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Backus Family fonds
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Backus Family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- textual records
- Date Range
- 1825-1909
- Accession Number
- 2007-09
- Storage Location
- R8 S5 Sh2 B4
- R8 S5 Sh3 B6 F1-5
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Backus Family fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2007-09
- Storage Room
- Archives Storage Rm. 110
- Storage Location
- R8 S5 Sh2 B4
- R8 S5 Sh3 B6 F1-5
- GMD
- textual records
- Date Range
- 1825-1909
- Physical Description
- 3 cm of textual records
- History / Biographical
- The Backus family was one of several families that had obtained land from Colonel Thomas Talbot and settled in the area which quickly came to be known as Little Ireland (a namesake due to the Irish ancestry of the settlers).
- The Backus-Page House Museum is located within the grounds of the John E. Pearce Provincial Park, situated within a restored Georgian style house which was constructed in 1850. It is one of the first brick homes built in what would eventually become Dunwich Township.
The house was commissioned by Andrew and Mary Jane Backus. The property that Andrew built his house on was given to him by his grandmother, Mary Storey, who received her original land grant in 1809.
- Scope and Content
- Records created, collected and/or maintained by the Backus family of Dunwich Township. The fonds is comprised of the following series:
- -Land records series, 1825-1906.
- -Historical records series, 1877-1909.
- Name Access
- Backus (family)
Less detail
Elgin Historical Society fonds
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Elgin Historical Society fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- textual records
- graphic material
- cartographic material
- Date Range
- 1830-2016
- Accession Number
- 2002-25
- 2017-25
- Storage Location
- R7 S2 Sh4 B1-3
- R7 S2 Sh3 B1-2
- C4 Sh5
- M10e
- R15 S1 Sh1 B5
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Elgin Historical Society fonds
- Creator
- Elgin Historical Society
- Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute
- Ontario Historical Society
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2002-25
- 2017-25
- Storage Room
- Archives Storage Rm. 105
- Archives Storage Rm. 107
- Archives Storage Rm. 110
- Storage Location
- R7 S2 Sh4 B1-3
- R7 S2 Sh3 B1-2
- C4 Sh5
- M10e
- R15 S1 Sh1 B5
- GMD
- textual records
- graphic material
- cartographic material
- Date Range
- 1830-2016
- Physical Description
- 1.27 m of textual records
- 244 photographs : b&w and col.
- 73 photographs : b&w glass slides
- 33 photographic negatives
- 2 photographs : b&w metal plate negatives
- 1 drawing
- 6 postcards : b&w and col.
- 1 map
- History / Biographical
- The Elgin Historical Society was formed under its original name, the Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute, on April 29, 1891, and was soon thereafter affiliated with the Ontario Historical Society.
- A separate women's section of the Institute, variously known as the Ladies' Auxiliary or Women's Historical Society, was formed in 1899 and continued in operation until the early 1920s.
- For many years the Institute maintained offices, a library and a small museum in the St. Thomas Court House, initially in the original building (destroyed by fire in July 1898), and subsequently, beginning in 1900, in the new Court House.
- Prominent early Presidents of the Institute included James H. Coyne, Registrar of Deeds for Elgin County, who also served as President of the Ontario Historical Society and the Royal Society of Canada; Judge C.O. Ermatinger; and long-time Elgin County Clerk K.W. McKay.
- The Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute collected, preserved and exhibited archival documents and artifacts, and sponsored numerous publications relevant to the history of Elgin County. At its regular meetings, Institute members presented essays on various subjects. In addition, the Institute raised funds to organize public events and to support the erection of numerous markers and memorials commemorating individuals and events significant in the history of Elgin County, including, in 1903, a four-day celebration in St. Thomas of the Talbot Centennial, marking the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Talbot Settlement by Colonel Thomas Talbot.
- As a result of declining membership, the Society ceased active operations in the early 1940s. At this time, the Society donated a significant portion of its collection of archival documents and artifacts to the Public Archives of Canada.
