Genealogy Links

All the links below have been taken from within our Genealogy and Local History sites. Browse topics below and see the wide range of resources available on the Internet.

On this page: Burlington & Halton | General Sites | Getting Started | Core Genealogy Topics | More Genealogy Topics

Burlington & Halton Local History Resources

• Brant Military Hospital - the history of this historical Burlington hospital including names of patients and staff.
• Burlington Historical Society
• Burlington History - a concise history of Burlington on the Burlington Public Library website. including information about early villages, churches, schools, Burlington Bay, etc.
• County Marriage Registers 1858-1869 - includes Halton and Wentworth Counties available on microfilm at the Archives of Ontario.
• Directory of Heritage Properties in Burlington - from the City of Burlington.
• Halinet Local History Indexes - a complete listing with links to all available Halton online history resources.
• Halton Census Index, 1842-1901 - search the Census of Halton County by head of household.
• Halton Heritage Network Directory - a directory of local heritage organizations.
• Halton Hills Public Library - Genealogists
• Halton Newspaper Index - online access to information from various local newspapers. Retrieve citations and then refer directly to the newspaper located within Halton libraries.
• Halton Photos - please note these databases have a a number of images in common.
  • Burlington Images - a searchable photo database currently contains 2100 images from the Burlington Historical Society photograph collection and the Ivan Cleaver postcard collection.
  • Halton Images - search a collection of images of the past from Halton County - created and maintained by the public libraries of Halton Region, the Burlington, Esquesing, Milton, Oakville and Trafalgar Township Historical Societies using software developed by HALINET and OurOntario.
  • Oakville Images
• Halton Newspaper Index - online access to information from various local newspapers. Retrieve citations and then refer directly to the newspaper located within Halton libraries.
• Halton Region Museum
• Halton's Historical and Newspaper Records: A Searchable Database - search more than 300,000 local history records online. Included are:
  • Births, Marriages and Deaths
  • Census (now available for all of Halton 1842-1901)
  • Land Records
  • Surrogate Court Records
  • Military Records
  • Business Directories
  • Photographs
  • Newspaper Articles
  • Books
• Heritage Burlington - a Citizens Advisory Committee of Council reporting through the Community Development Committee of the City of Burlington.
• Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Halton - In this Web version of the print Atlas, view documents and maps. Each page of the atlas can be viewed.
• Index to Cemeteries - Halton-Peel Branch - a searchable database of cemetery records for Halton and Peel from the Ontario Genealogical Society.
• Milton Historical Society
• Milton Public Library - Genealogy & Local History
• Museums of Burlington - Joseph Brant Museum and Ireland House
• Oakville Historical Society
• Oakville Museum
• Oakville Public Library Local History & Genealogy
• Ontario Genealogical Society - Halton-Peel Branch
• Ontario GenWeb - Genealogy & Local History - County of Halton - Halton County GenWeb site consisting of the former townships of Esquesing, Nassagaweya, Nelson and Trafalgar.
• OurOntario.ca - sponsored by Knowledge Ontario, this site features digitized collections from libraries and museums including texts, atlases, images, script music, audio and video material.
• Research Archival Resources in Halton - 40 local resources for historical and genealogical research are listed.
• Trafalgar Township Historical Society

General Sites

• Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Web
• Canada GenWeb
• RootsWeb - funded and supported by Ancestry.com

Getting Started

Pathfinders From Various Archives

• Archives of Ontario - Discover Your Family History: Getting Started
• Library and Archives Canada - Canadian Genealogy Centre - Tracing Your Ancestors in Canada
• Library and Archives Canada - How to Begin
• National Archives - United Kingdom - Family History: Your Guide to Resources
• U.S. National Archives - Starting Genealogy and Family History Research

General Links

• Cyndi's List of Genealogical Sites on the Internet
• FamilySearch.org - Free family history, family tree, and genealogy records and resources from around theworld
• Yahoo! Genealogy

