Census of 1851 (Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia)

About the Census

• Canada East and Canada West
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick

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Canada East and Canada West

• The Event
• The Records
  • 1851 Census Records at Library and Archives Canada
• Interpreting the Records
  • Schedule A (The Personal Census)
  • The Questions (Column Headings)
  • Schedule B (The Agricultural Census)
• 1851 Census References

The Event

With the proclamation of the Act of Union on February 10, 1841, and the unification of the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, the Province of Canada was created. Lower Canada was renamed Canada East, now known as Quebec, and Upper Canada was renamed Canada West, now known as Ontario. An Act to Repeal Certain Parts of an Act Therein Mentioned and to Provide for Taking a Periodical Census of the Inhabitants of This Province, and for Obtaining the Other Statistical Information Therein Mentioned (Chapter XLII, 4 and 5 Victoria)(1), passed on September 18,1841, divided Canada into ridings and/or towns, and called for a census to be taken in 1842, and every five years thereafter. Copies of the enumeration schedules to be used in the census were included with the act.

Regretfully, the census of 1842 was not successful, particularly in Canada East. It was believed that the problems were associated with the enumerators in the province, and thus An Act for Taking the Census of the Inhabitants of Lower Canada, and for Obtaining Certain Statistical Information Therein (Chapter XXIV, 7 Victoria), was passed. The act gave special provisions for the nomination of enumerators in that province.

In 1847, another census act, An Act for Taking the Census of this Province, and Obtaining Statistical Information Therein (Chapter XIV, 10 and 11 Victoria), was passed for the province of Canada, repealing the provisions of the 1841 act. The 1847 act established a "Board of Registration and Statistics", comprising the Receiver General, the Secretary of the Province and the Inspector General of the Province of Canada. The Board was charged with the general supervision of provincial statistics, the creation of all forms and schedules required for the census, as well as the development of instructions for enumerators.

Under the 1847 act, the first general census was to be taken in February and March of 1848, followed by a census in 1850, and every five years thereafter.

In 1851, An Act to Provide More Effectually for Taking the Periodical Census of the Province (Chapter XLIX, 14 and 15 Victoria) was passed, repealing all provisions of the 1847 act that were deemed to be inconsistent with its declarations, as well as any inconsistent statements from other census-related legislation. The 1851 act called for a census to be taken on the second Monday of January 1852, followed by a census on the second Monday of January 1861, and one every ten years thereafter. The census was to be taken under the auspices of the Board of Registration and Statistics "which shall from time to time frame instructions for the guidance of the persons employed in taking the same, and forms to be used by them, and shall cause such instructions and forms to be printed and distributed in such numbers as may be requisite for the purposes of this Act."

Under the 1851 act, the governor of the Province of Canada was responsible for appointing a census commissioner for each county of the province, and for any city or town of more than 5,000 people. The census commissioners were then to appoint one or more enumerators to work in each township and/or municipality of Upper Canada, in each parish of Lower Canada, and/or each ward of cities or incorporated towns of the areas under their control. Enumerators were to be instructed in their duties by commissioners, who were also responsible for informing the public of the information required and the penalties for non-compliance. Penitentiaries, jails, asylums and hospitals identified by the Board were to be enumerated by the person in charge of the institution regardless of that person's position -- warden, jailer, keeper, etc.

The instructions to enumerators under the 1851 act required them to "visit every house in his Enumeration District, and ... diligently and faithfully take an account in writing of the name, sex, age and occupation, of every living person who abode therein on the night of the Sunday next preceding such Monday, and ... also ascertain who of such persons are transient passengers, having their permanent residence elsewhere, and whether such residence is in Lower Canada or in Upper Canada, or out of this Province, (and the name, sex, age and occupation of every person usually a resident therein, but then casually absent, distinguishing such persons from others), and ... also collect and take an account of all such further information as shall be required by his instructions; and having entered such account in writing, the form furnished him for that purpose, the Enumerator shall then, before some Justice of the Peace, make and sign a solemn declaration ... that he has faithfully and diligently taken the said account and obeyed the instructions he has received touching the same, and that to the best of his belief the same is correct as far as may be known ..."

In cities, incorporated towns and any other places deemed appropriate by the Board of Registration and Statistics, different instructions were given to enumerators. Forms were to be left in each house in the enumeration district before the census was to begin, and the schedule completed and signed by the occupants of each distinct part of a house. Upon receipt of the completed form, the enumerator was to verify the information, add any additional information that he may have collected, and correct any wrong information.

When the commissioner received the completed forms from the various enumerators within a county, he was to review the data for accuracy and completeness, sending questions to enumerators where information was not clear (Curtis 2001, p. 130-133).

Overall, 45 commissioners and 597 enumerators were employed to conduct the census in Upper Canada, and 38 commissioners and 476 enumerators worked in Lower Canada (Canada 1853, p. iii). The final results were published as two reports, First Report of the Secretary of the Board of Registration and Statistics, on the Census of the Canadas, for 1851-52 and Second Report of the Secretary of the Board of Registration and Statistics, on the Census of the Canadas, for 1851-52.

The Records

The enumeration effort used census documents known as schedules. Originally, two schedules, or pages of census questions, were compiled:

A.	The Personal Census
B.	The Agricultural Census

Individuals not at their usual place of residence were to be entered in that household, with a notation made in the "Members Absent" column. For those people present in a different household than their usual one, they were to be enumerated at that place on enumeration day, with notes made in the columns, "Residence if Outside of Limits" and "Non-Members".

1851 Census Records at Library and Archives Canada

Unfortunately, the 1851 census records for many places did not survive. The remaining 1851 census records (RG 31) were transferred to the then Public Archives of Canada, now Library and Archives Canada, in December 1916. Evidence indicates that the microfilms were created by the Public Archives of Canada in 1954.

On each microfilm reel, researchers will find a title page listing the year of the census (i.e. 1851), the name of the province (Canada East or Canada West), the county name, the township number, and the township name. A subsequent page lists the township name and part (if applicable), the county name, and the name of the enumerator.

The digitized copies of the census schedules on the Library and Archives Canada website were made by scanning the microfilms. As exact copies, a page that was indecipherable on microfilm will be similarly indecipherable on a computer screen. Note that the introductory pages from the microfilm are not available online.

When the microfilms were created, the original census schedules were divided into four parts. The first part contains line numbers for each individual. The line numbers serve as a link from the first part to the following three parts.

Page numbering has been established to distinguish between the separate pages for each census area and the four parts of a schedule. Thus, the numbers '1', '2', '3', '4', etc., represent a page and the letters 'a', 'b', 'c', and 'd' represent the different parts of a schedule page. The parts of the schedules are not always consecutively ordered and in some cases may be non-existent.

2

2a

2b

2c

2d

These records and those of previous censuses are described in the Statistics Canada fonds, formerly Record Group 31/Fonds R 233.

Interpreting the Records

At the top of the first part of the census schedule are the title of the schedule (i.e. personal or agricultural) and the enumeration district number. At the top of parts two and three, the township, county name, and county descriptions are entered. The fourth part provides the name of the enumerator and declares that the census was "Taken Under Act 14th and 15th Victoria Chapter 49."

Each line of the census was numbered, and each person's information was written on one line. All entries were handwritten in either English or French. Under the 1841 census act, information related to each household was to be provided by the 'head' of the family or any member of the household over the age of 21. Gender of the head of the household was not specified.

