Researching the Land: Online and In-Person Resources for Land Records

Land records are a resource that sometimes get overlooked by researchers. Land settlement in Ontario has a complex history that can sometimes be cumbersome to research. This blog post seeks to address the history and dispel the confusion surrounding this informative resource. Land records can fill in the blanks between census records and flesh out how your ancestors lived between birth, marriage, and death registrations.

History of the Land

It is important to understand the history of the land you are researching so that you can put the information you find into its proper context. Land changes by geographical boundaries for administrative purposes over time. Thus, a piece of land may have been part of a different township, county, or district at different periods in time. As a result, you may have to look for land records in different administrative institutions. For example, concessions 1-4 of the former Sombra Township in Lambton County passed into the control of Gore Township in Kent County during the mid-19th century.

Over time, the land which is now our community was in the District of Hesse, the Western District, and after redistricting finally became Lambton County. Knowing at which point in time and which administrative institution  will allow you to be a more effective researcher into land records. See the Archives of Ontario webpage on Early Districts and Counties for more information.

The land which is now Lambton County was part of Kent County in the Western District of Upper Canada in 1792. (From the Economic Atlas of Canada from the Archives of Ontario website.)

Early Land Settlement

All land in Ontario was considered Crown Land (as in belonging to the government) from the time it had been surrendered to the Crown by a First Nation, up until ownership was transferred to the first private owner. The land was initially surveyed into townships consisting of concessions and lots. Concessions were strips of land about 1 1/4 mile wide and are often separated by road allowances of 66 feet wide. Concessions were then divided into lots, which were typically 200 acres, and individuals seeking land had to apply to the Crown to be granted one of these lots.

Typical division of a township into concessions (roman numerals) and lots (Arabic numerals.) Letters were used to denote "broken" concessions divided up by rivers or lakes. (From Ontario Land Registry Office Records: A Guide by Fawne Stratford-Devai and Ruth Burkholder)

Crown Land Granting Process

The process to obtain a piece of land was a lengthy and complicated one. It changed over time with different jurisdictions and administrative institutions responsible for the process, but it was generally as follows:

1. Petition: an individual submitted a petition (application) to the Crown
2. Grant: if the petition was successful, the Crown would issue a land grant to the petitioner who then became a settler on a 200 acre lot
3. Settle Land: certain settlement duties were required to be met (such as clearing so much of the land, building a residence, etc.)
4. Patent: once the settlement duties were complete, the Crown would issue a patent which officially transferred ownership to the private individual

Resources for Crown Land Records

The Upper Canada Land Board (1765-1804) database from Library and Archives Canada is an online index to individuals mentioned in the Land Board records. Most records are between 1789-1794 (when Land Boards existed to facilitate settlement in the districts) and contain many references to Loyalists in the minutes, reports, and correspondence. This index points you to a microfilm reel containing the full document which can be ordered through the Lambton County Archives and consulted in our facility.

The Upper Canada Land Petitions (1763-1865) is an online index from Library and Archives Canada of the petitions to obtain land in Upper Canada. Petitions are very useful since the applicant was required to prove their identity and may contain items such as letters of support from a magistrate or commanding officer. The petitioner was also required to explain why they deserved a grant and may contain the individual's life story or service in the American Revolutionary War or the War of 1812. This index points you to a microfilm reel which can be ordered through the Lambton County Archives or your local library. Also, the reels have been digitized and the records are available online. Note the microfilm number from the online index and consult the pdf of the digitized record. A note of caution however, the records are not searchable so you should consult the "Help" page to decipher how to navigate the records using the reference information from the index.

The best resource for Crown land records is the Ontario Land Records Index (OLRI.) This resource, created by the Archives of Ontario, is an index of many records from various institutions involved in the granting process. It is only available on microfiche (at the Archives of Ontario, ordered through your local library, and at institutions who own a copy.) At the Lambton County Archives, we have a copy of the index, which has been indexed by surname and by township. Thus you can search it by ancestor or by land.

