War of 1812
The War of 1812, fought between the United States and Great Britain, took place from June 18, 1812, to February 17, 1815. Many military events occurred on Canadian soil during this time. Service files for the Canadian militia do not exit, but you can still find the names of individuals in records such as muster rolls, pay lists, claims, certificates of service, land grants, and medal registers.
On this page
Search tips
- Try searching by last name only. Many entries list only an initial for the given name.
-
Account for spelling variations: names in old records were often written phonetically or with different spellings.
- Use the wildcard (*) to broaden your search. For example, Fran* for Frank, Francis, or François. You can place the wildcard at the beginning, middle or end of a name.
- Wildcards are also helpful for finding Indigenous names where numbers were transcribed into the name. For example, Anton8a or Anton*.
- For maps, art and other archival records, see “Other places to look.”
About the records
This collection includes references to 45,000 names found in muster rolls, pay lists, claims for losses, certificates of service, land grants, and medal registers. It does not include the name of every person who served during the War of 1812—only those documented in these records.
Not all the records include images. Be sure to note the microfilm reel and reference numbers, as you will need them to find the corresponding images.
| Fonds | Reference |
|---|---|
| 2nd Regiment Leeds Militia | MG24 G4, vol. 1 |
| 2nd Regiment, Lincoln Militia Muster Roll | MG24 G14, vol. 1 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Lower Canada fonds: List of veterans claiming land grants | RG9 IA4, vol. 2 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Lower Canada fonds: Pension and Gratuities Lower Canada 1817–1833; Alphabetical list of certain officers and militiamen who have applied for a pension or other reward, and whose names occur in certain documents landed to the Office for Militia Claims; Pension and Gratuities Lower Canada Receipts 1829–1846 | RG9 IA4, vol. 1 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Lower Canada fonds: Pensions and land grants for veterans of the War of 1812; Receipts for land certificates | RG9 IA4, vol. 9 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Lower Canada fonds: Pensions and land grants for veterans of the War of 1812; Affidavits affirming service | RG9 IA4, vols. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Upper Canada fonds: Certificates of Service during the War of 1812 | RG9 IB4, vols. 18, 19, 29, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Upper Canada fonds: Disability Pension Lists | RG9 IB4, vols. 4 and 5 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Upper Canada fonds: Disability pension petitions and correspondence | RG9 IB4, vol. 6 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Upper Canada fonds: Lists of War of 1812 veterans not receiving bounty or land grants | RG9 IB4, vol. 26 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Upper Canada fonds: Lists of War of 1812 veterans eligible for bounty or land grants; Registers of Land Grants, Certificates of the Adjutant-General filed as grants to Militia Officers and Militiamen who served in the Flank Companies and Cavalry during the late war and discharged seamen from the Provincial Navy. | RG9 IB4, vols. 27, 28 and 29 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Upper Canada fonds: Pay lists, nominal returns and accounts for the Upper Canada Militia during the War of 1812, Colored Corps | RG9 1B7, vol. 21, microfilm T-10385 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Upper Canada fonds: Pensions and Land Grants Records | RG9 IB4, vols. 1, 2 and 3 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Upper Canada fonds: Receipts for pensions | RG9 IB4, vols. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 |
| Alexander Hamilton and family fonds | MG24 I26, vol. 64 |
| British Military and Naval records: Correspondence of the Military Secretary of the Commander of Forces, War of 1812, Prisoners of War, muster roll and pay list, Colored Corps | RG8 1A, vol. 690, microfilm C-3233 |
| Charles Jones fonds | MG24 B7, vol. 1 |
| Collection milice de Montréal: Engagements dans les bataillons de milice d'élite et incorporée, 1812–1814 | MG24 G13, vol. 1 |