For the purposes of the census, 'house' was defined as "all vessels, and other dwellings or places of abode of any kind." (2)

The first report of the 1851 census declared that overall, "the Census of Lower Canada has been taken with greater care than that of the Upper Province, where ... many of the Enumerators proved themselves wholly unfit for the duties assigned to them." Moreover, "a very general feeling was found to prevail throughout the Colony, that the Census had some direct or indirect reference to taxation - and in this belief, the Enumerators were frequently received most ungraciously, and the information sought was, not only partially, but, in some cases, altogether withheld." (Canada 1853, p. iv)

In retrospect, the 1851 census has not been highly regarded. Joseph-Charles Taché in his "Memorial to the Board of Registration and Statistics" (published as part of the annual report of the Minister of Agriculture for 1865) declared that problems with the endeavour included:

• "The unity, comprehensiveness and simplicity of the system adopted, and the sort of management by which it is [sic] put in execution.
• The social and family organization of the population, and its state of mind about the real or supposed advantages to be derived from exaggerating or underrating the numerical information asked of it.
• The fitness of those employed in the collection of the Census returns.
• The efficiency of the Statistical Staff at head-quarters."

As an example of the questionability of the data, Taché stated that the number of living children under one year of age who were enumerated exceeded the total number of births declared. (Canada 1866, p. 25-26)

Schedule A (The Personal Census)

Schedule A gathered personal information about the citizens of Upper and Lower Canada.

The Questions (Column Headings)

Unless otherwise noted, the following information has been taken from David P. Gagan, "Enumerators' Instructions for the Census of Canada 1852 and 1861," Histoire sociale/Social History, vol. VII, no. 14 (Novembre/November 1974).

Column 1	-	Names of Inmates
Column 2	-	Profession, Trade or Occupation
Column 3	-	Place of Birth
Column 4	-	Religion
Column 5	-	Residence if Outside of Limits
Column 6	-	Age at Next Birthday
Column 7	-	Sex: Male
Column 8	-	Sex: Female
Column 9	-	Married or Single
Column 10	-	Coloured Persons - Negroes
Column 11	-	Indians, if any
Column 12	-	Residents: Members, Male
Column 13	-	Residents: Members, Female
Column 14	-	Not Members: Male
Column 15	-	Not Members: Female
Column 16	-	Members Absent: Male
Column 17	-	Members Absent: Female
Column 18	-	Deaf and Dumb: Male
Column 19	-	Deaf and Dumb: Female
Column 20	-	Blind: Male
Column 21	-	Blind: Female
Column 22	-	Lunatics: Female
Column 23	-	Lunatics: Male
Column 24	-	Attending School: Male
Column 25	-	Attending School: Female
Column 26	-	Births During the Year 1851: Male
Column 27	-	Births During the Year 1851: Female
Column 28	-	Deaths During the Year 1851: Male
Column 29	-	Deaths During the Year 1851: Female
Column 30	-	Age and Cause of Deaths
Column 31	-	Homes: Brick, Stone, Frame, Log, Shanty, or other kinds of residence
Column 32	-	Homes: No. of Stories
Column 33	-	No. of Families Occupying
Column 34	-	Homes: Vacant
Column 35	-	Homes: Building
Column 36	-	Shops, Stores, Inns, Taverns Ec.
Column 37	-	Public Buildings
Column 38	-	Places of Worship
Column 39	-	Information on Mills, Factories Ec., Ec., their cost, power, produce, Ec.
Column 40	-	Number of Persons Usually Employed Therein
Column 41	-	General Remarks of the Enumerator

Column 1: "Names of Inmates" was to include the "name of every person who sojourned in the house on the night of Sunday, the 11th of January, as well strangers as members of the family, and also those members of the family who are temporarily absent, but whose usual residence it is." (p. 359)

Overall, it was found that 1,842,265 people inhabited the Province of Canada: 952,004 in Upper Canada and 890,261 in Lower Canada. Of this population, 57,715 people lived in Montréal, 42,052 in Québec City, 30,775 in Toronto, 21,734 in Ottawa and 11,585 in Kingston (Canada 1853, p. xvii-xix).

Entries under Column 2: "Profession, Trade or Occupation" were to be made for each individual. If a child worked for a parent, the child was to be entered as working in the same trade as the parent, except where the parent was a farmer, in which case the child was to be entered as a labourer (i.e. farm labourer).

Of the male population of Canada West, 86,224 identified themselves as farmers, 81,764 as labourers and 1,116 claimed to live on private means. The remaining 61,695 listed their occupation as carpenter/joiner, blacksmith, tailor, merchant, cooper, miller, innkeeper, weaver, wagon/carriage maker, cabinet maker, mason/bricklayer, clergy, teacher, doctor, lawyer/notary, or engineer.

In Canada East, 78,264 men claimed to be farmers, there were 68,924 labourers and 3,870 lived on private means. The remaining 38,374 males listed their occupation as carpenter/joiner, shoemaker, blacksmith, tailor, merchant or shopkeeper, clerk, cooper, miller, weaver, innkeeper, cabinet maker, mason/bricklayer, clergy, doctor, notary/lawyer, engineer or teacher (Canada 1854, p. 42).

According to Bruce Curtis in The Politics of Population: State Formation, Statistics and the Census of Population, 1840-1875, decisions were made in the compilation of employment statistics to exclude females and males under a certain age (Curtis 2001). Regretfully, there is little formal documentation of this policy.

Under Column 3: "Place of Birth", those born of Canadian parents were to be denoted with an 'F'.

Researchers have found the following abbreviations for geographic locations used in the census:

• B.C. - Bas-Canada (i.e. Quebec)
• C.E. - Canada East/Canada Est (i.e. Quebec)
• C.W. - Canada West (i.e. Ontario)
• H.C. - Haut-Canada (i.e. Ontario)
• L.C. - Lower Canada (i.e. Quebec)
• U.C. - Upper Canada (i.e. Ontario) (Hillman 1993, p. xiii)

For Column 4: "Religion", the person's affiliation was noted, and "No Religion" was entered for those who claimed not to believe.

The main religions of Canadians during this period consisted of Church of England, Church of Rome, Church of Scotland and other Presbyterian groups, Methodist, and Baptist (Canada 1854, p. 47). Other groups included Quakers, Jews, Lutherans and pagans -- 616 were reported (Canada 1854, p. 44-45).

Researchers have found the following abbreviations for religions used throughout the census:

• B.C. - Bible Church
• C. (of) E. - Church of England (Anglican)
• C. (of) S. - Church of Scotland
• E.M.C. - Episcopal Methodist Church
• F.C. - Free Church (Presbyterian)
• M.E.C. - Methodist Episcopal Church
• P.C.L.P. - Presbyterian-Canada and Lower Provinces
• P.F.C. - Presbyterian Free Church
• R.C. - Roman Catholic
• R.P. - Reformed Presbyterian
• U.P. - United Presbyterian
• W.M. - Wesleyan Methodist (Hillman 1993, p. xii)

Under Column 5: "Residence if Outside of Limits", the address of those who were not enumerated at their usual home was entered. If their usual place of residence was not known, then 'Unknown' was entered.

The age that the person would achieve on their next birthday was entered in Column 6: "Age at Next Birthday". Forty inhabitants of Lower Canada and 33 inhabitants of Upper Canada claimed that they would reach 100 years of age, or more, on their next birthday (Canada 1854, p. 27).

The enumerator checked in the appropriate column whether the individual was Male (Column 7) or Female (Column 8).

