Immigration records from the British and French regimes
Until 1865, shipping companies didn't have to keep or report their passenger lists to the government. This means there is no comprehensive collection of records for immigrants who came to Canada before 1865. If your ancestor arrived before 1865, find out what sources exist and how to access them.
On this page
- Before you start
- French Regime, 1608 to 1760
- British Regime, 1760 to 1865
- Access the records
- Related links
Before you start
Gather available information such as:
- name(s)
- place of origin
- approximate year of immigration
French Regime, 1608 to 1760
New France included the colonies in Acadia and Quebec, as well as colonies in Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio and Wisconsin. Some settlers in those areas migrated to Quebec and what later became Ontario. Most immigrants in this period were from France and included:
- Soldiers
- To encourage permanent settlements, the French government offered money to married soldiers and officers to put down roots in its colonies.
- Unmarried women and widows
- From 1634 to 1662, they were sponsored by the Compagnie des Cent-Associés, and were known as "Les filles et femmes à marier" (marriageable women)
- From 1663 to 1673, they arrived under the authority of the King, and were known as the "Filles du roi" (Daughters of the King)
- "Engagés"
- These men were farm hands, servants, skilled workers or personal assistants. They signed "engagements" (contracts) for a three-year period to work in New France as an indentured servant for religious communities. merchants, fur trade companies, other employers.
- Many of these "engagés" stayed in New France after their contracts ended.
- Some immigrants from other countries in Europe
Archival sources
Library and Archives Canada holds copies of some records from archives in France. This includes some passenger lists and other records relating to immigrants. The records are in French.
To locate these records:
- Go to Advanced search in Collection Search
- In Any of these words, enter a person’s name or the name of a place in France or New France, plus any or all of these French keywords (ex: ):
- passager (passenger)
- navire (ship)
- bateau (boat)
- vaisseau (vessel)
- engagé or engagement
- embarque (embark)
- soldat (soldier)
If you find an item of interest to you in the French Colonial records, the full title of the document is sometimes found in the Scope and content section of the item description.
Here is an example from the Notariat de l'Ile Royale (Louisbourg) series:
There are also records that cover groups of people. Here is an example:
Fonds des Colonies : passagers (MG1 F5b)
- This series contains lists of passengers leaving France for various ports in the colonies from 1717 to 1760 and 1786. In the series description, see Scope and Content to learn more (French only). The lists are not searchable by name.
- Finding Aid 1676 is a detailed list of the contents of the series. It shows the ships, dates, ports, volumes, page numbers and microfilm numbers.
- FA1676 is only available on paper. You can consult it in the reference room.
Published sources
Most records relating to immigrants in the French Regime have already been researched and the information published. To help you with your research, we have compiled this list from the library catalogue:
These books contain information about individual immigrants and settlers.
Each title in this list includes the author and the LAC call number.
- If the call number includes the word genealogy, that means the book is in the genealogy room at our Ottawa location
Example of a call number: Genealogy Ref. - CS88 A2 A38 2003
You can click on a title in the list to open the full catalogue entry. If you scroll down, you will see a list of other libraries that hold copies. You can also check your local library’s online catalogue.
British Regime, 1760 to 1865
Immigrants in this period included:
- Loyalists
- discharged British soldiers
- settlers from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland
- some settlers from other countries
LAC holds other records relating to immigrants, such as:
- immigrant diaries and journals
- records of immigration societies or organizations, such as Petworth House
- lists of settlers
Archival sources
You can search many of the records held at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) for this period by name in our databases:
- Immigrants before 1865
- Immigrants at Grosse Île Quarantine Station, 1832 to 1937
- Immigrants sponsored by the Montreal Emigrant Society, 1832
To search the rest of the collection:
- Go to Advanced search in Collection Search
- Select Any of these words, then enter a person or place’s name or the name of a place, plus any of the following keywords:
- passenger
- settler
- emigrant
- immigrant
- voyage
- the name of an immigration society
Some examples include:
J. & J. Cooke fonds (MG40-R-193, microfilm A-2166 to A-2168)
These shipping agents transported emigrants from Ireland to Canada,1847-1867. Read more details are in the fonds description.
Molson fonds: St. Lawrence Steamboat Company (MG28-III-57, microfilm M-8272 to M-8285)
These records include some passenger lists for the company’s ships sailing between Montreal and Quebec, 1819 to 1838. Many of the passengers were immigrants. You can find a list of the ships, dates and microfilm numbers on pages 275 to 278 of Finding Aid 1707.
Published sources
Most records relating to immigrants in the British Regime have already been researched and the information published in books. To help you with your research, our genealogy staff have compiled a lists of books in our library catalogue. These books contain information about individual immigrants and settlers:
- Book list: immigration, British Regime
- Book list: German troops in Canada
- Books relating to German troops who settled in Canada after the American Revolution
Each title in this list includes the author and the LAC call number.
- If the call number includes the word genealogy, the book is in the genealogy room at our Ottawa location.
- Example of a call number: Genealogy Ref. - CS88 A2 A38 2003
You can click on a title in these lists to open the full catalogue entry. If you scroll down, you will see a list of other libraries that hold copies. You can also check your local library’s online catalogue.
Access the records
For records that are not digitized, you will need to see them in person. If you cannot visit us in person, you may want to order copies or hire a researcher.