Land Records

Elgin County, Ontario, Canada

Settlers and Petitioners – Upper Canada Land Petitions

1791 – 1842 and some later

The UCLP – Upper Canada Land Petitions  Over 1200 early Elgin County settlers petitioned for free land in the Upper Canada period between 1791 and shortly after 1842. There is often excellent genealogical information in the petitions. They are one of the best sources Canada has for early Ontario settlers. We have provided links for you to find a digital copy of the actual petition kept by the Library and Archives of Canada.

The Elgin OGS has linked most of the Elgin County Land Petitioners to the Online Digital images

– a big project – estimated 240 hours of volunteer time –

See the actual petition by selecting the appropriate township and using your “Control F” (Find) shortcut to locate your ancestor and petition image. Then click on the pages link.

Early Elgin County Township Map images showing Col. Thomas Talbot locations – 1802- 1837

If you are not sure of the township check the Online UCLP Index

Published by historic township.

Aldborough UC Land Petitions
– approximately 90 petitions

Bayham UC Land Petitions
– approximately 300 petitions

Dunwich UC Land Petitions
– approximately 60 petitions

Malahide UC Land Petitions
– approximately 340 petitions

South Dorchester UC Land Petitions
– approximately 90 petitions

Southwold UC Land Petitions
– approximately 150 petitions

Yarmouth and St. Thomas petitions
– approximately 170 petitions

Total – approximately 1200 petitions

Finding your ancestor’s petition in the online digital images is a 2 step process  by Bruce C. Johnson Jr.

1, Locate your ancestor using the Upper Canada Land Petitions Search Page. You can type part or all of the first name, last name or place – ie “Malahide.” For most petitioners of Elgin County we have already done that for you with links below by Township. Pay special note to first, the microfilm number, second the bundle number and third the petition number. You will need all that information for step 2.

2. Go to the list of microfilms at Library and Archives Canada microfilm numbers and select the needed microfilm number. Click that link to take you to the digital images for that film. Generally there are about a 1000 “digital pages”per film. The trick for a fast search is to use “bracket searching” by first making sure that at the very bottom of the image you are in the correct Bundle number. Look at the first page and see if it is correct or too low. Then bracket search until you are in the correct bundle number. If there are a 1000 pages of the same Bundle number try going to a page about halfway such as 500 to see what the petition number is. If higher, then check a 100 pages lower. If the number is too low then a 100 pages higher etc until you locate the correct petition number. Note that most petitions will have anywhere from 3 to 6 pages usually designated by the petition number followed by the letter a, b, c etc. Once you have found correct petition numbers and verified that you have the correct petitioner send us an email noting the range of page numbers. Note that the default view is JPG but can be changed by clicking “view PDF”

  • Upper Canada Land Books – 41 reels – Heritage website – C-10810 to C-10836 and C-100 to C110 and H-1976-H-1978
  • The Heritage website also contains the images for various types of licenses 1817-1867 –  C3947 to C-3952
  • Heir and Devisee claims pertaining to Bonds, location tickets and affidavits – 21 reels – Heritage website – H-1133 to H-1153

For examples see Finding your Ancestors in the UCLP

 

Township Land Papers

The Township Land Papers can best be described as a miscellaneous collection of documents relating to early transactions and correspondence to the lots of land in each township.

The Township Land Papers are an important source of information to the family historian, since these files pre-date information found in Land Registry Office records.

These documents have been arranged by lot and concession and are the papers that have survived and are not necessarily a complete record of all business that may have transpired. The type and amount of information contained will vary for each lot, and not every lot has a file.

The purpose of this publication is to provide an index and brief description of the contents of each document found on the microfilm. Without an index, the researcher must know the lot and concession to find reference to the person they are looking for. This index will also record names of people that may never have obtained title to the lot and therefore one would not normally search that particular record. Names of people who witnessed documents have also been indexed since that record is valuable in placing a person in a particular place at a certain time period and provides the family historian with a signature.