An individual's marital status was entered under Column 9: "Married or Single". Widows were marked with a 'W' and widowers with a 'Wr'.

In Upper Canada, there were 8,712 widowers and 15,510 widows; whereas 8,620 widowers and 14,974 widows lived in Lower Canada. (3)

If the individual was of African ancestry, it was noted under Column 10: "Coloured Persons".

In Upper Canada, 4,669 'coloured persons' lived mostly in Essex, Toronto, Haldimand, York, Welland, Brant, Kent, Oxford, Wentworth, London and Kingston. In Lower Canada, 743 persons of African ancestry lived predominately in the counties of Bonaventure and Yamaska. (4)

All those of Native Canadian ancestry were noted in Column 11: "Indians, if any".

A total of 8,728 Native Canadians were counted in this census. When compiling his report on the census effort, William Hutton declared that "this is probably little more than half the number. ... A large portion of them on Lake Huron and in the Lower Province, reside beyond the limits of the Census enumeration." (5) For many Native people, enumerators did not enter names, but instead enumerated the individuals as 'Indian', 'Squaw', or 'Papoose'.

After basic information about the individual was collected, questions were asked to establish whether the person was a member of the household:

• Column 12: "Residents: Members, Male" and Column 13: "Residents: Members, Female" noted whether the individual was actually a member of the family present in the house as of January 11, 1852.
• Those who stopped at the house on the night of January 11, but were not members of the family (e.g. visitors, boarders, servants, etc.) were noted under Column 14: "Not Members: Male" and Column 15: "Not Members: Female".
• Those who were members of the family, but not present in the household on January 11 were noted under Column 16: "Members Absent: Male" and Column 17: "Members Absent: Female". These individuals were also enumerated at the household they were with on January 11.

It was believed that no explanation was required for Column 18: "Deaf and Dumb: Male", Column 19: "Deaf and Dumb: Female", Column 20: "Blind: Male", Column 21: "Blind: Female", Column 22: "Lunatics: Female" or Column 23: "Lunatics: Male".

In the Province of Canada, the total number of people found to be 'deaf and dumb' was 1,343, the total number of 'blind' 870, and the total number of 'lunatics' 2,802. (6)

All those attending school on January 11, 1852, as well as those who regularly attended but were absent on that day, were entered in either Column 24: "Attending School: Male" or Column 25: "Attending School: Female".

Only babies born during 1851 were entered in Column 26: "Births During the Year 1851: Male" and Column 27: "Births During the Year 1851: Female". A baby born in January 1852 was not to be included.

Entries under Column 28: "Deaths During the Year 1851: Male" and Column 29: "Deaths During the Year 1851: Female" were only to include deaths that occurred during 1851, and not in January 1852. A total of 19,449 people died in 1851 (Canada 1854, p. 35).

In Column 30: "Age and Cause of Deaths", enumerators entered the age of the individual at death, as well as the cause of death, if possible. Overall, 1,593 people died of consumption (now known as tuberculosis), 1,111 of an unspecified fever, 10 were murdered, and four struck by lightning. For 7,113 deaths, a cause of death was not provided (Canada 1854, p. 33-35).

After the personal enumeration was completed, enumerators examined homes for particular characteristics. This information was entered for only one inhabitant of the house.

• Column 31: "Homes: Brick, Stone, Frame, Log, Shanty or other kinds of residence" indicated the construction material of the home.
• Column 32: "Homes: No. of Stories" detailed the number of floors or stories in the home.
• Column 33: "No. of Families Occupying reported the number of families that inhabited the building.
• Column 34: "Homes: Vacant" and Column 35: "Homes: Building" listed the number of buildings or houses for which there were no occupiers.

The existence of commercial buildings was indicated in Column 36: "Shops, Stores, Inns, Taverns Ec".

Places such as markets, prisons, courthouses and public halls were indicated under Column 37: "Public Buildings".

Under Column 38: "Places of Worship", enumerators indicated the denomination that worshipped in a building and whether the building was shared by two or more denominations. It was also to be noted how many people could fit into the building (as nearly as possible) and the construction material of the building.

Column 39: "Information on Mills, Factories Ec., Ec., their cost, power, produce, Ec." included data about factories of any kind, "distinguishing whether wrought by steam, water, wind or other power, as far as possible the average produce thereof per year, and where you can arrive at it, the value of property invested", as well as any other information that the enumerator may have noticed and felt should be included.

Column 40: "Number of Persons Usually Employed Therein" detailed the number of employees who worked in the factory indicated in Column 39.

Under Column 41: "General Remarks of the Enumerator", the enumerator could indicate any information not covered above that was felt to be of particular note.

Schedule B (The Agricultural Census)

Column 1	-	Name of Occupant
Column 2	-	Concession or Range
Column 3	-	Lot or Part of Lot
Column 4	-	Occupied by Person or Family
Column 5	-	Under Cultivation (Cleared Land)
Column 6	-	Under Crop, 100
Column 7	-	Under Pasture, 45
Column 8	-	Under Gardens or Orchards
Column 9	-	Wild Land
Columns 10-44	-	Crops and By-Products
Columns 45-55	-	Livestock and By-Products
Column 56	-	Remarks

The designers of the 1851 census believed that this section was self-explanatory for the most part. Only occupiers of the land were covered, and the entry was to be made using the name of the head of the family. Enumerators were to ensure that the total of Column 5 ("Cleared Land") and Column 9 ("Wild Land") added up to the amount entered in Column 4 ("Occupied by Person or Family"). Furthermore, the amount entered in Column 6 ('Under Crop, 100"), Column 7 ("Under Pasture, 45") and Column 8 ("Under Gardens or Orchards") added up to the amount entered in Column 5 ("Cleared Land").

Under Column 33, the production of hay was to be entered in the usual measurement for the area (i.e. bundles or tons).

Column 56 ("Remarks") was to be used to record comments that the enumerator felt to be appropriate regarding the nature of the soil, how the land received water, the general value of the land, etc.

1851 Census References - Canada East and Canada West

For further information about the 1851 census, you may wish to consult:

• Canada. Board of Registration and Statistics. First Report of the Secretary of the Board of Registration and Statistics, on the Census of the Canadas, for 1851-52. Québec: Board of Registration and Statistics, 1853

• Canada. Board of Registration and Statistics. Second Report of the Secretary of the Board of Registration and Statistics, on the Census of the Canadas, for 1851-52. Québec: Board of Registration and Statistics, 1854.

• Curtis, Bruce. The Politics of Population: State Formation, Statistics, and the Census of Canada, 1840-1875. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2001.

• Gagan, David P. "Enumerators' Instruction for the Census of Canada 1852 and 1862." Histoire sociale/Social History. Vol. VII, no. 14 (Novembre-November 1974).

Notes

1. The other bill to be superceded, or to have certain sections repealed, included

An Act to Reduce to One Act of Parliament the Several Laws Relative to the Appointment and Duties of Township Officers in This Province, Except an Act Passed in the Fourth Year of the Reign of William the Fourth, chapter twelve, intituled An Act to Regulate Line Fences and Water Courses, and to repeal so much of an Act Passed in the Thirty-third Year of the Reign of His Late Majesty, King George the Third, Intituled An Act to Provide for the Nomination and Appointment of Parish and Town Officers Within this Province, as Relates to the Office of Fence Viewers, Being Discharged by Oversees of Highways and Roads as is Contained in the Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-first Sections of the Said Act.

2. An Act to Provide More Effectually for Taking the Periodical Census of the Province (August 30, 1851). Chapter XLIX, 14 and 15 Victoria.

