Fonds F2252 - British Military and Naval Records "C" Series fonds

The 'C' Series consists of 2020 volumes of records accumulated by the British forces stationed in Canada. With very few exceptions the contents of the volumes relate to the period extending from the arrival of Lord Dorchester as Governor General and Commander of the Forces in 1786 to the date of transfer of the fortress of Halifax to the military authorities of Canada. The documents obtained from Halifax in 1873 by the consent of the War Office formed the nucleus of this series. These mainly consist of the letters and despatches with their various enclosures which accumulated in the office of the Military Secretary to the Commander of the Forces in Canada over the course of eight-five years. Also included in this collection are records relating to the administration of justice and civil government, the construction of bridges, canals, docks, lighthouses, roads, wharfs, and public buildings, immigration and the location of settlers, the management of Indigenous affairs, the conveyance of mails, the exploration of the country, the provincial marine establishment and shipping on the lakes, the state of political feeling, and relations with the United States. Of particular note are the reports and statements of confidential agents, deserters, prisoners, and spies and the matter of fact journals of officers on special service which have been preserved. The fonds been arranged into the following series: Correspondence of the Military Secretary of the Commander of the Forces; Records of the Canadian Command; Records of the Nova Scotia Command; and Miscellaneous records.