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

File consists of affidavits of John Brown (groom) and Mary Jane Bigelow (bride), both of Clarke Township, Durham County. Married 9 June 1897 in Bowmanville.

This fonds consists of indentures, accounts, ledgers, will and probates of wills, mortgages, and other records created by the legal firm of Howell Fleming and its predecessors of Peterborough, Ontario. The series in the fonds include the Daniel Mahoney series; the D.W. Dumble series; the R.W. Thompson series; the Charles McCaffrey series; the Mary Violette Dover diploma series; the Zacheus Burnham estate series; the Francis Dean Kerr series; the Pearse family series; the Flora E. Deuston financial series; the James Edward and Harriet E. McIlmoyle estate series; the William H. Cluxton estate series; the Dennistoun series; the Robert Dennistoun series; the Charles W. Morton series; the Joseph Buller series; the Fife estate series; the Albert Hall, Wm. Comstock series and the St. John's Church document series.

This fonds consists of photocopies of the minutes of the gaol and courthouse building committee, from 1828 to 1831, at Amherst in Hamilton Township, Newcastle District.

This item is a broadside containing information about the By-Laws of the Municipality of Haldimand for the information of pound keepers: "Extracts from the statutes of Canada and the by-Laws of the Municipality of Halidmand..."

The fonds has been divided into three general series. Series A consists of business and legal papers of the Kerr and Kerr Law firm which was run by William Kerr and his son William F. Kerr. Included in this series are many individual case files. Series B consists of the papers of Victoria College which was located in Cobourg, Ontario. Included in this series are papers dealing with the large land holdings of the College, historical documents relating to the College's early beginnings and the land deals which allowed it to expand within the town of Cobourg and Haldimand Township, as well as the papers of the officers involved in the negotiations and the the final move of the College to Toronto at the end of the nineteenth century. Series C consists of the personal papers and business correspondence and documents of John W. Kerr, Senator William Kerr's brother, and also a Lawyer in Cobourg, Ontario.

This fonds consists of microfilm of RG 1, E3 which is described in the Public Archives of Canada inventory as a series of loose miscellaneous records which provide the documentation and background for many of the cases referred to the Executive Council of Upper Canada. The cases relate to many topics, some of which are: the 1837 Rebellion in Upper Canada; petitions for land, clemency, and various types of licenses; a few trials for murder and arson; schools; lists of settlers; roads and bridges; and United Empire Loyalists. The records on the microfilm date from 1791 to 1841.

These documents pertain to property in the city of Peterborough (lot 8 on the north side of Townsend Street and on the south side of Dalhousie Street west of Aylmer St.) once owned by Reverend Vincent Clementi. They consist of deeds, mortgages, and include the will of Clementi and his wife Elizabeth. Grantors and mortgage holders include James Hall Sheriff, Allan Macdougall, J.D. Collins, George Barlee, Thomas and Jane Fairbairn, R. Boucher, Katherine Dennistoun, G. Stevenson, H.C. Rogers. Clementi bought the property in 1874.

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

This item is a photocopy of the last will and testament of Mossom Boyd, written May 7, 1880 and probated August 27, 1883.

This fonds consists of 4 original documents pertaining to the land on which Victoria College, Cobourg, was situated. One document is the declaration of Rev. S.D. Rice verifying the signatures of the Attorney General (John A. Macdonald) and the Deputy Registrar (Thomas Mayor) on the other three documents.

This collection consists of two legal documents. One is written on parchment, dated 6 May 1647 and written in German. The second document is dated 11 December 1806 and appoints 16 men as Justices of the Peace for the District of Newcastle. It is signed by Francis Gore, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada at York.

This fonds consists of the bench books of Judge G.L. Murdoch from the court sittings of a circuit court covering Peterborough, Cobourg and Lindsay areas. The books note the defendant and prosecution names, the case number, exhibit numbers and short comments on the cases as the witnesses testify. The books comprise an "aide-memoire" for the judge as he listened to the various cases. Twenty-five of the books were the bench books of Judge Harry R. Deyman (1912-1975).

This letter is a hand copy of an indenture between G.B. Hall, his wife, E.M. Hall, and Zaccheus Burnham, for the sale of lands in Otonabee township.

Microfilm copy of portions of R.G. 27, volumes 55-61, in the Library and Archives Canada. It includes scrapbooks of clippings on the Winnipeg General Strike and the sedition trials which followed from 1919 to 1920.

This fonds consists of legal documents which are mostly protests against Alexander McIntosh for promissory notes that were not honoured. The protesters are local Peterborough businesses and banks. There are also by-laws and other documents of a legal nature from North Monaghan township including some information on School Sections Nos. 1-4 and a class list for School Section No. 3.

This fonds consists of minutes and by-laws of the Proceedings of the Municipal Council of the United Counties of Peterborough & Victoria.

This item is a contract between Thomas Watson, teacher, and the Trustees of the Joint Board Grammar and Common School, Port Hope. The contract is for 1 year at a salary of one hundred and twenty pounds.

This fonds consists of two execution books from 1851 to 1852 in the County of Ontario. One is an account book referring to fees paid and the costs covered. The other is an account of summons sent and received. Places mentioned include Brock, Beaverton, Darlington, Mariposa, Millbrook, and London. There are accounts of L. Fairbanks, up to 1858 in the books as well.

The fonds consists of rough notes, manuscripts and texts of a number of addresses given by Judge Joseph Wearing on a wide range of subjects dealing with Canadian, imperial, international affairs and the law in society.

This item is a letter from Judge Harding to Messrs. Ball and Ball, Barristers of Woodstock, Ontario. The letter is about his financial difficulties.

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.

This addition to the fonds consists of correspondence between Scott Medd and his sister Miss Mary Medd of Peterborough, Ontario. The correspondence is from the later period of their lives. There are also photographs of the Medd and Daniels families.

This fonds consists of documents, from 1869 to 1902, including sale of timber receipts, deeds of land and quit claims of John E. Proctor of Brighton, Ontario.