Place:Exeter, Huron, Ontario, Canada

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

Exeter is a town in the former township of Usborne in Huron County in Ontario, Canada. Since the county reorganization of 2001 it has been located in the municipality or Township of South Huron.

Exeter is located on the Ausable River--the dividing line between the former townships of Usborne and Stephen.

History

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

Exeter was first founded in the winter of 1832 by the Irish settlers James and Jane Willis and also Amanda. By 1853, Exeter had grown into a community of over 300 with the help of Isaac Carling bringing immigrants from the Exeter and Devon areas of England.The original Carling homestead, a designated historical landmark still stands on Huron St.W. It was on July 1, 1873, when the villages north and south of the Ausable River (Francistown and Exeter respectively) merged to form the Village of Exeter. Exeter eventually became a town of over 4,500 people. Paintings of some of Exeter's historical citizens, by the late artist Harry Burke, may be seen at the Exeter Legion Hall.

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.
  
  

Websites with more local information on Huron County

• The Internet Archive has recently (July 2012) added a series of 19th century Voters' Lists, including a practically complete set for Huron County. Enter a township name in the search engine--the word "Huron" is barely used in the entire list.
• Huron Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society
• Huron Ontario GenWeb
• Huron County Library has online the assessment roll for the Huron District for 1842
• Huron County Historical Society

source: Family History Library Catalog