New Brunswick genealogy is heavily influenced by the arrival of the Loyalists in 1783 and significant Irish immigration. The Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB) is the central repository for most of the province’s historical records.
Capital: Fredericton
Population: 776,827 (2019)
Area: 72,908 km²
Canadian Postal abbr.: NB
Confederation: 1 July 1867 (1st, with Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec)
Counties & Municipal Districts Including Former and Dissolved
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_New_Brunswick
Cities and Towns
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_population_centres_in_New_Brunswick
Essential Records at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB)
The PANB is the primary resource for New Brunswick researchers, holding records far beyond the general vital statistics.
Provincial Archives
- The archives holds key substitutes: [Loyalist Muster Rolls], [Early New Brunswick Probate] records, and detailed [County Deeds] records that can track families through land sales.
- Use the [Index to New Brunswick Marriages] for quick searches, even though official registration began late (around 1888).
Genealogical Societies
Facebook Pages & Groups
- Atlantic Canada DNA Genealogy
- New Brunswick Genealogical Society
- New Brunswick Genealogy (all counties)
- Southeastern New Brunswick Genealogical Society
- Kings Co., New Brunswick Genealogy
- Westmorland County, New Brunswick Genealogy & History
- Albert County, New Brunswick Genealogy & History
- Campobello New Brunswick Genealogy
- Carleton County Genealogy – New Brunswick
- Kent County New Brunswick Genealogy
- York Co., New Brunswick Genealogy
Specialized Research Strategies & Resources
Other Resources
- Royal Gazette
- Wallace Hale’s Early New Brunswick Probate 1785-1835 – Has Great Records for African Canadian Ancestry
- Brenan’s Funeral Home Records
- New Brunswick to Massachusetts Marriages 1841-1850
- 1851 Census of New Brunswick Index
- Misc. New Brunswick Deaths 1878-1886. Abstracted from The Dominion Annual Register and Review
- Report of Admissions at the Port of Grand Falls, New Brunswick 1913-1918
- New Brunswick Cemeteries On-line Research.
- 1752 Acadian Census
- Irish New Brunswick Genealogies. This on-line listing contains information on over 1,500 of the first Irish families to arrive in New Brunswick (Canada).Voices, Vessels and Vellum: Digital images and text transcriptions of one hundred 18th century documents from the Saint John, New Brunswick
- Black Watch (42nd Regiment) Veterans to New Brunswick (Canada) in 1783
- Old Soldiers Records : New Brunswick, Canada Records of Old Revolutionary Soldiers and Their Widows
- Subscriptions to the fund for relief of the sufferers by the great fire in New Brunswick (Canada), 7th October, 1825. Report of the New Brunswick Commission of Enquiry
- Acadian Cemeteries of New Brunswick, Canada : Tombstone photographs for nearly 50 cemeteries
- Ward Chipman, Muster Master’s Office 1777-1785 This research tool provides access to nearly 19,000 references to Loyalist families
- The King’s New Brunswick Regiment 1793-1802. Free online edition of a book by by Jonas Howe in Collections of the New Brunswick Historical Society
- 1783 Studholm Report : French inhabitants. Covers the state of land grants in the St. Johns River area of New Brunswick
Ready to Dive Deeper into New Brunswick?
You have the records and the strategies. The key to unlocking your New Brunswick family history is persistence in the provincial archives and connecting with local institutions.
- Need Expert Guidance? If your brick wall involves an elusive Loyalist or a missing Irish immigrant ancestor, get a personalized Research Plan or Brick Wall Busting Session with an Atlantic Canada expert. Book a free 30 Minute Consultation
- Want More Stories? Listen to our podcast for ancestral stories about migration and settlement in the Maritimes, including those United Empire Loyalists who founded Saint John Check out our YouTube Channel