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Sources of Family History

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Archives of Ontario
Research Guide 299

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. Aboriginal People, Records of

2. Birth, Marriage and Death Records (Vital Statistics)

3. Cartographic Records

4. Census Records

5. Criminal Justice System Records

6. Divorce Records

7. Education Records

8. Guardianship and Adoption Records

9. Health Records

10. Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship Records

11. Land Records

12. Library Holdings

13. Loyalist Sources

14. Militia and Military Records

15. Municipal Records

16. Newspapers

17. Wills and Estate Records

18. Other Sources

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Introduction

The Archives of Ontario preserves the province's documentary heritage and makes it available to the public. Since 1903 it has been collecting historically valuable records created by both the Ontario government and the private sector. Records from businesses, clubs and associations, labour and political organizations, and private individuals complement the official government records.

Using this Research Guide

This research guide provides information about sources available at the Archives of Ontario that may help with your family history research. It is arranged alphabetically into sections corresponding to various types of sources. Each section provides summary information about the sources and how to access them.

Please keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list of sources available at the Archives of Ontario. As well, only those sources available through the Archives are mentioned in this research guide. Please note that the information in this research guide is current as of July 2006.

The following prefixes and terms appear throughout this research guide:

Archival Reference
Code or Term 		Explanation Examples
F (fonds) /
C (collection)		 The records of an individual, non-government organization or corporation. F 229, T. Eaton Co. fonds
RG The records of the Government of Ontario. See "Series" below
Series Records that have been filed together because they relate to the same activity, function or subject.

RG 80-2, Registrations of births and stillbirths

F 229-167, Eaton's employee application forms, retirement and death notices

Inventory /
Finding Aid		 A written description of archival or library holdings.

Inventory 80, Records of the Office of the Registrar General

Finding Aid L 15, Toronto City Directories on Microfilm
MS / GS MS Microfilm reels

934, reel 1

GS 539, Township of Blanshard censuses
NA MG Non-government records held by Library and Archives Canada NA MG 14, Loyalist Claims and Conversion List
NA RG Government of Canada records held by Library and Archives Canada NA RG 19, Board of Claims for War of 1812 Losses

Throughout this research guide, researchers are directed to the following research tools for further information and instruction on how to access archival records:

  • The Archives Descriptive Database (ADD) describes archival records held by the Archives, as well as the government offices, organizations, corporations, and individuals that created the records. Not all records in the Archives’ holdings have been included in the ADD to date. The ADD is available on the Archives’ web site at http://www.archives.gov.on.ca and on-site at the Archives.
  • BIBLiON is a searchable database that describes most of the holdings of the Archives of Ontario Library acquired since 1989 as well as the Archives’ complete pamphlet collection. Pre-1989 library holdings are gradually being added to BIBLiON. BIBLiON is available on the Archives’ web site and on-site at the Archives.
  • Finding aids, inventories and card catalogues provide descriptions of records held by the Archives, records from other institutions available on microfilm at the Archives and some of the Archives’ library holdings. Most finding aids and inventories can be consulted on-site at the Archives only.
  • Research Guides and Customer Service Guides provide information on the Archives’ services, procedures and records of general interest. They are available on the Archives’ web site and on-site at the Archives.

Getting started with family history research

When beginning family history research in Ontario, consider doing one or more of the following:

  • Gather any records held by your family documenting its presence at a certain time and place, such as family Bibles, birth, marriage and death records, deeds, wills, photograph albums, scrapbooks, military records, letters, school diplomas, yearbooks or awards. Ask relatives for information and documents.
  • Consult publications that provide information and guidance on researching Ontario ancestors. Many libraries, including the Archives’ library, hold some of these publications. The biggest collection of published material on Ontario genealogy is the Canadiana Collection, North York Central Library Branch, Toronto Public Library (5120 Yonge Street, North York, Ontario, M2N 5N7, 416-395-5623, http://www.tpl.toronto.on.ca). It includes the book collections of the Ontario Genealogical Society, the Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants, the Jewish Genealogical Society of Canada (Toronto region) and the Société franco-ontarienne d’histoire et de généalogie (Toronto chapter).
  • Contact organizations such as the Friends of the Archives of Ontario (77 Grenville Street, 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1B3, 416-325-4930), which offers workshops on research at the Archives of Ontario, or the Ontario Genealogical Society (main office: 40 Orchard View Blvd., #102, Toronto, Ontario, M4R 1B9, 416-489-0734, http://www.ogs.on.ca), which provides workshops and general advice on genealogical research.
  • Visit the Archives of Ontario web site at http://www.archives.gov.on.ca. It provides information on the Archives’ holdings and services, as well as links to outside resources.
  • Employ the services of independent genealogical researchers. Refer to Customer Service Guide 111: Genealogical Researchers in Ontario for more information.