Core Genealogy Topics

Births, Marriages & Deaths (i.e. B-M-Ds or Vital Statistics)

• Finding a Birth Registration - A Pathfinder - Archives of Ontario
• Finding a Marriage Registration - A Pathfinder - Archives of Ontario
• Finding a Death registration - A Pathfinder - Archives of Ontario
• Vital Statistics Table of Contents - Archives of Ontario
• Indexes to Births and Stillbirths - 1869-1911 - Archives of Ontario
• Registrations of Births and Stillbirths - 1869-1911 - Archives of Ontario
• Indexes to Marriages 1873-1926 - Archives of Ontario
• Registrations of Marriages 1873-1926 - Archives of Ontario
• Indexes to Deaths - 1869-1936 - Archives of Ontario
• Registrations of Deaths - 1869-1899 - Archives of Ontario
• Registrations of Deaths - 1900-1919 - Archives of Ontario
• Registrations of Deaths - 1920 to 1936 - Archives of Ontario
• Finding Divorce Files in Ontario - Archives of Ontario
• Adoption Disclosure Register in Ontario
• Bill Martin's Genealogy Website
• Bill Martin's Supplementary page - his second site at rootsweb where large files reside.
• Ontario Vital Statistics Project - a volunteer created resource that includes Ontario birth, marriage death, census and cemetery information.

Canadian Census

Online indexes are available for the following Census of Canada.

• 1851 - Automated Genealogy - search by name, can see a split window of both original census and the transcribed copy.
• 1871 - Federal Census of 1871 - ArchiviaNet's searchable database of Heads of Household is listed in the 1871 Census of Ontario.
• 1881 - search this database from Library and Archives Canada.
• 1881 - FamilySearch - census records include the 1881 Canadian Census. You can also search the 1880 United States Census and the 1881 Census of the British Isles.
• 1891 - search this database from Library and Archives Canada - NEW!
• 1901 - Automated Genealogy - see the Provincial Summary for Ontario.
• 1911 - Census of Canada 1911 - from ArchiviaNet/Library and Archives Canada - the 1911 census is now available online and the index may be searched.
• Canadian Census Questions Since Confederation - although not a complete list of questions asked in each Canadian census, this useful chart indicates in which census each question was introduced.

Cemetery Records & Obituaries

• Cemetery Junction
• Find a Grave
• Cemetery Records Online - from GeneaSearch.
• Index to Cemeteries - from the Halton-Peel branch of the OGS.
• Interment.net - transcriptions of cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions, from cemeteries in the USA, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries.
• Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid
• Ontario Genealogical Society Cemetery Transcriptions - microfilm from Archives of Ontario
• Ontario Obits

Church Records

• Upper and Lower Canada Marriage Bonds - Library and Archives Canada holds marriage bonds for Upper Canada (Ontario), 1803-1865, (RG-5 B9) and Lower Canada (Quebec), 1779-1858, (RG 4 B28). Search the Upper and Lower Canada Marriage Bond Database. The original bonds are available on microfilm. The microfilm reel numbers are included in the database and you can interloan them at the Library.
• Marriages Arranged by County & District - pre-civil registrations are available on RootsWeb
• [Ontario] County Marriage Registers, 1858 - June 1869 - available on microfilm for loan from the Archives of Ontario.
• [Ontario] District Marriage Registers, 1780-1858 - available on microfilm for loan from the Archives of Ontario.
• [Ontario] Roman Catholic Marriage Registers, 1828-1870 - available on microfilm for loan from the Archives of Ontario.
• Religious Archives - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada
• Parish Registers - the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada has an excellent listing of church/religous archive websites in Canada.
• Websites for Religious Archives
• Anglican - Church of England
• Baptist - The Canadian Baptist Archives
• Jewish - Ontario Jewish Archives
• Lutheran:
  • Lutheran Historical Institute
  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
• Mennonite - Mennonite Archives of Ontario
• Methodists - See United Church of Canada
• Mormon - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• Presbyterian - Presbyterian Church in Canada: Archives and Records Office
• Roman Catholic:
  • Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto
• United Church in Canada:
  • United Church of Canada Archives and Recordkeeping
• Wesleyan Methodist Baptist Register

