Fonds consists of 27 diaries of William Thornton Cust Boyd dated 1878 through 1917. Five of the diaries, 1884-1888, include financial records. The diaries recount the private and public life of Boyd, and include references to his wife, Meta, and their children, and social activities with family and friends including boating excursions and picnics. He refers throughout to Richard Birdsall Rogers (1857-1927), superintending engineer of the Peterborough Lift Lock, in social and business terms, and the two often conduct business relating to the Trent Valley Canal. Activities which Boyd participated in regularly include yachting and boating (on the "Calumet", "Ogemah", and "Ajax"), curling, hunting, gardening, tree planting, playing cards, skating, canoeing, and attending the theatre. He recounts details of the illnesses, deaths and funerals of acquaintances and family members, including his step-brother, Mossom (Mossie) Martin Boyd. Boyd recounts in detail the building of his house by John E. Belcher ([184-]-1915), architect, civil engineer, and surveyor. This house is now operated as Case Manor Nursing Home. The diaries speak of local and federal politics, World War I, and the activities of the church. They also detail the activities of the Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and Pontypool Railway Company, the Trent Valley Navigation Steamship Company, and the day-to-day operation of the family lumbering and cattle/buffalo enterprises.

This scrapbook contains clippings about World War I and photographs of the Trent Canal and River system including Lakefield Canoe Co., Kirkfield and the Peterborough Lift Lock. The people in the photographs are unidentified.

This fonds consists of five time books for men and material for boat and scow repairing at Lakefield, Ontario, and various places on the Trent Canal from 1889 to 1920.

The fonds consists of a minute book of the directors of Wallace Point Bridge and Road Company, dated 31 October 1886 to 15 June 1879 and a stock book. The fonds also includes a subscription list of the company's stock holders, dated 31 October 1866 and a plan of a bridge under construction, dated 15 February 1867.

This fonds consists of minutes and by-laws of the Proceedings of the Municipal Council of the United Counties of Peterborough & Victoria.

This fonds consists of a 263 page scrapbook of invoices and accounts relating to the Trent Valley Woollen Manufacturing Company Limited. It also includes correspondence of the Company from 1906 to 1910.

This fonds consists of photocopies of: a) a minute book including the letters patent incorporating the company (19 October 1883) and minutes of a Director's meeting, 5 February 1900; b) by-laws of the company passed in Lindsay 26 January 1884; c) document headed "by-laws" repealing previous by-laws and a list of shareholders, 31 December 1884; and d) document with signatures of shareholders, 8 October 1883, minutes of a meeting 19 January 1884, and advertisements. The addition on 1 April 1977 consists of a photocopy of a brochure titled "Kawartha Lakes: The Bright Waters and Happy Land" with timetables for 1907. The fonds also includes some records pertaining to the Trent Valley Navigation Company.

This fonds is comprised of typescripts of newspaper articles from the Peterborough Weekly Despatch, the Peterborough Review and the Peterborough Examiner. The articles have been arranged chronologically under a number of subject headings by the donor.

The fonds consists of a photocopy of the Charter, 1889; a photocopy of the name change Order-in-Council, April 1922; original minute books from 1893 to 1918, plus excerpted items; and the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce bulletin on the Lift Lock post-1922.

This fonds consists of photocopies of 43 interview transcripts of residents of the Trent Valley area. The interviews were conducted by Daniel Francis under contract, in 1979, to Parks Canada and focus on such themes as transportation, commerce, settlement, tourism, and resource development. They relate to the section of the Trent-Severn waterway stretching from the mouth of the Otonabee River to Bobcaygeon.

Collection consists of nine Boyd family photograph albums, 14 glass plate negatives, and several strip negatives. The images depict the lives and activities of the Boyd family of Bobcaygeon, Ontario, and include lumbering scenes, Trent Canal steamboats, buffalo/Hereford animals, and travel excursions. Also included are three "Gypsy" photographs (Peterborough, 1909), and photographs of winter sporting activities. Several photographs depict family members; many are unidentified. Also included in this collection are copies of the wills of WT.C. Boyd and Mossom Boyd.

This fonds consists of the family and personal papers of William Hamilton Munro, his brothers Reid and Alan and his sister Effie. The materials in the fonds make reference to World War I; Peterborough County; hydro-electric companies in Canada and the third world; photographs, postcards, maps and plans of the Trent Canal; City of Peterborough; and locations in Bolivia, Europe and North America.

Collection consists primarily of photocopies and emails with information pertaining to various aspects of Peterborough's history, from both the city and the county. Brief history of the town of Lakefield is also included.