Accessing the sources

Records held by the Archives can be consulted in the Archives’ reading rooms. Microfilm reels are available on a self-service basis. Original records must be retrieved for you. For each retrieval, a Records and Papers Request Slip must be submitted. Many records are located off-site and a minimum of 1 business day is needed to retrieve them. Please note that access restrictions apply to some of the records mentioned in this research guide. For information on accessing records that are restricted under provincial legislation, refer to Customer Service Guide 109: Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy.

Some of the microfilm held by the Archives can also be borrowed and consulted in public and university libraries, through the Archives’ Microfilm Interloan Service program. Refer to Customer Service Guide 110: Microfilm Interloan Service or consult the Microfilm Interloan Service section of the Archives’ web site for more information.

Library and Archives Canada (NA MG and NA RG) records mentioned in this research guide are available on self-service microfilm on-site at the Archives of Ontario. For information about Library and Archives Canada’s holdings and services (including interloan), contact the Genealogy Unit, Researcher Services Division, Library and Archives Canada/Bibliothèque et Archives Canada (395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N3, 1-866-578-7777 toll-free within Canada and the United States, http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/).

The Family History Centers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) hold copies of some of the microfilm described in this research guide. For the nearest Family History Center, refer to the LDS’ web site or call 1-800-346-6044 in North America.

Books mentioned in this research guide are available from the Archives of Ontario Library and may be available at other libraries also. Some of the books are available on self-service bookcases in the Archives’ Main Reading Room, while others can be retrieved for you from the library stacks. Please note that copies held by the Archives are for reference purposes only.


Archives of Ontario hours of operation

Main Reading Room (researcher registration, textual records, library materials, self-service microfilm, guides, finding aids, inventories, card catalogues, online access to web site and databases)

  • Regular hours (reference and hourly retrieval services, last retrieval at 4:00)
    - Monday to Friday 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Extended hours (no reference or retrieval services)
    - Monday to Friday 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
    - Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Special Collections Reading Room (architectural, cartographic, documentary art and photographic records, related finding aids, inventories and card catalogues, online access to web site and databases)

  • Monday to Friday 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (reference and retrieval services; retrieval service ends at 4:00 p.m.)

Sound and Moving Images Reading Room (film, video, sound recordings, related finding aids, reference and retrieval services)

  • By appointment only

The Archives of Ontario is closed on Sundays and statutory holidays.

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1. Aboriginal People, Records of

Holdings of genealogical interest regarding aboriginal people in Ontario include: birth, marriage and death records; birth, marriage and death registers from churches and missions serving aboriginal communities; lists of reserve residents; wills and estate files; land records; as well as non-government records of fur trade posts. These records are described in Aboriginal peoples in the Archives: a guide to sources in the Archives of Ontario (Toronto: Ministry of Culture and Communications / Archives of Ontario, 1992). This guide is available in the Main Reading Room’s General Reference Books bookcase as well as on the Archives’ web site. See also Section 2 Birth, marriage and death records, Section 11 Land records and Section 17 Wills and estate records of this research guide.

Indian Affairs records (NA RG 10) include the records of the federal departments with responsibility for Indian affairs. Inventory D 9 Records pertaining to Indian affairs describes the records of the Department of Indian Affairs. These records include some enfranchisement (renunciation of Indian status) records, birth, marriage and death records, pension records for veterans, school records, as well as land records.

Bill Russell’s Indian Affairs records at Library and Archives Canada: a source for genealogical research (Toronto: Ontario Genealogical Society, 1998) provides general information on federal records pertaining to Indian Affairs. Russell’s book also includes information on how to conduct research on aboriginal ancestors; a self-service copy is available from the Main Reading Room’s General Reference Books bookcase.

Aboriginal communities may hold genealogical records and information. For the addresses and historical profiles of Ontario aboriginal communities, see Akwesasne to Wunnumin Lake: Profiles of Aboriginal Communities in Ontario (Toronto: Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat and Ministry of Citizenship, 1992); this book is available from the Main Reading Room’s General Reference Books bookcase.

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2. Birth, Marriage and Death Records (Vital Statistics)

2.1 Records of the Office of the Registrar General

The Archives of Ontario holds microfilm copies of indexes to registrations (where they exist) and registrations for the following years:

Births: 1869-1911 Marriages: 1780-1926
(predominately 1869-1926)		 Deaths: 1869-1936

 

 

The Archives also holds registrations of Ontario overseas deaths (RG 80-21), 1939-1947, which document the deaths of Ontario residents overseas (mostly during military operations) during and immediately after the Second World War.

