This collection is comprised of disparate documents collected by Professor David Macmillan. The scope of the papers is primarily North America, 1680 to 1920.

This fonds consists of Professor Brunger's research in 19th century Canadian historical geography, mainly in Upper Canada/Ontario, focused on emigration from the U.K. and settlement in Newcastle (Peterborough County) District and London (Talbot Settlement) District. Included in the research materials are several maps, a small collection of photo negatives, and microfilm reels.

Fonds consists of sheet music, some of which is hand-copied. The items originated with Captain Charles Rubidge and penciled annotations suggest that he collected or hand-copied a number of them in the early 1800s for his wife-to-be, Margaret Clarke, before coming to Canada. "Mrs. Rubidge" is written in hand on some pieces. Provenance is indicated on some documents in layered notes made by family descendants across generations. Also included is information compiled by Laurie Lambe Wallace about the sheet music and its history within the Rubidge family.

In 2017, 29 additional pieces of sheet music dating to the early 1800s were added. This music belonged to Mary Catharine Dunsford, wife of Reverend Hartley. Some of the music includes handwritten notations with family names and dates. While the publications of some pieces may date to the early 1800s, the handwritten penciled dates cover a period generally between the 1830s and 1860s. The notations point to connections between the Rubidge, Dunsford, McEwen, and Boyd families of the Peterborough area. Included in this addition is genealogical information compiled by the donor.

This fonds has extensive personal genealogical research material collected by John A. Bradshaw, Crown Attorney and Clerk of the Peace for the City of Peterborough from 1948 to 1974. The fonds includes correspondence with genealogists, notes, photocopies of related passages, poems, and chapters of books and other published material, photographs and a 1757 edition of The London Chronicle.

Fonds is comprised of three bound volumes of correspondence, sketches, paintings, diaries, receipts, newspaper clippings, deeds, baptismal and marriage records, family trees, and scrapbooks pertaining to the Wallis family. Included also are several documents pertaining to the Forbes family, related to the Wallis family through marriage. The Peterborough-born sculptress Katherine E. Wallis (1860-1957), whose papers are located in Trent University Archives, was a member of the Wallis family.
The volume spines are inscribed as follows:

• Papers of Louisa Charles John Mary and Adah Wallis 1854-1882 (Vol. I) (Located in Box 1);
• Papers of Louisa Charles John Mary and Adah Wallis 1883-1895 (Vol. II) (Located in Box 2);
• Captain R.M. Forbes, R.N. 1774-1846 and Family (Located in Box 3).
  Fonds is also comprised of typed transcriptions of some of the items; these are located as received within the volumes.

Fonds consists of correspondence, journals, and newspaper clippings related to the family of Thomas Alexander Stewart and Frances Stewart. Many papers originate from the family of their son, Henry Louis Stewart. Also included is one photograph, a sketch of Auburn, the family homestead, and a hand-drawn map.

This fonds consists of correspondence, an early version of the manuscript of Our Forest Home, and a copyright document for Our Forest Home. Also included are drawings, a painting, and house plans.

This addition to the fonds consists of an original marriage license; photocopies of an abstract of marriage settlement; last will and codicils and attachments; and miscellaneous correspondence. The correspondence includes Stewart to Browne (March 11-13, 1823) - original belongs to Mrs. G.K. Browne of St. Andrews East, Quebec; Stewart to Browne (December 23, 1853) - original belongs to Dunlop Stewart of Oakville, Ontario; and F. Stewart to Sandford Fleming - original belongs to H.T. Pammett.

This collection consists of miscellaneous maps of Upper Canada, Canada West and Ontario. The maps consist mostly of the Peterborough area and include Sir Sandford Fleming's 1846 map of Peterborough. This collection includes several Bird's Eye Views of the City of Peterborough (i.e. copies and variations)

This collection consists of records collected by G. Wilson Craw such as school histories, Peterborough County; Barnardo's Canadian Homes Almanac 1901; a list of Peterborough Utilities Commissioners 1902-1965; biographies of Peterborough residents; deeds and mortgages; North Monaghan voters list 1883-4; 76 photographs of industries, schools and churches and sporting groups, as well as a history of Springfield, North Monaghan.

