This fonds includes the letters of Anna Leveridge, written to her mother and family friends in England, describing their boat trip to Canada and pioneer life in the backwoods of Hastings County, Ontario, near Coe Hill, Marmora, and Millbridge. The fonds also includes family genealogy and photographs.

This item contains the minutes of Brighton Women's Auxiliary monthly meetings from 1895 to 1901.

This fonds consists of notebooks belonging to Carrie Brady. The notebooks cover a wide range of subjects such as grammar, French, geography, mathematics and calligraphy.

This item is a loosely bound set of reports of the Cramahe and Haldimand Female Tract Society dealing with income and the distribution of tracts to "place divine truth before the minds of our fellow sinners." There are only two reports in this item and one report is the seventh report. (TRANSCRIPTION available)

This fonds consists of a two-volume biography of Eliza Jane (Hughes) McAlpine, 1854-1938, written by her grandson, Wallace McAlpine, fifty years after her death. The biography contains the Hughes family history from the Napoleonic era, follows Eliza's parents to Canada in the 1840's, describes the marriages of her siblings, and gives a fine sense of life in Durham County in the early years of Canada's nationhood. Eliza's battle with spinal meningitis is recounted. The volumes trace the events, joys, and sorrows of the sizeable Hughes family, the accomplishments of Eliza's husband, Dr. John McAlpine, and the experiences with horses and subsequently automobiles. The extraordinary impact of Hardy's "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" is described. The famous Sir Sam Hughes was Eliza's brother and some of his exploits are described. Eliza's tour of Europe is described as it took place just before the outbreak of World War I. Lt. A.A. MacLeod's story is told. There is an account of Lt. Col. Cyril D.H. McAlpine's fateful expedition in the Arctic; a biographical sketch of J.W.L. Foster who painted a portrait of Eliza; an account of M.P. Tom Stinson's visits with Eliza; Eliza's disgust with Vicki Baum; her pleasure in talking with Chief Paudash; and finally her death and its aftermath. The volumes provide a wide, varied sketch of the times in which the events transpire.

Attached to the pages within the volumes are approximately 30 photographs, most of which are portraits, and are both in black and white, and colour.

The first item is a diary of historical places in Paris, France, written from November 1911 to July 1912. It includes postcards of historically interesting buildings and notations regarding the use of the buildings and their origins. The second item is a diary of art history, written from February to July 1912. It includes postcards of works of art and notations relating to the history of art.

Fonds consists of letters to "Mrs. Campbell" from students in her typing class in Fort Frances, Ontario, 1972; a photograph of several people seated around a table (the framing around the photograph has the title "Las Catacumbas"); two cards from friends, 1976 and 1979; and two travel diaries, one of which details her trip to Italy in 1973 and to England, Ireland, and Scotland in 1978, and the other, her trip to England and Africa in 1976.

This fonds consists of four expense books. One book contains a price list for assorted household items listed in alphabetical order from 1912 to 1915. Another book covers someone's personal expenses from 1887 to 1889. The third book covers someone's accounts from 1912 to 1915. The fourth book has a few expenses in it but it is mostly a handwritten English to French phase translation book with accompanying letters from an agency which placed governesses.

This collection consists of a book of typed recipes with "J.R. Ferguson" hand-written on the front cover. Its cover is hand-made with a coloured drawing of a woman carrying a platter with the name . Also included in the fonds is a letter on Hall & Furgason letterhead (Produce Commission Merchants, New York) from a son to his mother dated September 20, 1895. (Note different spelling of the name Ferguson/Furgason).

This addition to the fonds consists of 10 letters (some fragments) written by Frances Stewart to her granddaughter and relatives in England, concerning her pioneer life in the Peterborough area. There is also one photograph of Harriet as young child which was photographed in London, England (biographical information is written on the back of the photograph).

This addition to the fonds consists of two original letters written by Frances Stewart to relatives in Ireland. There is also an original invoice from a linen draper and haberdasher.

This document is a photocopy of a 1914 newspaper clipping written by Geta Helme. In the article, Helme describes her adventures travelling from Bonn, Germany back to England, and includes her contacts with British, American, and German officialdom. The article was published in the Lancashire Guardian, 22 August 1914.

This item is an account book kept by the Grafton Woman's Missionary Society between 1911 and 1926. The Society kept track of expenses, membership and profits. The book has members names and what they paid in membership plus donations from members who were unable to attend meetings. There is also a Treasurer's quarterly report booklet which can be found between the pages of the account book.

The grasses scrapbook was compiled by Catharine Parr Traill for her friend James Fletcher and given to him 12 January 1894. The inside cover has the following inscriptions: "Grasses from Stony Lake gathered and mounted by Cathe Parr Traill - Aged 92 years." These specimens are from the Island of Minne Wa-Wa and Otter Island. July-September 1893" and "With Mrs.Traill's kind wishes to her much valued and esteemed friend James Fletcher F.S.L.S. & etc. January 12th, 1894". The scrapbook consists of 20 pages, 18 of which have pressed grasses, from the Stoney Lake area of the Island of Minne Wa-Wa and Otter Island, glued onto them. Also included in the scrapbook is a specimen list of the grasses and a photocopy of an article, entitled "Grasses from Stony Lake Gathered and Mounted by Cathe Parr Traill - Aged 92 Years". The article was written by William G. Dore and published in The Ontario Naturalist in 1966.

