The fonds present extremely rich source for the study of Montreal and Quebec social and legal history. The fonds (mainly 1820-1890) comprises of judicial diaries or judges' bench books, which contain unique information: the opinions and memoranda of judges and lawyers of the Lower Canada and the Quebec Superior Court written down in the course of trials. They reflect the judge's interpretation of the law, his reaction to arguments and they show the background to official verdicts. The fonds contain bench books of Judges Robert Mackay (1871-1882), Andrew Stuart (1859-1885), Frederick Torrance (1869-1880). There are also record books of several law firms including Rose and Holmes (1840-1850), and Torrance and Morris (1850-1875). Included is also administrative correspondence, factums on various Montreal judges and lawyers, dockets and other records of law firms, legal authority books, commonplace books and other notes of individual lawyers. Present is also small number of lecture notes by lecturers in the Faculty of Law, student notes, scrapbooks as well as legal notes of unknown provenance. The bench books are in bound volume arranged in chronological order, the correspondence and authorities books are arranged by name or subject. There are contemporary indexes to the bench books of F. Torrance and R. Mackay.

The official records of the Montreal Ladies' Educational Association comprise minutes of the General and Executive Committees, 1871-1885; an account book, 1871-1885; a fee register, 1880-1885; a list of students of the M.L.E.A. and after 1885 of McGill, 1881-1890; a register of certificates granted, including comments on the student's performance, 1871-1885; and printed prospecti and annual reports. A 'Register of Teachers', 1871-1881, contains advertisements for school teachers and governesses.

Description forthcoming.
Please contact McGill University Archives for further information: 514-398-4711 or refdesk.archives@mcgill.ca

Most of this archive documents the High School for Girls. The administrative records comprise prospecti for both High Schools, registers of attendance, 1875-1896, examinations, 1855-1858, 1884-1888, fees, 1863-1869, and corporal punishment, 1892-1896, 1949-1960, and memoranda from the Rector applying to either the boys' division or to both High Schools, 1897-1904. There are also working notes for teachers, 1902-1903, 1921-1931, and scrapbooks of programmes, clippings and notes concerning activities in both schools, covering the years 1913 to 1960. Examination papers, 1872-1882, a guest book, 1919-1943, an annotated address book of High School for Girls staff prepared by Principal L.M. Hendrie, 1911-1945, and photographic portraits of the Principals of the High School for Girls round out this series. Student activities are reflected not only in the official scrapbooks, but also in minute books, photograph albums and scrapbooks of the High School for Girls' Athletic Association, 1912-1913, Literary and Debating Society, 1906-1908, and English Club, 1935-1940. There are a large number of photographs of girls' sports teams, 1915-1941, as well as a scrapbook of clippings on the activity of High School for Girls Alumnae, 1953-1956.

The fonds contains ledgers, legal documents, permits, one scrapbook, and photographs.

The records of the Elgar Choir comprise the Choir's charter; minutes, (together with annual statements, membership lists, and some correspondence) for 1923-1924, 1931-1941, 1952-1976, files of correspondence, 1923-1926, 1971-1976, membership lists, including lists for the Elgar Women's Choir and the Apollo Glee Club, 1920-1923, a complete run of programmes, again including those of the two founding choirs, 1919-1969 and photographs, 1966, 1970, 1977.

The fonds consists of records created and accumulated in the course of the Montreal Dental Club's activities from 1897 until 1997 and contains administrative files, 1897-1994; minutes, 1897-1994; correspondence, 1930-1995; financial reports/books, 1897-1909, 1934-1947, 1973-1979; scrapbooks and news clippings, 1888-1963; newsletters, 1961-1981; Fall Clinic records, 1938-1939, 1964-1977; copies of the club's journal, Insight, 1989-1995; four histories of the Montreal Dental Club and the McGill Dental School, 1897-1947, 1946-1997, 1997; and four photos and negatives of a club dinner dance. In addition, the fonds includes undated miscellaneous scientific papers.

The administrative records of the MCSA contain annual reports, 1921-1968; minutes of annual meetings, 1956-1971; minutes and correspondence of the Board of Governors and its Executive Committee, 1953-1972; files on budgets and staffing, 1962-1973; and documents on the merger with the Conseil de Développement Social. The operations of standing committees (Committee on Committees, Admissions and Standards, Nominating, etc) are documented by broken series of minutes from 1937 to 1971. Far more extensive are the papers of special committees researching social problems such as school leaving, 1934; single parents, 1949; housing and urban renewal, 1967-1971; dental services for children, 1950-1961; and low-cost medication, 1970-1971. These files include case work studies, correspondence, minutes and reports. The question of day care is particularly well covered, both through committee materials and through the files of Barbara Heppner, MCSA Day Care Coordinator, 1969-70. Correspondence files contain letters and reports from member agencies, university schools of social work, co-ordinating bodies such as the Canadian Welfare Council and the Conseil de Bien-Etre du Québec, various citizen's groups, and government bodies. A large percentage of this material consists of information files, containing reports of, and studies by, American and Canadian social agencies, conference and workshop proceedings, and materials on social legislation.

Fonds consists of 2 volumes of meeting minutes.