Papers : 1755-1886.

            Christian Daniel Claus (1727-1787) was born into a prominent family at Boennigheim in southwestern Germany and emigrated to New York in 1748. His interest in Indian languages led to the compiling of a vocabulary of Indian words and later to a position as a lieutenant in the Indian Department and a deputy secretary of Indian Affairs under Sir William Johnson. During the Seven Years War, he acted as an interpreter and diplomat at conferences and negotiations with the Indians. In 1760 Claus was named deputy superintendent of the Canadian Indians and was based in Montreal. He accompanied St. Leger on his ill-fated expedition to the Mohawk Valley in 1777 in his capacity as superintendent of the Canadian Indians. After Burgoyne's defeat at Saratoga, the Loyalist cause in the Upper Hudson was virtually all but lost and the Claus family fled to Canada.
In 1778 Claus was appointed deputy agent for the Six Nations in Canada and at the end of the Revolution helped supervise the settlement of several Indian groups in what is now Ontario, Canada.  He died in England while trying to obtain compensation for the losses he suffered during the American Revolution. 
His son William Claus (1763-1826) was also associated with the Indian Department, achieving the rank of deputy superintendent in 1799. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Upper Canada, 1812-1825, and of the Executive Council, 1818-1824.
The Claus family had strong connections with the Johnson family, Daniel Claus having married Ann (Nancy), the daughter of Sir William Johnson in 1762.            

            Some or all of this material has been digitized.  See link in Finding Aid section.

The Papers contain correspondence, journals, accounts and other records of Daniel Claus, his son William and grandson Warren, together with the papers of Alexander McKee, deputy superintendent of Indian Affairs, 1794-1799, and Prideaux Selby (d.1813), assistant secretary of Indian Affairs, 1797-1809.
The McKee and Selby papers were acquired by William Claus when he succeeded McKee in office. The Claus family papers also include those of William Claus, Jr. (d.1824), who served with the 54th Regiment in Europe, West Indies, South Africa and India; and John Claus (d.1812) who served with the 84th Regiment.

Volumes 1-12 Correspondence, 1760-1826, includes an alphabetical list of correspondents (authors), to each volume
Volume 13 Miscellaneous and undated papers
Volume 14-19 Miscellaneous, 1754-1885
Volume 20 Commissions and land records, 1714-1856
Volumes 21-22 Diaries and notebooks, 1771-1859
Volume 23 Biographical and genealogical material, n.d., 1727-1865
Volume 24 Eight English translations of letters written in Mohawk
Volumes 25-26 Claus-Haldimand correspondence dealing with the use of natives/indigenous peoples in warfare, 1777-1804. (Vol. 26 is transcriptions of vol. 25.) Named includes Joseph and Mary Brant, Colonel John Butler, the Mohawk, William Johnson, and Six Nations.

Microfilm reel numbering:

Reel 1 - Vols. 1-4
Reel 2 - Vols. 5-7
Reel 3 - Vols. 8-11
Reel 4 - Vols. 12-13
Reel 5 - Vols. 14-17
Reel 6 - Vols. 18-21
Reel 7 - Vols. 21-22
Reel 8 - Vols. 23-28            

            Online: A digital copy of the Claus Family Papers is available through Canadiana.org.

Content List for Volume 25 is available electronically; see Electronic Finding Aid section.

A microfilm shelf list, inventory description, listings of correspondents (authors) and tables of content are available in The Loyalist Collection red binders. The microfilm shelf list includes both Library and Archives Canada and The Loyalist Collection reel numbers. LAC Finding Aid 41 (2 microfiche) is available as well.