History and Genealogy of Colchester, Nova Scotia

Colchester County went by the name of Cobequid up until 1780 when it was named after its sister town of Colchester, England.

There are but three larger counties than Colchester. It has an area of about 1,308 square miles and with distinct advantages of natural resources and delightful resorts. It is bounded on the south by Cobequid Bay and Halifax County, on the west by Hants County, on the east by Pictou, and on the north by Northumberland Straits and Cumberland. It was early settled along the shore of Cobequid Bay by the Acadian French. On the present site of Masstown, then called Cobequid, was a considerable village, with a church building of dimensions that indicated quite a numerous population. At Onslow and Truro were other settlements. They were all destroyed in 1755, when the Acadians were expelled from the Province.

Historical and Genealogical Record of the First Settlers of Colchester, Nova Scotia

Thomas Miller was a longtime resident in Colchester County, Nova Scotia. It was his intention at first to write only about his own kindred; but, having begun, he was led on to mention, nearly all the Grantees of the Townships of Truro, and some of Onslow and Londonderry, with their descendants, as far as he could gather information.

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Source: Miller, T. (1989) "Historical and genealogical record of the first settlers of Colchester County, down to the present time."

 

Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Searchable Online Databases

The Colchester Historical Society and Museum have provided online extracts of some of the more valuable genealogical data available for Colchester.

* Census 1838, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901
* Births (1864-1877)
* Deaths (1864-1877)
* Marriages (1864-1914)
* Cemetery Index
* Truro Daily News - Deaths 1891-1912, Marriages 1891-1904
* Lawrence Henry Scrapbook Collection 1961-1984
* Death Records for Truro District 1 from original ledger
* Ministerial Marriage Registers from various communities

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