Great news for those searching for ancestors in Canada and Mexico! FamilySearch has partnered with Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to publish the 1926 Census of Prairie Provinces, available to search for free online now. Also new this week are massive updates to Ancestry’s genealogical records collections for Mexico, including vital records and Catholic church records.
Featured: New genealogy resource online for Canada
Genealogy Giant FamilySearch has recently announced the online launch of the Historical Canada 1926 Census of the Prairie Provinces. From the press release:
“FamilySearch International and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) have partnered to publish online the 1926 Canadian census of the Prairie provinces. The free database provides a searchable index of 2 million names linked to 45,000 digital pages of the historical regional Canadian census. Search the census now at FamilySearch.org.
LAC provided the digitized images, and FamilySearch created the index. People with Canadian roots can now easily find information about their ancestors who might have lived in the provinces of Manitoba (639,056), Saskatchewan, (820,738) and Alberta (607,599).
About the 1926 Census of the Prairie Provinces
Since 1871, a Canada-wide census has been held every 10 years. However, during the early part of the 20th century, the population of the Prairie provinces expanded rapidly, so there was a need for more frequent population counts in those provinces. It was decided to conduct a census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in June 1906 (between the Canada-wide censuses), and every 10 years thereafter.”
My Great Great Grandfather Found in Saskatchewan!
We’ve long known that my great great grandfather Harry Cooke immigrated to Canada in 1912, however the trail grows cold quickly from that point. This new collection offered a new chance to track him down in North America. A quick search of this new online database delivered the goods!
Stay tuned to the Genealogy Gems Podcast to hear how to get even more out of the data included in this fabulous collection!
Updated genealogy records collections for Mexico
Ancestry.com has made massive updates to their genealogical records collections for Mexico, listed here by location:
- Aguascalientes Civil Registration Births 1860-1947, Marriages 1860-1961, and Deaths 1859-1961
- Baja California Sur Civil Registration Births 1860-1930, Marriages 1860-1950, and Deaths 1860-1987
- Campeche Catholic Church Records, 1638-1944, plus Civil Registration Births 1859-1921, Marriages 1860-1921, and Deaths 1860-1912
- Chiapas Catholic Church Records 1558-1978, plus Civil Registration Births 1861-1947, Marriages 1861-1952, and Deaths, 1861-1987
- Chihuahua Catholic Church Records 1632-1958
- Coahuila Civil Registration Births 1861-1930, Marriages 1861-1950, and Deaths 1861-1999
- Colima Civil Registration Births 1861-1931, Marriages, 1863-1952, and Deaths 1860-1997.
- Durango Civil Registration Births 1861-1930, Marriages 1861-1951, and Deaths 1861-1987
- Guanajuato Civil Registration Births 1862-1929, Marriages 1866-1929, and Deaths 1862-1930
- Nayarit Catholic Church Records 1596-1967
- Nuevo León Catholic Church Records 1667-1981
- Sinaloa Catholic Church Records 1671-1968
- Sonora Catholic Church Records 1657-1994
- Zacatecas Catholic Church Records 1605-1980
More on researching your Hispanic ancestors
If you have Hispanic heritage — anywhere from Mexico to Chile to Spain — you’re in luck: More resources for tracing their immigration are available more readily than ever before. In this special research collection from Family Tree Magazine, get eight resources to trace your Hispanic heritage for one low price! You will learn important historical dates and timelines, Spanish naming traditions, where to find records of immigration by ship, plane and train, and much more! Get the Hispanic Heritage Research Collection for just $24.99 – a $70.96 value!
Lacey Cooke
Lacey has been working with Genealogy Gems since the company’s inception in 2007. Now, as the full-time manager of Genealogy Gems, she creates the free weekly newsletter, writes blogs, coordinates live events, and collaborates on new product development. No stranger to working with dead people, Lacey holds a degree in Forensic Anthropology, and is passionate about criminal justice and investigative techniques. She is the proud dog mom of Renly the corgi.
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