3. Appendix to the Journals of the Legislative Assembly. Appendix C.

4. Appendix to the Journals of the Legislative Assembly. Appendix C.

5. Appendix to the Journals of the Legislative Assembly. Appendix C.

6. Appendix to the Journals of the Legislative Assembly. Appendix C.

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Nova Scotia

• The Event
• The Records
  • 1851 Census Records at Library and Archives Canada
• Interpreting the Records
  • The Questions (Column Headings)
• 1851 Census References

The Event

On January 20, 1849, a message was sent by Secretary of State Earl Grey (1) to Lieutenant-Governor Sir John Harvey of Nova Scotia, asking that a census of the Province of Nova Scotia be taken in 1851. A census was being conducted in Great Britain and Wales in that year, and it was believed that a census of other British colonies should also be conducted at the same time. Instructions about the conduct of the census were included with the message.

The Nova Scotia House of Assembly passed An Act for Taking the Census of the Province and Obtaining Statistical information (Chapter VIII) on May 28, 1850. The act called for the creation of a Board of Registration and Statistics, comprising two members from the Executive Council of the legislature as well as the financial secretary of the province. The board would be responsible for printing of all census forms and providing instructions.

After the board published the census forms and instructions, justices of the peace met and divided the counties into divisions, following as appropriate, the current electoral divisions. The justices also appointed enumerators for each census enumeration area.

After the census was compiled, two justices of the peace were to be selected to review the returns and ensure that the information provided was correct. This work was to be co-ordinated by the Clerk of the Peace. The forms were then passed to the Board of Registration and Statistics, which compiled the final report. This report was published as "Appendix 94" of the Journal and Proceedings of the 2nd Session, 1851, of the House of Assembly on April 3, 1852.

The Records

The enumeration effort used the basic census documents known as schedules.

1851 Census Records at Library and Archives Canada

Some of the Nova Scotia 1851 census records are in the custody of Library and Archives Canada (MG9-B10) and others are in the custody of the Nova Scotia Archives and Record Management. Unfortunately, the 1851 census records for many places did not survive.

On each microfilm reel, researchers will find a title page listing the year of the census (i.e. 1851), the name of the province (Nova Scotia), the polling district (or enumeration area), township name and, in some cases, district number.

The digitized copies of the census schedules found on the Library and Archives Canada website were made by scanning the microfilms of the 1851 census. As exact copies, a page that was indecipherable on microfilm will be similarly indecipherable on a computer screen. Note that the introductory pages from the microfilm are not available online.

Page numbering has been established to distinguish between the two parts for a schedule and the separate schedules for each census area. Thus, the numbers '1', '2', '3', '4', etc, represent a schedule page and the letters 'a', 'b', 'c', and 'd' represent the different parts of a schedule page. The parts of the schedules are not always consecutively ordered and in some cases may be non-existent.

2

2a

2b

2c

2d

These records and those of previous censuses are described in the Statistics Canada fonds R 233, formerly known as Record Group 31.

Intrepreting the Records

Each family's information was written on one line. All entries were handwritten in either English or French, as appropriate.

Please note that the questions may not have been asked in the order in which they are transcribed below.

The Questions (2) (Column Headings)

Column 1	-	Heads of Families
Columns 2 to 6	-	Buildings
Columns 7 to 23	-	Inhabitants of Various Ages
Columns 24 to 31	-	[Infirmities]
Columns 32 and 33	-	Indians
Columns 34 and 35	-	Coloured Persons
Columns 36 to 39	-	Assessments
Columns 40 to 42	-	Value of Property
Columns 43 to 50	-	Occupations
Columns 51 and 52	-	Places of Worship
Columns 53 to 55	-	Improved Land
Columns 56 and 57	-	Schools and Pupils
Columns 58 to 70	-	Various Religious Denominations
Columns 71 to 82	-	Agricultural Produce
Columns 83 to 87	-	Agricultural Stock
Columns 88 to 103	-	Fisheries
Columns 104 to 127	-	Mills and Factories
Columns 128 to 158	-	Articles Manufactured

Column 1 - Heads of Families

Enumerators were instructed to ask the head of the household, or any member of the family over the age of 21, to provide the information. For information related to businesses, the owners, managers or agents of these businesses were to be questioned. Fines were to be imposed on those who wilfully gave incorrect information or interfered with the work of the enumerator (An Act for Taking the Census..., 1950).

Buildings

Column 2	-	No. of Inhabited Houses
Column 3	-	By How Many Families Inhabited
Column 4	-	No. of Houses Now Building
Column 5	-	No. of Uninhabited Houses
Column 6	-	No. of Stores, Barns and Outhouses

In 1851, there were 41,455 inhabited houses that were occupied by 45,541 families. There were also 2,028 uninhabited houses, 2,347 houses being built and 52,698 stores, barns and outhouses.

Inhabitants of Various Ages

Column 7	-	No. Under 10 Years of Age - Males
Column 8	-	No. Under 10 Years of Age - Females
Column 9	-	From 10 to 20 Years of Age - Males
Column 10	-	From 10 to 20 Years of Age - Females
Column 11	-	From 20 to 30 Years of Age - Males
Column 12	-	From 20 to 30 Years of Age - Females
Column 13	-	From 30 to 40 Years of Age - Males
Column 14	-	From 30 to 40 Years of Age - Females
Column 15	-	From 40 to 50 Years of Age - Males
Column 16	-	From 40 to 50 Years of Age - Females
Column 17	-	Over 50 Years of Age - Males
Column 18	-	Over 50 Years of Age - Females
Column 19	-	No. of Married Persons of Both Sexes
Column 20	-	No. of Widowers
Column 21	-	No. of Widows
Column 22	-	No. of Rate Payers
Column 23	-	No. of Paupers

In his instructions Earl Grey stated, "Wherever it is practicable every individual should be enumerated by name. Without this, experience has proved that there can be no security for the accuracy of the returns. The abstracts cannot otherwise be made satisfactorily and the Government will find the enumeration by name useful for many purposes connected with the Police and defence of the respective Colonies. The enumerations should be made by houses or "families" (hearths) - the names of the heads of the family being written first, with the children, resident visitors and servants, following in succession." (Appendix 43, 1849, p. 349) It is not known why only the heads of the household were enumerated by name.

However, regarding age, Earl Grey's instructions were somewhat less demanding: "There will be sometimes a difficulty in ascertaining the age; but it can generally be learnt whether a man is about the age of 30, 40, 50; &c. &c., which will be an approximation sufficiently near for many statistical purposes." (Appendix 43, 1849, p. 350)

Overall, the province was inhabited by 137,677 males and 138,440 females, for a total population of 276,117. Of this total population, 78,701 people were married, 2,238 were widowers, 5,916 were widows and 87,452 people were under 10. Moreover, 38,388 people were identified as rate payers and 1,072 as paupers.

Deaf and Dumb

Column 24	-	Males
Column 25	-	Females

There were 132 males and 98 females listed as deaf and dumb. Of these, 33 individuals lived in Halifax County, 27 in Inverness County, 29 in Victoria County and 23 in Pictou County.

Blind

Column 26	-	Males
Column 27	-	Females

A total of 74 blind males and 62 blind females were recorded.

Lunatics

Column 28	-	Males
Column 29	-	Females

Halifax County was the residence of 30 of the total 76 male and 35 of the 90 female lunatics.