There are many types of information found in the Township Land Papers. A large part of the files are correspondence from people wishing to purchase or lease a particular lot, enclosing payments for purchase or rent, disputes over title of a lot, and stating their claims for military service or United Empire Loyalist rights. Much of this correspondence is addressed to the Crown Lands Department by the settler themselves, while a number of letters exist from John B. Askin in London who was an Agent of the Department, who wrote on behalf of the settler or asking the Department for advice in settling disputes and claims.

Some of the correspondence from persons wishing to purchase is very brief, while others went into great detail of when they arrived in the province, the size of their family, and where they immigrated from.

There are also many letters from Mahlon Burwell, a Deputy Surveyor; and Col. Thomas Talbot, who was responsible for locating a great number of settlers in Elgin County.

Other documents found in the Township Papers include grants to sons and daughters of United Empire Loyalists, and grants to settlers located by Thomas Talbot. Certificates from Talbot declaring that a person has performed the required settlement duties and location tickets will also be found. Examinations of military claims, verifying the service of a settler, are also included. These usually identify the regiment in which the claimant served, and the length of service. Another type of document found is the Order in Council, which most often refers to the decision by the Government to grant land to sons and daughters of United Empire Loyalists, or other settlers who have performed the required settlement duties.

A large percentage of the documents include assignments of title or rights to the property from one person to another. These transfers often occurred before a patent was issued for the lot and therefore will not be found in the records of the Land Registry Office for that property.

It should be noted that in most cases, the reply (if any) from the Crown Lands Department for these requests are not included in the file. Therefore it is difficult to determine the outcome of many of these petitions to purchase or the settling of disputes that arose. For the lots that were granted to sons or daughters of United Empire Loyalists, it should be noted that many of the grantees were from other parts of the province and may not have actually settled on the lot granted to them. In most cases, the file contains only the grant document with no record of further transactions. The Abstract Index at the Land Registry Office must be consulted to determine if these grantees disposed of the property to another settler.

The extracts found in this publication appear in the order in which the files were found on the microfilm. The page numbers throughout the text are the page numbers found on the microfilm. The page number in the index refers to the printed page of this publication.

The Township Papers are part of the collection of microfilm housed at the Elgin County Archives. The Elgin County Archives microfilm numbers are as follows:

NEW-

Township Land Paper images for Aldborough, Bayham, Dunwich and Dorchester (South and North are now available on Family Search.

Ontario Township Papers – Images now on FamilySearch 

For the Elgin OGS extracts by Township click the township links below

Aldborough Township Land Papers
–  MF 1237 – 1239 – (Now includes links

1877 Map of Aldborough

Bayham Township Land Papers
– MF 1240 – 1242

1877 Map of Bayham

Dunwich Townnship Land Papers
– MF 1243 – 1244

1877 Map of Dunwich

Malahide Township Land Papers
– MF 1245 – 1248

1877 Map of Malahide

South Dorchester Township Land Papers
– MF 1249 – 1250 (includes North Dorchester in Middlesex County)

1877 Map of South Dorchester

Southwold Township Land Papers
–  MF 1251 – 1253

1877 Map of Southwold

Yarmouth Township and St. Thomas Land Papers–  MF 1254 – 1255

1877 Map of Yarmouth

The Township Land Papers have also been microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah and are available through the Family History Centers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Consult the LDS Library Catalogue under “Ontario, Elgin – Land and Property” for a listing of these microfilms.

The following Elgin OGS publications have not yet been digitized but are available in print form at the Elgin OGS library collection at the Belmont Library in Central Elgin.

Elgin County Crown Patents: Dunwich Township  – by J. Bircham – 13 pp

Elgin County Crown Patents: Aldborough Township – by Jean Bircham 1988 – 13 pp

Supreme Court of Canada Case- re improper transfer of land in Malahide Township – Faulds vs Harper

Supreme Court of Canada

Faulds v. Harper, (1886) 11 S.C.R. 639

Date: 1886-03-06

Elijah Washington Faulds, William Martin Faulds, James Linda Faulds, Wesley Bell Faulds and Matilda Elizabeth Faulds (Plaintiffs) Appellants;

and Margaret Harper et al. (Defendants) Respondents.

