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Letters of administration (Form G and Form 156) some with Succession Duties attached.

Letters of administration with the will annexed (Form F and Form 157) some with Succession Duties attached.

Letters probate (Form C and Forms 161 and 162) some with Succession Duties attached.

A 1887 probate file for an Andrew Carlson has also been placed in this series. It was found in a box of miscellaneous court records in December 2021, and as there was no other appropriate series to interfile it with, it has been placed in container GR3157-0001.

This series consists of New Westminster County Court minute books, June 1865 - April 1873; June 1904 - Feb. 1913; docket, May 1888 - Dec. 1889.

This series contains a plaint and procedure book for appeal cases, December 1892 - June, 1922. Supreme Court cases are also mixed throughout the volume.

This series contains plaint and procedure books for 1873-1903 and 1905-1947. There are indexes at the beginning of volumes 1 & 2. For 1903-1905 plaint and procedures book see GR-2123.

Register of judgements: number 1 in 1885 and ending with number 1783 in 1912 when the series was closed. On the spine, this volume is labelled "Supreme Court"; by checking the plaint book indexes, it is clear that these are judgements issued in the New Westminster County Court.

The series consists of appraisal reports of reverted lands from the New Westminster land district, 1931 to 1932. These reports are in two volumes and are divided into arbitrary land areas labeled "F", "E", "G", and "H". Reports are arranged numerically by report number. Information may include assessment district, land registry office, legal description, date of forfeiture, plan number, acreage, suitability, improvements, soil, water supply, irrigation or diking, accessibility, nearest settlement or Post Office, nearest school, topography, and assessed and appraised value. The report usually includes a coloured sketch map of the property. The information is indexed by District Lot number to report number.

This series consists of duplicate auctioneers records for auction sales of Crown land in the New Westminster Land District. Sales include: Hastings townsite District lot 540, 1906; North Vancouver, District Lot 2027 in Group 1, 1906; and in 1908, a further sale of lands in North Vancouver. Information may include date of sale, name and address of highest bidder and amount bid, deposit, and terms of sale. Also included is a copy of the brochure detailing the forthcoming sale and a summary of receipts for the 1906 sale.

This series consists of auctioneers records for 1913 auction sales of Crown land in the New Westminster Land District. Sales include Hastings townsite, lots 1-138; Kitsilano, District Lot 540 G.1, Lots 1-101; and Point Grey, District Lots 538 and 176 G.1. Information may include date of sale, name and address of highest bidder and amount bid, deposit, and terms of sale. No index is available.

Series consists of 8 volumes of divorce cause books created by the New Westminster Supreme Court between 1968 and 1977. The cause books are arranged chronologically, and cases are assigned a number in the cause book. Cause book entries generally consist of the names of the parties, their solicitors, a list of the proceedings, and a volume and folio number which can be used to obtain a copy of the divorce order. Cause books are a particularly valuable source of information, as they list proceedings for divorce trials that were ultimately dismissed or abandoned. In these instances, the only surviving evidence that the case took place is found in the divorce cause books, as no final order would have been issued.

The series consists of seven small volumes of indexes to divorce trial record books created in the New Westminster Supreme Court registry between 1967 and 1974. The indexes provide a number which can be used to locate the corresponding divorce trial record in the appropriate book. Trial books are arranged by this number in reverse order, with the earlier numbers found at the back of the book. Numbers were continuous across volumes and do not reset to 1.

It is unclear whether these indexes were originally tucked inside the trial record books, or if they were maintained separately as a manual indexing system.

The series consists of six volumes of divorce trial record books created by the New Westminster Supreme Court between 1957 and 1977. The books are arranged in a similar manner to divorce cause books, but list the Central Divorce Registry file number rather than a volume and folio number. Divorce trial books also provide a list of exhibits used in the case, and the names of individuals who provided affidavits.

Similar to cause books, trial books provide evidence of divorce proceedings that may later have been abandoned or dismissed, thereby not resulting in a divorce order. In these cases, the trial record book and cause book may be the only evidence that still exists of such cases.

Records in the trial books are arranged chronologically from the back of the volume to the front, and are assigned a four-digit number in addition to the number provided by the Central Divorce Registry. Please see GR-3748 for alphabetical indexes to these volumes.

