The Grace Schmidt Room of Local History
Census
Information in the GSR
Census
Returns Held
The
Grace Schmidt Room collection includes personal
census information for the following counties:
Waterloo
Wellington
Huron
Perth
Please
note that Wilfrid
Laurier University Library has the census
information for all of Ontario. The GSR
only carries census information for the counties
shown above.
Census
Years Available
1816-1840 - Gore District Microfilm
(not all years available)
1842 - Waterloo County returns
are missing from the census
1851 - Parts of North Dumfries
are missing from the census
1861
1871
1881
1891
1901
Census
organization
The
province has been divided into census districts
and, in turn, into sub-districts. The districts
were based upon cities and counties. Villages
and small towns were enumerated within their county.
Unincorporated villages will be found in their
township entry.
Ontario
Census Returns – Sources of Information
The
following publication contains helpful information
about Ontario census returns, their content and
organization:
Merriman,
Brenda Dougall
Genealogy
in Ontario: searching the records (revised).
2002
(Toronto: Ontario Genealogical Society, 2002)
929.3713 Merri 2002
Location: Main REF, & GSR & OGS
(older circulating copies are in Main NF)
Specific Census Information
Prior
to 1842
Before 1842, a census was taken annually by township
assessors. Some of these census and assessment
records have survived for the Gore District ,
available on 5 microfilms in the GSR. A list of
the contents is also available. Waterloo County
records date from 1816 until 1840.
These
census and assessments listed the head of household
only. The size of the family, age statistics and
agricultural information were also included.
1842
Census Returns
The 1842 census was the first province-wide census,
listing the heads of households only. Other information
was included, for example, age statistics on family
members, birthplaces, religion and agricultural
information.
The
1842 census are on 2 microfilms in the GSR. Unfortunately,
many returns have not survived.
1851
Census
The 1851 census was the first census to name all
household members, enumerated in January 1852.
From
1851, the census listed members of a household
with age, place of birth, occupation, religious
affiliation, marital status, etc.
1871
Census
By the 1871 census, a column for origin was included.
It indicated the ethnic heritage of the father,
1901
Census
The 1901 census has a column asking for the year
of emigration to Canada.
Census
Indexes
Waterloo
County 1851 & 1861
Volunteers have created indexes for the following
Waterloo County townships/towns:
Galt
(Town), 1851
Waterloo Township 1851
Wellesley Township 1851
Wellesley Township 1861
These
publications can be located in the KPL catalogue
by doing a keyword search using the terms “census”
and the year.
Ontario 1871 (including Waterloo County)
An index of the 1871 census of Ontario was undertaken
as a project of the Ontario Genealogical Society
(OGS) to mark the organization’s 25th anniversary
in 1986. Copies are kept in the books collection
belonging to the Waterloo Region Branch of the
OGS in the GSR. Several volumes have been published
since 1986. These publications can be located
in the KPL catalogue by doing a keyword search
using the terms “census” and the year.
The
head of each household has been listed, with complete
data concerning age, sex, birthplace, religion,
ethnic origin and occupation. A coded reference
to the municipality and page number to find the
original entry on the microfilm is also listed.
They also indexed any individual with a surname
different from the head of family, designating
such a person a “Stray”.
Since
the completion of these books, members of the
Waterloo Region Branch of the OGS have created
an 1871 Ontario Census Heads of Household Alpa
Version. It is available on the OGS computer in
the GSR The database is a total alphabetical index
of the 1871 census files created by the OGS. You
can search the whole database for a surname regardless
of the county.
Instructions
for access to this database are kept with the
OGS computer in the Grace Schmidt Room.
Online
indexing of the Ontario 1871 federal census is
available on the Library and Archives website
(see http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/0201_e.html
and look under the heading “Census Research
Tools”).
Ontario(Federal)
Census 1881
Online indexing of the Canadian 1881 census is
available through the Latter Day Saints website
( see www.familysearch.org
and select the “Search” tab (or “Search
for Ancestors” link under the Features section),
then select “Census” located on the
left hand side menue and then select “1881
Canadian Census” from the drop down menu
on the search form).
OGS
and other commercially produced indexes are easily
found by doing a KPL catalogue keyword search
with the term “census” and the year
of the census desired. If the county is also known,
that can be included as a keyword term for a catalogue
search
Ontario
(Federal) Census 1901
Online indexing of the Ontario 1901 federal census
is available on the Library and Archives website
(see http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/0201_e.html
and look under the heading “Census Research
Tools”).
OGS
and other commercially produced indexes are easily
found by doing a KPL catalogue keyword search
with the term “census” and the year
of the census desired. If the county is also known,
that can be included as a keyword term for a catalogue
search.
Ontario
(Federal) Census 1911
Online indexing of the Ontario 1911 federal census
is available on the Library and Archives website
(see http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/0201_e.html
and look under the heading “Census Research
Tools”).
Indexing
Publications available through the KPL catalogue
OGS and other commercially produced indexes are
easily found by doing a KPL catalogue keyword
search with the term “census” and
the year of the census desired. If the county
is also known, that can be included as a keyword
term for a catalogue search.
|
