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- Source of title proper: Title based on the family which created the fonds
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1850-1926 (Creation)
- Creator
- Kerr family
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1.8 m of textual records
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Biographical history
The Honourable William Kerr, 1836-1906, was born at Ameliasburgh, Prince Edward County, Upper Canada, a son of Francis William and Olive Shelley Kerr. He attended school at Newtonville and later, Victoria College at Cobourg, Ontario where he received his B.A. in 1855 and his M.A. in 1858. Subsequently, Victoria College honoured him with a L.L.D. in 1887. William Kerr carried on his legal studies in the office of Smith and Armour (later Chief Justice of Ontario) in Cobourg. He was called to the Upper Canada bar in 1859 and practised law in Cobourg. He became a Q.C. in 1876. In 1896 he was elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario. During his career, Mr. Kerr maintained his lasting association with Victoria College as a member of its Board of Regents, then as a senator. In 1885 he was appointed the University's Vice-Chancellor. He was heavily involved in the many land transactions undertaken by the University in Northumberland and Durham Counties. Mr. Kerr began his political career as a Town Councillor of Cobourg, from 1862 to 1867 and as the town's mayor, from 1867 to 1873. In 1874, he was elected as a Liberal member of the House of Commons for Northumberland West. He was unseated by petition on September 26, 1874, but was re-elected at a by-election on November 17, 1874. He was later defeated in both the 1878 and 1882 elections. On March 15, 1899 he was called to the Senate. Mr. Kerr was a Methodist by religion. On November 12, 1858, he married Myra J. Field, daughter of John Field M.P.P. They had seven children, three daughters and four sons. The oldest son, William F. Kerr became a partner in his father's law practice to form the firm Kerr and Kerr of Cobourg. After the Senator's death on November 22, 1906 in Toronto, William F. carried on the firm with a series of partnerships. John Wesley Kerr, the Senator's brother, was also a lawyer in Cobourg. He was called to the bar in May 1860 and was commissioned as a notary public in the same year. On June 27, 1870, he married Eva Fraser. It is possible that during his career he was Clerk of the Peace for the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham. He died on September 4, 1903.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The fonds has been divided into three general series. Series A consists of business and legal papers of the Kerr and Kerr Law firm which was run by William Kerr and his son William F. Kerr. Included in this series are many individual case files. Series B consists of the papers of Victoria College which was located in Cobourg, Ontario. Included in this series are papers dealing with the large land holdings of the College, historical documents relating to the College's early beginnings and the land deals which allowed it to expand within the town of Cobourg and Haldimand Township, as well as the papers of the officers involved in the negotiations and the the final move of the College to Toronto at the end of the nineteenth century. Series C consists of the personal papers and business correspondence and documents of John W. Kerr, Senator William Kerr's brother, and also a Lawyer in Cobourg, Ontario.
Notes area
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The fonds was donated from an unknown source
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None
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Associated materials
For related records see: 84-020 (Court Records: United Counties of Northumberland and Durham), 89-002 and 89-1066 (Victoria College fonds).