Researchers should note that the volumes were frequently referred to as "Divorce and Matrimonial Causes record books." This is in reference to legislation which governed divorces in BC until 1972, and does not refer to the type of court record known as a cause book.

The fonds consists of correspondence, subscriber list, poem, minutes and membership list of the New Westminster Fire Department.

This series consists of records of the New Westminster Goal, including prisoner description books, monthly lists of prisoners, and prisoners' effects books, 1875-1917.

Description books are a record and description list of all prisoners received into New Westminster Gaol, showing date, name, occupation, age, height, hair, eyes, complexion, religion, nationality, proportions, weight, peculiar marks, read and write, married or single, temperate or intemperate, offence, sentence number of convictions and remarks.

Return of Prisoners confined in New Westminster Gaol are lists arranged by month showing prisoner number and name, offence or charge, date of trial, when received in gaol, where and by whom tried, sentence, religion, nationality, whether can read or write, date of discharge, conduct, occupation in gaol, and remarks.

Prisoners' effects books show date, name, property, officer, remarks, charge and sentence.

Records are arranged chronologically by type of record.

This series consists of New Westminster Land District lot registers for Group 1, lots 1-2374. The earliest entries begin in 1859 and all volumes were superseded by 1948 (i.e. no further entries were made after 1948).

The registers list lots in numerical order and record the alienation of land from the Crown (by purchase, pre-emption, lease, etc.). Information may include the name of the purchaser, dates and numbers of certificates issued (including Crown Grants), dates and amounts of payments, and reference numbers to correspondence files and field books. There is an alphabetical index of names in each volume.

This series consists of six volumes of Jurors' Rolls and Lists from New Westminster. Vol. 1: 1899; vol. 2: 1900-1902; vol. 3: 1903-1906; vol. 4: Petit Jurors, 1907-1910; vol. 5: Grand Jurors, 1907-1910; vol. 6: 1903-1911.

This series consists of records related to the administration, management and alienation of land in the New Westminster land district from 1882-1978. The records were primarily created by the provincial Government Agent and the Dominion Land Agent stationed in New Westminster. The majority of these records are homestead files created by the dominion government. These files contain information about homesteaders, their applications and the process of obtaining title to land.

Record types and subject matter include, but are not limited to: land alienation through pre-emption or purchase from the provincial government and homesteading or purchase from the federal government; a variety of leases of Crown land; other general subject files; and records regarding Indigenous Peoples or Indian Reserves.

Records related to land alienation include: applications for pre-emption, purchase or lease; land classification reports; forms completed by land inspectors of the Department of Lands Inspection Branch; declarations of occupation and permanent improvement on pre-emption claims; applications for homestead entry, cancellation, and abandonment; homestead Inspector’s reports; affidavits in support of an Application for Entry; land sales records; correspondence with settlers and other government officials; patents; Crown Grants; certificates; forms; maps and plans; financial records including receipts and cheques; court records, such as probates; survey records; notices of sale or cancellation; and sale agreements.

Records related to leases and other uses of Crown land include: grazing leases; foreshore leases; dredging leases; special use permits; timber permits; timber berths; water licenses; applications for dyking schemes; campsite leases; oyster bed leases; right-of-ways (ROWs) through land for railways, roads, powerlines or pipelines; petroleum and natural gas leases; quarry leases; bar leases; coal leases; mining leases; and mineral claims. Other uses include government reserves, the establishment of parks, and the reservation of land for school sites or other public uses.

Other more general subject files include: inquiries about land availability; preliminary plans and correspondence for the survey and sale of townsites; Soldier Settlement Board records including forms, correspondence and records of soldier land grants; correspondence files on specific topics such as canal construction, the reclamation of Hatzic Lake, the draining of Sumas Lake and the establishment of fish culture and fish hatcheries; and business records of the office, including inter-department correspondence, circulars, and memorandum related to matters of land administration.

Files also exist for specific Indian Reserves, and can include correspondence; water records; surveys; and inspection reports created in the process of allotting new, and canceling or amending existing Indian Reserves. Some files document instances of overlapping land use and conflict between settlers and Indigenous peoples on specific parcels of land.

