Jonasson, Eric. “The Districts and Counties of Ontario, 1777-1979, Two Centuries of Evolution,” in Families. Vol. 20, no. 2 (1981), 91-102. (FHL book 971.3 B2f; not on microfilm.)

Development of Ontario townships and counties is also discussed in:

Armstrong, Frederick H. Handbook of Upper Canadian Chronology. Rev. ed. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1985. (FHL book 971.3 N27a 1985; not on microfilm.) Includes helpful charts and diagrams.

HISTORY

The following important events affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements.

1784	After the American Revolution large numbers of Loyalists arrived in newly-surveyed townships along the St. Lawrence River in upper Quebec.
1788	Present southern Ontario was divided into four districts: Hesse, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, and Nassau.
1791	The old Province of Quebec was discontinued and divided into two separate colonies, Lower Canada (now Quebec) and Upper Canada (now Ontario).
1792	The first parliament began. The four original district names were changed: Hesse to Western, Lunenburg to Eastern, Mecklenburg to Midland, Nassau to Home.
1800	Districts were adjusted to include counties established for the purpose of levying militia and as voting precincts and land registration units. Other municipal functions such as probate registration remained with the districts.
1812	At the time war broke out with the United States, two-thirds of the population were non-Loyalists who had been attracted by the offer of free land.
1815	Many immigrants arrived from Scotland. A large number settled in Lanark County.
1820-1850	Many immigrants arrived from Great Britain and Ireland. About 66,000 British immigrants arrived in 1833, some through the port of New York by wayof the Eric Canal. In 1847, famine in Ireland caused thousands of immigrants to come.
1841	The Act of Union established a single combined legislature for Lower Canada (to be called Canada East [Quebec]) and for Upper Canada (called Canada West [Ontario]).
1849	In Canada West (southern Ontario), the counties became functioning governmental units when the old districts were abolished. However, townships within counties remain the basic building block of local government in Ontario until after 1954.
1857	Ottawa became the capital of the Province of Canada.
1867	The Province of Ontario was formed from Canada West and joined the Confederation when the Dominion of Canada was created, uniting Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.
1912	Provincial boundaries were moved northward to Hudson Bay.
1954	The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was created from the southern half of York County, Ontario.
1967	Many additional counties, townships, and other local governments began to be abolished in Ontario as various large “regional municipalities” and other metropolitan governments were created.