Ontario Land and Property

Land record indexes are among the best tools for locating residents in Ontario before 1851 when few censuses and other province-wide records or indexes exist. Many immigrants came to Ontario to claim available land, so land ownership was generally recorded as soon as they arrived. Also, wills were often copied into deed books and other land records instead of in probate records. Land records sometimes exist when other records are not available.

Prior information needed. To search these land records, it helps to know:

• Ancestor's name
• County of residence
• Township of residence (if known)

Data you may find in land records:

• where and when ancestors lived in an area
• the name of spouses, heirs, and other relatives
• the names of neighbors
• where ancestors lived previously
• the occupation of ancestors
• the relationship of ancestors to a Loyalist ancestor
• when ancestors left the area and where they were moving

Land records may include the following record types:

• immigrant lists
• petitions for land grants
• leases, indexes, and registers
• case files and commission records
• claims and reports

Searching Ontario Land Records

To search many of the land records, you need to know the township of residence and land description. Begin by searching for your ancestor's name in the record indexes listed under Step 1 on the next page.

Some land records are arranged geographically by land description and include no surname indexes. To search these records, use the description of the land where your ancestor lived, including the township name, concession number, and lot number as described in Step 2.

Most southern Ontario townships are divided into strips of land, called concessions, which run from one border of the township to the other. Each concession includes farm lots of 100 or 200 acres. Lot 1 in the First Concession joins Lot 1 in the Second Concession, which in turn joins Lot 1 in the Third, as shown below. As you search the land records, record the concession and lot number of your ancestor's land.

Example of divisions of Ontario Townships

 Concession numbers (in Roman numerals)

I II III IV V VI VII VIII

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

 Lot numbers (in Arabic numerals)

The indexes and records described in this guide are also listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under Ontario and the topic Land and Property.

CAN=T FIND A NAME?

Before concluding that your ancestor is not listed in Ontario land records, consider the following: $ The name may have had different spellings, so try variants. $ The person may have used a nickname, middle name, or initials. $ A woman may be listed under her maiden or married surname. Step 1. Search land records having surname indexes Search all the records in this step because some may contain more information than others.

 For the records listed below, find the film number you need. 1. Use the Family History Library Catalog Film/Fiche Search. 2. Type in the beginning film number listed for each source and click the Search button. Click on the title and then the View Film Notes button for a list of film numbers. 3. Search for the alphabetical sequence that would contain your ancestor=s name. 4. Write the corresponding film number. 5. Get the appropriate film, and search it for your ancestor=s name.