Files are generally either correspondence files on a particular subject, or a variety of records related to a particular piece of land. Many files cover a wide time period and may be associated with multiple individuals or companies, as land rights were often transferred to others or cancelled and reapplied for.

Only the name of the first individual listed on the file is included in the file list. This means there may be additional names associated with files not included on the file list. The file list may also only include part of the legal description of land in cases where the description was exceptionally long, or included many different pieces of land. Single individuals may also have multiple files for each piece of land they are associated with.

The series also includes some files related to land in the Yale Division and Kamloops Division of the Yale Land District; as well as the Lillooet Land District. These records were created in the offices of the Kamloops and Clinton Government Agents, but at some point became intermingled with the New Westminster records.

Maps, plans and sketches indicating the parcels of land relevant to the file are commonly found throughout the records.

This series consists of a variety of bound volumes related to the administration, management and alienation of land in the New Westminster land district from 1858-1980. The records were primarily created by the provincial Government Agent and the Dominion Land Agent stationed in New Westminster. The records have been arranged into the following subseries:

1. Indexes and maps.

The indexes cover many of the homestead files in GR-4121, by file number and alphabetically by name of the homesteader or licensee. There are two volumes of reference maps for various municipalities, sub-divisions, right-of-ways and townships.

2. BC government land registers : district lot system

Variations of this system of surveying land were used from 1859 onwards. All of these volumes appear to have been created and maintained by the BC government. The registers list the lots in numerical order and record the alienation of land from the Crown by purchase, pre-emption, lease, mineral claims, timber use, etc. Information may include the name of the purchaser, dates and numbers of certificates issued (including Crown Grants), dates and amounts of payments, and reference numbers to correspondence files and field books. There is an alphabetical name index in most volumes. The registers cover range 1 Coast District, range 4 Coast District, Yale Division Yale District (YDYD) country lands, Texada Island District, Point Grey townsite, Powell River townsite, Hastings townsite, and New Westminster District group 1, group 2 and 3 group 3.

3. BC government land registers : township system

Variations of this survey system were used from 1873 to approximately 1912. All of these volumes appear to have been created and maintained by the BC government. The land entered in the majority of the volumes was surveyed and made available for settlement in 1873 and 1874. The registers list land in numerical order by Sections within Townships and record the alienation of land from the Crown by purchase, pre-emption, lease, etc. Information may include the name of the purchaser, dates and numbers of certificates issued (including Crown Grants), dates and amounts of payments, and reference numbers to correspondence files and field books. There is an alphabetical name index in most volumes. The registers cover New Westminster District townships 1 to 50 with some townships missing.

4. Dominion government : general land registers

These volumes were likely created by the Dominion Land Agent. It appears that at least some records were copied from provincial records to determine what land had been alienated before the transfer of the Railway Belt and what Crown land still needed to be managed by the dominion government. The registers, arranged by legal description, indicate the nature of the grant, the number, date of entry, file number, patent approval date, and name of grantee. The registers cover various townships in the New Westminster District and various lots throughout the Hope district, Yale district, Kamloops district, town of Hope, town of Yale, and Boston Bar.

5. Lease registers

These volumes were created in the New Westminster government agent's office. They record leases for a variety of purposes including: quarry, campsite, booming ground, agriculture, foreshore, forestry, and grazing. Many volumes are indexed and may include file numbers linking to GR-4121.

6. Pre-emption records

These records were created by the BC government. Pre-emption was a system of obtaining title to unsurveyed land (similar to the Dominion "homesteading" system) which occurred until 1970. Individuals could purchase land which had not been fully surveyed. However, grants to these lands were not issued until the applicant had made specified improvements, passed inspections, satisfied residency requirements, and had the lands fully surveyed. Records include certificates of improvement for the Vancouver Divisions of the New Westminster District and Coast District; certificates of pre-emption for the New Westminster District and Vancouver Division; and registers of pre-emption records.

7. Land purchase records

These records were created by the BC government. Once land was surveyed, it could be purchased outright instead of being pre-empted. These records include certificates of purchase for the New Westminster District.

