Have you ever tried exploring local council minutes for your family history research? Many are freely available online, and they’re full of names! Your ancestors might appear in the minutes because they were council members or appointed to carry out various municipal functions. Or they might have interacted with council as residents: to obtain a shop or tavern license, petition to have a road opened or a sidewalk constructed, complain about neighbourhood issues, or […]
municipal records
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The next Toronto Branch meeting will take place on Monday, October 23 at Lansing United Church at 49 Bogert Ave. in north Toronto, near the Sheppard subway station. If you’re joining us in person, please plan to come at 7:00 p.m. for a chance to “swap and socialize” before the meeting formally begins. Bring your own (non-alcoholic) beverage and any genealogy or local history books that you’d like to re-home, and we’ll provide the […]
Annual tax assessment rolls are the most important municipal records for Toronto genealogical research. These are valuable resources that can help you track changes in family circumstances. Depending on their date, they may tell you who owned a property and who lived on it, with addresses, occupations, ages and other information about buildings and their occupants. Take builder Joseph Gearing for example, whose home in the Yonge-Carlton area of the city is pictured below in […]