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If you are contacting the Diocese of London regarding relics, please note that we are no longer accepting requests at this time, due to overwhelming response. Thank you for your interest.
The Archivist will provide assistance to diocesan and other organizations seeking information of an historical nature; respond to requests of a historical nature from clergy, secretaries, religious orders or lay people; respond to historical requests from other dioceses; and cooperate with academic researchers. The Archivist will not complete family history research of any kind under any circumstances.Upon requests, detailed finding aids to archival holdings will be made available to authorized researchers. Under special circumstances, at the discretion of the Archivist, these finding aids can be copied or emailed to a researcher.
Academic and family history researchers are welcome to visit the Archives by appointment only. Please contact the Archives to schedule an appointment.
Academic Research
The following guidelines are to be observed by academic researchers:
- The use of certain documents may be restricted by statute, office or origin; the researcher may quote from these documents only with permission of the Diocesan Archivist, the Chancellor or the Bishop;
- Exemptions to the use of “restricted material” may be granted to serious scholars at the Masters or Doctoral level at the discretion of the Diocesan Archivist. Appeal from the Diocesan Archivist’s rule may be made to the Chancellor;
- As a general rule, no letter, memorandum or document written by a person still living may be quoted, paraphrased or used in any way without the consent of the author;
- The researcher must assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, copyright and property rights, which may be involved in the use of manuscripts and other archival materials, as stated in the research agreement form;
- Researchers will be charged $0.25 a page for photocopies;
- If permission is given for the use of material for publication, a copy of the publication may be requested by the Diocesan Archivist. A thesis or dissertation is considered a publication.
Family History Research
Family history researchers are welcome to visit the Archives and research through sacramental registers by appointment only. Not all records will be available for research though as many of the historic registers are in grave state or the date ranges fall out of range for public access.
Contact
Debra Majer
dmajer@dol.ca
519-433-0658, ext. 242.Genealogy and Cemetery Resources
Family History Resources and Research at the Archives
The Diocese of London’s Archive staff does not complete individual genealogical research. Interested researchers can obtain sacramental registers on microfilm up until 1910 through the Mormon Family History Centres as these centres are located throughout North America. The Church of Latter Day Saints has digitized these registers and are available via Familysearch.org.
Family history researchers are welcome to visit the Archives and research through sacramental registers by appointment only. Not all records will be available for research though as many of the historic registers are in grave state or the date ranges fall out of range for public access. Please contact the Archives to schedule an appointment, dmajer@dol.ca or call 519-433-0658, ext. 242.
Sacramental Registers
Information contained in sacramental registers consists of:
- Baptism: date of birth; date of baptism; name of child; names of parents (including mother’s maiden name); names of sponsors (godparents); name of the officiating priest; and may contain location of birth.
- Marriage: date of marriage; name of bride, her place and date of baptism, the names of her parents and may contain the bride’s place of residence; name of bridegroom, his place and date of baptism, the names of his parents and may contain the bridegroom’s place of residence; names of two official witnesses; and the name of the officiating priest.
- Confirmation: name of child/adult; place and date of baptism; names of parents (including mother’s maiden name); name of sponsor; and name of officiating cleric.
In keeping with the guidelines of the Archives of Ontario information can be disseminated from sacramental registers as follows: ninety-five years after baptisms, eighty-two years after the marriage ceremony, and seventy-two years after the interment.
Adoption information listed within the sacramental notation relating to the identity of an adopted child and the biological parents of the child remains confidential under all circumstances.
Adoption Records
The Archives does not house any Catholic adoption records.
Cemetery Records
The Archives does not house cemetery records or cemetery plot information. For cemetery information in Ontario access Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid. Various branches of the Ontario Genealogical Society (OGS) have completed comprehensive cemetery lists. Contact the OGS for additional branch and location information.
Online Resources
Ancestry.ca
http://www.ancestry.ca/Archives of Ontario
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/index.aspxCanadian Genealogy and History Links
http://www.islandnet.com/~cghl/Cindi’s List
http://www.cyndislist.com/canadaC-K (Chatham – Kent) Cemeteries Preservation and Documentation Project
http://ckcemeteries.ca/pmwiki/index.phpFamilysearch.org - Church of Latter Day Saints
https://familysearch.org/Geneaology.com
http://www.genealogy.com/index_n.htmlLibrary and Archives Canada
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/index-e.htmlOntario Cemetery Finding Aid
http://ocfa.islandnet.com/Ontario Genealogical Society
http://www.ogs.on.ca/World Gen Web Project
http://www.worldgenweb.org/