G is for Newfoundland's Grand Banks Website

Newfoundland's Grand Banks website
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If you want to research your Newfoundland ancestors and you are not in Newfoundland (heck even if you are in Newfoundland), you really must visit Newfoundland's Grand Banks website. This site contains genealogical and historical data for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Do read their mission statement - it is a terrific reminder that genealogy and family history volunteers are amazing people and accomplish large and small acts of genealogical kindness every day. This website began when volunteers decided to transcribe and digitize the 1921 Newfoundland census. Then they moved on to church records, graveyard transcripts, will transcripts, census transcripts forward (the 1935 and 1945 census) and backward (23 earlier and partial censuses), obituaries, voter lists, business directories, vital records, maps, histories - you name it and a volunteer has been working on it.

Did I mention that all of the information added at this site is from original resource material and is made freely available to all? The volunteers, working through the six directors and many district coordinators, set to work reviewing, transcribing, checking, and publishing their work on a regular basis. I helped to transcribe the 1945 census for the communities of King's Cove, Open Hall, and Stock Cove - my way of paying it forward and contributing to this wonderful site.

Some of the great features of the Grand Banks website that you won't want to miss include:

• Message Board - do sign up for the message board and take a look at the current messages. Give some thought to your message - a name, a place and a time frame ("Andrew Keough, Plate Cove, 1830-1860" is more precise than "Keough, looking for my family"). Be concise, complete, and focus on a question that someone can answer. Most people are happy to help but since there are many messages, make sure yours stand out.
• B,D,M,W Tab - lots of great information here (birth, death, marriage, wills - arranged by district) but do not miss Stonepics database and Foreign Cemeteries found with Cemetery Transcriptions. Stonepics database index contains 221,470 entries for names found on headstones, war memorials, and monuments photographed in Newfoundland by the Stonepics Project. I have found so much information here to help in reconstructing my Newfoundland families.
• Official Lists Tab - check out all the census information available here. Did you know that Newfoundland did not join the Canadian Confederation until 1949? That is why the 1935 and 1945 Newfoundland censuses are available (at this site they have been transcribed and partial transcripts - columns 1-3 and 9-12 are available). At the FamilySearch website (another free website) the indexed digitized records are available. Be sure to check both resources.
• Historical and Districts Tabs - learn the history of Newfoundland and the various districts - are you researching in a particular area? Do you know where your people lived and why they might have migrated to other districts/communities? The resources for each district can be found here and you can work your way through official records, newspapers, church records, historical records, and some additional resources, like songs, books, and a community page. Get to know your district and communities!

And we just scratched the surface. Be sure to work your way through all the tabs on the drop-down menu at the top of the Home Page. Also scroll down the Home Page to see many more resources you can find at this site.

Genealogical Source Material - a goldmine!
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And there is also a great search feature - put in an ancestor's name or simply a surname, and results will keep you busy for hours!

A clear and helpful Home Page - with thanks to those contributing  AND a really helpful Search feature!
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The Grand Banks website is a true gem of genealogy site. Thanks to all the volunteers who have worked on it through the years and a special thanks to the current directors and coordinators - take a bow for an amazing effort that the rest of us get to use and enjoy! 

So what are you waiting for, check out Newfoundland's Grand Banks website.