- The Elgin Historical Society was reconstituted in 1967 as a centennial project and has continued in operation since then. For many years, The Society maintained its library and archive of artifacts and documents in the Elgin County Pioneer Museum, St. Thomas.
- The Society's objectives as outlined in its constitution are to "bring together those people interested in the diverse heritage of Elgin County and St. Thomas...to research, retain, preserve and present historical data pertaining to the region...to solicit for preservation artifacts, arms, uniforms, military accoutrements, and other objects of historical interest...to solicit for preservation manuscripts, letters, documents, maps, books, pictures and other materials relating to the Society's objectives...to participate in public functions designed to perpetuate the memory of the past...[and] to publish and republish historical material with the aim of disseminating local history over a wide area."
- Custodial History
- The records composing the fonds were created, collected and maintained by the Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute and the Elgin Historical Society. Records were stored as part of a much larger collection at the Elgin County Pioneer Museum, and moved to the basement of Yurek's Drug Store, St. Thomas after the Museum fire in 2001. Records were donated to the Elgin County Archives in December 2002.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of records created, collected and maintained by the Elgin Historical Society and its predecessor the Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute. Fonds includes minutes of Society meetings; administrative records including annual reports, constitution and by-laws, financial statements, lists of officers, programmes, newsletters and membership lists; correspondence; photographs; records relating to the Society's involvement in the annual Talbot Anniversary Dinner; Society-sponsored publications; and papers and essays prepared for or presented to the Society. The Miscellaneous Records series principally consists of archival records relating to various Elgin County municipal officials, institutions and agencies, collected and maintained by the Society as part of its mandate to preserve and provide access to resources for the study of Elgin County history. Fonds also includes records of the Ontario Historical Society, collected and maintained by the Elgin Historical Society and the Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute, and an 1886 colour perspective map of the City of St. Thomas that includes a classified business directory and illustrations of prominent city buildings.
Fonds is arranged in the following series:
1. Minutes
2. Talbot Anniversary Dinner
3. Correspondence
4. Publications
5. Papers and Essays
6. Archives
7. Administration
8. Ontario Historical Society Records
9. Photographs
10. Miscellaneous Records
- Name Access
- Elgin Historical Society
- Elgin Historical and Scientific Institute
- St. Thomas (Ont.)
- St. Thomas and District Horticultural Society
- Balaclava Home and School Council
- Balaclava Mothers' Club
- Bell, James
- Munro, Colin
- Elgin County Branch Ontario Genealogical Society
- Thorman, George
- St. Thomas Waterworks
- Coyne, James Henry
- Alma College
- St. Thomas YWCA
- St. Thomas Model School
- Southwold Prehistoric Earthworks
- Accruals
- Accruals of minutes and administrative records expected.
Less detail
Guy St-Denis Collection: Colonel Thomas Talbot Research Papers
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Guy St-Denis Collection: Colonel Thomas Talbot Research Papers
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- textual records
- graphic material
- Date Range
- 1907-2003
- Accession Number
- 2017-42
- Storage Location
- R12 S1 Sh5 B4-6
- R12 S1 Sh6 B3
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Guy St-Denis Collection: Colonel Thomas Talbot Research Papers
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2017-42
- Storage Room
- Archives Storage Rm. 110
- Storage Location
- R12 S1 Sh5 B4-6
- R12 S1 Sh6 B3
- GMD
- textual records
- graphic material
- Date Range
- 1907-2003
- Physical Description
- 1 cm of textual records
- Scope and Content
- These papers were collected as part of a comprehensive study into the life and career of Colonel Thomas Talbot, the early nineteenth-century settlement agent whose authority extended over much of what is now southwestern Ontario. The research was conducted by Guy St-Denis in various archival repositories with the intention of publishing a new biography of Talbot. After the project was discontinued, the photocopied documents were preserved in hopes of being useful to future scholars of Talbot and his settlement. The files were compiled ca. 1985-2003.
