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The map of Norfolk County circa 1951 from Ontario Archives locates the individual townships, city, towns and villages of the county. (Click at the bottom of the page to see the map enlarged.) A sketchmap from Ontario GenWeb provides a simple illustration of the location of the former townships. Middleton lies to the north of Walsingham and Charlotteville, having Houghton and Bayham on the west, Dereham and Norwich on the north, and Windham on the east. The Little Otter [creek] runs through the western part, Big Creek through the eastern part, and the Venison Creek takes its rise in the south. It is therefore well watered, and abounds in excellent mill privileges" ... [edit] MiddletonA township in the Talbot District, is bounded on the east by the township of Windham, on the north by Norwich and Dereham, on the west by Bayham, and the south by Walsingham. In Middleton 13,249 acres are taken up, 1976 of which are under cultivation. Otter Creek runs through the north-west corner of the township, and a branch of Big Creek through the east of the township. The land in Middleton is generally light, and the timber mostly pine; large quantities of which are sawn up, and exported. The village of Middleton is situated in the township, on Talbot street. There are seven saw mills in the township. Population in 1841: 555. Ratable property in the township, £7673. (source: 1846 Canadian Gazetteer. Upper Province or Canada West. by Wm H Smith, published for the author by H & W Rowsell, Toronto. Quoted by courtesy of Elva Sanghera, Burnaby, BC) [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
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