THE HENRY C. RITCHIE RECORDS (1956)

The cemetery records of Pictou County were compiled by the late Henry C. Ritchie in the 1950's. They include information up to 1956. The records are divided into three parts:

The Genealogies

These are arranged by family name. Each family is arranged chronologically - the earliest settlers usually are listed first.

Each entry gives information about birth and death dates, marriages and relatives, if available.

There is an index at the front of each major family name section, providing a reference number for each entry for a given first name. For example: at the front of the MacDonald section, there are reference numbers for every John A. MacDonald listed.

Some entries will include references to other sources. These references sometimes appear on the back of the page. The library has the following materials in the local history collection:

CENS. 1838  1838 Pictou County Census REF 929.371613 Bri
MCPHIE McPhies Pictonians at Home and Abroad REF 971.613 M
PICTOU BOOK MacLaren Pictou Book: Stories of Our Past REF 971.613 M
D K ROSS Ross's Pioneers and Churches REF 971.613 R
PICTOU HISTORY Patterson’s History of the County of Pictou REF 971.613 P

Some entries will include a code number for the cemetery in which a headstone is found. For example: PD1 - refer to the appropriate cemetery record.

The Cemetery Records

A six volume set with a section for each cemetery, listing in alphabetical order by surname, the information from the headstone.

The five volume index is arranged alphabetically by surname, and indicates by a code, which cemetery contains the information. For example:

-- McFarlane, William G. N 1

--- Add P (for Pictou) to Nl to make PN 1

---- PN 1 equals Riverside Cemetery

A list of the 126 cemeteries, and their codes, is located at the beginning of Volume 1 of the index.

Miscellaneous Materials

These smaller folders include genealogies (with an index), records of deaths and marriages, and newspaper clippings on churches, cemeteries, and historical events.

At the front of the Pictou County Atlas folder is a list of some of the cemeteries and directions for locating them.

A two volume supplement to the Ritchie Records (in red ring binders) lists extra information for cemeteries believed to be in Colchester County.

Please Note!

In a work of this size errors are bound to appear. We ask all of those using the Ritchie Records not to make any alterations in any of the material.