- This collection is primarily comprised of secondary source material (reference copies). However, there are a number of original records, including newspaper articles, booklets and programmes, 1907-1977.
- Name Access
- Talbot, Thomas
Less detail
Milton Berry Collection
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Milton Berry Collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- textual records
- graphic material
- cartographic material
- Date Range
- ca. 1925-1926
- Accession Number
- 2017-02
- Storage Location
- R4 S6 Sh3 B2
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Milton Berry Collection
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2017-02
- Storage Room
- Archives Storage Rm. 107
- Storage Location
- R4 S6 Sh3 B2
- GMD
- textual records
- graphic material
- cartographic material
- Date Range
- ca. 1925-1926
- Physical Description
- 5 cm of textual records, graphic material and cartographic material
- Custodial History
- Transferred from the Elgin County Museum in January 2017.
- Scope and Content
- Collection consists of reports, documents, photographs and maps relating to the Talbot Estates, former home of Colonel Thomas Talbot, ca. 1925-1926. Collection is arranged into the following series:
- -Documents series, 1925
- -Reports series, 1925
- -Photographs series, 1925
- -Maps series, ca. 1926
- Name Access
- Talbot Estate
Less detail
Sir Richard Airey fonds
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Sir Richard Airey fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- graphic material
- Date Range
- [1850?]
- Accession Number
- 2010-15
- Storage Location
- R4 S1 Sh4 B4
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Sir Richard Airey fonds
- Creator
- Sir Richard Airey
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2010-15
- Storage Room
- Archives Storage Rm. 107
- Storage Location
- R4 S1 Sh4 B4
- GMD
- graphic material
- Date Range
- [1850?]
- Physical Description
- 1 painting : watercolour on paper ; 17.5 x 28 cm
- Custodial History
- 1984-2010: Nancy Poole (donor), purchased from the Becher family, 1984
- 1850-1984: H.C.R. Becher and his descendants, acquired from the artist, ca. 1850
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of a watercolour painting on paper by Sir Richard Airey showing Colonel Thomas Talbot in the "Den" at his home, circa 1850.
- Name Access
- Airey, Richard
- Talbot, Thomas
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Township of Aldborough fonds
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Township of Aldborough fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- GMD
- textual records
- Date Range
- 1850-1997
- Accession Number
- 2003-12
- 2003-20
- 2003-32
- 2006-20
- Storage Location
- R8 S2 Sh1 B2 F3-9
- R8 S3-4
- Museum / Archive
- Elgin County Archives
- Part Of
- Township of Aldborough fonds
- Description Level
- Fonds
- Accession Number
- 2003-12
- 2003-20
- 2003-32
- 2006-20
- Storage Room
- Archives Storage Rm. 110
- Storage Location
- R8 S2 Sh1 B2 F3-9
- R8 S3-4
- GMD
- textual records
- Date Range
- 1850-1997
- Physical Description
- 19.4 m of textual records
- History / Biographical
- Aldborough Township was named for a town in the County of Suffolk, England. It was part of a tract of land granted to Colonel Thomas Talbot by the British crown, with the objective of acquiring settlers for this crown colony.
- Aldborough Township was the westermost township in Elgin County. It was bounded on the west by Kent County, on the north by Middlesex County, on the east by the Township of Dunwich and on the south by Lake Erie.
- In 1994, Aldborough and Rodney amalgamated to form an expanded Township of Aldborough.
- On January 1st, 1998, the Township of Aldborough and the Village of West Lorne amalgamated to form the Municipality of West Elgin.
- Scope and Content
- Fonds consists of the full-range of corporate records divided into the following series:
- -Council series, 1850-1997
- -Treasurer's series, 1858-1997
- -Clerk's series, 1866-1992
- Name Access
- Aldborough (Ont. : Township)
Less detail