Report on a special investigation of certain collections of the Tama County Clerk of Court and the Tama County Sheriff’s Office for the period January 1, 2007 through August 31, 2009

Report on a special investigation of certain collections of the Tama County Clerk of Court and the Tama County Sheriff’s Office for the period January 1, 2007 through August 31, 2009

Office of the City Clerk, St. Catharines Records, 1928-1974, n.d.

The site of present-day St. Catharines was settled by 3000 United Empire Loyalists at the end of the 18th century. From 1790, the settlement (then known as "The Twelve") grew as an agricultural community. St. Catharines was once referred to Shipman's Corners after Paul Shipman, owner of a tavern that was an important stagecoach transfer point. In 1815, leading businessman William Hamilton Merritt abandoned his wharf at Queenston and set up another at Shipman's Corners. He became involved in the construction and operation of several lumber and gristmills along Twelve Mile Creek. Shipman's Corners soon became the principal milling site of the eastern Niagara Peninsula. At about the same time, Merritt began to develop the salt springs that were discovered along the river which subsequently gave the village a reputation as a health resort. By this time St. Catharines was the official name of the village; the origin of the name remains obscure, but is thought to be named after Catharine Askin Robertson Hamilton, wife of the Hon. Robert Hamilton, a prominent businessman. Merritt devised a canal scheme from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario that would provide a more reliable water supply for the mills while at the same time function as a canal. He formed the Welland Canal Company, and construction took place from 1824 to 1829. The canal and the mills made St. Catharines the most important industrial centre in Niagara. By 1845, St. Catharines was incorporated as a town, with the town limits extending in 1854. Administrative and political functions were added to St. Catharines in 1862 when it became the county seat of Lincoln. In 1871, construction began on the third Welland Canal, which attracted additional population to the town. As a consequence of continual growth, the town limits were again extended. St. Catharines attained city status in 1876 with its larger population and area. Manufacturing became increasingly important in St. Catharines in the early 1900s with the abundance of hydro-electric power, and its location on important land and water routes. The large increase in population after the 1900s was mainly due to the continued industrialization and urbanization of the northern part of the city and the related expansion of business activity. The fourth Welland Canal was opened in 1932 as the third canal could no longer accommodate the larger ships. The post war years and the automobile brought great change to the urban form of St. Catharines. St. Catharines began to spread its boundaries in all directions with land being added five times during the 1950s. The Town of Merritton, Village of Port Dalhousie and Grantham Township were all incorporated as part of St. Catharines in 1961. In 1970 the Province of Ontario implemented a regional approach to deal with such issues as planning, pollution, transportation and services. As a result, Louth Township on the west side of the city was amalgamated, extending the city's boundary to Fifteen Mile Creek. With its current population of 131,989, St. Catharines has become the dominant centre of the Niagara region. Source: City of St. Catharines website http://www.stcatharines.ca/en/governin/HistoryOfTheCity.asp (January 27, 2011)

Receipt from City Clerk's Office of St. Catharines

Receipt from the city clerk’s office of St. Catharines to H.K. Woodruff for payment of $11.20 for additional cemetery land. Accompanying this document is a crudely drawn map of graves along Queenston Road and rough notes on Deed no. 419, Oct. 16, 1901.

Letter to Mr. Lee who was clerk of the Heir Devisee Committee in Toronto from Samuel D. Woodruff

Letter to Mr. Lee who was clerk of the Heir Devisee Committee in Toronto from Samuel D. Woodruff. [The Heir and Devisee Committee was formed to clarify the titles to land of heirs of people who had been assigned Crown lands before 1795. Many of the original grantees had not taken out patents to confirm their legal right to the land.] This letter confirms that steps have been taken to issue the patent, July 19, 1847.

Unsigned letter to Charles Stuart, clerk of the municipality of the township of Thorold regarding the proposed line of macadamized road from Hurst’s Bridge to Port Robinson

Unsigned letter to Charles Stuart, clerk of the municipality of the township of Thorold regarding the proposed line of macadamized road from Hurst’s Bridge to Port Robinson (1 ¼ pages, handwritten), May 9, 1855.

Letter to Dexter Deverardo, clerk of Fonthill from the Welland Canal Office of St. Catharines

Letter to Dexter Deverardo, clerk of Fonthill from the Welland Canal Office of St. Catharines in order to see that the work is done in a satisfactory manner. This letter is signed in pencil by S.D. Woodruff (4 pages, handwritten), Jan. 8, 1855.

Letter to H. Nelles from Robert Henry, town clerk of Clinton

Letter to H. Nelles from Robert Henry, town clerk of Clinton stating that Mr. Adam Zimmerman would be the proper person to act as the overseer of the west direction of the main road, May 31, 1839.

Examination of W. George Richardson, clerk to William Richardson, Brantford, Post Master

Examination of W. George Richardson, clerk to William Richardson, Brantford, Post Master (2 pages, handwritten). This is stained and contains small holes. The text is not affected, 1830.

Questions and answers of W. Joseph Smith, clerk of Grimsby

Questions and answers of W. Joseph Smith, clerk of Grimsby (2 pages, handwritten). These pages are stained and slightly torn. This affects a small portion of the text, 1830.

Examination of W. Joseph Smith, clerk of Grimsby

Examination of W. Joseph Smith, clerk of Grimsby (2 pages, handwritten). The pages are stained and torn. This affects the text slightly, 1830.

Agreement with sworn affidavits that John Adolphus Nelles would perform the office of poll clerk at an election for the first riding of the County of Lincoln

Agreement (1 page, handwritten note) with sworn affidavits that John Adolphus Nelles would perform the office of poll clerk at an election for the first riding of the County of Lincoln and Erastus Derby and Smith Jackson would perform the office of Constables at an election for the first riding of the County of Lincoln, June 27, 1836.

Treason, felony and Lollardy: a common petition in the hand of Richard Osbarn, Clerk of the Chamber of the Guildhall 1400–c. 1437

This article examines a common petition presented in the English parliament of 1425 requesting that those imprisoned for long periods for the crimes of treason, felony and Lollardy might be brought to trial. On the basis of palaeographical and orthographical evidence, this petition is demonstrated to be written by Richard Osbarn, clerk of the chamber of the London Guildhall between 1400 and 1437. The implications of this discovery throw new light on the way petitions were formulated, suggesting that the scribes of petitions played a greater role than previously thought, and in some cases identified with the complaint itself.

Ledger book of a court clerk, 1768-1773

Ledger book of Isaac Rindge, chief clerk of the court of common pleas in New Hampshire, listing charges to various individuals for writs and fines.