Prince Edward District Marriage Register of Upper Canada 1833-1849

By Dan Walker & Fawne Stratford-Devai

 The Prince Edward County was separated from the Midland District to create Prince Edward District in 1831. Administrative boundaries changed as the population grew. See the Background section below for those details. Because many clergy called Prince Edward District home, marriages they performed in nearby areas outside of Prince Edward District are included in this register

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This book includes: Complete transcription of the original Prince Edward district marriage register 1833-1849

Towns and townships where marriages occurred and were reported in the Prince Edward District Register include: Adolphstown, Ameliasburgh, Athol, Belleville, Bloomfield, Consecon, Cramahe, Darlington, Demorestville, Ernest Town, Flamborough West (Gore District), Fredericksburgh, Hallowell, Hillier, Kingston, Marysburgh, Millford, Murray (Newcastle District), Osgood (Dalhousie District), Percy, Picton, Saltfleet (Gore District), Sidney (Victoria District), Sophiasburgh, Thurlow, Tyendenagua, Wellington, Whitby, and a number of other areas.

Background: On the 16th of March 1831, the Governor proclaimed that Prince Edward County could be separated from the Midland District and become recognized as a separate district as soon as jail and court house facilities were built. Picton was to become the district town. However, it was not until the 6th of February 1834 that a court house and jail were established and the Prince Edward District formerly proclaimed.

Effective 1833, marriage returns for Prince Edward County were required to be returned to the Clerk of the Peace in the District town of Picton. Returns were sent in to the Clerk of the Peace from ministers who performed marriages, with the exception of Anglican and Roman Catholic ministers. However, many Anglican and Catholics settlers married in churches of convenience or by passing circuit riders when churches of their own faith had not been established yet -- the result is that many of those marriages appear in these District Marriage Registers.

On the 30 May 1849 the Prince Edward District was abolished and Prince Edward County made responsible for all administration. Ironically, while Prince Edward County was itself a separate district, the move from district to county administration spelled the end of the District Marriage Register. To date, no supplemental returns or separate register have been located for the period 1849-1857 when marriage records were required to be kept at the county level. Marriages prior to 1834 would be found in the Midland District. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this introduction, the Midland District Marriage Register does not appear to survive.

The Prince Edward District was originally settled by United Empire Loyalists and by the 1840s was firmly held by the descendants of those who fought on the side of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. The District was also populated by a number of Pennsylvanian Dutch, and a few English, Irish and Scotch settlers. By 1846 there was no Crown land for sale in the District; all the land being in the hands of private individuals.

Check bordering Districts:  Complete District Marriage Register Series booklist

When searching for marriages recorded in Marriage Registers keep in mind that many returns were submitted by ministers who were circuit riders who often performed marriages at great distance from their home bases. Circuit riders reported marriages in the register of the District where they lived which was not necessarily in the same District where the marriage took place. That said, if you cannot find the marriage in the Prince Edward District register you would be well advised to search bordering districts such as the Newcastle District, and Johnstown District. As mentioned earlier, the Midland District Marriage Registers appear to be lost.

Related article: District Marriage Registers of Upper Canada (Ontario) 1786-1870 - What are they and why are they important?

Details:

114  Pages 
8.5" X 11" 
Maps
Index 
Originally published by Norsim, Toronto, 1995
This revised and updated edition with new maps and introduction published by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2000 
ISBN  978-1-894571-45-6 (coil-bound edition)