Microfilm copies of these records are available in the Main Reading Room as well as through the Archives’ Microfilm Interloan Service. Consult the Birth, Marriage and Death binders of Inventory 80 Records of the Office of the Registrar General or the Vital Statistics pages on the Archives’ web site for microfilm reel listings. Birth, Marriage and Death Pathfinders provide step-by-step instruction on how to find registrations; they are available in the Main Reading Room and on the Archives’ web site. Refer to Research Guide 202: Ontario Vital Statistics Bulletin for general information on these records and their availability.

Vital statistics records transferred to the Archives of Ontario in 2008 (1912 births, 1927 marriages and 1937 deaths) are currently closed for microfilming, and will be available sometime in 2009. For information on vital statistics records not yet transferred to the Archives, contact the Office of the Registrar General, Box 4600, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 6L8, www.cbs.gov.on.ca 416-325-8305 within Toronto or 1-800-461-2156 toll-free within Ontario.

Some published indexes and transcripts for pre-1874 marriage registrations are available in the Main Reading Room’s Genealogical Reference Area. Consult the Guide to published transcripts and indexes to the pre-1874 marriage records (also available in the Genealogical Reference Area) for further information.

2.2 Other sources for births, marriages and deaths

For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference codes given above, or consult the series descriptions in Inventory 22 Courts and related officers records.

  • Local records: The following birth, marriage and death records are also available.
    • Haldimand County: burial register, 1851-1865; register of marriages, births, baptisms, and deaths, 1914-[ca.1929]
    • Leeds and Grenville Counties: marriage registers, 1805-1850 and 1869-1873 (on microfilm reel MS 187)
    • Morrison Township: registers of births, marriages, and deaths, 1895-1949
    • Niagara, Town of: registers of births, marriages, and deaths, 1848-1856; and correspondence and returns relating to vital statistics, 1848-1910 (on microfilm MS 178 Reel 16)
    • Pittsburgh Township: registers of births, deaths, and marriages, 1869-1891 (on microfilm MS 225 Reels 7 and 8)
    • Raleigh Township: births, 1868-1949; marriages, 1857-1949; deaths, 1895-1945
    • Ryde Township: register of births, marriages, and deaths, 1876-1884
    • South Walsingham Township: births, [ca.1860-ca.1905]; deaths, [ca.1860]-1919; and marriages, [ca.1860]-1932
    • Waterloo County: marriage returns to County Clerk, 1858-1869

Microfilm is available in the Main Reading Room or through the Archives’ Microfilm Interloan Service. For access to other records, please consult a Reference Archivist. Access to the following records is restricted: births, from 1911 onward; marriages, from 1926 onward; and deaths, from 1936 onward.

  • Upper Canada marriage bonds (D 354), 1803-1848: Marriage bonds were documents issued prior to the issuance of a marriage license. They were signed by two friends or relatives of the couple, who assumed liability in case of impediment to the marriage. Marriage bonds contain little information besides the names of the betrothed and the guarantors, their places of residence and the date and value of the bond.

    • Most bonds are in the custody of Library and Archives Canada. The Archives of Ontario holds microfilm copies of the bonds for Upper Canada (arranged in chronological order) and the corresponding alphabetical indexes. These records are available on self-service microfilm in the Main Reading Room. Search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference code D 354 for information on how to access this microfilm.

    Bonds for the years 1803-1834 are transcribed and indexed in Thomas A. Wilson, Marriage bonds of Ontario, 1803-1834 (Lambertville, N. J.: Hunterden House, 1985); this book is available in the Main Reading Room’s Genealogy Publications bookcase.

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3. Cartographic Records

The cartographic holdings of the Archives of Ontario include maps, plans and atlases documenting land ownership, occupancy and use. Most maps and atlases can only be consulted in the Special Collections Reading Room.

Cartographic records pertaining to family history research include:

  • County atlases: Published for the most part in the late 1870s, county atlases show land occupancy and contain information about early settlement. Some of these atlases are also available in the Main Reading Room. As well, some county atlases have been microfilmed (microfilm number: B 34, reels 1-4); this microfilm is available both on self-service reels in the Main Reading Room and through the Archives’ Microfilm Interloan Service.
  • Township plan collection (C 277), Township plans (RG 1-470), and Township plans in the Thomas Talbot fonds (F 501-1): These plans were prepared by the Office of the Surveyor General and its successors as well as by surveyors working for private individuals such as land developers. All plans consist of a survey grid showing concessions and lots; on some plans, additional information is inscribed, such as the names of occupants, dates of occupation, the location of crown and clergy reserves, and mill sites. For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference codes given above. Alternatively, consult Inventory C 277 Township plan collection, Series RG 1-470 in Inventory 1 Crown land and resources records, and Series F 501-1 in Inventory F 501 Thomas Talbot fonds.
  • Town and city plan collection (C 295) and Town and city survey plans (RG 1-471): These plans show the layouts of cities, towns and villages. In addition to showing street layouts, plans may also provide additional information such as ward boundaries and may depict the locations of prominent structures, parks and green spaces. For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference codes given above. Alternatively, consult Inventory C 295 Town and city plan collection and Series RG 1-471 in Inventory 1 Crown land and resources records.
  • Patent plans (RG 1-100), [178? - ca.1978]: These plans were drawn at the time a township was surveyed; subsequently, the names of individuals located on the land (often the original grantees) were written on the occupied lot. Over time, information such as patent numbers and references to other land records were added on some of the plans. For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference code RG 1-100, or consult the series description in Inventory 1 Crown land and resources records.

Joan Winearls' Mapping Upper Canada, 1780-1867: an annotated bibliography of manuscript and printed maps (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991) describes pre-1867 maps of Ontario; this book is available in the Special Collections Reading Room and from the Archives' library (call number: 016.912713 W55).

For further information about the Archives’ cartographic holdings and how to access them, please consult the Special Collections Reference Archivist.

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4. Census Records

Starting in 1793, districts and municipalities in Upper Canada were mandated to conduct annual censuses. Colony-wide censuses were carried out in Canada West (current-day Ontario south of the Muskoka and Haliburton areas) in 1842, 1851-1852 and 1861. The federal government has conducted a Canada-wide census every tenth year since 1871.

4.1 Pre-1851 census records

These records often consist of statistical information with no names or only the names of family heads.

The following municipal fonds include pre-1851 census records for many Ontario townships and communities:

With the exception of Talbot District, these censuses have been microfilmed and are available on self-service reels in the Main Reading Room and through the Archives’ Microfilm Interloan Service. For a detailed list of this microfilm, consult the Microfilm Interloan Service section of the Archives’ web site. You may also search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference codes given above for each district or township.

For other early Ontario census records, consult the finding aid Ontario census returns, 1842-1901 (available in the Main Reading Room’s Genealogy Reference Area).

The Archives also holds copies of Genealogical Society of Utah microfilm of censuses for the Township of Binbrook, 1837-1839 (microfilm number: GS 1436) and the Township of Blanshard, 1848 and 1850 (microfilm number: GS 539). This microfilm is available in the Main Reading Room and through the Family History Centers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

An index to the 1848 and 1850 censuses for the Districts of Huron, Johnstown and Newcastle is available on self-service microfiche in the Main Reading Room’s Genealogy Reference Area. The University of Western Ontario’s D. B. Weldon Library holds District of Huron censuses indexed on microfiche.

In addition, militia muster rolls served as county- or province-wide censuses of the adult male population. See Sub-section 14.1 Militia records of this research guide for further information.


4.2 Post-1850 census returns

The Archives of Ontario holds microfilm copies of the personal census returns for Canada West/Ontario for 1851-1852, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901, as well as the 1861 and 1871 agricultural census returns for Canada West/Ontario. The returns are arranged by county, then by town and township.

The personal returns usually record a person's age, country of birth and origin, religion, and occupation; the type and amount of information vary from one census to another. The agricultural returns record the concession and lot, buildings and livestock owned by farmers.

The microfilmed censuses are available on self-service reels in the Main Reading Room, as well as from Library and Archives Canada through interloan. Archives of Ontario finding aid Ontario census returns, 1842-1901 (available in the Main Reading Room’s Genealogy Reference Area) lists this microfilm by town and township. This finding aid is an annotated abstract of Thomas A. Hillman's Catalogue of census returns on microfilm, 1666-1891 / Catalogue des recensements sur microfilm, 1666-1891 (Ottawa: National Archives of Canada, 1987), which is available in most libraries. A separate finding aid Toronto Census Aid (also available in the Genealogy Reference Area) lists the reels for the census returns for each Toronto ward and includes maps showing ward limits at the time of each census.

