Indexes and Registers of Correspondence : 1703 - 1873.

            
Colonial Office contains records in the offices of the British secretary of state responsible for the colonies. The records are separated into geographic groupings called "colony classes." Original correspondence  are the in-letters; entry books are the letter books of correspondence; and despatches contain the correspondence in and out.

A register is a chronological summary of letters.
            

            Contains registers and indexes to Correspondence in the offices of the Colonial Office and Board of Trade relating to following British colonies now part of Canada: Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and Vancouver Island. The dates of coverage run from 1703-1873, but there is a gap between 1758 and 1810. The last volume contains Colonies General, Secret Entry Books and Register of Out-letters. 

The Colonial Office class numbers and volume numbers, index numbers, dates, and the titles of manuscripts are clearly indicated in the microfilm. 

Organisation: Registers are arranged chronologically. (*See Electronic Finding Aid section for more detail.)

Reel 1 

1. Register - CO 323/91, 1811-1856. Notes and abstracts of Law Officers' Opinions, arranged both geographically and topically. Mainly 1816-1828 but with a few earlier and later insertions. The post 1828 insertions are mostly extracts from confidential prints, newspaper reports, etc.; includes broad subject index to Law Officers Opinions, 1837 June-1859 Dec.  

2. Registers - CO 326/45-46, Board of Trade. Newfoundland, 1703-58; 

3. Registers - CO 326/47-48, Board of Trade. Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 1712-58 

Reel 2 

Registers - CO 362/1-4, Colonial Office. Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 1850-1865 (contains registers of correspondence relating to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton; there is a yearly alphabetical index for some years)

Reel 3 

1. Register - CO 362/5, 1866-67, Colonial Office. Nova Scotia and Cape Breton

2. Registers - CO 364/1-4, Colonial Office. Prince Edward Island, 1850-1867 (contains registers of correspondence relating to Prince Edward Island; there is a yearly alphabetical index for some years)

Reel 4 

1. Register - CO 364/5, Colonial Office. Prince Edward Island, 1867-73 (continued from volume 4 above)

2. Registers - CO 373/1-2, Colonial Office. Vancouver Island, 1853-1867 (contains registers of correspondence relating to Vancouver Island)

Reel 5 

1. Alphabetical indexes - CO 714/112, Newfoundland, 1815-1870; (2 indexes: 1. subject; 2. proper name)
 
2. Registers - CO 714/123-125, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 1815-66 (some years have subject index)

3. Alphabetical indexes - CO 714/126, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, 1815-1852 (2 indexes: 1. subject; 2. proper name

Reel 6 

1. Registers - CO 714/127-128, Governor's Incoming Correspondence, Prince Edward Island, 1815-1866 

2. Alphabetical indexes - CO 174/129, 1815-1853; Governor's Incoming Correspondence, Prince Edward Island (2 indexes: 1. subject; 2. proper name)

3. Register to Colonial Office. Vancouver Island - CO 714/161, 1849-66 (a chronological register with headings and brief summaries of each correspondence) 

4. Colonies General - Secret entry Books and Registers of Out-Letters - CO 570/1, 1870-73 (reference column in register of out-letters provides the number of a corresponding letter for the same year found in the secret entry books).             

            To aid researchers in identifying the Index or Register of interest, a microfilm shelf list which includes the reel number, index number, colonial office reference, dates, and a brief statement of content is available in print and is shelved with the Loyalist Collection red binders, and digitally (see Electronic Finding Aid section).