Place:Wentworth, Ontario, Canada

The map of Wentworth County circa 1951 from Ontario Archives locates the individual municipalities, townships, towns and villages of the county.

Formation and evolution of Wentworth County

In 1816 Wentworth County was located in the Gore District of Upper Canada. From 1816 to 1853 it was part of the United Counties of Halton and Wentworth. In 1841 Upper Canada became Canada West. In 1853 the Gore District was dissolved and Wentworth became an independent county. In 1867 Canada West became Ontario.

In 1974 Wentworth County was transformed into the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth.

On January 1 2001 it was absorbed into the new City of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

--Wrcummins 01:56, 15 September 2007 (EDT)

Constituent townships

this section is based on an article in Wikipedia

Each township that was ever part of the county is listed alphabetically below along with its years of existence, and its previous and subsequent configurations. The townships which made up Wentworth at its demise in 1974 are listed first alphabetically. The are followed by some other townships which were in Wentworth temporarily during the 19th century. The dates of transfers of these townships have not been substantiated.

• Ancaster: surveyed 1798), existed in Wentworth 1816–1973, later became a village, then a town, then part of a township, and then amalgamated into Town of Dundas.
• Barton: The township was surveyed 1792. The township included Hamilton and existed from 1816–1960 and gradually annexed into the City of Hamilton. source: Wikipedia)
• Beverly: Surveyed and opened for settlement in 1798. The five northern concessions were surveyed in 1794 and the southern part in 1797. The township existed from 1851–1973, and was later divided with one part going to North Dumfries but the majority to the Town of Flamborough.
• Binbrook: Surveyed 1798, joined Wentworth from Haldimand in 1816. Amalgamated into a new township or municipality named Glanbrook Township in 1973.
• Flamborough East: Both East and West Flamborough were surveyed and opened for settlement in 1792. The Township existed from 1851–1973. It was later divided with one part going to City of Burlington and the majority going to the Town of Flamborough.
• Flamborough West, area 31,028 acres (126 km2) Both East and West Flamborough were surveyed and opened for settlement in 1792. The Township existed from 1851–1973, later divided with one part going to the Town of Dundas and the majority to the the Town of Flamborough.
• Glanbrook, a merger of the townships of Binbrook and Glanford which took place in 1973.
• Glanford: surveyed and opened for settlement in 1798. The township existed from 1816-1974 and then became half of a new township or municipality named Glanbrook Township.
• Saltfleet: The township was surveyed and opened for settlement in 1792 and existed from 1816–1973, when it became the town and city of Stoney Creek.

• Caistor, existed in Wentworth from 1845–1851, earlier and later part of Haldimand County, then Lincoln County and in 1970 Township of West Lincoln in Niagara Region.
• Onondaga in Brant County, existed in Wentworth from 1816–1851. It was the home of the Six Nations of the Grand River.
• Seneca, existed in Wentworth County from 1816–1851, and was later part of Haldimand County.

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