British Military and Naval Records.

            From 1759 until 1871 the defence of Canada was primarily the responsibility of British military and naval forces.  In 1871 Britain recalled all her troops from Canada except for the garrison at Halifax which was left for the protection of the naval base. Later, a garrison was sent to Esquimalt, but in 1906 the Esquimalt station was evacuated and the last British troops left Canada. In 1910 and 1911 respectively, the Halifax and Esquimalt naval stations were formally transferred to the Canadian government. However, the British government agreed to allow the records, which had been accumulated by the British forces, to remain in Canada.             

            The selected volumes from this collection contain a variety of documents that relate to the defence of present-day Canada, extending from c. 1757 to 1876. They include the following periods of conflict - Seven Years War (also known as the French and Indian War in North America), American War of Independence (also known as the American Revolution), War of 1812, and the rebellions of 1837. Subjects relate to various facets of the military, including the navy in the Great Lakes, and inter-related subjects such as politics, United States/America, surveying, communications - roads, telegraphy and railroads, health and disease, natives or indigenous peoples, meteorology or weather, and early settlement and emigration.

Arrangement and Detailed Contents:

A. Correspondence of the Military Secretary of the Commander of the Forces

1. Subject Files containing correspondence and supporting documents consisting primarily of memoranda, reports, returns, petitions, accounts, general orders and instructions

Volumes 700-713 - Canadian troops, 1801-1846 (includes: Embodied Militia, 1801-14; Canadian militia, 1803-4; general return, Dec. 1807; militia pension list, war of 1812; militia 1813-1816; Adjutant General's letter book, militia, 1814-15; Embodied Militia, 1815-18, 1825-36, 1838-46
Volumes 84-101 - Claims for losses, 1812-1870
Volumes 714 - DeMeuron's Regiment, 1813-1818 (Swiss regiment in British service; many settled in Canada after the War of 1812)
Volume 715 - De Watteville's Regiment, 1813-1819 (Swiss regiment paid by the British; many settled in Canada after the War of 1812)
Volume 102-104 - Financial Records - Command money, 1793-1844
Volumes 105-121 - Financial Records - Commissariat, 1788-1816 (holdings do not include volumes 122-163)
Volumes 82-83 - Government, civil, 1862-1866
Volumes 187-222 - Half Pay, 1787-1845
Volume 223-227 - Horse Guards, 1789-1809 (holding do not include volumes 228-244)
Volumes 269-271 - Indians, 1830-1859 (Indigenous/native peoples)
Volumes 599-606 - Land, Lower Canada, 1785-1851
Volumes 272-277 - Lands and roads, Upper Canada, 1795-1845
Volumes 283-285 - Mails, 1797-1829
Volumes 703-713, 791-800 - Militia, 1801-1846 (also includes Upper Canada pension list for War of 1812, and Adjutant General's Letterbook; 1794-1815, 1820-1838 (includes the Volunteers)
(holdings do not include volumes 801-823)
Volumes 363-365 - North West, 1800-1863
Volume 366 - Nova Scotia, 1786-1812 (holdings do not include volumes 367-368)
Volumes 187-222, 504-508 - Pensioners, 1787-1845, 1861-1870 (volumes 505-508 are petitions for relief, 1787-1833)
(holdings do not include volumes 496-503, 509-510)
Volumes 616-618 - Political Unrest, 1849-1850
Volume 598 - Post and Barracks, 1845 (holdings do not include volumes 511-598, p. 160)
Volumes 722A-742 - Provincial Marine, 1776-1845 (responsible for coastal protection on the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River and parts of Lake Champlain under British control)
Volume 607 - Quarantine, 1847-1856
Volume 607 - Railways, 1851-1867
Volume 1061D - Raynes, Lt. C.M., 1839-1840
Volumes 608-615 - Rebellions, 1837-1838
Volumes 901-908 - Regiments, Infantry of the Line - contains 37th, 39th, 40th Regiments
Volumes 956-963 - Regiments, Infantry of the Line - contains 66th, 67th, 68th Regiments
Volumes 971-978 - Regiments, Infantry of the Line - contains 70th, 71st Regiments
Volumes 1017-1021A - Regiments, Infantry of the Line - contains 100th Regiment
Volume 716 - Regiments, Unnumbered - Military Train, 1862 (holdings do not include volumes 716 p. 1-150, and 1717)
Volumes 619-633A - Settlers, 1794-1808, 1814-1853
Volumes 635-638 - Staff, 1816-1820 (holdings do not include volumes 639-670)
Volume 370 - Surveys, 1811-1845
Volumes 371, 607 - Telegraphic Services, 1797-1844, 1855-1866
Volumes 372-377 p. 226 - Transports, 1790-1834 (holdings do not include volume 378-380)
Volumes 278-282, 634 - United Empire Loyalists, Lands etc. Sorel, 1787-1869
Volumes 696-699 - United States, Civil War, 1861-1866
Volumes 673-675 - United States, Relations, 1790-1844
Volumes 676-695B - United States, War of 1812, 1806-1834

A.2 Letterbooks, most of which were written in the Military Secretary's Office

Volumes 1204-1270, 1276-1279 - Letter Books, British and Canadian correspondence, 1796-1845
Volumes 1271-1275 - Letters written by Aide-de-Camp Thomas L. Goldie, 1837-38; Sir John Colborne, 1837-38, Sir George Arthur, 1838-41, and Sir Charles Gore, 1847-49