Idiots

Column 30	-	Males
Column 31	-	Females

Overall, 299 idiots were identified in the province. Of these, 34 lived in Pictou County, 27 in Inverness County, 25 in Sydney County, 23 in Digby County, 20 in Hants County and 44 in Cape Breton and Victoria counties.

Earl Grey was concerned about counting the number of ill people within the province: "In the last column it should be stated whether the person is labouring under any sickness - understanding thereby such severe sickness as incapacitates him from following his ordinary occupation - or any infirmity, such as blindness, deafness, idiocy, lameness, or the feebleness of old age. An Abstract of the information in this column will show the sanitary state of different races and localities; as well as the relative proportions of the inefficient and efficient Population." (Appendix 43, 1849, p. 350)

Indians

Column 32	-	Males, Including Children
Column 33	-	Females, Including Children

Earl Grey gave specific instructions for the enumeration of the Nova Scotia Aboriginal population: "... It will be desirable, where there is a difficulty in obtaining information respecting the Aborigines, to confine the enquiry to males aged 20 years and upwards -- the 'fighting men'. In such cases partial and imperfect information respecting the number of women and children leads to confusion and error. The supposed number of females of all ages, and of males under the age of 20, may, however, be stated. Men aged 20 years and upwards are generally one-fourth of the entire Population." (Appendix 43, 1849, p. 350)

In all, 524 male 'Indians' and 532 female were identified. Of these, 169 lived in Halifax County.

Coloured Persons

Column 34	-	Males, Including Children
Column 35	-	Females, Including Children

A total of 4,908 coloured persons were enumerated -- 2,321 males and 2,587 females.

Assessments

Column 36	-	Amount of Assessment for County Rates
Column 37	-	Amount of Assessment for Poor Rates
Column 38	-	Highest Rate for Poor and County
Column 39	-	Lowest Rate for Poor and County

Value of Property

Column 40	-	Assessed Value of Real Estate
Column 41	-	Probable Value of Real Estate
Column 42	-	Assessed Value of Personal Estate

The assessed value of real estate in the province was only calculated for the counties of Halifax, Yarmouth, Digby, Annapolis, Kings, Cumberland, and Inverness -- for a total of £3,694,969. The probable value of real estate, for the whole province, was assumed to be £8,050,923.

Nos. Engaged in Various Occupations

Column 43	-	No. of Clergymen or Ministers
Column 44	-	No. of Doctors
Column 44	-	No. of Farmers
Column 45	-	No. of Mechanics
Column 46	-	No. of Merchants and Traders
Column 47	-	No. of Persons Engaged in the Fisheries
Column 48	-	No. of Seamen Registered
Column 49	-	No. of Persons Employed at Sea
Column 50	-	No. of Persons Engaged in Lumbering

Of the 63,245 responses, the top three occupational categories were farmers (31,604), fisheries workers (9,927) and mechanics (8,895).

Places of Worship

Column 51	-	No. of Churches and Places of Worship
Column 52	-	Denomination

Overall, 567 churches and places of worship existed in the province, with 74 in Halifax County, 49 in Hants County, and 47 in Cape Breton and Victoria counties.

Improved Land

Column 53	-	No. of Acres of Dyke Land
Column 54	-	Average Value
Column 55	-	No. of Acres of Other Improved Land

Overall, people in Nova Scotia added 40,012 acres of dyked land and 799,310 acres of other improved land.

Schools and Pupils

Column 56	-	No. of Schools in District
Column 57	-	No. of Children Attending Schools

A total of 1,096 schools had been built in the province, attended by 31,354 students.

Nos. of Various Religious Denominations

Column 58	-	Church of England
Column 59	-	Catholic
Column 60	-	Kirk (3) of Scotland
Column 61	-	Free Church (4)
Column 62	-	Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia
Column 63	-	Baptists
Column 64	-	Methodists
Column 65	-	Congregationalists
Column 66	-	Universalists
Column 67	-	Lutherans
Column 68	-	Sandemanians (5)
Column 69	-	Quakers
Column 70	-	Other Denominations

In all, there were 69,634 Catholics, 42,243 Baptists, 36,482 Church of England, 28,767 Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia, 25,280 Free Church, 23,596 Methodists, 18,867 Kirk of Scotland, 4,087 Lutherans, 2,639 Congregationalists, 580 Universalists, 188 Quakers and 101 Sandemanians in Nova Scotia in 1851. The remaining 3,791 inhabitants claimed to belong to other religions.

The above questions were asked despite Earl Grey's instructions to the contrary: "In the Schedule I have set down no head for the "Religion" and other points sometimes enquired into; because I consider it important not to crowd the Census with too many particulars." (Appendix 43, 1849, p. 350).

Researchers have found the following abbreviations for religions used throughout the census:

• B.C. - Bible Church
• C. (of) E. - Church of England (Anglican)
• C. (of) S. - Church of Scotland
• E.M.C. - Episcopal Methodist Church
• M.E.C. - Methodist Episcopal Church
• P.C.L.P. - Presbyterian-Canada and Lower Provinces
• P.F.C. - Presbyterian Free Church
• R.C. - Roman Catholic
• R.P. - Reformed Presbyterian
• U.P. - United Presbyterian
• W.M. - Wesleyan Methodist (Hillman 1993, p. xii)

Agricultural Produce

Column 71	-	No. of Tons of Hay Cut
Column 72	-	No. of Bushels of Wheat Raised
Column 73	-	No. of Bushels of Barley Raised
Column 74	-	No. of Bushels of Rye Raised
Column 75	-	No. of Bushels of Oats Raised
Column 76	-	No. of Bushels of Buckwheat Raised
Column 77	-	No. of Bushels of Indian Corn Raised
Column 78	-	No. of Bushels Peas and Beans Raised
Column 79	-	Quantity of Timothy and Clover Seed Raised
Column 80	-	No. of Bushels of Potatoes Raised
Column 81	-	No. of Bushels of Turnips Raised
Column 82	-	No. of Bushels of other Root Crops Raised

The crops raised included 287,837 tons of hay, 297,157 bushels of wheat, 196,097 bushels of barley, 61,438 bushels of rye, 1,384,437 bushels of oats, 170,301 bushels of buckwheat, 37,475 bushels of Indian corn, 21,638 bushels of peas and beans, 1,986,789 bushels of potatoes, 467,127 bushels of turnips, and 32,325 bushels of other root crops.

Agricultural Stock

Column 83	-	No. of Neat Cattle
Column 84	-	No. of Milch [milk] Cows
Column 85	-	No. of Horses
Column 86	-	No. of Sheep
Column 87	-	No. of Swine

In the province, residents owned 156,857 neat cattle, 86,856 milch [milk] cows, 28,789 horses, 282,180 sheep and 51,533 swine.

Fisheries

Column 88	-	No. of Vessels Engaged in the Fisheries
Column 89	-	No. of Men on Board
Column 90	-	Amount of Tonnage Engaged in the Fisheries
Column 91	-	No. of Boats Engaged in the Fisheries
Column 92	-	No. of Men on Board
Column 93	-	Nets and Seines (6)
Column 94	-	Quantity of Dry Fish Cured
Column 95	-	Quantity of Salmon Caught and Cured
Column 96	-	Quantity of Shad Caught and Cured
Column 97	-	Quantity of Smoked Herrings Cured
Column 98	-	Quantity of Mackeral [mackerel] Caught and Cured
Column 99	-	Quantity of Herrings Caught and Cured
Column 100	-	Quantity of Alewives Caught and Cured
Column 101	-	Value
Column 102	-	Quantity of Fish Oil
Column 103	-	Value

In the fisheries, 812 vessels were employed, with 186 operating out of Lunenburg County, 109 from Shelburne County, 99 from Richmond County, 74 from Inverness County and 71 from both Yarmouth and Guysborough counties. On these 812 vessels worked 3,681 men; the vessels had a total tonnage of 43,333. A total of 3,681 Boats were also used in the fishery, with 1,437 operating out of Halifax County, 833 from Guysborough County, 1,298 from Cape Breton and Victoria counties and 522 from Richmond County. There were 6,713 men on board the boats. A total of 30,154 nets and seines were used.

