This fonds consists of 575 bound volumes of Victoria County administrative and financial records and court records. It includes 228 local business journals, day books, ledgers, County council material, criminal justice accounts and court documents.

This fonds consists of photocopies of the diaries of Hugh Lumsden, from 1901 to 1928. The early diaries show some evidence of surveying activity while the later ones are mainly of a personal nature. Yearly cash accounts are included.

This fonds consists of typescript copies of correspondence of G.M. Roche, October 1859 from Fenelon Falls, and Lindsay, Canada West, relating to the death of his brother John K. Roche, Provincial Land Surveyor, while surveying the Bobcaygeon Road. Also included are extracts from the diary of William Bell, chief chairman of John Roche's party from July 1859 to April 1860. The survey was completed by Mr. Brady, Provincial Land Surveyor, in 1860.

The microfilms are copies of assessment and census rolls, 1803-1850, voter's lists, 1854, and poll books, 1816, 1820, 1824 for the Newcastle District. Area covered includes various townships in the present-day counties of Peterborough, Northumberland, Durham and Victoria. The townships of Hamilton and Haldimand were not filmed.

The fonds consists of a collection of deeds, bonds, land grants, indentures, mortgages, writs and conveyances from the following townships and municipalities: Ops, Cavan, Manvers, Mariposa, Emily, Eldon, Cambray, Fenelon, Lindsay, Toronto, Monaghan, Somerville.

Series consists of five microfilm reels of the decennial nominal census, of 1881, of Peterborough, Victoria, Hastings, Durham and Northumberland Counties. This collection includes the census of the towns, villages, and townships of Hastings County (north) and are listed as follows: Marmora Lake, Wollaston, Monteagle, Hershel, Wicklow, McClure, Bangor, Mayo, Carlo, Grimsthorpe, Elzevir, Dungannon, Faraday, Cashel, Limerick, Tudor, Sabine, Airey, Lyell, Murchison and Robinson; also Northumberland County (east), including Cramahe, Colborne (village), Brighton, Brighton (village), Murray, Percy, Seymour, Campbellford (village) and Hastings (village). Included also is Northumberland County (west) encompassing Alnwick, Haldimand, Hamilton, and Cobourg (town); and Peterborough County (east), which includes Ashburnham (village), Norwood (village), Burleigh, Anstruther, Chandos, Harvey, Galway, Cavendish, Belmont, Methuen, Hastings (village), Asphodel, Stanhope, Sherborne, McClintock, Dudley, Dysart, Harcourt, Snowden, Glamorgan, Monmouth, Cardiff, Minden, Douro, Otonabee, and Dummer. Also included is Peterborough County (west), encompassing Peterborough (town), Smith, Monaghan (north), Monaghan (south), and Ennismore; also Durham County (east), which includes Hope, Port Hope (town), Cavan, Manvers, Millbrook (village); also Durham County (west), which includes Darlington, Newcastle (village), Clarke, Cartwright, and Bowmanville (town); also Victoria County (south), which includes Ops, Lindsay (town), Mariposa, Emily, Verulam, Omemee (village), and Bobcaygeon (village); also Victoria County (north), which includes Eldon, Fenelon, Fenelon Falls (village), Carden, Dalton, Bexley, Somerville, Digby, Laxton, Longford, Lutterworth, Hindon, and Anson; also Muskoka, which includes Morrison, Gravenhurst (village), Muskoka, Wood, Medora, Monk, Cardwell, Watt, Conger, Humphrey, Oakley, Ryde, Draper, Bracebridge (village), Macauly, Brunel, Stephenson, Ridout, McLean, Sinclair, Franklin, Proudfoot, Chaffey, Bethune, Perry, McDougall, Cowper, and Foley.

Microfilm copy of nominal, decennial census of Victoria County and Durham (East) County for 1871. The census for Durham East includes only the Townships of Cavan and Manvers.

This fonds consists of notebooks belonging to Carrie Brady. The notebooks cover a wide range of subjects such as grammar, French, geography, mathematics and calligraphy.

This fonds consists of minutes, by-laws, assessment and collectors rolls, cash books and miscellaneous correspondence of Emily Township, Victoria County, Ontario. The large assessment and collectors rolls are shelved with the Victoria County municipal records.

The fonds consists of typescripts of the field diary and report of the survey of Bell's Line by Robert Bell, August 1847-September 1848.

The fonds consists of photocopies of the following memoirs of settlement in the Bobcaygeon Area. a) Reminiscence of Mossom Boyd, written down by M.M. Boyd, 1875-1877, typescript copy, 5 pages. b) Manuscript copy of J.W. Bicks "Reminiscences and Memorandum on Coming to Canada in 1837 and Dunsford family in 1838;" gathered 1891 (January 9) 5 pages. c) George Dunsford Reminiscences, taken down by H.J. Wickham, 1894 in Miss Boyd's hand.

