Excerpts from this book:
p. 1 –
“His Excellency John Graves Simcoe, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor of The Province of Upper Canada, Colonel Commanding the Forces in the said Province, etc. etc. etc. having appointed the Protestant Church; as a suitable place for the Reading, and publishing of His Majesty’s Commissions, he accordingly repaired thither attended by:
Together with the Magistrates of principal Inhabitants when the said Commission appointing His Excellency (Guy) Lord Dorchester, Captain General, as Governor in Chief etc. etc. etc. of Upper and Lower Canada and also the Commission appointing the said John Graves Simcoe, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Upper Canada, were solemnly read, and published.”
p. 7 – 9
July 9, 1792
“And Whereas nothing can more effectually tend to the speedy settling of our said Province of Upper Canada, the Security of the Property of our Subjects, and the Advancement of our Revenue, than the Disposal of such Lands as are our Property upon reasonable Terms, and the establishing regular and proper Method of Proceeding with respect to the passing of Grants of such Lands. It is therefore our Will, and Pleasure, that all and every Person or Persons, who shall apply for any Grant, or Grants of Land, shall previous to their obtaining the same make it appear that they are in a Condition to cultivate, and improve the same, and in case you shall upon a Consideration of the Circumstances of the Person, or Persons, applying for such Grants think it advisable to pass the same, you are in such case to cause a Warrant to be drawn up directed to the Surveyor General, or other Officer empowering him, or them, to make a faithful and exact Survey of the Lands so petitioned for and to return the said Warrant within six months at farthest from the Date thereof, with a Plot, or Description, of the Lands so surveyed thereunto annexed and when the Warrant shall be so returned by the said Surveyor, or other proper Officer, the Grant shall be made out in due form, and the terms and conditions required by these our Instructions be particularly and explicably mentioned therein. And it is our Will, and Pleasure, that the said Grants shall be registered within Six Months from the Date thereof for the Register’s Office, and a Docket thereof be also entered in our Auditor’s Office, Copies of all which Entries shall be returned regularly by the proper Officer to our Commissioners of our Treasury.
And for the further Encouragement of our Subjects, It is our Will and Pleasure that the Lands to be granted by you as a foresaid shall be laid out in Townships and that each inland Township shall as nearly as Circumstances shall admit consist of Ten Miles square, and such as shall be situated upon a Navigable River, or Water, shall have a Grant of nine Miles and be Twelve Miles in depth, and shall be subdivided in such manner, as may be found most advisable for the Accommodation of the Settlers, and for making the several Reservations for Public Uses, and particularly for the support of the Protestant Clergy agreeably to the above recited. Act pass in the present year of our Reign.
And whereas great Inconveniencies have heretofore arisen in many of the Colonies in America from the granting excessive quantities of Land to particular Persons, who have never cultivated, or settled the same, and have thereby prevented others, more industrious from improving such lands, In order therefore to prevent the like Inconveniences in future. It is our Will and Pleasure that you observe the following Directions, and Regulations in all Grants to be made by you as aforesaid (viz).
That no town Lot shall be granted to any one Person being Master or Mistress of a Family in any Township to be laid out as aforesaid which shall contain more than One acre of land.
That no Park Lot shall be granted to any one Person being Master or Mistress of a Family in any Townships to be laid out which shall contain more than Twenty-Four Acres.
That no Farm Lot shall be granted to any one Person being Master or Mistress of a family in any Township so to be laid out which shall contain more than Two Hundred Acres.
It is our Will and Pleasure and you are hereby allowed and permitted to grant unto every such Person, or Persons, such further quantity of Lands, as they may desire, not exceeding One Thousand Acres, over and above what may have heretofore been granted to them, and in all Grants of Land to be made by you, as aforesaid, You are to take care that due Regard be had to the Quality, and comparative Value of the different parts of the Land comprised within any Township, so that each Grantee may have as nearly as may be a proportionable [sic] Quantity of Lands of such different Quality and comparative value, as likewise that the Breadth of each Tract of Land to be hereafter granted, be one third of the length of such Tract, and that the length of such Tracts do not extend along the Banks of any River, but into the mainland, that thereby the said Grantees may have each a convenient share of what Accommodation the said River may afford for Navigation, or otherwise.”
p. 11 –
“And Whereas it is necessary that all persons who may be desirous of settling in our said Province, should be full informed of the Terms, and Conditions, upon which Lands, will be granted within our said Province of Upper Canada, in manner prescribed, in, and by the said Act passed in the present Year of our Reign, You are therefore as soon as possible to cause a Publication, to be made by Proclamation, or otherwise, as you in your Discretion shall think most advisable of the said Terms, and Conditions respecting the granting of Lands; in which Proclamation it may be expedient to add some short Description of the natural Advantages of the Soil and Climate, and its peculiar Conveniences for Trade and Navigation.”
There is more about reserving Timbers for use in the Royal Navy as “required” and the reserving of Coal, Silver, Gold, Copper, Tin, iron and Lead discoveries on each grant of land as “may be found.”
It is a great read!