| Department of Finance fonds: Board of Claims for War of 1812 losses | RG19 E5a, vols. 3740 to 3759, microfilms T-1126 to T-1140 Note: To access the full list of reels, click on “View lower-level descriptions” and then select the correct claim number range. |
| Department of Indian and Northern Affairs fonds: General Operational Records, War of 1812 Medals | RG10 A5d, vol. 264, microfilm C-12650 |
| Duncan Clark fonds | MG19 A39, vols. 1, 2 and 3, microfilm H-2949 |
| Dundas Militia Collection | MG24 G60, vol. 1 |
| Essex Militia, 3rd Regiment pay list | MG24 G47, vol. 1 |
| Executive Council Office of the Province of Upper Canada fonds: Registry Land Certificates, 1821–1834, Upper Canada, Clergy Reserves, Licences of Occupation, 1804–1830 | RG1 L7, vol. 26 |
| Executive Council Office of the Province of Upper Canada fonds: Register of Warrants for Military Settlers, War of 1812 Veterans and Other Military Men, 1817–1829 | RG1 L7, vol. 11 |
| Executive Council Office of the Province of Upper Canada fonds: Registry Land Certificates, War of 1812 Militia Veterans and Provincial Navy Veterans | RG1 L7, vol. 52 |
| Adjutant-General's Office, Lower Canada fonds: Militia reports | RG9 IA8, vol. 5 |
| Incorporated Battalion of Militia, Canada West Collection, A Return of the Incorporated Battalion of Militia of Upper Canada entitled to land for soldiers during the late War with the United States of America | MG24 G37, vol. 1 |
| John D. Servos Collection | MG24 G7, vol. 1, files 1 and 2 |
| List of aliens and deserters (Johnstown District), Upper Canada, 1816–1821 | MG24 B112, vol. 1 |
| Lukin Homfray Irving fonds | MG24 G2, vol. 1 |
| Lundy's Lane, 1814, Return of Killed, Wounded and Missing Militia at Lundy's Lane, 25 July 1814 | MG40 C41, vol. 1 |
| Office of the Deputy Adjutant-General, Canada West fonds: Applications for Land Grants for Service in the Militia of Lower Canada during the War of 1812, 1847–1851 | RG9 IC5, vol. 35 |
| Office of the Deputy Adjutant-General, Canada West fonds: Upper Canada Petitions for pensions for service during the War of 1812, 1850–1867 | RG9 IC5, vols. 3 and 4 |
| Orderly Book of Matthew Bell's Troop of Light Cavalry | MG24 G75, vol. 1 |
| Prince Edward Militia | MG24 G12, vol. 1 |
| Hugh Swayne Fonds: Records of the administration of Cape Breton by Hugh Swayne with a few personal papers, Description and Service Rolls | MG24 A5, vol. 2 |
| Statement showing the name, age and residence of militiamen of 1812–1815, who have applied to participate in the gratuity voted by Parliament in 1875, with the name of the corps or division in which they served | Sessional Papers, Third Session of the Third Parliament of the Dominion of Canada |
| Thomas Coleman fonds, Account Book | MG24 G78, vol. 1, file 1 |
| W.S. Falls Collection, Pay Roll of Captain Caldwell's Company | MG24 G57, vol. 1 |
| War of 1812 medal registers collection | MG24 G8, vol. 1 |
| William Lewis Smith fonds | MG24 G74, vol. 1 |
Other places to look
British Forces records and war office
Records related to service members of the British Forces are held at The National Archives (United Kingdom). Consult their guide on Napoleonic wars and the war of 1812.
Library and Archives Canada has microfilm copies of some of the National Archives records related to regiments that served in Canada. See War Office records for information on how to access these records.
You can also find documents from the British colonial regime in our British military and naval records guide.
Militia muster rolls and pay lists
These records are the major source for researching members of the Canadian militia. They are organized by regiment or unit.
They are not searcheable by name, so you will need to browse the files to find the correct reference. From the archival description, click on “View lower-level descriptions” to access the full list of microfilms. These records have been digitized here:
- Lower Canada (1812–1815)
- Upper Canada (1812–1815)
Maps
We hold a number of historical maps related to the War of 1812. You can find these items in Collection search through a keyword search and by limiting your results to “Maps and cartographic material” in the “Types of material” box. A sample of our collection is listed below:
- George Williams, Sketch of part of the river Chateauguay, 1814.
