1841 was also an election year in Toronto… It was the first ballot since the uniting of Upper and Lower Canada under one government, and one of the most bitterly contested in Canadian history. The election process, the violence that followed the voting, and the names of the people who were eligible to cast their votes are all carefully documented in The Great Contest for Responsible Government: The City of Toronto Poll Book of 1841, edited by the late Paul J. McGrath, and published by Toronto Branch in 2004.
Toronto Branch members have been transcribing, indexing and publishing local records for more than half a century now. Branch publications, like The Great Contest, make it easier for both local researchers and researchers at a distance to access valuable genealogical information. Over the years, we’ve produced transcriptions and indexes to cemetery markers and burial records, church registers, and lists of names from directories, as well as some unique guides to genealogy research in Toronto and surrounding areas. We also carry a small selection of local histories and genealogical publications from other publishers—many out of print.
And now you can purchase Branch publications directly through our website. Our available inventory is small at the moment, but items are being added all the time. Visit our e-store now…
Where did your ancestors look for support when they first arrived in Canada? In our featured presentation this month, we’ll explore the activities and surviving records of benevolent organizations, which offered guidance and assistance to new immigrants trying to make a new home in this country from the early 1800s on. Please join author, blogger, instructor and long-time OGS member Jane E. MacNamara for Welcoming Newcomers: Canada’s Ethnic Benevolent Societies.
