Place:Ramara, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada

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

Ramara is a township municipality in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada.

Ramara was formed in 1994 through the amalgamation of the townships of Rama and Mara. The municipality stretches along the northeastern shore of Lake Simcoe from Gamebridge to Orillia, and along the entire eastern shore of Lake Couchiching from Orillia to Washago. Farming, tourism and aggregate are the primary industries, and are supported by a wide variety of local enterprises. The area is perhaps best known as the home of Casino Rama, which is actually located on the neighbouring First Nations reserve of Chippewas of Mnjikaning First Nation in Rama.

End of quotation from wikipedia.

The townships of Rama and Mara were located in Simcoe County until 1852 when they were transferred to Ontario County. They returned as individual townships in 1974 when the remainder of Ontario County joined Durham Region.

The map of Simcoe County circa 1951 from Ontario Archives locates the individual municipalities, townships, city, towns and villages of the county. (Click at the bottom of the page to see the map enlarged.)

Two sketchmaps show the whole of Simcoe County and the alterations of boundaries that came with the change from townships to municipalities in the 1990s. The web page also leads to further references for Rama and Mara Townships and their history. (source:Simcoe GenWeb)

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 Simcoe County

• Simcoe County Museum
• Simcoe Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. Has a Settlers' Database, amongst other things.
• The Simcoe GenWeb site. Everything you might want to know about 19th century Simcoe County and more! This is a huge site with information on each of the new municipalites and links to the earlier townships that were amalgamated into each one. Names and histories of settlers, cemetery listings, and all sorts of things.
• Barrie Public Library houses the library of the Simcoe Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.
• Simcoe County Archives. Has an online database of its holdings. The place to visit for an "in depth" investigation.
• Simcoe County Settlers Database
• Hunter, A.F. (1909). History of Simcoe County. Reproduced online.
• Barrie Heritage provides a lot of material on the City of Barrie.