[John William Kerr fonds]

By

Kerr Family.
Kerr, John William, 1812-1888

Kerr, Frederick William, 1902
Kerr, John William, 1812-1888
Canadian National Sportmen's Fund
Kerr, Charles John, , donor
Kerr, Robert B., , donor

Type

Collection

Publication info

1864-1898

Notes

Mss.

Manuscripts.

Microfilmed in April 1982 with funding from the Canadian National Sportmen's Fund. Includes correspondence relating to the microfilming and distribution of microfiches.

The Kerr Family fonds consists of the daily record books, letter registers, letter books, and receipts of John William Kerr (1812-1888) and his son Frederick William Kerr (1852?-1902). John William Kerr (1812-1888) (formerly the Secretary of the Wentworth Society for the Protection of Game and Fish) was appointed Fisheries Overseer for Upper Canada under the Commissioner of Crown Lands on December 16, 1864, and began to write a diary and make copies of letters which he continued until his death on May 8, 1888. The record books, letter registers, and letter books consist of eighteen volumes, each containing between 292 and 1,004 pages. Part way through volume fifteen, John William Kerr died and his son, Frederick William succeeded him as Fisheries Overseer; Frederick William’s correspondence begins on May 7, 1888 in volume fifteen. The final three volumes consist entirely of the letters of Frederick William Kerr. Volumes dated December 24, 1864 to May 7, 1888 are attributed to John William Kerr. Volumes dated May 7, 1888 to February 28, 1898 are attributed to Frederick William Kerr. The letter books are comprised chiefly of correspondence with the Commissioner of Fisheries, the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, and the Deputy Minister of Marine and Fisheries, Ottawa. The record books contain zoological observations and unique information about fishing, people, contraventions of the Fisheries Act, and court trials in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Receipts, usually for licence fees, which the Kerr’s had carefully sewn onto the pages of the letter books, were at some point removed and are available only in their original format at the Archives of the Royal Ontario Museum.

Fonds is comprised of daily record books, letter registers and letterbooks. Volumes dated Dec. 24, 1864 to May 7, 1888 attributed to John W. Kerr. Volumes for May 7, 1888 to Feb. 28, 1898 are attributed to his son Frederick. The letterbooks are comprised chiefly of correspondence with the Commissioner of Fisheries, the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, and the Deputy Minister of Marine and Fisheries, Ottawa. The Kerr diaries contain zoological observations and unique information about fishing, people, contraventions of the Fisheries Act and court trials in the latter half of the 19th century. Includes biographical information by Dr. Robert B. Kerr dated 1981.

John W. Kerr (1812-1888) was born in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He and his wife Mary Eliza Winslow (1826-1907) emigrated to Canada in 1844. He was elected secretary of the Wentworth Society for the Protection of Games and Fish in 1860. In 1864 he was appointed Fisheries Overseer for Upper Canada under the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Government of Canada. Upon his death in 1888, he was succeeded as Fisheries Overseer by his son Frederick W. Kerr.

Subjects

1812-1888 , Archives , d. 1902 , Effect of poaching on , Fisheries , Fishes , Kerr, Frederick W., , Kerr, John William, , Ontario , Sources

Language

English

Identifiers

Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q51419184