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Census of Canada, 1871

About the Census

How the Census was Collected
From Paper to Microfilm
Column Headings and Interpretation
Common Abbreviations

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How the Census was Collected

The 1871 Census marked the first regularly scheduled collection of national statistics under the authority of the Census Act of 1870. It included only the four provinces that were part of the Dominion of Canada at that time: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec.

Each province was divided into Districts. Each district was divided into sub-districts. For larger sub-districts, there was more than one division. For example, District 76, sub-district c-1 was the first division of Cumberland Township, Russell County.

A series of nine schedules was used to collect specific types of information for each division of each sub-district. There was a total of 211 questions.

Schedule 1 - Nominal Return of the Living

Schedule 1 was designed to enumerate the entire population of Canada by name and contained 23 columns. The name of every individual who lived within an enumerator's district as of April 2, 1871, was to be listed on schedule 1 of that district.

Regardless of the actual date when a particular household was enumerated, the population was to be counted as it existed on April 2^nd 1871. For example, if a person died on April 4^th and the family was enumerated on April 6^th, that person should have been included in the census because he had been alive on April 2^nd.

All members of the family were to be recorded, including any who were temporarily absent, such as seamen, hunters and college students. The head of the household was listed first. It could be a married man, a widowed woman, a single man with elderly parents, an owner of a boarding house, etc.

A census family was defined as a group of people living under the same roof. The following were all examples of a single census family: the occupants and employees of a boarding house (if that was their regular place of residence); a single person living alone; a family and servants living in a house.

The other schedules are:

Schedule 2 –

Nominal return of the deaths within the previous twelve months.

Schedule 3 –

Return of public institutions, real estate, vehicles and implements.

Schedule 4 –

Return of cultivated lands, field products, plants and fruits.

Schedule 5 –

Return of livestock, animal products, home-made fabrics and furs.

Schedule 6 –

Return of industrial establishments.

Schedule 7 –

Return of products of the forest.

Schedule 8 –

Return of shipping and fisheries.

Schedule 9 –

Return of mineral products.

Schedules 2 and 6 include names. The other schedules do not. They are keyed to Schedule 1 by page and line number.

To learn more about the taken of the 1871 census and instructions given to enumerators, consult the Manual containing "The Census Act" and the instructions to officers employed in the taking of the first census of Canada (1871) [www.globalgenealogy.com/Census/Download/Instr1871.pdf].

Overall, the enumerators collected information for 3,485,761 individuals distributed as follows in Canada:

New-Brunswick

285,594

Nova Scotia

387,800

Ontario

1,620,851

Quebec

1,191,516

These records and those of previous censuses are described in the Statistics Canada fonds (R92), formerly Record Group (RG) 31.

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From Paper to Microfilm

The 1871 census returns were first microfilmed in 1967. Only Schedule 1 was filmed (microfilms C-601 to C-716). Those microfilms are now obsolete, although some libraries still hold copies of them.

The 1871 census was refilmed in 1975 (microfilms C-9888 to C-10570). Those reels include all nine schedules.

On each microfilm, researchers will find a title page listing the year of the census (1871), the name of the province, the name and number of the district and sub-district, and the surviving schedules for this sub-district. In order to find out what schedules are available for a specific sub-district, consult Census Districts and Sub-districts [XLS 423 KB].

Note that most of the microfilms start with a section of refilmed or additional pages that were missed in the regular filming sequence. There is a typed listing of the items before those pages. The regular sequence of census pages begins after the "Start/Début" notice on the microfilm.

The digitized copies of the 1871 census schedules found on the Library and Archives Canada website were made by scanning the microfilms. Because the digitized versions are exact copies, a page that was illegible on microfilm is still illegible on a computer screen. The introductory pages from the microfilm that identify the year of the census, the name of the province, the name and number of the district and sub-district, and the number of pages are not accessible online since this information is included in the database.

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Column Headings and Interpretation

Schedule 1 - Nominal Return of the Living

Column 1

Numbered in the order of visitation: Vessels - The number indicates the consecutive vessels that the enumerator has encountered in which there is a household; therefore, the number will usually be a "1" unless there are numerous vessels in a row that are serving as homes.