1885: March 17; 1886: March 6.

Present: Sir W.J. Ritchie C.J., and Strong, Fournier, Henry and Taschereau JJ.               

ON APPEAL FROM THE COURT OF APPEAL FOR ONTARIO.

Mortgagor and mortgagee—Foreclosure and sale—Purchase by mortgagee—Right to redeem after—Statute of limitations—Trustee for sale.

In a foreclosure suit against the heirs of a deceased mortgagor who were all infants, a decree was made ordering a sale; the hinds were sold pursuant to the decree and purchased by J.H., acting for and in collusion with the mortgagee; J.H. immediately after receiving his deed, conveyed to the mortgagee, who thereupon took possession of the lands and thenceforth dealt with them as the absolute owner thereof; by subsequent devises and conveyances the lands became vested in the defendant M.H. who sold them to L, one of the defendants to the suit, a bonâ fide purchaser without notice, taking a mortgage for the purchase money. In a suit to redeem the said lands brought by the heirs of the mortgagor some eighteen years after the sale and more than five years after some of the heirs had become of age.

William Faulds died 1st July, 1858, in possession of the mortgaged premises, intestate, leaving his widow, Matilda, who is still living, and six children. Elijah Washington, born in 1844; James Linda, in 1848; Eliza Jane, in 1850—died unmarried in April, 1868; William Martin, born 23rd May, 1852; Wesley Bell, born 24th February, 1855, and Matilda Elizabeth, born 24th November, 1857.

After the death of the mortgagor, Andrew Faulds, the mortgagee, filed a bill of foreclosure in chancery, and obtained a decree for the sale of the mortgaged premises the 26th June, 1861. The sale, of which the mortgagee had the conduct, took place on the 12th of April, 1862. At that sale Joseph Harper, a son-in-law of Andrew Faulds, became the purchaser for $1,600.

Andrew Faulds conveyed the mortgaged premises to Harper on the 16th of June, 1862, and on the same day Harper reconveyed to Andrew Faulds,

On the 29th December, 1879, the surviving executor of Andrew Faulds, under a power of sale in his will, conveyed the mortgaged premises to James C. Lane, one of the defendants, and the latter on the same day executed a mortgage thereon to Margaret Harper, another of the defendants, to secure the payment of $4,780.29, she being then the only one interested in the estate of her late father.”

NEW

Land records of Elgin County, 1801-1954 on FamilySearch

 

ONLAND Ontario Land Registry Access – Historical Books – Elgin County (LRO 11) 372 Books

These can be filtered by Township and town and then selected by Concessions.

Sample of Malahide Concessions 9 and 10 page Humphrey JOHNSON purchase 1820 – type in page 125 and click Enter

 

Second Heir and Devisee Commission

Elgin County Claims

Archives Ontario

Ontario Land Records

2nd Heir and Devisee Commission

Aldborough Township

Bissell, Jehiel Aldborough Township 1840 40-2103 MS 657, reel 43 1314163
Depew, Charles Aldborough Township 1824 40-0644 MS 657, reel 22 1314012
Fleming, Ann Aldborough Township 1866 40-4589 MS 657, reel 87 1315370
Ryckman, John Aldborough Township 1825 40-0742 MS 657, reel 23 1314013
Spragge, Joseph B. Aldborough Township 1843 40-2678 MS 657, reel 51 1314392

 

