1. How do I submit a research request?

Please fill out a research request form here.

Your request will be added to the queue. We will respond to requests in the order in which they are received. The inbox is monitored, with priority given to Indigenous requests and internal.

2. How much does it cost?

Please see our Fees and Services page for an up-to-date cost breakdown.

3. When will my research request be completed?

Our current wait time is 4-6 weeks, though this is subject to change depending on workload and other factors. If you reach out to check on the status of your request, our Inbox will automatically sort your request further down in the queue.

4. I made an error in my request, or I have more specific/new information, how do I let you know?

Please do not send a second research request form. Reply to the automated response from your original form with any updated information.

5. I found the information I was looking for elsewhere and no longer require your research services, what should I do?

Please reply to the automated response from your original form and update us so we can remove your request from the queue.

6. I need a Letter of Non-Existence for my citizenship application, do you provide this?

The Archives do not provide letters of non-existence or any other kind of letter on the status of records (not found, lost, etc.).

You may use correspondence with the PCC Archives as a testimony of the findings.

7. Can I expedite my request?

No, we do not offer an expedited service. We will respond to requests in the order in which they are received.

8. Do you provide certified copies of records?

The Archives can stamp, sign, and date a copy of a record. We do not provide an additional authentication letter to accompany this.

9. What information do you need to complete my request?

The research request form will prompt you for the information needed. To complete your request, we require a specific geographic location: ideally, a town or a township, as a county is often too large. If you are looking for a record in Toronto, a neighborhood or intersection is required due to the high number of churches.

10. How do I know if there was a Presbyterian Church in the town/township/county my ancestor was born in?

There are a few resources that can help narrow down congregations/churches. Property Heritage Index is a useful tool to understand Ontario’s municipal boundaries circa Confederation (1867-75).

You can search the Acts and Proceedings on Internet Archive. The Acts and Proceedings is a yearly publication of reports and statistics from congregations. Pre-1875 there was not a single united body of Presbyterians, so multiple Acts and Proceedings were published (for example, one in Lower and Upper Canada, one on the East coast, etc.). When using the Internet Archive to search the Acts and Proceedings, make sure you have selected “search text contents” not “search metadata.”

11. How do I know if my ancestor was Presbyterian or another denomination?

Religion was included in Census Records, which began as early as 1825 in certain parts of Canada. Pre-1875 there was not a single united body of Presbyterians; the primary denominations were Free Church, Canadian Presbyterian, Church of Scotland, United Presbyterian, and a version of this may be listed under “Religion” on the census. For example, United Presbyterian was shortened to “U. Presby.”

Tip: if you know your ancestor was United Presbyterian, you can search the United Presbyterian Acts and Proceedings on Internet Archive to see if there was a congregation or mission in the area. See question #9 for more information.

12. I am looking for more than one baptism/and a marriage/and a death, do I submit individual requests for each person/record type?

No, submit one request with multiple people/records within reason (1-3 people). We offer an hour of research per request. If your request goes beyond an hour, you will have to hire an external researcher to schedule an appointment to view our records.

13. You have completed my request but now I have another family member I want to look for, can I submit a second research request?

Currently, the Archives only has the capacity to complete one request per person. If you would like more research to done, you can either come to the Archives in person or hire an external researcher to come on your behalf.

14. How do I book an appointment to view records?

Email us at archives [at] presbyterian [dot] ca to schedule an appointment. Currently, we are booking for at least a month out.

15. Where are your online records?

The PCC Archives does not have digital records available online and most of our holdings are not digitized. You can consult our Finding Aids, which is a list of records organized alphabetically by town/city. For example, to see what records we hold for Toronto, you would look under “T.” Please note that these Finding Aids are extensive but not comprehensive and are a good place to start.

16. What is an accession number?

An accession number is a unique identifier in a collection of items/records. You will see our Finding Aids have a column next to the year and type of record: you can use this number to request the search of specific records. Example: 1984-4006