Niagara District
The Niagara District was a historic district in Upper Canada. Created in 1798 from the Home District, it existed until 1849.
Niagara District | |
|---|---|
Former District in Upper Canada | |
 Map of Upper Canada Identifying its districts, counties and townships (1818) | |
| Coordinates: 42°58′N 79°43′W | |
| Established | 1798 |
| Dissolved | 1849 |
Historic evolution
The District was formed by an Act of the Parliament of Upper Canada in 1798, and was described as consisting of the following territory:[1]
| Lincoln County (divided into surveyed townships) | Haldimand County | Other Lands | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Riding |
|
...the tract of land on each side of the Grand River, now in possession of the Six Nations, and laying to the southward and south-east of Dundas Street... | ...[together] with such of the islands of this Province lying in the River Niagara, or Lake Erie, as are wholly or in greater part adjacent [to the Counties of Lincoln and Haldimand], together with the Beach at the head of Lake Ontario, between the outlet of Burlington Bay and the township of Saltfleet, and together with the promontory of the said Burlington Bay and Coats Paradise... |
| 2nd Riding |
| ||
| 3rd Riding |
| ||
| 4th Riding |
| ||
- together with the town of Newark, both renamed as Niagara (1798 Act, s. 28); in 1970 amalgamating to become Niagara-on-the-Lake.
In 1816, the following parts of the District were detached to form Wentworth County in the newly created Gore District:
...the townships of Saltfleet, Barton, Benbrook, Glanford, Ancaster, and the beach between Burlington bay and lake Ontario, and the promontory near Coot's Paradise, as so much of the county of Haldimand as lies between Dundas street and the Onondaga village, commonly called Bearsfoot, including said village...[2]
Upon the passage of the Act of Union 1840, Lincoln County was reorganized into two ridings for electing members to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, with the 1st and 2nd Ridings becoming the North Riding, and the 3rd and 4th Ridings becoming the South Riding.[3] The South Riding would be detached from Lincoln in 1845, forming the new Welland County.[4]
The district was abolished in 1850, and was replaced by the United Counties of Lincoln, Welland and Haldimand.[5]
Further reading
- Armstrong, Frederick H. Handbook of Upper Canadian Chronology. Toronto : Dundurn Press, 1985. ISBN 0-919670-92-X
References
- An act for the better division of this province, S.U.C. 1798, c. 5, s. 26-32
- An Act to erect and form a new district out of certain parts of the Home and Niagara Districts, to be called the district of Gore, S.U.C. 56 Geo. III, c. 19, s. 11
- An Act to re-unite the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, and for the Government of Canada, 3 & 4 Vic., c. 35, s. 15
- An Act for better defining the limits of the Counties and Districts in Upper Canada, for erecting certain new Townships, for detaching Townships from some Counties and attaching them to others, and for other purposes relative to the division of Upper Canada into Townships, Counties and Districts, S.C. 1845, c. 7, Sch. B
- An Act for abolishing the Territorial Division of Upper-Canada into Districts, and for providing for temporary Unions of Counties for Judicial and other purposes, and for the future dissolutions of such Unions, as the increase of wealth and population may require, S.C. 12 Vic., c. 78, Sch. B
