Correspondence : 1792-1864.

After the conquest of Canada, the Royal Proclamation of 1763 was the first document to decree how the lands of the Crown should be distributed to prospective settlers. The principle that it established held true for as long as there was arable land worth granting. In the territory that later became Upper Canada, the approach that was adopted in 1763 was retained, and reaffirmed the fundamental tenet that the land of Upper Canada was a possession of the Crown and should be distributed under the control of and according to regulations developed by the Crown or its representatives. This meant that the policy regarding settlement of Crown lands was determined either in London or by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, which body closely controlled implementation of that policy. The Office of the Surveyor General was the one office that dealt exclusively with land matters, and under his direction the clerks and surveyors performed their duties. The Office of Surveyor General was abolished on the 17th of March 1845 by Provincial Statute, which combined that Office with the Department of Crown Lands under the Commissioner of Crown Lands.