This fonds consists of a two-volume biography of Eliza Jane (Hughes) McAlpine, 1854-1938, written by her grandson, Wallace McAlpine, fifty years after her death. The biography contains the Hughes family history from the Napoleonic era, follows Eliza's parents to Canada in the 1840's, describes the marriages of her siblings, and gives a fine sense of life in Durham County in the early years of Canada's nationhood. Eliza's battle with spinal meningitis is recounted. The volumes trace the events, joys, and sorrows of the sizeable Hughes family, the accomplishments of Eliza's husband, Dr. John McAlpine, and the experiences with horses and subsequently automobiles. The extraordinary impact of Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" is described. The famous Sir Sam Hughes was Eliza's brother and some of his exploits are described. Eliza's tour of Europe is described as it took place just before the outbreak of World War I. Lt. A.A. MacLeod's story is told. There is an account of Lt. Col. Cyril D.H. McAlpine's fateful expedition in the Arctic; a biographical sketch of J.W.L. Foster who painted a portrait of Eliza; an account of M.P. Tom Stinson's visits with Eliza; Eliza's disgust with Vicki Baum; her pleasure in talking with Chief Paudash; and finally her death and its aftermath. The volumes provide a wide, varied sketch of the times in which the events transpire.

Attached to the pages within the volumes are approximately 30 photographs, most of which are portraits, and are both in black and white, and colour.

This fonds consists of draft manuscripts and research notes for the book "From County Trust To National Trust" published in 1988 by Roy Russell Merifield; annual reports for Victoria and Grey Trust and affiliated merged trust companies; company and media biographical sketches of company officers and directors; correspondence to and from company president Walter Harris 1968 to 1971; photocopies of press clippings relating to the collapse of the Atlantic Acceptance/British Mortgage and Trust Company and the Hughes Royal Commission.

Fonds consists of documents and photographs relating to Harley Cummings' education and military career; his research notes, correspondence, and manuscripts relating to family history and Ottawa schools history; and miscellaneous scrapbooks.

Fonds consists of call-up notification postcards (1874-1880) sent by Lieut.-Col. Alex. McKenzie of Barrie, Ontario, to Lieut. John Sutherland of Bond Head, Ontario regarding the Battalion being raised at Barrie for the Northwest Rebellion. Also included are genealogical records related to the Cummings and MacCallum families, a photocopy of a book written by Harley Cummings entitled Cummings-MacCallum: A Tale of Two Families; notes and other materials related to the teaching career of Cummings; three photographs: Hon. Thos. Mackay's Mills, Distillery etc. and part of New Edinburgh, Rideau Falls, New Edinburgh, from Railway Bridge, and an unidentified photo similar to the previous two; and three maps: 1. Ontario Department of Highways Road Map of the Provisional County of Haliburton, 1952 (original); 2. Plan of Part of York River and its Southern Tributaries, Egan's River, Hudson's Creek & Allen's Creek together with the Head Waters of the E. & W. Branches of Crow River & Buckhorn Branch of Ottanabe [Otonabee] River, Tributaries to the St. Lawrence, surveyed by John A. Snow, Hull, 1855 (in four sheets, copied from microfilm); 3. Plan of Part of York River, commencing at the Floodwood Jam, surveyed by John A. Snow, Hull, 1854 (in three sheets, copied from microfilm).

Fonds consists of maps and plans of the Ottawa and Haliburton areas, time-books of Bronsons and Weston logging firm, and photographs of the building of a railway, and of the Haliburton area. Included also are research material and manuscripts relating to books which Harley R. Cummings wrote about schools in the Ottawa area, and on the history of Haliburton. Included are notes on John Strachan and a transcript of his diary. The fonds also includes several genealogical charts of the MacCallum family.

This fonds consists of primary research material and the manuscript and photographs for Harley R. Cummings' book, "Early Days in Haliburton". The fonds also consists of correspondence, including letters from the Honorable Leslie Frost, photographs, maps, and an original 1863 surveyor's diary for Eyre Township. Also included are the C.R. Stewart diaries, dated 1902-1904. C.R. Stewart (1826-1905) was resident agent for the Canadian Land and Immigration Company and was the first settler in the Village of Haliburton. In his diaries he refers to Colonel Samuel Hughes and Mossom Boyd. Stewart's son, C.E. Stewart (1851-1921) was editor of the "Bobcaygeon Independent". The fonds also includes several historical papers and publications written by Cummings and others.

