Ontario. Court of Chancery. Deputy Registrars

• Deputy Registrars

Deputy Registrars for the Court of Chancery were established in each of the various counties of Upper Canada in 1850, in order to expedite cases and promote the local administration of justice. These officials were appointed by the Chancery Judges.

In 1881, the Ontario Judicature Act was passed which considerably reorganized the court system in Ontario. With this change, the Deputy Registrars for the Court of Chancery were gradually replaced with Local Registrars of the Supreme Court (a position which combined the duties and functions of both the Deputy Registrars of the Court of Chancery and the Deputy Clerks of the Crown and Pleas) as vacancies arose.

The following is an alphabetical listing of the counties/districts that existed within the Province between 1850 and 1881 (with Dt.= District and Co.=County), along with the dates for which they existed: Algoma Dt. (1859- ); Brant Co. (1853- ); Bruce Co. (1867- ); Carleton Co. ( 1850-1969); 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- ); Grey Co. (1853- ); Haldimand Co. (1851-1974); Haliburton Co. (1874- ); Halton Co. (1855-1973); Hastings Co. (1850- ); Huron, Perth and Bruce United Cos. (1850- 1853); Huron and Bruce United Cos. (1853-1867); Huron Co. (1867- ); 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); Middlesex Co. (1850-1851; 1853- ); Middlesex and Elgin United Cos. (1851-1853); Nipissing Dt. (1858- ); Norfolk Co. (1850-1974); Northumberland and Durham United Cos. (1850-1973); Ontario Co. (1853-1973); Oxford Co. (1850- ); Peel Co. (1866-1973); Perth Co. (1853- ); Peterborough Co. (1850-1851; 1863- ); Peterborough and Victoria United Cos. (1851-1863); Prescott and Russell United Cos. (1850- ); Prince Edward Co. (1850- ); Renfrew Co. (1866- ); Simcoe Co. (1850- ); Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Cos. (1850- ); Victoria Co. (1863- ); Waterloo Co. (1850-1851; 1853- 1973); Waterloo, Wellington and Grey United Cos. (1851-1853); Wellington Co. (1853- ); Welland Co.and Halton United Cos. (1850-1851; 1853-1855); Wentworth, Halton and Brant United Cos. (1851-1853); Wentworth Co. (1855-1973); York Co. (1850-1851; 1866-1970); York, Ontario and Peel United Cos. (1851-1853); and York and Peel United Cos. (1853-1866).

Deputy Registrars performed locally the duties of the Clerk of the Records and Writs; received and filed pleadings and other papers; set down causes; certified proceedings; prepared and issued writs; and maintained care and custody of various court documents.

Deputy Registrars could also issue decrees on praecipe for foreclosure, sale or redemption, where the suit was between the original mortgage and mortgagor only, and was to enter such decrees in a book.

Twice a year, the Deputy Registrar was to make a return to the Clerk of Records and Writs of the number of bills, answers and demurrers filed with Deputy Registrar during the preceding six months and to transmit with the return the amount of fees payable.

An Act for the more effectual Administration of Justice in the Court of Chancery in Upper Canada, Statutes of the Province of Canada 1850, Chap. 50

Ontario Judicature Act, Statutes of Ontario 1881, Chap. 5

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

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Legislation (see above)

Holmested, George. A Manual of Practice of the High Court of Justice for Ontario (1881).

Orders in Chancery, 1868 (Justice portfolio copy)

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

Archivist(s):
R. Anger