In all, 196,434 fish were dried and cured; 1,669 barrels of salmon were caught and cured, as well as 3,536 barrels of shad, 100,047 barrels of mackerel, 53,200 barrels of herring and 5,343 barrels of alewives. As well, 15,409 herring were smoked, with a total value of £217,270. The fish oil produced was 189,250 gallons, for a total value of £17,754.

Mills and Factories

Column 104	-	No. of Saw Mills
Column 105	-	Value
Column 106	-	No. of Hands Employed
Column 107	-	No. of Grist Mills (7)
Column 108	-	Value
Column 109	-	No. of Hands Employed
Column 110	-	No. of Tanneries (8)
Column 111	-	Value
Column 112	-	No. of Hands Employed
Column 113	-	No. of Foundries
Column 114	-	Value
Column 115	-	No. of Hands Employed
Column 116	-	No. of Weaving and Carding Establishments
Column 117	-	Value
Column 118	-	No. of Hands Employed
Column 119	-	No. of Breweries and Distilleries
Column 120	-	Value
Column 121	-	No. of Hands Employed
Column 122	-	No. of Hand Looms
Column 123	-	Value
Column 124	-	No. of Other Factories
Column 125	-	Value
Column 126	-	No. of Hands Employed
Column 127	-	No. of Steam Mills or Factories

In all, 1,153 sawmills were operating, with a total value of £89,869. Of the sawmills, 226 were located in Cumberland County and 156 in Lunenburg County. They employed 1,786 people.

There were a total of 398 grist mills scattered throughout the province, with a total value of £72,649, and employing 573 persons.

Of the 237 tanneries, 37 operated in Colchester County, 25 in Yarmouth County and 24 in Kings County. The total value of these tanneries was £26,762, and they employed 374 people.

The 9 foundries were located mainly in Colchester County (3) and Halifax County (2), for a total value of £12,900, and employing 138 people.

A total of 81 weaving and carding establishments were reported, including 13 in Pictou County, 11 in Colchester County and 11 in Kings County. These establishments had a total value of £11,690 and employed 119 individuals.

Of the 17 breweries and distilleries, 11 were situated in Halifax County and 6 in Pictou County. The total value of these establishments was £6,032, and they employed 42 people, with 38 in Halifax.

Moreover, 11,096 handlooms were in operation, with a total value of £24,486.

Ten steam mills or factories were located throughout the province, with two in Halifax County.

The number of 'other factories' was 131, with a total value of £14,382; they employed 185 people.

Articles Manufactured

Column 128	-	No. of Yards of Fulled Cloth (9) Manufactured Last Year
Column 129	-	No. of Yards of Cloth Not Fulled
Column 130	-	No. of Yards of Flannel
Column 131	-	Value of Boots and Shoes Manufactured
Column 132	-	Value of Leather Manufactured
Column 133	-	Value of Candles Manufactured
Column 134	-	Value of Soap Manufactured
Column 135	-	Value of Agricultural Implements Manufactured
Column 136	-	Value of Chairs and Cabinet Ware Manufactured
Column 137	-	Value of Carriages Manufactured
Column 138	-	Value of Other Wooden Ware Manufactured
Column 139	-	Value of Iron Castings Manufactured
Column 140	-	Quantity of Coal Raised
Column 141	-	Quantity of Iron Smelted
Column 142	-	Value
Column 143	-	No. of Gallons of Malt Liquor Manufactured
Column 144	-	No. of Gallons of Distilled Liquor Manufactured
Column 145	-	No. of Casks of Lime Burnt
Column 146	-	Value
Column 147	-	Quantity of Bricks Manufactured
Column 148	-	Value
Column 149	-	No. of Grindstones Manufactured
Column 150	-	Value
Column 151	-	Tons of Gypsum Quarried
Column 152	-	Value
Column 153	-	Quantity of Maple Sugar Manufactured
Column 154	-	Quantity of Butter Manufactured
Column 155	-	Quantity of Cheese Manufactured
Column 156	-	No. of Vessels Built
Column 157	-	Tonnage
Column 158	-	No. of Boats Built

In all, 119,698 yards of fulled cloth, 790,104 yards of cloth that was not fulled and 219,352 yards of flannel were manufactured.

The boots and shoes manufactured were worth a total of £73,654.

The leather produced was worth £52,625.

The soap manufactured in the province was worth £28,277 and the candles worth £21,210. £6,013 worth of soap and £6,298 worth of candles were manufactured in Halifax County.

The total value of agricultural implements manufactured was £16,640, with £4,175 manufactured in Inverness County. Chairs and cabinet ware were valued at £11,155, with £3,626 worth manufactured in Halifax County. Carriages worth £9,491 were made, with £1,682 worth made in Yarmouth County. The total value of the other wooden ware was £19,233, with £4,351 made in Halifax County and £3,962 in Guysborough County.

Iron castings created had a value of £3,486.

A total of 114,992 chaldrons of coal was raised in Cumberland, Pictou, Inverness and Cape Breton/Victoria counties.

The foundries smelted 400 tons of iron, with a total value of £4,635.

70,000 gallons of malt liquor was made in Halifax County and 8,076 gallons in Pictou County. A further 10,600 gallons of distilled liquor was made in Halifax County, 1,270 gallons in Pictou County and 30 gallons in Lunenburg County.

In all, 28,903 casks of lime were burned, for a total value of £4,433.

In all, 2,845,400 bricks were made, for a total value of £3,211. In addition, 79,795 tons of gypsum were quarried, with a value of £10,498. The grindstones quarried were worth a total of £5,857.

A total of 110,441 tons of maple sugar were manufactured; as well as 3,613,890 pounds of butter and 652,069 pounds of cheese.

In all, 486 vessels were built in Nova Scotia -- 185 in Richmond County. The total tonnage of the vessels was 57,776. An additional 2,654 boats were built.

1851 Census References - Nova Scotia

For further information about the 1851 census, you may wish to consult:

• An Act for taking the Census of the Province and obtaining Statistical information. Chapter VIII (passed 28 March 1850).

• "Appendix 43 [Earl Grey's Instructions]." Journal of the House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia. For the Session Commencing the 18th January and ending the 31st March 1849. Halifax, NS: Richard Nugent, 1851, p. 349-350.

• "Appendix 94 [Final Report of the 1851 Census]." Journal and Proceedings of the House of Assembly, 2nd Session 1851. April 3, 1852. Halifax, NS: Richard Nugent, 1852, p. 417-435.

Another act, containing different provisions, was published as Title IX, Chapter 33, Of the Census and Statistical Information. However, no supporting links can be found between this act and the census, whereas for the act passed March 28, 1850, the majority of the questions on the schedule parallel those listed. Moreover, a note from Earl Grey dated August 14, 1850 (and published as "Appendix 2," Journal and Proceedings of the House of Assembly 1851. Halifax, NS: Richard Nugent, 1851) makes a reference to a census act passed on March 28, 1850.