Fonds consists of correspondence, manuscripts, published papers and booklets, and research materials relating to the many papers, articles, and books written by Jean Murray Cole

The fonds consists of records of several of the early Peterborough Unions. Included are: Moulders' Local 191, Journeymen Tailors 23, Bricklayers 17, Painters and Decorators 370 and 725, United Brotherhood of Carpenters 672, Barbers 402, Pattern Makers, Machinists 286 and Operating Engineers 690, the International Union of Steam and Operating Engineers and the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen," 1917 [in Polish]. Original correspondence from sister unions in Canada is included as well as large volumes of correspondence from the American headquarters of each local. In addition there are several original minute books, secretaries' books, and treasurer's reports for the locals. Published material includes circulars, by-laws, rules of order and constitutions. There are also records dealing with the Peterborough Trades and Labour Council (1902), the Labour Educational Association of Ontario, the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada and the American Federation of Labour, material from the latter two being mostly in the form of circular-type letters.

This fonds consists of an article entitled "Ice on Rice Lake" which was written in 1985 for the Trent Alumnus magazine. Also included is a photocopy of the September, 1858 issue of The Canadian Journal of Industry, Science and Art entitled "Ice Phenomena, from Observations on Rice Lake" by J.H. Dumble. An original copy of The Canadian Journal from June 1855 is included in the fonds. It has an article entitled "On the Action of Ice Upon the Bridge at Rice Lake" by T.C. Clarke and two copies of an article from the Arctic journal in 1992 entitled "J.B. Tyrell and D.H. Dumble on Lake Ice".

The collection consists of photocopies, originals and typescripts, brought together by Howard Pammett, of newspaper articles and unpublished articles on a variety of subjects such as Mossom Boyd, lumbering in the Kawarthas, Katherine Wallis, Peterborough Canoe Company, Trent Valley Navigation Company, and steamboats on the Trent-Severn system. The newspaper articles are from the "Progress of Peterborough" series by Pammett (Peterborough Examiner, 1950-51). The unpublished articles are "A Survey of Kawartha Lumbering 1815-1965" by Pammett and "The Peterborough Canoe" by Donald Cameron. There is also correspondence of Katherine Wallis, Mossom Boyd, and the Trent Valley Navigation Company.

The fonds consists mostly of Helen Marryat's (nee Helen Fowlds) personal experiences as a nurse in World War I, and her activities as a local historian. There are clippings of her articles in local newspapers, historical maps (drawn by Gerald Marryat) and other materials relating to settlement of Hastings and district such as education and nursing. Also included are the correspondence and photograph collections of her brothers, Donald and Eric (mostly from World War I), and material on Frederick Marryat (1792-1848), navy captain and novelist. In December 2001, Trent University Archives launched an online exhibit which depicts Helen Fowld's experiences in World War I. All her letters and diaries are transcribed and are found at the following site: http://digitalcollections.trentu.ca/exhibits/fowlds/ffowldswelcome.htm

This fonds consists of oral history tapes made by George Cobb. Topics covered on the tapes include: Trent Canal, lumbering, early medicine and dentistry in Peterborough County, Indigenous history and culture, mills and so forth. Fonds also includes tapes made by Cobb of other broadcasts and recordings (located at the end of the list). Browse file list for more information.

This fonds consists of the personal and business records of the Geale, Hamilton, Peck, Barker and Rogers families. There are letters relating to World War I written by Beresford and Robert Hamilton and Heber and Harry Rogers; letters, diaries, journals of Richard Birdsall Rogers (superintending engineer of the Peterborough Lift Lock); the records of Hon. Robert Hamilton, a factor at the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Fort Edmonton. The fonds also contains stereographs, approximately 1000 photographs, and a C.E. Goad fire insurance plan for the city of Peterborough, 1882. Items of interest include a group of photographs of the Trent Valley area and the building of the canal; Rogers family pictures of the Stoney Lake area and the Juniper Island Regatta; photos of early aircraft and the Curtiss Aviation School; photos of hydraulic lift lock at Peterborough; and one letter from Catharine Parr Traill to Robert Miles Hamilton.

This collection of family papers, correspondence, journals, photographs, newspaper clippings and published works spans the years 1834 to 1966 and measures approximately 3 1/2 linear metres. The papers were deposited in Trent University Archives through the courtesy of members of the Geale and Rogers families in 1983.

The papers are divided into two series:

Series A, the Geale family papers, consists of records pertaining to the descendants of the Hon. Robert Hamilton, a factor of the Hudson's Bay Company stationed at Fort Edmonton in northern Manitoba. Robert Hamilton married Annie Seabourne. One of their sons was Robert Miles Hamilton (1864-1939). He married Alice May Barker and resided at "Auburn" in Peterborough, Ontario. Their children were Miles Beresford Hamilton, Robert Barker Hamilton, (Alice) Seabourne Hamilton, and S.R. Hamilton (son). Alice Seabourne Hamilton married Charles Norman Geale. Papers of the Barker family (the Hon. Samuel Barker was Mrs. Robert Miles Hamilton's father) are included in this series as are the papers of the Peck family. Edward Armour Peck was the natural son of Arthur Henry Peck and the adoptive father of Charles Norman Geale. He married Kitty Revell. Both Miles Beresford Hamilton and Robert Barker Hamilton served overseas in the First World War and their correspondence is included in this series.