8. Mining records

The majority of these records were created by BC Government Agents, Gold Commissioners or Mining Recorders. Records include mineral claim minute books, records of conveyances, bills of sale, applications for mineral lands and petroleum and natural gas leases, and coal applications. Records are from the New Westminster District, Hope and Yale. Most volumes include an alphabetical index and some may include references to file numbers in GR-4121.

9. Range and timber records

These records were created by the dominion and BC governments. Records include range leases, grazing leases and information on timber berths.

10. Water licence applications

These records are water licence applications created by the BC government.

11. Cancellation records

Cancellation registers created by the BC and Dominion governments. Some volumes include alphabetical indexes and have file numbers related to GR-4121.

12. Financial records

Various financial records created by the Dominion government and BC Government Agents. Records include Dominion crown timber financial statements; form J (cash books) created by Government Agents documenting their expenses and fee collection, such as the sale of marriage licences; and a land revenue return of payments from the central Victoria land office.

13. Other land administration records

Includes dominion created applications for patents and homestead inspectors instructions, as well as BC Government Agent books recording lands resumed under Soldier’s Homestead Act, Crown granted mineral claims which have reverted to the Crown for non-payment of taxes, and surveyed lands open for use.

This series consists of New Westminster Land District forfeiture certificates of lands reverted to the Crown from 1915-1957. Records relate to the Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Matsqui Dyking Districts. The certificates are arranged chronologically without regard to Dyking District. Information may include the legal description of the land, the plan number, the date it was subject to forfeiture, the date of the end of the period of grace, and the date of forfeiture. Certificates are indexed alphabetically by owners name, and numerically by plan to folio numbers.

Coquitlam Dyking District lies within the limits of the City of Port Coquitlam, and the Municipality of Coquitlam.

Pitt Meadows No.2 Dyking District lies within the defined boundaries of the Municipality of Pitt Meadows, and is situated 1 1/2 miles north of the Dewdney Trunk Road at the confluence of the Pitt and Alouette Rivers.

Maple RIdge Dyking District lies within the boundaries of the Municipalities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, including the Townsite of Hammond.

The fonds consists of minutes of meetings of the New Westminster Medical Association.

This series consists of 4 New Westminster Police Court charge books, 1905-1906 and 1911-1929.

Dockets, May 1937 - Dec 1940.

Receipt book, April 23, 1913 - Nov. 24, 1914.

This series consist of 12 volumes of New Westminster Police Court record books and two indexes, 1902-1937.

Series consists of cause books from the New Westminster Small Debts Court for cases between 1912-1932 and 1941-1949. Cause books provide the framework for cases and may include the names of parties, the dates when proceedings occurred, and can be used to determine volume and folio numbers for locating final orders.

Original records were destroyed after microfilming; retrieve records using microfilm.

Suitor's fund books (indexed) for proceedings in New Westminster Supreme Court, 1890-1957and New Westminster County Court, 1947-1957.

The series consists of criminal orders created between 1978 and 1991 by the New Westminster Supreme and County courts. Orders are the formal expression of the ruling of the court. Records relate to a variety of criminal matters, primarily motor vehicle violations and appeals. Series also includes a 17 Aug 1978 memorandum to all district registrars and regional administrators regarding amendments to the County Courts Act.

Records are arranged by volume and folio number as assigned by the court registry. A nominal file list is included at the beginning of each volume. Supreme and County records are interfiled. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 52400-30.

The series consists of photocopies of computer printouts of court indexes. Although copies in this series were created by the New Westminster County Court, the indexes refer to records created by several levels of the court system, including both the Supreme and County Courts in New Westminster. The series covers civil cases initiated between 1978 and 1981. The indexes list the date of initiation, the name of the individual or business involved, whether that individual or business is the plaintiff or defendant, and the case number.

These copies of the indexes were created for staff at the BC Archives prior to the transferal of original indexes from the New Westminster courts. They were retained as a reference set, although they are likely to have been mostly or completely superseded with the subsequent transferal of various indexes from the courts.

The indexes list a variety of cases, including but not limited to divorces and probates. Records in this series are arranged first by year and then alphabetically within the year groupings.