Ontario. Clerks of the Peace (1777-1968)

• Clerks of the Peace

• Upper Canada. Clerks of the Peace

• Canada (Province). Clerks of the Peace

Clerks of the Peace were most likely established for each of the districts/counties of the province as early as 1777, when the Courts of the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the Province of Quebec (1763- 1791) were established. At that time, there were only two districts within the province - the Montreal District and the Quebec District. As new districts/counties were established within the province, however, new Courts of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace would also be established. In turn, Clerks of the Peace for the new district/county would be appointed as well (see below for a complete listing of the districts/counties that have existed within the provinces of Upper Canada, Canada-West, and Ontario).

Although appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, Clerks of the Peace were county officials. By legislation passed in 1857, a Clerk of the Peace was required to be a Barrister at Law, with not less than three years standing at the bar of Upper Canada. Under the same legislation, the positions of Clerk of the Peace and Crown Attorney were to be held by the same individual. However, if it was necessary for health reasons, the individual could resign as Crown Attorney and remain as Clerk of the Peace. If this was the case, the newly appointed Crown Attorney would then become Clerk of the Peace upon the vacancy of that position.

In 1968, the Government of Ontario, through the Department of the Attorney General, became responsible for all aspects of the administration of justice in the province. As a result, the Clerks of the Peace became officials of the Department of the Attorney General.

The following is an alphabetical listing of the counties/districts/judicial districts that existed within the Province between 1777 and 1968 (with Dt.= District and Co.=County), along with the dates for which they existed: Algoma Dt. (1859- ); Bathurst Dt. (1822-1849); Brant Co. (1853- ); Brock Dt. (1839- 1849); Bruce Co. (1867- ); Carleton Co. (1850-1969); Cochrane Dt. (1922- ); Colborne Dt. (1841-1849); Dalhousie Dt. (1842-1849); Dufferin Co. (1881- ); Durham J.D. (1974- ); Eastern Dt. (1792-1849); Elgin Co. (1853- ); Essex, Kent and Lambton United Cos. (1850- 1851); Essex and Lambton United Cos. (1851-1853); Essex Co. (1853- ); Frontenac, Lennox and Addington United Cos. (1850- 1865); Frontenac Co. (1865- ); Gore Dt. (1816-1849); Grey Co. (1853- ); Haldimand Co. (1851-1974); Haldimand J.D. (1974- ); Haliburton Co. (1874- ); Halton Co. (1855- 1973); Halton J.D. (1974- ); Hamilton-Wentworth J.D. (1974- ); Hastings Co. (1850- ); Hesse Dt. (1788-1792); Home Dt. (1792-1849); Huron District (1841-1849); Huron, Perth and Bruce United Cos. (1850-1853); Huron and Bruce United Cos. (1853-1867); Huron Co. (1867- ); Johnstown Dt. (1798-1849); Kenora Dt. (1898- ); Kent Co. (1851- ); Lambton Co. (1853- ); Lanark and Renfrew United Cos. (1850-1866); Lanark Co. (1866- ); Leeds and Grenville United Cos. (1850- ); Lennox and Addington United Co. (1865- ); Lincoln, Haldimand and Welland United Cos. (1850-1851); Lincoln and Welland United Cos. (1851-1856); Lincoln Co. (1856-1970); London Dt. (1798-1849); Luneburg Dt. (1788-1792); Manitoulin Dt. (1899- ); Mecklenburg Dt. (1788-1792); Middlesex Co. (1850- 1851; 1853- ); Middlesex and Elgin United Cos. (1851-1853); Midland Dt.Sound Dt. (1888-1898); Muskoka Dt. (1898- ); Nassau Dt. (1788-1792); Newcastle Dt. (1802-1849); Niagara Dt. (1798- 1849); Niagara North J.D. (1970- ); Niagara South J.D. (1970- ); Nipissing Dt. (1858- ); Norfolk Co. (1850-1974); Norfolk J.D. (1974- ); Northumberland and Durham United Cos. (1850-1973); Northumberland Co. (1974- ); Ontario Co. (1853-1973); Ottawa Dt. (1816- 1849); Ottawa-Carleton J.D. (1969- ); Oxford Co. (1850- ); Parry Sound Dt. (1898- ); Peel Co. (1866-1973); Peel J.D. (1974- ); Perth Co. (1853- ); Peterborough Co. (1850-1851; 1863- ); Peterborough and Victoria United Cos. (1851- 1863); Prescott and Russell United Cos. (1850- ); Prince Edward Dt. (1834-1849); Prince Edward Co. (1850- ); Rainy River Dt. (1909- ); Renfrew Co. (1866- ); Simcoe Dt. (1837-1849); Simcoe Co. (1850- ); Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Cos. (1850- ); Sudbury Dt. (1907- ); Talbot Dt. (1837-1849); Temiskaming Dt. (1913- ); Thunder Bay Dt. (1884- ); Victoria Dt. (1839-1849); Victoria Co. (1863- ); Waterloo Co. (1850-1851; 1853- 1973); Waterloo J.D. (1974- ); Waterloo, Wellington and Grey United Cos. (1851-1853); Wellington Dt. (1840-1849); Wellington Co. (1853- ); Welland Co. (1856-1970); Wentworth and Halton United Cos. (1850-1851; 1853-1855); Wentworth, Halton and Brant United Cos. (1851-1853); Wentworth Co. (1855-1973); Western Dt. (1792-1849); York Co. (1850-1851; 1866-1970); York, Ontario and Peel United Cos. (1851-1853); York and Peel United Cos. (1853-1866); York J.D. (1971- ); and York Region J.D. (1980- ).

Clerks of the Peace were appointed to keep the county record and to assist the justices of the peace in quarter sessions in drawing indictments, entering judgements, issuing process etc., and in administering business.

Basic duties of the Clerks of the Peace included: recording forfeited estates of traitors; prosecuting negligent assessors; laying property assessment suits before Quarter Sessions; furnishing government with annual returns of assessed property; making writs of assessments; notifying parish and town officials to take oath; granting certificates of pardon; delivering jury lists to the Sheriff; recording marriages; transmitting to the government lists of licences granted; recording and transmitting to government lists of population; making up, yearly, a list of inhabitant householders and delivering it to the Sheriff for jurors; returning convictions to the General Quarter Session of the Peace and filing Justice of the Peace's Returns of Convictions and Returns of Finis, Penalties etc.; publishing the returns in the newspaper of the district; and recording the place and time of sittings of the County/District Court.

Beginning in 1837, the Clerk of the Peace also began taking the affidavit of bastardy from unmarried mothers for support by declaring the father.

Ordinance (March 4, 1777)

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Armstrong, Frederick. Handbook of Upper Canadian Chronology (1985)

Riddell, William. The Bar and the Courts of the Province of Upper Canada, or Ontario (1928)

Agency not found in Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24

Archivist(s):
R. Anger