Lord Elgin

Search Help

• Introduction
• Basic Search
  • Refining Your Search
  • How to Improve Search Results
• Advanced Search
  • How to Improve Search Results
• How to Interpret and Narrow the Results
• How to Obtain Copies

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Introduction

All Lord Elgin records acquired by Library and Archives Canada (LAC) in 2010 have been digitized and are available online. You can search the Lord Elgin Collection using the Archives Search tool, which offers two search screens: Basic Search and Advanced Search.

For best results, enter the MIKAN number 105594 or the archival reference number R977 in the “Search for” field to find the full descriptive record for any specific file or item in the Lord Elgin Collection, including digitized images.

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Basic Search

To perform a Basic Search of the Lord Elgin Collection:

1. Go to Archives Search and select the Basic Search screen.
2. Type either the MIKAN number (105594) or the archival reference number (R977) into the keyword box.
3. In the “Type of Material” field, select “Textual material” from the drop-down list.
4. Click on the “Submit” button. This will generate an Archives Search Result list.

Refining Your Search

Hierarchical Level
Select one of the search options from the “Hierarchical level” field to refine your search. These are defined below.

• Item: A single record with an individual description.
• Files: A group of documents reflecting a transaction, such as reports, administrative forms and photographs relating to an investigation.
• Fonds/Collections: All of the documents created and/or accumulated by a person, family, government institution, or corporate body in the course of that creator’s activities or functions. A fonds will contain information about numerous and diverse topics and so, unlike library material, is not organized physically by subject.
• Series: An arrangement of the records in the fonds according to the activities that the records supported in the creator’s organization, agency or department. As such, series may be organized according to document type (e.g., correspondence, marriage certificates, etc.) or/and by the administrative structure of the creator (e.g., legal branch, financial services, etc.).
• Accession: A group of records from the same source taken into the custody of an archives at the same time, which will later be integrated into the series.

Item-Level Option
The “Item” option allows you to:

• - limit your search to records that are described individually.
• - search for both digitized and non-digitized images.

Upper-Level Options
The “Files,” “Fonds/Collections,” “Series,” and “Accession” options allow you to:

• - search for records without individual descriptions.
• - search for records that have not been digitized.

Online
You can further narrow your search in the “Online” field by selecting “yes” or “no.”

Number of Results
This field allows you to change the number of records appearing on the results page for the duration of the search in progress. By default, the number is set to 10.

How to Improve Search Results

To search for a particular subject or topic in Basic Search, type one or more keywords:

• Individual’s name (e.g., William Rowan or Charles Metcalf)
• Event (e.g., Rebellion)
• Location (e.g., Montréal)
• Date
• General subject (e.g., picnic)

This search will sort through all individual records containing the keywords you entered.

Please note that it is not necessary to include quotation marks around search terms. For example, if you perform a search for Immigrants from Scotland, it will generate an Archives Search Result list with every record containing both “Immigrants” and “Scotland” in the description. However, you can further limit your search by placing quotation marks around “Immigrants from Scotland.” This will generate an Archives Search Result list with records containing that exact combination of words.

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Advanced Search

As with the Basic Search, the Advanced Search screen offers the same options for the “Hierarchical Level,” “Type of material,” and “Online” fields to help you search for records with both digitized and non-digitized materials.

It also provides advanced keyword search options that allow you to combine several words using operators (and/or), a date field, and an option to select “Government” or “Private” collections to further refine searches.

How to Improve Search Results

To search for a particular subject or topic in Advanced Search, type the MIKAN number (105594), the archival reference number (R977) or more keywords:

• Individual’s name (e.g., William Rowan or Charles Metcalf)
• Event (e.g., Rebellion)
• Location (e.g., Montréal)
• Date
• General subject (e.g., picnic)

This search will sort through all individual records containing the keywords you entered.

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How to Interpret and Narrow the Results

Sorting and Limiting Options
Your search results will be posted as a summary list from which you can obtain more detailed descriptions. By default, results are sorted by relevance.

You can limit your search results by using the “Sort by” and “Limit to” options shown on the right side of the Archives Search Results screen.

These options allow you to arrange the results by:

• Title
• Date
• Name

These options allow you to narrow the results by:

• Type of material (e.g., art)
• Item location
• Online Availability
• Archival hierarchy
• Date

Results Sequences

Search results for individual items are sorted from most recent to oldest.

Specific Terms Versus Abstract Concepts

Records include specific, concrete terms rather than abstract concepts. Accordingly, search for individuals’ names instead of their position or rank in government or the military (e.g., Sir Benjamin D’Urban, rather than Commander of the Forces). Additionally, many artwork descriptions provide significant detail about clothing (e.g., ribbon, bonnets or coats) without using the terms “clothing” or “fashion.”

Titles and Names

Biographical notes provide the formal titles for James Bruce and Victor Alexander Bruce; elsewhere,titles are simplified to Earl of Elgin and Kincardine or Lord Elgin. Both used the monogram E&K as a signature and both have been identified in the short style as Lord Elgin. Likewise, for the 3rd and 4th Earls Grey, both appear as Lord Grey in specific descriptions.

For example, you can narrow search results in Advanced Search to the correspondence exchanged between the 8th Earl of Elgin and the 3rd Earl Grey or that between the 9th Earl of Elgin and the 4th Earl Grey by combining the names with a time frame. Use the asterisk or question mark as wild card characters to specify a decade (e.g., 184* or 185?).

Alternative Search Terms or Functions

When you obtain few search results for a specific term, view the descriptions of associated or other items on the results list for possible alternative terms; these records may even provide contextual information, an indirect view into a topic.

For additional context on an item, click the link in the “Item (linked) part of” field of the descriptive record. This will connect you to the upward series-level description for that item, which may help you find more relevant search terms.

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How to Obtain Copies

You can print the images or save them on your own computer. Use the following link to access other options, such as obtaining photocopies: How to Access Library and Archives Canada Records.