Waterloo County, Ontario Genealogy

Canada Ontario  Waterloo County

Guide to  ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

Getting Started
1. What information do you wish to locate about your ancestor? To choose the sources you need to search first, please click on RECORD SELECTION TABLE: Ontario, which will help you decide.

2. From the above Record Selection Table, which sources do you wish to check in this county? To check the availability of your sources of interest as well as to check the websites that have them online, please click on this county's SOURCES LINKS TABLE

3. Do you know the location that you wish to search in this county? If so, please check for some possible sources and some online information about your location of interest, by clicking on this county's POPULATED PLACES TABLE.

4. For further information regarding your sources of interest, see "4 Resources" ABOVE in the "CONTENTS" table and click on the source of interest.

Remember that you should always try to get an original copy of that source to verify information.

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Boundary Changes

 * 1837 - The townships of Proton, Luther, Melancthon and Amaranth become part of the County of Waterloo.
 * 1838 - The townships of Waterloo, Wilmot, Woolwich, and some reserved lands west of Woolwich were to become part of the County of Waterloo.
 * 1840 - Halton County is divided into the East Riding and the West Riding. The West Riding contains the townships of Garafraxa, Nichol, Woolwich, Guelp[h, Waterloo, Wilmot, Dumfries, Puslinch, Eramosa, and others.
 * 1845 - West Riding of Halton County designated as County of Waterloo. Waterloo County included the townships of Arthur, Amaranth, Bentinck, Derby, Eramosa, Egremont, Guelph, Glenelg, Garrafraxa [sic], Holland, Luther, Mornington, Minto, Maryborough, Melancthon, Normanby, Nichol, Peel, Proton, Puslinch, Sydenham, Sullivan, Waterloo, Wilmot, Woolwich, and Wellesley. Erin was included for all purposes except Legislative Assembly representation, while Dumfries was included for purposes of Legislative Assembly representation.
 * 1850 - Waterloo County includes the townships of Arthur, Amaranth, Bentinck, Derby, Eramosa, Egremont, Erin, Guelph, Glenelg, Garrafraxa [sic], Holland, Luther, Mornington, Minto, Maryborough, Melancthon, Normanby, Nichol, Peel, Proton, Puslinch, Sydenham, Sullivan, Waterloo, Wilmot, Woolwich, and Wellesley. Land included in Waterloo County included land to the north ot the Townships of Derby, Arran, and Saugeen and between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, that had been known as the Indian Reserve.
 * 1852 - Waterloo County alters in size. Townships within Waterloo County are North Dumfries, Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich. The southern half of Dumfries went to Brant County.
 * 1973 - Waterloo County is dissolved.

Cities


 * 1912 - Berlin became a City.
 * 1915 - Galt became a City.
 * 1916 - Berlin changed its name to Kitchener.
 * 1948 - Waterloo became a City.
 * 1973 - Cambridge (city) is created by amalgamation of the towns of Galt, Preston, and Hespeler, and parts of Noth Dumfries Township and Waterloo Township. Waterloo remains a City, loses a part to Kitchener, and gains a part of Waterloo Township. Bridgeport lost its status and became part of the city of Kitchener, along with parts of Waterloo (city) and Waterloo (township). Parts of the townships of Beverly and North Dumfries and Ayr (village) amalgamate as North Dumfries Township.

Towns


 * 1851 - Guelph became a Town. Annexed to Wellington District in 1852.
 * 1857 - Galt became a Town.
 * 1870 - Berlin became a Town.
 * 1876 - Waterloo became a Town.
 * 1900 - Preston became a Town.
 * 1901 - Hespeler became a Town.
 * 1922 - Elmira (village) becomes a Town.
 * 1966 - New Hamburg became a Town.
 * 1973 - New Hamburg lost its status and became part of Wilmot Township. Elmira and St. Jacobs lost their status and became part of Woolwich Township.

Other


 * 1850 - Galt became a Village.
 * 1852 - Preston became a Village.
 * 1854 - Berlin became a Village.
 * 1857 - New Hamburg and Waterloo became Villages.
 * 1859 - New Hope was incorporated as Hespeler (village).
 * 1883 - Ayr became a Village.
 * 1886 - Elmira became a Village.
 * 1904 - St. Jacobs became a Police Village.
 * 1906 - Hawkesville became a Police Village.
 * 1907 - Bridgeport became a Village and St. Clements and Baden became Police Villages.
 * 1908 - Wellesley became a Police Village.
 * 1915 - Conestogo became a Police Village.
 * 1919 - Linwood became a Police Village.
 * 1962 - Wellesley changed its status to Village.
 * 1973 - Bridgeport lost its status and became part of the city of Kitchener. St. Clements, Wellesley, and Linwood lost their status and became part of Wellesley Township. Conestogo lost its status and became part of Wilmot Township. Ayr lost its status and became part of North Dumfries Township.