When you find an individual (or piece of land) the information is all in code. You can decipher the code through the Using the Ontario Land Records Index research guide created by the Archives of Ontario. For example, from the OLRI for John Wetheral, I was able to use the research guide to tell me that he received the South half of lot 10 in the 10th concession in Brock Township. The land was issued on 25 Sept 1834 as a sale involving the Canada Company (a settlement agency) and was a Clergy Land sale. By noting the Archival Reference number and the information on the webpage Understanding the Reference Code in the Ontario Land Record Index, I would be able to order the microfilm reel containing the documents (Microfilm MS 693 Reel 190.)

Ontario Land Records Index for John Wetheral.

Local Land Transfer Process

After the land was surveyed and granted to the first private owner, subsequent transactions for a piece of property were registered through the local Land Registry Office. Thus land transfers between private individuals are registered at the local level. Although these transactions started in Ontario in 1793, it is important to note that registration was not mandatory until 1846, so many transactions were not registered or were registered many years after the event had occurred.

To research local land records, you will need to know the legal description of the property: the lot and concession numbers for a specific township. These records are available at the Land Registry Office (LRO) where the land was registered or at a local repository. For instance, pre-1955 land registry records for Lambton County are at the Lambton County Archives.

Resources for Land Registry Records

Once land registration was legislated in 1865 to local LRO, Abstract Indexes were created to record transactions registered to a certain lot. In these ledgers, separate pages were kept for each individual lot as it was patented by the Crown. So while these indexes contain information such as name of buyer/seller (grantee/grantor), type of transaction (bargain and sale, deed, will, etc.), date, size of property, amount of money, and the corresponding instrument number, these indexes are for the entire lot. Many lots have been subdivided numerous times over the years into smaller parcels of land (i.e. north half of lot 1 concession 1, the southwest corner of lot 1 concession 1), but the transactions are all registered to lot 1 concession 1. This can make it difficult (but not impossible!) to see the ownership history of a particular property.

An example of subdivision of a 200 acre lot of land. All land transactions on this property are recorded in the Abstract Index ledger to Lot 1 Concession 1. (From Ontario Land Registry Office Records: A Guide by Fawne Stratford-Devai and Ruth Burkholder.)

After consulting the Abstract Index for the land you are researching, you need to note the instrument number in order to locate the corresponding Land Instrument. These are the original documents for the sale, deed, mortgage, will, etc. registered in the Abstract Index. It is important to note that many of these instruments have not survived, for example, pre-1846 transactions when land registration was not mandatory, or mortgages which were given to the owner when fully paid. However, many land instruments have been preserved and we have them for all townships in Lambton County.

Land Abstract Index ledger and instruments at the Lambton County Archives.

Conclusion

The above was merely an overview of the land records system in Ontario. There are many other online and in-person resources available at archives and libraries across the province. The information in this blog post is intended to aid you in your research by providing important information in land record research and by identifying key resources. Hopefully, land records are no longer an imposing obstacle to your family tree or local history research! As always, please contact us if you have any questions. We have many reference books in our collection which can further aid your research into land records in Ontario.

The above blog post was written by guest blogger Archivist Heather Lavallee.

Remembering the Women of Lambton

The Lambton Heritage Museum's current feature exhibit Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton offers insight into the history of women in Lambton County and the contributions they have made to our community. I'm using this blog post as an opportunity to explore some wider themes of women's history, including how women's history became an area of study, how the roles of women have changed, and the impact of using a new concept for "work".

Two women fishing near Grand Bend. Image courtesy of
the Archival Collection of the Lambton Heritage Museum.

Many history books describe the achievements of men and remain silent about women, and the roles of women are often forgotten. This slowly started changing in the 1960s and 1970s when a new way of thinking about history developed. Social historians began looking beyond the upper classes, politicians, and heroes to study how so-called "ordinary people" lived. This contrasts sharply with historians who focused on royalty without looking at peasants, and generals without looking at soldiers. Since many women did not have opportunities to establish themselves as power politicians or businesspeople, this new perspective that looked beyond the "big names" of history began to include women.

