Its origin stemmed from a strict interpretation of the Constitutional Act of 1791 by the Family Compact, led by John Strachan, to keep the clergy reserves for the Church of England.
Stephen Heward, who was Auditor General of Land Patents, was appointed Secretary Receiver of the corporation.
Five years later the Executive Council ordered that the corporation should cease making any new leases of the reserves, as it had been thought that the land would be sold to the Canada Company.
However this only continued until 1832, when the Lieutenant Governor advised the corporation to discontinue the issuance of leases after a bill was passed to combine the clergy reserves with Crown land.
Baines undertook a plan to change this and appointed Clerks of the Peace as District Commissioners to undertake a survey of each individual lot in Upper Canada.