The following indexes are available:

  • 1851: An index and transcript on microfiche of the 1851 census for Middlesex County is available in the Main Reading Room’s Genealogy Reference Area. The 1851 census for Bruce, Grey, Lennox & Addington, and Wellington Counties is indexed in Renie A. Rumpel’s Index to the 1851 of Canada West (Ontario) (Waterloo, Ontario: Ontario Indexing Services, 2001), 3 vol.; this index is available in the Main Reading Room’s Genealogy Reference Area.
  • 1861: The 1861 census for Lennox and Addington County is indexed in Linda Corupe's Index to the 1861 Census of Lennox and Addington Co. (self-published); it is available in the Main Reading Room's Genealogy Reference Area.
  • 1871: A surname index for the 1871 census for all of Ontario has been published by the Ontario Genealogical Society (30 vols., 1986-1992) and is available in the Genealogy Reference Area as well as on the Library and Archives Canada/Bibliothèque et Archives Canada.
  • 1881: An index of all names found in the 1881 census for all of Canada has been compiled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and is available on their website.
  • 1901: See http://automatedgenealogy.com/

The Archives of Ontario also holds microfilm copies of the 1871 census returns for Quebec. Consult the finding aid Listing of the microfilm of the 1871 census for Quebec (available on the Main Reading Room) or Hillman's book mentioned above.

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5. Criminal Justice System Records

The Archives of Ontario holds some of the records created from the time police undertake an investigation into a criminal act to the end of a jail sentence, probation or parole.

Records in this section may be subject to access restrictions. Please consult with a Reference Archivist for further information.

5.1 Investigation records

The Archives of Ontario holds records pertaining to investigations and inquests by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), coroners, the Medico-Legal Laboratory, and the Fire Marshall.

These records include:

  • Ontario Provincial Police investigation records, 1901-1989
  • Criminal investigation records and reports (RG 23-26), 1901-1921 (predominant, 1909-1921)
  • Major criminal investigation case files (solved cases) (RG 23-29), 1922-1969
  • OPP members’ diaries and notebooks/journals (RG 23-30), 1925-1989
  • Special Investigations Branch crime reports (RG 23-49), 1936-1984
  • Criminal investigations reports and files (RG 23-50), 1922-1970
  • Major occurrence reports (RG 23-51), 1969-1983

For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference codes given above. Alternatively, consult the series descriptions in Inventory 23 Records of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Please note that the Archives does not hold records of local, regional and national police services.

  • Coroners’ records (various series in RG 22 and RG 33), 1830-1965: Include records of investigations (informal) and inquests (formal) held in cases of suspicious or unexplained deaths. Consult Inventory 22 Courts and related officers records and Inventory 33 Preliminary Inventory of the records of the Ministry of the Solicitor General for further information, or search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the keyword "coroner*" (including the asterisk) and archival reference codes RG 22* or RG 33* (including the asterisk) to identify series that contain these records.
  • Medico-Legal Laboratory early case files (RG 33, Series H-1), 1931-1961: Document forensic services provided by the Laboratory to police services. Consult the series description in Inventory 33 Preliminary Inventory of the records of the Ministry of the Solicitor General for further information.
  • Office of the Fire Marshall investigation case files (RG 33-30), 1929-1988: Document investigations of fires resulting in death or large scale property loss. For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference code RG 33-30.

5.2 Prosecution and indictment records

These records document the work of the Crown Attorneys in indicting and prosecuting criminal offences. They include:

  • Early Crown prosecution case files (RG 4-1, Boxes 7 and 8), 1794-1865: For more information, see Inventory 4 Records of the Ministry of the Attorney General.
  • Supreme Court Central Office Criminal Assize Clerk criminal indictment case files (RG 22-392), 1853-1929: To find a particular file, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Files and Items search option) using the last name as a keyword and the archival reference code RG 22-392* (including the asterisk). Alternatively, see Appendix A22 in Inventory 22 for an alphabetical listing by surname.
  • Supreme Court Registrar’s criminal indictment files (RG 22-517), 1930-1979: For more information, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference code RG 22-517 or consult the relevant series description in Inventory 22 Courts and related officers records.
  • Crown Attorney prosecution case files (various series in RG 22), 1865-1971: These files contain documentation used by Crown Attorneys in prosecuting criminal offences. There are gaps for records other than those of the Superior Courts, and most files document indictable offences. To identify series that contain these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the keywords prosecution case files, or consult the Guide to criminal justice records at the Archives of Ontario (available in the Main Reading Room).
  • Central registry criminal and civil files (RG 4-32): These files contain correspondence and documentation about major criminal and civil cases referred to or reviewed by the Department of the Attorney General’s Crown Law Office in Toronto. Search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference code RG 4-32, or consult the relevant series description in Inventory 4 Records of the Ministry of the Attorney General.

5.3 Court records

Various courts have had jurisdiction for criminal cases over time. Court records in the Archives’ holdings predominantly range from 1792 to 1979, with exceptions and gaps. They include:

  • Docket books: List in chronological order all cases heard before a criminal court.
  • Minute books: Provide a brief chronological outline of all cases heard before a criminal court.

