British Military and Naval Records.

Call Number:
HIL-MICL FC LMR .N3B7M5
Category:
Military
Creator:
Library and Archives Canada.
Material Description:
110 microfilm records 35 mm
Background:

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.

Contents:

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

Originals:
The original records are held by Library and Archives Canada.
Archival Ref. No.:
LAC RG 8, 1 C Series volumes 82-121, 187-227, 269-285, 363-366, 370-377, 504-508, 598-638, 672-716, 790-800, 901-908, 956-963, 971-978, 1017-1021A, 1058-1065, 1194Q-1195B, 1995H-1995K, 1195-1279, 1321-1365, 1423-1435, 1701-1718, 1847-1913
Finding Aids:

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. (**currently offline**)

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

PDF Finding Aid:
Library and Archives Canada British Military and Naval Records shelf list.pdf 521.html
Notes:
For additional muster rolls of Loyalist regiments, researchers are advised to consult the reels for the Ward Chipman Papers which are shelved at MIC-Loyalist FC LMR .C4W3M8.
The New Brunswick Provincial Archives holds approximately one hundred reels of "C Series" that are not included in the Loyalist Collection. The Index to RG 8, 1, "C Series," provides access to these reels. Library and Archives Canada's finding aid for this collection indicates certain volumes of the originals have been transferred to other collections post filming.