Fonds consists of reports, directional plans, reviews, and proceedings of the Haliburton, Kawartha & Pine Ridge District Health Council (1989-1998). Also included are some meeting minutes of the Well-Being in the Rural Community Task (1995-1996); the Ontario Health Survey Liaison Group (1991-1992); the Creating a Future that Works Healthy Community Group (1994-1995); the District Health Council/Trent Conservation Coalition GIS Meeting with Stanhope Township (1996-1997); the District Health Council/Trent Conservation Coalition/GIS Project Intensification Study Technical Committee (1995-1996); the GIS Technical Committee (1997); and the GIS Planning Task Force (1995-1996).

Fonds consists of an original unpublished manuscript written by Dennis Dickens Sweeting about his life. There is reference throughout to his involvement with theatre. Also included are two letters (1999) addressed to Jean Murray Cole from Beth Clarke-Gilman (niece of Dennis Sweeting) and Dennis Sweeting. These letters concern the reading of Sweeting's manuscript.

This fonds consists of the original diary of Margaret Jane Scott who attended Lindsay Model School and then Toronto Normal School before teaching in Omemee, Ontario. The diary covers the period of time Margaret spent in Toronto at Normal School. Also included in the fonds is a typescript copy of the diary which is bound and includes an introduction, photograph and a section entitled conversations with Ida Scott which was produced September 12, 1994.

This fonds consists of a transcript and two audio reels containing an interview with Dennis Patrick Sears regarding history of Victoria County, logging, life styles, importance of the church, education, World War I and prohibition.

This fonds consists of records encompasing three generations of the Boyd family of Bobcaygeon. The fonds has been divided into the following series: photographs and glass negatives; Reverend Henry C. Avant; Mossom Boyd; Mossom Martin Boyd (Mossie); Lillian de Grassi Boyd; the De Grassi papers which are records of Dr. Alex De Grassi, Lillian Boyd's father, a physician from Lindsay, Upper Canada; Gardiner Cust Boyd; Mildred Boyd; Winnett (Brownie) Boyd; Laurence Chadwick Boyd; Mossom de Grassi Boyd; A. Sheila Boyd; stamps; artifacts; business which deals with the Boyds interests in lumbering; agricultural papers which deal with the Boyd's farming interests in buffalo and cattle; and, estate papers. The strength of this fonds lies in its completeness. Nothing was thrown away and there are grocery lists, laundry lists, staff salary books, furniture receipts, party and wedding invitations, school report cards, ship and railway timetables, diaries and approximately 20,000 pieces of correspondence. This has resulted in a remarkable record of a large household from the 1880s to the 1980s and an invaluable source for social and business historians.

The 15 microfilm reels from the Department of Lands and Forests holdings contain field survey notes for most townships in southern Ontario dating from 1784 to 1945. The handwritten guide to the survey notes was prepared by students in a geography course at Trent University. This guide is available in the Reading Room.

Fonds consists of research materials and notes, modern correspondence, photocopies of historical documentation, and genealogical resources for the Need family as well as other people living in both England and Newcastle District. The historical documentation includes wills, gravesite information, lot and concession records, military records, correspondence. As well as the Need family, there is also biographical information on other families, including the Dunsfords, Langtons, Campbells, and Sawers.

These research materials were accumulated by Dawn Bell Logan and used to write books, articles, and biographical entries about Thomas Need, including Thomas Need : settler in the backwoods of Upper Canada (self published, 2022), and the Dictionary of Canadian Biography entry for Thomas Need (V. 12). Photographs are of some sites in Lincolnshire, U.K, Peterborough, Canada, the Trent Severn Waterway, Thomas Need’s descendants, and gravestones of Need family members.

Fonds is organized into four series: Thomas Need journals and correspondence; Research materials and manuscripts; Dawn Logan correspondence; and Files on Dawn Logan’s publications.

Thomas Need Biography

Thomas Need (1808-1895) emigrated from Nottingham, England to Upper Canada in May 1832 and settled in Verulam Township in Victoria County in 1833 around Sturgeon Lake. He had graduated from University College, London, in 1830 and rejected the idea of becoming a member of the clergy. This contributed to his decision to leave England.

While in Upper Canada, Need was a member of the government commission that oversaw the construction of what became the first lock of the Trent-Severn Waterway, founded the Village of Bobcaygeon in 1834, and served as a magistrate for the Court of Requests from 1835 to 1837.

Need anonymously published his book Six years in the bush or extracts from the journal of a settler in Upper Canada (London, 1838) on his experiences in Upper Canada. The book was based on his journal entries he made in his personal journal which he called the “Woodhouse Journal.” Need returned to Nottingham, England permanently in 1847 and died in 1895. His authorship was confirmed with the publication of John Langton’s letters in 1926 and he was subsequently recognized as a contributor to early Canadian literature.

Source: Biography – NEED, THOMAS – Volume XII (1891-1900) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography. http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/need_thomas_12E.html. Accessed 11 Jan. 2024.