Accruals
General note
Table of Contents
Series A: William Kerr (papers relating to his private business and to that of his son William F. Kerr after he joined his father in the law firm of Kerr and Kerr) Box 1 - Box 4
Series B: Victoria College (papers dealing with the large land holdings of Victoria College in the Cobourg area; includes historical documents relating to the College's early beginnings, the land deals which allowed it to expand within the town and Haldimand Twp., and the College officers involved in the negotiations and the final move to Toronto at the end of the nineteenth century) Box 5 - Box 7 Folder 5
Series C. John W. Kerr (personal papers and business correspondence and documents) Box 7 Folder 6 - Box 11 Folder 20
Series A: William Kerr
Box 1
Folder:
1: William Kerr: personal papers including 2 letters from W.F.K., Sept. 24 and Oct. 20, 1903
2: Correspondence and documents relating to the estate of Senator William Kerr
3: Cobourg: abstracts of titles to lots
4: Miscellaneous legal and business documents, 1875-1896, mostly related to land transactions and includes mortgages, deeds, farm leases, loans
5: Miscellaneous legal and business documents, 1898
6: Miscellaneous legal and business documents, 1901-1911
7: William Bartrupt estate: correspondence and documents; Bartrupt was killed in an accident July 24, 1914
8: Correspondence and documents relating to the Boswell or Setten Farm, Lot 10 in Con. B, Hamilton Twp., 1850-1905
9: Captain K.B. Cameron: correspondence and documents, 1903-1915; relates to the estate of Kenneth Boswell Cameron, Captain (retired) 2nd Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, who died March 5, 1915 at Flushing, New York
10: James Cunningham: correspondence and documents, 1851-1867, 1883; also papers of George Roddick, J.H. Thomas and R.A. McNab
11: John Henderson Dodds, died Jan. 31, 1912, correspondence and documents, 1911-1912, relating to the Dodds estate
12: Rev. Robert L. Edwards, 1845-1920: correspondence and documents relating to the estate of Edwards of Cobourg, Ontario, Methodist Minister, 1919-1920
Box 2
Folder:
1: Harold Mackenzie Geddes: correspondence and documents relating to his estate; he died in Calgary, April 1901
2: William F. Howard: correspondence relating to the disposal of the estate of W.F. Howard who died Dec. 24, 1915; many cancelled bank cheques
3: George McGivern: correspondence and documents, 1910-1913, relating to the estate of McGivern, Twp. of Alnwick, County of Northumberland, who died March 24, 1910
4: John O'Connell: correspondence and documents, 1916, relating to his estate, Haldimand Twp., Northumberland County
5: Gabriel Orr: correspondence and documents, 1908, relating to his estate, Haldimand Twp., Northumberland County
6: Henry Rosevear: correspondence and documents relating to his estate; he died in Cobourg, Oct. 16, 1898
7: Martha Rosevear, 1: correspondence and documents, April 18, 1899, March 14, 1917, April 22 - Dec. 18, 1918, relating to her estate
8: Martha Rosevear, 2: correspondence and documents, 1919, relating to her estate
9: Martha Rosevear, 3
10: Edward Scarlett, 1: correspondence and documents, 1876-1898, relating to the estate of Edward Scarlett of Cobourg, Inspector of Public Schools, who died Nov. 19, 1895; includes memoranda book, 1891-1895, describing his visits to the various schools in the area and assessments of the performance of the teachers
11: Edward Scarlett, 2: receipts, 1895-1904 and three account books relating to the estate of Scarlett
12: Eliakim Tupper: correspondence and documents, 1897-1914, relating to the estate of Tupper of Haldimand Twp., County of Northumberland; he died Aug. 14, 1914
Box 3
Folder:
1: George Cockburn, 1: correspondence and documents, 1893-1916, relating to the estate of Cockburn, Hamilton Twp., County of Northumberland, inn keeper and farmer; he died July 23, 1912
2: George Cockburn, 2
3: George Cockburn, 3
4: George Cockburn, 4: two account books, 1879-1894, 1894-1897
5: Kerr and Kerr: index to ledgers C & D from Nov. 1, 1892; account book, William Kerr, Q.C. in account with W.F Kerr, 1888-1906
6: Kerr and Kerr: legal diaries, 1912, 1915, 1923 (three volumes)
7: Kerr and Cochrane: cash book, June 1922 - May 1928
8: Kerr and Cochrane: accounts book, Feb. - Aug. 1925
9: Kerr and Cochrane: accounts book, Aug. 1925 - April 1926
Box 4
Five bound journals: Kerr and Kerr: 1894-1906; 1913-1915; 1914-1919; 1918-1920; 1920-1923
Series B: Victoria College
Box 5
Folder:
1: Investments and mortgages
2: Insurance
3: Cobourg town plots
4: Correspondence and documents relating to the Frederick A. Black property
5: Correspondence and documents relating to the William Henry Blakely property (see also Spinks file)
6: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Michael Doran and Catherine Mary Doran
7: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Philander Smith Dudley and James C. Dudley
8: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of George Dulyea