The framed mosses were gathered by Catharine Parr Traill in the Stoney Lake area. Prior to the Archives receiving this addition, the pages were taken apart, mounted and framed in two frames each containing three pages of mosses; one medium frame containing "Sedges & grass, with mosses, from the bank below the garden at Westove. Gathered and arranged for Katie. With Grandmother's dear love. Oct. 24th, 1889"; and one small frame with Traill's autograph.

Collection consists of three personal notes written by Catharine Parr Traill to her grand-niece, Agnes Le Fenore. One is a two part card with the cover illustrated with cutout images of a dog and a butterfly along with a wisp of moss glued to the surface. The second part of the card is a warm salutation to Agnes and her family. The date is 24 December 1897. The second item, dated 12 May, is a note of thanks to Agnes for obtaining a cape [and cap?] for her, and also refers to fatigue and the problem of swelling feet. The third item is a letter written 1 April 1899 to "G Niece A F" [Agnes] sending belated sympathy for two in hospital and describing in some detail Traill's own plight, and the care offered by Kate and Katie.

This fonds consists of letters from a servant girl, Isabella Brownlie in Otonabee to her brother Claud in Scotland. After 1845, the letters are from Isabella and her husband James Miller. The fonds also contains two photographs, one of Isabella's brother, Claud Brownlie, with his wife, Elizabeth [Kendrick], and the second of Claud Brownlie alone, as well as a diploma for Thomas Menzies Miller, 1891.

Fonds consists of one copybook of arithmetic exercises belonging to Isabella Miller, Otonabee Township.

This item is an autograph book belonging to (Mrs.) Letitia Matchett Johnstone, inscribed by various friends and relatives between 1883 and 1893.

This accession consists of three letters, one dated January 27, 1981, one April 6, 1982, written by Margaret Laurence to Mary E. Hamilton, a college acquaintance, and one dated September 8, 1986. In the first, which is a photocopy, Laurence expresses her delight in the book "And Some Brought Flowers...", a copy of which Hamilton must have sent to her. She praises the illustrations and the text and suggests that her delight be passed on to Mary Alice Downie and E.J. Revell, co-authors of the book. In the second letter, which is an original, Laurence graciously acknowledges Hamilton's use of a quote in publicizing the "Flower" book. She also comments on the possibility of being nominated for the Nobel prize, asserting that her body of work is much too slim. An additional letter from Laurence dated September 1986 and addressed to Elizabeth Ritchie was forwarded to Trent University Archives in 1999 by the Canadian High Commission in London, England. The letter had been found inside a book and concerns Laurence's prognosis of cancer and her desire to complete her memoirs.

This item is a 26-page photocopy of typescript of a letter of reminiscence written in 1910 by Margaret Bird, of Peterborough, Ontario, when she was an elderly woman. It tells of her abuse at the hands of her husband including one attempt to poison her. It describes her difficult life in late nineteenth-century Peterborough.

This fonds consists of the original diary of Margaret Jane Scott who attended Lindsay Model School and then Toronto Normal School before teaching in Omemee, Ontario. The diary covers the period of time Margaret spent in Toronto at Normal School. Also included in the fonds is a typescript copy of the diary which is bound and includes an introduction, photograph and a section entitled conversations with Ida Scott which was produced September 12, 1994.

This collection consists of six published articles and booklets relating to Mary Northway, W.E. Blatz, the Brora Centre and child psychology. It also consists of two photographs, one of Taylor Statten at Camp Ahmek in 1929, and one of Camp Ahmek council members in 1923, with accompanying key to names. Also included is a share certificate issued to Marian Gibson by John Northway and Son, Limited, and 1982 reminiscences of Mary Northway of her days at Glen Bernard Camp.

The fonds consists of manuscripts of poetry; printed poems of Alice Roger Collins; and two letters from Alice Roger Collins (October 30, 1946; February 21, 1948) discussing personal matters, post World War II conditions, and her teaching of music at Walkerton, Ontario. The poetry is presumably by A.R. Collins, some of which is dedicated to 'Fergie' - in ink and pencil, and of a religious nature.

This fonds consists of Mary Ollerhead's notebook with teaching notes. At the back of the book are notes pertaining to her estate after she died. There are a number of notes that Mary wrote pertaining to her estate and funeral arrangements. A carbon copy relating to her will and some sympathy cards are also included. There is a collection of bank books from 1937 to 1953 included in the fonds as well as a retirement letter from the Toronto Board of Education and a few other articles of correspondence.

This item is a diary of a European tour from 2 July to 4 September 1914, and of boat trip aboard the SS Megantic (Montreal, Quebec, to Liverpool, England). There are also passenger lists, menus, and postcards included in the diary. The diary has some references to the outbreak of World War I, and the removal of British subjects from the continent. There is also one piece of correspondence included dated 6 September 1914. The diary chronicles a tour through England, France, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.