Ontario. Recording Office

• Recording Office

• Ontario. Records Office

The Recording Office, sometimes known as the Records Office, was created at Confederation, and carried on functions previously conducted within the Provincial Secretary's Office.

In 1867 it formed part of the Department of the Provincial Secretary, and remained there until 1961 when it became part of the Department of the Provincial Secretary and Citizenship.

The Recording Office continued to exist within the Department of the Provincial Secretary and Citizenship until 1972, when the Department ceased to exist. It moved to the newly created Ministry of Government Services, and was shortly thereafter renamed the Official Documents Section.

The Recording Office has custody of the indexes and records of documents issued under the Great Seal of Ontario, the Privy Seal of the Lieutenant Governor, and the seal of the Provincial Secretary. These documents include official records of incorporation such as Letters Patent of Incorporation and Amalgamation, Supplementary Letters Patent, Licenses in Mortmain, Extra- Provincial Licenses, Surrenders and Cancellations of Charters. They also include Crown Land Patents and Leases, Mining Patents and Leases, and appointments of Queen's Counsels, Notaries Public, Justices of the Peace, and Commissioners for taking Affidavits.

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

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Government of Ontario Telephone Directories, 1960-1972.

Guide to Services of the Ontario Government, 1964.

Agency not found in Canadiana name authorities, 1996-12-24. No evidence for the name or existence of this agency can be found prior to approximately 1947, when the office was staffed by a single individual, and the placement within the Department of the Provincial Secretary and the form of name are assumptions.

Archivist(s):
R. Anger