Bayham Township

Archer, James Bayham Township 1842 40-2473 MS 657, reel 49 1314390
Bowes, William Bayham Township 1857 40-4099 MS 657, reel 77 1315170
Carnes, Isaac Bayham Township 1864 40-4516 MS 657, reel 85 1315368
Crane, Isaac Bayham Township 1849 40-3264 MS 657, reel 61 1315014
Culp, Benjamin Bayham Township 1843 40-2611 MS 657, reel 51 1314392
Depiel, Michael Bayham Township 1845 40-2710 MS 657, reel 52 1314393
Eakins, John Bayham Township 1832 40-1149 MS 657, reel 29 1314111
Eakins, John Bayham Township 1834 40-1339 MS 657, reel 33 1314115
Edison, Moses Bayham Township 1823 40-0595 MS 657, reel 21 1314011
Franklin, Daniel A. Bayham Township 1854 40-3855 MS 657, reel 73 1315166
Gilbert, Charles Bayham Township 1866 40-4590 MS 657, reel 87 1315370
Griffin, John Bayham Township 1855 40-3948 MS 657, reel 74 1315167
Griffin, John Bayham Township 1856 40-4024 MS 657, reel 76 1315169
Hawksworth, John,

Hannah and Peter

Bayham Township 1857 40-4123 MS 657, reel 77 1315170
Matthews, James F. Bayham Township 1858 40-4230 MS 657, reel 80 1315363
McKenny, Samuel Bayham Township 1840 40-2263 MS 657, reel 45 1314445
Millard, Daniel Bayham Township 1859 40-4308 MS 657, reel 81 1315364
Moore, Joseph Bayham Township 1838 40-0883 MS 657, reel 25 1314107
Moore, Whitson Bayham Township 1863 40-4493 MS 657, reel 85 1315368
Patten, William Henry Bayham Township 1850 40-3459 MS 657, reel 65 1315054
Sealy, Anthony Bayham Township 1850 40-3459 MS 657, reel 65 1315054
Caswell, Isaac Bayham Township 1842 40-2485 MS 657, reel 49 1314390
Dederick, Charles Bayham Township 1848 40-3110 MS 657, reel 59 1315012

 

Dunwich Township

Black, Duncan Dunwich Township 1868 40-4667 MS 657, reel 89 1316021
Gilles, Niel Dunwich Township 1860 40-4351 MS 657, reel 82 1315365
MacBeth, Gilbert and Anne Dunwich Township 1872 40-4803 MS 657, reel 92 1316024
McBride, Catherine Dunwich Township 1856 40-4041 MS 657, reel 76 1315169
McFarlane, Dougald Dunwich Township 1866 40-4601 MS 657, reel 87 1315370
McFarlane, Dugald Dunwich Township 1856 40-4052 MS 657, reel 76 1315169
McKay, Robert Dunwich Township 1867 40-4646 MS 657, reel 88 1315371
Street, William P.R. Dunwich Township 1871 40-4793 MS 657, reel 92 1316024

 

Malahide Township

Baxter, David Malahide Township 1839 40-1968 MS 657, reel 42 1314162
Bently, James G. Malahide Township 1851 40-3495 MS 657, reel 65 1315054
Bowen, John Malahide Township 1852 40-3647 MS 657, reel 68 1315057
Brown, Hiram James Malahide Township 1845 40-2704 MS 657, reel 52 1314393
Cahoon, George and

Albert sic Cohoon

Malahide Township 1861 40-4387 MS 657, reel 83 1315366
Crane, James Malahide Township 1827 40-0803 MS 657, reel 24 1314014
Edison, Samuel Malahide Township 1845 40-2712 MS 657, reel 52 1314393
Hanklinson, Edwin Malahide Township 1855 40-3950 MS 657, reel 74 1315167
Hearsey, Mary