Column 2

Numbered in the order of visitation: Shanties - The number indicates the consecutive shanties that the enumerator has encountered in which there is a household; therefore, the number will usually be a "1" unless there are numerous vessels in a row that are serving as homes.

Column 3

in the order of visitation: Dwelling houses in construction - The number indicates the consecutive house that the enumerator has encountered in which there is a household; therefore, the number will usually be a "1" unless there are numerous houses in construction in a row that are serving as homes.

Column 4

Numbered in the order of visitation: Dwelling houses uninhabited - The number indicates the consecutive uninhabited house that the enumerator has encountered; therefore, the number will usually be a "1" unless there are numerous houses in a row that are uninhabited.

Column 5

Numbered in the order of visitation: Dwelling houses inhabited - The number indicates the consecutive inhabited house that the enumerator has encountered. Several families may inhabit the same house, but it is nevertheless considered one house; conversely, a separate house was counted wherever there was a separate entrance outside.

Column 6

Numbered in the order of visitation: Families - The number indicates the consecutive family, or household, that the enumerator has encountered.

Column 7

Names - All living family members listed with surname and first name.

Column 8

Sexes - M (male) or F (female).

Column 9

Age -The number indicates age at last birthday. For infants under one year, the number of months is to be recorded in fraction.

Column 10

Born within the last twelve months – Infants that are still alive, whose names are entered in the 7th column must be recorded in this column. The entry is made by inserting the month of birth.

Column 11

Country or Province of Birth - If born outside of Canada, a country was entered; if born in Canada, a province was entered.

Column 12

Religions - The enumerator must be very careful to enter the information given by the person questioned, with precision. If abbreviations are used, the principal or key word should be sufficiently written.

Column 13

Origin – Origin is to be scrupulously entered, as given by the person questioned.

Column 14

Profession, Occupation or Trade – The profession, trade, or occupation, must be entered in full, as given. When sons follow the professions or occupations of their fathers, and are associated with them, the same description is to be inserted. In the case of women, unless they have a definite occupation besides their share in the work of the family or household, the column is to be filled with the sign --.

Column 15

Married or Widowed – The information is recorded by using the letter M for married, W for Widow and the sign -- for all others, including children.

Column 16

Married within the last twelve months – To record marriages that occurred within the last twelve months, by inserting the month under the husband’s name and using the “ sign for the wife.

Column 17

Instruction: Going to school – The sign 1 is used to identify relevant individuals.

Column 18

Instruction: Over 20 years unable to read - The sign 1 is used to identify relevant individuals.

Column 19

Instruction: Over 20 years unable to write - The sign 1 is used to identify relevant individuals.

Column 20

Infirmities: Deaf and Dumb - The sign 1 is used to identify relevant individuals.

Column 21

Infirmities: Blind - The sign 1 is used to identify relevant individuals.

Column 22

Infirmities: Unsound mind - The sign 1 is used to identify relevant individuals. This category was "intended to include all those unfortunates who are plainly deprived of reason." Enumerators were not to make an attempt to distinguish what type of malady caused the individual's condition.

Column 23

Dates of Operations and Remarks.

To find out the column headings of the other schedules used in the 1871 census, consult Census Column Headings.

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Common Abbreviations

Gender

Male

Female

Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Provinces

Ontario

Quebec

Nova Scotia

New Brunswick

Religion

Only a brief list of short-form examples were given to enumerators, compared to the large number of denominations represented in the tabulated census results.

C. Presb.

Canada Presbyterian Church

R. Presb.

Reformed Presbyterian

W. Meth.

Wesleyan Methodist

Meth. N.C.

Methodist New Connection

I. Meth. E.

Independent Methodist Episcopal

F.W.C. Bapt.

Free-Will Christian Baptist

The abbreviations used in this column were replaced, when possible, by full terms, based on the index to the names of all heads-of-household and strays in the 1871 census returns for the Province of Ontario done by the Ontario Genealogical Society.

Other

Fractions are used for the age of children less than 12 months old, e.g. 11/12 indicates the child was eleven months old.

written whenever NO is the answer or there is nothing to be recorded

equivalent to writing YES

for ditto

Additional abbreviations can be found on our Census Abbreviations page.