Record Loss
Census: in both North Dumfries and Wellesley Townships 1851 Census one Division of each has been lost with time.

Populated Places
Townships


 * North Dumfries
 * Wilmot
 * Waterloo ( 1861 map of township)
 * Woolwich
 * Wellesley Neighboring Counties

Neighboring Counties
Perth | Oxford | Brant | Wellington

Cemeteries
For general information about Ontario cemeteries, please read about Cemeteries in the Province of Ontario Resources - Cemeteries.


 * Cemeteries of Waterloo County, Ontario full and partial transcriptions at Interment.net
 * Map of Waterloo Cemeteries

Individual Cemeteries:


 * St. Peters Lutheran Heidelberg Cemetery, Woodwich Township BillionGraves

Census Records
At this time, please read about Census Records in the Province of Ontario Resources - Census.


 * 1840 Census - Wilmot Township
 * 1852 Census - Canada West, Waterloo District #38
 * 1901 Census - Waterloo County, OntarioWaterloo, Wellesley, Woolrich, Berlin, Elmira
 * 1901 Census - Waterloo County, Ontario North Dumfries, Waterloo South, Galt, Wilmot, Hespeller, Preston, Ayr, New Hamburg
 * 1911 Census - Waterloo County, Ontario Waterloo, Wellesley, Woolrich, Berlin, Elmira
 * 1911 Census - Waterloo County, Ontario North Dumfries, Waterloo South, Galt, Wilmot, Hespeller, Preston, Ayr, New Hamburg

Church Records
At this time, please read about Church Records in the Province of Ontario Resources - Church Records.


 * Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide

Court Records
At this time, please read about Court Records in the Province of Ontario Resources - Court Records.

Directories
At this time, please read about Directories in the Province of Ontario Resources - Directories.


 * County Atlas 1878 Waterloo County

Genealogy
At this time, please read about Genealogies in the Province of Ontario Resources - Genealogy.

Moore, Philip. My Danish Ancestors. History of William and Wilhelmine Neilson, William stowed away on a ship to North Shields, England in 1863. A brother Frederick came also. Picture of the Neilson family dated 1905. Names mentioned are Moore, Freeman, Todd, Wragge, Atkinson, and Lewins. A descendant moves to Newbottle, and to Galt, Ontario, Canada. Article dated 1786-1901. Article in Northumberland &amp; Durham Family History Society Journal, vol. 35 no.2. pages 63-65. Family History Library Reference 942.8 B2jo v35.no.2. (summer 2010) vol. 35, no.2.

Land and Property Records
At this time, please read about Land and Property Records in the Province of Ontario Resources - Land and Property.

Local Histories
At this time, please read about Local Histories in the Province of Ontario Resources - History.

Maps
At this time, please read about Maps in the Province of Ontario Resources - Maps.


 * 1861 Map of Waterloo Township
 * 1885 Map of Waterloo County Townships

Military Records
At this time, please read about Military Records in the Province of Ontario Resources - Military Records.

Newspapers &amp; Obituaries
At this time, please read about Newspapers and Obituaries in the Province of Ontario Resources - Newspapers.


 * Newspaper Links and Information

Probate Records
At this time, please read about Probate Records in the Province of Ontario Resources - Probate Records.


 * Wills and Estate Pathfinder

Taxation Records
At this time, please read about Taxation Records in the Province of Ontario Resources - Taxation.

Vital Records
At this time, please read about Vital Records in the Province of Ontario Resources - Vital Records.

Societies and Libraries

 * Waterloo Region Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society

Web Sites

 * Rootsweb/Ancesty.com: Waterloo County, Ontario message board
 * Ontario GenWeb: Waterloo County
 * Waterloo Region People Test Site
 * Ezra Eby Revived Mennonite Genealogy
 * Match and Merge Genealogy Waterloo Perth and Oxford Counties
 * Match and Merge Genealogy Waterloo Perth and Oxford Counties