Like the United States, Canada also has a trove of census records that are useful for those wanting to research their Canadian ancestry. But Canada’s history is very different from ours. The first Canadian census was taken in 1666. At that time, Canada was called New France and was held by the French. This early census recorded 3,215 inhabitants of New France.
In 1757, France ceded its lands in what is now Canada to the British. The land was divided into Upper and Lower Canada in 1791 and became Canada West and Canada East in 1841. These territories soon became the first provinces, Ontario and Québec. In 1867 Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick were united to become the Dominion of Canada. Manitoba was annexed in 1870, British Columbia in 1873, Prince Edward Island in 1875, Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905, and finally Newfoundland and Labrador in 1949.
Starting in 1831, there was a census roughly every 10 years, enumerated on the first year of each decade. Because of the different dates that the provinces were admitted into Canada, plus extra interim censuses taken in some provinces, the following list for each province should prove helpful. (This information was taken from the New England Historic Genealogical Society Web site at www.neweng
landances
tors.org/research/services/arti
cles_intro_canada_census_records.asp#).
Censuses were enumerated in the following provinces in the years indicated: Alberta 1881, 1891, 1901; British Columbia 1881, 1891, 1901; Manitoba 1831, 1849, 1870, 1881, 1891, 1901; New Brunswick 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901; Nova Scotia 1770-71, 1785-87, 1791-95, 1811, 1817-18, 1827,1838, 1851, 1861, 1871,1881, 1891, 1901; Ontario 1801, 1803, 1842, 1847, 1848, 1850, 1851, 1861,1871,1881,1891, 1901; Prince Edward Island 1841, 1860-61, 1881, 1891, 1901; Québec 1666, 1667, 1681, 1811, 1813, 1825, 1830, 1831,1832-35, 1842, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1901; Saskatchewan 1881, 1891, 1901; the Territories 1891, 1901.
In addition to this list, there have been national censuses released for 1906, 1911, and 1916. According to Canadian law, a census cannot be opened to the public for 92 years. This would make the 1921 census scheduled to be released in 2013.
Censuses conducted before 1851 list only the heads of households; starting in 1851, the following details were recorded: name, age, sex, country or province of birth, religion, racial or ethnic origin, occupation, and marital status. From 1901 onward, each person’s actual date of birth was recorded. French Canadian women kept their maiden names throughout their lifetime and can be found on the census under their maiden names. The children took the surname of the father. By 1881, some of these women were using their husband’s surname, and be 1901 all were. In 1851 and 1871, the deaths that occurred during the census year were recorded (not unlike the American mortality schedules). The 1851, 1861, and 1871 censuses also contain an agricultural census. The 1871 census recorded the most extensive information, including eight additional schedules for deaths, public institutions, real estate, cultivated land, livestock and animal products, homemade fabrics and furs, industry, forest products, shipping and fisheries, and mineral products.
The Canadian censuses were originally not searchable by surname, but by geographical region only. Gradually, various groups and Web sites have created surname indexes and search engines. The returns from 1851 to 1916 have been digitized and can be found on various Internet sites.
History
GENEALOGY: Canada offers a trove of useful census records
- History
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Terre Haute Works of Allis-Chalmers closes
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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GENEALOGY: BMD website great for tracing England, Wales
If you have ancestors who trace back to England or Wales within the past 175 years, then the Free BMD website at RootsWeb, at freebmd.rootsweb.com/, is the place to visit.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: WBOW introduced some fine Valley talent
When it first began broadcasting in 1927, station WRPI (Rose Polytechnic Institute) focused on educational programing.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Inventor John B. Deeds and highwayman William G. Murray
Among the many unsolved local history mysteries is the fate of master machinist and inventor John B. Deeds.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: This little-known compromise may have saved the union
When the Constitution was signed in September of 1787 and sent to the Congress that then existed under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was instructed to send that Constitution to the states to be ratified … or not. The message to the states was clear: Accept the Constitution or reject it, but don’t try to change it.
