Ontario. Deputy Clerks of the Crown and Pleas

• Deputy Clerks of the Crown and Pleas

• Upper Canada. Deputy Clerks of the Crown and Pleas

• Canada (Province). Deputy Clerks of the Crown and Pleas

• Upper Canada. County Court Clerks

• Canada (Province). County Court Clerks

• Ontario. County Court Clerks

• Canada (Province). District Court Clerks

• Ontario. District Court Clerks

• Canada (Province). Clerks of Assize

• Ontario. Clerks of Assize

• Canada (Province). Surrogate Court Registrars

• Ontario. Surrogate Court Clerks

Deputy Clerks of the Crown and Pleas were established for each of the districts (later counties) of the province of Upper Canada in 1797, in order to alleviate the expense and delay of sending to the Capital for a writ from King's Bench.

Although this reform was withdrawn in 1798, it was reinstated in 1801. Final judgements, however, still had to be entered with the Court of King's Bench in the Capital.

In 1849, it was established that the position of Deputy Clerk of the Crown and Pleas in each county was to be held ex officio by the County/District Court Clerk for that respective county or district.

In addition to serving ex officio as Deputy Clerks of the Crown and Pleas, the County/District Court Clerks also served ex officio as Clerks of Assize (with the exception of William Alexander Campbell, who was to continue to hold the single position of Clerk of Assize for the County of York), beginning in 1851, and as Registrars of the Surrogate Court, beginning in 1858.

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

The following is an alphabetical listing of the counties/districts/judicial districts that existed within the Province between 1797 and 1881 (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); Colborne Dt. (1841-1849); Dalhousie Dt. (1842-1849); 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); Haliburton Co. (1874- ); Halton Co. (1855- 1973); Hastings Co. (1850- ); 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); 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); Middlesex Co. (1850-1851; 1853- ); Middlesex and Elgin United Cos. (1851-1853); Midland Dt. (1792-1849); Newcastle Dt. (1802- 1849); Niagara Dt. (1798-1849); Nipissing Dt. (1858- ); Norfolk Co. (1850-1974); Northumberland and Durham United Cos. (1850-1973); Ontario Co. (1853-1973); Ottawa Dt. (1816- 1849); Oxford Co. (1850- ); Peel Co. (1866-1973); Perth Co. (1853- ); PeterboroughPrescott and Russell United Cos. (1850- ); Prince Edward Dt. (1834- 1849); Prince Edward Co. (1850- ); Renfrew Co. (1866- ); Simcoe Dt. (1837-1849); Simcoe Co. (1850- ); Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Cos. (1850- ); Talbot Dt. (1837- 1849); Victoria Dt. (1839-1849); Victoria Co. (1863- ); Waterloo Co. (1850-1851; 1853- 1973); 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); and York and Peel United Cos. (1853-1866).

Deputy Clerks of the Crown and Pleas issued writs, entered judgements and took pleadings concerning cases for King's Bench and, after 1849, the Common Pleas in their respective districts of the Province of Upper Canada (later Ontario).

An Act to establish a Court for the Cognizance of Small Causes in each and every district of this Province, Statutes of Upper Canada 1794, Chap. 3

An Act regulating the Practice of the Court of King's Bench, Statutes of Upper Canada 1797, Chap. 4

An Act to Amend and Repeal part of an Act passed in the 37th year of the Reign of His Majesty, entitled "An Act regulating the Practice of the Court of King's Bench", Statutes of Upper Canada 1798, Chap. 6

An Act the better to adapt the Establishment of the Court of King's Bench to the present situation of the Province, Statutes of Upper Canada 1801, Chap. 9

An Act to make further provision for the Administration of Justice, by the establishment of an additional Superior Court of Common Law and also a Court of Appeal, Statutes of the Province of Canada 1849, Chap. 63

An Act to authorize and require the several Deputy Clerks of the Crown to Perform the duties of the Clerks of Assize in their respective Counties, Statutes of the Province of Canada 1851, Chap. 118

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

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

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

Statutes of Upper Canada; the Province of Canada; and Ontario (see above)

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

Archivist(s):
T. Belton, R. Anger