Nova Scotia History at the Click of a Mouse

Almost three centuries of records from one of Nova Scotia's oldest churches can now be researched, thanks to a massive multi-year effort by dedicated volunteers and the summer-long attention of a professional archivist.

"We’re thrilled out of our minds, but the whole process takes an awfully long time," said Fiona Day, a member of the archives committee of St. Paul’s Anglican Church on Halifax’s Grand Parade.

The committee began 10 years ago to catalogue the church’s records, which were disorganized and improperly stored after their removal from the parish hall just before that Argyle Street building was demolished in the 1970s.

The group of parishioners soon discovered the historic significance of the dusty old documents and fragile register books, which date back to a baptism and a burial on June 1, 1749, when Edward Cornwallis arrived in Halifax aboard the ship Sphinx.

You can read more about this new offering in an article written by Monica Graham in the (Halifax) Chronicle Herald at http://thechronicleherald.ca/Religion/994047.html.

Comments

[Leland Harvie]

The newspaper article is somewhat misleading in that no actual records are available on-line. The story is that the holdings have been catalogued by an archivist and the detailed catalogue entry has been entered in a database called Archway (which is of little or no use to the general public - personal opinion), only a person professionally trained in library science would we able to make much sense of the fond descriptions except to know that material exists and physically where it is to be found.

[n prince]

Although not in need of any data which may be available on this site at this time, I did enjoy the photographic section. Always interested in seeing photographics of past persons, locations, buildings, etc. Just helps to add more mental images as to what my early family may have taken as their daily surroundings. Thanks for the site data as it appears there is much here if one takes the time to look.

[Nancy]

I agree that this post is mis-leading as their are no actual records online.

However, the linked article does say in part that copies of the records can be ordered. It's just not quite clear how to go about it.

[pat]

I would suggest, with such articles, to not only list the link to the newsarticle, but the link to the site itself you are featuring or, if no link exists to clearly state that fact. Thanks.