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Traveling Civil War exhibit makes history personal
Civil War history will come alive for visitors to the Sullivan County Public Library who experience “Faces of the Civil War,” a traveling exhibition created and managed by the Indiana Historical Society.
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GENEALOGY: Virginia Historical Society takes on ambitious project
Over the past few months, the Virginia Historical Society has launched an ambitious project to scrutinize more than 8 million 17th, 18th, and 19th century documents in order to identify the enslaved population of those times.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: The Legacy of ‘The Old Silkworm House’
In 1837, and for several years thereafter, a gray sandstone obelisk was installed next to a one-story frame residence at the northwest corner of Sixth and Eagle streets.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A blast from valentines past
Valentine’s Day — it brings to mind simple paper valentines and the elaborate, fancy store-bought cards with multiple verses and glittery covers.
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Flu outbreak forces Schulte closed
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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Original copy of 13th Amendment at Lincoln Library & Museum
A fully signed and recently restored copy of the Congressional resolution for a 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the official act that would abolish slavery in the United States, will be on display in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum’s Treasures Gallery.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Freedom of religion — beliefs and actions
Because religious faith is, arguably, the quintessential example of our right to privacy, to say nothing of its prominent place in our First Amendment, throughout our history court cases involving the free exercise of religion have been handled with great trepidation and with particular care. One of the milestone “free exercise” religion cases, Davis v. Beason, was decided by the Supreme Court this week (Feb. 3) in 1890.
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GENEALOGY: SoCal Genealogical Jamboree coming up in June
The Southern California Genealogical Society announces its 43rd Annual Jamboree, to be staged for three days on June 8-10, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, Calif.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002: Disco Ernie featured on Maury
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Flashing the mayor's badge
This mayoral badge was presented to the Vigo County Historical Society by Elizabeth K. Schultz, the granddaughter of Samuel E. Beecher Sr., who served as mayor of Terre Haute from 1936 to 1940.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Deadly tornado devastates York in 1907
John T. Staff loved water and, particularly, the Wabash River.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Notorious Western desperado Ellsworth Wyatt captured in Clay County
In October 1892, Terre Haute police received a circular from the State of Kansas containing a description of Ellsworth Wyatt and offering a $1,200 reward for his capture.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002: ISU students honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: News letter filled with wonderful local news
We recently received five bound volumes of copies of the “Terre Haute Onizette,” the Owen-Illinois Glass Company news letter for the Terre Haute Plant.
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GENEALOGY: Peyton, Downey, Fifer queries and a plea for help from Scotland
This week, we have several queries.
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Extension plans seminar on land use
The Purdue Extension Land Use Team is hosting a video seminar titled “Welcome to the Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals” from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Kennedy, Camelot, and other myths
This week (Jan. 20) in 1961, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as our 35th president, and his tragic death by assassination notwithstanding, his was a mediocre presidency that, undeservedly, became the stuff of legend — in part because of his assassination.
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Actor to portray Lincoln at dinner for historical society
A special program, “And Lincoln Wrote,” is coming to Harlan Hall in Marshall, Ill., with a featured presentation by Dick Benach as Abraham Lincoln and Chuck Hand as the publisher of the Prairie Beacon.
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GENEALOGY: Celebrate MLK Day with the Indiana Historical Society
On Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Indiana Historical Society will offer free admission to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Light Guards savor military and social experiences
Never during the Civil War was there a time when the City of Terre Haute was in danger of hosting an armed conflict involving one or more armies.
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: 87 high school hoops teams compete in 47th annual Wabash Valley Tournament
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A bottle of clove oil at the pharmacy
The Historical Treasure for today is a bottle of Clove Oil.
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LOOKING BACK: 1987: St. Mary’s Parish congregation celebrates 150th anniversary
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Fire up the jukebox for a great night
The jukebox existed long before Glenn Miller’s “Juke Box Saturday Night” swing version.
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GENEALOGY: 1752 is one memorable year for genealogists
The year 1752 is one to remember if you have ancestors who lived in areas controlled by Great Britain; and this includes the American colonies.
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