Ministry of
Government and Consumer Services
Ontario Government Record Series RG 22-159
67.02 metres of textual records
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.
Click on the link(s) below for more information.
Ontario. Surrogate CourtsThe Archives of Ontario receives annual transfers of 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 : |
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Surrogate Courts (BA44) |
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.
http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/microfilm/surrogate_court_frontenac_t.aspx