Consult the Guide to criminal justice records at the Archives of Ontario (available in the Main Reading Room) for a list of series for these records; then refer to the series descriptions in Inventory 22 Courts and related officers records for further information. Alternatively, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the keywords docket books or minute books and archival reference code RG 22* (including the asterisk).

5.4 Correctional records

The Government of Ontario is responsible for incarcerating individuals awaiting trial, those sentenced to a prison term of less than two years, and young offenders. The Archives holds some records from provincially managed correctional facilities, dating from 1832 to 1986 with gaps. They include:

  • Adult inmate records (RG 20-26-1), 1933-1961, 1971-1983: Consist of legal documents regarding the incarceration of adult inmates in provincial institutions. They are partially indexed in the Index to adult inmate records (RG 20-26-2).
  • Registers (various series in RG 20): Record information about inmates, reasons and conditions of incarcerations. They were used in all penal institutions.
  • Case files (various series in RG 20): Include custodial and medical information supplementing the content of the registers.
  • Other records, such as Surgeon’s registers, Punishment registers and Log books of daily occurrences (various series in RG 20).

For a list of series for these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the name of the correctional facility in the "Keyword in Title" field, or appropriate keywords (registers, case files, etc.) and the archival reference code RG 20* (including the asterisk). Alternatively, consult the Guide to criminal justice records at the Archives of Ontario (available in the Main Reading Room), then refer to the series descriptions in Inventory 20 Records related to correctional services functions for further information.

5.5 Probation and parole records

Records containing personal information about paroled inmates include:

  • Selected case files from the Ontario Board of Parole and the Probation and Parole Field Offices of the Ministry of Correctional Services, from the early 1950s to the 1980s. To identify series that contain these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the appropriate keywords (parole, probation, Board of Parole, etc.) and the archival reference code RG 20* (including the asterisk). Alternatively, consult the Guide to criminal justice records at the Archives of Ontario in the Main Reading Room for a list of series for these records; then refer to the series descriptions in Inventory 20 Records related to correctional services functions.
  • Ontario Board of Parole minute books (RG 8-53), 1910-1932: Information recorded in these books includes names of inmates appearing before the Board and Board decisions.
  • Ticket of leave register (RG 8-55), 1911-1915: “Ticket of leave” was an early term used to refer to parole.
  • Extra-mural employment of sentenced persons register (RG 8-57), 1921-1922: This register documents individuals who were allowed to work and live outside the prison while still officially serving their sentence.
  • Ontario Board of Parole register (RG 8-59), 1917-1921: This register was used by the Board of Parole to document all prisoners committed to penal institutions in Ontario.

For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference codes above, or consult the series descriptions in Inventory 8 Records of the Department of the Provincial Secretary.

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6. Divorce Records

From 1867 until 1931, Ontario divorces were granted by the Federal Parliament and printed in the Canada Gazette, available at most major libraries. For a copy of the Resolution or Act of Parliament granting a divorce, contact: Office of the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel, Senate of Canada, 1310-40, Elgin St., Ottawa, ON, 613-992-2416..

In 1927, the Supreme Court of Ontario was given the power to annul marriages and, in 1931, to grant divorces, alimony, and child custody. The Archives of Ontario holds files for divorce actions initiated between 1931-1978. Each divorce file typically includes the petition for divorce, affidavits, and judgements/decrees nisi and absolute. Some files also may include examinations, documents relating to child custody, copies of marriage certificates, and photographs of co-respondents (defendants).

For instructions on accessing divorce files, refer to Research Guide 210: Finding Divorce Files in Ontario or Research Guide 211: Finding Divorce Files in York County.

To view files for divorce actions initiated after 1978, contact the county or district courthouse where the divorce was filed. For a listing of courthouse addresses, consult Table #2 in Research Guide 210: Finding Divorce Files in Ontario.

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7. Education Records

Education records pertaining to family history research include:

  • Local school board records: The Archives of Ontario holds pre-1969 records for a limited number of local school boards across Ontario. These records may include daily attendance registers, general registers (recording passage from one grade to another), minute books of boards and ratepayers meetings, and administrative records. Registers may contain students’ names and ages, parents’ or guardians’ names, as well as information on school attendance, graduation and moves.

    For access to records 100 years old or less that contain personal information, researchers must obtain written permission from the District School Board with jurisdiction over the territory of the former local school board. Local school board records not in the custody of the Archives of Ontario may be in the custody of the District School Board or local repositories. Please contact the Reference Archivist for more information on local school board records.

  • Records of the Ministry of Education (RG 2):

    Reports of academic standing / student records (RG 2-133): These records provide exam results of students who wrote the various provincial-wide examinations between 1867 and 1917. The reports document the student’s name, age, where the exam was written, when it was written and the grades the student received on the exams. Some of the reports also contain additional information such as comments by the examiners about the student and any previous schools attended by the student.

