About the Film Room

The Film Room contains almost 7,000 microfilms and some microfiche on file for your viewing.

This is made up of many collections, first and foremost is our prestigious Drouin Institute microfilms, as well as other collections listed in the Film Room Holdings section. Available for your use are multiple microfilm and microfiche readers. We also have a high quality scanner/printer to make copies of the documents you located on the films. This document would be considered a primary source record.

As a Family History Affiliate, AFGS members now have the capability of viewing records that were previously not available to our library on familysearch.org. Researchers are now able to view more records on familysearch.org at the AFGS library than is available on home computers.

The Film Room Request Copy Service is where members and non-members who are unable to visit the library can request a copy of births, marriages and death from the vital records of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont for a small fee. We also offer copies of births and marriages from the Rhode Island church microfilms. Email us at research@afgs.org for more information.

Film Room Request Copy Service

We understand that it may be difficult to visit our library to access some of the information we are now showing in the searchable indexes. The Film Room Copy Request service will provide copies of actual obituaries, headstone pictures or copies of birth, marriage or death records contained on one of the microfilms for a fee. This service is available to AFGS members and non-members alike. They are listed as Categories A and B:

Category A

AFGS has microfilm of vital records including RI, MA, VT and NH. AFGS owns the original Drouin Microfilm Collection of the Canadian records from 1606 to 1940.

Category A is available for both members and non-members for a fee.

Category B (Under Construction)

AFGS has a large obituary collection dating 1987 – 2018 covering the U.S. and Canada. Our records total 116,000 pictures covering RI, MA, CT, NY and Quebec.

This category is for non-members and members who have not joined our Members-Only site. Non-members will receive the obituary and headstone pictures for a small fee.

AFGS members who have joined our Members-Only Site should log in to obtain pictures of headstones and obituaries.

FILM ROOM REQUEST FEES

Vital Records Birth Marriage and Death Info Fees (price per copy)
Rhode Island Birth: 1852 – 1905
Marriage: 1852 – 1905
Death: 1852 – 1955
Members: $2
Non-Members: $4
Extended Review: Members $4
Extended Review: Non-Members $8
Massachusetts Birth: 1841 – 1915
Marriage: 1841 – 1915
Death: 1841 – 1915
Members: $2
Non-Members: $4
Extended Review: Members $4
Extended Review: Non-Members $8
New Hampshire Birth: 1640 – 1900
Marriage: 1640 – 1900
Death: 1640 – 1915
Members: $4
Non-Members: $8
Extended Review: Members $6
Extended Review: Non-Members $10
Vermont Birth: 1741 – 1941
Marriage: 1741 – 1941
Death: 1741 – 1941
Members: $4
Non-Members: $8
Extended Review: Members $6
Extended Review: Non-Members $10
Canada – Drouin Collection Birth/Baptism: 1608 – 1935  Some up to 1943
Marriage: 1608 – 1935  Some up to 1943
Death/Burials: 1608 – 1935  Some up to 1943
Members: $2
Non-Members: $4
Extended Review: Members $4
Extended Review: Non-Members $8

Note: Ontario 1835-1967. Some records to 1977.

Please note the following:

• The form below is for requesting a copy of a specific document or pictures. It is a request service and not a research service. All documents must have the name, month, year and place. Without this information, your request is considered research, not a document copy. For a research request, please click here.

• If we cannot find the documents, there will be no charge.

• Expanded Review: If the information is not where you asked us to look and you ask for an expanded view, there is an additional fee. Expanded review involves our reviewing the same film you requested for your information including alternate dates and location. If you want us to expand our review further within the same microfilm, you must check the box under the listing on the actual request form

• Information for New Hampshire and Vermont is much more difficult to find and is reflected in the costs.

• All documents will be sent via email using an honor system.

• Payment may be made by check or credit card. Payment outside the US must be paid by credit card only.

Email questions to research@afgs.org or call AFGS at 401-765-6141.

Film Room Copies Request Form

Name(Required)
Address(Required)
(If Applicable)

Birth Information

Birth Request expanded review?

Marriage Information

Marriage Request expanded review?