References are made in the Journal and Proceedings of the House of Assembly on March 8, 1851 (p. 713) to the referral of "Forms of Tables, for Taking the Census in the Present Year" to a committee of select members of the legislature for review. No copies of these documents were published in the journal, nor were any minutes from the meeting.

Notes

1. The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a member of the British Cabinet responsible for the British Colonies (except India) and the army. From 1846 to 1852 this position was occupied by Henry Grey, the third Earl Grey. For more information, see: Secretary of State for War and the Colonies: www.wordiq.com/definition/Secretary_of_State_for_War_and_the_Colonies

2. Note that unless otherwise indicated, this information was taken from "Appendix 94" of the Journal and Proceedings of the House of Assembly, 2nd Session, 1851. April 6, 1852. Halifax, NS: Richard Nugent, 1851, p. 417-435.

3. Church

4. "Free Church" is an evangelical Presbyterian religion founded in Scotland in the mid-nineteenth century.

5. In eighteenth-century Scotland, "Glassites" were followers of the Protestant John Glass. "Sandemanianism" was introduced to England and the Americas by Robert Sandeman, a disciple of John Glass.

6. A type of net.

7. A mill for grinding grain.

8. A place where animal skins or hides are processed (or 'tanned'), usually to create leather or a variation thereon.

9. Fulling is part of the cloth-manufacturing process, where wool fabric is washed, beaten and then hung to dry.

---

New Brunswick

• The Event
• The Records
  • 1851 Census Records at Library and Archives Canada
• Interpreting the Records
  • Schedule I (The Personal Census)
  • The Questions (Column Headings)
  • Schedule II (Parish Information)
• 1851 Census References

The Event

On March 30, 1848, the New Brunswick House of Assembly passed An Act for Ascertaining the Population of This Province, and for Other Purposes Therein Mentioned in order to establish the number of people inhabiting the province. On February 21, 1849, a message from Secretary of State Earl Grey (1) was received, asking that a census be conducted in 1851. A census was being conducted in Great Britain and Wales in that year, and it was believed that a census of other British colonies should also be conducted at the same time. Instructions about conducting the census were included with the message.

The request led the House of Assembly to pass new legislation entitled An Act for Ascertaining the Population of This Province, and for Other Purposes Therein Mentioned on April 14, 1849, suspending the census provisions of the 1848 act until January 1, 1851 and adding new questions.

The justice of the peace of each county appointed enumerators for the towns and parishes in the county. If more than one enumerator was required, then the towns and parishes were to be divided into districts, with each person assigned to a particular area. For the city of Saint John, the mayor, alderman and commonalty were to appoint the enumerators.

Under the act, enumerators were instructed to "proceed to take an account in writing of the number of persons at the time of taking such account, being within the limits of the Parish, City or District for which they may be respectively appointed ... and inform themselves of the several particulars relating to the matters specified in the questions contained in the said Schedules, by proceeding from house to house, or otherwise as they shall judge expedient ..." Furthermore, it was expected that "from such information and lists [the enumerators] shall prepare duplicate answers or returns to the said questions, according to the forms prescribed in the said Schedules, and shall sign and make oath to the same before a Justice of the Peace of the County according to the said forms ..." Special authority was granted to enumerators to ask questions of the people within the area for which they were responsible "respecting themselves and the number and the quality of the persons constituting their respective families, as ... necessary for stating the particulars required to be stated concerning them in the said answers and returns." Any person refusing to answer the questions, or knowingly giving a false answer was to be fined no less than 20 shillings and no more than 3 pounds, for each false answer.

After completing the schedules, enumerators transferred the forms in duplicate to the clerk of the peace on (or before) November 1, 1851. The clerks of the peace then transferred one copy of the completed schedules, as well as a list of the parishes, districts, etc, in their county to the secretary of the province. The lieutenant-governor, or other government administrator, then appointed someone to create an abstract of the information, which would be presented to the House of Assembly.

When the report was presented to the House of Assembly, the secretary, J.R. Partelow, commented that "the Population has advanced nearly two per cent. Faster than the combined population of the four northern States of the Union; and much more rapidly than each of them separately considered .... Under every head which is connected with the progress of civilization and comfort, there is an increase - Places of Worship and Education; Houses also, with the exception of those which are tenantless, in which it is satisfactory to observe a decreased number." (Appendix 1852, p. iii) The report was published as an "Appendix" to the Journal of the House of Assembly of the Province of New Brunswick, from the Seventh Day of January to the Seventh Day of April, 1852: Being the Second Session of the Fifteenth General Assembly.

The Records

The enumeration effort used census documents known as schedules. Originally, two schedules, or pages of census questions, were compiled:

• Schedule I (personal information)
• Schedule II (information about the parish, city or district)

1851 Census Records at Library and Archives Canada

Some of the New Brunswick 1851 census records are in the custody of Library and Archives Canada (RG 31, MG 9A12-7, MG 9A12-12, MG 9A13) and others are in the custody of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick. Unfortunately, the 1851 census records for many places did not survive.

On each microfilm reel, researchers will find a title page listing the year of the census (i.e. 1851), the name of the province (New Brunswick), the county name, the township name, and an indication of whether the township was divided into parts for the purposes of enumeration.

The digitized copies of the census schedules found on the Library and Archives Canada website were made by scanning the microfilms of the 1851 census. As exact copies, a page that was indecipherable on microfilm will be similarly indecipherable on a computer screen. Note that the introductory pages from the microfilm are not available online.

Page numbering has been established to distinguish between the two parts for a schedule and the separate schedules for each census area. Thus, the numbers '1', '2', '3', '4', etc, represent a schedule page and the letters 'a' and 'b' represent the different parts of a schedule page. The parts of the schedules are not always consecutively ordered and in some cases may be non-existent.

2

2a

2b

These records and those of previous censuses are described in the Statistics Canada fonds R 233, formerly known as Record Group 31.

Interpreting the Records

Each line of the census was numbered, and each person's information was written on one line. All entries were handwritten in either English or French.

Schedule I (Personal Information)

Schedule I gathered personal information about the citizens of New Brunswick. Under the provisions of the 1848 census act, nominal information was not to be collected; however the amendment to the act called for the collection of names, and other personal information, from citizens of the colony.

Instructions on how the census information was to be collected was not included in the census acts. Thus the following information is taken from the schedules themselves and from the sources footnoted at the end of the document. All statistics are taken from the appendix, "Population Returns and other Statistics of the Province of New Brunswick," pages iii to xxxviii.

The Questions (Column Headings)

• Dwelling
• Name
• Sex
• Relationship
• Age
• Race
• Rank or Occupation
• Date of Entering the Colony
• Sick or Infirm
• Remarks

Under "Sex", enumerators were to enter whether the individual was male or female. In all, 99,526 males and 94,274 females lived in the colony of New Brunswick.

For "Relationships", a total of 31,682 families were reported to be living in New Brunswick.

Regarding "Age", 35,602 colonists were reported as being under 6 years old, 53,324 between 6 and 16, 21,991 from 16 to 21, 48,650 from 21 to 40, 15,305 between 40 and 50, 10,596 from 50 to 60, 5,619 between 60 and 70, and 2,588 over 70. Age was not entered for 124 people.

Based upon the final report of the census, "Race" indicated whether the person was 'White', 'Coloured', or 'Indian'. The population of New Brunswick was made up of 191,626 'Whites', 1,058 'Coloureds' and 1,116 'Indians'.