    Dissolved school board records, 1848-1986: In the 1980s certain school boards in remote areas of Ontario ceased to exist, and their records were transferred to the Archives of Ontario. Records of these school boards may include attendance and general registers, lists of students, minute books of boards and ratepayers meetings, and administrative records. The following series contain records of dissolved school boards:

  • Midnorthern Ontario dissolved school board records (RG 2-277)
  • Northeastern Ontario dissolved school board records (RG 2-275)
  • Northwestern Ontario dissolved school board records (RG 2-246
  • Ottawa Valley Region dissolved school board records (RG 2-277)

Normal and model school student records: Normal School records contain information on individuals studying to become teachers in Ontario. Model School records contain information on children who were taught by student teachers. The following series contain student records from the Normal and Model Schools:

  • Hamilton Normal School student records (RG 2-340), 1908-1977
  • Lakeshore Teachers' College student records (RG 2-269), 1959-1968
  • London Normal School student records (RG 2-349), 1900-1973
  • Model schools student teachers’ registers (RG 2-360), 1908-1914
  • Normal Schools applications records (RG 2-361), 1869-1872, 1897-1921
  • North Bay Normal School admissions register (RG 2-252), 1909-1923
  • Ontario Normal College student records (RG 2-357), 1895-1908
  • Ottawa Model School student records (RG 2-256), 1880-1939
  • Ottawa Normal School Student records (RG 2-368), 1875-1974
  • Peterborough Normal School admissions register (RG 2-348), 1908-1923
  • Stratford Normal School student records (RG 2-254), 1908-1972
  • Toronto Model School student records (RG 2-321), 1853-193
  • Toronto Normal School student records (RG 2-12), 1847-1974

Grammar school trustees’ half-yearly reports (RG 2-21), 1854-1871: Provide the names and ages of students and the names of teachers across Ontario.

Algoma Public School Inspectorate School trustees’ half-yearly reports (RG 2-98-1), 1862-1885: Provide the names and ages of students and the names of teachers for schools in the area between Lake Nipissing and Lake of the Woods.

Department of Education superannuation applications files (RG 2-114-1), 1820-1919: Include information submitted by retired teachers and school inspectors regarding their career in education.

Teacher and Principal certification registers (various series within RG 2): Contain information on individuals who obtained certificates allowing them to teach or to become principals in Ontario. The registers include the individual’s name, qualification and type of certificate he or she possessed.

For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference codes given above, or consult the series descriptions in Inventory 2 Records of the Ministry of Education. Please note that access to records 100 years old and less that contain personal information is governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Please consult with a Reference Archivist for further information.

  • Published lists of teachers: Schools and Teachers in the Province of Ontario was published annually by the Department of Education between 1911 and 1966, except for 1933 (see below). It lists all teachers in Ontario by the school at which they taught in the fall school term of each year. These lists are available on self-service microfilm in the Archives’ Main Reading Room (microfilm numbers: MS 7254 to MS 7293). See description in BIBLiON for details, or see Inventory L24 Schools and Teachers.

The Archives also holds the manuscript version of the unpublished 1933 edition of Schools and Teachers in Ontario. Consult the series description for Schools and teachers with inspectorates registers (RG 2-365) in Inventory 2 Records of the Ministry of Education.

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8. Guardianship and Adoption Records

Beginning with the Guardianship Act (1827) and until the Adoption Act (1921), guardianships (child custody without the right of inheritance) were granted through the local Surrogate Court. While not listed in most Surrogate Court indexes, guardianship matters are recorded in Surrogate Court registers, and later, for some counties, in separate Surrogate Court guardianship books. To identify series that contain these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the keyword guardianship* (including the asterisk), the name of the county or district, and the archival reference code RG 22* (including the asterisk). Alternatively, consult Inventory 22 Courts and related officers records, vol. 1, for instructions on how to identify and access these records.

The Archives holds no adoption files, only guardianship records. Adoptions occurring before April 8, 1921 were made through an Act of the Ontario Legislature and are extremely rare. For instructions on finding an Act, refer to Research Guide 207: Researching Ontario Bills and Statutes.

Since 1921, adoptions may have occurred through a local Children's Aid Society, a private licensed agency or individual, or through a private adoption which does not involve government agencies. For information on accessing and researching adoption files, contact the Adoption Disclosure Section, Ministry of Community and Social Services, 2 Bloor Street West, 24th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1E9, 416-327-4730.

