The Early Districts of Upper Canada
Eastern, Midland, Home & Western
At the close of the American Revolution, the Province of Quebec included land to the west that would later become Upper Canada. Soon thereafter, in 1788, four districts were created in this new territory for administration purposes: Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nassau & Hesse.
In 1791, Quebec was divided into the two provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, with the Ottawa River being the dividing line. The German names of the districts were abolished in 1792, and were renamed: Eastern, Midland, Home & Western.
All government business took place in the centres of these four districts, which created hardships for the early settlers in having to travel a great distance for such things as court sittings.
In 1792, 17 counties were established within those four districts. Because of the distances involved, more and more districts were created throughout the ensuing years, with the result that by 1845, there were 20 districts, containing 32 counties. These counties, though, were not used for government administration until 1849. This resulted in many vital records, such as registers from the courts, government commissions, and land boards from before 1849, being kept under district names, rather than county names.
How to Find the Publication You Need
Because of the constant change in borders of both counties and districts, historians and genealogists must be informed of how the government administrations were set up throughout the years, in order to be sure of accessing important records. This table presents a comprehensive record of each county, its administrative changes and a listing of Linda’s relevant publications.
You can use the Search box below if you know the County or District you are looking for. Once you have found a publication you want to look at, click the Publications button below and then use the Search feature on the shop page, or click the category link to navigate to the desired publication.
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| EARLY COUNTIES (pre-1850) | DISTRICT (All Districts abolished December 31, 1849) | WHICH OF LINDA’S PUBLICATIONS TO CHECK |
|---|---|---|
| Addington 1792-1849 (merged with Lennox County in 1800) | MIDLAND | Surrogate, Civil & Other; Vital Stats; Census; Colonization Roads; Indexes; Quarter Sessions; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 1st Land Board; Heir & Devisee Commissions; Other |
| Carleton 1800-1822 | JOHNSTOWN | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 2nd Land Board; Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Carleton 1822-1842 | BATHURST | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 2nd Land Board |
| Carleton 1842-1849 | DALHOUSIE | |
| Dundas 1792-1849 | EASTERN | Indexes; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions, Bastardy Affidavits |
| Durham 1792-1802 | HOME | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Durham 1802-1849 | NEWCASTLE | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 2nd Land Board; Heir & Devisee Commissions, Bastardy Affidavits |
| Essex 1792-1849 | WESTERN | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Frontenac 1792-1849 | MIDLAND | Surrogate, Civil & Other; Vital Stats; Census; Quarter Sessions; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 1st Land Board; Heir & Devisee Commissions; Other |
| Glengarry 1798-1849 | EASTERN | Indexes; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions, Bastardy Affidavits |
| Grenville 1792-1800 | EASTERN | Indexes; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Grenville 1800-1849 | JOHNSTOWN | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions, Bastardy Affidavits |
| Haldimand 1800-1849 | NIAGARA | Assize (Oyer & Terminer) |
| Halton 1816-1849 | GORE | Assize (Oyer & Terminer) |
| Hastings 1792-1839 | MIDLAND | Surrogate, Civil & Other; Vital Stats; Census; Quarter Sessions; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 1st & 2nd Land Boards; Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Hastings 1839-1849 | VICTORIA | |
| Huron 1835-1841 | LONDON | |
| Huron 1841-1849 | HURON | |
| Kent 1792-1849 | WESTERN | Vital Stats; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Lanark 1824-1849 | BATHURST | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 2nd Land Board |
| Leeds 1792-1800 | EASTERN | Indexes; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Leeds 1800-1849 | JOHNSTOWN | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 2nd Land Board; Heir & Devisee Commissions, Bastardy Affidavits |
| Lennox 1792-1849 (merged with Addington County in 1800) | MIDLAND | Surrogate, Civil & Other; Vital Stats; Census; Colonization Roads; Indexes; Quarter Sessions; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 1st Land Board; Heir & Devisee Commissions; Other |
| Lincoln 1792-1800 | HOME | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Lincoln 1800-1849 | NIAGARA | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Middlesex 1800-1849 | LONDON | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 2nd Land Board; Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Norfolk [part] 1792-1800 | HOME | Assize (Oyer & Terminer) |
| Norfolk [part] 1792-1800 | WESTERN | Assize (Oyer & Terminer) |
| Norfolk 1800-1837 | LONDON | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Norfolk 1837-1849 | TALBOT | |
| Northumberland 1792-1802 | HOME | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Northumberland 1802-1849 | NEWCASTLE | Vital Stats; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 2nd Land Board; Heir & Devisee Commissions, Bastardy Affidavits |
| Ontario (comprised of the Islands in the St. Lawrence River) 1792-1800 (abolished) | MIDLAND | Surrogate, Civil & Other; Quarter Sessions; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 1st Land Board; Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Oxford 1800-1839 | LONDON | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Oxford 1839-1849 | BROCK | |
| Perth 1849-1849 | HURON | |
| Peterborough 1838-1841 | NEWCASTLE | |
| Peterborough 1841-1849 | COLBORNE | |
| Prescott 1800-1816 | EASTERN | Indexes; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Prescott 1816-1849 | OTTAWA | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 2nd Land Board |
| Prince Edward 1792-1834 | MIDLAND | Surrogate, Civil & Other; Quarter Sessions; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 1st Land Board; Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Prince Edward 1834-1849 | PRINCE EDWARD | Vital Stats; Quarter Sessions |
| Renfrew 1845-1849 | BATHURST | Colonization Roads |
| Russell 1800-1816 | EASTERN | Indexes; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| Russell 1816-1849 | OTTAWA | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); 2nd Land Board |
| Simcoe 1821-1843 | HOME | Assize (Oyer & Terminer) |
| Simcoe 1843-1849 | SIMCOE | |
| Stormont 1792-1849 | EASTERN | Indexes; Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions, Bastardy Affidavits |
| Waterloo 1840-1849 | WELLINGTON | |
| Welland (created from Lincoln County) 1845-1849 | NIAGARA | |
| Wentworth 1816-1849 | GORE | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
| York 1792-1849 | HOME | Assize (Oyer & Terminer); Heir & Devisee Commissions |
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| LATER COUNTIES | SEE CHART ABOVE |
|---|---|
| Brant | Wentworth, Oxford, Halton |
| Bruce | Huron |
| Dufferin | Simcoe, Wellington |
| Elgin | Middlesex |
| Grey | Simcoe, Waterloo |
| Lambton | Kent |
| Ontario | York |
| Peel | York |
| Victoria | Peterborough |
| Wellington | Waterloo |
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