First Families

Background:

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.

Further information on the files and their contents is available by reviewing the Introduction.


Using the Files:

Please note that all of the following files, including the above-mentioned Introduction, are in PDF format. Adobe Acrobat or the free Acrobat Reader is required to view these files.

The files are organized alphabetically by surname.

Sources are provided, by title and PANB reference number, for each family listing.

An index is provided. The index files are listed below, following the surname files. Please consult the indices prior to searching the Family Files as some individuals are mentioned in multiple locations, and not necessarily under their own surname.


Further Information:

As noted above, the sources used in the compilation of these reports have been provided for each individual surname or family listing. These only reflect books, manuscripts, and other documents contained within the fonds of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. Therefore, the listings are neither comprehensive nor complete in the sense that further data may possibly be obtained from other, non-PANB sources.


Corrections and/or Updates:

The First Families files have been updated on a somewhat regular basis since they were first compiled in 1999. Further updates are possible. However, due to the scope of the work, a specific date for future releases cannot be given.

The digital files available through this website will NOT be updated separately from the original files. Updates will appear only as they become available from the PANB, and these are likely to be complete, rather than partial, updates.

Those wishing to provide updates, additions, and/or corrections to the First Families data are encouraged to do so. Information should be sent to:

Provincial Archives of New Brunswick
PO Box 6000
Fredericton, NB
E3B 5H1

Please DO NOT forward updates, additions or corrections to the NBGS Inc. or the NBGS Webmaster.

First Families is a collection of genealogical information taken from various sources that were periodically submitted to the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. The information has not been verified against any official records. Since the information in First Families is contributed, it is the responsibility of those who use the information to verify its accuracy.



Genealogies (First Families)
at the
Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

The Family Files:

There are no listings for "X" and "Z."


The Index Files:

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