Immigration Records

• Archives of Ontario
  • Toronto Emigration Office Records, or "Hawke Papers"
  • Records of the Department of Immigration: RG 11
• Immigration and Citizenship - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• Young Immigrants to Canada - Emigrants Handbook of 1864
• Home Children (1869-1930) Database - over 100,000 children were sent to Canada from Great Britain during the child emigration movement.
• Immigration and Citizenship - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• The Olive Tree Genealogy Ships Passenger Lists - Search for your immigrant ancestor in ports of arrival in USA, Canada, Australia & New Zealand, South Africa, England. Find ancestors on ships passenger lists outbound from USA & Canada.
• Pier 21- Canada's Immigration Museum - Halifax, Nova Scotia
• The Ships List - a good starting point for information on details of ships, passenger records, and contemporary immigation reports. Links to Canadian passenger lists are included. New links are being added continually.
• Young Immigrants to Canada - Bernardo Children

Land & Property Records

• Crown Land Records: Introduction - includes land records on microfilm available for interloan from Archives of Ontario.
• Archives of Ontario pathfinders
  • From Grant to Patent: a Guide to Early Land Settlement Records, ca.1790 to ca. 1850 - from the Archives of Ontaro
  • How to use the Ontario Land Records Index ca. 1780 - ca. 1920 - an Archives of Ontario pathfinder
• Directory of Heritage Properties in Burlington - from the City of Burlington's site
• Ontario Heritage Properties Database - a searchable database containing information on over 5,000 heritage properties in Ontario.

Wills & Estates

• Ontario Court of Probate and Surrogate Court Records: Wills and Estate Files - A Pathfinder - Archives of Ontario

More Genealogy Topics

Accreditation & Professional Associations

• Association of Professional Genealogists
• National Institute for Genealogical Studies - University of Toronto, Professional Learning Centre
• Ontario Genealogical Society

Booksellers & Publishers

• Global Gazette - An online family history magazine published by Global Genealogy based in Milton, Ontario. Articles of interest to everyone from the beginning family researcher to experienced genealogists. Upcoming Family History & Heritage Events are posted here.
• Global Genealogy - a bookstore and publisher located in Campbellville, Ontario, with products and services for the family historian.
• Ontario Genealogical Society Online Store

DNA & Genetics

• Genetics, DNA & Family Health - links from Cyndi's List
• DNA : Genealogy - Mailing List
• DNA Ancestry Project
• Family Tree DNA
• Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation

Genealogists Helping Genealogists

• Genealogy - Help Offered, Free Lookups, etc. - from About.com
• Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness

Genealogy Resources For Other Countries

England and Wales

• 1881 Census - choose the 1880 United States, 1881 British Isles, or the 1881 Canadian Census from FamilySearch.
• Census Records - search the census websites free of charge. Includes the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 census. From The National Archives.
• 1901 Census
• British History Online - digital library containing some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles.
• Cyndi's List - genealogical research portal.
• Familia - UK and Ireland's guide to genealogical resources in public libraries in the UK.
• Family History indexes
• Family History Online - on-line records compiled by Family History Societies.
• Family Records
• FamilySearch - from LDS.
• FreeBMD - Births, Marriages and Deaths Indexes for the UK.
• FreeCen - UK census online.
• FreeReg - UK parish registers.
• GenDocs - genealogical research in England and Wales.
• Genes Reunited - join and build your family tree.
• GenFair - genealogical supplies.
• GENUKI - genealogical information service for the UK and Ireland.
• GENUKI Index - information organized by subject.
• Historical Directories - digital library of local and trade directories for England and Wales, from 1750 to 1919.
• IGI Batch Numbers - search the International Genealogical Index for the British Isles & North America.
• National Trust Search for a Surname
• Passenger Lists Leaving UK 1890-1960 - from Find My Past.com in association with the National Archives
• Yahoo! Genealogy - many links relating to UK genealogy.

