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Darlington was a township in the west of Durham County facing Lake Ontario. It received its first settlers, who came across the lake from the United States, before 1800. The principal town was Bowmanville which was incorporated separately from the township in 1858. Darlington Township joined with its eastern neighbour Clarke Township and the Town of Bowmanville in 1973 to make a new municipality within the Regional Municipality of Durham. Originally known as Newcastle from 1974 to 1993, its name was changed to Clarington, a combination of Clarke and Darlington to distinguish it from the original Village of Newcastle located within its borders. The Archives of Ontario provide a map of the original Durham County, Ontario. [edit] Research TipsThe 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. [edit] Early RecordsCivil 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. [edit] Vital Records after 1869Birth, marriage and death registrations are not open to the public until a specific number of years after the event occurred. Births to 1915 are now available [October 2014]; 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.
[edit] Land Records and WillsInformation 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. [edit] CensusesThe original censuses are in the hands of Library and Archives Canada, known to Canadians as "LAC". Copies of original microfilms are online at the LAC website for all censuses up to 1921. Each census database is preceded with an explanation of the geographical area covered, the amount of material retained (some census division material has been lost), the questions on the census form, and whether there is a name index. Census divisions were redrawn as the population increased and more land was inhabited. [edit] Hard-to-Find Places
[edit] E-books, Books and Newspapers
NOTE: Birth, marriage and death records 1869-1974 will be referenced as taking place "in the District of the County of Durham, Division of the Township of Darlington". Land records from the 19th and early 20th century will also be filed under the County of Durham or under the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham. Both types of records are kept at the Archives of Ontario in Toronto.
[edit] Some websites with more local information on Durham County
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