Readers familiar with OliveTreeGenealogy.blogspot.com know that I talk about Upper Canada Land Petitions (UCLP) a lot! I also talk about it a lot on AskOliveTree.blogspot.com
In 2008 I provided an example of a Land Petition for a Loyalist claim to illustrate to genealogists how much detailed information can be found in this wonderful resource. You can view the petition on my October 7, 2008 post called Upper Canada Land Petition for a Loyalist Ancestor
It's important to note that present day Ontario had name and boundary changes, and was once called Upper Canada (and also Canada West). So if you are searching for early Ontario ancestors, you should not overlook the Upper Canada Land Petitions.
The terrific news is that Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has just launched a new online database, Upper Canada Land Petitions (1763-1865). Caveat - this is NOT the petitions themselves, this is an INDEX to the petitions, with full details on where the actual petitions can be found for each individual listed.
Through this online database, researchers can access more than 77,000 references to petitions for grants or leases of land created by individuals who lived in present-day Ontario between 1763 and 1865.
This is an amazing new resource and one I'm utilizing already to double-check my previous searches of the microfilm in the Ontario Archives. With the online index you can use wildcards to represent letters, making it much easier to find all spellings of a surname. Using the microfilm index of course you cannot do that and must be very creative in your spelling!
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Thanks for this post and keeping me up do date.
ReplyDeleteMichael
Thanks Lorine -- I've already found a gem thanks to your tip about the land petitions.
ReplyDeletehttp://detourthroughhistory.blogspot.com/2010/09/william-howard-upper-canada-land.html
Cathy
This is interesting because as the story goes, my 3rd great grandfather acquired approximately 400a from the crown. I didn't see him when I did a search, but found "grandmother-his wife" listed in her UEL established maiden name on two separate films. It's her...I am biting! I want to order film... ; )
ReplyDeleteHolly - send me your ancestor's name and location of settlement in private email olivetreegenealogy[at]gmail.com and I'll have a peek in the CLRI. He could be the first time owner of land from the Crown without filing a petition, and if he's in the CLRI we can find out the circumstances of his obtaining that land
ReplyDeleteThis is very exciting.
ReplyDeleteI've had a look through the index and cannot find my ancestor who received land by Crown Patent in 1792 (I have a copy of the patent; there's not a lot of information there). I might not understand the process, but I thought there had to be a petition before a patent was granted. Is that not correct? Any suggestions why a patent exists but a petition doesn't?
Jill - great question! I've responded to it at Question About Upper Canada Land Petitions
ReplyDeleteHope my answer helps!