Ireland

• 1901 and 1911 census - from the National Archives of Ireland
• Church of Ireland - a province of the Anglican Communion
• FamilySearch - from LDS - includes Irish content
• General Register Office (Northern Ireland)
• General Register Office (Republic of Ireland)
• IGI Batch Numbers
• Irish Ancestral Research Association
• Irish Genealogy
• Leitrim-Roscommon Genealogy
• Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
• National Library of Ireland - Family History

Scotland

• GENUKI - free virtual reference library of genealogical information about the UK and Ireland. For Scotland you'll find useful information at national, county and parish level.
• IGI Batch Numbers
• FamilySearch - you may search the International Genealogical Index (IGI), Ancestral File and Pedigree Resource File (but not the 1881 Scottish census) free of charge. Almost all the Scottish parish records are indexed in the IGI as well as the first 20 years of the statutory registers.
• Scotland's People - official government source of genealogical data for Scotland
• Scottish Strays - The Scottish Marriage Index
• Manchester & Lancashire Family History Society - supports family history research in Greater Manchester including Bolton and Oldham
• Scottish Documents - Wills and Testaments
• Scottish Documents - combining history and technology to preserve Scotland's written heritage

United States

• American Memory - Library of Congress
• Cyndi's List of Genealogical Sites on the Internet - main category index
• Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Library
• Ellis Island
• FamilySearch - Family History Department. of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints
• Genealogy.com
• Library of Congress Local History & Genealogy Reading Room
• Genealogists/Family Historians - National Archives, Washington DC
• State Archives
• United States Federal Census

Other Countries - with thanks to Cyndi's List

• Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
• Czech Republic and Slovakia
• Eastern European
• France
• Germans from Russia
• Germany
• Huguenot
• Italy
• Jewish
• Netherlands
• Poland
• Scandinavia and the Nordic countries

First Nations

• Records Relating to Aboriginal Peoples - A guide to sources in the Archives of Ontario.
• Métis and First Nations - from Can Genealogy.
• Native Peoples' Current Events, History & Culture - from Genealogy Forum's Internet Center.
• Researching Your Aboriginal Ancestry at Library and Archives Canada - from Library and Archives Canada.

French Canadian

• Bibliotheque et Archive Nationales du Quebec
• Cyndi's List: Canada Index - look for provinces with French Canadian settlements
• Cyndi's List: Canada: Quebec
• FrancoGene - gateway to Franco-American and French-Canadian genealogy on the Internet.
• Genealogy of the French in North America
• Parishes of Quebec: 17th - 18th Centuries - search by parish
• Planète Généologie - French Canadian genealogy

History Websites

Canada

• Canada: A People's History - CBC Television program, also available from the library in DVD or video.
• Canada History
• The Canadian Encylopedia
• Canadian Heritage Gallery
• Canada Hall at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Ottawa
• CBC Digital Archives
• Dictionary of Canadian Biography
• Early Canadiana Online
• Heritage Canada Foundation
• Historica
• Images Canada
• First Peoples of Canada - from Civilization.ca
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Ontario Architecture - This website was started with the help of Hamilton-Halton Construction Association and a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Its purpose is to educate both architecture students and the general public.
• Ontario Heritage Trust - Ontario's heritage agency is dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's rich and varied heritage for the benefit of present and future generations.
• Ontario Time Machine - A joint project of the Toronto, Hamilton and Kingston Frontenac Public Library systems, it showcases a selection of some 30 books from Ontario’s early days.
• Pathfinders & Passageways: The Exploration of Canada - from Library and Archives Canada
• Peace and War in the 20th Century - McMaster University Library, in association with the Hamilton Public Library and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum has provided digitized  images of 3,000 photos, posters, rare trench maps and handwritten materials from war poets.
• War of 1812
  • 1812 History
  • Discover 1812
  • Official War of 1812 Bicentennial Website

United Kingdom

• British History Timeline - from BBC.
• BBC's History Site
• Britannia History
• British History Online
• British Life and Culture
• The History Channel UK
• Old-Maps.co.uk - a digital historical map archive.

