Since it was established in 1967, the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick has received a large number of family histories donated with the intention of preserving them and making them available to current and future researchers. To help researchers, the staff at the Provincial Archives had produced a Guide to family histories at the Provincial Archives. Although an excellent resource, it is not particularly detailed.
In 1997 members of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society, Inc. decided that a more detailed listing of genealogical resources at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick was required. NBGS member Robert F. Fellows was asked to undertake this project. The first "partial listing" was produced in 1999 and distributed, along with various other genealogical resources, to libraries throughout the province. The current (6th) edition, released in January 2006, has been prepared to assist the family historian identify and locate genealogical data in the files, books, manuscripts, records and resources found in the collections at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick situated in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
About the Files:
This compilation contains information on 7,414 of the first families to arrive in New Brunswick. Each descriptive family entry contains the name of the head of a household, his date and place of birth, the date of his death, the names of his parents, and the name of the community, parish and county where a family settled. Next is listed the date and place of marriage, the name of his wife, the date and place of her birth, the date of her death and the names of her parents. The names of each of the children, their dates of birth and death, the names of their wives, their dates of birth and death and names of their parents are listed. The family entry concludes with a description of the record source or sources at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick in which information was found. The name of the file, the book, manuscript or collection as well as the number of pages within the source or sources are provided to enable the researcher to visit the Provincial Archives and locate this material quickly and efficiently.
Researchers should remember that the data in each descriptive entry is only for the first family of that surname to arrive in New Brunswick. Information on the family before it came to New Brunswick, and for succeeding generations sometimes up to the present, may be found in the file, book or collection. The genealogist will have to visit the Provincial Archives and check the resources out for themselves. Acadians, Pre-Loyalists and Loyalists who arrived in the province with older children who immediately married and themselves began having children may have two generations of their family described.
Family entries are available in the MEMBERS page of the website. Not a member? Go to the Public Downloads and complete and mail your membership form to the branch of your choice.