The fonds consists of 19 documents including deeds, conveyances, and a map of the mill and water power property of Samuel Dickson and relating to land in the Water/McDonnel/Hunter Streets and river area of Peterborough, Ontario (Upper Canada and Canada West). Also an 1823 grant of Lot 1, Communication Road, Smith Township collected by the Davidson Family.

This addition to the fonds consists of two original letters written by Frances Stewart to relatives in Ireland. There is also an original invoice from a linen draper and haberdasher.

Fonds consists of papers, articles, and manuscripts of books written by Robert Bowley. Included is research material, photographs, slides, and negatives relating to the postal history of Smith Township, Peterborough, and the surrounding area. Included also are letters dated 1823-1878 of the Baptie family who were situated in Ida, Ontario, and extensive research material related to Captain Charles Rubidge, Sir Sandford Fleming, the Pengelley/Roche families, S.J. Carver, and local historic sites. This fonds is a tremendous resource for information related to Peterborough and area in general.

The fonds consists of three original letters. Two are written to Harriet Beaufort, the third and last one to Maria Noble. Letter #1 (November 9, 1823-December 6, 1823), tells of mail received, the death of Frances' daughter Bessie, description of produce, and of difficulties in communication with Cobourg. Letter #2 (January 27, 1824-February 5, 1824), describes Frances' troubles with servants, of Tom's trip to Cobourg over the Rice Lake/Peterborough Road, and his getting lost on the lake, and her new baby girl. Letter #3, written from Goodwood, (April 11, 1854), tells of Tom's death, and her reflections on it.

Collection consists of correspondence, surveys, notes, plans, and maps of Peterborough area surveyors John Huston, John Reid, Alfred J. Cameron, and John W. Pierce. Also included are speeches, newspaper clippings, biographical accounts of various local surveyors, miscellaneous published items re Peterborough, and documents and photographs relating to Pierce's survey of the Ontario-Manitoba border in 1921.

Fonds consists of original letters, certificates, sketches and maps pertaining to the family of Thomas Alexander Stewart and Frances Stewart of Peterborough, Ontario and their descendents. Included are letters to Ellen Dunlop written by Frances Stewart, Catharine Parr Traill, Harriet Beaufort, and others. Also included are pieces of sheet music and music certificates of Alice Roger Collins; medical certificates of Doctor Thomas Hay; newspaper clippings related to Katherine E. Wallis; and a scrapbook of nineteenth-century ferns and mosses of the United Kingdom.

This collection consists of miscellaneous ledgers and legal documents of businesses, doctors, etc. in Peterborough, surrounding counties and areas in southern Ontario.

This fonds consists of various original and copied records of the business activities of Thomas Hay, and related family data, such as birth-death records, correspondence, drawings (technical and sketches) and photographs. A small genealogical table compiled by the archivist is enclosed.

This item is a report of the selection and despatch of the Irish immigrants that Peter Robinson settled in the Peterborough area in 1825, including names of the ships used, numbers carried, a list of townships in which the immigrants settled and the results of the harvests in 1826. A transcript of the report is included.

This item is a document cover sheet with an inscription "Glengary 13th Nov. 1828, Bishop McDonell, Cornwall, Private, 25 Nov., [to] The Honbl. Peter Robinson, His Majestys Wardon of Woods in Upper Canada & c., York".

This collection consists of two photographs and five prints of various towns. The two photographs are of Port Hope and are hand-coloured. One photograph (item #1) is of Trinity College School before the fire. The other photograph (item #2) is framed and matted. It is of Port Hope's harbour taken from the western hill. There is one coloured reproduction print (item #3) of Port Hope which is matted and framed. This print was presented by Mr. and Mrs. M.E. Lewis to Trent University on the occasion of the opening of Bata Library. There is one print (item #4) of Lindsay which was produced in 1882. Another print (item #5) is entitled "Hastings on the Trent, Ont." and was drawn by Rev. M.A. Farrar and lithographed by Brown and Bautz. Item #6 is a framed black and white photograph of an 1832 pencil sketch of Government House in Peterborough which was drawn by Mary Sanford. The last print (item #7) is a framed coloured reproduction print of York from Gibralter Point from 1828.