United States

• Center for History and New Media
• Digital History
• American Memory - from the Library of Congress
• PBS History: United States

Loyalists (United Empire Loyalists)

• Black Loyalists: Our History, Our People
• Index to Loyalist Muster Rolls - transcribed source materials for researching Loyalist ancestors, including land records, church records, muster rolls and compensation claims from the Loyalist Institute.
• Loyalist Genealogy - from Olive Tree Genealogy Home
• United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada (UELAC)
• United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada (UELAC) - Toronto Branch
• Records Relating to the War of 1812 at the Archives of Ontario
• War of 1812
  • 1812 History
  • Discover 1812
  • Official War of 1812 Bicentennial Website

Maps & Gazetteers

• The Changing Shape of Ontario: a Guide to Boundaries, Names and Regional Governments - Maps of Ontario from the Archives of Ontario.
• In Search of Your Canadian Past: The Canadian County Atlas Digital Project - a searchable database derived from county atlases covering parts of Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes published between 1874 and 1881. These atlases are particularly prized by genealogists for their township maps identifying property owners, with thanks to McGill University.
• Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Halton - each page of the atlas can be viewed in this Web version of the print Atlas. Print copies are available for in-library use at BPL. In addition to Halton County, we also have print copies of many other Ontario counties as well.

Military Records

• The Books of Remembrance - contain the names of Canadians who fought in wars and died either during or after them. All the books are kept in the Memorial Chamber located in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.
• Brant Military Hospital - the history of this historical Burlington hospital including names of patients and staff.
• British Forces [in Canada] - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• Canadian Forces Before 1914 - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• Canadian Forces after 1918 (including Second World War) - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• Canadian Military Heritage Project - find Canadian ancestors in in free searchable military databases for each war and rebellion involving Canada.
• Canadian Military History Gateway - from the Government of Canada.
• Canadian Virtual War Memorial - a registry of information about the war graves and memorials of more than 116,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders who died in military campaigns from 1884 to 1953. Also contains digital images of photographs and memorabilia. Searchable by name and directly linked to the digitized Books of Remembrance.
• Central Ontario Branch of the Western Front Association (COBWFA) - dedicated to remembering the contribution of the Canadian military from Central Ontario and British Forces who served on the Western Front in France and Belgium during World War 1.
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - established by Royal Charter in 1917, the Commission pays tribute to the 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars.
• First World War - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• French Regime- Military - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• German Troops - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• Juno Beach Centre - a museum and cultural centre which opened at Courseulles-sur-Mer, France on June 6, 2003. It presents the war effort made by all Canadians during the Second World War.
• Loyalists - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• Military Medals - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• Royal Canadian Legion
• War Diaries - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.
• War Graves - from the Canadian Genealogy Centre, Library and Archives Canada.

Municipal Records

• Municipal Records at the Archives of Ontario

Photographs

• Burlington Images Search
• Canadian History Pictures and Photos - from Canada Online at About.com
• Halton Images Search - for the broader region of Halton includes Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills. Includes many duplicated from the Burlington images database.
• Image Databases - currently over 25,000 images available for download from the Archives of Ontario databases.
• Images Canada - search the collections of participating archives, libraries, museums and universities from across Canada. Find images of the Canadian events, people, places and things that make up our collective heritage.
• Ontario History Quest - pictures are a part of this digital collection.

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