives of Nova Scotia, 6016 University Ave., Halifax, N.S. B3H 1W4]

Civil Records
     Microfilm C-3021: BM (1679-1686), BMD (1751-1757)
               Beaubassin: B (1680-1686), M (1679-1682)
               Minas: B (1686)
               Minas River: B (1684)
               Missions in New Brunswick: B (1755-1757)
               Pablos, Quebec: BMD (1751-1757)
     Microfilm C-2037 
               Granville: BMD (1720-1881)
     Microfilm C-3027 
               Cornwallis Township: BMD (1720-1885)
     Microfilm F-592 
               Louisbourg (Ile Royale): BMD (1722-1745)
     Microfilm F-593 
               Louisbourg (Ile Royale): BMD (1749-1758)
     Microfilm F-594 
               Havre du Petit Laurent le Bec (Ile Royale): BMD (1714-1745, 1750-1757)
               Havre du Saint Esprit (Ile Royale): BMD (1726-1737, 1741-1745, 1749)
               Petit Nord (Ile Royale): BMD (1740-1745)
     Microfilm M-843 
               Minudie Marsh (Maccan, Nappan) : BMD (1746-1817, 1832-1837)

Church Records
     Microfilm C-1869 
               St. Charles des Mines (Grand Pre): B (1707-1748), MD (1709-1748)
               St. Jean Baptiste (Port Royal): B (1702-1717)
     Microfilm C-1870 
               St. Jean Baptiste (Port Royal): B (1717-1724), BMD (1724-1727), M (1702-1724), 
                                                                     D (1702-1728), BMD (1727-1755)
     Microfilm C-3024 
              St. Anne de Ristigouche (Bonaventure, Quebec): BMD (1759-1795)
     Microfilm C-3026 
               St. Marie (St. Mary's Bay): BMD (1799-1801)
     Microfilm F-696 
              Notre Dame de l'Assomption (Beaubassin): BMD (1712-1723, 1732-1735, 1740-1746)
              Notre Dame de l'Assomption (Beaubassin): BM (1746-1748)

NEW BRUNSWICK

Civil Records
     Microfilm C-3021 
               Chipoudy: B (1755-1756), M (1756)
               Jemseg (St. Jean River): B (1681)
               Petitcoudiac (N.B.) BMD (1753-1755)

Church Records
     Microfilm C-1449 
               St. Pierre aux Liens (Caraquet): BMD (1768-1799)

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Civil Records
     Microfilm F-595 
               Port Lajoie: BMD (1721-1744, 1749-1751)
     Microfilm F-596 
               Port Lajoie: BMD (1715-1758 index)

Church Records
     Microfilm F-595 
               Port Lajoie: BMD (1752-1758)
     Microfilm F-596 
               Port Lajoie: BMD (1752-1758 index)
     Microfilm F-817 
               St. Pierre du Nord: (1725-1758)

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