Sports Team at the Boys Brigade Hall in Sarnia. From the
Photograph Collection of the Lambton County Archives.

The roles, responsibilities and opportunities for women in 2013 are very different than they were in the past. It's important to remember that women in Lambton County in the 1800s lived in a society that had very different perspectives on the opportunities available for omen. These roles of women should be considered in the wider context of what society expected from women, and what women were taught they could give back to society. Expectations have changed drastically since Lambton County's population began growing more quickly in the mid-1800s. Changes in the roles of women will continue, and in 2113 historians may look back over the last hundred years and marvel at the lives of women in 2013!

This discussion also applies to the concept of work. Women have traditionally been left out of discussions about work because the concept of work ignores a lot of the unpaid work that women do (housework, childcare, care of the elderly or sick, community service). If we think more broadly about the concept of work we can better understand the contributions women in the past made to society. Women in rural settings contributed to their households not only through tending children, cooking and cleaning, but also by managing the household budget and often assisting in physical tasks around the farm.

To learn more about the Women of Lambton and hear their stories, visit the Lambton Heritage Museum's exhibit Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton, featured until November 8, 2013.

Staff at Imperial Oil in 1919. From the Holland Paisley Photographic Collection,
Lambton County Library, Sarnia Branch. H102-39.

A Gem From Paris at the Lambton Heritage Museum

This blog post is in recognition of the opening of a new exhibit at the Lambton Heritage Museum, Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton. This exhibit carries a special significance because the history of women is often forgotten or ignored. It's a rare chance to celebrate the women who have shaped Lambton County.

Lambton Heritage Museums staff were able to pull some treasures from their collection to display in the new exhibit. One example is a dress from Helen Corey that tells a special story. Mrs. Corey lived in Petrolia and her husband worked in the oil industry. On display is a black dress that she purchased in Paris in 1926, along with the original receipt from the transaction.

Receipt from Corey's dress purchase at Haton Soeurs in Paris, April 20, 1926.  The receipt says "Robe tulle et paillettes noir" or "Black tulle and sequin dress."

This dress was made for a night of dancing. The skirt is composed in several layers with a light top layer that floated while Helen danced and a stiffer layer underneath that swayed back and forth. The delicate beads along the neck are glass-blown beads.

This delicate dress had deteriorated badly over time. Fortunately, part of the role of the Lambton Heritage Museum is to restore and bring back to life artifacts that would otherwise waste away.

The dress was restored by a conservator in London who painstakingly sewed back on hundreds of the sequins that had fallen off over time. The conservator discovered that the sequins are made from a gelatinous or vegetable-based material and dissolve in hot water. If you look carefully at the underarms of this dress, you can see many of the sequins are partially dissolved or missing - Helen Corey must have enjoyed many nights of dancing and it cost her a few sequins! Through her restoration work on the dress, the conservator was able to uncover new and interesting information about Helen Corey and her dress.

Visit the exhibit Shine: Spotlight on Women of Lambton at the Lambton Heritage Museum (10035 Museum Road - eight kilometers south of Grand Bend off Lakeshore Road) between May 12 and November of 2013 to see this and other interesting artifacts!

Threatening Flames: Early Firefighting in Lambton County

Great Fire of London, from an oil by Jan Griffier the Elder,
produced 1675. Museum of London collection.

Firefighting has an interesting history and the history of firefighting in Lambton County is no exception. Fire has historically posed a major threat to developing towns and cities around the world. Infamous damage occurred in England when the Great Fire of London raged from September 2 to 5 in 1666, destroying an estimated 13,200 homes and 87 churches. Fires were devastatingly common in early towns and cities, which were vulnerable because of over-crowding, many wooden structures, and the fact that so many daily activities (cooking, heating, lighting) involved open flames. Frequent fires eventually urged the establishment of formal firefighting organizations. However, prior to the formal fire departments, towns and cities often depended on volunteer operations.

