If you live in Toronto, chances are that you’ve heard of Swansea, Parkdale, Leaside and Yorkville – all communities that are now part of the city but have retained their original names. But would you know how to get to Magdalla, Heron’s Bridge, Mortlake or Coonat’s Corners? Did you know that there have been two different neighbourhoods called Corktown? Or that the area we now call Regent Park was the Cabbagetown of the 1820s? […]
Research Tips
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Census records are treasures to genealogists because they are snapshots in time – not only of individuals but of entire households and neighbourhoods. A census of the population of what is now Toronto was taken in 1842, 1848, 1852, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911 and 1921. Depending on the year, a census return may hold not only the names and ages of family members, but a great deal of additional information that will help you flesh out […]
So you think your ancestor may have lived in the Toronto area, but you’re not sure where to look next to pinpoint your search? Did you know that Toronto Branch maintains a searchable master database of genealogical information that could save you countless hours of research time? Our master database includes all of the burial registers, place of worship registers, funeral home registers and other records transcribed by Toronto Branch, as well as some […]
If you have an address for your Toronto ancestors but are having trouble finding them in census and other records, it could be that they moved house. But have you considered another possible explanation–that the name of their street changed? As the city grew in size, many street names were changed for a variety of reasons—sometimes to eliminate duplication or confusion, and sometimes to commemorate a person or event. Take a look at this 1858 […]