Series B of this collection consists of the Rogers Papers. Richard Birdsall Rogers was born at Ashburnham in 1857. He lived there until 1916 and then moved to "Beechwood Farm" in Douro Township. He was a land surveyor and was appointed superintendent engineer of the Trent Valley Canal in 1884. Richard married Clara Mina Calcutt of Peterborough in 1881. They had seven children. One daughter, Leah, married Herbert Geale, brother of Charles Norman Geale. Two sons, Heber and Harry served overseas in World War I. Their correspondence is included. R.B. Rogers designed and supervised the building of the hydraulic lift locks at Peterborough and Kirkfield. These papers included several files of plans and specifications for the locks, correspondence and documents accrued during the scandal preceding Rogers' resignation in 1906, the Holgate Report which condemned Rogers and the Keefer investigation which completely vindicated his work as Chief Engineer. We have created a major on-line exhibit focusing on the life and times of Richard Rogers and the Peterborough Lift Lock: http://digitalcollections.trentu.ca/exhibits/birdsall-rogers/zrptboll.htm

The fonds consists of family and related papers of Henry Fowlds and his family including James S. Fowlds and H.M. Fowlds. It also includes business correspondence, invoices, some journals and cashbooks, mortgages as well as deeds regarding the business of Henry Fowlds, Jas. S. Fowlds and Bros. and H.M. Fowlds. In December 2001, Trent University Archives launched an online exhibit which depicts Helen Fowld's experiences in World War I. All her letters and diaries are transcribed and are found at the following site: [Nursing Sister Helen L. Fowlds: A Canadian Nurse in World War I.]: http://digitalcollections.trentu.ca/exhibits/fowlds/

This fonds consists of the original and collected papers of E.C. Guillet, relating to his works and research on the Trent Valley/Peterborough/Kawartha area. Included is correspondence, primarily with George M. Douglas and Helen Marryat; maps (photocopies); newspaper articles regarding above area; collected manuscripts of historical authors; photographs; and Guillet's own unpublished manuscript of Canadian Literary Pioneers.

This addition to the fonds consists of bird spotting forms for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas and Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas error forms. Also included in the fonds are numerous publications and newsletters from various naturalist clubs across Ontario.

The fonds consists of two documents: 1) R.B. Rogers' (superintending engineer) covering report on the proposed Trent Canal from Port Hope to Rice Lake, 8 pages, January 31, 1900. 2) The supporting, or investigated, document submitted by Robt. A. Maingy (mining and civil engineer) to Lt. Gov. Sir John Colborne on the same topic on March 6, 1833, 8 pages. Roger's report was submitted to Collingwood Scheiber, Chief Engineer of the Department of Railways and Canals.

Fonds consists of research materials and notes, modern correspondence, photocopies of historical documentation, and genealogical resources for the Need family as well as other people living in both England and Newcastle District. The historical documentation includes wills, gravesite information, lot and concession records, military records, correspondence. As well as the Need family, there is also biographical information on other families, including the Dunsfords, Langtons, Campbells, and Sawers.

These research materials were accumulated by Dawn Bell Logan and used to write books, articles, and biographical entries about Thomas Need, including Thomas Need : settler in the backwoods of Upper Canada (self published, 2022), and the Dictionary of Canadian Biography entry for Thomas Need (V. 12). Photographs are of some sites in Lincolnshire, U.K, Peterborough, Canada, the Trent Severn Waterway, Thomas Need’s descendants, and gravestones of Need family members.

Fonds is organized into four series: Thomas Need journals and correspondence; Research materials and manuscripts; Dawn Logan correspondence; and Files on Dawn Logan’s publications.

Thomas Need Biography

Thomas Need (1808-1895) emigrated from Nottingham, England to Upper Canada in May 1832 and settled in Verulam Township in Victoria County in 1833 around Sturgeon Lake. He had graduated from University College, London, in 1830 and rejected the idea of becoming a member of the clergy. This contributed to his decision to leave England.

While in Upper Canada, Need was a member of the government commission that oversaw the construction of what became the first lock of the Trent-Severn Waterway, founded the Village of Bobcaygeon in 1834, and served as a magistrate for the Court of Requests from 1835 to 1837.

Need anonymously published his book Six years in the bush or extracts from the journal of a settler in Upper Canada (London, 1838) on his experiences in Upper Canada. The book was based on his journal entries he made in his personal journal which he called the “Woodhouse Journal.” Need returned to Nottingham, England permanently in 1847 and died in 1895. His authorship was confirmed with the publication of John Langton’s letters in 1926 and he was subsequently recognized as a contributor to early Canadian literature.

Source: Biography – NEED, THOMAS – Volume XII (1891-1900) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography. http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/need_thomas_12E.html. Accessed 11 Jan. 2024.