John Peterson (L) and Thomas Whitty (R)
of the Beaver Hose Company, April 1878.

The first fire department in Sarnia was organized in the mid-1850s but it was poorly supported. A volunteer operation, Sarnia's first firefighters did not have proper equipment until town council purchased a hand drawn fire engine in 1859. Even with the new equipment, criticisms arose when the fire department did not arrive on scene in a timely manner. To combat the tardiness, financial incentives were offered to the first firefighters arriving on scene. Competing fire companies developed in Sarnia, and the first fire company to arrive at the scene of a fire was the only company to get paid! The Beaver Hose Company was one of these competing fire companies, and they were known for their fast responses.

Early Fire Department in Sarnia

On July 6, 1912 the fire department became an official town department and service was standardized in Sarnia. Horses would continue to draw fire engines until the first trucks were introduced in the 1920s. More details about the history of the Sarnia Fire Department can be found on the City of Sarnia's website.

Some parts of Lambton County faced special threats due to oil activities. Fires in the oil fields could be very frightening and fierce. When fires occurred during the great oil boom in Oil Springs in the 1860s (see the Oil Springs Boom and Bust page on the Oil Museum of Canada's website for more details), witnesses reported that flames raged on the waters of the Black Creek, where overflow product had trickled from the oil fields. Petrolia also had to contend with some dicey situations as local refineries caught flame. To read more about the Reliable Fire Company in Petrolia and learn about a special print currently on sale at the Lambton Heritage Museum, visit the Lambton Heritage Museum's Information Page on The Reliable to the Rescue print.

The Reliable to the Rescue, print of an early Petrolia fire
company by Maria Gotz. Available for order from the
Lambton Heritage Museum.

Station Stories: Point Edward's Grand Trunk Railway

Point Edward Grand Trunk Railway Station

I recently presented a talk at the Central Forum (a lecture series held at the Central United Church in Sarnia) entitled, "Passage to Point Edward: Survival of a Railway Town." In this blog I will outline some of "Station Stories" associated with the Point Edward Grand Trunk Railway Station. If you are interested in a more detailed look at the rise and decline of the Grand Trunk Railway Station in Point Edward, you can access my research notes or download my PowerPoint slides from the Central Forum presentation.

Horses moving a home from Point
Edward to Sarnia; a common site
in the 1890s.

The Grand Trunk arrived in Point Edward in November 1859. A grand station-hotel was built to mark the Canadian Terminus of the rail line, the grandest Grand Trunk structure west of Toronto. An impressive three-storey white brick building, the station-hotel was 200 feet long and approximately 40 feet tall. Features included first and second class waiting rooms, dining facilities, apartments for the stationmaster and his family, and overnight accommodations. The station stood on the waterfront on land that is now partially beneath the Blue Water Bridge and the west balcony featured a beautiful view of the St. Clair River and Lake Huron. The station was also complimented by its landscaping, including gardens, flower beds, and a fountain. Business boomed in Point Edward, spurred by the rail line and the connections it offered to the rest of North America. Unfortunately, the opening of the St. Clair Tunnel in 1891 marked the end of rail service in Point Edward. All rail focus shifted to Sarnia, leaving the grand Point Edward station deserted and forcing hundreds of local residents to follow their railway jobs to Sarnia (two thirds of the population left). Although it met a sad demise, the railway station had some interesting stories along the way.

