Quebec City Passenger Records, 1865-1900

The Library and Archives Canada has published online the first digitized passenger records of those who arrived at Quebec City between 1865 and 1900.

The Library and Archives Canada has published online the first digitized passenger records of those who arrived at Quebec City between 1865 and 1900. This is the result of a partnership with The Generations Network, Ancestry.com, and the first of many of passenger lists - Canada's official immigration records.

This database lists passengers to Quebec City - their age, county of origin, profession/occupation, and destination for each. It provides access to 967,017 references to names of passengers. The lists are dated from May 1st, 1865 to April 24th, 1900.

The list also includes the name of the ship on which they came to Canada, the name of the port and its departure date, the name of the port where it arrived and its arrival date, and the nationality and destination of each passenger.

In some of the earlier lists, personal information concerning the immigrant's wife and minor children may be missing, as well as for groups of labourers, and first- and second-hand passengers. And, depending on the date of the list, it may include the health of the immigrant as well as the religion, previous visits to Canada, family relationships, and cash on hand.

I checked the Barclays (my maiden name) on the website, and there were 194 listed. The first twenty on the list do not have a first name - so they were known by either Mr., Mrs., or by their occupation - for example, Doctor.

I found a Dr. Barclay, and he was 38 years old, from Scotland (where my ancestors were from). A surgeon going to Montreal, I found the date of his arrival, the name of the ship, and both the LAC's reference and microfilm numbers.

The databases are in the original language that is used in the documents, e.g. Italian, and the language was not translated into either French or English.

Please be reminded that some of the original records are very difficult to read, and are microfilmed the same way - so that they will still be difficult to read. If you don't find the name that you are looking for, it is suggested that you do the search by the ship's name or by the year in which they came to Canada.

The LAC will add other databases as they become available, but if you have found any errors or corrections to this database, please tell them about it by contacting them at the Canadian Genealogy Centre at .

If you want some of the historical background on immigration, it is suggested that you go to Moving Here, Staying Here. The Canadian Immigration Experience. This LAC online exhibition is divided into a number of areas, and you will be able to find essays, photos, and personal experiences.