Ontario Government Record Series RG 22-159

Frontenac County Surrogate Court estate files

About these records

Title
Frontenac County Surrogate Court estate files
Dates of Creation
1793-1984
Physical Description

67.02 metres of textual records

Scope and Content

Series consists of estate files containing the original documentation filed with the Surrogate Court for the Midland District (1793-1849), the United Counties of Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (1850-1864) and the County of Frontenac (1865-) in proceedings leading to a grant of probate or administration.

Typically, an estate file includes the original will in cases of probate, administration bonds in cases of administration, petitions for probate or administration and supporting affidavits, and the order for probate or administration.

While some inventories of estates exist for the early period, the occurrence of these in the files becomes more frequent after 1892, when the Succession Duty Act required detailed inventories and lists of heirs to be included in the files of taxable estates. When the value of taxable estates was lowered by an amendment to the act in 1907, the presence of these inventories and lists becomes even more common.

If the will or the grant of probate or administration was contested, the estate file should also include the caveat filed against the estate, relevant citations and affidavits, and the final judgment issued by the court.

The pre-1859 records are arranged into two groups: the 1793-1858: "dark folder" files consisting of estates administered without will; and the 1801-1858: "light folder" files of estates probated with a will. Both sets of pre-1859 files are sorted by surname, while the post-1858 records are arranged numerically by grant number. Due to the eventual size of the file codes, the numbering re-commenced at 1 in 1903.

Administrative History or Biographical Sketch

Click on the link(s) below for more information.

Ontario. Surrogate Courts
Restrictions on Access
Researchers must use microfilm version whenever available.
Terms For Use and Reproduction
Copyright is primarily held by the Crown. There are no restrictions on reproduction for research and private study. If you wish to use other than for research and private study any of this material, submit a Request for Permission to Publish, Exhibit or Broadcast Form.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These records were transferred to the Archives of Ontario as part of the records scheduling process.
Availability of Other Formats

The pre-1931 estate files are available on microfilm
Accruals

The Archives of Ontario receives annual transfers of these records.

Finding Aid
A nominal province-wide index for 1793-1858 for all Ontario estate files is available online as part of the Archives of Ontario's Interloan Microfilm Catalogue. A microfilm listing for the 1854-1930 Frontenac County estate files is available online as part of the Microfilm Interloan Catalogue, and in the User's Guide to Surrogate Courts and Surrogate Clerk Microfilm Reels in the Archives' Reading Room. A nominal index to the 1801-1858 Frontenac County estate files is available online.

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Agency or agencies that created these records

These records were created by the following Ontario government agency or agencies. Click on the agency reference code for information about this agency and other records it created.

1793-1984 :

Surrogate Courts (BA44)

How to order these records

From our Reading Rooms

For the years 1858-1943, consult the microfilmed indexes on GS 2, Reel 40. For those years after 1943 for which the Archives does not hold an index, consult the Superior Court of Justice, 469 Montreal Street, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3H9.

A nominal index to the 1801-1858 Frontenac County estate files is available online. There is also a nominal index to the 1859-1900 estate files to be found in the bookcases of the Archives of Ontario's Reading Room.

For pre-1859 probate files only, consult the online listing in the Finding Aid section. To view pre-1859 administration files, consult the instructions and microfilm listing in the User's Guide to Surrogate Court and Surrogate Clerk microfilms.

For 1859-1930 files, consult the reel listing for Frontenac County available online in the Microfilm Interloan Catalogue or in the User's Guide to Surrogate Courts and Surrogate Clerk Microfilm Reels in the Archives' Reading Room.

Post-1930 files have not been microfilmed so the original records must be requested from offsite storage. A minimum of 1 business day is required to retrieve the material onsite. Please contact a Reference archivist for more information on how to order these records.

Scroll up to "Finding Aid" for more information about any available finding aids or listings.

By Microfilm Interloan
The pre-1931 estate files are available through the Archives of Ontario's Microfilm Interloan Service, which allows you to borrow microfilmed archival records through a library or other institution that participates in the interlibrary loan system.

http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/microfilm/surrogate_court_frontenac_t.aspx