Handbook of Upper Canada Chronology

Dean Tudor is a journalism professor at the Ryerson Polytechnical
Institute and founding editor of the CBRA.

The first edition of this book was published in 1967 by the Library at the University of Western Ontario; it was a centennial project and received appropriate funding at that time. A chronology is a history handbook that indicates the dates when events occurred or tenures existed. This one was derived from such sources as “General Index to Commissions” (Public Archives of Canada), Upper Canada Gazette, Proclamations (Ontario Archives, 1906), Journals of the Legislative Assembly, and various correspondence, almanacs, and directories. There are about 250 tables covering such topics as British sovereigns, ministers, and officials; the provincial officials, the parliaments, the judiciary and legal profession; and local governments, special commissions, and some business corporations. The time frames are various, ranging in one case (local government) from 1788 through 1849. Each table consists of lists of names, arranged chronologically, with dates — for example, an appointment date before a commission, the date someone was bonded or dismissed, the date an appointment was gazetted (which may vary from the actual date of authority), date resigned, date sworn in, who died in office, and so forth; not all of these apply in each and every case). Each table usually has a short paragraph describing the historical nature of that topic. Lots of names have been omitted due to the sheer size of the chronology. There are no listings for the 1700 or so magistrates, nor are there any listings for the militia and the respective rank changes. There was simply no room — not even for a simple index to the people who were included.