According to the final results, "Rank or Occupation" included 456 individuals involved in the 'professions', 1,665 'miscellaneous, not strictly manual' workers, 1,292 in 'trade and commerce', 18,601 in 'agriculture', 6,822 'mechanics and handicrafts', 1,454 'mariners and fishermen', and 9,448 'labourers', for a total of 39,738 workers. Obviously from these totals, not every individual in the province received an entry in this column.

A total of 2,366 individuals were reported as being "Sick or Infirm".

The "Remarks" column was used for recording any information not captured above that the enumerator believed would be relevant.

Overall, the population of New Brunswick had grown from 154,000 individuals in 1840 to 193,800 in 1851.

Schedule II (Parish Information)

Schedule II gathered information about the different parishes in New Brunswick.

The Questions (Column Headings)

• [Name and Description of Parish/City/District]
• Inhabited Houses - By how many families inhabited
• Houses Now Building
• Uninhabited Houses
• Stores, Barns and Out-houses
• Births
• Deaths
• Grammar Schools - Number of Children Attending Grammar Schools
• Parish Schools - Number of Children Attending Parish Schools
• Cleared Land
• Crops
• Stock
• Buildings of Different Kinds
• Manufactured Articles

Inhabited Houses - By how many families inhabited

In the final tabulations, it was found that there were 26,369 inhabited houses in New Brunswick.

Houses Now Building

The final tabulations revealed that 1,394 structures could be classified under "Houses Now Building".

Uninhabited Houses

A further 1,546 homes were listed as uninhabited houses.

Stores, Barns and Out-houses

In the colony, parishes reported a total of 32,037 stores, barns and out-houses.

Births (number of births during preceding year)

In all, 6,592 births during preceding year were reported.

Deaths (number of deaths during preceding year)

The number of births can be juxtaposed against the 1,934 deaths during the preceding year.

Grammar Schools - Number of Children Attending Grammar Schools

There were 506 children attending grammar schools.

Parish Schools - Number of Children Attending Parish Schools

There were 18,386 children attending parish schools.

Cleared Land - Estimated Quantity of Cleared Land

The total estimated quantity of cleared land was 643,954 acres.

Crops

Tons of Hay Cut

Bushels of Wheat Raised

Bushels of Barley Raised

Bushels of Oats Raised

Bushels of Buckwheat Raised

Bushels of Indian Corn Raised

Bushels of Peas and Beans Raised

Bushels of Turnips Raised

Bushels of Potatoes Raised

Bushels of other Root Crops Raised

The total crop yields were as follows:

• 225,093 tons of hay cut
• 206,635 bushels of wheat raised
• 74,300 bushels of barley raised
• 1,411,164 bushels of oats raised
• 680,004 bushels of buckwheat raised
• 62,225 bushels of Indian corn raised
• 42,663 bushels of peas and beans raised
• 539,803 bushels of turnips raised
• 2,792,394 bushels of potatoes raised
• 47,880 bushels of other root crops raised

Stock

Number of Cows, how many milked

Quantity of Butter

Number of Horses

Number of Sheep

Number of Swine

The number of head of livestock in the province of New Brunswick in 1851 was as follows:

• 106,263 neat cattle
• 50,995 cows, with 3,050,939 pounds of butter produced (2)
• 22,044 horses
• 168,038 sheep
• 47,932 swine

Buildings of Different Kinds

Number of Churches and Places of Worship

Number of Schools

Number of Saw Mills, and hands employed

Number of Grist Mills, and hands employed

Number of Tanneries, and hands employed

Number of Foundries, and hands employed

Number of Weaving and Carding Establishments, and hands employed

Number of Hand Looms

Number of Yards of Woolen Cloth Manufactured

Number of Factories, other than the above, and hands employed

There were a number of different kinds of buildings in New Brunswick in 1851. The different kinds of buildings, and the number of each, appears below.

• 423 places of worship
• 798 schools
• 584 saw mills, with 4,302 hands employed
• 261 grist mills, with 366 hands employed
• 125 tanneries, with 255 hands employed
• 11 foundries, with 242 hands employed
• 52 weaving and carding establishments, with 96 hands employed
• 5,475 hand looms -- overall, 622,237 yards of woolen cloth were manufactured.
• 94 Factories, other than the above, with 953 hands employed

Manufactured Articles

Boots and Shoes Manufactured

Value of Leather Manufactured

Value of Candles Manufactured

Value of Wooden Ware Manufactured, other than Cabinet Makers

Soap Manufactured

Value of Chairs and Cabinet Ware Manufactured

Value of Fish Caught, and Quantities

Hats Manufactured

Value of Iron Castings Manufactured

Quantity of Coal Raised

Quantity of Iron Smelted

Number of Breweries

Number of Gallons of Malt Liquor Manufactured

Casks of Lime Burnt

Number of Grindstones

Tons of Gypsum Quarried

Quantity of Maple Sugar Manufactured

The types, quantities and value of manufactured and other goods produced in New Brunswick in 1851 are listed below.

boots and shoes manufactured worth £89,367

leather manufactured worth £45,165

candles manufactured worth £19,860

wooden ware (other than by cabinet makers) manufactured worth £20,505

soap manufactured worth £18,562

chairs and cabinet ware manufactured worth £13,472

fish caught worth £82,832 (3)

hats manufactured worth £6,360

iron castings manufactured worth £20 025

2,482 tons of coal raised

810 tons of iron smelted

8 breweries, producing 100,975 gallons of malt liquor

35,599 casks of lime burnt

58,849 grindstones in operation

5,465 tons of gypsum quarried

350,957 pounds of maple sugar produced

1851 Census References - New Brunswick

For further information about the 1851 census, you may wish to consult:

• An Act to Amend an Act, Intituled An Act for Ascertaining the Population of the Province and for Other Purposes Therein Mentioned (passed 14 April 1849). http://webhome.idirect.com/~cpwalsh/nb/acts/12Victc48.htm (accessed January 16, 2006).

• An Act for Ascertaining the Population of the Province and for Other Purposes Therein Mentioned (passed 30 March 1848). http://webhome.idirect.com/~cpwalsh/nb/acts/11Victc27.htm (accessed January 16, 2006).

• 'Appendix,' Journal of the House of Assembly of the Province of New Brunswick, from the Seventh Day of January to the Seventh Day of April, 1852: Being the Second Session of the Fifteenth General Assembly. Fredericton, NB: John Smith, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, 1852, p. iii-xxxviii.

• "[Message from Secretary of State Earl Grey]." Journal of the House of Assembly of the Province of New Brunswick from the Thirty-first Day of January to the Fourteenth Day of April 1849: Being the Third Session of the Fourteenth General Assembly. Fredericton, NB: John Smith, Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, 1849, p. 122.

Notes

1. The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a member of the British Cabinet responsible for the British Colonies (except India) and the army. From 1846 to 1852, Henry Grey, the third Earl Grey, occupied this position. For more information, see Secretary of State for War and the Colonies: [www.wordiq.com/definition/Secretary_of_State_for_War_and_the_Colonies]

2. While the statistics were to include information about the number of cows milked, in his report to the House of Assembly, the provincial secretary, J.R. Partelow, reported that: "The number of Cows milked has ... been omitted on account of defects in the Returns." (Appendix, page iii)

3. While enumerators were asked to give information about the quantity and type of fish caught, only the value of the fish was given in the final report. Thus, the secretary felt that the statistics of "Fish Caught and Cured" were not complete: