Wellington County Timeline

1999

Amalgamations: Townships of Guelph, Eramosa and part of Pilkington and Nichol amalgamated to form Township of Guelph/Eramosa. The Town of Fergus, Village of Elora and the Townships of Nichol, Pilkington, West Garafraxa and a portion of Eramosa form The Township of Centre Wellington.

 

1991

Arthur Land Registry Office closed. Records were combined with those of the Guelph Land Registry Office.

 

1980

Province of Ontario Land Registration and Information System (POLARIS) introduced.

 

1955

Copybooks discontinued.

 

1938

Garafraxa Township records had been transferred from the Guelph Land Registry Office to the Arthur Land Registry Office.

 

1887

Custody of Title Deeds Act and the filing of ‘Deposits’.

 

1883

East Luther Township was transferred to Dufferin County.

 

1881

Dufferin County was created and East Garafraxa, Amaranth Townships were transferred from Wellington County.

 

1871

Arthur Land Registry Office opened.

 

1866

General registers were created for unprobated wills and other legal documents such as powers of attorney and bankruptcy assignments.

 

1865

Abstract index was created. Full text of deed was placed on deposit and the full text written in the township copybook. [Note, the Abstract Indexes for townships were backdated to include all activity that had occurred since the granting of the Patent.]

 

1854

On 1 January the County of Wellington was officially established.

 

1853

Grey County separated ( Owen Sound was County seat) from Wellington County and Minto Township surveyed by Charles Rankin and George W. Gibson.

 

1852

Wellington District was renamed the United Counties of Wellington, Waterloo and Grey.

 

1851

Registration of land documents became mandatory.

 

1849

Survey of Maryborough Township by Patrick O’Callaghan.

 

1847

Each Township was required to have a separate copybook.

 

1840

Guelph Land Registry Office registered its first deed. [Prior to this either the Waterloo or Halton Offices handled the records]

 

1838

Wellington District was separated from Gore District.

 

1835

Survey of Arthur Township by John McDonald.

 

1834

Survey of Peel Township by R. W. Kerr.

 

1833

Settlement of Fergus established.

 

1832

First map of Elora village completed and first house built.

 

1831

New survey of Puslinch Township completing the west part (Concessions 1 through 6) and a revised survey of Arkell area.

 

1828

Old Survey of Puslinch Township by David Gibson (Concessions 7 to 10 along the Nassagaweya Township line). This enabled creation of a new road, and more direct route to Dundas . Prior to this, travellers would first go to Galt and then back to Guelph/Puslinch area.