United Church Archive info
from Upper Canada Genealogy

All researchers are welcome All will be asked to complete a registration form once in each calendar year, sign a daily guest register; place coats and bags into lockers provided; and adhere to guidelines on records use. A reference staff person is available during public hours to assist researchers.

Research will be done for limited written and telephone inquiries relating to one or two individuals; please provide place names and approximate dates. A more specific location or church name is required for searches in Ontario's larger cities. Requests, including those arriving by E-Mail, will be answered in the order in which they are received.

Denominations represented: This Archives holds local church records of the United Church and its uniting denominations (Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian*-1925 union; and Evangelical United Brethren-joined in 1968). *The records of those churches which remained part of the continuing Presbyterian Church in Canada after the union of 1925, are held in the Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives, 11 Soho Street, Suite 104, Toronto M4T 1Z6 Phone (416-595-1277).

Geographical distribution:

For the above denominations, this Archives holds local church records for the five Ontario Conferences with headquarters in Ontario (EXCLUDING the counties of Carleton, Dundas, Glengarry, Grenville, Prescott, Russell and Stormont-which are part of the Montreal Ottawa Conference; and Carnbrian Presbytery in northwestern Ontario- part of the Manitoba and Northwest Conference; and INCLUDING three churches in Noranda, Val d' Or, and Temiskaming, Quebec). Other United Church local church records are available in Conference archives across Canada .

Record Types:

Baptismal, marriage, and burial registers document these vital events and often name the parents of individuals documented. Other useful records include communion rolls and all forms of membership lists; i.e., circuit registers, and historic rolls. Although nineteenth- century records exist, most begin after 1896. Only very occasionally are there cemetery records

Finding Aids:

The name of the place where the baptism, marriage or burial took place is the key search terrn for access to the records of the over one thousand congregations available here. For larger centres, the church name is also needed. Both databases and the card catalogue need to be searched.

i. To use the DATABASES

During a visit, consult the Local Church Records Tab in DATA BASESEARCHES BlNDER-available beside computer.) Use Form 45: DATABASE / FINDING AID RECORDS ORDER FORM to request records from the Archive staff person at the Reference Counter.

ii. File listings

Are available for churches with extensive holdings; the database entries will refer to the following FINDlNG AIDS: Bay of Quinte Conference churches-287; Metropolitan Toronto-289; Toronto Conference excluding Metropalitan Toronto-288; Hamilton Conference-290; London Conference-291; Manitou Conference-292. These are available on the Genealogical Reference Shelf beside the computer.
Note: For records with less extensive holdings, the complete description is the database entry.

iii. Search the Archives Card Catalogue:

The catalogue cards are arranged by United Church Conference name, then place name of the community (city, town, village, and for rural churches, on a limited basis, the township) and within that, by church name. Use Form 43: CARD CATALOGUE ORDER FORM to request records from the Archives staff person at the Reference Counter. Only a few registers have been indexed by name; these are identified in the RESEARCH TOOL 25: Indexes Information Sheet. The indexes are in cabinets at the back of the Reading Room.
Note 1: Hamilton and Bay of Quinte Conferences records descriptions are all in the databases.
Note 2: None of these records are available on interloibrary loan.

Photocopies: Most of the registers cannot be photocopied. Please consult the reference staff.

For records not found: Many congregations have retained their own records; consult The United Church of Canada Year Book (beside computer) for current addresses and telephone numbers. Although it is the policy of the United Church to have records deposited in an appropriate United Church Archives, records sometimes have been deposited in local archives and/or museums.

Personal Registers of individual ministers also include records of baptisms, marriages and burials. When visiting the Archives, search the databases by place name or minister's name.

Information on baptisms is also found in two central Methodist baptismal registers. The "Wesleyan Methodist Baptismal Register" (WMBR) includes baptisms (1825-1910; predominant 1840-1873), covering primarily Ontario and parts of Quebec. This register (four microfilm reels, plus index by township narne) is also available through interlibrary loan and for sale. Please note that even though the register covers a wide area, it is not a complete record of all baptisms which occurred during this period. One copy of the four reels and township index is available on the Genealogical Reference Shelf beside the computer. Nominal indexes to the register by county/township, published to date are available on the book shelves at the back of the Reading Room, Bay 2.

The "Methodist Episcopal Church Niagara Conference Baptismal Register" includes baptisms (1849-1906; predominant 1858-1886). covering much of southern Ontario and after 1863 extending west of Toronto. The Index to Niagara Conference..., published by the Ontario Genealogical Society, is a transcription of all information in the register except for the minister's name. Available on the Genealogical Reference Shelf.

These reports include lists of contributors to the Missionary Society. The lists of personal names are arranged first by Conference, then by District, then Circuit and finally by local church. Although no further information is provided, these reports often place individuals within a particular church if this information is not already available.
Available on the book shelves, Bays 4-5.

The Archives has a fine collection of church newspapers and magazines. Check the Library Card Catalogue serials drawers (lower right) for the call numbers of the periodicals. Some of this material has been indexed for announcements of births, marriages, and deaths (See RESEARCH TOOL 25: Indexs Information Sheet for card indexes available.)

Refer also to the published newspaper indexes on the book shelves (Bay 2/top shelf) at the back of the Reading Room.

References to publications by/about persons within the Church, and about local churches, can be found in the Library Card Catalogue (in the reception area).

In addition to publications (above), local church history vertical files provide information on many of the Ontario churches; see Finding Aid 39 available on the Genealogical Reference Shelf 1.

Also available are biographical files on ordained ministers, missionaries and some lay church workers in the various denominations. Check with the reference staff.

Directories list ministers by denomination with iofonnation on charges served; the Cyclopaedia of Methodism in Canada, and the directories compiled by Douglas Walkington. Available on Genealogical Reference Shelf.

Pension (see Finding Aid 298) and personnel files (see Finding Aid 310) are available for some former church workers. Due to lengthy restrictions on access, many of these files are closed to research.

Papers provide more detailed infonnation on individuals, such as ministers and missionaries. See the published Guide to Holdings of the Central Archives of the United Church of Canada. on the reference counter. (This guide is also available for sale; please note, however, that it does not include local church records, nor personal papers received after 1990.) Also, search by personal name in the DATABASES (see DATABASE SEARCHES BINDER: General Searches).

Consult also the Personal Papers Collection (Finding Aid 305 available on Genealogical Reference Shelf) made up of personal papers of only a file or two in extent. These have not been catalogued individually and do not appear in either database.

Photographs of persons (primarily ministers and rnissionaries), churches, church-related institutions, and activities are sometimes available. Use DATABASE SEARCH BINDER: Graphic Materials to search for photographs.

The Guide to Familv History Research in the Archival Repositories of The United Church of Canada, 1996 is available from The Ontario Genealogical Society, Suite 102, 40 Orchard View Boulevard, Toronto, ON M4R lB9.

This guide provides useful inforrnation on the history of the Church and the services offered by the various Archives but does not include a detailed listing of records available. Detailed finding aids to records of the Montreal and Ottawa Conference as well as the Alberta and Northwest Conference are available on the book shelves in the Reading Room of the Central Archives.

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