9: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of John Greenwood
10: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Richard Niles
11: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of David and John Orser
Box 6
Folder:
1: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Francis B. Richardson
2: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Robert Sinclair
3: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Alfred Slade
4: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Thomas N. Spinks
Box 7
Folder:
1: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of the White family of White Island, Rice Lake, 1
2: White family, 2
3: White family, 3
4: Correspondence and documents relating to the James C. Worts estate
5: Miscellaneous correspondence and documents relating to various properties
Series C: John W. Kerr
6: Personal file
7: Correspondence and documents relating to the estate of J.W. Kerr, 1
8: J.W. Kerr estate, 2
9: J.W. Kerr estate, 3
10: J.W. Kerr estate, 4
Box 8
Folder:
1: Insurance and taxes, 1
2: Insurance and taxes, 2
3: Miscellaneous correspondence and documents relating to various properties, 1
4: Miscellaneous, 2
5: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of William Brown
6: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of James Nelson Campbell
7: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of John Carew
8: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of John Carson
9: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of William Coppin and William James Keeler
10: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Harriet Day and George Hunter
11: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of William Warren Dean, Lindsay, County Judge of the County of Victoria
12: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Theodore C. Fraser
13: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Mrs. Jane Gaffield, 1 (one broadside dated March 15, 1894 regarding sale of farm property stored in Large Materials Cabinet)
14: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Mrs. Jane Gaffield, 2
15: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Lewis Gleason
16: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of John Gearin, 1
17: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of John Gearin, 2
Box 9
Folder:
1: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of William Halligan
2: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Michael Heenan
3: Correspondence and documents relating to the properties of Henry F. Holland and Zaccheus White
4: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Mrs. C.E. and Murray Kenneth Langdon
5: Correspondence and documents relating to the properties of Daniel Leach and John Baptist
6: Correspondence and documents relating to the properties of Alexander Leith, Daniel Sturday, and Anthony Dixon
7: Correspondence and documents relating to a law suit between the Midland Loan and Savings Co., plaintiffs, and Isaac Oscar Proctor
Box 10
Folder:
1: Midland vs. Proctor, Appeal Books
2: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of George Murphy
3: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of Percy Henry Punslow
Box 11
Folder:
1: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of David Stevenson and to the Blaikie farm
2: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of John Thackeray
3: Correspondence and documents relating to the property of the Wallbridge family who were related to the Kerrs, 1
4: Wallbridge, 2
5: Correspondence and documents relating to the estate of Matthew Winter who died May 8, 1910, 1
6: M. Winter estate, 2
7: M. Winter estate, 3
8: M. Winter: miscellaneous correspondence and documents relating to various properties
9: Correspondence and documents relating to property transactions between M. Winter and James Aird
10: Correspondence and documents relating to property transactions between M. Winter and Lewis Gleason
11: Correspondence and documents relating to property transactions between M. Winter and Charles Honeywell
12: Correspondence and documents relating to property transactions between M. Winter and Calvin Lapp
13: Correspondence and documents relating to property transactions between M. Winter and James McCullough
14: Correspondence and documents relating to property transactions between M. Winter and Alexander Patterson
15: Correspondence and property transactions between M. Winter, Reginald Roberts and James Gordon Finley
16: Correspondence and documents relating to property transactions between m. Winter and W.B. Rogers
17: Correspondence and documents relating to transactions between M. Winter and Alexander Rose
18: Correspondence and documents relating to property transactions between M. Winter and Gilbert Stevenson
19: Correspondence and documents relating to property transactions between M. Winter and Robert Wilson
20: Correspondence and documents relating to property of William Yule