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9. Health Records

9.1 Patient Records

The Archives holds patient records from the following government-run medical facilities:

  • Psychiatric Hospitals: Patient records may include case files, admission registers and discharge registers. For more information, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the name of the hospital or the keywords psychiatric hospital or mental health centre in the "Keyword in Title" field; or consult Inventory 92 Records of Ontario Psychiatric Hospitals in the Main Reading Room.
  • Tuberculosis Hospitals: Patient records are generally restricted to case files. Consult Thematic Guide 10 A Guide to Tuberculosis Records in the Main Reading Room for a list of records series; some descriptions of records are available by searching the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the name of the hospital or the keyword sanatorium* (including the asterisk).
  • Centres for Developmentally and Emotionally Disabled Individuals: Patient records are generally restricted to case files. For a listing of series containing patient records from facilities for developmentally and emotionally disabled individuals, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the name of the institution or the keyword centre in the "Keyword in Title" field and the archival reference code RG 29* (including the asterisk); or consult Inventory 29 Records of the Ministry of Community and Social Services in the Main Reading Room.

Access to patient records 100 years old and less that contain personal information is governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Please consult with a Reference Archivist for further information.

9.2 Records of Physicians, Nurses, and other Healthcare Practitioners

  • Physicians: The Archives holds the records of more than fifty prominent Ontario physicians, ranging from the late 1700s to the late 1970s. For a listing of fonds containing physicians’ records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the keywords doctor or physician and the archival reference code F* (including the asterisk); or consult Thematic Guide T 8 Guide to Physician’s Papers in the Main Reading Room.

    The A.D. Campbell fonds (F 1382) includes biographical sketches of physicians in Waterloo County from 1824-1924, as well as Campbell’s index cards listing physicians in Upper Canada to 1867. For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference code F 1382.

The publication Ontario Medical Registers, 1867-1954 (with gaps) consists of directories of physicians and surgeons practicing in Ontario. They are available on self-service microfilm reels MS 7155 and MS 7156 in the Archives’ Main Reading Room. See the catalogue entry in BIBLiON for more information.

For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference codes given above.

  • Healthcare Practitioners: The Archives holds the Ontario Health Insurance Plan Practitioners Registry Catalogue, 1977-1991 (RG 30-20). The catalogue lists all practitioners who are participants in the OHIP plan. Consult Inventory 30 Records of the Ontario Health Insurance Program in the Main Reading Room for more information about these records.

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10. Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship Records

10.1 Ontario Government immigration records

The Government of Upper Canada opened an Emigrant Office in Toronto in 1833, mostly to assist immigrants to the colony. Offices and agents were later added elsewhere in Ontario as well as in some European cities. After Confederation (1867), the Ontario and federal governments were jointly responsible for immigration.

Immigration records for the Province of Ontario (RG 11) document the involvement of the Government of Ontario and its predecessors in immigration, from 1833 to 1901.

  • Series RG 11-1 to RG 11-7 (1835-1892), also known as the Hawke Papers, mostly document the activities of the Toronto Emigrant Office under A. B. Hawke (agent from 1831 to 1864) and his successors to 1892. These records are available on self-service microfilm in the Archives’ Main Reading Room as well as through the Archives’ Microfilm Interloan Service. For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference codes given above, or consult Inventory 11 Ontario immigration records.
  • Series RG 11-8 to RG 11-25 (1862-1901) include correspondence, letterbooks, arrival and destination registers, and various records regarding bonus schemes. These records were produced by federal and Ontario immigration agents, mostly in Toronto but also in Kingston, Quebec City, Montreal and Paris (France). Many of these records have been microfilmed and are available on self-service reels in the Archives’ Main Reading Room as well as through the Archives’ Microfilm Interloan Service. For more information about these records, search the Archives Descriptive Database (Archival Descriptions search option) using the archival reference codes given above, or consult Inventory 11 Ontario immigration records.

10.2 Federal Immigration Branch records

  • Central registry files, 1873-1979: Document various subjects related to immigration and contain lists of immigrants. Consult Inventory D 8 Records of the Immigration Branch for more information about these records.
  • Juvenile immigration records, 1892-1932, including the Registry of British children immigrating to Canada, 1878-1920: Some of these records contain references to records that are part of the Central registry files (see above). Consult Inventory D 10 A guide to juvenile immigration records in the records of the Immigration Branch for more information about these records.

    Some records from the private agencies that organized juvenile immigration still exist. They may contain information on children’s dates and places of birth, and their families. Most of these agencies are located in Great Britain and must be contacted directly.

  • Border entry lists, 1908-1919 and Ships’ manifests, 1865-1920 listing passengers: These records are arranged by point of entry, then by year and date, and then (for ships’ manifests) by ship; no surname index exists. Consult Inventory D 20 Ship passenger lists and border entr