Crown land – Grants and sales
Find records from 1787 to 1996 related to the granting, leasing and sale of crown land to settlers in what is now called Ontario.
About land grants and sales
Crown lands were granted by the government and its agents to individuals who signed petitions seeking land in Upper Canada, renamed Canada West in 1841 and Ontario in 1867. They could be granted with or without fees depending on the petitioner’s status. Groups that received grants included:
- United Empire Loyalists
- military veterans that fought for Britain
- families participating in migration schemes (Robinson settlers)
Crown lands were also packaged and sold by private interests. The London, England-based Canada Company was the biggest land agent in Upper Canada. In 1827 it purchased over 2.4 million acres of land from the crown, which it divided then rented or sold to prospective settlers, including what is today called Huron County.
What grant and sale records might tell you
Grant and sale records provide information about:
- names and origins of individuals granted land
- land transfers, including sale or lease
- history of townships
- original property boundaries
- how governments decided who was entitled to land
Information you need to get started
To effectively research grant and sale records, you need:
- name(s) of the individual(s)
- location of settlement (township, concession, lot)
- approximate year of settlement or transfer of ownership
Start with the Ontario Land Records Index topic page if you don’t have enough detail about the individual or land you are researching.
Find records by series
Granting land was a complicated process involving many different authorities. You may need to consult multiple record series to find what you are looking for.
Upper Canada Land Book Minutes, 1787-1841
These are the minute books of the Executive Council of Upper Canada. They contain the Council’s decisions about which land petitions to accept. Their notes often include:
- name of the petitioner
- date of their decision
- reason for granting land
- location of land granted (township, occasional features)
- size of grant (acres)
The original records are held at Library and Archives Canada, listed as RG 1, L1. We provide access to digitized copies and an in-person published index to assist your research.
Researching these records is a two-step process.
Orders-in-Council, 1787-1873
Search Orders-in-Council records in Collection Search (RG 1-50)
These records contain written decisions issued by colonial and later provincial officials that formally authorized grants and sales of land. They include:
- decisions copied from the Land Book Minutes (see above)
- records of the Surveyor General’s office
- records from the Office of the Commissioner of Crown Lands
We hold a compilation of these records (RG 1-50) to research in person on microfilm. It was created by the Office of the Commissioner of Crown Lands for administrative purposes. They are organized by name, place or subject, and order number.
The originals are found in multiple series held by us and Library and Archives Canada.
Descriptions of land, 1794-1996
Search Domesday books in Collection Search (RG 1-63)
These records were created by successive government authorities beginning with the Surveyor General of Upper Canada and ending with the Ministry of Natural Resources for Ontario. They contain descriptions of lots granted, leased or sold to individuals. Descriptions include:
- metes and bounds of the lot (measurements and landmarks)
- some information about the grantee
The listings were assigned numbers. They have been indexed by township.
Consult the index and conversion appendix in Collection Search description to research in-person on microfilm.
Domesday books, 1801-1982
Search Domesday books in Collection Search (RG 1-63)
These are listings of land grants kept by successive government authorities beginning with the Surveyor General of Upper Canada and ending with the Ministry of Natural Resources for Ontario.
The listings were assigned numbers. They have been indexed by township.
Consult the index and conversion appendix in Collection Search description to research in person on microfilm.
Related records and resources
Petitions were typically the first step an individual took to seek land from the Crown. Typically, a successful petition would result in a grant or sale by the Crown or its agents, which usually included conditions of settlement. An individual that met all conditions would be issued a patent.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for or want to conduct further research, you can try searching related records.
Land Registry Office (external)
The Land Registry Office can provide you with information about transfers of ownership over plots of land in Ontario from 1795 to the present.
Petitions were written or signed letters sent by individuals or groups to representatives of the British Crown seeking grants of land, either for free or to lease, in British North America (renamed Canada in 1867). These records may provide more information about individuals who were granted parcels of land to settle.
Land patents were (and remain) the legal instrument that the Crown used to transfer ownership over land to private interests. They are single-page written declarations called “letters patent” signed by the British monarch and later Canadian government.
Heir and devisee commission records
The Heir and Devisee Commission oversaw the division of estates between the heirs of settlers who were granted land in Ontario but who didn’t receive letters patent for the years 1804 to 1895.
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