Records of the Past

50​The Middleville and District Museum is the caretaker of many original documents that chronicle the history of a place and its people. The Museum’s Collection includes land deeds, township petitions to council, wills, marriage certificates, mortgages, indentures and letters. Researchers can browse through tax rolls to find clues about land transactions and settler movements as far back as 1851 for Lanark and Darling Townships both in original form and on disc. Birth, death and marriage records are found in personal diaries, scrapbooks of newspaper clippings and some hand copied church lists. The Museum offers transcribed records of marriage registers for Bathurst District (1831-1852), Victoria District (1839-1858), Renfrew County (1858-1869), Lanark County (1858-1869), Balderson & District (1890-1912). Transcriptions of ‘Vital Records’ for Dalhousie (1825-1869) and for the Presbyterian Churches of Dalhousie and Lanark as early as 1830 and up to 1896 are available. Baptismal & Marriage records for Knox Church (McDonald’s Corners) and some Baptismal records for Methodist Churches in Lanark County (1844-1875) are transcribed, as well. Local cemetery records are compiled in booklets. Several community binders hold pages of written reports, stories and pictures that provide answers to many local questions. Transcripts of census records for 1820-22 (Military Settlement, Lanark, Perth, Richmond), 1842 (Lanark County), 1851 (Lanark, Darling Twp), 1861 (Lanark, Ramsay Twp), 1871 (Lanark Twp) and 1891 (Lanark, Darling, Ramsay Twp) are available to confirm names of household members. Lists of settlers for Lanark Township and the lots of land they initially settled on after arriving in the early 1800’s are helpful to visitors. The Museum has several old maps with names of settlers indicated on the surveyed lots. 
Over 37 000 Lanark Families are part of Ancestry.ca and available to researchers through subscription to that website. People who come to the Museum can access the Lanark Families during their visit.
The Macaulay-Borrowman Photo Collection of 300 photos, is available in albums for visitors to view and make family connections. Many buildings and community events are captured in these prints. Family members often see ancestors for the very first time in the pages of these albums. 
The Museum has an expanded space for researchers to delve into these resources on site. Volunteers are happy to make copies of family documents and photos that are discovered. 
The Museum is continually working toward making many of these original resources available on its website. An index of the Macaulay-Borrowman Photos will soon be added to the Museum’s online Resource Library. So, whether families looking to trace their ancestors want to view actual photos and documents or search online, the Middleville and District Museum is working to connect people to their history. Please continue to check in with our online Resource Library found on our Collection page as more items will be added in the coming season. 
Mark a space on your calendar to come and explore the documents, books and photographs the Middleville and District Museum has to offer. The Museum opens for the season on Victoria Day weekend, May 21st, 22nd and 23rd, 2022. We hope to see you this season. 

Documents in the Middleville and District Museum's Collection