Archives of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island
Preserving the records that bear witness to the life and ministry of our Church
Contact us:
Hours and Services:
Other Sources for Anglican Church Records:
Diocesan Archives Documents:
General Synod Archives Manuals and Guidelines for Parishes
History of the Archives:
Archives Mandate: 
Acquisitions Policy:
ARCHIVES SHELVING APPEAL
The New Archives of the Diocese in 2012
click here
NEW ARCHIVES PRESENTATION:
Sept. 2008, Charlottetown, PEI
Creating a Church Archive:
The Diocesan Archives: What you always wanted to know but were afraid to
ask:
This intoduction to the history, work and vision of the Diocesan Archives was presented at Diocesan Council on December 7, 2006, along with the brochure "Preservation at the Point of Creation". It was intended to inspire preservation practices, to inform the parishes about our work and to answer questions received from all over the diocese in 2006, so we are making it available here to all in the following formats: Microsoft PowerPoint, Acrobat PDF, Flash Paper, use your left mouse button to advance the slides in the powerpoint presentation. The brochure re preservation at point of creation in Rich Text Format:"
Notes for the above presentation
Contact us:
Diocesan Archivist : Lorraine Slopek archives@nspeidiocese.ca
(902) 420-0717 Ext. 231
Mailing Address:
Diocesan Archives
6017 Quinpool Road
Halifax, NS B3K 5J6
"For genealogical enquiries please send your enquiry in writing directly to our Diocesan Archives Genealogical Researcher,Taunya Dawson.
Mailing address:
Taunya Dawson
2571 MacDonald St.
Halifax, NS B3L 3G3
Email: tdawson@ns.sympatico.ca
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Hours and Services:
The Diocesan Archivist is in the Archives:
MONDAY AFTERNOONS from 1:00 to 5:00pm
and
All DAY TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY - 9:00am to 5:00pm
We have a small workspace that is shared between conservation, technical services, and research, so please call or write ahead of time to make an appointment to do research or to consult with the Archivist.
The Archivist will answer requests from the public, from the groups and associations of the Diocese, and from the Synod office, clergy, parish staff and parishioners needing information in the Diocesan Archives’ holdings.
If you have questions concerning the preservation and management of your records, or the policies and procedures of the Archives, please see the pamphlets and documents posted on this page, designed to be downloaded and printed for use in the parishes. This list will grow as we continue to research topics of interest to our diocesan family in its efforts to preserve its recorded history and heritage.
Archives documents
OR contact the Diocesan Archivist.
The Diocesan Archives is the place of deposit for all records of the Diocese of NS and PEI, its regions and parishes, its clergy, institutions and societies.
The Diocesan Archives does not do genealogical requests or research, but can help direct your search to institutions holding microfilm of Anglican records and other genealogical resources.
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Other Sources for Anglican Church Records:
St. Paul’s Church Archives, Halifax, NS holds the records of St. Paul’s Church dating back to 1749, and the archival custodians there will answer public research requests for a nominal fee (all revenue goes directly to the preservation of these, the oldest parish records of our Diocese). Send your enquiries to Amy Mackay or Fiona Day at the St. Paul’s Church Office: office@stpaulshalifax.org or telephone: (902) 429-2240.
Almost all of our parish records of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials up to the last fifty years, as well as other parish records, are on microfilm that is deposited to the Public Archives of Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management – “NSARM”) and are accessible to the public there. For more information, visit their website or Email: Public Archives of Nova Scotia
For more help and connections to genealogical resources in Nova Scotia, visit the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia
In Prince Edward Island, some Anglican Church records are held at the Public Archives and Records Office (PARO) in Charlottetown.
The Robertson Library of the University of PEI also has a large amount of genealogical reference material.
At the University College of Cape Breton, the Beaton Institute holds copies of Anglican parish records on microfilm.
The Diocesan Archives is an institutional member of the Council for Nova Scotia Archives; for a complete listing of other member institutions, visit their website.