B. Records of the Canadian Command

1. Correspondence of the Commanding Royal Engineer
Volume 1850 - Meteorological observations, 1850-1854
3. Miscellaneous Royal Engineers Records (holdings do not include volumes 1418, 1420-22)
Volume 1423 - Ordnance Estimates, 1864-1865
5. Militia Rolls and Pay Lists (holdings do not include volumes 1039-1057)
Volumes 1058-1060, 1061A, 1061C (includes a general index of corps for volumes 1039-1060)
6. Accounts and Vouchers, 1787
Volume 1065 (holdings do not include volumes 1066-67)
7. Staff Returns, 1840-1845
Volume 1194S
8. Letter Book of the Chief of Staff, 1862
Volume 1323
9. Letter Books of the Officer Commanding Upper Canada, 1815-1832
Volumes 1325-1329
10. Commissary General's Office Book, 1785-1808
Volume 1331
11. Storekeeper General's Office Book, 1791-1805
Volume 1332
12. Instructions to Officers of the Several Departments, 1804-1810
Volume 1333
19. Miscellaneous Records of the Kingston Naval Depot, 1816
Volume 1847
20. Barrack Master, Chambly, Quebec, Letterbook 1829-1839
Volume 1909
21. Despatches from Horse Guards, Treasury, War Office, 1824, 1833
Volume 1910
22. General Distribution Returns of the regiments in Upper Canada, 1818-1822
Volume 1911
23. Pay Reports on non-commissioned officers and men detailed to drill the militia, 1862
Volume 1912
24. Records of Commissariat Office, York, 1817-1818
Volume 1913

C. Records of the Nova Scotia Command

2. Commanding Officer's Letter Books
Volumes 1333-1336, 1349-1365 - Local correspondence, 1806-1863
Volumes 1337-1347 - British correspondence, 1816-1876
Volumes 1348-1348A - Confidential correspondence, 1851-1890 (holdings do not include vol. 1391)
8. Town Major's Records
Volume 1196 - Index to Garrison Orders Halifax, 1855-1869
13. Schedule of Special Services, Halifax, 1888-1891 (Volume 1424)
15. Naval Orders, 1816-1819 (Volume 1718)
16. Miscellaneous Records, Nova Scotia
Volumes 1061 - Staff returns, Newfoundland, 1843-1845
Volume 1194T - Miscellaneous vouchers and returns, 1857-1873
22. Commanding Royal Engineer's Correspondence
Volumes 1432, 1434 - Britsh correspondence, 1788-1806, 1845 (Royal Engineers, Halifax)
Volumes 1426-1431 - General correspondence, 1762-1764, 1789-1808, 1855-1865 (Royal Engineers, Halifax)
Volume 1435 p. 305 - Fortifications, 1857-1860 (Royal Engineers, Halifax)
24. Miscellaneous Records of the Commanding Royal Engineer
Volume 1425 - Report on Halifax fortifications, 1761
Volume 1433 - List of nails and spikes, 1812 (Approval list)

D. Miscellaneous Records, 1757-1896

1. Warrants and Establishment Lists Relating to the Troops Stationed at Louisbourg, 1757-1760 (Volume 1064A)
2. Order Books (holdings do not include volumes 1167.5 - 1194P, 1195C-K, 1458)
Volumes 1194Q & R, 1194U-1195B, 1197-1201, 1203-1203.5S
3. Lists of Veterans of the War of 1812 (Volume 1202)- to whom medals were granted
8. Militia Records Accumulated by the Claus Famly 1787 (Volumes 1701-1703); volume 1701-2 - Lincoln Militia, 1812-1824; volume 1703 - Essex, Oxford and Norfolk Militia, 1787-1839
9. North York Militia Returns, 1825-1829 (Volume 1704)
10. Freer Papers, 1786-1868 (Volumes 1705-1712)
11. Captain Anthony Vialar's Orderly Book, 1775-1776 (Volume 1713)
12. Miscellaneous Records Relating to the Militia of the Town of Quebec, 1775-1776 (Volumes 1714-1714A)
13. Militia List, 1812-1815 (Volume 1717)
14. Militia Land Claims, 1837-1841 (Volume 1061B)
18. Loyalist Regiment Muster Rolls, 1777-1783 (Volumes 1851-1908)
(Includes New Jersey Volunteers, Queen's Rangers, Loyal American Regiment, American Legion, Royal Garrison Battalion, New York Volunteers, De Lancey's Brigade, British Legion, Volunteers of Ireland, Guides and Pioneers, South Carolina Royalists, Emmerick's Chasseurs, Loyal New Englanders, Loyal Foresters, King's Rangers, Royal Fencible American Regiment, Volunteers of New England, Royal American Reformers, Prince of Wales American Regiment, Carolina King's Rangers, South Carolina Rangers, South Carolina Dragoons, Provincial Light Infantry, Roman Catholic Volunteers, The King's American Dragoons, South Carolina Royalists, The King's American Regiment, Maryland Loyalists, Pennsylvania Loyalists, United Pennsylvania and Maryland, The King's Orange Rangers
            

            The LAC card index to RG 8, 1, "C Series," is available and is shelved at MIC-Loyalist FC LMR .N3B7M5 and as a PDF in the electronic finding aid section.

A microfilm shelf list is available for the selected reels in The Loyalist Collection red binders and electronically; see Electronic Finding Aid section.

In 1910 Lieutenant Colonel E. Cruikshank prepared an Inventory to the British Military and Naval Records, which was published by the Public Archives of Canada. The reference is as follows: Cruickshank, E., comp. Inventory of Military Documents in the Canadian Archives. Ottasa: Government Printing Bureau, 1910.

Online

The index and records are available digitally to browse on the Library and Archives Canada website.

Library and Archives Canada has the finding aid available electronically from the Archives catalogue; it is also available in The Loyalist Collection red binders.