Place:Binbrook, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada

Binbrook is a "compact rural area" located in the former Binbrook Township in Wentworth County in southern Ontario. Binbrook Township joined with its neighbouring Township of Glanford to form the Municpality of Glanbrook which existed within the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth (1974-2001). Since 2001 the area is a part of the new single-tier City of Hamilton.

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Binbrook is a small, but growing community in southeastern Hamilton, Ontario in Canada. It was unpopularly amalgamated into the City of Hamilton in 2001. Since 2001, Binbrook has added hundreds of new homes as it becomes an "island" suburb of Hamilton, separated by conservation and agricultural lands. Armstrong's General Store was a longtime centre of community activity as was the feed mill and, in the 1960s, Cybulski's Grocery Store. Knox Presbyterian Church is on the Eastern flank of the village, 400 m down Binbrook Road from the village center. On March 14, 2012, Tim Horton's opened right in the middle of the downtown area at Binbrook Road and Highway 56.

The community of Binbrook, Ontario holds a rich history of agriculture and First Nations peoples. There has been evidence found of Algonquin tribes inhabiting this area. The community of Binbrook has not been an official town for many years though its current growth and population lend to a small town feeling. Currently it is considered an island suburb of the City Of Hamilton and was officially amalgamated in 2001.

The first registry of Binbrook is in 1791 when it was called Township #11 in the District of Nassau. The plan can be found in the Department of Lands and Forests, Toronto, dated Oct. 25, 1791 where it lists four concessions and blocks divided amongst several families.

As a small but growing community, it has a bevy of family friendly activities including a growing farmers market, The Binbrook Little Theatre, A Public Library, a recently built community centre, arena, soccer fields, The Binbrook Fairgrounds (which hosts many dances and events throughout the year), and The Binbrook Conservation area.

Binbrook is host to one of the oldest Fall Fairs in Canada and it is anticipated annually.

The population of Binbrook has more than tripled since 2006 when the population was slightly below 1,000. The current estimated population is over 3,000 with continued growth anticipated.

Research Tips

The primary source for basic documents (vital statistics, land records, wills) for people who lived in the Province of Ontario is the Archives of Ontario, 134 Ian Macdonald Blvd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M7A 2C5.

Early Records

Civil registration did not begin in the province until 1869. Before then there may be church records of baptisms and burials. For the most part these are still held by the denomination who recorded them. Copies of marriage records made pre-1869 had to be sent by individual clergymen to the registrar of the county in which the marriage took place. These marriage records are available through Ontario Archives, on micorfilm through LDS libraries, and on paid and unpaid websites, but because they were copied at the registrars' offices, they cannot be considered a primary source.

Vital Records after 1869

Birth, marriage and death registrations are not open to the public until a specific number of years after the event occurred. Births to 1914 are now available [October 2012]; dates for marriages and deaths are later. Birth and death registration was not universally carried out in the early years after its adoption. Deaths were more apt to be reported than births for several years. The more rural the area, the less likely it would be that these happenings were reported to the authorities.
Images and indexes of civil registrations for the "viewable" years can be found on paid websites, and indexes only on FamilySearch. The latest year published is not yet available online. The FamilySearch Wiki on Ontario Vital Records explains how these records are organized and their availability.

Land Records and Wills

Information on how to access land records and wills is best sought on the Archives of Ontario website. An ancestor's land holding might be found on Canadian County Atlas Digital Project if he was in occupancy circa 1878.

Association for the Preservation of Ontario Land Registry Office Documents (APOLROD). A list of Land Registry Offices for all Counties of Ontario.

Censuses

The original censuses are in the hands of Library and Archives Canada. All of the original census (1851-1911) images are online with the exception of that for 1861. Not all of them are indexed. Later censuses are not yet available. Census divisions were redrawn as the population increased and more land was inhabited.
Other websites, some paid and some free, also provide Canadian census originals and/or indexes online. One can view censuses on microfilm at the Archives of Ontario or at big libraries throughout Canada.

E-books and Books

• The Internet Archive, particularly texts from Canadian universities, can contain interesting material
• Our Roots is a Canadian website similar to The Internet Archive
• Global Genealogy is an online bookshop specializing in Ontario material who will ship anywhere in the world.
  
  

Some websites with more local information on Wentworth County

• Wentworth GenWeb who have producted a set of township maps indicating cemetery locations. These maps also show roads and concession numbers, good for locating property, and the line of the Niagara Escarpment, an important geographical feature in the neighbourhood.
• Hamilton Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society provide a list of publications and describe their personal research services. They also have lists of people found in the archives of local funeral homes.
• Hamilton Public Library have a website listing the books on local genealogy, township by township.
• Head-of-the-Lakes Historical Society has its own website.
• West Flamborough Heritage Society and Archives has its own website.

source: Family History Library Catalog