For a complete directory of museums and heritage institutions in Nova Scotia visit: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/musdir/index.html
For more information about other Anglican archives across Canada, visit the General Synod Archives website to access the complete list of Diocesan Archives in the Anglican Archives Network
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Diocesan Archives Documents:
General Synod Archives Manuals and Guidelines for Parishes
Archives Newsletters:
Diocesan Canons governing the Archives:
Anglican Archivists Network:
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History of the Archives:
The first reference to the establishment of a Diocesan Archives may be found in the Synod Journal of the Dio cese of Nova Scotia, 1916. In that year Reginald V. Harris placed before the Synod a proposal that "a standing Committee, including the Bishop of the Diocese, be appointed and charged with the collection and preservation of docu ments and manuscripts relative to the history of the Diocese of Nova Scotia". It was not until 1960 that a room was set aside in the new Diocesan Centre for use as an Archives. An Archives Com mittee was established and Mr. Inglis Wainwright was appointed first Archi vist.
The Chancellor of the Diocese, R. V. Harris, presented the core of the Archives’ Reference Library as well as a quantity of archival material to the Archives . In recognition of his gifts to and inter est in the Diocesan Archives, Bishop Waterman presented a brass plaque in scribed "R. V. Harris Room" on June 1962. The main Archives room is called by that name today and is located on the first floor of the Diocesan Centre.
The room next to it houses the Reference Library collection, and is named “Archives Research and Reading Room, The Church of England Institute”. It is furnished with some of the original furniture from the Church of England Institute, as a memorial to Leonard Weldon Mosher, who had also been known for his contribution to education and historical knowledge of the Diocese.
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Archives Mandate:
The purpose of the Archives of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island is to collect, arrange, describe and preserve the permanent records and related papers of the Diocese, at the termination of their active life, and make them available as required. This includes all records that were created within the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island by any person while performing official or quasi-official duties. Where a schedule for deposit or disposal has been established, this should be adhered to, any queries being directed to the Records Manager and/or the Diocesan Archivist.
NOTE: Because of limited space the Archives reserves the right to decline material that does not fit its man date.
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Acquisitions Policy :
Archival materials are generally acquired through donations and deposit required by Canon Law. Normally the Diocesan Archives does not purchase archival material.
Canon 40 states that baptisms, confirmations, marriages, burials and service registers must be kept, and if they cannot be protected in the parish by a dry, fireproof vault in a secure room or facility, they should be “sent to the Registrar of the Diocese for safekeeping”. Today the Archives’ vault serves this purpose.
For Access Policies and Preservation Strategies, See the “Archives Policies” expanded and revised, in effect as of April 2008.
The Diocesan Archives collects:
Records of the Diocese , its Ecclesiastical Regions and Parishes; Minutes, ledgers, documents and registers, specifically;
- Parish Records : Registers of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Burial, Vestry books (registers of services), minute books, ledgers, and documents, specifically;
- Parish documents: Deeds, mortgages, and other property documents, boundary descriptions, petitions and sentences of consecration, decrees of formation and division, annual reports. (Parish office files, weeded and arranged, may be deposited in the event of a church closing.)
- Church related photographs, maps and plans;
- The personal papers, diaries, letters, manuscripts of Diocesan Bishops, clergy, layper sons, institutions and societies;
- Parish histories , published, collected, or manuscript;
- Clerical biographies and significant publications by Diocesan clergy and lay people;
- Records of church related institutions, societies, organizations and clubs;
- Diocesan and General Synod publications ; serials relating to the Church of England, the Church of England in Canada and periodical journals of related societies and church history.
- Oral histories .
The Diocesan Archives does not collect Bibles, prayer books or hymnbooks at this time, with the exception of a rare edition or an historically dedicated volume.
Because of limited space, the Diocesan Archives does not collect artifacts.
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Diocesan Archives
6017 Quinpool Road
Halifax, NS B3K 5J6
Tel. (902) 420-0717
Email: archives@nspeidiocese.ca
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