and Eleanor Jane

Malahide Township 1837 40-1755 MS 657, reel 38 1314120
McCauslund, John Malahide Township 1857 40-4148 MS 657, reel 77 1315170
Moore, Sarah Ann Malahide Township 1842 40-2554 MS 657, reel 50 1314391
Parlee, Edwin Malahide Township 1849 40-3335 MS 657, reel 63 1315052
Parlee, James Edwin Malahide Township 1850 40-3449 MS 657, reel 65 1315054
Saxton, Elijah Malahide Township 1846 40-2920 MS 657, reel 56 1315009
Secord, Albert Malahide Township 1848 40-3202 MS 657, reel 60 1315013
Smith, Isaac C. Malahide Township 1845 40-2735 MS 657, reel 52 1314393
Tisdal, Toxana Malahide Township 1854 40-3903 MS 657, reel 74 1315167
Tomlin, William S. Malahide Township 1853 40-3818 MS 657, reel 72 1315165
Wheeler, Margaret Malahide Township 1838 40-1959 MS 657, reel 42 1314162
Young, Eliza Ellen Malahide Township 1871 40-4795 MS 657, reel 92 1316024
Young, Samuel Malahide Township 1853 40-3827 MS 657, reel 72 1315165
Young, William Malahide Township 1853 40-3828 MS 657, reel 72 1315165

 

South Dorchester Township

Bryce, James South Dorchester Township 1852 40-3649 MS 657, reel 68 1315057
Gillespie, John South Dorchester Township 1846 40-2806 MS 657, reel 53 1314394
Gillespie, John South Dorchester Township 1846 40-2807 MS 657, reel 53 1314394
Pomroy, Samuel S. South Dorchester Township 1853 40-3803 MS 657, reel 72 1315165

 

Southwold Township

Barber, Phineas Southwold Township 1853 40-3733 MS 657, reel 71 1315164
Bingham, Sarah Southwold Township 1840 40-2101 MS 657, reel 43 1314163
Buckle, Joseph Southwold Township 1857 40-4100 MS 657, reel 77 1315170
Byrne, Mary Southwold Township 1841 40-2390 MS 657, reel 47 1314447
Coleman, James Southwold Township 1858 40-4203 MS 657, reel 79 1315362
Cowell, Moses Southwold Township 1837 40-1717 MS 657, reel 38 1314120
Dewar, John Southwold Township 1849 40-3268 MS 657, reel 61 1315014
Evans, Edward Southwold Township 1834 40-1342 MS 657, reel 33 1314115
Fowler, Alpheus Southwold Township 1859 40-4280 MS 657, reel 81 1315364
Fowler, Louisa Southwold Township 1859 40-4281 MS 657, reel 81 1315364
Fowler, Solomon Southwold Township 1847 40-3002 MS 657, reel 57 1315010
Fowler, Solomon Southwold Township 1848 40-3118 MS 657, reel 59 1315012
Fowler, Solomon Southwold Township 1859 40-4282 MS 657, reel 81 1315364
Greaves, Nancy Southwold Township 1841 40-2390 MS 657, reel 47 1314447
Hall, Isabella Ann Southwold Township 1814 40-0225 MS 657, reel 17 1313855
Hill, Isabella Southwold Township 1814 40-0225 MS 657, reel 17 1313855
Hope, Adam Southwold Township 1857 40-4124 MS 657, reel 77 1315170
Johnson, Isabella Southwold Township 1867 40-4632 MS 657, reel 87 1315370
Kendrick,

Charles William

Southwold Township 1858 40-4220 MS 657, reel 80 1315363
Little, Jane,

Ralph and John

Southwold Township 1847 40-3028 MS 657, reel 57 1315010
Lodge, John Southwold Township 1833 40-1261 MS 657, reel 32 1314114
Lumley, George O. Southwold Township 1858 40-4227 MS 657, reel 80 1315363
Marr, Thomas Southwold Township 1837 40-1782 MS 657, reel 39 1314159
McCallum, John Southwold Township 1856 40-4044 MS 657, reel 76 1315169
McIntyre, Malcolm Southwold Township 1866 40-4603 MS 657, reel 87 1315370
McIntyre, Malcolm Southwold Township 1867 40-4645 MS 657, reel 88 1315371
McKay, John and