Workers at Point Edward station

The station building was destroyed by fire in September 1871. The fire was discovered by stationmaster Mr. John McAvoy. The blaze started in a barrel of hot ashes in a shed at the north end of the building, and it was encouraged by a gusty wind off the lake; within half an hour, the whole hotel burned to the bare brick walls. The Sarnia Observer reported on September 15, 1871, "[Mr. McAvoy] lost all his personal belongings including $660 cash." Apparently the cash was stuffed in the pocket of a vest he was unable to retrieve from the fire. Although he lost his money, McAvoy did escape with his life and the life of his family, also rousing the half-suffocated bartender from his bed before he could succumb to the smoke. The red brick telegraph and ticket office at the south end of the building were spared when firefighters tore up a section of the wooden station platform and soaked the wood to prevent further flames spreading. Soon after on September 22, the Sarnia Observer reported that the Grand Trunk would rebuilt the station-hotel in the spring; in fact, construction began on December 1 of that year. Construction continued in earnest throughout the chilly Canadian winter. On April 19, 1872 the Sarnia Observer announced "Grand Trunk Ry. station, at Point Edward nearly re-built after the fire." The new station had many of the same features as the old, including a customs office, agent's office, waiting room, ticket office, ladies waiting room, bar dining room, kitchen and pantry, with the agent's private dining room on the second floor. The building had fifty apartments in total. It cost $20,000 for the reconstruction.

Edward VII

On September 14, 1860 the Point Edward railway station entertained perhaps its most famous guest. The Prince of Wales, Albert Edward (later Edward VII), was scheduled to stop in Point Edward and Sarnia after touring Toronto and London. There was some confusion in the week leading up to his visit regarding when and how the Prince would travel to Lambton County, and County Warden Archibald Young made sure that he personally traveled to Toronto himself to confirm the details. Early in the morning crowds from Sarnia and Point Edward as well as travelers from across the county (arriving on foot, horseback and cart) crowded into the gallery where the opening address would take place. A Reception Committee including local dignitaries greeted the Prince and there were a series of formal addresses.

A large contingent of Native Americans (estimated between three and four hundred) also came to the formal reception. Some came in traditional dress with feathered headdresses and painted faced, while others wore European-style clothing. Native American H.P. Chase was selected to speak on behalf of his people, as well as Ogishta, an Objibeway Chief who addressed the Prince in his native tongue, with the help of an interpreter.

The ceremony was also accompanied by an address from the Prince himself and the opening of new Grand Trunk freight sheds. The Prince dined at the Point Edward Railway station's hotel, and a great ball was also held in his honour. At dinner, the Prince proposed a toast to "the prosperity of the Grand Trunk."

Ulysses S. Grant

American general and president Ulysses S. Grant also stayed at the Point Edward station while traveling from Buffalo to Detroit. A thousand Sarnians hopped aboard the J.C. Spicer ferry to greet Grant when his train arrived. Apparently not given to speeches, Grant bowed several times from the depot balcony but did not address the crowd. One reporter later noted, "it seemed Grant would rather face an army of 50,000 Southerners than expose himself to the prying eyes of 1000 Canucks having for their object the gratification of mere curiosity."

The Grand Trunk railway station in Point Edward also served as a stop on the journey of immigrants settling in Western Canada. In 1860 the Beatty Transportation Company began a steamship service from the Point Edward station to Duluth on the aptly named steamer Manitoba. West of the Grand Trunk station a shed was built for immigrants to take a break on their long journeys. Immigrants crammed into colonist cars on trains were in need of clean clothes and a bath before continuing the long journey. In front of the shed was an enclosed space on the river where train loads of immigrants (500 - 1000 people) could wash themselves and their clothes before loading onto steamboats for farther destinations.

J.C. McArthur, "Icelanders Leaving the Railway Station at
Point Edward for the steamer 'Ontario,' on their Way to the
shores of Lake Manitoba." Canadian Illustrated News,
November 13, 1875, vol. XII, no. 20, 309.

The sketch by J.C. MacArthur shows a large group of Icelandic settlers arriving in Point Edward on their way to settle on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, beyond the borders of Manitoba in the Northwest Territories, in October, 1875. 266 Icelandic immigrants were traveling together to the settlement. The eruptions of Mount Hecla had left hundreds homeless in Iceland, and the Canadian government sent agents there to provide government loans to families who would come and settle in Canada. Point Edward served as a point of call for these and other immigrant families settling across western Canada and the United States. 

