March 22, 2005:

Thanks to Gaelynn Wall for providing us with a link to her web page of
indexes to early documents at canadiana.org

Get a coffee, set aside a half hour and follow some of Gaelynn's links!
__________

Hi Al,

This doesn't relate specifically to Carleton but may help some people.
I've been creating an index to the early documents at canadiana.org.
They include the Canada Land grants, Upper Canada land grants, teachers
and professors names, some students in college, people employed by the
gov't, working in the canals, etc etc.

If you think it would be helpful to people please feel free to link to
it.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gaelynn/links.htm or click here

Gaelyn
________________

Hi Gaelynn:
 
Thanks very much for this information. I'll set up a new page on my web site with 
a link to your page.
There is a terrific amount of information included there.
 
I just found my GGGrandfather who bought 200 acres of crown land in Gloucester in 1835. 
I was wondering what he was up to during this period. He had a young family and this 
must have been the first farm. Amazing -- and there are lots of other familiar names.
 
Thanks again for this!
 
... Al
(the following is an example of one of the pages which Gaelynn has provided):
If you follow the links on her page you will be able to zoom in for easier reading.


Source: http://www.canadiana.org/ECO/PageView/9_00942_15/0461?id=0d0668403547e90b&size=3
April 7, 2005:
Hello everyone,
 
Lorne - Thanks for all your time answering my questions the other night. I have 
so many more, so if you ever feel like talking about the old days, give me a call!
 
Questions for anyone:
 
1) Does anyone know the names of the original settlers in the area where they are 
different family names than what is shown on the 1879 map? For instance, William 
Kennedy bought from someone in the early 1860's. Who? Any others that are not shown 
there?
 
2) Why are some lots 200 acres and other 100. Were the very first farms 200 acres 
and then split up. I can't see that being the case since the Burnett's was 100 acres 
from the start. So why are some like the McKenna, Quinlan and Larkin 200 acres?
 
3) Where was the Jockvale Post Office on the Clothier Property, at there farmhouse? 
Is that the farm house that is still on that road through Heart's Desire? I think 
they still raise cattle there. 
 
4) What is the "PN" marking on the Tierney lot just North of the blacksmith on the 
1879 map?
 
5) Taylor - There is a very old shell of a large farmhouse on Prince of Whales where 
a P.Kennedy is shown on the 1879 map (NW of Long Island). It is in the trees behind 
a newer house and a large garage, but it is visible driving by. I did not read 
"The Kennedy Story" close enough to pay attention to whether this is "your" Kennedy. 
Thought you might be interested though.
 
6) I am very curious about how this area looked when the first settlers arrived. 
In other words: type of forest? Had it already been logged? Was it brush and forest? 
Any ideas where I could learn more? 
 
Have a look at this:
 
http://ottawa.ca/city_services/maps/atlas/airphotos/level4/map1-5-5-3_en.html
 
It is an arial view of Ottawa about 1999. I have already zoomed it in to the 
Jockvale area, but you can zoom back and look elsewhere. It also zooms in a few 
more too. I have spent hours comparing this and the 1879 map.
 
I still plan on getting some 1940's arial photos soon, and will share them with you.
 
Take care, 
Mike Epp
________________________________
Hi everyone:
 
I'm sending a copy of this to Michael Daley who is also interested in this.
 
Mike (Epp), you should drive over to Watson's Mill on Saturday morning. They 
have a large map of Carleton County, dated 1863, 16 years before the 1879 Belden map. 
It's on the wall and is easy to get a good perspective.
 
On it, you will find Nepean Township and you will see some different owners and 
different farm sizes than in the later map.
I think that when the original townships were laid out around 1800, the lots were 
all 200 acres in size. The surveyors started from the rivers and moved inland. 
That's why, in Gloucester Township you have lots which are in the Ottawa Front 
and other lots which are in the Rideau Front. There was a lot of land speculation 
and lots changed hands often, although most of the original settlers who had good 
farmland stayed on their original lots. 
 
Charles Rowan was just one land speculator. He owned a tavern on York Street in 
Lower Town. He shows up as owning land in Osgoode Township in 1879 but my ancestors 
bought land from him in the 1850's.
 
There were also lots which were Clergy Reserves (abolished in 1854), Crown Reserves, 
and land held by the Canada Company. 

If you look at the Land Grant record provided by Gaelynn (above), you will see some
sales of Canada Company land in 1836. The seventh name is Lawrence Byrnes (Burns) who 
is my GGGrandfather. He bought 200 acres in Concession 3 of the Rideau Front, but there 
were also 100 acre parcels. Concession 3 is between Limebank Road and the Downey Road, 
south of the Airport.

City lots were surveyed in Upper Bytown in September 1826. These lots lot were located 
where the Supreme Court and Confederation Buildings are today. One of these days, I'll 
transcribe the names.
... Al
April 10, 2005:
Hi Al
 
More from Gaelynn Walls link. If you scroll down a bit in the "Settlers and  Land Grants"
section you'll come to "Return of Lands Sold for Taxes..." then click on Ottawa District 
and use the navigation tool you'll come to  a surprisingly long list of lots seized and 
sold for taxes in Gloucester and other townships. Several interesting things from this 
list, first the number of names of purchasers that recur not just in the Gloucester list 
but in the whole of the Ottawa Dist and in Bathurst as well. Land speculation run amok, 
you could if you had the cash buy 200 acres for 3 12 6  and then resell it for 40 pounds 
or so and still be cheaper than what the crown was selling lots for -- a very tidy profit. 

Very few of these purchasers appear on the 1834 assessment role indicating they had 
flipped these properties by then. This turnover in ownership probably 
explains why many of the original grants of 200 acres show up later as 100 acre holdings. 
Speculators could increase their profits even more by subdividng.  
Regards 
Al Craig
 January 7, 2006:

For some time, the above records were unavailable at canadiana.org .
Gaelynn informs us that the pages will soon be available free once again, within
the next couple of weeks.

They are well worth looking at.
Thanks Gaelynn for this!
... Al

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