Obtaining the records the free land transactions created can be rewarding to family history researchers. The Letters Patents were issued as the first title to the land. They only provide the name of the grantee, legal description of the homestead and archival citation information. A sample of a patent is to the right. The homestead files usually contain some or all of the following:

 

·  An application for homestead, containing the applicant's name, age, birthplace, last residence, prior occupation, number of adults and children in household.

·  An application for patent, containing name, age, occupation, post office, nationality, residency information, wife/children (no names), breaking/cropping, livestock, buildings, fencing.

·  A notice that patent (title) has been issued.

CANADIAN LAND AND HOMESTEAD RECORDS

 

In the June edition of the Scrivener (Issue 119), I wrote an article “The Last Best West”. I related the history surrounding the “free land” offers to immigrants to Canada during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

 

Homestead files may also contain many other documents, such as inspector's reports, records of abandonment, handwritten letters, wills, naturalization certificates, scrip, seed grain liens, court proceedings, etc.

 

The Letter Patents are held at the Library and Archives Canada while the provincial archives of the four western provinces hold the original homestead records.

 

So how do I get this information? For this example on finding the information, I will use James Tucker. James is Brenda Townsend’s (membership number 2380) great-great Uncle. James and his family homesteaded in the Lashburn area in Saskatchewan.

 

I started my search at the Library and Archives Canada.

This website (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/02011102_e.html) allows a search of the western land grants. Search by using the legal land description, names or keywords. There is also has a check box for descriptions with digitized images. I did not know the legal land description so I searched for James Tucker and ticked the description with digitized images. This search yielded one record. I refined my search for James Tucker only. This search yielded 11 different James Tuckers.

 

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