Death Information

Death Request expanded review?
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Film Room Holdings

Drouin
The Drouin Institute of Montreal microfilmed parish records, both Catholic and non-Catholic, including some Indian missions. The time span covers the founding of parishes to 1940 when the institute microfilmed the records. The collection contains 2,455 reels of microfilm, which includes millions of individual records.

This historical collection contains the following:

• Baptisms, marriages, and death records for the entire Province of Quebec.

• Baptisms, marriages and death records for those areas of Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia known to be predominantly French-Canadian.

• Notarial acts, such as marriage contracts, wills, deeds, and other legal documents for the Province of Quebec.

• Vital statistics and census records for miscellaneous states

Canadian Newspapers
These newspapers, from the Montreal and Quebec provinces, cover the years of 1764-1862 and are in English and French. The Seven Years’ War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on February 10, 1763. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America to Britain in 1763 after the Seven Years’ War. The first edition of The Quebec Gazette / La Gazette de Québec was on June 21, 1764.

Canadian Census Records
Canadian census records cover the years 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891. The collection is incomplete.

Census of Quebec
The entire 1871 census including many schedules which give important information about Quebec citizens of this time period.

Connecticut
State census records 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870.  Death index to 1950 and Death film records to 1955.

Fabien File
This two-part collection has 250,000 records covering the 17th century to the mid-1800s. Part 1 covers Hull, Gatineau, Pontiac, Buckingham, LaPetite Nation, Eastern Ontario and Northern Ontario. Part 2 covers families from Quebec and Prince Edward Island.

Hard to Find Drouin Marriages
Nearly one million marriages that were researched at the Drouin Institute and were not included in the Female or Male collections.

Loiselle File
Marriages from Quebec, Madawaska County in New Brunswick, Manchester, N.H. and Hillsboro County, N.H. These records cover 1641-1963. Brides and Grooms are listed alphabetically. Most, but not all of the entries are typewritten. The alphabetical order of the cards is only approximate. The parishes covered are listed at the beginning of each film.

Louisiana
Film from miscellaneous Louisiana parishes.

Maine
State census records 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870.

Massachusetts
Civil records from the Massachusetts state archives and from LDS. Birth index and records 1841-1910, marriage index and marriage records 1841-1910, death index and records 1841-1910, delayed birth, marriage, death 1839-1900.

State census records 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870.

New Hampshire
Civil records purchased from LDS. Births, marriages, brides index, death, 1640-1900 and divorces 1640-1938.

State census records 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870.

Ontario Marriages
Beginning in 1863 and ending in 1911.

Rhode Island
These are civil records purchased from LDS. Birth 1852-1900, marriages, 1853-1900, death index 1853-1950, deaths 1853-1955, delayed birth returns, out of town deaths 1905-1943 [includes an index]. Death returns from East Providence 1872-1921, miscellaneous cemetery records and birth returns from East Providence miscellaneous years.

Rhode Island parish records contains baptisms, marriages, along with some first communion and confirmation records.

State Census Records 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870

Rivest File
Marriage records for the Notarial districts of Joliette, St-Jerome, Mont-Laurier and Sorel – all in Quebec. It covers the 17th century to 1972. The index is arranged first alphabetically by the surname of the bride. Under the surname of the bride, the index is arranged alphabetically by the surname of the groom. A section for anonymous names is located in the “A” section and is arranged alphabetically by the surname of the groom. This section includes all those marriage entries for which there is either no surname or no name for the bride. If either the bride or groom is widowed, the record of the marriage will indicate the name of the previous spouse. Most entries are handwritten.

Vermont
This three-part collection was purchased from the State Archives of VT. Part One: births, marriages and deaths from the start to 1870 Part Two: births, marriages, deaths from 1870-1908 Part Three: birth marriages, deaths from 1909-1941.

State census records 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870.

alphabetically by the surname of the groom. A section for anonymous names is located in the “A” section and is arranged alphabetically by the surname of the groom. This section includes all those marriage entries for which there is either no surname or no name for the bride. If either the bride or groom is widowed, the record of the marriage will indicate the name of the previous spouse. Most entries are handwritten.