Our British Columbia genealogists research on location. They will find and analyze the best records available to further your family history research. They can search the archives and libraries in British Columbia, including:
- British Columbia Archives
Births (1854-1903), marriages (1872-1937), deaths (1872-1992), colonial marriages (1859-1872), baptisms (1836-1888), passenger lists, naturalization lists since 1859, probates (1861-1981) - City of Vancouver Archives
1 million records on Vancouver, photographs (1860s to present), 4,000 maps (1700s to present), architectural plans (1910s-1960s), fire insurance plans (1885-1960s), vessel plans (1700s-1980), newspapers (1920s to present), 2,500 books on BC and Vancouver since late 1700s - City of Victoria Archives
Ross Bay Cemetery Records (1872-1981), Death Notices (1901-1939), Marriage Notices (1901-1939), Victoria city directories since 1860, voter lists (1908-1992), tax assessment rolls (1864-1948) - Cloverdale Public Library
Major dailies and local Canadian newspapers, including The Vancouver Sun, Province, Globe & Mail, National Post, Surrey Leader and Surrey Now from as far back as 1985 - Greater Victoria Public Library
Over 1 million items. The collections includes City Directories of Victoria and BC dating back to 1860. You may view a list of Historic City Directories from 1860-1890 and the following:
Local histories of many towns on the Victorian and Gulf Islands
Church histories of many local churches
Provincial voters lists of BC before WWI
Numerous volumes of collected short biographies
Many works on the early exploration of British Columbia
Many works on the first nations of our regions
Reference and biographical clippings files
Materials in the Local History Room at the Central Branch may be accessed and copied at the library, they may not be borrwed. Visit the Collection Overview for a complete list of holdings. - Koerner Library, University of British Columbia
Extensive collection of newspapers, including current and historical newspapers; newspapers from Canada, US, and international sources - Library and Archives Canada
35,000 Canadian periodicals, millions of books, 21.3 million photographs since 1850s, government records, world’s largest collection of Canadian sheet music, Canadian Postal Archives, extensive newspapers, 1 million Canadian portraits since 1689 - New Westminster Public Library
Books, magazines, maps, directories, newspapers - Vancouver Public Library
The second largest public library system in Canada, with more than 2.8 million items in its collections - W.A.C. Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University
Aldus Manutius (1452-1515) collection, 20th century avant-garde literature, Charles Dickens and William Wordsworth, 7000 editorial cartoons, History of Canada and History of Western Canada, including Social Credit, C.C.F./labour material, Doukhobor, 160 manuscript collections
Our professional researchers can do research projects of many sizes and for many budgets. We customize the amount of research provided according to your needs.
If you would like to learn how our genealogists can further your research, request a research quote.
Some of the major records sources that can be used for genealogy research in British Columbia include:
- Birth, marriage, and death records were kept by some towns as early as 1871
- Birth, marriage, and death records have been recorded by the government from 1872 to the present
- National census records were recorded every 10 years starting in 1881
- Land records were kept by the towns and counties from mid-1800s
- Probate records were kept by the local courts from 1861 to the present
- Churches sometimes kept records of the christenings, marriages, deaths, or other information about their members
- Newspapers were written in many areas and time periods that contain information such as notices of marriages, notices of death, and obituaries
- Town and county histories about the settlers and their families
- Naturalization and citizenship records were recorded by the courts since 1859
- Ship passenger lists, tax lists, and town records were recorded for many areas