- James Grant Chewett, Plan of the central part of the province of Upper Canada. Shewing the seat of war in the years 1812, 1813 & 1814. York 1st May 1819. J.G. Chewett, L.S.
- Sketch of action fought at Williamsburg, Upper Canada [Crysler's Farm] between a detachment of the centre division of the British army under the command of Lieut. Col. Morrison 89 regiment and a division of the American army under Brigr. Genl. Boyd on the 11th November 1813, Anonymous, 1814.
- John George Toler, Sketch of the position of Castine in the Bay of Penobscot J.G. Toler, draftsman, Royl. Engr. Dept., April 1815.
- Sketch of Prescott and its Posts. 1st November 1812.
- John George Toler, Map of the northern part of the state of New York & c. Compiled from a survey by Amos Lay & others. John G. Toler, draftsman Royl. Engr. Dept. Feby. 11th 1814.
Documentary art and portraits
In addition to textual records, LAC holds documentary art, portraits and medals relating to the War of 1812. Try searching Collection search with keywords such as War of 1812, or the names of specific individuals, battles, places or events related to the conflict. To focus on art or portraits, limit your results to “Art” (or “Objects” for medals) in the “Types of material” box.
Make sure to check the dates in your results. While some works were created during the War of 1812, many were produced after 1815 and represent artists’ later interpretations of individuals, events or locations associated with the conflict.
Some collections that include images relating to the War of 1812:
- Richardson's War of 1812 Grangerized Volumes collection. Alfred Sandham enhanced this publication with 206 extra illustrations, some of which have been described at the item level.
- 1933-236 Charles Berkeley Powell Scrapbooks (volume 1 and volume 5)
Some digitized images include:
- Portrait of Major John Norton, Teyoninhokarawen, the Mohawk Chief
- Lieut. Colonel Charles De Salaberry
- Sir Isaac Brock
- Studio portrait taken in July 1882 of the surviving Six Nations warriors who fought with the British in the War of 1812
- Chief Oshawana (John Naudee), Tecumseh's chief warrior at the battle of the River Thames
Other archival records
There are other government records relating to the War of 1812. Here are some examples:
- Correspondence concerning claims for Indians who served in the War of 1812–1814
- Demande une commission dans la milice incorporée - Destrampe, Ant. à Vassal de Monviel – Berthier, 9 fév. 1813
- List of deserters since 1 July/14 (Leeds)
- Muster Book, Naval Establishment, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, 1813–1814
Some key figures of the war left personal papers, including diaries, battle recollections, and correspondence. Here are some examples:
- War of 1812: Miscellaneous Records (these microfilms are digitized)
- Sir John Coape Sherbrooke fonds
- Sir Isaac Brock fonds
- Jacques Viger collection
The Department of Militia and Defence (RG9) also includes several correspondence series related to individuals who served in the War of 1812. Try searching “RG9” and a surname in Collection Search.
For further records, try searching names, specific units or regiments (For example: Fortier 1812).
Published sources
We hold many books on the history of the War of 1812. Search our Aurora catalogue using relevant keywords. Here is a list of books specifically useful for genealogical research.
Access the records
Digitized records
Some digital records are available through Collection search. Others will need to be consulted separately on microfilm.
If an image is linked in Collection search:
- Click on the link in the “Microfilm” field to open the digitized file.
- Browse the images to find the proper claim or file number.
If a record has a microfilm number but no link:
- Take note of the microfilm reel number and reference.
- Use these numbers to find the reel in Collection search or in the chart in the “About the records” section above.
Some records are available as digitized microforms, including:
- The War of 1812: Miscellaneous Records
- British Military and Naval Records (RG8, C Series)
Other microfilm reels that begin with the prefix C, H, or T may be available through our partner website, Héritage. Links to these reels are provided in the chart above when available.
Non-digitized records
Most of the records in this database are original documents that are not available on microfilm or in digital form. For records that are not digitized, you will need to see them in person. If you cannot visit us in person, you may want to order copies or hire a researcher.