Facility Name Change: Lambton Room to Lambton County Archives

Please take a minute to read this article from Archivist Heather Lavallee concerning the recent name change at our facility:

The Lambton Room has seen many changes since it was established in 1974. Starting as the local history room of the Lambton County Library, the collection and function have grown to create a vibrant archival repository as part of the Lambton County Museum network. In order to better reflect the function and services of the collection, the Lambton Room has undergone a formal name change to Lambton County Archives.

As a result, our contact information has changed. For assistance with genealogical and local history inquires please email us at archives@county-lambton.on.ca. We can also be reached by telephone at our new direct number 519-845-5426. For those telephoning long distance, please continue to use the toll free number 1-866-324-6912 to avoid charges.

To keep informed of updates, like us on Facebook!

At the Archives, we now have the ability to create digital scans of images from the microfilm machines. These images come out much clearer than the printed copies and are also a great way to "go green." Simply bring in a USB flash drive to save the files and save the environment! If you would like one-on-one instruction we would be happy to book a time to teach you this new technology.

Over the past few months we have been involved with various events and programs. Thank you for your encouragement and attendance at Doors Open Lambton County, the British Home Child presentation, and at the Ancestry workshops at the Petrolia Library. We have been really pleased with the support from the community!

Interesting Lambton Businesses: The Newton Hat Shop



The Newton Hat Shop interior photograph from the Sarnia location

 

Sarnia Canadian Observer
March 14, 1919

Throughout Lambton County's history some businesses have ignited the public imagination and left an interesting legacy. The Newton Hat Shop is one example, a local business first established in Sarnia and eventually moved to Petrolia, owned by Katherine N. Newton. The Lambton Room is fortunate to have some interesting documentation from Newton's business.

Newton was a milliner (maker or seller of hats) who opened her first shop in Petrolia in 1918 and continued in business for over thirty years. She created and decorated her own hats but also ordered the latest hat fashions from hotspots like Toronto, Vancouver, New York and Paris. Newton operated two different hat shops, one in Sarnia and one in Petrolia. A newspaper advertisement in the Sarnia Canadian Observer announced the arrival of a store on March 14, 1919 at 129 Front Street (see scan from paper). The stores have been referred to variably as "The Newton Hat Shop" and "Miss Newton's Hat Shop." By 1946 the Sarnia location had closed and the Petrolia location was changing locations again, as announced in the Petrolia Advertiser-Topic on December 12: "Another new business will be open to the public in Petrolia on Saturday next when Miss Kate Newton, of town, opens the Newton Hat Shop in the former Pearson block."



Blank company invoice

Newton owned and operated her hat shop at a time when few other women were in business for themselves. She was a pioneer for businesswomen and exercised creative talents crafting hats and managerial/economic talents running her own small business. Little has been recorded about Newton personally outside of her business life. She ultimately chose not to marry and lived at 4227 Henry Street in Petrolia with her older brother, Roy, her sister, Ethel, and her mother.



After she passed away May 24, 1968, a search through Newton's attic revealed an inventory of over 500 hats in storage. These were purchased by George L. Smith, a local historian who has often swooped in to collect and purchase local artifacts and documents that might otherwise have been lost to history (it was also Smith who rescued from a dumpster the original Sarnia Observer Negative collection, thousands of negatives published between the 1950s-1970s and now safely stored in the Lambton Room - see blog post Local History Gem! The Sarnia Observer Negative Collection.) Some of the hats Smith collected even had the original price tags! The collection was sold to the Canadian Museum of Civilization and featured in the Hold Onto Your Hats! exhibition, which noted that Miss Newton's collection "provides important information about the millinery trade in Ontario, as well as a visual and tactile impression of the kinds of hats that were popular in Ontario in the first half of this century."

For more information on Katherine Newton and her hat shop, visit Dave and Lyn Dennis's A Glance Back, Kate Newton article.

 

Women's Cloche from The Newton Hat Shop, late 1920s. Rayon.
From Canadian Museum of Civilization collection.

Front of card published by the Newton Hat Shop




Interior of card published by the Newton Hat Shop