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 Included in this series are papers dealing with the large land holdings of the College, historical documents relating to the College's early beginnings and the land deals which allowed it to expand within the town of Cobourg and Haldimand Township, as well as the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 collection consists of a number of photographs depicting various people such as Queen Victoria, William Lyon Mackenzie King (May 22, 1948 in Ottawa), two brass bands of which one is from Cobourg, Ontario and two photographs of a wood bee at Salem, Ontario, January 25, 1899, photographed by F. B. Jones of the Dominion Photo and View Co., Brighton, Ontario. There are also 4 photographs of unknown people.

The fonds consists of a collection of postcards, letters and photographs relating to people and events in Port Hope and vicinity (up to and including Bewdley and Bailieboro); including correspondence to Henry White.

This addition to the fonds consists of original assessment and collectors' rolls from municipalities within the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham.

These census consists of microfilm copies of the Library and Archives Canada decennial and nominal census for Northumberland and Durham Counties from 1851, 1861 and 1871.

Fonds consists of four notebooks of poetry and penmanship belonging to Mary Smithson Nimmo, South Monaghan Township, Ontario.

This fonds consists of a letter by Henry Rowed, census enumerator, to Thomas Ayre, census commissioner for United Counties of Northumberland and Durham, relating to physical characteristics and economic outlook of Seymour Township. There is reference made on the effect of repeal of British corn laws upon winter wheat culture in the township.

The fonds consists of the deeds and other land records relating to property in Seymour Township.

Fonds consists of one ledger identified as having belonged to Moscrip, Allan & Company. The business sold hardware, machinery, and farm equipment, and repaired same. Some customers were contractors, blacksmiths, wagoners; addresses of customers were Hamilton Township, Cobourg, Oshawa, Peterborough, Port Hope, and Bowmanville. Some business was carried on with schooners. Other customers included Dr. Gilchrist; Thomas Trail [Traill]; Cobourg-Peterborough Distillery; Ontario Distillery; Cobourg, Peterborough & Marmora Railway and Mining Co.; R.A. Waddell, Sheriff; and merchants and farmers. Accounts for 1867 listed Trustees of Common Schools with charges for two school bells. The ledger includes an index.

This fonds consists of statements of accounts, bills, and receipts. It also includes assessment notices, tax notices and some miscellaneous papers. The fonds contains a recipe for a diphtheria cure.

This fonds consists of the Tuer family records. It includes family photographs and correspondence; estate records (including the "Kilshaw" records); last will and testament of Thomas Tuer 1873; music examination records of Mary Tuer; and teaching certificates of Margaret Tuer 1899-1918.

This fonds includes correspondence, receipts and other records of Reverend Peter McLaren Duncan, Leonora Duncan, James Duncan, and Annie Duncan. Also included are sermon notes, assessment notices, insurance policies and the marriage register of Colborne Presbyterian Church from 1896 to 1912. The fonds also includes an autograph album of Leonora (Singleton) Duncan, Brighton, Canada West.

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 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 the records of the Cobourg foundry. It includes journals, ledgers, correspondence, accounts, pay lists, bills, receipts, contracts and specifications of jobs done as kept by James Davidson, founder and machine shop operator. There is also some correspondence from A. Munson of Oil Springs, Canada West relating to the oil industry, as well as correspondence from Henry Fowlds with regards to work done and payment of accounts.

This fonds consists of voters lists, public school pupils records and an account book, all relating to Cavan Township and in particular, School Section No. 3.

This fonds consists of three notebooks which belonged to various members of the Nimmo family. The notebook belonging to Robert Davidson Nimmo holds accounts from 1860 to 1865. The notebook belonging to T.J. Nimmo contains recipes for tanning and taxidermy, circa 1893. There is an account book belonging to Mrs. R. Nimmo dating from 1898 to 1906 and a diary of A.R.M. Nimmo from 1908.

This item is a deed of the sale of land, 1861, to John Wilson, a yeoman of the Township of Manvers, in the County of Durham.

This fonds consists of one ledger and one letter book of A. Jeffrey & Son of Cobourg, Canada West and Ontario. These are excellent records of who supplied goods to merchants in Canada West and how they were shipped.

The ledger dates from 1851 to 1869. Page 3 concerns accounts of foundry repairs totalling 461.3.3. Page 8 lists the account of A. Moscrip of Cobourg (see 88-014). Articles sold include various items of hardware: white lead, putty, varnish, glass, nails, rope, scythe and so forth. Customers listed include Thomas Short, Keene, Trustees of the Grammar School, Ontario Distillery, and Foulds Brothers. The cover is labelled "1868 A. Jeffrey & Son, Cobourg, Ontario."

The letter book is a record of orders placed by A. Jeffrey & Son, Cobourg.

• Entries such as the following appear on page 1: Order for Sundries to be furnished by Messrs. Henry Rogers Sons & Coy, Wolverhamton, England, on account of A. Jeffrey & Son Cobourg C.W. to be shipped by first steamer from Liverpool to Montreal fully insured this to Cobourg and marked: B AJ & SC
• The order which follows is 3 pages long and includes such items as 6 dozen padlocks, 3 gross pen holders, 1 dozen japanned coal scoops, 48 Fosters plow moulds. Order is dated Cobourg, 7th June 1862, A. Jeffrey & Son.
• A. Jeffrey regularly ordered Phoenix bar iron (round, square, flat and half-round) from Coatbridge, Scotland. Glass products such as lamps and lamp chimneys were ordered from the New England Glass Company in Boston to be shipped by Grand Trunk Railway via Portland. Locks, keys, door knobs, escutcheons etc. were ordered from New York and shipped by canal to Oswego and thence by lake to Cobourg.

This fonds consists of a family photograph album inscribed "Presented to Miss Neads by the Presbyterian Church, Bowmanville for services rendered as organist, August 9, 1876". It contains photographs of people who are mostly unidentified and one tintype. Also included and wrapped separately on the shelf is the Neads Family Bible which contains genealogical information on the Neads family.

This fonds consists of five bound volumes relating to activities of the Campbell family of Keene, Ontario. There are ledgers, diaries and a scrapbook which date from 1862 to 1929.

This fonds represents many different members of the Campbell family of Keene and their interests. The scrapbook was composed by Isabelle Fulton Miller Campbell, daughter of Isabella Brownlie Miller and James Miller, and deals with different areas of interest to her. The two diaries, written by Isabelle Fulton Miller Campbell, deal with every day life and reflect how a number of people lived during the time period covered by the diaries. There is a business ledger of William Campbell who was a tailor in Keene and he also appears to be responsible as an executor for people's estates including his mother's. There is also a day book from a Keene grocery store which lists what the Campbells and other people in the Village of Keene purchased.

Collection consists of Haldimand Township property documents dated 1863-1891. Subjects include Jay Ketchum, William Matthews, James Thomas Johnson, Archibald Campbell, Donald C. Matthews, William H. Johnson, Joseph Keeler, William Maxwell, David [P--], and Thomas Kelso. Also included are estate documents relating to Mary Jane Cowie, 1932, and miscellaneous receipts.

This item is a register of registered mail delivered to Cobourg Post Office between 1865 and 1868 showing where mail was mailed from, to whom it was addressed and the date it was delivered.