This fonds consists of records from the law firm and practice of Hall, Gillespie, from its beginnings with Robert Dennistoun, to its termination with John Gillespie. This fonds consists of land search books, case files, estate records from probates of wills and succession of duty papers to surety bonds, and lists of assets and debts. It also consists of correspondence, the firm's written history, maps, deeds and associated papers, mortgages, debentures, bills of sale and other legal records. The records in this fonds deal primarily with people and places in the City and County of Peterborough as well as its surrounding area.

This item is carbon copy of a typescript history of St. Andrew's United Church titled "One Hundred Years' History of St. Andrew's Church, Peterborough 1833-1933." It was written and later published by E. Bruce Fowler.

This fonds consists of the personal and business records of the Geale, Hamilton, Peck, Barker and Rogers families. There are letters relating to World War I written by Beresford and Robert Hamilton and Heber and Harry Rogers; letters, diaries, journals of Richard Birdsall Rogers (superintending engineer of the Peterborough Lift Lock); the records of Hon. Robert Hamilton, a factor at the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Fort Edmonton. The fonds also contains stereographs, approximately 1000 photographs, and a C.E. Goad fire insurance plan for the city of Peterborough, 1882. Items of interest include a group of photographs of the Trent Valley area and the building of the canal; Rogers family pictures of the Stoney Lake area and the Juniper Island Regatta; photos of early aircraft and the Curtiss Aviation School; photos of hydraulic lift lock at Peterborough; and one letter from Catharine Parr Traill to Robert Miles Hamilton.

This collection of family papers, correspondence, journals, photographs, newspaper clippings and published works spans the years 1834 to 1966 and measures approximately 3 1/2 linear metres. The papers were deposited in Trent University Archives through the courtesy of members of the Geale and Rogers families in 1983.

The papers are divided into two series:

Series A, the Geale family papers, consists of records pertaining to the descendants of the Hon. Robert Hamilton, a factor of the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Fort Edmonton in northern Manitoba. Robert Hamilton married Annie Seabourne. One of their sons was Robert Miles Hamilton (1864-1939). He married Alice May Barker and resided at "Auburn" in Peterborough, Ontario. Their children were Miles Beresford Hamilton, Robert Barker Hamilton, (Alice) Seabourne Hamilton, and S.R. Hamilton (son). Alice Seabourne Hamilton married Charles Norman Geale. Papers of the Barker family (the Hon. Samuel Barker was Mrs. Robert Miles Hamilton's father) are included in this series as are the papers of the Peck family. Edward Armour Peck was the natural son of Arthur Henry Peck and the adoptive father of Charles Norman Geale. He married Kitty Revell. Both Miles Beresford Hamilton and Robert Barker Hamilton served overseas in the First World War and their correspondence is included in this series.

Series B of this collection consists of the Rogers Papers. Richard Birdsall Rogers was born at Ashburnham in 1857. He lived there until 1916 and then moved to "Beechwood Farm" in Douro Township. He was a land surveyor and was appointed superintendent engineer of the Trent Valley Canal in 1884. Richard married Clara Mina Calcutt of Peterborough in 1881. They had seven children. One daughter, Leah, married Herbert Geale, brother of Charles Norman Geale. Two sons, Heber and Harry served overseas in World War I. Their correspondence is included. R.B. Rogers designed and supervised the building of the hydraulic lift locks at Peterborough and Kirkfield. These papers included several files of plans and specifications for the locks, correspondence and documents accrued during the scandal preceding Rogers' resignation in 1906, the Holgate Report which condemned Rogers and the Keefer investigation which completely vindicated his work as Chief Engineer. We have created a major on-line exhibit focusing on the life and times of Richard Rogers and the Peterborough Lift Lock: http://digitalcollections.trentu.ca/exhibits/birdsall-rogers/zrptboll.htm