Canada Company fonds (F 129)

Plan of the Town and Harbour of Goderich, 1853
Canada Company fonds
Reference Code: F 129, Pkg. 4, # 23
Archives of Ontario

• Administrative History
• Lease Registers
• Contract Registers
• Microfilm Listings

To see the Archives Descriptive Database for more information about these records, click here.

The Canada Company was incorporated by the British Parliament on 27 July 1825 and was dissolved on 18 December 1953. An organizational meeting took place before the actual founding of the company, at the London Tavern in London, England. The names of those present at this meeting were later used as the names of Townships in Huron County.

The aim of the company was to obtain land in Canada and to promote its sale to prospective settlers. The Company received nearly 2.5 million acres. 1.1 million acres comprised the Huron Tract, which became the Huron District in 1834. The remainder of the land, including the Halton and Wilmot Blocks, were allotted crown reserves throughout the Province.

In 1951 the company decided to close their activities in Canada. Official business in Canada was terminated by December 24, 1951, and the company ceased to exist in England by December 18, 1953.

This fonds documents all activities of the Canada Company, including administrative records such as minutes of committees, court of directors minutes, and proceedings of the general court. Other records, which relate to the administration of the company, include reports, agreement with the Crown, and registers and schedules of lands. Fonds also contain several series of correspondence, relating to land held by the company, sales, and shareholders.

Many series of records relate to land transactions, including grants and patents, surveys, deed books, and applications for deeds.

The following series are available for loan through the Microfilm Interloan Service: Lease Registers (Series B3, vols. 29-41); Contract Registers (Series B3, vols. 19-28).

The Lease Registers (B3, vols. 29-41, MS 729) provide the following information.

• Number: This is simply an entry number in the register. It does not refer to any other record.
• Date of Lease
• Name of Lessee
• Township
• Concession and Lot
• Number of Acres
• Information on Rent and Dates of Payments
• Notations: These are notes recorded below the entry. Most often they state "converted to sale", that is, that the lessee ended up purchasing the property. A date is provided, and a record of this transaction can then be found in the Contract Books (below).

The Contract Registers (B3, vols. 19-28, MS 729) contain the following information.

• Number: Same idea as the Lease Number.
• Date of Agreement
• Name of Purchaser
• Township
• Concession and Lot
• Number of Acres
• Price per Acre and Total Price
• Number of Payments and Amount of Down payment
• Notations: These are recorded below the entry.

NOTE: If you then want additional information on subsequent transactions on a particular piece of property (that is, after its sale by the Canada Company), you should turn to land registry office records, particularly abstract indexes.

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