George

Southwold Township 1862 40-4459 MS 657, reel 84 1315367
McLellan, Douglad Southwold Township 1865 40-4567 MS 657, reel 86 1315369
Munro, Colin Southwold Township 1851 40-3597 MS 657, reel 67 1315056
Nichol, Frederick

and Robert

Southwold Township 1840 40-2354 MS 657, reel 47 1314447
O’Neill, John Southwold Township 1865 40-4571 MS 657, reel 86 1315369
Ross, Alexander Southwold Township 1835 40-1521 MS 657, reel 35 1314117
Smith, Samuel Southwold Township 1823 40-0620 MS 657, reel 21 1314011
Street, Thomas Clark Southwold Township 1855 40-3989 MS 657, reel 75 1315168
Thompson, Bryce Southwold Township 1840 40-2354 MS 657, reel 47 1314447
Thomson, John Edgworth Southwold Township 1853 40-3817 MS 657, reel 72 1315165
Van Velson, William Southwold Township 1848 40-3220 MS 657, reel 60 1315013
Van Velson, William Southwold Township 1852 40-3724 MS 657, reel 71 1315164
Wade, Dudley Southwold Township 1846 40-2947 MS 657, reel 56 1315009
Wallen, Eliza A. Southwold Township 1814 40-0225 MS 657, reel 17 1313855
Ward, Thomas Southwold Township 1855 40-3993 MS 657, reel 75 1315168
Watson, Allen Southwold Township 1837 40-1864 MS 657, reel 40 1314160
Decow, John Southwold Township,

Yarmouth Township

1819 40-0375 MS 657, reel 18 1313856

 

Yarmouth Township

Andrews, John Yarmouth Township 1857 40-4089 MS 657, reel 77 1315170
Baby, Charles and William Yarmouth Township 1853 40-3732 MS 657, reel 71 1315164
Black, Duncan Yarmouth Township 1848 40-3099 MS 657, reel 58 1315011
Brown, George Yarmouth Township 1853 40-3742 MS 657, reel 71 1315164
Campbell, James Yarmouth Township 1850 40-3373 MS 657, reel 63 1315052
Decow, John Yarmouth Township 1820 40-0440 MS 657, reel 19 1313857
Fowler, Eliza Yarmouth Township 1874 40-4831 MS 657, reel 92 1316024
Fowler, Eliza, William,

James and George

Yarmouth Township 1875 40-4841 MS 657, reel 93 1316025
Hoover, David Yarmouth Township 1853 40-3769 MS 657, reel 72 1315165
McBain, Alexander Yarmouth Township 1863 40-4489 MS 657, reel 85 1315368
McCallum, Alexander Yarmouth Township 1855 40-3965 MS 657, reel 75 1315168
McCalum, Archibald Yarmouth Township 1855 40-3966 MS 657, reel 75 1315168
McIntyre, Archibald Yarmouth Township 1855 40-3974 MS 657, reel 75 1315168
McKellar, Neil

and John

Yarmouth Township 1871 40-4782 MS 657, reel 91 1316023
McLean, Phoebe Yarmouth Township 1860 40-4360 MS 657, reel 82 1315365
Penhale, Thomas Yarmouth Township 1853 40-3800 MS 657, reel 72 1315165
Porter, William Yarmouth Township 1856 40-4070 MS 657, reel 76 1315169
Preffen, John Yarmouth Township 1853 40-3804 MS 657, reel 72 1315165
Secord, William Peter Yarmouth Township 1825 40-0744 MS 657, reel 23 1314013
Swift, Thomas Yarmouth Township 1868 40-4696 MS 657, reel 90 1316022
Taylor, Duncan Yarmouth Township 1851 40-3627 MS 657, reel 67 1315056
Taylor, Duncan Yarmouth Township 1853 40-3816 MS 657, reel 72 1315165
Welding, Howan B. Yarmouth Township 1864 40-4536 MS 657, reel 86 1315369
Westlake, George Yarmouth Township 1853 40-3822 MS 657, reel 72 1315165
Culver, Edwin Yarmouth Township 1851 40-3517 MS 657, reel 66 1315055